Mary and the Communion of Saints
Catholic teaching honors Mary as the Mother of God (Theotokos), preserved from original sin in the Immaculate Conception, ever-virgin, assumed body and soul into heaven. She is honored above the saints, but not worshipped as God. The communion of saints means that those in heaven, those being purified in purgatory, and those still on earth form one Body of Christ — and may intercede for one another. These twelve passages anchor the doctrine.
What Scripture says
All quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).
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Luke 1:28
Having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!"
"Full of grace" — the angel's greeting (Greek: kecharitomene) suggests Mary is uniquely graced from her conception.
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Luke 1:42
She called out with a loud voice, and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!"
Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, calls Mary blessed.
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Luke 1:43
Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
"Mother of my Lord" — the basis for Theotokos, "Mother of God" (defined at the Council of Ephesus, 431).
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Luke 1:48
for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.
Mary's own prophecy. All generations call her blessed — Catholic devotion is the fulfillment.
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John 2:5
His mother said to the servants, "Whatever he says to you, do it."
Mary's last recorded words in Scripture. She points always to her Son: "Do whatever He tells you."
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John 19:26-27
Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home.
At the cross, Jesus gives Mary as mother to the Beloved Disciple — and through him, to all disciples.
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Revelation 12:1-5
A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars... She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron...
The woman of Revelation 12 — Catholic tradition reads her with multiple referents, including Mary in glory.
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Hebrews 12:1
Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
The "cloud of witnesses" — the saints in heaven watching, surrounding, supporting.
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Revelation 5:8
Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
The prayers of the saints in heaven offered before God. The saints intercede.
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Revelation 8:3-4
Another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer. Much incense was given to him, that he should add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand.
Heavenly intercession is biblical. The communion of saints includes those in glory praying for those on earth.
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James 5:16
Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.
The prayer of the righteous is powerful. The saints in heaven are righteous in glory.
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Matthew 17:1-3
After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves. He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light. Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him.
At the Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah — saints from glory — converse with Christ. The departed are alive in God and active.
A prayer
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.