We are saints.

We are saints.
********************************

The church instituted by Jesus

is

one,

holy,

catholic,

and

apostolic.

What do we mean, when we say that the Church is holy?

Does it mean that all the members of the Church,  right from the Pope to the junior most Christian,  are holy?

We cannot deny the fact that  all of us are sinners.

 8" Sin is with us; if we deny that, we are cheating ourselves; it means that truth does not dwell in us."(1John.1:8)

Jesus came in search of sinners.

32" I have not come to call the just; I have come to call sinners to repentance."(Like 5:32)

If all of us are sinners, why do we say that the Church is holy?

Our church is the mystical body of Christ.

Christ is holy.

So His mystical  Body also is holy.

He has provided it with the Sacraments that make us,  sinners,  holy.

They free us from sins and shower on us the graces that  make us and keep us holy.

We are born with original sin.

Baptism frees us from it and makes our soul holy.

When we commit actual mortal sins by breaking God's commandments and the precepts of the Church, we lose our holiness.

But we can become holy again through the sacrament of penance, confession. 

Holy communion feeds us with the body and blood of Jesus Himself and strengthens us against sin.

Every sacrament has a channel
through which God's grace flows on us and strengthens us against sin and temptation.

Logically speaking,

Only what is holy can make us holy.

Church makes us holy.

So,  Church is holy.

As we are living in this world

and

as the living  church members too are in this world

we find it difficult it understand the fact that

our Church is not a worldly institution.

It was instituted by Jesus,

the second Person of the Most Holy Trinity.

So, it is a Divine Institution, headed by Jesus Himself.

Our Holy Father, a man, is only His Representative on earth.

Our Church is membered not only by us in this world,

but also by the souls in Heaven and purgatory.

Souls in Heaven and purgatory together with us Christians in this world make one Divine family.

That is what we mean when we say,

"The Church is a "communion of saints"

"All the participants in that communion are called saints,

by reason of their destination

and of their partaking of the fruits of the Redemption."

So, though we are sinners,  the redemptive power of Jesus transforms us into saints.

Being of the next world  though we are in this world,

we can have a pretaste of Heaven in this world itself

if we live in the presence of God, who is within us.

Read and meditate on the following Gospel verses for a few minutes:

“you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world” (John 15:19).

"you are a chosen race,

a royal priesthood,

a consecrated nation,

a people God means to have for himself;

it is yours to proclaim the exploits of the God

who has called you out of darkness

into his marvellous light. (1 Pet. 2:9).

“Do not be conformed to this world

but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom 12:2).

We can conclude with the words:

True, 

Church is a tent of sinners,

but the tent is holy

and transforms the sinners into holy people,

Of course,  with their cooperation.

Lourdu Selvam.