Definition for Bridegroom
Glossary
Bridegroom (i.e., Jesus):
According to St. Augustine,
Every Celebration [of the Eucharist] is a celebration of Marriage; the Church’s nuptials are celebrated. The King’s Son is about to marry a wife, and the King’s Son [is] himself a King; and the guests frequenting the marriage are themselves the Bride.… For all the Church is Christ’s Bride, of which the beginning and first-fruits is the Flesh of Christ, because there was the Bride joined to the Bridegroom in the flesh [emphasis — SML]. (Augustine, Homilies on 1 John 2:12–17).
In other words, in the Eucharistic “marriage celebration” (Latin nuptiarum celebratio), Jesus the Bridegroom is united to the Church, not just in spirit, but in body as well. For while Jesus, as the divine Son of God, is spiritually present everywhere, in the Eucharist he is present bodily: it is the wedding banquet at which the Bridegroom Messiah is united to his bride in both body and spirit.[1]
From Dr. Brant Pitre’s writings, we begin to see the more profound significance of the miracle performed by Jesus at Cana. The wedding at Cana signifies the completion of Jesus’ mission on earth and the effects of said completion — the fulfillment of the New and Everlasting Covenant of Salt[2] between God and man.
The Mass is a re–presentation of the Marriage that took place on the Tree of Life[3] (the wooden Cross) at Calvary — the Marriage through which we become one-flesh with Jesus on the Cross. Please note: it is not a recrucifixion of Jesus. It is our being made present at the one and only Crucifixion. To understand this more clearly, it might help to re-read the section titled “The Glory, Face, and Back Side of God” above.
This one flesh Marriage is symbolized by Jesus’ being nailed to the Cross, i.e., becoming one salt of DNA — one flesh with man. This symbolism is the same as in the parable of the vine and the branches (John 15:1-17). In this parable, the DNA of the vine is also the same DNA that forms the branches. This Marriage on the Cross can also be seen in passages referring to both Elijah and Elisha.
Both prophets resurrected dead children by laying their bodies entirely upon the dead bodies of the children. Elisha’s encounter is described thus: “putting his mouth upon his mouth, his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands; and as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm” (2 Kings 4:27-35). Elijah’s encounter is described this way: “Then he stretched himself upon the child three times [signifying our dying with Christ on the Cross, only to resurrect with Jesus on the third day — SML], and cried to the Lord, ‘O Lord my God, let this child’s soul come into him again.’ And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Eli′jah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived” (1 Kgs 17:21-22).[4] In both cases, they laid their bodies in the same basic configuration that Jesus held when nailed upon the Cross. Again, this is the Covenant of Salt fulfilled.
Resurrection occurs through the power of the Holy Spirit. Both of these prophets had experienced unique encounters with the Holy Spirit. Thus, First and Second Kings reads like a documentary. One that teaches us about the power of the Holy Spirit (even though the Holy Spirit had not yet been given — i.e., dwelt within the hearts of, to these Prophets – c.f. John 7:39), and the instrumentality of these two Prophets in exercising that power. Both prophets were types of the Resurrection that followed Jesus’ crucifixion — and the salt that was added to it, the salt of our body.
Through the Eucharist, we become one flesh with Jesus on the Cross. We become one flesh, one family with the Son of God. This bond is why all Jews were required to add salt to their offerings. Jesus is the unblemished sacrificial offering; our bodies are the salt added to every offering the ancient Jews were required to make. Only the incarnate Son of God could ever be identified as being without blemish. Therefore, the salt that had to be added to the salt of the offering is our salt (of DNA). Our sufferings/offerings are made acceptable and pleasing (cf. Malach. 1:10-11, Is. 64:6, 1 Pt. 2:4-5) to the Father when, and only when, we unite them with the Son’s infinitely and eternally perfect offering.
After an oblation was offered to God on the altar, it had to be eaten (the offering was not valid otherwise). In ancient Jewish history, it was believed that by eating the blood or grain offering, the offeror would become one with that offering, thus participating in the benefits of the altar sacrifice.[5] This is why Satan wants to destroy the Church. He wants to destroy Christ’s human family — His Church. Sterile acts are antithetical to God’s definition of the family, the definition of the Church. It was said earlier: no openness to the fruitfulness of our expression ® no likeness to God.
ENDNOTE:
[1] Durrwell, Holy Spirit of God, pp. 146-147.
[2] For more information on the deeper understanding of Covenants of Salt, read: Stephen Michael Leininger, “What Does Lot’s Wife Tell Us about the Meaning of Covenants?,” STOSSBooks.com, https://stossbooks.com/blog/index.php?covenants-salt--the-big-picture-of-scripture, September 3, 2019.
[3] Fulton J. Sheen, The Mystical Body of Christ (p. 256), Ave Maria Press, Kindle Edition.
[4] God informed St. Catherine of Siena, “I sent the Word my only-begotten Son, who was prefigured in Elisha [SML]. He laid himself out on this dead child by joining the divine nature with your human nature. Member for member he joined this divine nature with yours: my power, the wisdom of my Son, the mercy of the Holy Spirit-all of me, God, the abyss of the Trinity, laid upon and united with your human nature. After this union the gentle loving Word accomplished the other by running like one in love to the shameful death of the cross, where he laid himself out [above, Elisha is said to have ‘laid himself out;’ in the this sentence, Jesus ‘laid himself out’ on the cross. (SML)].” Catherine of Siena, The Dialogue, 288-289 (© Paulist Press; all rights reserved; all quotations from Catherine of Siena’s book, The Dialogue, are used with permission of Paulist Press).
[5] Gary M. Burge, (2012-08-07). Jesus and the Jewish Festivals (Ancient Context, Ancient Faith) (Kindle Locations 1184-1187). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.