Do nuns actually get married to Jesus?

[MFTM]

This is the consecration prayer recite by the bishop from the Rite of Consecration of Virgins Living in the World. Please note the bridal imagry. The insignia presented are the ring and the book of the Liturgy of the Hours.

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION
After the renewal of intention, the candidates return to their places in the sanctuary and kneel. The bishop extends his hands over them, and sings or says
the prayer of consecration. The words in brackets may be omitted.

Loving Father,
chaste bodies are your temple;
you delight in sinless hearts.
Our nature was corrupted
when the devil deceived our first parents,
but you have restored it in Christ.
He is your Word, through whom all things were made.
He has made out nature whole again,
and made it possible for mortal people to reflect the life of angels.
Lord,
look with favor an your handmaids.
They place in your hands their resolve to live in chastity,
You inspire them to take this vow;
now they give you their hearts.
[Only you can kindle this flame of love, and feed its brightness,
giving strength and perseverance to our will.
Without you our flesh is weak,
bound by the law of nature,
free with false freedom,
imprisoned by habit,
softened by the spirit of the age.]
You have poured out your grace upon all peoples.
You have adopted as heirs of the new covenant
sons and daughters from every nation under heaven,
countless as the stars.
Your children are born, not of human birth,
nor of man’s desire, but of your Spirit.
Among your many gifts
you give to some the grace of virginity.
Yet the honor of marriage is in no way lessened.
As it was in the beginning,
your first blessing still remains upon this holy union.
Yet your loving wisdom chooses those
who make sacrifice of marriage
for the sake of the love of which it is the sign.
They renounce the joys of human marriage,
but cherish all that it foreshadows.
[Those who choose chastity have looked upon the face of Christ,
its origin and inspiration.
They give themselves wholly to Christ,
the Son of the ever-virgin Mary,
and the heavenly Bridegroom of those
who in his honor dedicate themselves to lasting virginity.]
Lord,
protect those who seek your help.
They desire to be strengthened by your blessing and consecration.
Defend them from the cunning and deceit of the enemy.
Keep them vigilant and on their guard;
may nothing tarnish the glory of perfect virginity,
or the vocation of purity which is shared by those who are married.
Through the gift of your Spirit, Lord,
give them modesty with right judgment,
kindness with true wisdom,
gentleness with strength of character,
freedom with the grace of chastity.
Give them the warmth of love,
to love you above all others.
Make their lives deserve our praise,
without seeking to be praised.
May they give you glory
by holiness of action and purity of heart.
May they love you and fear you;
may they love you and serve you.
Be yourself their glory, their joy, their whole desire.
Be their comfort in sorrow, their wisdom in perplexity,
their protection in the midst of injustice,
their patience in adversity,
their riches in poverty,
their food in fasting,
their remedy in time of sickness.
They have chosen you above all things;
may they find all things in possessing you.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
All: Amen.

PRESENTATION OF THE INSIGNIA OF CONSECRATION

 

[seremina]

Thank you for posting the marriage of Jesus to Virgins living in the world here. Very beautiful indeed.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=1952244&postcount=3

MTDNo, nuns are not actually married to Jesus. It’s a form of figurative speech to say nuns are the spouses of Christ.

…edited for wordcount here - see above link…

“In the consecrated life particular importance attaches to the spousal meaning, which recalls the Church’s duty to be completely and exclusively devoted to her Spouse, from whom she receives every good thing. This spousal dimension, which is part of all consecrated life, has a particular meaning for women, who find therein their feminine identity and as it were discover the special genius of their relationship with the Lord.” (Vita Consecrata, no. 34)

To sum up, the religious more perfectly lives the spousal relationship with Jesus to which we are all called as members of the Church, the Bride of Christ. Nevertheless, the terms marriage, spouse, *spousal, *etc. are only symbolic terms used to describe spiritual realities.

Maria

The above is a really excellent and balanced response to the question posed “Do nuns actually get married to Jesus?”. Terms that are drawn from the marriage state and marriage are poetical type terms that nevertheless do speak of a spiritual reality that is not restricted to nuns and religious.

The Church is The Spouse of Christ hence all the Baptized are spouses or espoused to Christ…not only religious who are in fact simply making public official statement of a deep commitment to their Baptism and a hopefully quite radical commitment to Baptism and to The Gospel. It is not at all necessary to become a religious to make this commitment and indeed to live it out to the full and in fact is the call to us all. We are all called to Poverty, Chastity and Obedience of the spirit.
Religious take it to a very radical level of literal Poverty, Celibate Chastity and and quite literal Obedience…or should be doing so. This is a public and observable witness to what is a hidden reality and call to all the baptized spiritually, of which the spiritual is the superior.
Yet all the Baptized should be seen to be living in a spiritual poverty (humble), chastity (modest) and obedience (to The Church) and to be striving to live out The Gospel in quite radical ways. This should be our public and observable witness to Christ and to His Gospel and to our shared Faith Profession as Catholic Christians.

In marriage two people become one flesh…all the baptized are called “to share in the Divinity of Christ, who humbled Himself to share in our humanity” (The Mass) - or to be united to Christ. We are all called to Unity with God. Hence marriage terms are applied to The Church and the baptized.

We now understand that “Bride of Christ” and “Spouse of Christ” etc., applied to nuns and religious only is a misunderstanding or restriction and exclusivism of the Theology - and belongs to a former age in The Church - and a quite poetic one too. I thought that most religious orders had abandoned this kind of terminology and I think all should. It gives a restricted meaning to the Theology and a general misunderstanding of this beautiful Theology and teaching of The Church. Or at very least, alter the language used in professions to a more accurate reflection of the theology and not a restricted one.

newadvent.org/cathen/03744a.htm
Its inward life is found in the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, the gifts of faith, hope, and charity, the grace communicated by the sacraments, and the other prerogatives by which the children of God differ from the children of the world. This aspect of the Church is described by the Apostles in figurative language. They represent it as the Body of Christ, the Spouse of Christ, the Temple of God.

Someone previously quoted that only religious can understand “Spouse of Christ”. What a nun or religious may feel on the feeling level is one thing, the theological level is often another. And one does not have to be a religious to feel that one has fallen very literally in love with Jesus…or that one is united to Him in a quite unique sort of manner. To live the Gospel in very radical ways indeed with a deep and living radical commitment to one’s baptism and to The Lord, one’s love of Him reflected and observable in a very radical love of neighbour. “How can you say you love God whom you cannot see, if you do not love your neighbour whom you can”.

Barb

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Sometimes religious and priestly vocations can appeal to an elitism in The Church. We need to view these vocations and our own particular vocation as a call to a specific role in The Church, The Mystical Body of Christ, and to build up the whole Church as His Mystical Body. A gift for the good of all. Vocation, any kind of vocation, taken out of the context of and understanding of the Mystical Body of Christ, The Church, can have an inaccurate interpretation.
Every vocation, no matter what it is, is a gift to the Whole Church with all the Graces necessary to live out that vocation effectively and to great holiness. Some indeed He has prepared from conception for a particular role in The Church with all the human qualitites necessary…this is a prerogative of God and nothing to do with God having and playing favourties, while it can be said that the person is favoured. There is a fine line there and a very unique difference! Just as religious life can be said to be the state of perfection, while all those in religious life are not necessarily the perfect nor called to perfection exclusively and only. There is a fine line there and a unique difference!

.

 

[SerraSemper]

Dear Barbara,

Although at the moment I am unable to address why a religious female might be properly called a spouse of Christ, nevertheless, I might point out that just because the faithful by being baptized are incorporated into the Bride of Christ, the Church, and thus each person is indirectly “the bride of Christ” it doesn’t mean that some don’t have a genuine spousal relationship that is more direct. You can see this in the flip side of the coin, which is if you consider that as baptized faithful, by baptism we are made priest, prophet and king, participating in Christ’s Kingship, Priesthood, and Prophetic mission, and we do not say that all of us are Priests! Those who do are considered Protestants.

Kind regards!

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Dear Barbara,

Although at the moment I am unable to address why a religious female might be properly called a spouse of Christ, nevertheless, I might point out that just because the faithful by being baptized are incorporated into the Bride of Christ, the Church, and thus each person is indirectly “the bride of Christ” it doesn’t mean that some don’t have a genuine spousal relationship that is more direct. You can see this in the flip side of the coin, which is if you consider that as baptized faithful, by baptism we are made priest, prophet and king, participating in Christ’s Kingship, Priesthood, and Prophetic mission, and we do not say that all of us are Priests! Those who do are considered Protestants.

Kind regards!

Hi SerraSemper…I am not too sure what you are saying.

Certainly one does not have to enter into religious life to have a direct and genuine spousal relationship with Christ. Our Baptism establishes that bond by which we are called to Unity with Christ or espoused to Christ (see New Advent entry below). While religious life is **a **state of perfection, it does not mean that all in the religious life are thereby perfect, nor that religious life is the only way without exception of living in a state of perfection.
newadvent.org/cathen/03744a.htm

It is thus manifest that, when we regard the Church simply as the society

of disciples, we are considering its external form only. Its inward life is found in the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, the gifts of faith, hope, and charity, the grace communicated by the sacraments, and the other prerogatives by which the children of God differ from the children of the world. *

This aspect of the Church is described by the

Apostles

• in figurative language. They represent it as the Body of Christ, the Spouse of*Christ, the Temple* of God.*/QUOTE]

If by stating that through our Baptism we are espoused to Christ that it does not mean that we are espoused to Christ. Then what does it mean?
By the same token that if through Baptism we are Priest, Prophet and King participating in Christ’s Kingship, then what does it mean? We do share in the priesthood of Christ for example. It is not the same role in that Divine Priesthood as those of our ordained priests however; nevertheless the theology stands. Of course, common sense tells me, if I start proclaiming myself a priest, while theologically I am correct…common understanding and usage of the term would get it all wrong although it is this latter that is at fault.

I think it may mean that we can have given certain nouns in common use in The Church a too restricted meaning when one considers the actual theology proclaimed?

Religious life is a public declaration, affirmed and a vow received by The Church, of a more radical public commitment to one’s Baptism and The Gospel. However, one does not have to enter religious life to have a totally radical commitment to one’s Baptism and The Gospel, or to live it in a quite public witness.

I think if you have a look at:
Lumen Gentium
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church
Pope Paul VI
on November 21, 1964

Certainly I can quote from it if you wish to support what I am saying. Perhaps you can share with us Church documents to suport what you are saying?

Barb

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Are not all Catholics called to strive for union of the soul with Jesus?

Michael

… …well said!..

 

[BarbaraTherese]

http://www.rscjinternational.org/templates/rscji/images/blank.png Bride of Christ - Still Relevant Today? 03 Sep 08

By Annice Callahan rscj
province of the United States

rscjinternational.org/content/view/2311/38/lang,c/

Religious experience themselves within their vocation of religious life in different terms, using different terminology and understandings to express their experience of their own selfhood in their vocation, as the article by a religious sister on the link above states…we all do exactly the same thing in our differing vocations. We would all describe our relationship to Christ within our vocation whatever it may be using different language - perhaps slightly different or even totally different. As Sr.Annice points out:

There are single and married people also responding to their call to be a bride of Christ.

Consecrated Life in the Ecclesiology of Vatican II

Janusz A. Ihnatowicz, S.T.D.

ewtn.com/library/PRIESTS/FR91203.TXT

This whole document is worth reading.

---

Rev. Janusz A. Ihnatowicz is a priest of the Diocese of Kielce, Poland. He
has received an S.T.D. from the Angelicum in Rome and is currently
Professor of Theology and Chairman of the Theology Department at the
University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. Fr. Ihnatowicz’s special field of
interest is the history and theology of the consecrated life, especially as lived
outside religious congregations.

Copyright (c) 1996 EWTN

In this his first essay for Faith & Reason, Fr. Ihnatowicz
demonstrates clearly how confusion concerning the significance
of the profession of the evangelical counsels has led to an even
greater confusion within the Church. He makes use of the
teaching of the Second Vatican Council to show how the
consecrated life is a special charism (in the Pauline sense)
through which God calls and consecrates certain members of
the faithful to a special form of life for the entire Church.

Confusion about the nature and role in the Church of the consecrated
life, i.e., life based on the profession of the evangelical counsels, affects
more than religious themselves. It influences the laity’s attitude to religious
life, and thus often becomes a negative element in the contemporary crisis of
vocations: parents will not encourage their children to embrace religious life,
they will even make every attempt to dissuade them from such a decision.

This by itself would be bad enough. But even more is at stake. The
presence of the three states, laity, ordained priesthood, and consecrated life,
is essential for the perfection of the Church, for her dignity and her beauty,
as St. Thomas Aquinas put it.[1] If this be so, one cannot understand the
meaning of any of the three without some understanding of the other two.
And thus without an adequate vision of the consecrated life, the whole
people of God, priest, religious, laity, will be poorer in the understanding of
the Church, and of their own vocation.

---

This holiness “appears in a certain way of its own () in
the practice of the [evangelical] counsels.” This does not mean simply that
religious are examples of personal sanctity, but that the basic parameters of
the consecrated life manifest the parameters of Christian sanctity; “through
the deeper consecration made to God it clearly shows and signifies the
intimate nature of the Christian vocation” ( 18a).

The consecrated life manifests what Christians, in virtue of their
baptism, are, and what they should become. Thus first
describes the general characteristics of Christian perfection (n. 40), and then
traces the essential aspects of the consecrated life much along the same
lines (n. 44). Even if the language of the two sections differs somewhat,
explanations given by the Relators of both sections make it clear that a
parallel was intended by the Commission. Both Christian sanctity in general
and the consecrated life are: theocentric, eschatological, christological.[24] The
consecrated life has these three aspects, because Christian holiness must
have them.

(1) <Theocentric.> Of primary importance is the theocentric aspect.
Vatican II sees Christian holiness, or the “fullness of Christian life” to which
all are called, as consisting in the perfection of love ( 32b;
40b).[25]

 

[SerraSemper]

Barb, I will reply in the shape of a future article on my blog as at the moment I am swamped. For now, I’ll just say that I believe you are basically claiming that all in the Church are the bride of Christ by virtue of baptism. Therefore, all are equally bride but some have stronger commitments to their baptismal promise.

I disagree with this because the vocation to consecrated life brings a particularly distinct and direct spousal dimension to a person’s life to Christ if the individual is a woman that is constituted by the vows, and not merely an intensified one.

Protestants believe that we can all be pastors… In their view, all are equally “priest” but some full time (or part time) “pastors” have stronger commitments to their baptismal promise by serving as ministers.

I disagree with this Protestant idea because the vocation to the priesthood is founded upon a particularly distinct type of priesthood conferred by the sacrament of orders, and not merely an intensified one.

For now, why not check out the Theology of the Body and Verbi Sponsa for modern papal notions of the spousal relationship of nuns to Jesus.

Regards!

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Barb, I will reply in the shape of a future article on my blog as at the moment I am swamped. For now, I’ll just say that I believe you are basically claiming that all in the Church are the bride of Christ by virtue of baptism. Therefore, all are equally bride but some have stronger commitments to their baptismal promise.

I disagree with this because the vocation to consecrated life brings a particularly distinct and direct spousal dimension to a person’s life to Christ if the individual is a woman that is constituted by the vows, and not merely an intensified one.

Protestants believe that we can all be pastors… In their view, all are equally “priest” but some full time (or part time) “pastors” have stronger commitments to their baptismal promise by serving as ministers.

I disagree with this Protestant idea because the vocation to the priesthood is founded upon a particularly distinct type of priesthood conferred by the sacrament of orders, and not merely an intensified one.

For now, why not check out the Theology of the Body and Verbi Sponsa for modern papal notions of the spousal relationship of nuns to Jesus.

Regards!

Hi again SS:thumbsup: …It would be much appreciated if you could give me links and actual quotes, rather than me to read these lengthy documents looking for something in particular. I have certainly chased up my own source documents and quoted above links and actual extracts. And what I am looking for is a statement with link that religious women are actually Brides of Christ in a manner that is exclusive to religious women exempting all others. This strikes me immediately as illogical and totally theologically unsound…heresy in fact!

As yet, while I have been able to give actual quotes and links to reliable sources to underscore what I am saying and trying to say…you have not produced any. And I hope that you can, although I doubt it.

I certainly agree that nuns and religious do ideally witness in a quite public and observable - unique - manner to the spousal dimension of the Church and all the baptized to Christ as Spouse and Bridegroom. We are all called to the same Unity with the same Lord by virtue of Baptism…and language and poetic type terminology which could be taken to infer otherwise to my mind should be abandoned, changed. And it certainly can in some instances set up a class (by implication) of the actual human person who is favoured and other human persons not so favoured by Christ (affectionwise I mean), which is theologically incorrect and heresy again.

Undoubtedly also, because one is vowed publicly to the evangelical counsels, including contemplative nuns, this does not thereby and per se mean that every single religious so vowed and so enclosed is living out the full meaning of her consecration.

Whereas it is quite possible that those not so vowed and enclosed are actually United to Christ in a fully mystical sense and in that very fullest sense. What I am saying is that it does not take the public consecration and enclosure of The Church to bring about these living states of the full life of Sanctifying Grace in the soul which flow direct from our Baptismal life of the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. And again, it would be heresy to state that it does.

Religious life and the priesthood, the marital and single states are all roles within The Church for the good of the whole Church and the Mystical Body of Christ that have the same personal and communal end i.e. the same Unity with the One Lord. One state of life is no better nor more favoured than any other and every state or role is Graced by God with the necessary Graces to live out that way of life to the same Unity with the Same Lord.

If I was called to enclosed contemplative life, it would be God’s Grace that does all the providing within that life including the establishing of the way of life itself and my ability to live it…it would not mean that I am a favoured person in any way. This is why The Lord said to St. Catherine “I am He who is - you are she who is not”. We are all we’s and I’s who are not at all. …not one of us.

Regards and Joy to you and yours this Advent…Barb

 

[SerraSemper]

Barb, I do not have the time to get into this in detail, hence my future blog post. But, the following is a heresy:

One state of life is no better nor more favoured than any other and every state or role is Graced by God with the necessary Graces to live out that way of life to the same Unity with the Same Lord.

The consecrated state is superior to that of the lay state. That is dogma taught by the Council of Trent. That being said, the “spiritual marriage” of a soul in the highest degree of the mystical life is not the same as the spousal reality of the female in the consecrated state or under a lifelong vow of celibacy. Nor is moral holiness synonymous with the state of life (vocation) one is in. And, lastly, no one is equal in the sight of God. There is a hierarchy of souls that has no correlation to their states in life but their degree of charity in which they died.

Again, I must be brief right now but can expand on this theme later when I get more time.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Barb, I do not have the time to get into this in detail, hence my future blog post. But, the following is a heresy:

The consecrated state is superior to that of the lay state. That is dogma taught by the Council of Trent. That being said, the “spiritual marriage” of a soul in the highest degree of the mystical life is not the same as the spousal reality of the female in the consecrated state or under a lifelong vow of celibacy. Nor is moral holiness synonymous with the state of life (vocation) one is in. And, lastly, no one is equal in the sight of God. There is a hierarchy of souls that has no correlation to their states in life but their degree of charity in which they died.

Again, I must be brief right now but can expand on this theme later when I get more time.

Hi again SS…I think there is a shade of meaning in the Council of Trent that is not grasped in that is the person in religious life more favoured than a person who is not, no they are not - while strictly speaking the religious state and the priesthood are superior to the lay state but it is a certain kind of superiority that does not mean those within the states are also thus superior or inferior…I am going to have to bow out at this point. There are still no actual quotes or links for what you have to say hence it does remain your opinion until you give actual quotes and links. I feel I have established what I wanted to say and have given reliable source quotes and links in support of my statements. We are just going to go round in circles I can see disagreeing…in some things we are saying the same thing differently. I have commitments elsewhere also.

The state of the mystical marriage of course is a potential at least no matter one’s state in life. Perhaps an unlikely potential for most of us no matter our state in lfie.

I do understand re degree of Charity on death. Does this mean that God loves some more than others, no I dont think it does. Does it mean God loves some more in Heaven than others…no I dont. These reasonings are to anthropomorphasize God. And I would certainly need to see an authoritative quotation with link so I can check the context to change my mind. Which I will always change absoluely in the face of reliable contrary information.

Blessings and regards…Barb

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Just to bring the Council of Trent teaching on the states of life, and seperiority of, question - and again giving reliable source information with link as well as quotes from that link. The Council of Trent is often quoted on the ‘superiority question’ without really insighting what it means.

This Rock -
catholic.com/thisrock/2001/0102fea5.asp

In addition, celibacy is not the superior state for all people. Aquinas states, " Though virginity is better than conjugal continence, a married person may be better than a virgin for two reasons. First, on the part of chastity itself; if to wit, the married person is more prepared in mind to observe virginity, if it should be expedient, than the one who is actually a virgin. Secondly, because perhaps the person who is not a virgin has some more excellent virtue" (Summa Theologiae I:152:4).

Augustine admonishes virgins to say, “I am no better than Abraham, although the chastity of celibacy is better than the chastity of marriage” (On the Good of Matrimony 7). Augustine also states, “Whence does a virgin know the things that belong to the Lord, however solicitous she be about them, if perchance on account of some mental fault she be not yet ripe for martyrdom, whereas this woman to whom she delighted in preferring herself is already able to drink the cup of the Lord?”

These statements underscore the fact that celibacy is a gift. This is not something one can take upon one’s self for reasons of pride or human respect. The very essence of a gift is its reciprocity, meaning the giving and receiving are simultaneous. It is only when we become willing to give ourselves completely are we able truly to receive. This is especially crucial in a proper understanding of sexual love, whether it be celibate or marital. It is also crucial that this be understood on an individual level, particularly when making discernment in regards to celibacy and marriage.

Someone may choose either marriage or celibacy for the wrong reasons. These can range from a low sense of self-worth (particularly in relation to the opposite sex), bad experiences in dating, or just giving up on the hope of finding a marriage partner. Some men make the mistake of choosing celibacy as the “cover charge” for becoming priests instead of as a good in and of itself that should be desired.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

I think it of great importance that we all understand the call and vocation and reality of our Baptism and its great dignity. And that religious, rather than claiming falsely a uniqueness denied all others that privileges them in a quite personal spiritual sense by virtue of particular call, should be underscoring and proclaiming that we are all unique and privileged and equal in call by virtue of our Baptism and that our role in The Church only differs according to where God may call whom to which state, which has nothing to do with the more priviledged or honored, rather simply of the incredible diversity and beauty and goodness of God’s Will. And that all states in life and all vocations and calls, each in their own way, builds up the Mystical Body of Christ, The Church, Spouse of Christ…which are the baptized - who else could it be? Nuns and priests only**?**
While religious life and the priesthood are objectively states of perfection and superior, they are not necessarily the subjective most perfect state and most superior call for every person in a purely and exclusively subjective sense. This latter is whatsoever God may will for a particular person in their own particular life and circumstances. Nothing whatsoever can be superior to God’s Will and Providence…not the religious life or the priesthood per se which are expressions of God’s Will and Providence.

St. Paul had much to say about the gift of one being the gift not to that person exclusively as some sort of favour, rather it is a gift to the whole Church. “I am He Who Is, you are she who is not”.
By the very same token, the suffering of one is the suffering of the whole Body.

Mark Chapter 3

31 And his mother and his brethren came; and standing without, sent unto him, calling him. 32 And the multitude sat about him; and they say to him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33 And answering them, he said: Who is my mother and my brethren? 34 And looking round about on them who sat about him, he saith: Behold my mother and my brethren. 35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

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?

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20040731_collaboration_en.html
LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
ON THE COLLABORATION OF MEN AND WOMEN
IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD

In the Letter to the Ephesians, the spousal relationship between Christ and the Church is taken up again and deepened in its implications. In the New Covenant, the beloved bride is the Church, and as the Holy Father teaches in his* Letter to Families: *

“This bride, of whom the Letter to the Ephesians speaks,*** is present in each of the baptized***

and is like one who presents herself before her Bridegroom: ‘Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her…, that he might present the Church to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish’ (Eph 5:25-27)”. 16

……………………………
“For as a young man marries a virgin so shall your creator marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you” (Is 62:5). Recreated “in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy” (Hos 2:21), she who had wandered far away to search for life and happiness in false gods will return, and “shall respond as in the days of her youth” (Hos 2:17) to him who will speak to her heart; she will hear it said: “Your bridegroom is your Creator” (Is54:5).
………………………

The Sovereign Pontiff John Paul II, in the Audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect, approved the present Letter, adopted in the Ordinary Session of this Congregation, and ordered its publication.
Rome, from the Offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, May 31, 2004, the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

• Joseph Card. Ratzinger

Prefect

• Angelo Amato, SDB

Titular Archbishop of Sila

Secretary

 

[BarbaraTherese]

From the same Vatican document quoted in my previous post:
vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20040731_collaboration_en.html

A problem is that in the liturgy for religious and also I think other forms of canonical consecration, the language used (for one only) is spousal…but nowhere is spousal language used in liturgy for the laity/baptized. This is a poverty, a dreadful poverty…and leads to misunderstandings of the whole and of the exalted nature of Baptism and of what The Church teaches and our theology.

The Song of Songs is an important moment in the use of this form of revelation. In the words of a most human love, which celebrate the beauty of the human body and the joy of mutual seeking,

God’s love for his people is also expressed.

The Church’s recognition of her relationship to Christ in this audacious conjunction of language about what is most human with language about what is most divine, cannot be said to be mistaken.

In the course of the Old Testament, a story of salvation takes shape which involves the simultaneous participation of male and female.

While having an evident metaphorical dimension, the terms bridegroom and bride – and covenant as well – which characterize the dynamic of salvation, are much more than simple metaphors. This spousal language touches on the very nature of the relationship which God establishes with his people, even though that relationship is more expansive than human spousal experience.

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world! For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world! For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

Remember O Most gracious Virgin Mary that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother. To thee, do I come, before thee I kneel, sinful and sorrowful, O Mother of the Word incarnate, despise not my petitions but in thy mercy hear and answer them. Amen

YES, Nuns actually are spouses of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ through the Immaculate Heart of Mary

I am not a nun, but I have experienced it myself. That’s what all of the Song of Songs, bridegroom and bride, beloved and lover imagery comes from - the spiritual and also physical pleasure of the mystical union with Christ through Mary. Christ through Mary is the source of all joy including all physical joy, so shouldn’t he be a better lover than anyone else in any way that he chooses??

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/uploads/images/The Ecstasy of St Teresa#1#.jpg

LOOK at the sculpture of the Ectasy of Saint Teresa or read her autobiography where she talks about moaning and being unable to stop having raptures in public so she was getting a reputation or just this wikipedia excerpt: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecstasy_of_St_Theresa

I saw his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron’s point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it. The soul is satisifed now with nothing less than God. The pain is not bodily, but spiritual; though the body has its share in it. It is a caressing of love so sweet which now takes place between the soul and God, that I pray God of His goodness to make him experience it who may think that I am lying.

I don’t think all nuns experience it. I wasn’t expecting it myself and did know anything of it. However, over the past 5 years I had literally given up almost everything that I had willingly or un-willingly for the sake of the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I had spent several days doing nothing but prayer - even if all I could say was Ave Santa Maria, and I had exposed myself to tremendous humiliation. I was following True Devotion to Mary to the best of my ability. (It is the fastest, surest, securest way to Christ through Mary) At the end of this ordeal, Jesus came to me unexpectedly in pleasure. I hope he comes again frequently!

Jesus through Mary:
Online Adoration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
louisville-catholic.net/WebCameras/AdorationChapel/tabid/825/Default.aspx
True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin montfort.org.uk/Writings/TrueDev.html
**Secret of the Rosary ** montfort.org.uk/Writings/Rosary.html
Preparation for consecration to the Blessed Virgin
saintlouisdemontfort.com/consecration.cfm
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus en.wikisource.org/wiki/Devotion_to_the_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus#FIRST_POINT._.E2.80.94_The_ardent_desire_Jesus_Christ_feels_to_be_with_us.
Divine Mercy Chaplet ewtn.com/Devotionals/mercy/dmmap.htm
Rosary Confraternity Enrollment rosary-center.org/nconform.htm
Litany of Humility ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/humility.htm

​

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world! For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world! For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

 

[BarbaraTherese]

“Seek the God of Consolations and not the consolations of God” (Cloud of Unknowing - I think!)

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20040731_collaboration_en.html

LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
ON THE COLLABORATION OF MEN AND WOMEN
IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD

“This bride, of whom the Letter to the Ephesians speaks,*** is present in each of the baptized*** and is like one who presents herself before her Bridegroom

The above is a theological reality. Whatever one may feel on the feeling level is probably simply a consolation and the absence of such consolation cannot speak to or affect nor effect in any way the reality of the theological aspect of Grace in the soul. The consolation is secondary and not a necessaity. And this is a teaching of St. Teresa of Avila also. In the Final and Seventh ‘mansion’ of her “Interior Castle” an the heights of the mystical life and mystical marriage, St. Teresa states that all these strange and unusual phenomena (locutions, ecastasy etc. etc.)disappear completely and she knows only Peace. She also states that these unusual consolations and mystical phenomena are not essential, rather most often sent to support those who are weak in Faith to encourage them along the mystical way.

Nuns and religious have a spousal relationship with Christ as do all the baptized…undoubtedly nuns and religious do witness to this in a special way humanly for one - but their special public human witness is not the only kind of special public human witness to the theological reality.

Barb

 

[Monica4316]

IMO I think it is actually marriage… but it’s different, it’s spiritual. Not symbolic though. Just different.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

IMO I think it is actually marriage… but it’s different, it’s spiritual. Not symbolic though. Just different.

As this website indicates (written by a religious Sister of The Sacred Heart) each person including nuns and religious experience their vocation in different ways - and it is not necessary to be a nun or religious to experience the very same kind of feelings and awarenesses.
rscjinternational.org/content/view/2311/38/lang,c/

The abvoe is balanced article.

Religious life in convent or cloister is the expression of a spousal relationship with Christ rooted in one’s Baptism and shared by all the Baptised; the religious life context of this reality does witness in a human even symbolic way this theological reality.

It would be wrong and inaccurate to state that only those in convent or cloister experience a love and loving relationship with Jesus and a desire to serve Him alone, committing their whole lives to Him. It is a way, not The Way…which is Christ alone who is not exclusive to the religious state. If one is called to express this relationship in the religious state, well and good - the same for others who are not called to the religious life but to a loving total commitment to The Lord anyway. And we are all called to this through Baptism.

Barb

 

[BarbaraTherese]

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20040731_collaboration_en.html

LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
ON THE COLLABORATION OF MEN AND WOMEN
IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD

“This bride, of whom the Letter to the Ephesians speaks,*** is present in each of the baptized*** and is like one who presents herself before her Bridegroom

The above words by Cardinal Ratzinger (2004)now our Holy Father make the theological reality proclaimed by our Faith very clear that the bride and the spousal relationship is made present through our Baptism. Nuns and religious as Brides of Christ, while it is a truth rooted in their Baptism and that of all the Bpatized, was spread abroad,and generally accepted into Church and social consciousness, a false notion - and that was that nuns and religious only were Brides of Christ and that it was connected to their way of life and consecration to the exclusion of those not thus consecrated, rather than to their Baptism and all the Bapatized.

If religious desire to serve Christ and radically His Gospel and The Mystical Body, I should think they would be at very great pains to spread abroad everywhere the nature of Baptism as the spousal and bridal relationship…and why…i.e.the theological reality…rather than the commonly accepted sentimental and romantic notion. Their grief that the nature of Baptism as the establishing of the bridal bond and spousal relationship was not commonly understood and lived out. This would be surely the grief of Christ shared by those who truly love Him.

One does not have to have poetic turns of expression and poetic type phrases of love, endearments, sentimentality and romanticism and to expound on these to have very real and very close and intimate personal friendship and relationship with The Lord.

This false and limited understanding of religious life was corrected in Vatican2 and the spousal relationship of all the Batized underscored. This not only put religious into an identity crisis “Then who am I in the scheme of things?”…but it put the laity into an identity crisis also “And then who am I in the scheme of things”…and a good things these identity crises were since we had adopted false identities in the first place…we are still working to resolve our identity problems.

Barb

.