Now you see, Son, that your bride was made in your image, and so far as she is like you she will suit you well; yet she is different, in her flesh, which your simple being does not have. In perfect love this law holds: that the lover become like the one he loves; for the greater their likeness the greater their delight. Surely your bride’s delight would greatly increase were she to see you like her, in her own flesh. (The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, p. 66.)The bride is us. We, as the Church, are the Father’s gift to His Son. But, in our own human nature, we could never be united fully to the Son - unless, of course, the Son were to become flesh and blood like us. This romance between us, the Bride, and Christ, the Bridegroom, is the story of Christmas that we are anxiously awaiting in these Advent days. This is the story of a God who takes on our suffering Himself, gives us new life, and pulls us into union with Him. It’s a deeply selfless and sacrificial love, offered to each one of us. Isn’t this the great mystery of the Christmas season? Indeed it is the Good news of our faith. The Lord comes into our world and becomes flesh like us, which changes the nature of our relationship with Him forever. In His flesh, He takes on our suffering, uniting us more wholly to Himself. By sharing in His humanity, we can truly become His bride. We are folded into the mysterious and perfect love of the Trinity.