52. June 20 - Elijah (aka Elias)

The flying Bride and I landed in glorious Saint Peter's Square in Rome. In retrospect, I think She was trying to show off, or She brought me here to make Herself feel better after all of our talk about the conflicts within Her. I still could not see Her, but I was becoming more comfortable with Her invisible presence.

Once on the ground I felt Her nudge me into the Basilica, into which I willingly entered. What a magnificent place!

"Aren't I beautiful!" She chimed with glee.

"Of course you are. You are the grandest of all ladies on earth." I replied in an attempt to gain favor.

"And the oldest and wisest too." She added with a smile in her voice.

I want to introduce you to one of my forefathers, the prophet Elijah.

Since I had only the building to look at while addressing the Bride, I gazed at a huge statue of Saint Helen holding the cross she found.

The Bride said proudly, "Our God prepared for My Birth before the world was created. From His first words to Adam and later to Abraham He contemplated My universality. The prophets foreshadowed My Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. My existence actually goes back to the beginning of time."

It sounded to me that She placed a special emphasis on the word 'time' to remind me of my angst. I suppose I will forever be known as The Angel who Hates Time and was exiled to learn to appreciate it. The concept that the Bride of Christ was in the mind of God from the moment He created time was certainly a fascinating thought to me. He never mentioned that to us angels. But of course He didn't inform us of much.

After that brief foray into my own mind, I snapped back to the conversation and said, "Tell me more about Elijah; what is a prophet?"

She replied, "Without the benefit of knowing Jesus Christ, while death still ruled the world and Hades was the destination of all humankind, Elijah and other prophets heard the voice of God, yielded to His Holy Spirit and could overcome nature even as they overcame hundreds of fiery darts of the evil one. From Abraham-Isaac-and Jacob, and from David to Joseph-Mary-and Jesus, the unity of the people of the one true God, forms Me.

My blemishes and imperfections are minor when compared to the glory I bring to My Lord and King, Yahweh. Sins will all dissolve in the Last Judgment when princes and paupers will be sent to their ultimate destinations in either heaven or hell. Just as the memory of an illness, no matter how grave, fades away, so too will these conflicts dissolve on the day when My Oneness, my Holiness and my Universality shine like the sun. It is in and for that Judgment Day that I live. Well, and for My a Wedding Day too of course!

Now sweet angel, stop it with the criticism and let me take you to meet My forefather, Elijah."

"Let's go." I replied.

Suddenly I was whisked away from Saint Helen's statue to an equally grand statue of the Prophet Elijah.

The voice of the Bride said, "Today I celebrate the amazing life of Elijah. His faith and discipline were so strong that he stood up to evil king Ahab and his hateful wife Jezebel. His accomplishments are many. Just like My Bridegroom multiplied bread and fish, Elijah multiplied olive oil, and raised a young child from the dead. Elijah foreshadowed for God's chosen people the power of My Christ. In fact, his body never succumbed to death at all. He was simply whisked away in a chariot up to heaven!

"Impressive. So where is the party?" I asked. "Why are you showing me a statue? Why don't you take me to meet Elijah, so we can celebrate him as we celebrated Gabriel. Let's go!"

"Good try angel; but you know that you can't go to heaven yet. Today, I am holding a quiet celebration of remembrance for those you have eyes to see and hearts to care.

I want you to meet my forefathers in this the grandest of my homes on earth. In this Basilica of Saint Peter, (who you once called a louse) I want you to see how small individuals are alone, with all of their sins and complaints and criticisms, with their weakness and frailty but when they unite in Christlikeness to form me we become grand and beautiful and majestic, exactly like this building of Me."

In a much more serious, kindly but firm tone, She added, "You have recently been overly sarcastic and perhaps a little depressed. I imagine that this has been a long difficult year for you, so I wanted to show you the majestic aspect of my nature. Perhaps now you will show me a little more respect!"

"You will meet Elijah soon, but for now, let's take a moment to honor him in prayer."

With that I felt the tug drag me to the altar; as I looked back at the Statue of Elijah, I could swear that he winked at me!"

54. August 1-15 Dormition of The Ever Virgin Mary

Close-up of a Dormition icon, showing Christ receiving the eternal spirit of his Mother as a new-born infant

Dearest reader,

Let's leave our angel-friend to sit and sulk, and to contemplate the condition of his soul for a moment in order to become aware of the Bride's preparation for the grandest of all feasts of the year commemorating the life of the ever Virgin Mary, the mother of God incarnate.

We will dismiss the angel temporarily because the Bride and her children will be fasting for two weeks and angel can't even imagine what that means, so we won't trouble him as he is troubled enough right now.

On August 15th Mary will gently pass over from this earthly life to continue to live happily ever after with her God and Son.

On the first Passover, the angel of death passed over the homes of the Jews whose doorways were marked with the blood of the sacrificial lamb. On the second Passover, Pascha, also known as Easter, Jesus Christ passed over from death on the cross to resurrection and immortal life for Himself and all of humanity through His victorious annihilation of death. First death is avoided, then it is annihilated.

On this third Passover the Mother of God passes over from life on earth to life in heaven without ever going through death at all. She simply falls asleep and is assumed into heaven. The prophet Elijah foreshadowed such a miraculous passing when he was taken up to heaven in a chariot. We will see him soon.

Those who want to fully participate in the life of the Bride prepare for this third holy Passover by fasting just as in Great Lent before the Crucifixion/Resurrection Passover. then it is seven long weeks, but here only two. Let's focus on the soul because we form the Bride on earth which is preparing for our Marriage Feast in heaven at the culmination of this age. Let's honor the Mother of our Bridegroom.

For this brief period of time, let our bodies take the back seat. Eat no meat, dairy or bonefish. Enjoy the foods of the Garden of Eden where we lived in peace with God in our midst, the life to which we aspire to return. Let's just eat vegetables, fruit and nuts. No alcohol. In this way, let God know that our immortal life in Him, as His Bride, means more to us than the hunger of our mortal flesh.

The Orthodox Bride offers many beautiful church services during these two weeks, where the Virgin Mary is venerated and asked for Her Powerful intercession for health of our bodies and souls.

This is an electric two weeks, participate and enjoy!

Your sister in Christ,

Evangeline

55. August 6th - The Transfiguration

Shortly after Mary Magdalene disappeared, while I was contemplating the difference between pride and demonic possession, or at least demonic influence and while hovering in the most elegant of all church buildings in the world, the Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City, I once again heard the voice of the Bride say to me,

"Angel, don't fret, as long as you love our Lord and guard your heart, you will be okay. I'll help you go home. But now, my time traveler, I have a big treat for you."

She sounded so motherly and compassionate, knowing what I needed and ready to provide it. "What is it my lady?" I replied.

"You are to return to Jerusalem to be with Jesus Christ before the crucifixion. See what I have done with time...for you?" Her cheerful voice sounded not as from one person, but rather I heard all four parts of harmony.

Shifting my focus from how She sounded to what She said I asked, "Go back to Jerusalem? Where? Why now?" Again I had to deal with the awkwardness of speaking to the invisible so I stared at the marble coffin of Pope John Paul II.

"Go to Mount Tabor, find Jesus hiking up it with a few of His students and be quick!"

Instead of flying off as commanded, I questioned Her again, "How is that possible my lady, to find Jesus on earth when He has ascended to heaven, I saw Him there recently."

She replied sounding more than a little annoyed with me. "Aren't you the one who doesn't like time. I believe that it was time's long seemingly endless serpentine shape that you detested most, wasn't it? Well, as with the feast of Gabriel that I rescheduled, I celebrate the event you are going to see exactly seven months to the day after Jesus' baptism. Did God ever tell you that for Him the number seven mean completion because He created the world and rested in seven days.

This way I show My children the perfect completion of His baptism (and by reference their own). First, on January 6th, Jesus is lowered into the sea to be purified in a watery symbolic death and now, on August 6th, you will witness Him raised high on a mountaintop, like a babe being lowered Into the font and raised up high out of it. To link the events, both times God proclaims Jesus to be His Son. Isn't that wonderful?!

What you will see actually occurred 40 days before the crucifixion, but I am not in the mood to celebrate during Lent, and August 6th is the 40th day before the elevation of the Cross. Get it? Now hurry up or you may be too late. GO!"

I wanted to hug Her goodbye, not knowing if we would meet again before Her year ends, so I flew up to the dome and circled it seven times before swooping down and flying out the door against a wave of incoming pilgrims. One child noticed me, looked up and as I was leaving I heard him shout, "Hey angel, where are you going so fast?" Smart kid.

I flew directly to Mt. Tabor and right away spotted the group of hikers about two kilometers from the top. Jesus noticed me, smiled and winked. That wink was gold to me. I stayed close while they made their way through the lush mountainside, fragrant with quince bushes.

Jesus was the first to reach the top. When He arrived, He looked all around, down at the ground and up at the sky. His eyes moved from tree to tree, looking for something. Finding it He called out to His companions,

"Friends, come here. I want to show you something!"

"We're coming!" shouted James huffing and puffing, "How did you get there so fast!" John being the youngest, most energetic of the lot ran ahead of the others to meet Him.

While waiting for Peter and James to arrive Jesus sat on a large rock and appeared to be in deep thought. John did not dare to speak to him, but instead wandered around breathing in the cool morning air and taking in the spectacular view.

When Peter and James reached them Jesus stood up from His rock. Suddenly, Jesus started to glow brighter and brighter! I had never seen anything like it, well not since I heard God say, "Let there be light!" It was like the first day of creation all over again! But this time God's two most magnificent works, light and humanity were united!

It was spectacular, marvelous, phenomenal! I was flabbergasted. His clothes became dazzling white and His face shined like the sun. Then, suddenly two men appeared out of thin air and the three fellows started talking, as if all of this was very normal.

I looked over at John, Peter, and James who were equally dumbfounded. As amazing at the sight was I had to chuckle at how silly the men looked standing there with mouths agape staring at luminous Jesus chatting with the apparitions.

I moved closer to Jesus to get a better look at His ghostly companions. Moses I recognized right away as the man I recently hid behind at Gabriel's party, and Elijah I recognized from the statue at Saint Peter's. Elijah turned to look at me and said, "Greetings angel, I haven't seen you in a while. Has it been a week?" And then he winked at me again!

I smiled bashfully and responded, "Pleased to meet you sir." and then moved even closer to Jesus to hear what He was telling them. I strained to hear Jesus saying something about a decisive move against the evil one, when to my surprised Peter yelled out awkwardly “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Now that made me laugh out loud! Imagine making a house for a ghost! What would he do in there?

While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud moved in to overshadow all of us. From the cloud I heard God bellow, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!”

I supposed that if John and Peter and James had been at the baptism of Jesus as I was, this announcement would not have seemed so alarming, but they were not. I have never EVER seen three grown men fall on their faces so fast. They were terrified.

While I was laughing and looking around I saw Moses and Elijah float up disappearing into the heavens. I wished that I could follow them because I wanted to talk with Elijah more.

Instead, I watched the illumination of Jesus grow dim. He walked over to Peter, tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Get up and do not be afraid.” John heard that, peeked out of his clenched arms, stood up, and saw no one except Jesus Himself alone, and then James and Peter stood up too.

Jesus said, "Let's go back down, it is getting late, and some people are waiting for us in the village."

"Jesus!" exclaimed John, "What just happened?! Did we really see Moses and Elijah? And how did you get to be so bright...and why?"

In unison Peter and James chimed in, "Yeah? Tell us."

Jesus said, "Moses and Elijah came to visit Me to help me prepare to battle Satan in the coming weeks. I let you come with Me to witness the meeting because You must become more aware than you have been until now of the reality of heaven, and of heaven on earth. You will need this knowledge to strengthen you for your own battles with the enemy.

Light is an element of God's creation that brings forth knowledge because in the light nothing is hidden, as it is in the darkness. When In Creation God said, 'Let there be light' He took the first step towards replacing the blindness of darkness where lies hide to destroy and where emotions are much too prevalent with the Wisdom and reality that vision renders to humankind. I've said enough. We must head back down now, Peter go first and lead the way for Me."

The students said no more but in silence contemplated the vision and words of their extraordinary Friend and Teacher.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after I have been raised from the dead.”

I wondered as I accompanied the men down the mountain whether they could keep such a spectacular vision a secret. I know that I couldn't.

56. August 15 - Dormition and Assumption of the Ever Virgin Mary

I saw no purpose in following the hikers all the way to the foot of Tabor so I left them to have some summer fun. Without purpose or deadline, I simply flew around and around the skies of Jerusalem. I had no sense of the eras I was flying through nor did I care. The air was thin, fresh and dust free! I felt so clean and energized. Flocks of birds below me looked up and chirped sweet hellos. I didn't even let myself think. I didn't wonder where I should have been because I didn't care. Joy.

Then, out of the corner of my eye I perceived another angel flying alongside me. It was large and very fast. I slowed down to get a better look and watched it fly figure eights and spirals. It made me dizzy to look at it. I thought to resume my own pleasures while trying to ignore the faster angel when it slowed down enough for me to recognize Poppy!

She exclaimed, "That was terrific! I haven't had so much fun in ages."

"Poppy! What are you doing here?" I spit out in my astonishment.

She replied cheerfully, "The Bride told me to fetch you for your next assignment. Your flights inspired me to take a little play-break! Now, I don't even want to go back!"

Poppy was the happy kind of angel I wished I was.

Then with innocent enthusiasm she said, "Don't you adore the Bride? I just love how Her children form Her as She forms them.

Mothers are wonderful, aren't they? I think the best human mothers manifest God's love. In fact, I imagine that to be reunited with a holy mom makes heaven worth aspiring to, for a human that is."

I replied, "Poppy, wouldn't it have been nice to have a mother?"

"Yeah" said Poppy dreamily. "I suppose we can pretend the Bride and Jesus's mother, are our mothers. Mary reminds me of Eve or rather the kind of person Eve should have been instead of being so skeptical." With that, Poppy struck a cord in my soul and she knew it.

Quickly glossing over her insinuation of my negativity, I responded, "Mary is the most trusting person I have ever met. Eve never even suffered and she didn't trust God, but Mary suffered shame and embarrassment, physical hardships, abandonment, grief and separation and all the while she calmly and patiently trusted Him. Pretty amazing." As I heard myself speak those words I felt a cleansing and calming spirit surge through my heart.

Remembering why she came to meet me Poppy popped out of her nostalgia, "Your assignment! We must hurry. We need to gather the disciples and rush them over to Mary's house in Ephesus. She wants to speak to Her Son's best friends before She leaves them. Can you do that?"

"How will I find them?" I asked.

"Look here, I have programmed them into this ap called Find My Friends. I will take the ones north of this line and you grab the others. Ephesus, in Turkey, is also marked on this map. Now, let's hurry, Mary is ready to rejoin Her beloved Son. I have instructed Her angel to wait for us."

"Okay Poppy, but how do you expect me to gather people who can't even fly?"

Poppy's cheerful expression turned to sadness. I soon realized that it was the sadness of disappointment in me.

"My angel friend," she said condescendingly "simply tell their guardian angels that Mary wants to speak with them before She dies. They will figure it out. Once in a while God overcomes nature for His will to be done. This is one of those rare but important occasions.

Come on, let's go! I'll bet I can beat you to Ephesus!" With that Poppy took off like a rocket.

Up for the challenge I internalized my map and took off too.

When I arrived at the bedside of Mary (before Poppy) Gabriel was already there, and a few other angels and friends who I didn't recognize. Mary looked as radiant and lovely as She did when I first met Her giving birth last December. Her serene face greeted the disciples who one by one joined Her bedside audience.

When she was sure everyone had arrived, She began to speak. Her parting words brought tears to every human and angelic eye in the room.

“My children, I heard that My Son said to Mary and Martha, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in Me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die?' I will die today, but I will live and never die.

I want you also to be filled with life, which is also the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit, so you too may never taste the corroding effects of sin and death."

Then She paused. I couldn't tell whether she was listening to receive the words, or if She merely needed to regain strength.

"I abjure you My children to endure life in peace and trust. Heal everyone who asks. Answer prayers for our Lord whenever and however you can. Feed the poor, heal the sick, give sight to the blind and knit lonely hearts to each other so that their sadness may turn to joy.

Remind the children of my Son's Bride, the Church, that although they are in this world, they are not of it. My peace I leave you."

Mary struggled to speak these final words: "Farewell my brothers and sisters, love each other, until we meet again...." then She paused and took one final breath of earth's air and whispered... "in glory."

Her eyes shut gently as in a deep sleep. The serene smile on Her face remained fixed to expose to us the pure joy of Her trusting heart.

I cannot tell you whether Her holy body was first placed in a tomb or whether it rose immediately. All of us witnesses of Her assumption straddled heaven and earth, so that we didn't know whether Her body was with Her soul or not when Poppy and Gabriel and all of the angels, even I, ascended with Mary's spirit.

We surrounded Her as a white luminous cloud up to the royal doors of the Throne Room of God where Jesus stood waiting to receive His holy Mother and Queen.

When we arrived She pulled away from us and went over to kneel before Him in the same manner that She knelt in prayer under His Cross. He reached down and tapped Her shoulder and extended His hand to lift Her up. She looked at His glowing face and received the hand of Her Lord and Son and then gracefully stood in front of Him. They hugged each other tightly both with tears of joy streaming down Their holy cheeks. Finally, They released Their grip on each other, and Jesus took Her hand again and said, "Come, Mother, I want to introduce you to Our Father." Michael then opened the royal doors. Mary walked in with Jesus close behind Her.

But before entering Jesus turned, grabbed my eyes with His, and said to me, "Go back now. I'll see you again in two weeks and then we can talk. Poppy, take him back to earth quickly for the final event of the year."

With that, Jesus entered the Throne Room and the huge royal doors closed behind Them.

Poppy look at me with a huge grin and said, "Wanna race?"

57. August 29 - Beheading of John the Baptist

Poppy and I flew straight back to earth, no acrobatics, no fun. Along the way I wondered how the Bride will end Her year. If it began with creation, would it end with annihilation? What could possibly top the departure of Mother Mary? That was spectacular, even by my standards. I wondered what She and God were saying to each other at their meeting. Thinking and flying go well together.

As we approached earth I could see right away that we were headed straight for Jerusalem.

When we landed within the city walls, I asked, "Now what?"

Poppy replied, "It may make you happy to know that the last event of the year falls out of chronological time. Jesus is still around teaching and performing miracles, but we will go to be with John the Baptist who was taken to prison yesterday for shaming Herod the ruler."

Acknowledging the surprised look on my face with a nod, Poppy continued, "The man married his brother's wife, and did not want John telling him that it was not lawful. Ironic how rulers and lawmakers don't mind at all breaking God's laws."

Together we entered a dark and dirty jail cell where John was praying peacefully.

Poppy approached John who looked up at us and said, "Greetings angels."

She replied, "John, we have come to tell you that your remaining days on earth are few. Herodias told her daughter to have you beheaded. Prepare yourself."

John looked at Poppy and then straight at me with tears welling up in his sky blue eyes.

"Of course," he said, then solemnly bowed his head. "Even King David from time to time killed the messenger. I will not be the first prophet who was put to death. How could I expect anything less. Angel...

"My name is Poppy." she interjected.

"Poppy, go and tell my disciples to find Jesus and follow Him."

She nodded and added to comfort him, "Oh, John! You will be brave! Keep your heart at peace. You have been a good and sober servant of The Lord; you will be rewarded."

Suddenly two muscular and hairy men approached the cell gate. The short one unlocked it. "Come with us prophet." barked the larger most fearsome one and tied John's hands together. Then both strong men flanked John to take him to the chief centurion who told him what he already knew, that he was to be beheaded immediately. John peacefully approached and without ceremony rested his head on the tree stump as if it were a pillow and he was going to sleep after a very long hard day of labor.

Seconds before the ax fell John's spirit popped out of his body. I grabbed it and said, "Don't look, come with us."

Obediently John's spirit flew between me and Poppy. I had never encountered a man like this before. I could sense a peace and depth in him that was at once profound and innocent. He was ready for whatever would happen next.

We flew in silence. Saturated by the power of the moment my racing mind stopped in silence.

Instead of going to heaven as I assumed, I noticed that Poppy was headed into southern darkness. Then it occurred to me that we were aiming for Hades. Of course! I had forgotten that for John, there was no choice. 'Oh, the Bride is certainly having her fun with time now', I thought, and wondered why.

Poppy and I safely delivered John to Hades. Before we left, Poppy told him that it wouldn't be long before Jesus will come to set everyone free. John smiled and nodded as if he already knew why he was there, and bid us both a smooth journey back.

After John the Baptist had been safely installed in Hades, Poppy and I slowly flew back through increasingly luminous blue skies. I asked Poppy why the year ended that way.

She was keen to show off the knowledge she gained from years of earthly life and said, "At the very end of the year the Bride slides back to remember the age that preceded the Resurrection when no one was allowed to enter God's presence in heaven."

I chimed in to show that I was not altogether ignorant, "...because of their cursed exile from Paradise." Then I smiled proudly.

Poppy smiled back at me, happy that I had learned something of the history of earth, and then she added, "God, in His infinite wisdom allowed the evil Herodias, her daughter, and the pathetically weak Herod to perpetrate their crime in order to send John to Hades to proclaim there also the coming of the Messiah who would soon set them free. What the devil means for evil, God uses for good."

"Oh, I get it!" I responded,"John was the front-man both on earth and in Hades! But I still don't understand why the Bride ends her synchronic year with that horrible event. "

Poppy explained patiently, "This last note echoes through the centuries, John the Baptist warning humankind to repent and prepare themselves, each and every person, for the coming of The Lord.

Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest 'among all those born of women' and yet he was least in the kingdom of heaven... Why?

It was because he did not witness the crucifixion and resurrection that reunited fallen man to immortal God, so he was not given the opportunity to act on that knowledge." Poppy paused and looked deep into my mind to see if I had fully understood her, then she shrugged and continued in her typical cheerful manner.

"Let me try to explain it this way: The year closes with the man who came to pave the way of The Lord by admonishing people to repent, to change their self-centered way of thinking and behaving. John wanted the people to think like God, not like animals.

To think like God is to think like Jesus. Jesus tried to make it as easy as possible to be like Him, to regain the original design of humankind in the image and likeness of God, by following His clear and straightforward commands.

Angel friend, this is not just the end of one year that starts all over again; it is the end of time. Don't you see! When time ends..." And then Poppy shot me the biggest brightest smile I have ever seen.

"the blessed humans will go to the new heaven and new earth where they will live happily ever after! The Second creation happens!" Poppy was so excited by the concept of a brand new timeless world that she could barely contain herself.

"Did you read the last chapter of the Book, angel? John the Evangelist 'saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And he saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And John heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be His people, and God himself will be with them, He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things will have passed away.' " Poppy stopped quoting and was still and silent.

I sat there dumbfounded and in awe. My God created time and matter as a medium for the creation of a world with a whole new kind of time without end. This I could accept! This was brilliant; it was magnificent; it was amazing.

From the depths of beheading and crucifixion had arisen the pinnacle of life, the nearness of the ever-loving God, the Father. The Father of the Bride! The revelation was nothing less than awesome.

"Poppy, I've got to go." I said hurriedly, "It's been great knowing you, but I think They will let me back in heaven now. Thanks for everything."

I flew to heaven as fast as my soul could go to apologize to God from the bottom of my angel heart for not being able (or willing) to recognize the grandeur of His creation.

The angel's last words:

Thousands of revolutions of light and darkness have gone by since I wrote those words, but not once have I complained again. Now I know how dense and meaningful each day is, and I know the end of them too, and that has made all the difference.

Like the Bride, I can hardly wait for Her wedding day.

Epiblog, The Bride's Year

The Bride of Christ, also known as the Church, like Her Bridegroom is simultaneously human and divine. She is comprised of millions of souls from each of about 100 generations. She lives in time, but as we have experienced through this story, basically She celebrates life as only one mystical synchronic year.

She confounds time and She confounds matter when She turns bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, and as Christ confounded matter when He multiplied the loaves and fishes and walked on water.

Many accuse Her of dying, or being dead. They are wrong. She is immortal. Her institutional persona is a front, merely the thin shell of a rich, complex and deeply spiritual core. It is only the surface that interfaces with the world in chronological time; never to be taken too seriously when it disappoints. Judgment of the institutional skin is God's business. The Church is not an institution or an organization as much as She is a Mother and a Bride-to be. She gives birth, She nurtures and teaches, and She shepherds Her flock through this earthly life in preparation for eternity. She exists, not in any one generation or figurehead (except Jesus), not in any one priest, pastor or pope, but in the totality of Her Self, the universal Church.

Those who think they can reach God without the Church gamble with their souls. They underestimate the value of Her Sacraments, Her mass communal worship, and Her guidance which are all essential in steering us onto tried and true tracks. If at the end, it is determined that She misled in any way, the people will still be rewarded for their love, and obedience, and then re-instructed. Remember the trees whose leaves are for the healing of the nations.

Now that the Bride's Year has come to an end we can look back on it as a whole. We began with Creation and travelled through the year to preparation for the end of time, the Last Judgment, and the beginning of life in the Kingdom of God.

We saw the mystical year as divided into thirds. The first third of the year that runs from September until Christmas, is the era before Christ. It the era of God's choosing a people for Himself, guiding us to the Promise Land and watching over us there. Meanwhile, the Virgin is pregnant with Christ, as in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. From creation Christ existed waiting for the right moment to be born into the world.

The second third of the year, from Christmas Day to Ascension Thursday, is the brief thirty three years of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. It is astounding how a mere 33 years, albeit only three of them really, represent a full third of the Trinity of Time. Selah.

The final third of the year I call the era of the Bride Unwedded. This is the final era where we struggle in the world to individually and corporately fulfill God's hope that we willingly seek and regain His image and likeness, through our love for Him and for each other, with the aid of His Bride, the Church. God became man so that we might become gods. In this era humanity has been given the power to become children of God who are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The era of the Bride Unwedded is the time of re-creation, re-birth and preparation for the Great Judgment and immortality. In this final era, time and matter are merely tools that we use to help God design and construct The Kingdom of God where we live forever and ever with God visibly in our midst.

We the people of the Bride experience in our souls through this mystical year all three thirds of time. Our heritage as Children of the Most High God includes all of human history. Just as our individual uniqueness is comprised of genetic information from our forefathers and mothers, our uniqueness as Children of God is comprised of our Jewishness, our brotherhood with the humanity of Christ, and finally our participation in the Bride whether we be patriarch, saint, parishioner or anonymous hermit. Only the treasures we store in heaven, neither our status nor rank will convey into the new world where first will be last and last first.

We who live in time and matter are given opportunities day after day and year after year to become increasingly conscious of the ultimate purpose of life, which is to learn how to love well. Supernatural acts may accompany the ones who think and behave like God, but these acts, as miraculous as they may appear are only the off-gas of divine love, they are not love itself.

The most astonishing miracle is that as the sun rises every day, God consistently and reliably draws us unto Himself, no matter how often we disappoint Him, ourselves, and each other.

As we breath-in air, may we also inhale the awareness of His patience and the value of His Bride Unwedded, our Mother, the Church.