Marriage and the love of the groom and the bride are a favorite symbolism in the Bible. The covenant between God and his people is often depicted by the prophets as marriage: “For your husband is your Maker” (Is 54:5); “For as a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you” (Is 62:5).

Happiness and well-being are expressed by the sounds of joy and gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the bride (Jer 33:11). In contrast, the sinful city destined for destruction is warned, “No voices of bride and groom will ever be heard in you again” (Rv 18:23).

In the Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples of John the Baptist that the time of the Messiah is here, and hence, joy and celebration— not fasting and mourning—are in order.

Jesus compares the time of the Messiah to a wedding feast, which is associated with overflowing joy. But Jesus also makes a veiled reference to the passion of the Messiah, a time of mourning.

The phrase “taken away” is an allusion to Isaiah’s Suffering Servant, who by his voluntary suffering atones for the sins of his people, and saves them from just punishment at the hands of God (Is 53:8).

When Jesus dies on the cross and his side is pierced with the lance, John says that Zechariah’s prophecy is fulfilled in him:

“They look on him whom they have thrust through, they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child” (Zec 12:10; cf Jn 19:37).

“A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.”

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.