The whole of Scripture
from its beginning in earthly paradise to its culmination with the
descent of the heavenly Jerusalem adorned as a bride ready for her
bridegroom describes God’s purposes of uniting us with him in a bond
of spiritual marriage – that we may evermore dwell in him and he
in us. Earthly marriage points to this divine purpose if it is
so consecrated (i.e. if it is Christian marriage) through its
openness to bearing fruit in procreation, and by
revealing Christ-like love. And for Christians, a clear alternative
suggested in Scripture is the single life consecrated to God. It is
also meant to point to this spiritual marriage and, while it may be
a more or less powerful witness depending on the individual, it is
nonetheless a more explicit witness, since in the resurrection
they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels
in heaven [Matt 23:30]. In such a marriage, the fruit born of such
a union are spiritual, and on God's side the love is not Christ-like
but perfectly Christian (perfectly faithful, forgiving, sacrificial,
serving, wise).
For the background of
this in Scripture, see Genesis 2 and the interpretation of that
passage by St. Paul in Ephesians 5. Elsewhere this is found
especially in the Wisdom literature: in the Old Testament see Proverbs (3-9)
and the Song of Songs; and in the Apocrypha, see for example the
Wisdom of Solomon (7-8) (God as Lady Wisdom). In the Old
Testament Prophetic tradition, God describes himself as a husband
and Israel the bride
(e.g. Isaiah 54; Jeremiah 3, 12, 31; Ezekiel 16; Hosea). In the New
Testament, Jesus is the Messiah come to bring about the messianic
age which is the mystical marriage - the first miracle at the
wedding of Cana;
John the Baptist
refers to Jesus as the bridegroom (John 3:29); Jesus refers to
himself explicitly as the bridegroom when explaining why his
disciples do not fast (Mt 9:15; Mk 2:19; Lk 5:34). Jesus uses
parables of invitations to a wedding feast of a king’s son (Lk
14:7-11; Mt 22:2-14) and of wise virgins ready for marriage (Mt
25:1-13) to describe the kingdom of heaven, he says some have
made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake (Mt
19:12). St. Paul is a strong proponent of the single life (1 Cor.
7), not because he is against earthly marriage but so that one might
think
how he may please the
Lord...that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
Some
writings from the Early and Medieval Church draw out this theme in
Scripture on Celibacy/Virginity
as spiritual marriage (the links are to ccel.com where the treatises can be read in full) (this is a
quick list, and will hopefully be added to in time);
Some Reformation writings on Celibacy / Virginity
Some Counter-Reformation writings on Celibacy / Virginity
The Ecstacy of St. Teresa
by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
I
saw an angel close by me, on my left side in bodily form. This I am
not accustomed to see unless very rarely. Though I have visions of
angels frequently, yet I see them only by an intellectual vision,
such as I have spoken of before. It was our Lord's will that in this
vision I should see the angel in this wise. He was not large, but
small of stature, and most beautiful - his face burning, as if he
were one of the highest angels, who seem to be all of fire: they
must be those whom we call Cherubim…I saw in his hand a long spear
of gold, and at the iron's point there seemed to be a little fire.
He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart and to
pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them
out also and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The
pain was so great that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was
the sweetness of this excessive pain that I could not wish to be rid
of it. The soul is satisfied now with nothing less than God. The
pain is not bodily, but spiritual; though the body has its share in
it, even a large one. It is a caressing of love so sweet which now
takes place between the soul and God, that I pray God of his
goodness to make him experience it who may think that I am lying.
Some Recent books on the subject of chastity for consideration (the links are to Amazon.com where you can read excerpts and see the table of
contents):
