#26 -St.JPII's Meditation on Mary - Gift of the Bride!

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I wonder how many priests, deacons, seminarians and laity have ever read this letter! It seems to me it needs to be heard by all the Church and not merely by women! How can the Church be truly the “Bride of Christ”, if she doesn’t understand what those words mean?

The Gift of the Bride

1. The Second Vatican Council renewed the Church’s awareness of the universality of the priesthood. In the New Covenant there is only one sacrifice and only one priest: Christ. All the baptized share in the one priesthood of Christ, both men and women, inasmuch as they must “present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (cf. Rom 12:1), give witness to Christ in every place, and give an explanation to anyone who asks the reason for the hope in eternal life that is in them (cf. 1 Pt 3:15)”.[51] Universal participation in Christ’s sacrifice, in which the Redeemer has offered to the Father the whole world and humanity in particular, brings it about that all in the Church are “a kingdom of priests” (Rev 5:10; cf. 1 Pt 2:9), who not only share in the priestly mission but also in the prophetic and kingly mission of Christ the Messiah. Furthermore, this participation determines the organic unity of the Church, the People of God, with Christ. It expresses at the same time the “great mystery” described in the Letter to the Ephesians: the bride united to her Bridegroom; united, because she lives his life; united, because she shares in his threefold mission (tria munera Christi); united in such a manner as to respond with a “sincere gift” of self to the inexpressible gift of the love of the Bridegroom, the Redeemer of the world. This concerns everyone in the Church, women as well as men. It obviously concerns those who share in the a ministerial priesthood",[52] which is characterized by service. In the context of the “great mystery” of Christ and of the Church, all are called to respond - as a bride - with the gift of their lives to the inexpressible gift of the love of Christ, who alone, as the Redeemer of the world, is the Church’s Bridegroom. The “royal priesthood”, which is universal, at the same time expresses the gift of the Bride.

This is of fundamental importance for understanding the Church in her own essence, so as to avoid applying to the Church - even in her dimension as an “institution” made up of human beings and forming part of history - criteria of understanding and judgment which do not pertain to her nature.

Hopefully, you are learning, along with me, more about being “the Bride of Christ”, the Church, in meditating with St. John Paul II on “Mulieris Dignitatem”, his Meditation on Mary who is as the Catechism teaches, “The Eschatological Icon of the Church”.

 

[GLam8833]

Thanks for showing me how the Church offers
herself to Christ IN RESPONSE to Christ’s
self-sacrifice for her. That our “Living and holy
sacrifice of our bodies” Romans 12:1 is the Bride’s
response to the bridegroom’s self-giving Love!!

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks for showing me how the Church offers
herself to Christ IN RESPONSE to Christ’s
self-sacrifice for her. That our “Living and holy
sacrifice of our bodies” Romans 12:1 is the Bride’s
response to the bridegroom’s self-giving Love!!

Dear GLam,

We can both thank the Holy Spirit who inspired St. John Paul II to write this beautiful letter and to show us all how the Church is truly the Bride of Christ, who offers herself to Christ in response to Christ’s self - sacrifice for her. Thanks for your reply.