2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - C 2025

Jesus bears a wide variety of titles.  He is called the Lamb of God, the Lion of Judah, the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of Man, the Savior, the Lord, the Light of the World—the list goes on.  Each title reveals a distinct aspect of His identity and mission.  If He is a Savior, then He saves us from something.  If He is a King, then He is meant to rule over us.

Today, however, I want to focus on a less frequently used title: Jesus, the Divine Bridegroom.  This title unveils something profound about who Jesus is and what He accomplished through His passion, death, and resurrection.

This concept of Jesus as a bridegroom is not a Christian invention retroactively applied to Him.  Ancient Israel, in anticipating the Messiah, also expected God to come as a Divine Bridegroom who would marry His people.  The prophets often describe God’s relationship with Israel as that of a bridegroom to a bride.

Hosea writes:

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her [Israel], and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her… And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt” (Hosea 2:14-15).

Jeremiah proclaims:

“The word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, “Thus says the LORD, I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.  Israel was holy to the LORD, the first fruits of His harvest”’ (Jeremiah 2:1-3).

And today, in the first reading, Isaiah declares:

“You shall be called ‘My Delight,’ and your land ‘Espoused.’  For the Lord delights in you and makes your land His spouse.  As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so shall your God rejoice in you” (Isaiah 62:4-5).

These are just a few examples.  Time and again, God revealed Himself as a bridegroom who would one day unite Himself to His people.  The Jews of Jesus’ time were not only waiting for the Messiah—they were awaiting the Bridegroom.  And the wedding feast at Cana is the pivotal moment when Jesus reveals that the Divine Bridegroom has arrived.

Jesus reveals this in two striking ways.

First, He provides an abundance of wine.  The prophets had foretold that a superabundance of wine would accompany the age of salvation and the arrival of the Divine Bridegroom (cf.  Amos 9:13; Joel 3:18).  Jesus doesn’t merely produce enough wine to sustain the party—He creates an overabundance.  Six stone jars, each holding 20 to 30 gallons, yield 120 to 180 gallons of wine—that’s equivalent to 600 to 900 bottles!  And this comes after the original supply had already been consumed.

Second, Jesus takes on the bridegroom’s role.  It was the bridegroom’s responsibility to provide the wine for the wedding.  Yet, when the wine runs out, Jesus steps into the breach.  Though He is a guest, His acts as the bridegroom.  His actions reveal His identity as the Divine Bridegroom.

All of Israel had been waiting for this moment.  They had been awaiting the Divine Bridegroom, and now, here He is.  Just one chapter later, John the Baptist affirms this truth, referring to Jesus as the bridegroom while he himself is merely a friend of the bridegroom (cf.  John 3:29).

So, Jesus is the Divine Bridegroom, and the Church—the New Israel—is His beloved bride.  But what about the wedding?  This might sound startling: the crucifixion is Jesus’ wedding day.  On Calvary, the bride of Christ is taken from His side, echoing the creation of Eve, who was taken from Adam’s side.  Christ, the New Adam, unites Himself to His bride on the cross, offering His very flesh and blood to her and for her.  Through His death, Christ has joined Himself to the Church, wedded to her in a profound act of sacrificial love.  The crucifixion establishes a new covenant with His people—a covenant of marriage.

Understanding Jesus as the Divine Bridegroom is just as essential for us today as it was for ancient Israel.  Jesus is not just the Messiah or a King—He is the Bridegroom, and we, the Church, are His bride.  Christianity is, at its heart, a love story.

This imagery can feel challenging, especially for men.  It may seem odd to consider oneself as part of the Bride of Christ.  Yet, the truth remains: God desires a deep, intimate love with each of us, men and women alike.

Viewing Jesus as the Bridegroom of our souls can purify our motives for following Him.  Too often, we practice our faith out of a sense of cold duty.  But couples do not marry out of duty—they marry because they love one another.  Similarly, many of us follow God’s commandments out of guilt.  But guilt alone is not the foundation of a loving relationship.  Love must be at the center.

The Gospel is a love story, and to respond fully, we must cultivate a burning love for God.  If our faith feels dry or distant, we need to rekindle that love.  Like any relationship, our intimacy with Jesus grows when we spend time with Him—when we listen to Him in prayer, speak with Him, and even “waste time” with Him.  Receiving His love in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, is essential.

The Divine Bridegroom is here—the lover of our souls.  Let’s ask Him today to enkindle in us a deeper love so that we may respond with the devotion He desires.