The

New Testament
and the

Church

Chapter 25

Mary and the Saints

Chapter Summary
Mary and the Saints
This chapter will consider how Mary and the saints serve
as models of love and faithfulness and lead us to a
deeper love of Christ and his Church.
It will explore the Communion of Saints as all the faithful,
both living and dead, that ultimately are the Body of
Christ.

Introduction and Marys Yes

(Handbook, pages 264266)

Marys yes serves as a model of discipleship for all to respond to

Gods call.

ivan-96/www.istockphoto.com

As a young girl, Mary was visited by an

angel and told she was going to give birth
to the Son of God. This event is called the
Annunciation.
In spite of the uncertainty and her fears,
Mary trusted in God and declared herself
the Lords servant.
Nothing is impossible for God, and through
Mary, the Incarnation came to be.

Introduction and Marys Yes

(Handbook, pages 264266)

Activity
Recall a time when you had to say yes to
do something, such as join a team or group,
go to a camp, or befriend someone who
needed a friend.
Think about how that choice played out. Did
things happen that you didnt expect, for
better or worse, when you made the
choice?
Write a paragraph about the unexpected
events that followed your decision. Would
you have made the same choice if you had
prior knowledge of its outcome?

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Mary, Mother of God and Mary,

Mother of the Church
(Handbook, pages 266268)

As the Mother of God, Mary supported Jesus throughout his life. She
now supports the Church as the mother of all Christians and a model of
faithfulness and love.
Mary is the mother of the Son of God. She
is called Theotokos, or God-bearer, to
indicate that she is the one who gives birth
to God.
At his death on the cross, Jesus gave the
Church the gift of his mother. Mary is the
mother of all Christians.
Through Mary, we come to know her son,
Jesus Christ.

CURAphotography/www.shutterstock.com

Mary, Mother of God and Mary,

Mother of the Church
(Handbook, pages 266268)

Activity
Turn to the list of Holy Days of
Obligation on page 569 of the
Handbook. How many holy
days have some connection
to Mary?
Turn to page 562 in the
Handbook, and look at the
Mysteries of the Rosary. How are each of these
mysteries connected to Mary?

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The Communion of Saints

and Our Friends in Heaven
(Handbook, pages 268270)

Discussion Questions
Who knows what makes a saint?
Can anyone name some saints?

Renata
Sedmakova/www.shutterstock.com

The Communion of Saints

and Our Friends in Heaven
(Handbook, pages 268270)
All believers in Christ, both living and dead, are part of the Communion of Saints.
Those who have gone before us can pray for us and bring our needs to God.

Bogdan VASILESCU/www.shutterstock.com

The Communion of Saints is the Church: a

communion of holy people, living and dead.
In the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, we
become the Body of Christ. We become bound to
one another and united with God.
Saints are our friends in heaven. Just as we ask
our friends on earth for help, we can ask the saints
for help through their prayers.

The Saints
(Handbook, pages 270272)

Saints serve as examples of holiness

and inspire us in our journey of faith.
They are good models for living
the Christian life.

jmalov/www.istockphoto.com

The Saints
(Handbook, pages 270272)

When we celebrate the feasts of the saints,

we unite with the liturgy of Heaven.
Official saints are those whose holiness the
Church has formally recognized through a
process called canonization. We call those
who have not been canonized unofficial
saints.
junak/www.istockphoto.com

Discussion Question
How would you define a saint?