The Baptism of Jesus Christ

Last night:
4-year old: "Does everyone get married?"
No, Jesus wasn't married.
"Yes he was. Because he got his head dunked under water."
Oh....?

This morning: 🤯 pic.twitter.com/1cEXkb0dDh

— Mark Perkins (@mporterperkins) August 20, 2021

Mystical Marriage

Today we celebrate Saint Irene Chrysovalantou
wedded to Christ, the immortal and holy King, bringing to Him as a precious dowry your virginity and the trophies you have won over the demons through abstinence. O Venerable Mother Irene, entreat your Bridegroom to grant us mercy. pic.twitter.com/pD9nB39jSh

— Trisagionfilms (@TrisagionFilms) July 28, 2021

Why should female religious or virings be the only ones to be venerated as Brides of Christ? Why shouldn't we speak of married women or of even men being wedded to Christ? There are some who will actually affirm this, taking poetic language too far.

Why One Must Be Careful with Figurative Language

The Church as the Bride of Christ, and individual Christians as "brides" of Christ -- but if the latter is an appropriate application of the first statement, taken literally, that would mean that the Theotokos is both the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and His bride. (One of many.) Do you see a problem with that?

(Then there is the Latin title of Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit... this will have to be addressed in a separate post.)

Theology of Presbyterate/Episcopate

MASCULINITY AND THE LITURGY by Fr. Thomas Loya

If the priest acts in persona Christi, how does he strengthen the "mystical understanding of his husbandhood and fatherhood"? Do presbyters participate in Christ's role as Bridegroom/Husband for the Church as the Mystical Bride? Not directly but as intermediaries or representatives of Christ who teach and lead, subordinate to Christ and the Holy Spirit. But in what way is Christ analogous to the human husband? Who would claim that Christ and the Church share some sort of egalitarian or even a complementarian relationship?

Whose Tradition?

And where? What are the sources? Is this celebrated liturgically or only only a theological opinion?

"Not without reason has the Tradition referred to her as the Spouse of the Holy Spirit."

What are the sources for this?

Mary, Herald of the Dawn and Spouse of the Spirit by Peter M.J. Stravinskas
The Rorate Mass inserts us ever more deeply into the Advent season, all the while uniting us to the pre-eminent Woman of Advent, the Mother of the Messiah.