THE CHURCH; AN ABODE OF SAINTS AND A REFUGE OF SINNERS

God who "wills that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth" (1Tim 2:4),"who in many times and various ways spoke of old to the fathers through the prophets"(Heb 1:1), when the fullness of time had come sent his son, the word made flesh, anointed by the holy spirit, to preach the gospel to the poor,to heal the contrite of heart(LUKE 14:18,IS 61:1), to be a bodily and spiritual medicine,the mediator between God and Man(1Tim 2:5).For his humanity united with the person of the word was the instrument of our salvation. Therefore, I Christ the perfect achievement of our reconciliation came forth and the fullness of divine worship was given to us.(SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM,4 Dec,1963,VATICAN II)
God in his unending will to renew his relationship with man, through Christ the personality of the marriage between divinity and humanity (Jh 14:22,17:21) established out of his side(Eph 5:32) a new kingdom of God on earth with Peter as the head (Matt 16:18-20) so that whenever this kingdom is gathered,Christ presence and his very self is assured (Matt 18:20). This kingdom of God on earth is THE CHURCH.
The Church is derived from a Latin word "Ecclesia" meaning "being called Out" signifying a People called out from old way to new way of life,from death to life, from the law to love since a journey towards something is a journey away from something.
Christ gave a simple handout to those who desire to partake in this kingdom- (DISCIPLINE & DISCIPLESHIP (Matt 16:24) ), a common law/identification code-(LOVE(Matt22:34-40,JH 13:34-35) and entrusted the Church to a common Mission (EVANGELIZATION (Mk 16:15)) after praying that they may be one(Jh 17:21).
From the days of the apostles till date, the Church has never been full of perfect persons. The essence of belonging to the Church is dynamic transformation since one cannot encounter Christ and remain the same. The Church has thus remained the incomprehensible face of divine compassion. She has never been a place for perfect persons but for perfecting persons, a comforting refuge for sinners and a home for saint, an accommodating entity for both the good and the bad with the theme of divine transformation. She doesn't wait for people to cone to her, she reaches out to people,she doesn't cast away sinners since She is meant for sinners(to convert them). The Church lauds the achievements of the saints and frowns at the evil acts of sinners though binding their wounds of sin and shame in such a comforting manner so as to breed contrition and repentance. Our sinful society needs the Church, our future generation needs her more. We need not to abandon the Church because of her human components remembering that the Church is a loan we borrowed from the future generation and we must pass her on. The Church is for everyone;saints and sinners alike since the saints were once sinners and sinners can someday be a saint. Let's stand as one despite our differences, blood is thicker than water but the Water of baptism is thicker than the blood of our birth. Be you a saint( self acclaimed) or a sinner, WE ARE THE CHURCH. LET LOVE LEAD....STRENGTHEN YOUR BRETHREN