Merits

I have a friend who is of the Seventh Day Adventist persuasion. He and I were discussing the Catholic doctrine of the merits of the saints.

After poking around a bit, and talking to a priest today, this seems to be the essence of the doctrine: we are all a part of the communion of the saints. We are all members of the body of Christ. In a sense, if one of us is joined with a prostitute, we all are affected. And likewise, if one of us is holy, we all are affected. In a body, when the mouth consumes good food, the entire body is nourished. When it consumes poison, the entire body is injured. He used the blood-stream as his example, stating that the merits of the saints flow to us today, that this spiritual body spans all of time. There is a real, spiritual transfer of health going on: the body supporting and sustaining itself through the unity and working of the Holy Spirit.

It's a pretty difficult pill for this protestant to swallow, though I can see how it might have developed from certain Biblical stories. For instance, God regularly did things like spare Israel "because of His servant David" who had been dead for generations. You have the notion of the prayers of the righteous availing much, which isn't exactly the same, but is in the general vicinity.

Anyway, I'm definitely going to have to search the NT and read the early fathers on this one...