December 21, 2015 - Monday

The sound of my lover! here he comes
springing across the mountains,
leaping across the hills.
My lover is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
See! He is standing behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattices.
My lover speaks and says to me,
“Arise, my friend, my beautiful one,
and come!
For see, the winter is past,
the rains are over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of pruning the vines has come,
and the song of the turtledove is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance.
Arise, my friend, my beautiful one,
and come!
My dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the secret recesses of the cliff,
Let me see your face,
let me hear your voice,
For your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.” (Song of Songs 2:8-14 NABRE)

The Song of Songs (or Canticle of Canticles) is a collection of love lyrics, arranged to tell a dramatic tale of mutual desire and courtship. Although the poem is attributed to Solomon in the traditional title, the language, style, and other considerations suggest it was written after the end of the Babylonian exile (538 B.C.) when an unknown poet collected extant love poems, perhaps composing new material. Some scholars argue the possibility of female authorship for at least portions of the Song. In both form and content, sections of the Song bear great similarity to the secular love songs of ancient Egypt and the “Sacred Marriage” cult songs of Mesopotamia which celebrate the union between divine partners.

While the lovers in the Song are clearly human figures, both Jewish and Christian traditions across the centuries have adopted allegorical interpretations. The Song is seen as a beautiful picture of the ideal Israel, the chosen people whom the Lord leads by degrees to a greater understanding and closer union in the bond of perfect love. The Song frequently proclaims a joyous reciprocity between the lovers and highlights the active role of the female partner.

Christian tradition has followed Israel’s example in using marriage as an image for the relationship with God. This image is found extensively in the New Testament. Thus the Song has been read as a sublime portrayal and praise of this mutual love of the Lord and his people. Christian writers have interpreted the Song in terms of the union between Christ and the Church and of the union between Christ and the individual soul.*

Over the centuries the emphasis of interpretation shifted, the 11th century adding a moral element and the 12th century understanding the Bride as the Virgin Mary, each new reading absorbing rather than simply replacing earlier ones, so that the commentary became ever more complex, with multiple layers of meaning. This approach leads to conclusions not found in the more overtly theological books of the Bible.*


Today, I will reflect on the many qualities of marriage which reflect God's relationship with his people.


Saint Peter Canisius, patron of Germany, pray for us.