Are the saints and the Virgin Mary present in the Eucharist?

Priest Ángel Castaño Félix, deputy director of the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences of the San Dámaso Ecclesiastical University of Madrid, explains how the saints and the Virgin Mary are present every time the Eucharist is celebrated.

In a recent video published on the YouTube channel from the study center dependent on the Archbishopric of Madrid, Father Castaño explains that “in some way, yes” all Christians are present, including those who are in heaven such as the saints and the Mother of God, during the celebration of the Mass.

In order to affirm this presence, he points out, it is necessary to be aware “of what the Church means as a communion of saints.” Thus, he explains that “in the Creed we say ‘I believe in the Church’, ‘I believe in the communion of saints'” and that, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “they are not two different articles, they are the same”, in such a way that we could say “I believe in the Church, that is, in the communion of saints.”

What does the communion of saints mean?

Starting from this consideration, Father Castaño addresses the meaning of the communion of saints, which is that “we are all members of the Body of Christ and to the extent that we belong to the Body of Christ, we are united.”

This union does not only refer to sharing the same faith, celebrating the same sacraments and having the same life of holiness, but also to the fact that “in the Body of Christ we are all members of Christ and, therefore, we form one body.”

Thus, he adds, “communion of saints means that we are one. And if we are one, where one is, in some way there is totality. The Lord triumphant in heaven is present everywhere. The Virgin Mary as Mother of the Lord, member of the Church, glorified in heaven in body and soul, is also universally present in the lives of all men, as a mother” and, in each Eucharistic celebration, “we do so, united to the saints,” he details.

The presence of the Virgin Mary in prayer

Finally, Father Castaño points out that “the Church prays with Mary, it unites itself with the Virgin Mary; she prays to Mary, knowing that the ultimate recipient of the prayer is always God the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit; and we also pray through Mary, to the extent that the Lord has entrusted her with the mission of being our mother and, therefore, of taking care of us.”

“In the Eucharist the Virgin Mary is also present, as are the saints. Although we are the ones who celebrate the liturgy, they are united with us in the adoration of the Father and in the worship of God, he concludes.