I believe that neither a more beautiful nor a more
accurate expression can be found to define a religious than to call her a
spouse, “Spouse of Christ.” Now I want to put in writing a
sermon that I have often preached, which is loosely taken from a classic sermon
given by John of Avila in Montilla, in the monastery of Saint Clare.
The honor of the espoused is the honor proper to her
spouse, because what affects the espoused also affects her spouse as if it were
her own. And so, anything that shames, affronts, wrongs, offends or reviles her
is all done to her spouse as well, and anyone who does a favor for the espoused
so honors her spouse as if it were done for him instead.
In other words, he who works against a religious works
against Christ Himself; whether he hinder their living the religious life,
slander them, try to meddle in their community life, work to separate them from
their Spouse, which makes him like those who are in favor of divorce, doing the
work of the devil. Sometimes, when God permits these actions: they only do the
work of carrion crows weeding out false religious who, as if they were
masquerading, have only the exterior dress – those who are not Spouses, but
widows of Christ. “Widows more than married; not a spouse, but an adulteress to
Christ,” says St. Cyprian.
On the contrary, he who helps religious sisters
spiritually or materially helps Christ. And “whoever gives only a cup of cold
water to one of these little ones to drink – amen, I say to you he will surely
not lose his reward” (Mt 10:42). All that we can do for religious,
the Divine Spouse will receive it as though it were done for his service.
(Cont...)
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