Church as the Bride of Christ and the Holy Eucharist

In my reflections on the Mass it occurs to me that how we engage with this great mystery has a lot to do with our images of Church. For the Mass in the extra-ordinary form the principle image is that of the Body of Christ. In the post-conciliar liturgy it has often been the People of God. I do not intend to elaborate on these images here, however, each has far reaching implications for both celebrant and congregation in terms of their prayer and Eucharistic spirituality. Neither is wrong but then neither is completely correct or exhaustive. In this blog post I would like to look at the image of the Church as is Bride of Christ as it can be used to help understand the dynamics of Mass in the ordinary form.

To start with the image of Church as the Bride of Christ, who identifies himself in the Gospel as the bridegroom, is clearly a significant part of the official teaching of the Church. In Lumen gentium this image occurs prior to and after the exposition on the Body of Christ in article 8 and therefore can be taken to nuance and interpret it. The Fathers wrote:

"The Church, further, 'that Jerusalem which is above' is also called 'our mother.' It is described as the spotless spouse of the spotless Lamb, whom Christ "loved and for whom He delivered Himself up that He might sanctify her,' whom He unites to Himself by an unbreakable covenant, and whom He unceasingly "nourishes and cherishes,' and whom, once purified, He willed to be cleansed and joined to Himself, subject to Him in love and fidelity, and whom, finally, He filled with heavenly gifts for all eternity, in order that we may know the love of God and of Christ for us, a love which surpasses all knowledge. The Church, further, 'that Jerusalem which is above' is also called 'our mother.' It is described as the spotless spouse of the spotless Lamb, whom Christ 'loved and for whom He delivered Himself up that He might sanctify her,' whom He unites to Himself by an unbreakable covenant, and whom He unceasingly 'nourishes and cherishes,' and whom, once purified, He willed to be cleansed and joined to Himself, subject to Him in love and fidelity, and whom, finally, He filled with heavenly gifts for all eternity, in order that we may know the love of God and of Christ for us, a love which surpasses all knowledge." (LG, 6)

"Christ loves the Church as His bride, having become the model of a man loving his wife as his body; the Church, indeed, is subject to its Head. 'Because in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily,' He fills the Church, which is His body and His fullness, with His divine gifts (71) so that it may expand and reach all the fullness of God." (LG, 7) 

In the Constitution on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum concilium the image was applied to the work of the liturgy:

"Christ indeed always associates the Church with Himself in this great work wherein God is perfectly glorified and men are sanctified. The Church is His beloved Bride who calls to her Lord, and through Him offers worship to the Eternal Father." (SC, 7)

With this in mind let us imagine the Sunday Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist as a "date" where the Bride spends time apart with her Bridegroom to be renewed, refreshed and reinvigorated in her task of continuing the bridegroom's salvific plan.

1. Gathering: The Bride fasts before Mass to prepare herself for the date. She is prompted by the Holy Spirit and gathers to meet with him on the eighth day, that is, the day of the Resurrection. In the processional song she sings for joy to be in the presence of the Bridegroom.

2. Liturgical Greeting: The priest acting in persona Christi capitis greets the people who respond acknowledging the presence of the Lord.

3. Penitential Act: Mindful of her faults the Bride confesses her sins while praising the Bridegroom for his mercy and love that are never ending.

4. Gloria: This prompts the Bride to glorify the Bridegroom in the mystery of the Holy Trinity.

5. Collect: The opening prayer unites the Bride's desires and aspirations thus opening them up to listen to the Bridegroom.

Liturgy of the Word

This part of the Mass is where the Bridegroom feeds the Bride with his Word. In the Constitution on Revelation, Dei verbum we read:

"The words of the holy fathers witness to the presence of this living tradition, whose wealth is poured into the practice and life of the believing and praying Church. Through the same tradition the Church's full canon of the sacred books is known, and the sacred writings themselves are more profoundly understood and unceasingly made active in her; and thus God, who spoke of old, uninterruptedly converses with the bride of His beloved Son; and the Holy Spirit, through whom the living voice of the Gospel resounds in the Church, and through her, in the world, leads unto all truth those who believe and makes the word of Christ dwell abundantly in them (see Col. 3:16)." (DV, 8)

"The Bride of the Incarnate Word and the Pupil of the Holy Spirit" (DV, 22).

6. First Reading: Taken from the Old Testament the Bride learns how from the beginning of Creation the bridegroom has prepared her for his coming. During Eastertide the readings from the Acts o the Apostles speak of the Bridegroom working in and with the Church through the Holy Spirit until the end of Creation.

7. Psalm: The Bride responds with ancient songs of praise which speak both of God's power but also the history and struggles of the Bride.

8. Second Reading: The Bridegroom teaches the Bride how he is present to the Church and continues to guide her through history.

9. Alleluia: Again the Bride responds with praise at the workings of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of the Bridegroom.

10. Gospel: The Bridegroom feeds the Bride with the Divine Word of the Gospels as the public and objective revelation of the Word made Flesh.

11. Creed: The Bride responds to this revelation of divine truth by affirming her faith in the Bridegroom. 

12. Prayers of the Faithful: The Bride manifests the sincerity of this faith by bringing before the Bridegroom her needs and those of the world trusting that he will provide them as she cooperates with his grace.

Liturgy of the Eucharist:

This part of the Mass is where the Bridegroom feeds the Bride with his Body and Blood under the form of bread and wine. There is one sacrifice offered under two different modes: that of the priest acting in persona Christi capitis and that of the bride in persona Ecclesiae or even, I would say Mariae. The sacrifice of praise offered at the foot of the Cross by the Blessed Virgin joins her to her Son. We gaze on the Host and likewise strive to offer ourselves in imitation of her so that we might share in the fruits of redemption.

13. Offertory: Obedient to his instructions: "Do this in memory of me" the Bride brings forward the bread and wine for the Eucharistic sacrifice and prepares the altar.

14: Oblation: The priest, prepares for the sacrifice and praises God thus initiating the self-offering of the Bridegroom to which the Bride is joined.

15: The Eucharistic Prayer: The Bridegroom makes a living memorial of his Paschal Mystery through which he redeemed humanity and brought about the Bride to be the Second Eve born from his side as he hung in the sleep of death on the Cross. The Bride echoes the liturgy of heaven as she offers herself up in union with the Bridegroom in this act of love, gratitude and joy. This is brought to a climax for the Bride in the Great Amen.

16: The Lord's Prayer: United in their prayer and the sacrifice is makes present the Bride is stirred to pray to God as Father trusting in the words of the Bridegroom and adopted into his filial relationship with the Father in the Holy Spirit.

17: Prayer for Peace: The Bride prepares to receive the Bridegroom in Holy Communion by recalling his gift of peace to the Bride and asking that it be manifested in the Church and in the world.

18: Lamb of God: Mindful again of her imperfections and sins the bride asks of the Bridegroom the fruit of mercy and peace. The Host is broken in the ancient action through which the Bride recognized her Bridegroom "in the breaking of the bread." (Luke 24: 35)

19: Reception of Holy Communion: Coming forward the Bride is nourished by the Bridegroom, in sacrament, and longs for the day when she will be united with him in eternity. Individual members echo the Great Amen as they make an individual act of faith in their Lord and Master.

20: Post-Communion Prayer: The desire for this ultimate union with the Bridegroom is expressed in the brief prayer after Holy Communion which also brings the Eucharistic liturgy to a close.

21. Dismissal: The Bridegroom sends the Bride into the world to continue her mission to make present his Kingdom. The Bride sings rejoicing in the love of the Bridegroom.

22. After Mass Hospitality: The members of the Bride extend the immediate unifying effects of Communion with the Bridegroom by sharing an agape meal which recognizes the Bridegroom as now being present in and mediated through the Bride.