The Whole Family in Heaven and on Earth
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| Apse of St. Quattro Coronati, "Glory of the Cloud of Witnesses", Rome, Italy |
Introduction
The Early Church's Invocation of the Saints and its traditional Prayers for the Dead are often seen, even by those from an Orthodox or Catholic background, as unnecessary or distracting doctrines, which are not at the core of the Christian experience. Anglicans often explain them away as a later tradition, an outgrowth of humanity's struggle with suffering and grief, and that, somehow, it is a coping mechanism to allow us to feel close to those who have passed on into the next life. Protestants denounce them as pagan, idolatrous, and harmful, doing everything in their power to eradicate even the memory of such blasphemous and man-made traditions. In the midst of all these confusing and contradictory explantations, Holy Scripture pierces like a laser, giving light and shining context upon the real origins of these practices and upon their importance to the Christian understanding of Communion, the Afterlife, and the purpose of human sanctification.
Scripture Readings
The Apostle Paul sums up his message to the Ephesians simply, with a vision of endurance, unity, shared life, and glory. He says here in Ephesians 3:13-15 -
“I DESIRE that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named."
Here St. Paul uses an interesting Greek phrase...
“ἐξ οὗ πᾶσα πατριὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ὀνομάζεται”
The word “pasa” (πᾶσα) means “Every” or “All”, depending on your theology. If is is “all of the family”, or the “whole family”, it is very different than “every family.” Protestants like to say that “God’s fatherhood is named in all the other ‘fatherhoods’ that are to be seen,” thus denying a "family connection" to those who have passed on to be with God in heaven and avoid the implications of an eternal union. Those of a Patristic bent say that the “Whole Family in Heaven and on Earth” is all bound up in One Race, One Fatherland. This is supported by the translation of Matthew 2:3; Luke 4:7; Acts 2.36; 7:22, and Ephesians 2:21. This is a vision that we see in other places, where we are united with the heavenly reality of Saints and Angels, as they watch us as a “Great Cloud of Witnesses.” (Hebrews 12:1)
The word “patria” (πατριὰ) means Race, Tribe, People, Nation, and by extension, Homeland.
The Septuagint, the original Christian Old Testament, uses the word patria (πατριαί) to translate “mishpakhót” (מִשְׁפָּחוֹת), which means “families,” as distinguished from the “phylai” (φυλαί), which is used to translate the Hebrew word “mitót” (מִטּוֹת) for “tribe.” The Israelites were constituted of twelve phylai/φυλαί, or tribes, divided into a number of patria/πατριαί, or local families, each of these latter again consisting of so many “oikoi” or “households” (οἶκοι). Here the word seems to have the widest sense of immediate relation, social order, and community, and contains the idea of family in the proper sense and incorporating the angels and the heavenly host, who are indicated by “in heaven” (ἐν οὐρανοῖς). Such an original meaning, however, has been vehemently rejected by early Reformers and continues to be undercut by much of the Protestant "verse by verse" expositors, who rightfully see it as one of the biblical passages that could undermine the entire Protestant theological system.
Continuing in verses 16 through 21 -
"That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
This resonates with our other reading today, from I Corinthians 10:14-21 -
Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
Here, we see that our Communion with Christ and His saints and angels is all made manifest as one family in God, united in one bread, one cup, one mystical reality of being in fellowship with Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. In this Communion the πατριὰ is made known, and what is of the family of God cannot also be of the family of Satan.
Sermon
There is nothing in Church history as controversial as the traditional teaching on the presence of the saints who have gone before us, and their continued presence, interaction and intercession for the living. In Judaism, there are two distinct schools of thought. One believed that the faithful saints and “tzidek” were still active and present in the lives of the Jewish community, and the other, fearing idolatry, forbid mentioning the righteous dead as a source of witness, blessing, or intercession. In much the same way, we have a historical Christian practice that is very positive about the Saints and their contribution to our Christian lives and the ongoing work of the Church, and the Protestant view, which equates the invocation of the saints to the worship of devils and believes that those who died in faith are permanently removed from our living reality.
This historical controversy is how 2 Maccabees 15:12-14, which describes a vision of God blessing the Jews through two of His deceased prophets, Onias and Jeremiah, was later taken out of the Jewish canon, but remained in the Christian Old Testament - “In his vision, Judas saw Onias, who had been high priest and was virtuous, good, modest in all things, gentle of manners, and well-spoken. From childhood he had learned all things that properly belong to a good moral life. This man had his hands extended to pray for the entire nation of the Jews. Then in the same manner, another man, noteworthy for his gray hair and dignity, appeared with astonishing and splendid glory. Onias said, “This man is one who loves his brothers and sisters and prays many prayers for the people and the holy city: God’s prophet Jeremiah.” The Early Christians retained this reading in their Greek Old Testament, and so, naturally, did not see the prayers of the Saints in Heaven as an idolatrous or "unbiblical" act.
We see this mirrored in unquestioned Scripture, in Jeremiah 15:1, where it says - "The Lord said to me: Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, I would not change my mind about these people. Send them away from me. Let them go!”
Judas Maccabeus responded to slain soldiers of his that died with idolatrous amulets on their persons in 2 Macc 12:43-46 - “He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.”
Of his dead friend, Onesiphorus, the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1:16-18 - "May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me; he was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me eagerly and found me – may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day – and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus."
The towering Father of Western Christianity, St. Augustine said of this - “It is not to be doubted, that we can aid the souls of the departed by the prayers of the Church, by the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and by the alms which we offer for them.” (Sermons 172.2) and again in his book, the City of God, St. Augustine says, "The prayer either of the Church herself or of pious individuals is heard on behalf of certain of the dead; but it is heard for those who, having been regenerated in Christ, did not for the rest of their life in the body do such wickedness that they might be judged unworthy of such mercy, nor who yet lived so well that it might be supposed they have no need of such mercy." (The City of God 21:24)
The Church Fathers on the Invocation of Saints
This biblical doctrine of the invocation of the saints, who stand before God's throne in prayer, is echoed throughout all of the Church Fathers, who believed that it was just as fitting to ask the Saints in Heaven for prayer as it is to ask the saints on earth for intercession.
The Shepherd of Hermas (AD 80)
“[The Shepherd said:] ‘But those who are weak and slothful in prayer, hesitate to ask anything from the Lord; but the Lord is full of compassion, and gives without fail to all who ask him. But you, [Hermas,] having been strengthened by the holy angel [you saw], and having obtained from him such intercession, and not being slothful, why do not you ask of the Lord understanding, and receive it from him?’” (The Shepherd 3:5:4)
St. Clement of Alexandria (AD 150-215)
“In this way is he [the true Christian] always pure for prayer. He also prays in the society of angels, as being already of angelic rank, and he is never out of their holy keeping; and though he pray alone, he has the choir of the saints standing with him [in prayer].” (Miscellanies 7:12 )
Origen
“But not the high priest [Christ] alone prays for those who pray sincerely, but also the angels . . . as also the souls of the saints who have already fallen asleep.” (Prayer 11)
St. Cyprian of Carthage (AD 210-258)
“Let us remember one another in concord and unanimity. Let us on both sides [of death] always pray for one another. Let us relieve burdens and afflictions by mutual love, that if one of us, by the swiftness of divine condescension, shall go hence first, our love may continue in the presence of the Lord, and our prayers for our brethren and sisters not cease in the presence of the Father’s mercy.” (Letters 56[60]:5 )
St. Cyril of Jerusalem (AD 313-386)
“Then [during the Eucharistic prayer] we make mention also of those who have already fallen asleep: first, the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, that through their prayers and supplications God would receive our petition.” (Catechetical Lectures 23:9)
St. Hilary of Poitiers (AD 310-367)
“To those who wish to stand [in God’s grace], neither the guardianship of saints nor the defenses of angels are wanting.” (Commentary on the Psalms 124:5:6)
St. Ephraim the Syrian (AD 306-373)
“You victorious martyrs who endured torments gladly for the sake of the God and Savior, you who have boldness of speech toward the Lord himself, you saints, intercede for us who are timid and sinful men, full of sloth, that the grace of Christ may come upon us, and enlighten the hearts of all of us so that we may love him.” (Commentary on Mark)
“Remember me, you heirs of God, you brethren of Christ; supplicate the Savior earnestly for me, that I may be freed through Christ from him that fights against me day by day.” (The Fear at the End of Life)
St. Gregory of Nyssa (AD 335-395)
“[Ephraim], you who are standing at the divine altar [in heaven] . . . bear us all in remembrance, petitioning for us the remission of sins, and the fruition of an everlasting kingdom.” (Sermon on Ephraim the Syrian)
St. John Chrysostom (AD 347-407)
“He that wears the purple [i.e., a royal man] . . . stands begging of the saints to be his patrons with God, and he that wears a diadem begs the tentmaker [Paul] and the fisherman [Peter] as patrons, even though they be dead.” (Homilies on Second Corinthians 26)
“When you perceive that God is chastening you, fly not to his enemies . . . but to his friends, the martyrs, the saints, and those who were pleasing to him, and who have great power [in God].” (Orations 8:6)
St. Ambrose of Milan (AD 340-397)
“May Peter, who wept so efficaciously for himself, weep for us and turn towards us Christ’s benign countenance.” (The Six Days Work 5:25:90)
St. Jerome (AD 342-420)
“You say in your book that while we live we are able to pray for each other, but afterwards when we have died, the prayer of no person for another can be heard. . . . But if the apostles and martyrs while still in the body can pray for others, at a time when they ought still be solicitous about themselves, how much more will they do so after their crowns, victories, and triumphs?” (Against Vigilantius 6)
St. Augustine (AD 354-430)
“A Christian people celebrates together in religious solemnity the memorials of the martyrs, both to encourage their being imitated and so that it can share in their merits and be aided by their prayers.” (Against Faustus the Manichean)
“At the Lord’s table we do not commemorate martyrs in the same way that we do others who rest in peace so as to pray for them, but rather that they may pray for us that we may follow in their footsteps.” (Homilies on John 84)
“Neither are the souls of the pious dead separated from the Church which even now is the kingdom of Christ. Otherwise there would be no remembrance of them at the altar of God in the communication of the Body of Christ.” (The City of God 20:9:2)
Summary
Within contemporary Christianity even the less controversial facts about the spiritual world are often forgotten and viewed with suspicion. The fact that Angels guard us (Matthew 18:10), assist God (Luke 22:43), usher our souls to Heaven, as it says in Luke 16:22, is somehow seen as an illegitimate worship of angels. The willfully forget that we will recognize and be able to communicate with others in Heaven (Luke 9:28-36), that we all participate in the worship of God with the Saints and Angels in the Heavenly Throne Room (Revelation 4 and 5), and that we remain conscious of the world and its events (Revelation 6:9-10). We can see in Hebrews 12:1 where the saints in heaven are called “The Great Cloud of Witnesses,” and this means that we bear a huge responsibility for what we do in the body, because our lives are playing out before a myriad of saintly supporters. And yet, even with all this evidence, Protestants still act as if those who have passed into the next life in Faith and Fear of God are “dead to us” and as if they cannot hear us or, if it is God’s will, interact with us. Such a worldview is sad, not only because it limits and reduces the communion we have with God and one another, but also because it radically rejects the fellowship we have with those who have gone before us, and who watch us with care and concern, praying for us continually before the face of our Heavenly Father.
Christ gives life that never ends. We have life through the Holy Spirit, overflowing and abounding, uncreated glory, the shared holiness of the Holy Trinity, the gift of Holy Communion. These treasures assure us that those who are in Heaven form one Church with us, one body, and are not cut off from us or we from them.
COME, LET US JOIN OUR FRIENDS ABOVE
Come, let us join our friends above
Who have obtained the prize,
And on the eagle wings of love
To joys celestial rise.
Let saints on earth unite to sing
With those to glory gone;
For all the servants of our King,
In earth and heav'n, are one.
One family we dwell in Him,
One Church above, beneath,
Though now divided by the stream,
The narrow stream of death.
One army of the living God,
To His command we bow;
Part of His host have crossed the flood
And part are crossing now.
Ten thousand to their endless home
This solemn moment fly;
And we are to the margin come,
And we expect to die.
E'en now by faith we join our hands
With those who went before,
And greet the blood-besprinkled bands
On the eternal shore.
Our spirits, too, shall quickly join,
Like theirs with glory crowned,
And shout to see our Captain's sign,
To hear His trumpet sound.
Jesus, be Thou our constant Guide;
Then, when the word is giv'n,
Bid Jordan's narrow stream divide
And bring us safe to heav’n.
Anglican Priest, the Rev. Charles Wesley
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