All the company of heaven. In nearly every eucharistic prayer we hear about them. And we say, And so, with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we join our voices with those who forever sing the hymn, Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. In a very real sense, we are all gathered together at the altar each and every time the Eucharist is celebrated any place, any time.
Those who have gone before are the communion of saints, and we are, also, part of the communion of saints. For all the baptized are the communion of saints. The church triumphant, those who have passed on but not away. The church here and now, active, alive, and aware. And, there are members upon members of the communion of saints who have not yet been born. But after they have been, and after they have been baptized into Christ’s one holy catholic and apostolic church, they, too, will be members of this communion of saints.
In the history of Christian art, various artists have attempted to depict this presence, this reality, this joy, this hope that every time we celebrate the Eucharist the whole communion of saints are gathered ‘round together. If you wonder what happens after this life, it seems like we’re gonna be pretty busy showing up at Eucharists all the time.
One of the artists who has tried to depict this is an Englishman named Thomas Noyes-Lewis. There are two famous paintings of his, prints of which hang in our sacristy here at St Paul’s, which try to let us imagine what it means when we say we join with all the company of heaven. One of Noyes-Lewis's paintings from the early 20th century is reproduced here. Do you see them gathered at the altar? Not just the presider, not just the eucharistic minister, not just the people bodily assembled, but all the company of heaven, the entire communion of saints gathered at the altar.
Especially on All Saints Day, November 1, this Sunday, we remember that we are accompanied by them. And as we remember them and pray for them, we pray as the prayer book says that they “may go from strength to strength in a new life of perfect service.” We can rest in the knowledge that they pray for us and pray with us and intercede for us even as we remember them and pray for them and ask them to intercede for us.
We are connected to them and to one another and to all those yet unborn in this lifegiving, wisdom-bearing reality: our bonds to one another in Christ, bonds that cannot be ended—not even in death, not even by death.
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