30. The Church at Mass

The Church is not just the Pope. She is also the Church in Heaven TRIUMPHANT, where live the saints named and unnamed on our canonical lists. We remember them especially on All Saints Day. There is also the Church SUFFERING or in PURGATION. These are those who have not utterly breached themselves from God, but who still need to be perfected. We remember them especially on All Souls Day and the month of November. Then there is the Church MILITANT. That is us. We are fighting to get where the saints are. We surround the central act of worship with the whole Church. The first canon of the Mass mentions some of these saints by name. We do not pray alone. We invoke the saints.

In the line up, we remember the living first, like the Pope, the bishop, and the laity. After the consecration, we pray for the dead, those who are dependent upon us, especially for unfulfilled penances. But keep in mind the question, particularly against anti-Catholic apologists: who is the head of the Church? It is none other than Jesus Christ. It is not the Pope. He is the visible teaching authority. Christ is the head and we are his members. Joined to the Lord, we offer Christ to the Father.