What does “the holy Church” mean?

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues, came to me and talked with me, saying, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife’” (Rev. 21:9). The Lord chose to send one of the angels who held the seven bowls to show the apostle John the holy “bride, the Lamb’s wife,” and to manifest to us the love of those angels towards us and their compassion for humanity; for although they pour out the bowls, they yearn to see humanity in a state of perfect holiness and want to declare this to all. The Church in her holiness will be the subject of adoration by the angels, who will sing with the psalmist, “At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir” [Ps. 45:9]. Then the Bridegroom Himself, seeing her sublime beauty, whispers to her, saying, “Beloved, you are fair, my love” (Song. 1:15). This heavenly beauty is the holiness of God reflecting from her, and the mystery of her holiness is:

• a. Her elevation and exaltedness : “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem” (Rev. 21:10). She is highly exalted, heavenly, and unapproachable by the devil or his army; for they are cast into the fiery lake.

• b. “Descending out of heaven from God” (Rev. 21:10). The mystery of her holiness is that she is exalted and “descending out of heaven from God.” In her elevation, no one can ascend to her; and by her descent from heaven, it is declared that God is raising us up to Himself. St. Augustine¹³⁶⁴ says that no one can ascend to the fellowship of the heavenly Jerusalem until he believes that his ascension cannot occur through his own power, but only through God’s work. And her descent declares to us that we ought to experience the heavenly life here on earth before the Day of the Lord when we will rise with Him and through Him. St. Clement of Alexandria says that we exchange earth for heaven; for through good deeds we become gods,¹³⁶⁵ and by living in a heavenly manner we become as those in heaven.

• c. “Having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (Rev. 21:11). Her glory is not her own, but the glory of God shining upon her. She is like a crystal receiving the divine glories, and in appearance like a “jasper stone” (Rev. 4:3). Thus, by becoming one with Him and receiving the rays of His glory, we become as a crystal jasper stone. He is the Sun of Righteousness, radiating beauty, and we are like crystals surrounding Him on all sides until our crystal appearance is lost in the bright light of the Sun of Righteousness shining upon us. If each of us is like a crystal, seeing the glory of God in each other, then God has become all in all.

1364 Doctrines (al-madhahib) 31.

1365 That is, the image of God is inscribed in us; but we do not thereby become an object of worship. Rather, God reflects His light upon us, and we are illuminated by His light.