The Song of Songs is about longing and passion, and rarely about consummation.  It’s about being fully present to the beloved, and if it’s carnal, it’s a carnality that includes all of the senses.  The lovers’ kisses are better than wine, more intoxicating, because they don’t deaden the senses, but bring them to life.  Often, … Continue reading Your Love is Better than Wine

Spiritual Direction is a way of offering companionship to people who are seeking God and a greater sense of themselves.  It is non-judgmental and generous, and always trusts that the seeker knows more about their own life, thoughts, and longings than the director does.  The director's role is to listen carefully, invite the presence of … Continue reading What is Spiritual Direction?

Meditations upon the cross were an integral part of Medieval prayer books.  But what does the cross mean for us now?  If I practice a this-worldly spirituality, then the idea of the cross as a gateway to a far away heaven won’t be tremendously helpful to me.  I can say that the cross saved me … Continue reading Jesus is Condemned to Death

It’s a primal question – “who will I love, and how will I love that person well?” The way we answer this question will affect not only our earthly relationships, but our relationship with God. This is what the early and medieval commentators on the Song understood so well.

As I contemplated Mary, I realized that she’s a stand-in for all of us who wait for union with God. What patience she must have had in her waiting. What faith that the promised union would happen. There is a solace in this, a sense that those of us who wait have her companionship in our waiting.