Gospel Reflection 2020/2021

The Union of Man and Woman.

A marriage is the union of two persons through a wedding ceremony. A wedding ceremony heralds the beginning of a lifelong marriage life.

In the Holy Bible, wedding and marriage are common recurring themes. The Bible begins with the marriage of Adam and Eve [Gn 2: 24–25] and ends with the marriage of the Lamb [Rv 19: 6-9]. Our Lord Jesus performed His first miracle at the wedding at Cana [Jn 2:1-12]; He even used a ‘wedding’ to teach the mystery of God and the Kingdom of Heaven e.g. the Parable of the Wedding Feast [Lk 14: 7-14] and the Parable of the Great Banquet [Lk 14: 15-24; Mt 22: 1-14].

Marriage is a gift from God, defined by God, given to humanity. It is a mystery of God not subject to human whims and fancies, public opinions, or personal interpretations. Regardless how the secular world attempts to violate the definition and intention of marriage, the Catholic Church continues to uphold and defend the sacredness, sanctity and indissolubility of marriage – ‘this is why a man leaves his father and mother and joins himself to his wife, and they become one body.’ [Gn 2: 24, cf. Mk 10: 6-9]

The Union of Christ and His Church.

The union between man and woman in marriage is rightly so a great mystery [Ep 5: 32] because it is pointing us to a deeper reality of our Catholic faith – the truth about the union of Christ and His Church.

In the Old Testament, covenants are made between two parties through blood pact or through marriage. In the fullness of time, Jesus establishes the new and everlasting marital covenant with His Church, sealed by His blood on the cross.

Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom who loves His Bride. St Paul wonderfully sums up this great mystery [cf. Ep 5: 23-27], “For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the Head of the Church, the Body of which He is the Saviour… The Church is to subject to Christ in everything… Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her, in order to make her holy so as to present the Church to Himself in splendour, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind – yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish.”

As the Bible says, Christ is the perfect Groom and the Church is His spotless Bride! And the implication is great:

1) ‘They are no longer two but ONE BODY’: Christ is ONE and INSEPARABLE with His Church. Where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. [St Ignatius of Antioch]

2) 'Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for Her, in order to make Her holy…': The Church is made up of saints and sinners, yet the Church is HOLY because Christ makes her holy.

The Union of God and Individual Catholic.

By the virtue of baptism, Christ is the ‘Spouse’ of every baptised Catholic. ‘For your Maker is your Husband, the Lord of hosts is His name.’ [Is 54: 5] Yes, in full communion with the Catholic Church, we are in a way entering into this marital relationship with Jesus Christ.

What does it mean by saying: Jesus is my ‘Spouse’? Jesus died for me to make me holy; He is the Love of my life. In total surrender, I must make Him my first and foremost, my one and only, the top priority in my life – I must not allow anything to come in between me and my Love. May we fall deeply in love with Christ our Lord.

Let our fervent prayer be:

“I beg to fall deeply in love with Thee, my Lord.”