Day 116: The Church Is Holy

United with Christ, the Church is sanctified by him; through him and with him she becomes sanctifying. "All the activities of the Church are directed, as toward their end, to the sanctification of men in Christ and the glorification of God." It is in the Church that "the fullness of the means of salvation" has been deposited. It is in her that "by the grace of God we acquire holiness." CCC 824

The reading from the Catechism today is on the second of the four attributes of the Church in the Nicene Creed: it is holy. The Church itself as the Bride of Christ is "the spotless bride of the spotless Lamb," (CCC 796) which in no way means that its members here on earth are "spotless" or without sin ourselves. The Catechism Compendium summarizes today's reading about this:

The Church is holy insofar as the Most Holy God is her author. Christ has given himself for her to sanctify her and make her a source of sanctification. The Holy Spirit gives her life with charity. In the Church, one finds the fullness of the means of salvation. Holiness is the vocation of each of her members and the purpose of all her activities. The Church counts among her members the Virgin Mary and numerous Saints who are her models and intercessors. The holiness of the Church is the fountain of sanctification for her children who here on earth recognize themselves as sinners ever in need of conversion and purification. (#165)

The Catechism itself speaks about how because of its mission of "clasping sinners to her bosom" it is "always in need of purification" and "follows constantly the path of penance and renewal" (CCC 827). Every Catholic, from the Pope & bishops to the simple layman "must acknowledge that they are sinners." I do like how the Catechism references here Matt 13:24-30 in writing that "the weeds of sin will still be mixed with the good wheat of the Gospel until the end of time."

Finally, we are given examples of how to best follow God in the lives of the saints. As the Catechism Companion, Vol I notes:

The saints are saints because they loved and did what God asked of them. They had heroic virtue, and they lived by the Holy Spirit in holiness. Love is more than affection - it must be effective and move us to do works of love, to love God with everything we have and to love our neighbor as ourself. (p. 236)