317th Meditation
It is the mystics who can vividly describe to us the love of God, often using ecstatic language, as sometimes happens on the human plane with lovers, who want to express their love.
These mystics are as if enraptured, because the overwhelming divine love has opened up the depths of their soul, pouring into them and overflowing as well. They can hardly contain it! Because of our earthly limitations, it is difficult to describe in words what the soul experiences. However, we can turn to the language of love.
Thus we hear how the Song of Songs describes such a love. Although it refers to human love, it transcends the love of God for the human soul, and allows us to perceive the beauty of this love in the language of the bridegroom and the bride.
“Tell me, sweetheart, where will you lead your flock to graze, where will you rest it at noon?” (SOS 1:7).
“If you do not know this, O loveliest of women, follow the tracks of the flock. (…) How beautiful you are, my beloved, how beautiful you are!” (SOS 1:8.15a).
The soul exclaims: “How beautiful you are, my love, and how you delight me! In his delightful shade I sit, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. His left arm is under my head, his right embraces me” (SOS 1:16; 2:3b.6).
The Beloved says to her: “Come then, my beloved, my lovely one, come. My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock (…), show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely. You are wholly beautiful, my beloved, and without a blemish. Come from Lebanon, my promised bride, come from Lebanon, come on your way” (SOS 2:10,14; 4:7,8a).
The bride says: “I belong to my love, and my love to me. He pastures his flock among the lilies.
I belong to my love, and his desire is for me” (SOS 6:3; 7:11).