Dom Marmion: Sponsa Verbi - The Virgin Consecrated to Christ

[Stone]

VI. MEANS OF UNION WITH THE SPOUSE

SUMMARY. - Means given to the Religious by her Divine Spouse to strengthen her union with him - Above all, the Word gives Himself in Communion - How Communion aide the Religious, to fufill her duties and to realise her position of Spouse - The Sacred Humanity of Jesus conducts to the source of beatitude, the Divinity of the Word.

A condition of union so sublime, a state so elevated can only be maintained by special assistance granted to the soul.  The Spouse Himself gives this assistance.

What does He do to a soul which He has chosen from all eternity to be entirely His?  In the great majority of cases "He leads her into solitude to speak to her heart": Ducam eam in solitudinem et loquar ad cor ejus.1 Just as a vineyard is enclosed with a hedge to protect it, so the Spouse encloses that soul in the cloister "in the clefts of the rocks": in foraminibus petrae;2 the mysterious sepulchre which becomes the cradle of life; He hides her "in the secret of His face"; in abscondito faciei suae3: He makes her dwell in silence, so that she may be recollected, may hear His voice more easily, may please Him alone.4 He gives the Rule which at each instant shows His will; for light, the Holy Scriptures, which recount His history and reveal His love; He gives the Church for Mother.  He confides to her His praises so that "her voice sounds sweet in His ears Sonet vox tua in auribus meis, vox enim tua dulcis;5 He makes her live again the cycle of His mysteries, and by His sacraments gives her sovereign power.  Such are the means by which the Spouse establishes safeguards, maintains and augments the love and fidelity of His elect.

But, above all, the Word gives Himself in eucharistic communion.  This banquet constitutes the union par excellence, because in it Christ is at the same time the Spouse, guest, and food.  Communion is undoubtedly the means to enable the soul to realise as it should do the state of perfection necessary to be a spouse of the Word.  We have previously said that the Religious, to give pleasure to her celestial Spouse, must detach herself both from creatures and from herself in order to zealously guard her virginal consecration.  Now the Eucharist is "the corn of the elect and the wine bringing forth virgins": Frumentum electorum, vinum germinans virgines".6 It is true that it is the soul that is primarily sanctified in communion, for the Eucharist is, before all, the food of the spiritual life.  But in us, however, the union of soul and body is so close, there are between these two such intimate connection, that communion, in elevating the soul towards the summits of the spiritual life, appeases also the ardours of concupiscence and turns us from vain and sensible pleasures.  More than once the Church, in the prayers for the post communion, demands that this food shall make us "despise earthly and love celestial pleasures."7 In stimulating heavenly love, Communion strengthens in us the resolution to put away whatever could hinder the ser vice of the Spouse.8

Are not these the strengthening and vivifying effects of Communion, which the Church extols in the Office for the Feast of St. Agnes: "His body is united with mine; His blood adorns my lips, His love renders me chaste; His touch purifies me; His coming secures my virginity"; Cum amavero casta sum, cum tetigero munda sum, cum accepero Virgo sum.9 Above all, Communion makes the soul "adhere to the Word." This is one of its main fruits.  Has not Our Saviour said Himself: "He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood abideth in Me and I in him": Qui manducat meam carnem et bibit meum sanguinem in me manet et ego in illo?10 What greater or more profound union can be imagined?  The word "remain," does it not indicate all that is stable and lasting?  And the intentional and willed reference to reciprocity (IN ME manet et EGO IN ILLO), does not this signify the mutual exchange of affection, promises and gifts?  Nothing can strengthen fidelity so much as Communion well made: the Religious there finds the secret of strength, energy and readiness to follow the divine Spouse.  Is it not in observing the precepts that one dwells enfolded within the love of Christ?: Si praecepta mea servaveritis MANEBITIS in dilectione mea.11

The Eucharistic union in making the soul dwell in the love of the Word makes her live "by the Word," "for the Word." "As the living Father hath sent Me and I live by the Father; be that eateth Me, the same also shall live by me."12 Is it necessary to repeat?  The Word receives all things from the Father, the Father has life in Himself, He gives the Son, the Word also this plenitude of infinite life; but the Word became incarnate to give us this life.

He gives it to us at Baptism together with faith and grace, but above all He gives Himself more abundantly "abundantius"13 at the Eucharistic banquet.  He is the Bread of Life who gives life, who produces the fruits of life in such a manner that the soul living by Christ lives also for Him.  In coming into the soul, Christ Jesus draws the soul strongly to Himself; He establishes between its thoughts, actions, desires and wishes and His own, such a union that if His action is not impeded he transforms her into Himself, just as the wood acquires the qualities of the fire that consumes it.  This is what made St. Bernard say: "We are transformed into Christ when we are conformed to Him": Transformamur cum conformemur.  Such a state constitutes the summit of union.

When one really loves, one would be one with the person loved, and desires such close union that the loved one should be part of oneself. Human love fails; the all-powerful divine Love fully realises this.  After receiving Christ in Communion, the Religious can say, like the spouse in the Canticle: "My beloved to Me and I to Him": Dilectus meus mihi et ego illi.14 This is but, however, a pale reflection of the marvellous reality in Christ of the union between the Word and the sacred humanity.

Thus Communion, frequently and worthily received, necessarily establishes in the soul the reign of the Word: Verbo se regere.  Christ dwells in us to make us act in all things by Him, in the light of His truth, the guidance of His wisdom, by the impulses of His Spirit: there is at once, the secret and the supreme fruit of perfect Union. 15

Without doubt it is the body and blood of Christ that we receive, but is not the human nature of Jesus, the way by means of which we go to the Word?  The Word is the essential splendour and the unlimited radiance of the glory of the Father "Splendor gloriae"16 for us it would be impossible to sustain the infinite glory of this majesty: the Word is also "a furnace of love whose ardours we could not support."17

What means has He then chosen to come to us, to give and unite Himself to us?  He has veiled His glory beneath a human nature so that our weak eyes and timorous hearts could approach and find in Him salvation and life.  Is not this as the spouse says in the Canticle?  "I sat under His shadow, whom I desired": Sub umbra illius quem desideraveram sedi.18 This shadow is the sacred humanity of Christ, the soul takes refuge under this shadow, which at the same time hides and reveals; there it is enabled to contemplate the Word, to approach, enter into contact, and to rejoice with Him.  More than once during the liturgical year, the Church puts on our lips the words," May the human nature of your only Son, O Lord, come to our help": Unigeniti tui Domine, nobis succurrat humanitas."19 How necessary is this assistance for that soul which desires to enter that sanctuary of intimacy with the Word.  The humanity of Jesus leads us to the Word, and by Him we enter "the bosom of the Father": In sinu Patris.20 By faith and love the soul penetrates into these eternal splendours.  Once introduced into this Holy of Holies, the natural abode of her divine Spouse, the soul may give free vent to her effusions of love; using a holy boldness yet full of reverence, she may express to the Spouse, her desire to be inebriated with his delights: Osculetur me osculo oris sui.21 Her confidence will be recompensed: she will receive from the Spouse the most intimate and consoling favours "for the fruit of his love is full of sweetness": Et fructus ejus dulcis gutturi meo.22



1. Hos. II, 14.
2. Cantic. II, 14.
3. Ps. XXX, 21.
4. "O holy soul, dwell in solitude so that you may keep yourself for Him who has so chosen you amongst all. ... Do you not know that your Beloved is most sensitive, He will not make known to you the charm of His presence, when you are occupied with that of others.  Put yourself in retreat, not of body only but of soul, a retreat of desire and devotion, in a manner wholly interior."  St. Bernard, In Cantica Sermo XL, n. 4.
5. Cantic. II, 14.
6. Zach. IX, 17.
7. Sunday II Advent and IV after Epiphany: Munera tua nos Deus a delectationibus terrenis expediant.
8. For the further development of the ideas in this Conference we would refer our readers to the Conference, The Bread of Life in our other volume, Christ the Life of the Soul.  See also the penetrating and beautiful articles published by D. Ryelandt in the Revue Liturgique et Monastique (VI, Year 1920-21) on The Purifying Effect of the Eucharist, The Eucharist and Charity, The Eucharist the Source of Moral Force.  Also by the same author the excellent brochure, Pour mieux communier (2nd edition, 1922), notably Chap. III: Les Effets Vivifiants de l’Eucharistie.
9. Third Responsory at Matins. It matters little that these words are not historic; the mere fact that the Church uses them sufficiently indicates her doctrine.
10. John VI, 57.
11. John XV, 10.
12. John VI, 58.
13. John X, 10.
14. Cantic. II, 16. - Read on this subject the beautiful and inspiring pages of Bossuet: Méditations sur l’évangile. La Cène XXIVe jour. (Ed. Marbeau, pp. 502-506).
15. After what we have written about the marvellous effects which Holy Communion produces in those souls espoused to the Word by the vows of religion, one must not be astonished that in the mystical order it plays a "sensible rôle in the realisation of spiritual marriage.  It is most often during eucharistic Communion that the Word celebrates with the soul divine marriage, and seals this contract in a sensible and tangible manner.  The sacramental union thus becomes the means and the symbol of an intimate and indissoluble alliance."  Mgr. Farges, Les Phénomènes Mystique, p. 230.
16. Cf. Heb. I, 3.
17. Cf. Isaiah XXXIII, 14.
18. Cantic. II. 3.
19. Secreta in Missa Visitationis et Nativitatis B.M.V.
20. John I, 18.
21. Cantic. I, 1.
22. Ibid. II, 3.