There has been a lot of wedding imagery in the liturgy lately.
Last Thursday was the feast of the Passion of John the Baptist. I was praying my evening prayer that day--the Liturgy of the Hours--and I saw this really cool "Responsory." It reads: The friend of the bridegroom rejoices, upon hearing the bridegroom's voice. --The friend of the bridegroom rejoices, upon hearing the bridegroom's voice. Now my joy is complete, --upon hearing the bridegroom's voice. (August 29; Evening Prayer. Christian Prayer: The Liturgy of the Hours Catholic Book Publishing Corp. New York, 1976. pg. 1242 *sorry for my unprofessional citation*) So, John the Baptist saw himself as a groomsman--a friend of the bridegroom (John 3:29-30). He saw Jesus as the bridegroom, the one the people of Israel were waiting for. Now, in Jesus' time, the job of the groomsmen was to announce the arrival of the bridegroom. Seriously, groomsmen showed up outside of the bride's house and shouted and blew a shofar to alert the bride that her bridegroom was there. Now, last Friday, the Gospel passage for the day was about the wise and foolish virgins (also known as the wise and foolish bridesmaids or maidens). When the bridegroom arrived, five of the bridesmaids were ready with their oil lamps lit while the other five were foolish and had to go back and buy more oil--thus missing the wedding banquet altogether (Matthew 25:1-13). And then, yesterday, for Sunday Mass, the Gospel was Jesus' parable about taking seats of honor at a wedding feast. He said it is better to take a humble seat as opposed to the most honorable seat because the humble can always "bump up" in status (Luke 14:8-14). With all of this wedding stuff, I am thinking of my twin sister, Callie, who is getting married in January 2020. She is the bride and I am one of the bridesmaids. I think of how John the Baptist called himself a groomsman. If he gets to be a groomsman of the Christ, then I think I can be a bridesmaid of the Church! John knew that he wasn't the groom himself. He knew Jesus was. And, as typical for a wedding, the groom is the one who increases, as the friend of the groom--or groomsman--decreases (John 3:30). The groomsman elevates the groom and announces his presence and honor to the bride and her relatives. What a cool spiritual reflection and metaphor for us! Using my dear sister Callie as the object of this metaphor, Callie is like the Church. Scripture is packed with wedding imagery, depicting Christ as the bridegroom and the Church as the bride. That's why consecrated life is so cool! Nuns and consecrated virgins act as the Church, as they marry Jesus Christ, the heavenly Bridegroom. In Jesus' time, the bridesmaids helped the bride get ready for the wedding and attended to her. Even in our modern-day, I, as a bridesmaid goes wedding dress shopping with Callie, puts in my opinion and helps with service plans, plans the bridal shower, plans the bachelorette party, and at the wedding, I am her attendant who stands up with her. Now, thinking of the bigger picture, as a bridesmaid of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, I am the Church's attendant! As the Church prepares for Her meeting with Christ at the end of the age, it is my duty to tend to Her needs. Now is the time for me to adorn Her with virtues. Now is the time for me to assist her--be it helping one of her members walk after a surgery or listening to and helping a member when she is in distress. John the Baptist has announced that Jesus is here! Bridesmaids, let us prepare the Bride and present Her pure and holy to Her groom!
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