The Church in the Life of the Faithful

The Church plays a major role in the life of the faithful through many aspects. It is in the Church that we are brought to God. The Church provides us with the law of Christ, passed down through his Apostles. The Sacraments help to sustain us on our journey to better understand God. Finally, we are inspired by the saints and all those before us who came from the Church to hep guide our own lives. Our lives revolve around seeking holiness, to find Christ. By seeking Christ we find ourselves amongst others seeking Christ and helping many find their way. That is the Church, and her Apostles are our guides. The Church is the People of God, filled with the Spirit; "For those who believe in Christ, who are reborn not from a perishable but from an imperishable seed through the word of the living God, not from flesh but from the Holy Spirit, are finally established as a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people . . . who in times past were not a people, but are now the people of God." We are bound together in the Mystical Body of Christ, which shows that the Church is an important part of our everyday lives.

Sacraments help to sustain us on our journey to better understand God. They sanctify man and give worship to God, but they ultimately lead us on our path to communion. It draws us closer to Christ and strengthens God's will which helps us to live like Christ. Because sacraments are instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, Christ shared the sacraments as the primary means of building communion between God and man.

We are called to be living witnesses to Christ. First, each of us must live by the teachings of Christ, which were passed down by the Apostles through the Church; second, we must fulfill our duties to the best of our abilities not only by our example that we as Christians are called to evangelize those around us, but also by being prepared to witness Christ at every opportunity.

The Church helps to lead us to God. The Church helps us to fulfill our mission and inspires us to help others in theirs. The sacraments help to put us back on track with God and act as guides to draw us nearer to him. By being witnesses to Christ, we fulfill our Universal Call to Holiness and help in our mission to evangelize the world. As such, the Church participates fully in every aspect of our lives.