Four Marks of the Church: Holy

     There are four marks which are used to identify the Church of Christ. One of them is the mark "holy." The Catholic Church is the Church of Christ because, like the other three, it fulfills the mark of Holiness. There are a couple of reason why the Church is Holy. It is holy because Christ, its head, is holy. It is Holy because it is guided by the Holy Spirit. Finally, it is holy because through the Church, its members can become Holy.
     The Catholic Church is Holy because its head, Christ, is Holy. In the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church is the body, and Christ is the head. Although the individual members of the Church are Holy, because Christ is the head of the body the entire Mystical Body is Holy. Christ bequeaths grace unto the Body through his paschal mystery, making up for the sins of the the Church's members.
     The Holy Spirit guides the Church, leading it to Holiness. The Mystical Body is headed by Christ, but its soul is the Holy Spirit. Like our souls give our body meaning and direction, so does the soul of the Mystical Body. Through the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit, among other things, the Church is guided in all that it does and is lead to Holiness. The Church is Holy because it is lead by a Holy Spirit.
    Finally, The Church is Holy because it distributes the sacraments to its members, which in turn make it Holy. Christ, who is Holy, instituted the sacraments. He then entrusted his Church to distribute those sacraments to all people. Those who compose the Mystical Body of Christ are made Holy when they participate in the sacraments. Because the Church makes its members Holy, it in its entirety is Holy.

     Therefore, the Catholic Church fulfills the mark of the true Church of Christ, which is that his Church is Holy. The Church is Holy because of its head, Jesus Christ, transcends the sins of the body to make the Church holy. The Church is Holy because the Holy Spirit guides it to Holiness through its gifts and fruits and other methods. Finally, the Church is also Holy because it makes its members Holy through the sacraments which it distributes.