Where our hope lies

The Wedding Procession of the Virgin Mary

The whole of the bible is a testament of God’s love for us, the covenantal love within which He desires us to live. Because of that, much of it speaks in themes of wedded marriage.

In ancient Judaism, getting married was comprised of two parts: the betrothal, or erusin (kiddushin), and the wedding, nissuin. Once the groom’s father paid the price to the bride’s father, the couple were legally married although the bride continued to live with her parents. (This is the state of marriage in which Mary and Joseph lived at the time of Gabriel’s annunciation to her that she would give birth to the Messiah.) The groom then had up to a year to prepare a home for her. The wedding banquet, the celebration, took place when the bride moved into her husband’s home. This was the consummation of the legal aspect of the marriage.  And what a celebration it was! Lasting seven days, the entire community shared in the wedding and its blessings too.

When the Son of God, second Person of the Trinity, chose to lower Himself and take on human nature, He came to establish His Church, His bride. By our baptism, we are part of His Church, His betrothed. This life on earth is our waiting for that final moment when He brings us home to Heaven where He has assured us that He has prepared a place for us (John 14:2-3). Our final breath in this life is the beginning of that grand wedding celebration.

Now in these modern times, I do not know how men experience this period of waiting, the anticipation of the wedding being planned. But I can sure attest to how us women experience it! We search endlessly for the perfect dress, perfect shoes, hose and jewelry to match. Should our head be adorned with a veil? A wreath of flowers? And then a fitting hair style too! There are many details of the ceremony and subsequent celebration to plan. But most important to the bride are those details of her own appearance, imagining herself being presented to her husband as they enter into this permanent convent: the two become one (Mark 10:8).

How might my life be changed if I viewed it from the perspective of this spiritual reality: the bride anticipating the wedding? As Christ’s bride awaiting the consummation of the marriage, we want to maintain our purity of heart as well as ready ourselves. Do the choices I make today ‘ready’ me to be received in that final moment? When my Groom takes my hand to lead me into our new home together, would I go in sloppy clothes? No!

I might start looking at how I live my life to see what needs changing. Just as in an earthly wedding, the bride diets to fit into that perfect dress, one can find areas in their life where temperance and moderation are needed. Healthier choices of entertainment, avoiding situations that can lead to sin, arriving at mass 15 minutes early and paying attention throughout…tweaking details of the external environment help to then prepare for internal change. And this is where I would focus the most. Attitudes, opinions, and preferences…all the intellectual attachments must go. The bride needs to sort through these and cling to the values she holds that distill from truth and love, for Jesus is Love and Truth Himself. The bride’s identity must no longer be formed by ideologies but instead by Him who created her.

We are each in that waiting period anticipating that He comes to bring us into our final home with Him. It is more than being on a pilgrimage; it is more personal than waiting for our inheritance of Heaven. This perspective is relational and so brings hope to how life is lived today. This can transform our life from that of arduous sacrifices and struggles to instead a period of eager anticipation. Our life can be transformed by hope.

At life’s end, love alone remains.

We are the blessed who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb; “And these words are true; they come from God” (Revelation 19:9). Will you be prepared? Or, while rushing last minute to make the preparations that should have been done earlier in life, will you miss your Bridegroom when He comes (Matthew 25:1-13)? Will you be wearing the proper wedding garment—a loving heart surrendered to Him (Matthew 22:1-14)?

The best made plans of humans cannot achieve that which is needed for this preparation. But Jesus left us what we need: The Eucharist. It really is “the source and summit of the Christian Life” (CCC 1324). It is our foretaste of this Heavenly banquet. We cannot perceive the changes it makes in our soul but we can consciously experience the change it makes in our life when we cooperate with its grace. Consider embracing any sacrifices and sufferings this year with the intent of its grace flowing to the priests who confect Jesus’ real presence throughout the world every few minutes of each day in the Catholic mass.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam 😊

(Image by Giotta from WikiArt public domain)