We are a living temple of the Holy Spirit.
The dedication ceremony for a church includes anointing the altar and dressing it with altar cloths. When St. Josemaría performed this ceremony, he would say, "You and I are like altars; we have been anointed. We were anointed with oil, first in Baptism and then in Confirmation. And we eagerly await the moment when we will receive Extreme Unction... and be anointed again. We are something holy, and therefore our bodies should be consecrated to God Our Lord."
"However, we must not be silly, but care for details of modesty, take care of our body, put it at the service of God, dress it properly. And to do this, we must also dress our souls with the good habits which are called virtues, which are so appropriate for a Christian."
Through Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist, our soul and our body have become a living temple of the Holy Spirit: “Surely you know that your bodies are the shrines of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in you. And he is God's gift to you, so that you are no longer your own masters. A great price was paid to ransom you; glorify God by making your bodies the shrines of his presence."
We must not deprive the Lord of what belongs to Him. That is why we must daily fight against our negative inclinations, such as vanity, laziness, sensuality, and pride... As St. Josemaría used to say, "An ordinary Christian is obligated to fight and must never forget that they belong to God our Lord. Knowing that we belong to Him, just like the altars we have consecrated, will always help us to be good children of God."
Let us consider whether our lives have been fully dedicated to the Lord and if our commitment is complete. Are we firmly grounded in Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of our spiritual building? Our aspiration should be to serve the Church as she desires to be served, and what the Church expects from us is greater faithfulness.
Therefore, we must always remain faithful to God, even during the difficult times.
"God often does this with us. He gives us a clear vision of the goal and allows us to gaze upon it to strengthen us in His most lovable Will. And when we are very close to Him, He leaves us in darkness and seems to abandon us. It is the time of temptation: doubts, struggles, darkness, weariness, the desire to give up... But no! We must continue on! The time of temptation is also a time for faith and complete trust in our Father God. Away with doubt, hesitation, and indecision!"
Image: The Death of St Joseph.
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