Season of the Church

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, our Church is now in the season of the Sanctification (or Crowning) of the Church. It is worth reflecting on how our Church concludes its liturgical year. 

Personally, I appreciate how the imagery in the prayers of this season is nuptial, bringing to our minds what Christ the Divine Bridegroom has done for his Bride, the Church, in his sacrifice on the cross and how she ought to reflect his love. “Give thanks, O Church, O Queen, to the Prince who has espoused you and brought you into his summer home; and given you the dowry of blood that flowed from his side for you…and he freed you, on Golgotha, from slavery to idols. 

Therefore, adore his Cross, on which he suffered for you…and cry out to him: Glory to you!” 

These are some of the words from the basilica hymn of the fourth Sunday of this season. This is what the whole liturgical year and all of salvation history has been leading to, a wedding. Not just any wedding, but the model for all love. 

God has always been a husband seeking to wed himself to his people, but his people have constantly failed to fulfill the role of being God’s bride, getting lost in other futile relationships and settling for sinful ways of life. The Church calls us to realize how great his fidelity still is, that in the person of Christ, God still desires to make known what true love is, going out, even to Golgotha, to meet his bride there and sanctify her by dying for her, giving her everything without holding back, so that she can be free to faithfully worship him. In addition to how beautiful this spirituality is, I also appreciate how it reminds us of our end. 

It’s also an anticipatory season because the Bride of Christ is still cooperating with the work of his sacrifice in this life, and there is a greater and more lasting banquet to be had in the life of heaven to celebrate the love and union between the Divine Bridegroom and his Bride. In other words, this season both sums up salvation history and points us toward our end goal. And it’s all about a wedding, a wedding celebrating not just any love, but the perfect love of God.