Convent Life | Bride of Christ
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that all nuns are mystically betrothed to Jesus Christ. In this actual marriage ceremony a young woman dressed in white, makes a public vow to the Church. After this public profession, the young woman is told that she has become the bride of Christ and must consecrate herself to God “until death”. In this subtle the Catholic Church is offering to the young woman a substitute for marriage to a real man. Although the concept of the “Bride of Christ” is found in Scripture, I challenge you to see whom the Lord is calling the Bride of Christ.
The Catechism Says:
923 Virgins who, committed to the holy plan of following Christ more closely, are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop according to the approved liturgical rite, are betrothed mystically to Christ, the Son of God, and are dedicated to the service of the Church.” By this solemn rite (Consecratio virginum), the virgin is “constituted . . . a sacred person, a transcendent sign of the Church’s love for Christ, and an eschatological image of this heavenly Bride of Christ and of the life to come.
The Bible Says:
1 Timothy 4: 1-3 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
The Roman Catholic understanding of a nun being the bride of Christ is not found in the Bible. The Holy Scriptures state that the Bride of Christ or Body of Christ is comprised of those who are born again into a living relationship with God through Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-14). These individuals are incorporated into an invisible union with Jesus Christ. His Body consists of many members throughout the ages and throughout the entire world. The Bible refers to this union as the “Church.” Over the centuries, the Bride of Christ has continued to grow as people are reconciled to the living God through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Meanwhile, God is preparing this body of believers, the Church, to be united with Jesus.
The Apostle Paul teaches us that the Church is presently under going transformation, being purified and washed by the teaching of the word of God (the Bible). We read this in Ephesians 5:25-26 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish”. The apostle is comparing the relationship between husbands and wives to that of Christ and the Church.
When the end of the age is culminated, Jesus Christ comes to claim his precious Bride or Church. We are given a glimpse of this glorious event in the book of Revelation 19: 7-9 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” Revelation 21:9 … “I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife”. Dear reader, examine the state of your soul. Have you been washed by the Word of God? Will you stand holy and blameless before the Lamb of God at the Great Marriage Supper?