Day 113: The Temple of the Holy Spirit

"What the soul is to the human body, the Holy Spirit is to the Body of Christ, which is the Church." "To this Spirit of Christ, as an invisible principle, is to be ascribed the fact that all the parts of the body are joined one with the other and with their exalted head; for the whole Spirit of Christ is in the head, the whole Spirit is in the body, and the whole Spirit is in each of the members." The Holy Spirit makes the Church "the temple of the living God." CCC 797

In today's reading, the Catechism speaks of the Church as the "Temple of the Holy Spirit". It is proper to call the Church that, for as the Body of Christ it is God's own. The Catechism Compendium explains:

She is so called because the Holy Spirit resides in the body which is the Church, in her Head and in her members. He also builds up the Church in charity by the Word of God, the sacraments, the virtues, and charisms.

“What the soul is to the human body, the Holy Spirit is to the members of Christ, that is, the body of Christ, which is the Church.” (Saint Augustine) (#159)

As the "Temple of the Holy Spirit," we receive various graces, "which directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world" (CCC 799). These graces or charisms may be extraordinary (e.g. miraculous healing) or "simple and humble" (e.g. cheerful care of others). The Catechism Companion, Vol I elaborates more on what charisms are:

All of the charisms are other-directed - that is, they are intended for the building up of others. All of us are called to serve others in different ways, and the particular charisms allow us to fulfill the responsibilities we have been given in our state of life... Because the charisms are other-directed, they call us out of ourselves to love others sacrificially. (p. 231)