Upon what is the idea of Catholic saints based in Scripture?

Question

Church as the Communion of Saints
By the expression, the "Communion of Saints" we mean in the strict sense the union of all faithful on earth withChrist as their Head an with one another. In a wider sense, the expression signifies the unity under and in Christ as their Head of the faithful on earth (the Church militant), the souls in Purgatory (the Church suffering), and the blessed in heaven (the church Triumphant).
In his priestly prayer Christ intimately links the members of His Church into a firm, spiritual unity (John 17: 9-26). His relation to His Apostles and true followers is similar to that of the vine, which He is, to its branches; just as the branches draw their life and nourishment from the vine, so His Apostles and all just souls must draw their spiritual life and nourishment from Him (John 15:1-11). By means of the Lord's Prayer, His disciples were to pray for one another and the Kingdom of God (Matt 6:9-13)

Paul, in particular, has dilated upon this doctrine. Christ is the Head of the Mystical Body, His Church, and the faithful are the members of this Body. This Mystical Body is a social structure, a real mutual union, which is endowed with supernatural life (life that comes from within) and links the members of the Body with one another and the Head (Rom 12:4-6; 1 Cor 12:12-27) This intimate and close union of the faithful with Christ is compared with the pure union between husband and wife (Eph 5:22f). Being so intimately linked with one another and with Christ, the members must work together towards a single end, namely, for the continuous sanctification of the members of Christ's Body (1Cor 6:9-11;10,12f; 2 Cor 9,10; Eph 5:25-27; Rom 11,22) must pray for one another (Rom 15,30; 2Cor1,11; Eph 1,15f; 6,18f; Phil 1,19; Col 4,2f; 1 Thess 1,2;5,25;2 Thess 1,11; 3,1; Heb 13,18), must cooperate to profess externally the same faith (Rom 10,9; Acts 16,31).

The Church as the Communion of Saints also includes the blessed in Heaven (Apoc (revelations) 6, 9-11; cf. Col 1, 20; Phil 2, 10) and the souls in purgatory (cf 2 Mach 12:43-46; Phil 2, 10).
By reason of this doctrine of the Communion of Saints, the Church teaches us that the Saints in heaven bring the prayers of the faithful to God for us, and that it is good and useful for us to seek their intercession. Just as Christ speaks with great reverence and honor of Moses (Matt 23,2; Mark 7,10; John 5, 45f), David (Matt 22,42-450, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (matt 8,11; 22,32; Luke 16,22), so too the Apostles propose for out imitation the holy lives of Abraham (Rom 4, 1-25; Gal 3, 1-29), Noe (2 Pet 2,5), Job (Jas 5, 11), and many Old Testament persons renowned for their faith (Heb 11, 1-40). In the Apocalypse the 24 ancients or elders are described as offering the prayers of the saints or Christians on eath to God (Rev 5,8). Then too it is permissible and useful to venerate relics.

Contact with the bones of Eliseus brought a man to life ( 4 Kings 13, 21), and in the New Testament it is related of Peter that his mere shadow cured the sick (Acts 5, 15) and of Paul that by means of handkerchiefs and aprons which he had worn extraordinary miracles were worked by God (Act 19,11f).

Think about this also. At the Transfiguration 2 old testament figures appeared. The dead are not dead, they are said to be 'asleep' because they are not visible to us any longer. The scriptural phrase "asleep" is not death.

Answer 1

That's not a question it is a statement, but i will elaborate.

There's a clear segementation of the SPIRITual CHURCH which is in the UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT The Earth is the Church militant, Purgatory is the Church suffering, and HEAVEN is the CHURCH Triumpant. That being said the Saints are in the CHURCH TRIUMPHANT. Still we are all part of ONE BODY OF CHRIST.

Okay, well we can show symbolism in the Bible which indicates the TEMPLE which JESUS built which is not made of human hands but is made from the souls of Saints. JESUS is called the CHIEF CORNERSTONE in this communion of Saints. Saint Peter was made "The Rock" by OUR LORD who is called "The Rock" elsewhere in the Bible. Furthermore, The entire communion of Saints is made up of these Stones.

If we make a simple examination of the first chapter of Joshua we see that GOD instructed them to carry stones across the Jordan River and make monuments in the Promised Land. Now in the book of Acts we see that the Jordan river is a Spiritual Jordan and that the PROMISED LAND IS HEAVEN, the PARADISE lost in the GARDEN OF EDEN. This is to show that GOD has breathed HIS LIFE into man, and made us ONE BODY that we can be saved through JESUS . .. and this is how we have redemption and a return to grace.

The compairson of our hearts, or souls, to stones, is used through out the Bible, such as to say our hearts are hard, or the commandments are written on stone, as they are upon the heart. . . and those precious gems which are the Saints, are used to build the temple. We see a lengthy explanation of this of various types of stones used to build the TEMPLE in the book of revelation. Saint Paul and Saint Peter also echo this that the Saints are SPIRITual stones which make up the TEMPLE which is not made of human hands, but made by GOD from the souls of the Saints.

Further The Saints are comprable to the prophets of the old testament, are the fruits of the KINGDOM and the undefiled virgins are the first fruits unto GOD which sing a song only they can sing. Which appears twice in revelation once before the chapter break between chapters 11 and 12. this indicates a break between old and new covenants. Thus in the first instance we see the 12 tribes which are called 12,000 each unto the Saints, the Hebrew Saints which were raised up with JESUS, and appeared to many. and in the second instance are the Catholic Saints which we see many of them among the Early Fathers and the Martyrs.

LOVE your neighbor as yourself.
Amen.

Answer 2

Before Jesus Christ died for our sins and opened the gates of heaven there were no saints in heaven. Therefore there are no Old Testament writings that would mention them.

Very few of the new Christians died before most of the New Testament was written. Therefore there is little in the Bible about asking saints to pray for us.

However the last book of the Bible does talk about the saints in heaven praying.

Revelation 5:8: Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.

Revelation 8:3-4: He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne. The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel.

The Holy Spirit guided the early Church in many things not explained in the Bible including how does the Body of Christ (believers) living on Earth relate to the Body of Christ (saints) living in heaven. We are still one Body.

Catholics share the belief in the Communion of Saints with many other Christians, including the Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopal, and Methodist Churches.

The Communion of Saints is the belief where all saints are intimately related in the Body of Christ, a family. When you die and go to heaven, you do not leave this family.

Everyone in heaven or on their way to heaven are saints, you, me, my deceased grandmother, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II.

As part of this family, you may ask your family and friends living here on earth to pray for you. Or, you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother living in heaven to pray for you.

Prayer to saints in heaven is simple communication, not worship.

And prayer to the saints is optional not required.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 946 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p5.htm#946

With love in Christ.