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Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty · Catechism · 537

Faith Q&A › Catechism › 6. The Eminence of the Church

What does her heavenly Bridegroom call her?

The answer

Her heavenly Bridegroom calls her “the dove with gentle voice, and beautiful face.” St. Gregory of Nyssa says, “When the Word has called out to her in this way through the windows, the dove answers appropriately—the dove who had been illumined by the beam of these thoughts and had understood the meaning of the rock, which is Christ. For she says: ‘Show me your face, and let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is glorious’ … And those who hear his sweet voice know the grace of the

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gospel—the ones who say, ‘You have the words of eternal life’ (John 6:68).”

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty

Notes

1087 St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermons on the Liturgical Seasons 195.2 (FOTC 38:42).

1088 St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermons on the Liturgical Seasons 216.5 (FOTC 38:157ff).

1089 St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermons on the Liturgical Seasons 213.7 (FOTC 38:127).

1090 St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermons on the Liturgical Seasons 195:5 (FOTC 38:42).

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, Catechism of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Volume 1, Books 1–3. First English Edition, 2023. Published by St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, Sporting, Alexandria, and Queen St. Mary & Prince Tadros Coptic Orthodox Church, South Brunswick, NJ. Copyright © 2023. Translation and Editing: Youth of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Arabian Gulf, and Egypt.