IT’S A NUPTIAL THING

Source(s):      Scriptures:  Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20

                        Living the Word.  Laurie Brink, O.P. and Deacon Frederick Bauerschmidt © 2013.  World Library Publications

                        Naked, and You Clothed Me.  Edited by Deacon Jim Knipper © 2013.  Clear Faith Publishing LLC.  “I am with you always, until the end of the age” by Fr. Paul Holmes.

                        Jesus The Bridegroom, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told.  Dr. Brant Pitre © 2014.  Crown Publishing Group

The Story of a Parish rebuilt. Michael White and Tom Corcoran © 2013.  Ava Maria Press

How many of us desire a more intimate relationship with God?  I would suspect most of us.  Someone once said that intimacy is a work in progress.  Marriage preparation is an important process in our Judeo-Christian tradition, as a couple prepares themselves for a lifelong covenant relationship with each other.  Pope Benedict XVI noted that the Ascension is not so much the departure of Jesus as it is “the beginning of a new nearness.”  So the Ascension and, I would dare to suggest, all of scripture is a “nuptial” thing.

Consider this concept in light of one of the most misunderstood and often dreaded wedding readings, Ephesians 5:22-29 which states, “²²Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.” and “²⁵Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her…”

Old Testament: God initiates a covenant relationship with his creation and in a special way the nation of Israel.  With great signs and wonders He leads his people to become a great nation… “I will take you as my own people, and you shall have me as your God.” (Ex 6:7)  What happens when Israel strays from God’s covenant?  Hard times a divided kingdom, separated from God.  What is the nation of Israel compared to when they go astray?  A Harlot/Prostitute (One who sells one's abilities, talent, or name for an unworthy purpose).  This covenant relationship comes with responsibilities…  It calls for acceptance, self-offering, sacrifice and obedience.  A commitment to the relationship.  ^“Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.”

New Testament: Jesus is referred to as the bridegroom.  Who is his bride?  The Church.  Through his passion & death, his complete and total offering of himself – even unto death, death on a cross is how Jesus accepts his role, basically his “I do” to the marriage covenant.  “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her…” 

     After his resurrection, while he is still with his disciples, he instructs his bride (the Church) on how the relationship works, among themselves and their role in the world and going back to the 5^th Sunday of Easter Jesus tells his disciples, “…I am going to prepare a place for you … I will be back again and take you to myself…” (Jn 14:2-3)  This is the Jewish wedding preparation routine; Betrothal, the groom goes to prepare a place for his bride as a sign that he can and will provide for her, and then the groom returns to take his bride and consummates the marriage.

     Jesus had to leave to “prepare a place” for us.  So the Ascension is about an intimate union between God and Jesus, the consummation of the marriage covenant between God and humanity. 

     Guess what?  Within this covenant relationship we have responsibilities.  Just as the married couple is to be a sign of Jesus’ self-giving love for his bride, the Church, this is the Eucharist in which we participate.  Really listen to the words and prayers of the liturgy of the Eucharist, you will be hard pressed to find a more beautiful and intimate love language.  So when we profess to be in communion with the Church, when we receive the body and blood of Christ, our Amen is our “I do” to the covenant relationship with God.  We are professing & accepting we are Jesus’ bride, this generations’ disciples.

     The two men who appear with the apostles asking, “Why are you standing there looking at the sky?” (Acts 1:11)  Is a reminder to them and us there are responsibilities to be carried out, that discipleship is NOT a spectator sport.

     We are being called to action, to live our “I do” to this intimate covenant relationship as the bride, to “be subordinate … as to the Lord” and “to love … as Christ loved.”  Jesus always prepared his disciples for service and insisted on their support and assistance to spread the good news of the kingdom.  He expects nothing less of us, his modern day disciples.

     The Great Commissioning charges us to “…teach them [all nations everyone we come in contact with] to observe all that I have commanded of you.” (Mt 28:20)  The new evangelization calls for us to “LIVE”, which encompasses more than preaching, but by witnessing by our actions, just what Jesus commanded his early disciples at his ascension.  No matter what our vocation in life is; clergy, married, single … we are called to a life of service, of sacrifice, of unity, of mercy, and of love.  We are to live a life reflective of the nuptial relationship we so much desire with our God.

     Pastor Bill Hybels, who has assembled one of that largest volunteer church ministry staffs in the county, at his church outside Chicago, says it very well when he writes,  “Imagine what would happen if people in our world—by the masses—took up serving towels, draped them over their arms and willingly (even joyfully!) served other people in their everyday lives.  Such attitudes and actions would change our world!  I believe a volunteer revolution can happen and that the church should set the pace and energetically lead the way.  In my view, people are never closer to living out the teachings of Christ than when they are adding value to someone else’s life.  And people who are far from God are rarely more impacted than when they see twenty-first-century Christ-followers behaving as Christ behaved.”