Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

92 THE FIRST AND THE SECOND MAN.Bridegroom as originating it, and then on thepart of the Bride as responding to it. But noless does the unity of person in the Bride, givenby S. John as well as by S. Paul, indicate in theChurch something quite distinct from the individualswho compose her. For she is the patternof the faithful wife in that she is subject toChrist ; and in these words a fact is stated,24 afact without limit of place or time, which thereforemarks that she who is so described can never»at any time be separated from the fidelity andlove due from her to her Head and Husband.And this is not true of the individual souls belongingto her, for they, having been once faithfulmembers of the body, may fall away and be finallylost. The Bride alone is subject to Christ witha never-failing subjection. And He on His partloves her as His own flesh, a union of the twoloves of the Head for the Body, and of the Bridegroomfor the Bride, which is true with regardto Him of the Church alone, since individualswithin her He may cast off, but her alone Hecherishes and fosters for ever. It is indefectibleunion and unbroken charity with Him which herquality of Bride conveys.5. And out of this wedded union by that greatsacrament concerning Christ and the Church, ofwhich in the same passage S. Paul speaks, thatthey two shall be one flesh, springs the whole race ,24 Passaglia de Ecclesia.