Daughter = Sister = Wife word association problem

[Luke2220]

Language and analogies can have many short comings.

I am struggling around an awkwardness of the truth of words and their associations, that came to me in prayer this morning.

Scenario ( and it is real!), and all of these statements are true.

• A beloved Catholic woman I know is a beloved daughter of God, my Father.
• This same beloved Catholic woman is then my sister in Christ.
• This same beloved Catholic woman is my wife.

All three statements are true.
However, those statements present a very uncomfortable reality for me: my ‘sister’ is my wife?

If some good language major any can help me put this into a more accurate, less uncomfortable context, your guidance is deeply appreciated.

Blessings.
Luke2220

 

[Ad_Orientem]

You equivocate on the word “sister.”

A *biological *sister is related biologically through common parentage; it marks a particular degree of sanguinity. This is straightforward enough. But when used in the spiritual sense, the word “sister” is analogical and has no degrees of sanguinity. It can also have a number of different meanings.

Our Lord said, for example, “Whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Lk 12:50). If we take the terms here as having perfect parallels in the biological realm, they make no sense at all.

We call fellow Christians “brothers” and “sisters” because we are all adopted sons of God. To take the analogy further, we all have the same spiritual Mother, Mary. But even here there is not an exact parallel, because God is spirit, and Our Lady is a human being and a Virgin.

Even on a strictly biological level, the word “sister” can mean a cousin.

So there is no need to be uncomfortable with calling your wife your sister in a spiritual or analogical sense.

 

[John_Lazarus]

There’s different degrees of sisterhood:

• female sibling, same two parents: sister-german
• female sibling, shares only one parent: half-sister
• daughter of one of your parents from a previous marriage: step-sister
• sister-german of your wife, or wife of your brother-german: sister-in-law
• any human woman, especially if Christian: sister in Christ

Your wife is your sister in the way that I am your brother – we all have the same Father (in Heaven).

What can I tell you – sometimes language is limited.

E.g., Greek has four words (agápe, éros, philía, and storgē) where English has one (love).