E
eternalrest
Guest
Did any of the saints have revelations of this? 
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thistle
Guest
CCC 808 The Church is the Bride of Christ: he loved her and handed himself over for her. He has purified her by his blood and made her the fruitful mother of all God’s children.Did any of the saints have revelations of this?
CCC 796 The unity of Christ and the Church, head and members of one Body, also implies the distinction of the two within a personal relationship. This aspect is often expressed by the image of bridegroom and bride. The theme of Christ as Bridegroom of the Church was prepared for by the prophets and announced by John the Baptist. The Lord referred to himself as the “bridegroom.” The Apostle speaks of the whole Church and of each of the faithful, members of his Body, as a bride “betrothed” to Christ the Lord so as to become but one spirit with him. The Church is the spotless bride of the spotless Lamb. “Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her.” He has joined her with himself in an everlasting covenant and never stops caring for her as for his own body:
This is the whole Christ, head and body, one formed from many . . . whether the head or members speak, it is Christ who speaks. He speaks in his role as the head (ex persona capitis) and in his role as body (ex persona corporis). What does this mean? “The two will become one flesh. This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the Church.” And the Lord himself says in the Gospel: “So they are no longer two, but one flesh.” They are, in fact, two different persons, yet they are one in the conjugal union, . . . as head, he calls himself the bridegroom, as body, he calls himself “bride.”
CCC 789 The comparison of the Church with the body casts light on the intimate bond between Christ and his Church. Not only is she gathered around him; she is united in him, in his body. Three aspects of the Church as the Body of Christ are to be more specifically noted: the unity of all her members with each other as a result of their union with Christ; Christ as head of the Body; and the Church as bride of Christ.
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Trishie
Guest
Basically it means dedication of life to God in following Christ as a sister or nun.
The particular phrase is one that doesn’t sit comfortably with me as no one can ‘marry’ Jesus.
In as far as it gives that impression the phrase is misleading.
Most women were expected to marry a man and give him their lifelong loyalty and support.
In reflection of that marriage bond, to call a woman a bride of Christ is to indicate that she promises her lifelong loyalty and service to God.
I have no knowledge of revelations to the saints regarding this phrase in relation to women religious.
However, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
923 Virgins who, committed to the holy plan of following Christ more closely, are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop according to the approved liturgical rite, are betrothed mystically to Christ, the Son of God, and are dedicated to the service of the Church." By this solemn rite (Consecratio virginum), the virgin is "constituted . . . a sacred person, a transcendent sign of the Church’s love for Christ, and an eschatological image of this heavenly Bride of Christ and of the life to come.
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The particular phrase is one that doesn’t sit comfortably with me as no one can ‘marry’ Jesus.
In as far as it gives that impression the phrase is misleading.
Most women were expected to marry a man and give him their lifelong loyalty and support.
In reflection of that marriage bond, to call a woman a bride of Christ is to indicate that she promises her lifelong loyalty and service to God.
I have no knowledge of revelations to the saints regarding this phrase in relation to women religious.
However, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
923 Virgins who, committed to the holy plan of following Christ more closely, are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop according to the approved liturgical rite, are betrothed mystically to Christ, the Son of God, and are dedicated to the service of the Church." By this solemn rite (Consecratio virginum), the virgin is "constituted . . . a sacred person, a transcendent sign of the Church’s love for Christ, and an eschatological image of this heavenly Bride of Christ and of the life to come.
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M
Mintaka
Guest
Heh, heh, heh. Are there private revelations to saints about what it means to be a bride of Christ?
Are there fish in the sea? Are there bears in the woods? Is there a pope with a Vatican City home address?
Probably the biggest one is St. Catherine of Siena’s vision of her “mystical marriage” with Christ, with several female saints as bridesmaids, etc. You will see a lot of pictures from the Baroque period of “The Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine.”
And she wasn’t a nun, btw. So no, it’s not restricted to nuns.
In general, any member of the Body of Christ, which is the Bride of Christ, the Church, can be called “bride of Christ” if they desire to be. St. Francis even used this imagery, talking about his preaching and his attraction of followers as getting pregnant and having sons.
Many (though not all) religious orders for women do use the bridal Song of Songs imagery, along with various Marian sorts of imagery, to represent the commitment of one’s life to Jesus Christ. Since it is a commitment of daily life and of a lot of talking to God, the marriage imagery is apt.
The thing is, that if you tell people they can’t call themselves bride of Christ, you have to move onto the next Song of Songs category, which is huge numbers of “concubines.” Astoundingly enough, nobody really wants to compare him/herself to a member of Solomon’s harem, even in a spiritual, allegorical, or typological way. (Well, maybe somebody like Jerome who’s a Scripture fan. But that’s about it.)
Are there fish in the sea? Are there bears in the woods? Is there a pope with a Vatican City home address?
Probably the biggest one is St. Catherine of Siena’s vision of her “mystical marriage” with Christ, with several female saints as bridesmaids, etc. You will see a lot of pictures from the Baroque period of “The Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine.”
And she wasn’t a nun, btw. So no, it’s not restricted to nuns.
In general, any member of the Body of Christ, which is the Bride of Christ, the Church, can be called “bride of Christ” if they desire to be. St. Francis even used this imagery, talking about his preaching and his attraction of followers as getting pregnant and having sons.
Many (though not all) religious orders for women do use the bridal Song of Songs imagery, along with various Marian sorts of imagery, to represent the commitment of one’s life to Jesus Christ. Since it is a commitment of daily life and of a lot of talking to God, the marriage imagery is apt.
The thing is, that if you tell people they can’t call themselves bride of Christ, you have to move onto the next Song of Songs category, which is huge numbers of “concubines.” Astoundingly enough, nobody really wants to compare him/herself to a member of Solomon’s harem, even in a spiritual, allegorical, or typological way. (Well, maybe somebody like Jerome who’s a Scripture fan. But that’s about it.)
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White_Peony
Guest
St. Catherine of Siena definitely did.
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Lancer
Guest
Saints…yes…apostles/gospel-scripture writers received this…see footnotes below…from para 796 quoted above…quite an impressive group…to include Saint Augustine 242.
Pax Christi
234 Jn 3:29.
235 Mk 2:19.
236 Cf. Mt 22:1-14; 25:1-13; 1 Cor 6:15-17; 2 Cor 11:2.
237 Cf. Rev 22:17; Eph 1:4; 5:27.
238 Eph 5:25-26.
239 Cf. Eph 5:29.
240 Eph 5:31-32.
241 Mt 19:6.
242 St. Augustine, En. in Ps. 74:4L 36,948-949.
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