Fourth Monday of Advent
Today the lectionary brings us a rare and juicy treat: our first reading from Song of Songs. Our speaker eagerly awaits the arrival of her lover, who calls her out of her home with these beautiful words:
Arise, my beloved, my dove, 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 dove is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance.
It is as if the lovers’ passion is reflected in the beauty of the landscape around them. These words are a sweet hope today on the winter solstice. Tomorrow, the days begin to get longer again; summer will come, and our gardens will flourish. Now, on this darkest day of the year, we find solace in each other. We wait in hope for summer. We wait in hope to feel God’s presence among us in a way that will bring forth new life in us.
Last Advent gave “waiting in hope” new meaning for me. I gave myself my first testosterone shot on the First Sunday of Advent, beginning a weekly practice that is nothing short of spiritual. For the past year, I have watched and waited as my body changes. I watch my friends’ transitions unfold as well. I watch as all of us, in so many ways, grow closer to God’s wildest dreams for us.
For those of us who are queer and Catholic, Song of Songs is a breath of life in a sometimes unforgiving tradition. Here a couple (who seem to be unmarried) take delight in each other and the world around them. Song of Songs’ celebration of bodies and erotic love can be a model for us as we name our lives, our relationships as holy. We wait in hope for the Church to do the same. And I pray that one day Elizabeth’s words from the Gospel will ring true for us: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
