One Minute Reflection – 18 September – “Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – St Joseph of Cupertino OFM Conv. (1603-1663) Confessor – 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, Matthew 22:1-14 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“The Kingdom of Heaven is likened to a King, who ordered a marriage feast for his son.” – Matthew 22:2
REFLECTION – “According to His mysterious design, the Father prepared a Bride for His Only Son and made her known under prophetic images … In his book, Moses wrote that: “a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife and the two of them become one body” (Gen 2:24). The Prophet Moses, spoke about the man and woman, in this way, to foreshadow Christ and His Church.
With the Prophet’s piercing eye, he beheld Christ becoming One with the Church, thanks to the Mystery of the water – he envisioned Christ drawing the Church to Himself, from the virginal womb and the Church drawing Christ to herself, in the waters of Baptism. Thus, were the Bridegroom and Bride wholly united, in a mystical way. That is why Moses, with veiled face, (Ex 34:33) beheld – Christ and the Church – one he called “man” and the other “woman” so as to avoid revealing the reality to the Hebrew people, in all its clarity …. For a time, the veil would conceal this Mystery – none would know the meaning of this great image and would be ignorant of what it represented.
But, when their espousals had been celebrated, Paul came. He saw the veil laid across their splendour and raised it to reveal Christ and His Bride to the world. He showed how they were indeed what Moses had described in his prophetic vision. Rejoicing with holy joy, the Apostle declared: “This is a great Mystery” (Eph 5:32). He made known what this veiled image that the Prophet referred to as man and woman really meant – “I know,” he said, “that it is Christ and His Church, Who are no longer two but one body” (cf Eph 5:31).” – St Jacob of Sarug (c451-521) Bishop, Father (Sermon on Moses’ veil).
PRAYER – O God, Who willed that all things be drawn unto Thy Son, when He was raised above the earth, mercifully grant, by the merits and example of Thy seraphic Confessor Joseph that, having been raised above all earthly desires, we may be found worthy to come unto Him. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
AnaStpaul 