Journey to Wholeness
Since the time of the early church, the Fathers associated Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John with the four “living creatures” in Revelation 4:7:
… Read the restThe first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf, the third had a face like that of a human being, and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight.
The eternal Bridegroom and Bride form heaven’s royal temple, sealed in divine splendor.
Like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
Isaiah 61:10c
as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Biblical marriage between a bridegroom and his bride has royal, sacred, and cosmic significance. … Read the rest
I will rejoice heartily in the Lord,
Isaiah 61:10a
my being exults in my God.
Holy Mother Church, the new Jerusalem, rejoices as one Body and one Bride.… Read the rest
In the viper’s den, perfect love reigns—fear flees where Christ is victorious.
… Read the restThe baby shall play by the viper’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.
“Your country is waste, your cities burnt with fire,” the prophet Isaiah rails in the opening chapter of his scroll (1:7a). Judah and Jerusalem are riddled with injustice, hypocrisy, murder, thievery, rebellion, and every sort of corruption.… Read the rest
How will the living stones of the New Jerusalem arise from the temple’s destruction?
… Read the restWhile some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, he said, “All that you see here—the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”
… Read the restAsked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he said in reply, “The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For
… Read the restWhile the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
… Read the restOn a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.
… Read the restGod’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.