Christ The Bridegroom Is Spouse Of The Entire Church

[DameAgnes]

The spousal idea for all, as part of his church, men and women alike? Why or Why Not?

http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/King-Bridegroom-Self-Immolating-Lover.html

Edited December 5, 2010 by DameAgnes

[Shana]

Yes, Christ is the Bridegroom of His Church and each person in it. It is easy for me to relate to Jesus as Bridegroom as a woman who feels called to be exclusively His, but I do wonder sometimes how guys live this out because it must be different. So men, what are your thoughts on this one?

[kafka]

I thought the article was o.k.

I'm a man and I have no problem at all with what Sacred Scripture teaches about the Christ and the Church as Groom and Bride, Husband and Wife, Lover and Beloved, Spouses, and so on. These are spiritual and mystical realities. It is perhaps the deepest and more intimate aspects of the relationship between Christ and the Church (as a whole and personally). It is about roles. I'm not my own Savior or Head. I need someone to love, to lead, and to teach me, even though I'm a man and called to lead, to teach and to love others like Christ.

It is about spritual desire in the will, advancing toward a deeper understanding and knowledge of the Beloved, seeking Christ, hoping and waiting for his grace and blessings. It takes wisdom, providence, and time to see them for what they really are. And they are given to us in order to feed off of them from time to time in midst of all the other things we are given in Sacred Scripture. Sometimes we need to be refreshed at the core with love and all the things about love, which is expressed in the Song and other passages like these. I've prayed and meditated over the lines from the Song of Songs such as these:

{1:1} Bride: May he kiss me with the kiss of his mouth. (spiritual desire in the will)

{6:2} I am for my beloved, and my beloved is for me.
{6:3} Groom to Bride: My love, you are beautiful: sweet and graceful, like Jerusalem; terrible, like an army in battle array.

{8:3} His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me.

And my one favorite poem on earth other then the some of the poetic passages of Isaiah and the Psalms is the Spiritual Canticle by Juan de la Cruz.

My love, the Pyrenees;
depths in a pathless forest cool with cresses;
rivers that seem like seas,
isles no explorer guesses,
the affectionate air, its whisper and caresses;

night sunk in a profound
rest, with the stir of dawn about the skies,
music without a sound,
a solitude of cries,
a supper of light hearts and lovelit eyes.

[BarbTherese]

Marriage is where a man and a woman unite and become one. To me the marital imagery of the Bible is pointing to the ideal of marraige i.e. complete unity where the two become one flesh. We know that our highest aspiration as a person can be to Unity with God and His Will. I have no problems with embracing that Jesus is the Spouse and Beloved Lover of my Soul or why I have no problems with Jesus as the Spouse of every soul and of The Church, since we are The Church. I have no problems with the marriage language of the mystics either. All to me is the language or can be the language of the vocation and call to Unity of all the baptized.

Ideally in religious life one gives oneself totally to The Lord and to no other through vows to the evangelical counsels - but ideally in any vocation or state in life, that is the ideal. I may not be called to religious life, but along with all I am called to live in chastity, poverty and obedience expressed in a different way possibly. Giving oneself to another human being on any level can only every be conditional - but to God it is always unconditional. We are all called to give ourselves uncondtionally to God in whatever vocation and state in life to which He may call us and as The Divine Spouse of our souls.....we strive for holiness and Unity........and the soul and the body are united as one. Religious life is a human witness to all this. A religious vocation to my mind is a vocation like any other, in that God calls and when He calls, it is He who provides all that is necessary including all the Grace to live the call, without which it would be impossible.. Not all vocations are calls to live in the state of perfection, but all are called without exception to perfection. There is a very big difference. Nor do I think that a call to religious life or to the priesthood is any sort of special honor bestowed on a certain person for personal reasons, while it is an honor to be called thus. Big difference. It is also an honor to be called to marriage, to raise children, to live celibate in the single state etc. etc. It is a great honor to be called to Catholicism and to Unity with God and His Will through Catholicism and our particular vocation. If there is any credit due and there is, then it must be to God and His Will, His Grace. Each vocation exists for the good and Life of The Church as St. Paul points out.
[quote]lst Epistle to The Corinithians "[11] But all these things one and the same Spirit worketh, dividing to every one according as he will. [12] For as the body is one, and hath many members; and all the members of the body, whereas they are many, yet are one body, so also is Christ. [13] For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free; and in one Spirit we have all been made to drink. [14] For the body also is not one member, but many. [15] If the foot should say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? "[/quote]

Religious Life in all its various forms can be a difficult life, as can any vocation. If there is credit due, it is to God and His Grace without which anything difficult would be absolutely impossible. "All is Grace". God provides the qualities necessary for every vocation. We are indeed "unprofitable servants"

[quote]Luke Ch17 [9] Doth he thank that servant, for doing the things which he commanded him? [10] I think not. So you also, when you shall have done all these things that are commanded you, say: We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which we ought to do. [/quote] And when God commands or calls, it is He who provides what is necessary......and for the good and Life Of His Church. That is our focus to my mind.


I am a great fan of our Pope Benedict !!! Thank you for the article, Sister.

God bless - Barb

[MithLuin]

Read the poetry of St. John of the Cross. It's very obvious that he experienced intimacy with God and was not afraid of any odd romantic overtones that might have.

[Luigi]

I've got no problem with it, just as I have no problem with the other imagery that tries to explain any of the mysteries of the Church. The problem comes in not simply mixing metaphors but in conflicting metaphors.

Christ is the Bridegroom and the Church is the Bride. But the Church is also Holy Mother Church. Except she's headed by the Holy Father. Who is not to be confused with God the Father, but who is the Successor of Peter, who wears the shoes of the fisherman and holds the keys to the kingdom and carries his shepherd's staff because as the Vicar of Christ he is the Good Shepherd and we are the sheep.

Any one of these images provides a perspective - an avenue for understanding - huge and hugely complex ideas. I don't think one image necessarily takes precedence over another.

[BarbTherese]

The language and images used by Scripture at times and by our mystics and saints, is the language and image of Love - it is A rich and passionate language and corresponding images - not perhaps in a literal sense, but in a literary sense. Where Love is concerned, the only language we have and images we have powerful sufficiently to convey God's Love for us and ours ideally for Him, is the language of passionate human love. Also passionate human love especially in the Sacrament of Marriage is a witness ideally to God's Love for us and ideally ours for Him. The whole of nature and humanity ideally sings of the Glories of The Lord and His Love for us.

[quote][u]Galatians Ch3[/u] "[26] For you are all the children of God by faith, in Christ Jesus. [27] For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek: there is neither bond nor free: [u][b]there is neither male nor female[/b][/u] . For you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you be Christ's, then are you the seed of Abraham, heirs according to the promise."[/quote]

[quote]Any one of these images provides a perspective - an avenue for understanding - huge and hugely complex ideas. I don't think one image necessarily takes precedence over another.[/quote] Good point!


When a postulant receives the habit of her religious order dressed as a bride perhaps, it is not only telling us something about her, but also at once and at the same time witnessing to that relationship between Christ and all the baptized and His Church - He is our Divine Spouse of our souls and our Beloved. The religious or nun gives himself/herself to God in the most radical of ways (called by God and supported by His Grace) through the evangelical counsels and in both body and soul - and this is the call and vocation of the religious received from God......his or her whole life then becomes ideally a witness to what our lives as lay people should all be about but possibly not in such a radical manner as God may will. For example, a missionery religious speaks to us about the Mission of The Church to spread the Gospel to the four corners of the world - hence as lay people we should support in some way the missions and to be evangelistic. By supporting the missions in some way we are being evangelistic in spirit and helping our missionaries to spread The Gospel While the religious missionary dedicates his or her entire life in body and soul to the missions, we as lay people are not called in such a radical manner perhaps, but we are still called to be missionary somewhere in our lives and as God may call us as witnessed to us through God's Will by the missionary religious. We are not called as lay people to the vows of poverty chastity and religious lived quite radically, but we are still called to poverty, chastity and obedience yet expressed differently in our lives and living and as God may will with all the necessary Graces.

Barb

Edited December 6, 2010 by BarbaraTherese

[TradMom]

+Praised be Jesus Christ!

Thanks for this link. Personally, I connect very well with this imagery and language, though I realize this is not the case for others. Our Church is so rich, and so vast - we have the privilege of finding what "works" best for whom. I don't believe imagery can be forced upon a person.

That being said, I must confess that my personal relationship with the Church has changed throughout my life and as a result, so has my image (and use of language). There have been times when I have been hurt - and rather than leave - I have "put that pain on the shelf" with the idea to return to it at a later time. Usually, I find that giving myself some space, the pain has lessened and my thoughts have changed. It is often very easy to "react" to certain things as opposed to just letting them sit there. I have found, within my own prayer life, that the images and languages I have found challenging, I have been able to return to at a later date, with new understanding.

As an example, when I was younger, I found the Song of Songs very difficult for me. I felt they were almost too personal - too "earthy" (to be delicate) and in all candor, I was not mature enough to connect with that book. Now as a more mature person, I see them differently and I am no longer the very modest (and perhaps overly pious) young woman that I once was.

In closing, I do strongly recommend that when one comes across an image or specific language that is difficult or doesn't resonant - don't discard it. Leave it alone, knowing that at some point, you will return to it. And when you do return to it, come with an open mind, knowing you are a different person.

Pax,
TradMom

[TeresaBenedicta]

[quote name='TradMom' timestamp='1291755576' post='2191483']
+Praised be Jesus Christ!

Thanks for this link. Personally, I connect very well with this imagery and language, though I realize this is not the case for others. Our Church is so rich, and so vast - we have the privilege of finding what "works" best for whom. I don't believe imagery can be forced upon a person.

That being said, I must confess that my personal relationship with the Church has changed throughout my life and as a result, so has my image (and use of language). There have been times when I have been hurt - and rather than leave - I have "put that pain on the shelf" with the idea to return to it at a later time. Usually, I find that giving myself some space, the pain has lessened and my thoughts have changed. It is often very easy to "react" to certain things as opposed to just letting them sit there.[b] I have found, within my own prayer life, that the images and languages I have found challenging, [i]I have been able to return to at a later date, with new understanding.[/i][/b]

As an example, when I was younger, I found the Song of Songs very difficult for me. I felt they were almost too personal - too "earthy" (to be delicate) and in all candor, I was not mature enough to connect with that book. Now as a more mature person, I see them differently and I am no longer the very modest (and perhaps overly pious) young woman that I once was.

[b]In closing, I do strongly recommend that when one comes across an image or specific language that is difficult or doesn't resonant - don't discard it. Leave it alone, knowing that at some point, you will return to it. And when you do return to it, come with an open mind, knowing you are a different person.[/b]

Pax,
TradMom
[/quote]

This is a great post.

I can't tell you the number of things-- imagery, teachings, devotions, etc-- that caused me difficulty at first. But, like TradMom, I learned to "put them on the shelf" and found that, at a later time, they not only made more sense to me but also became very important to me. This happened particularly with Marian Devotion, which I hardly understood and was rather bothered by when I first converted. Now I consider my Marian consecration an integral part of my spiritual life.

The same is true for the spousal imagery, which threw me off at first. I remember talking to my spiritual director about it, because I thought perhaps it was indicator that I [i]wasn't[/i] called to the religious life. He told me not to worry about it-- if that imagery didn't work for me right now, just let it go.

I have to remind myself of this process sometimes, particularly when I come across devotions that seems strange or weird to me.

[tinytherese]

"Beloved" a Song from Tenth Avenue North

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CUGTIWCFyo

[BarbTherese]

[quote name='TeresaBenedicta' timestamp='1291756478' post='2191484']
This is a great post.

I can't tell you the number of things-- imagery, teachings, devotions, etc-- that caused me difficulty at first. But, like TradMom, I learned to "put them on the shelf" and found that, at a later time, they not only made more sense to me but also became very important to me. This happened particularly with Marian Devotion, which I hardly understood and was rather bothered by when I first converted. Now I consider my Marian consecration an integral part of my spiritual life.

The same is true for the spousal imagery, which threw me off at first. I remember talking to my spiritual director about it, because I thought perhaps it was indicator that I [i]wasn't[/i] called to the religious life. He told me not to worry about it-- if that imagery didn't work for me right now, just let it go.

I have to remind myself of this process sometimes, particularly when I come across devotions that seems strange or weird to me.
[/quote]


It is indeed a good point from TradMom and an excellent piece of spiritual advice that your director gave to you. Not only in matters connected to my Faith per se and related matters, but in the living of life generally with My Faith, I have found that my initial reaction to something or other may be a real knee jerk type of reaction.......expereince has taught me that [b]if[/b] I can be patient and wait and let the knee jerk settle down, I just might see things differently or at very least without emotional content and that is a plus in itself. I have a saying for myself "sleep on it, kid".

Scripture is indeed an inexhaustible treasury and some things, for God's Good Reasons, I am not just yet ready for - I recall the Book of Job on a first read as really a negative type of experience. Nowadays it is a book I have come to embrace and value, treasure. I truly never thought I would arrive at such a meaningful point with the Book of Job. We are all different and created unique - what speaks meaningfully to one perhaps not meaningfully to another. This does not mean that one is right and the other wrong, but that we are differentt and God treates us as the unique and one-of we were created to be. The same with the various devotions. I developed a very cold sort of approach to The Rosary and later The Chaplet of Mercy - though not lacking in devotion to Our Lady and to St.Faustina and her message of Mercy and used to wonder what was wrong with me with profuse apologies to Our Lady and to St. Faustina and indeed Jesus Himself. Yet love of The Rosary as a child was probably my very first introduction to a truly personal prayer life. Truth is back then I have no idea why I felt cold. In later years this has changed entirely. God's Ways indeed can be vastly different to our ways and at times impossible to understand why. I think the worst thing that can happen perhaps in our spiritual lives is to loose Peace of Soul and trust in God when things are not going as I want them to be or as others may be telling me that they should be. There is that wise saying "let go and let God" and much easier to write than to put into effect. On chatting with a friend of mine and a Carmelite nun, I happened to comment "I am trying to swim along" and her reply was "Dont swim, float". Much later I reasoned that swimming means that there is something I am trying to swim towards and control my destination. To float means that I am relaxed and trustful in God's Will wherever it may take me. There is a beautiful hymn for Night Prayer in my book that runs something like "I loved to seek and choose my path, but now lead Thou me on. In spite of fears pride ruled my will, now Thou lead me on"
A wise and holy spiritual director is absolutely a treasure and pure gold in the spiritual life and a no small blessing and gift from God.

God bless - Barb

[TeresaBenedicta]

[quote name='BarbaraTherese' timestamp='1291790868' post='2191543']
It is indeed a good point from TradMom and an excellent piece of spiritual advice that your director gave to you. Not only in matters connected to my Faith per se and related matters, but in the living of life generally with My Faith, I have found that my initial reaction to something or other may be a real knee jerk type of reaction.......expereince has taught me that [b]if[/b] I can be patient and wait and let the knee jerk settle down, I just might see things differently or at very least without emotional content and that is a plus in itself. I have a saying for myself "sleep on it, kid".

Scripture is indeed an inexhaustible treasury and some things, for God's Good Reasons, I am not just yet ready for - I recall the Book of Job on a first read as really a negative type of experience. Nowadays it is a book I have come to embrace and value, treasure. I truly never thought I would arrive at such a meaningful point with the Book of Job. We are all different and created unique - what speaks meaningfully to one perhaps not meaningfully to another. This does not mean that one is right and the other wrong, but that we are differentt and God treates us as the unique and one-of we were created to be. The same with the various devotions. I developed a very cold sort of approach to The Rosary and later The Chaplet of Mercy - though not lacking in devotion to Our Lady and to St.Faustina and her message of Mercy and used to wonder what was wrong with me with profuse apologies to Our Lady and to St. Faustina and indeed Jesus Himself. Yet love of The Rosary as a child was probably my very first introduction to a truly personal prayer life. Truth is back then I have no idea why I felt cold. In later years this has changed entirely. God's Ways indeed can be vastly different to our ways and at times impossible to understand why. I think the worst thing that can happen perhaps in our spiritual lives is to loose Peace of Soul and trust in God when things are not going as I want them to be or as others may be telling me that they should be. There is that wise saying "let go and let God" and much easier to write than to put into effect. [b]On chatting with a friend of mine and a Carmelite nun, I happened to comment "I am trying to swim along" and her reply was "Dont swim, float". Much later I reasoned that swimming means that there is something I am trying to swim towards and control my destination. To float means that I am relaxed and trustful in God's Will wherever it may take me. There is a beautiful hymn for Night Prayer in my book that runs something like "I loved to seek and choose my path, but now lead Thou me on. In spite of fears pride ruled my will, now Thou lead me on"[/b]
A wise and holy spiritual director is absolutely a treasure and pure gold in the spiritual life and a no small blessing and gift from God.

God bless - Barb
[/quote]

This is beautiful imagery-- that of floating. I often see my own spiritual journey in this manner. There is something very... vulnerable, about allowing oneself to float. I think it's a positive imagery of that abandonment of will, that sacrifice of will.

Also-- [i]love[/i] that poem. "Lead Kindly Light" by John Newman. My spiritual director once read that poem to me and it's had a significant meaning for me at various points in my journey.

[BarbTherese]

[quote name='TeresaBenedicta' timestamp='1291826510' post='2191597']
This is beautiful imagery-- that of floating. I often see my own spiritual journey in this manner. There is something very... vulnerable, about allowing oneself to float. I think it's a positive imagery of that abandonment of will, that sacrifice of will.

Also-- [i]love[/i] that poem. "Lead Kindly Light" by John Newman. My spiritual director once read that poem to me and it's had a significant meaning for me at various points in my journey.
[/quote]

At first one feels a little insecure getting into the "float" postition if one is a swimmer and yes, I think you are very correct, one allows oneself to be vulnerable and trustful - and once one is really floating it is a peaceful position yet still quite and very vulnerable and if one is going to continue to float one needs to be trustful too. It is not passive because one needs to put a lot of effort into retaining the float position and activate trust and allow oneself actively to be vulnerable - the lapping of the waves take you where they may. Thank you - I have not given a great deal of thought lately to what Sister said to me and you have expanded my reflections. Sister is an astounding person! I have never known any enclosed contemplative nun to know so much about what is going on in the world and with such astounding and wise and in the context of Faith reflections on worldly events. Thomas Merton wrote that contemplatives should share in the parlour the fruits of their contemplation - and she sure does! I was humbled and honored to be invited to her Golden Jubilee of Profession celebration - and she must be professed now at least 60 years I think.
One of my favourite 'bedside books' nowadays is "Abandonment to Divine Providence" by de Caussade - although on a first read, I was "bamboozled" or found it difficult to grasp the overall message and put it away. Some years later went back to it and it was as if a blind went up in a dark room suddenly and I found I could grasp the message. It is online: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/decaussade/abandonment.iii.html

I knew that my Hymn from Night Prayer was written by someone I really should have remembered!

Barb

Edited December 9, 2010 by BarbaraTherese