Repost of Church as Bride in the Holy Eucharist

 Some time ago, on this blog, I published a post to investigate how we can understand the image of the Church as bride in the Holy Eucharist. On the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ 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 Mystical Body of Christ. In the post-conciliar liturgy it has 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. I would like to look at the image of the Church as Bride of Christ with the aim of helping us to 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 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 interiorly for the encounter with the Bridegroom. She is prompted by the Holy Spirit and gathers to meet with him on the eighth day, that is, the day of the Resurrection. This is the day of the new Creation when the Second Adam and the Second Eve experience the again the renewal of a Creation set free from sin and given the promise of eternal life. In the processional song she sings for joy to be in the presence of the Bridegroom on this special day.

2. Liturgical Greeting: The priest acting in persona Christi capitis (in the person of Christ the Head) greets the people, who are also a presence of Christ in the Eucharist. They could be said to act in persona Christi membris (in the person of the members of Christ) who respond acknowledging the presence of the Lord. The response given by the people to the greeting: "And with your spirit" acknowledges that the priest is ordained and conformed to Christ in his priesthood. The writer Jeremy Driscoll explains it thus: "The people are addressing the 'spirit' of the people; that is, the deepest interior part of his being where he has been ordained precisely to lead the people in this sacred action. They are saying in effect: 'Be the priest for us now,' aware that there is only one priest, Christ himself, and that this one who represents him now must be finely tuned to perform his sacred duties well." Jeremy Driscoll, What Happens at Mass, (Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 2005, 25)

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. It also anticipates that the sacrifice which will be enacted in this sacred meal they are to share is: "The Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Eucharistic Prayers in Roman Missal)

4. Gloria: The Bride glorifies the Bridegroom in the mystery of the Holy Trinity knowing his mercy is there for Her: "... you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us." (Roman Missal)

5. Collect: The opening prayer joins the congregation in prayer. The them articulates the Bride's desires and aspirations thus preparing the people to listen to the Bridegroom who is about to speak.

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 of the Apostles speak of the Bridegroom working in, through and with the Church by the power of the Holy Spirit, until the end of Creation when the New Jerusalem will come down from the heavens: "And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out from heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." (Rev 21: 2)

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 as foretold in the Jewish people.

8. Second Reading: The Bridegroom teaches the Bride how he is present to the Church and continues to guide her through history. The First Reading was the type with the Gospel being the reality and the Second Reading is the Church as sacrament.

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. It is a living Word proclaimed for us in the present: "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Lk 4: 21)

11. Creed: The Bride responds to this revelation of divine wisdom by affirming her faith in the Bridegroom. She believes in Herself and Her destiny to be with the Bridegroom in the Resurrection: "I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come." (Roman Missal) 

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. It also prays that the effects of the Holy Food will be manifested in the Bride.

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.