The Marks of the Church

1. The Marks of the Church The Church is Holy

2. Why is the Church Holy? • Both Human and Divine • Visible reality in the people, buildings, clergy, laity, the scripture etc. • Invisible as a bearer of divine life • By the power of the Holy Spirit we “see” the divine aspect of the Church through the visible reality • Relationship with the Trinity • Created by God • Loved by Jesus • Guided by the Holy Spirit • Has God’s Holy Gifts • Means to holiness • Scriptures, Sacraments, models of holiness, leadership of the Apostles and all things for salvation

3. Divine Presence • By the power of the Holy Spirit we “see” the divine aspect of the Church through the visible reality • Liturgical Prayer • Scripture readings; the Word of God • Eucharist: Real presence of Jesus • People: “Wherever two or more are gathered I am there” • Priest (Bishop): Ordained as representative of Christ

4. Call to Holiness • Perfect holiness • Fall short on Earth • Perfection lies in the future • Love • At the heart of holiness • Glimpse into the eternal communion with God • Encounter love within the Church • We are all called to love, some in more specific ways • Desire to be Holy • Take time for worship, prayer and reflection • Choose your friends wisely • Fill your heart and mind with holy things

5. Sinners and Holiness • Church aids in repentance and conversion • Repentance • Sorrow and contrition for sin • Conversion • Change of heart turning away from sin and toward God • Sinners • All members, including the leaders, are sinners • The Church is focused on saving people from sin

6. Church Makes us Holy • Through God’s Grace • Grace:The free and undeserved gift of God’s loving and active presence in the universe and in our lives. It empowers us to respond to His call and live as adopted sons and daughters. Grace restores our loving communion with the Trinity that was lost as a result of sin. • Supernatural Grace: *Transcending the power of human intellect and will *Going beyond

7. Types of Grace • Sanctifying grace • Heals our human nature and restores us to friendship with God • Infused in our soul by the Holy Spirit • Actual grace • God’s intervention in our everyday actions. Important for conversion • Sacramental grace • Graces proper to the sacrament • Matrimony – grace to love each other the way Christ loves the Church • Special graces (charisms) • Special graces of the Holy Spirit God’s grace will not automatically make us holy without our cooperation

8. Communion of Saints • Faithful followers of Christ here on Earth • Faithful that have died and are being purified in **Purgatory to join God in heaven • Faithful who have already attained the perfect holiness and glory of heaven, *seeing God as He is **A state of final purification or cleansing that one may need to enter before entering Heaven *Beatific Vision

9. Saints • Intercessors and intermediaries • NOT worshipped or prayed to • Models of Holiness • “Face of Christ in the world” • Living and the dead help each other by prayers • Honored and venerated • Feast days interspersed in the liturgical calendar

10. Patron Saints • Saints we ask for help in certain situations • St. Anthony of Padua lost items • St. Blaise throat • St. Gerard pregnancy • St. Anne mothers • St. Francis of Assisi environment • St. Joseph fathers, carpenters, workers, happy death • St. Dymphna mental illnesses

11. Mary, Model of Holiness • Perfect Model of Holiness • New Eve • Unties the knot that Eve bound with her disobedience • Obedient to God’s mission, fiat “let it be done” • Immaculate Conception • Conceived without original sin • Assumption • At her death she was assumed into heaven • Intercessor and Mother of the Church • “God-bearer” Theotokos