Day 5, Chapter 5: The Communion of the Church

"While the Catholic Church has some obvious 
institutional aspects, Catholicism itself is an essentially 
communal expression of Christian faith."

One of the things that I appreciate most about this chapter, contributed by Thomas P. Rausch, SJ, is that the author takes the time to give a brief overview of the development of the early church and key moments in it's modern history before exploring the theology of church as communion. Reading Rausch's presentation of key facts about the church reminded me about my first brush with church history and the feeling I had at that time of clarity about so much of what I had seen, heard, and experienced growing up Catholic. If you have never had the opportunity to learn much about how the Catholic Church came to be how and what it is today, I encourage you to seek out a good book or course on the subject - it can really enlighten both your faith and your experience of belonging to the church. 

How do you understand the biblical metaphors for church (People of God, Body of Christ, and Temple of the Spirit)?

What is your experience of the communion of the church? What does it mean to live in communion with the church?