Salvation Through The Good Works Of The SaintsIn the communion of saints, a perennial link of charity exist between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. Between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things. In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin. (Page 412) (1476) We also call these spiritual goods of the communion of saints the Churchs treasury, which is not the sum total of material goods which have accumulated during the course of the centuries. On the contrary the treasury of the Church is the infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which Christs merits have before God. They were offered so that the whole of mankind could be set free from sin and attain communion with the Father. In Christ, the Redeemer himself, the satisfactions and merits of his Redemption exist and find their efficacy. (Page 412) (1477) This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are truly immense, unfathomable and even pristine in their value before God. In the treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints, all those who have followed in the footsteps of Christ the Lord and by his grace have made their lives holy and carried out the mission the Father entrusted to them. In this way they attained their own salvation and at the same time cooperated in saving their brothers in the unity of the Mystical Body. (Page 412) This is a common road that most of the world takes. It is a Broad Road that leadeth to destruction. Do you think God is such a barbarian that He would give His only begotten Son to die for wretched sinners such as us, if there was anyway for us to redeem ourselves? The only Work that counts is the work on the cross of Calvery. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. I will work, not for salvation, but because of salvation. It is God who authored salvation and not man.
| INDEX | HOME PAGE | FIRST PAGE | PREVIOUS | NEXT PAGE |Permission is given to reproduce this document without Copyright © 1996 Robert T. Weaver |