Is the Virgin… a Bride?
Is the Virgin… a Bride?
Question:
I read harsh criticism from one of the blasphemers against calling the Virgin the Bride, saying that the Church is the Bride, not the Virgin. We ask for clarification…
Answer:
Truly, the Church is called the Bride, as John the Baptist said. But every human soul is also a bride of the Lord…
From the totality of these individual brides, the great Bride is formed. Likewise, in the same sense, the Church is called a Virgin, as the Apostle Paul said:
“I have betrothed you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:2)
Here, the Church is a Virgin, the Bride of Christ. Yet at the same time, Scripture speaks of every soul as a virgin to Christ, saying:
“Therefore the virgins love You.” (Song of Solomon 1:3)
The fact that the Church is a virgin bride to Christ does not prevent each soul from being a virgin bride to Him as well, as the Holy Scripture teaches.
The Lord Jesus Himself gave this teaching when He said that the kingdom of heaven is like five wise virgins who went out to meet the Bridegroom, and who were ready, and entered with Him into the wedding feast…
These wise virgins symbolize every soul that is a bride to Christ.
The Bible does not say that one chaste virgin, betrothed to Christ, was waiting for Him and entered with Him into the wedding to rejoice with her Bridegroom. Rather, it says virgins—meaning, each soul individually.
So what applies to the Church here applies also to each soul.
Therefore, every girl who dedicates herself to the Lord calls herself a bride of Christ.
Likewise, every soul that loves Him—whether of a man or a woman—is a bride of Christ, waiting to enter with Him into His heavenly wedding.
And we cannot wound any soul in its love for the Lord by saying, “There is only one bride, and that is the Church!”
The Song of Songs presents this truth with perfect clarity.
We cannot deprive any soul of meditating on the Song of Songs by saying that it concerns only the Church, not individuals.
Indeed, that book contains expressions that cannot rightly be said of the Church, but which are more fitting to individuals—such as when the bride says:
“I sleep, but my heart is awake… My beloved turned and went away… I sought him, but I did not find him.” (Song of Solomon 5)
It would be difficult to describe the Church as “sleeping,” or as “refusing to open to the Lord,” or that “the Lord turned away from her and passed by,” or that “she sought Him but did not find Him.”
Such expressions fit better with individuals who may fall into spiritual lukewarmness or weakness…
The expression bride is very familiar throughout the Song of Songs:
“How fair is your love, my sister, my bride!”
“Your lips, O my bride, drip as the honeycomb.”
“My sister, my bride, is a locked garden, a sealed fountain.” (Song of Solomon 4:8–12)
In these verses, the two terms—the bride and bride—are used interchangeably, both conveying the same meaning.
The words of the book may sometimes refer to the Church, but often they refer to any individual soul.
It is difficult to restrict the meanings of Scripture within our limited human understanding.
We cannot draw a narrow boundary around it and claim, “This is the only meaning.” Such richness of Scripture invites boundless contemplation.
For example, the seven letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation can be understood as written to specific churches in the time of Saint John, or as messages to any church in any era in a similar condition, or even as messages to each human soul individually.
The Word of God cannot be limited.
David the Prophet said:
“I have seen an end of all perfection, but Your commandment is exceedingly broad.” (Psalm 119)
If the term bride can be applied to any human soul, then how much more rightly can it be applied to the Virgin Mary!
What wrong is there that would make someone so zealous to attack this, wasting his own time and the time of others in refuting it, and even stirring doubts in some hearts?
Are there not far more essential issues that truly require defense and explanation—especially when the entire Bible is accused by some of falsification and corruption?!
Is it really a problem worth questioning—whether the text refers to a person or the Church?
Is not the human being himself a church?
Did not Scripture say:
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him.” (1 Corinthians 3:16–17)
Thus, the human being is a small church, and from the sum of these churches the universal Church is formed.
The person is a bride to Christ, and from the totality of these brides comes the great Bride, the Church, the Body of Christ.
So we are right to address every pure soul—not only the Virgin Mary—and say:
“You have found grace, O bride.”
How much more, then, the Virgin who is full of grace!
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