9781644135945

The Christmas Cycle
and mystical union with Christ. We, together with Christ, form the whole Christ through a
holy betrothal. An earthly betrothal can achieve only a union of effort, of will, of love, and of
purpose. But the union of Christ with His Church and with us produces a union like that of a
head with its members, or like the union of a vine with its branches — a true and vital union.
The union of Christ with His members surpasses every earthly union as heaven surpasses
earth. Christ and His Church, Christ and His members live one and the same life. What a
marvelous grace this is! How sublime is our destiny! Gaudens gaudebo: “I will greatly rejoice
in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God” (Is 61:10). I have been united to the life
and the person of Christ in the Church and through the Church.
“Lift up thy eyes round about and see.” Understand this mystery. It is Christ who lives
and works in the Church. His divine Spirit animates and joins the souls of all believers to
Himself. It is His Spirit which is the principle of life in the Church, which makes it one
living organism, and which makes the redemption of mankind effective. The Church is
Christ Himself; she is the real manifestation of His divinity on earth. The Church is not a
mere mediator between Christ and the soul, not a mere intermediary between God and
man. The Church is the form in which Christ the Mediator and Redeemer draws near to
men and accomplishes His work of redemption. The Church is the ever present epiphany,
the abiding presence of Christ on earth. The Church can no more be separated from Christ,
from His Spirit and His person, than a living body can be separated from its soul. In spite
of her earthly appearance, she is elevated into the sphere of divine being. In her works we
recognize the priesthood of Christ, the truth of Christ, the grace of Christ, the power and
authority of Christ. “He that heareth you, heareth Me” (Lk 10:16).
“Behold the Lord the Ruler is come; and the kingdom is in His hand, and power and dominion”
(Introit). The divine bridegroom has been betrothed to His Church. Through the Church, He
makes our life His, and His life ours. He lives in His Church, and He lives in each and every one
of us who are children of the Church. “I am the vine; you the branches” ( Jn 15:5). The vine lives
in its branches; it sustains them, animates them; its life pulsates through them, vitalizes them,
nourishes them, and makes them fruitful. The branches share the life of the vine. That is the
secret of the Church, and the secret of our greatness. “Arise and be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for
the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee” (Gradual). Arise and be enlightened, O Holy Mother
the Church, and thou, O happy Christian soul.
“Behold the Lord the Ruler is come.” Behold, He lives in each and every member of the
Church, in your neighbor as well as in yourself. In our neighbor we behold a manifestation of
Christ. We must see Christ in our neighbor, honor Christ in our neighbor, and love Christ in
our neighbor. We serve Christ in our neighbor. “Amen, I say to you, as long as you did it to one
of these my least brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40).
“Behold the Lord the Ruler is come.” Clearly the liturgy has in mind that glorious day when
Christ will return in all His glory to summon His bride, the Church, and every Christian soul
to the heavenly nuptials in the kingdom of heaven. “Arise and be enlightened, O Jerusalem.”
Prayer
Grant unto us, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, by purity of heart to attain to the understanding
of that which with solemn worship we venerate. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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