TOB Tuesday: Holy Week!

ChelseaLove, Theology of the Body, TOB TuesdayLeave a Comment

Some great TOB reflections for Holy Week:

In this article Christopher West describes the Cross as Christ’s “marriage bed” where he consummates His love for His bride the CrossChurch:

While this imagery might raise some eyebrows, it needn’t be cause for scandal if we properly understand the spousal symbolism of the Bible. As the Catechism observes, “The entire Christian life bears the mark of the spousal love of Christ and the Church. Already Baptism …is a nuptial mystery; it is so to speak the nuptial bath which precedes the wedding feast, the Eucharist” (CCC 1617). We might also recall Christ’s final words of love uttered for his Bride from the cross: “It is consummated” (see Jn 19:30)…

I first heard this idea of the cross as a “marriage bed” from the late Bishop Fulton Sheen in a recorded lecture I listened to some years ago. Sheen’s booming voice still echoes in my mind: “Do you know what is happening at the foot of the cross?” he asked. “Nuptials, I tell you! Nuptials!” Like Augustine, he then described the cross as Christ’s “marriage bed” which he mounted not in pleasure, but in pain in order to unite himself forever to his Bride.

The good bishop went on to explain that whenever Jesus calls Mary “woman” (such as at the Wedding in Cana and at the cross), he is speaking as the new Adam to the new Eve, the Bridegroom to the Bride. Here, of course, the relationships are outside the realm of blood. The fact that Christ’s mother is “the woman” symbolizing his “Bride” needn’t trouble us. The marriage of the new Adam and new Eve consummated at the cross is mystical and virginal. The Catechism, itself, refers to this “woman” (Mary) as “the Bride of the Lamb” (CCC 1138).

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Also, Fr. Samuel Medley has a wonderful reflection at Catholic Exchange on how holy week can help us experience the Theology of the Body:

Pope John Paul’s intention is that we would enter into a personal relationship and dialogue with the living Jesus Christ in our very bodies.

This dialogue is ultimately about the gift that Jesus Christ has given to us of his own body, manifesting the Father’s love by his most sacred passion, death, and resurrection. It is here that we listen to the voice of Jesus, not a voice that is spoken or heard with the ears, but with the body.

We are sinners. The place we experience disquiet, disturbance, and uneasiness of our own sinfulness is in our very flesh, in the depths of our hearts. Yet, we experience what happens to these same bodies when we permit our flesh to drink deeply of the gift of Jesus’ body and blood, soul and divinity. By gazing upon Jesus condemned, mocked, judged, hated, scourged, beaten, bruised, cursed, defiled, and crucified, and realizing that he did this all for us, for love of us, suddenly our wounded hearts finds rest, peace, noble serenity, and a satisfaction that cannot be experienced anywhere else. We experience redemption in our bodies from experiencing the gift of Jesus’ body to us.

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I hope all of my readers have a very blessed Holy Week! May you experience the great love of Christ our eternal Bridegroom.

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