REFLECTIONS

"The Glory of Holy Mother Church"

The Church is precious; it was created by God on the cross, when the pierced Christ's heart with the lance. The Church was created to be part of God! The Church is holy. The Church is something precious, mystical, beautiful. .. and beyond all understanding ....

The human Church, the people of God - of course, they will make mistakes. Who doesn't? But notwithstanding all its human sinfulness, out of this community of love comes something fantastic, transparent, beautiful, beyond our kenning, whose head is indeed the Son of God, and whose Bride she is. She encompasses us all, such as we are. That is the Church we belong to.

It's easy to criticize. It's easy to say, 'With all that's happening in the Church, you want me to stay there?" ... We talk like this because our faith needs strengthening. Faith is like a light. Faith is like a curtain rising, to show the beauty of what is behind. Faith changes everything ....

The Church is holy: "one, holy." I personally would die for the Church. The Christ in priests is what matters. It is he who is of the essence. At Mass, when you come to the consecration, it's the word of Christ that matters .... Touch the Church, and you touch God. We need to examine this prayerfully .... Where Jesus Christ is, there is the Church. People say, "I believe in Jesus, but not in the Church." But you cannot separate Jesus and the Church: it's impossible. Where Jesus Christ is, there is the Church ....

Mysteriously, the Church comes from the very heart of the Lord, and is given to us to come close to the heart of the Father .... When you begin to love the Church, you begin to enter into its mystery .... As you enter, you will enter into the heart of Christ. And he will take you by the hand and bring you to his Father.

SERVANT OF GOD CATHERINE DE HUECK DOHERTY 
Catherine de Hueck Doherty (┼1985), born in Russia, established the Friendship House in Harlem, New York. in 1938, and later the Madonna House Apostolate in Combermere, Canada.