WHY DOES THE CHURCH HAVE SO MANY SINNERS
SINNERS When Ezra the priest led his people in a confession of the sins as a nation, the resulting list of wrongdoing was extensive: idolatry, rebellion, disobedience, pride, ingratitude, stubbornness, murder, injustice, and more. Again and again, God extended them mercy; again and again, they slid back into sin. If God hadn't been longsuffering, the people would have perished many times over (see Neh 9:1-37) Today, God's people receive bountiful graces through our Lord Jesus Christ that weren't available in Ezra's time. Most importantly, we have the sacraments of the Church to make us holy. Yet even though such sacraments as Baptism and Reconciliation cleanse us of sin, so that the road to holiness is a continual struggle (see also "What is original sin?" ) Consequently, Scripture confirms that the Church is composed of saints in the making and sinners. We see this reality most indisputably in certain parables of Jesus about the kingdom of heaven (the Chu...