Eucharistic Meditation

Paul tells us that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her. And He goes on to quote Genesis, ‘for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:25, 31-32). In a very real sense the intimacy and communion of the marriage bed is a shadow of real communion and real intimacy with our God here at this table. Historically, the Church has understood that one way of reading the Song of Solomon is as an allegory of Christ and His bride, the Church. When we are poor lovers here, how is it any surprise that we are poor lovers in our own marriages? It’s a great mystery, Paul says, but he’s primarily talking about Christ and the Church! This is where the mystery of communion, intimacy and real satisfaction lies. It is no wonder that in every culture, the greatest evils often stem from sexual immorality. All of our sexuality is a mirror of our communion with God. A culture that despises the loveliness of the banquet of God will necessarily despise the beauty of the marriage bed. So do not fall prey to any of the pervasive errors of our day. Do not think you can eat both from this table and dabble at any other tables in the world. That’s adultery. You have one husband, Jesus Christ. Neither must you think that this table is relatively unimportant and that the less often you partake the better. That’s prudish and selfish. You are invited and admonished to come, to come week after week. Regular communion is part of true intimacy. And all of this must flow out into our lives. Christ says to you in the words of Song of Solomon, “I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends! Drink, yes, drink deeply, O beloved ones!” (Eccl. 5:1).