Vigils Reading

THE PILGRIM CHURCH

From the documents of the Second Vatican Council

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In full consciousness of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of

Jesus Christ, the Church in its pilgrim members, from the very earliest days of

the Christian religion, has honored with great respect the memory of the dead;

and, “because it is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that

they may be loosed from their sins“, she offers her suffrages for them.

The Church has always believed that the apostles and Christ’s martyrs,

who gave the supreme witness of faith and charity by the shedding of their

blood, are closely united with us in Christ; she has always venerated them,

together with the Blessed Virgin Mary and the holy angels, with a special love,

and has asked piously for the help of their intercession. Soon there were added

to these others who had chosen to imitate more closely the virginity and poverty

of Christ, and still others whom the outstanding practice of the Christian virtues

and the wonderful graces of God recommended to the pious devotion and

imitation of the faithful.

To look on the life of those who have faithfully followed Christ is to be

inspired with a new reason for seeking the city which is to come, while at the

same time we are taught to know a most safe path by which, despite the

vicissitudes of the world, and in keeping with the state of life and condition

proper to each of us, we will be able to arrive at perfect union with Christ, that is,

holiness. God shows to us, in a vivid way, his presence and his face in the lives of

those companions of ours in the human condition who are more perfectly

transformed into the image of Christ. He speaks to us in them and offers us a

sign of this kingdom, to which we are powerfully attracted, so great a cloud of

witnesses is there given and such a witness to the truth of the Gospel.

It is not merely by the title of example that we cherish the memory of

those in heaven; we seek, rather, that by this devotion to the exercise of fraternal

charity the union of the whole Church in the Spirit may be strengthened.

Exactly as Christian communion between peoples on their earthly pilgrimage

brings us closer to Christ, so our community with the saints joins us to Christ,

from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace and the life of the

People of God itself. It is most fitting, therefore, that we love those friends and

co-heirs of Jesus Christ who are also our brethren and outstanding benefactors,

and that we give due thanks to God for them, humbly invoking them, and having

recourse to their prayers, their aid and help in obtaining from God through the

Son, Jesus Christ… the benefits we need.