On the Communion of All Saints in the One Body of Christ Jesus

“To me it is such a joyous thought that I am not alone, that I do not travel by myself, but that I am accompanied on my pilgrimage through the valley of the shadow by a communion of believers. Right in the midst of this life’s barren wilderness, this thought can dissolve all sorrow in forgetfulness. Yet, this Communion of Saints is no mere thought but an unshakable certainty. I know from the mouth of God that I am not alone. I rejoice over this from the bottom of my heart. Unfortunately, though, my joy is not unmixed with sorrow, for death takes away many whom I love. Like candles, one after another in the bright circle of my friends goes out, the empty places turn dark, and seldom does another star fill the dark void. This brings pain and longing. But I do not forget that these brethren of whom I speak are just hidden from my sight and have been placed in higher positions in the Kingdom of God. Those who live in the Lord and those who, while out of the body, abide in Him; those who are still pilgrims and those who are already home; those who walk by faith and those who walk by sight — these are not two separated flocks, but one: one before God, and one according to their own consciousness” in Christ Jesus (Wilhelm Löhe, Three Books About the Church).