John 3:29 (WEB)
He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore my joy is made full.
Catechism · 2
The Mysteries of Christ's Life
“He inaugurates the Gospel, already from his mother's womb welcomes the coming of Christ, and rejoices in being "the friend of the bridegroom", whom he points out as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world".” — Catechism footnote: Jn 1 29; cf. Acts 1:22; Lk 1:41; 16:16; Jn 3:29.
The Church - People of God, Body of Christ, Temple of the Holy Spirit
- §796Paragraph 2 · The Church - People of God, Body of Christ, Temple of the Holy SpiritRead at vatican.va
“This aspect is often expressed by the image of bridegroom and bride. the theme of Christ as Bridegroom of the Church was prepared for by the prophets and announced by John the Baptist.” — Catechism footnote: Jn 3:29.
Fathers and councils · 37
Augustine of Hippo
“These I directed, O sweet Truth, to Thy inward melody, pondering on the “fair and fit,” and longing to stay and listen to Thee, and to rejoice greatly at the Bridegroom’s voice, and I could not; for by the voices of my own errors was I driven forth, and by the weight of my own pride was I sinking into the lowest pit.” — editor's note: John iii. 29.
Read the whole comment“There we learn truly while we stand and hear Him, and rejoice greatly “because of the Bridegroom’s voice,” restoring us to that whence we are.” — editor's note: John iii. 29.
Read the whole comment“For, for Him doth “the friend of the bridegroom” sigh, having now the first-fruits of the Spirit laid up with Him, yet still groaning within himself, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of his…” — editor's note: John iii. 29.
Read the whole comment“Whence he, the humble, who said that he was not worthy to unloose His shoe’s latchet, is not driven out, but standeth and heareth Him, and rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom’s voice; not because of his own, lest the foot of pride come against him, and he be driven out, and be not able to stand.…” — editor's note: John i. 27, iii. 29.
Read the whole comment“And the “friend of the bridegroom standeth and heareth Him, and rejoiceth on account of the bridegroom’s voice,” not his own.” — editor's note: John iii. 29.
Read the whole comment“If each of you is baptized, let him say: He baptizeth me, of whom the friend of the Bridegroom said, “He baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.”” — editor's note: John i. 33, iii. 29. See his commentary on the passage, and on John i. 31.
Read the whole comment“Let us then hear what the head and the body prayeth, the bridegroom and bride, Christ and the Church, both one Person; but the Word and the flesh are not both one thing; the Father and the Word are both one thing; Christ and the Church are both one Person, one…” — editor's note: Eph. iv. 15; John iii. 29.
Read the whole comment“…nor is any man good save by the gift of God; they bless in the name of the Lord, not in their own name: because they are the friends of the bridegroom, they refuse to be adulterers of the bride.” — editor's note: John iii. 29.
Read the whole comment“For “the friend of the Bridegroom standeth and heareth Him, and rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom’s voice:” not because of his own voice; that is to say, they hear and live by partaking, not by coming into being; and all that hear live, because all that obey live.” — editor's note: John iii. 29.
Read the whole comment“And another says: “But the friend of the bridegroom standeth and heareth him, and rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.”” — editor's note: Chap. iii. 29.
Read the whole comment“…Bridegroom, who both recognized Him in the Holy Spirit, and preached Him in His absence, and pointed Him out when He was present to the recognition of others;—I say nothing of these, as it might be replied that He ought not to have prayed for such when dead, who had gone hence with their great merits, and having met…” — editor's note: Chap. i. 19–36, and iii. 26–36.
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Ambrose of Milan
“None other is the Bridegroom but Christ alone, of Whom St. John said: “He Who hath the bride is the Bridegroom.”” — editor's note: S. John iii. 29.
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Catena Aurea on John
- Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on John
“(John 3:29.)” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
John, on this question being raised, does not rebuke his disciples, for fear they might separate, and turn to some other school, but replies gently, John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
Or perhaps John is speaking here of himself: I am a mere man, and have received all from heaven, and therefore think not that, because it has been given me to be somewhat, I am so foolish as to speak against the truth.
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
And see; the very argument by which they thought to have overthrown Christ, To whom, thou barest witness, he turns against them; Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ; as if he said, If ye…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on John
Who art thou then, since thou art not the Christ, and who is He to Whom thou bearest witness? John replies, He is the Bridegroom; I am the friend of the Bridegroom, sent to prepare the Bride for His approach: He that…
Read the whole comment - Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on John
Christ is the spouse of every soul; the wedlock, wherein they are joined, is baptism; the place of that wedlock is the Church; the pledge of it, remission of sins, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost; the…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on John
His Bride therefore our Lord committed to His friend, i. e. the order of preachers, who should be jealous of her, not for themselves, but for Christ; The friend of the Bridegroom which standeth and heareth Him,…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
As if He said, She is not My spouse. But dost thou therefore not rejoice in the marriage? Yea, I rejoice, he saith, because I am the friend of the Bridegroom.
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
But how doth he who said above, Whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose, call himself a friend? As an expression not of equality, but of excess of joy: (for the friend of the Bridegroom is always more…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
But wherefore doth he stand? Because he falleth not, by reason of his humility. A sure ground this to stand upon, Whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. Again; He standeth, and heareth Him. So then if he…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
Or thus; The expression, which standeth, is not without meaning, but indicates that his part is now over, and that for the future he must stand and listen. This is a transition from the parable to the real subject.…
Read the whole comment - Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on John
For which cause I rejoice now, that all men follow Him. For had the bride, i. e. the people, not come forth to meet the Bridegroom, then I, as the friend of the Bridegroom, should have grieved,
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
Or thus; This my Joy is fulfilled, i. e. my joy at hearing the Bridegroom’s voice. I have my gift; I claim no more, lest I lose that which I have received. He who would rejoice in himself, hath sorrow; but he who…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on John
He rejoiceth at hearing the Bridegroom’s voice, who knows that he should not rejoice in his own wisdom, but in the wisdom which God giveth him. Whoever in his good works seeketh not his own glory, or praise, or…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
He next dismisses the motions of envy, not only as regards the present, but also the future, saying, He must increase, but I must decrease: as if he said, My office hath ceased, and is ended; but His advanceth.
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
What meaneth this, He must increase? God neither increases, nor decreases. And John and Jesus, according to the flesh, were of the same age: for the six months’ difference between them is of no consequence. This is a…
Read the whole comment - Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on John
Or thus; As, on the sun rising, the light of the other heavenly bodies seems to be extinguished, though in reality it is only obscured by the greater light: thus the forerunner is said to decrease; as if he were a…
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John Chrysostom
“Wherefore he calls himself the “friend of the Bridegroom” ( c. iii. 29 ), since he alone was present at the marriage, he it was that did and accomplished all, he made a beginning of the work.” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“Ver.” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“So likewise John: “I am not meet to loose the latchet of His shoe;”because of this he was the “friend of the Bridegroom,” and the hand which he affirmed to be unworthy to touch His shoes, this did Christ draw unto His own head.” — editor's note: Mark i. 7; Luke iii. 16; John i. 27, iii. 29.
Read the whole comment“…that hath the bride, is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth Him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.”” — editor's note: John iii. 29.
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Catena Aurea on Matthew
- John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
“Before He had styled Himself Physician, now Bridegroom, calling to mind the words of John which he had said, “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom.” [John 3:29]” — the author cites it
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Gregory of Nazianzus
“Let the virgins celebrate the friend of the Bridegroom; those under the yoke their restrainer, hermits him who lent wings to their course, cenobites their lawgiver, simple folk their guide, contemplatives the…” — editor's note: S. John iii. 29.
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Clement of Alexandria
“He, then, who has been made ready to enter will say, “This my joy is fulfilled.”” — editor's note: John iii. 29.
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Cyprian of Carthage
“For he who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom is he who standeth and heareth him with joy, and rejoiceth because of the voice of the bridegroom.”” — editor's note: John iii. 28, 29.
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Cross-references · 22
Cited together in Confessions XI.8.
Cited together in Homilies on John Homily 28.
Cited together in Homilies on John Homily 28.
Cited together in John Chrysostom on John 3:27–30 (4) (Catena Aurea) and 1 other place.
Cited together in Confessions IV.15.
Cited together in Confessions IV.15.
Cited together in Confessions IV.15.
Cited together in Confessions IV.15.
Cited together in Confessions IV.15.
Cited together in Confessions IV.15.
Cited together in Confessions IV.15.
Cited together in Homilies on John Homily 28.
Cited together in John Chrysostom on Matthew 9:14–17 (2) (Catena Aurea) and 1 other place.
Cited together in John Chrysostom on Matthew 9:14–17 (2) (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in John Chrysostom on Matthew 9:14–17 (2) (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in John Chrysostom on Matthew 9:14–17 (2) (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Confessions IV.15.
Cited together in Confessions IV.15.
Cited together in Gregory the Great on John 1:24–28 (4) (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Gregory the Great on John 1:24–28 (4) (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Gregory the Great on John 1:24–28 (4) (Catena Aurea) and 1 other place.
Cited together in Gregory the Great on John 1:24–28 (4) (Catena Aurea).