Being the lover of words, especially God’s Word, that I am, I have been researching the biblical understanding of the Sabbath rest as well as exegesis on the 23rd Psalm, Hebrews 5, and other Scriptures pertaining to God shepherding His people and offering them rest. In the video above, I share my reflection on what I have learned thus far.

My purpose in sharing is two-fold. Firstly, I hope that my reflections will lead you to pondering for yourself how the Lord is inviting you to enter more deeply into His gift of rest. And, secondly, I am asking for your prayers as I respond to His invitation and take a sabbatical from my ministry work. Please pray for the ministry and members of Hope’s Garden and for me as I make my health a priority but also work on writing my book and establishing the first Hope’s Garden Home. I am confident that resting with the Bridegroom will be abundantly fruitful!

Be assured of my prayers for you as well.

Together in His Heart,

Laura

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This poem by St. John of the Cross always pierces my heart and inflames my love for Jesus, our Divine Bridegroom, King, and Shepherd.

“His Heart An Open Wound”

A lone young shepherd lived in pain

withdrawn from pleasure and contentment,

his thoughts fixed on a shepherd-girl

his heart an open wound with love.

He weeps, but not from the wound of love,

there is no pain in such affliction,

even though the heart is pierced;

he weeps in knowing he’s been forgotten.

That one thought: his shining one

has forgotten him, is such great pain

that he bows to brutal handling in a foreign land,

his heart an open wound with love.

The shepherd says: I pity the one

who draws herself back from my love,

and does not seek the joy of my presence

though my heart is an open wound with love for her.

After a long time he climbed a tree,

and spread his shining arms,

and hung by them, and died,

his heart an open wound with love.

St. John of the Cross

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.“ John 10:11

Prayer of Thanksgiving for the Bread of Life

Feed us with raisin cakes and restore us with apples, for we are sick with love. Sweet Bridegroom, the only remedy for our malady of love is You - You Who are Love.

Your Bread of Life is better than raisin cakes, sweeter than apples. You set before us a Feast, Infinite Love hidden in a tiny Host, and You call to us, “Eat, friends; drink! Drink deeply, lovers! Open wide your mouth that I may fill it. I will satisfy your hunger with honey from the rock, with My Very Self. I will sustain you on your journey home to Me.”

With the eyes of the heart, we see and we believe Jesus. We sit in Your longed-for shade and Your fruit is sweet to our taste. We prostrate our hearts before You in thanksgiving for Your Bread of Life that sustains us as we wait for the day when You will kiss us with the kisses of Your mouth and we will hunger and thirst no more. Our every desire shall be fulfilled with Your love that is better than wine. You will be our joy and our gladness and we shall praise You forever. How right it is to love You!

All glory and praise, honor and thanksgiving be to You, the Divine Bridegroom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

(This prayer is from my newest book, Prayer of the Hours with Christ the Bridegroom.)

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It brings me such joy to talk with about how Jesus is bringing hope and healing to broken hearts through the Song of Songs. In this episode, Jenny and I unpack verse 1:2, “Let Him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.” This verse is often a stumbling block for the women and men who participate in the Hope’s Garden Song of Songs study. It was a stumbling block for both Jenny and myself, too.

I hope our conversation will help others overcome the discomfort this verse can cause and bring new understanding of what the Bride is actually desiring of the Divine Bridegroom.

May we all learn to pray with the Song of Songs and to “let Him”.

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Jesus the Bridegroom does not ask us to ignore pain or suffer illness without recourse to medical help. He does not ask us to suffer just for the sake of suffering. St. Gertrude the Great wrote that the Lord told her to seek human remedies for her suffering, to do all she could to take care of her physical health and any suffering, illness, or pain that remained was what He was asking her to bear with Him.

As I continue to suffer chronic illness, an idiopathic autoimmune disorder, and the chronic pain it causes, I have found comfort and peace in Jesus the Bridegroom of my soul. In leaning on His Most Compassionate Heart, I am learning what true spousal love is intended to be. When one spouse suffers, the other suffers too and does all they can to alleviate the beloved’s pain. This is nowhere more evident than in my relationship with Christ. I believe He speaks to me and you the same words of comfort that He spoke to St. Faustina:

If you have been reading my articles for even a short time, you know that my favorite book of Scripture is the Song of Songs. I read, contemplate, and pray with the Song of Songs daily. I would like to share a prayer of mine with those of you who are also enduring the suffering of chronic illness.

I invite you to turn off your phone, after you finish reading this article, and take a moment to rest in the Bridegroom’s shade. Lean of His Most Compassionate Heart and let Him restore you with His raisin cakes and apples of love. Truly, His fruit is sweet to the taste and the healing remedy for our hearts, souls, and bodies.

Together in His Heart,

Laura

P.S. I have recorded prayerful meditations inspired by the Song of Songs. You can find them on the Hope’s Garden Prayer Podcast, The Bridegroom Speaks Podcast, and the Hope’s Garden You Tube Channel.

The Glory of the Bridegroom: A Song of Songs Scriptural Meditation on The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary

Opening Prayer: Jesus, Divine Bridegroom, open my heart and illuminate my mind mbthat as I reflect on the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, I might enter more deeply into the mystery of Your Kingship and Our Lady’s Queenship. May I, together with her, forever sing praise of Your love that is better than wine. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be

First Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection

Scripture:Luke 24:1-5, 10-12 “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen… and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.”

The Song of Songs 3:1-4 “Upon my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer. “I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves.” I sought him, but found him not. The watchmen found me, as they went about in the city. “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?” Scarcely had I passed them, when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go…”

Intention: For an increase in our desire for Jesus so we might continually seek Him above all else.

Our Father

10 Hail Marys: Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, Who overcame sin and death and rose on the third day.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, who seek the One Whom our souls love, now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Glory Be, Fatima Prayer

Second Glorious Mystery: The Ascension

Scripture: Acts 1:8-11 “... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

Song of Songs 6:1-3 “The Chorus: ‘Where did your Beloved go, O loveliest of women? Which way did your Beloved turn so that we may help you look for him?’ The Bride: My Beloved went down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flock in the gardens and gather lilies. I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved is mine. He pastures his flock among the lilies.’”

Intention: For the perseverance and courage to be witnesses of the Bridegroom’s love until He returns.

Our Father

10 Hail Marys: Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, Who ascended into Heaven and will return.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, who seek the One Whom our souls love, now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Glory Be, Fatima Prayer

Third Glorious Mystery: Pentecost

Scripture: Acts 2:14-19 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy. And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below…”

Song of Songs 4:16 “The Bride, ‘Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden, let its fragrance be wafted abroad. Let my beloved come to his garden and eat its choicest fruits.’ The Bridegroom, ‘I come to my garden, my sister, my bride, I gather my myrrh with my spice, I eat my honeycomb with my honey, I drink my wine and my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink: drink deeply, O lovers!’”

Intention: For the grace of holy boldness that we might drink deeply of the Holy Spirit and allow the wine of Divine Love to intoxicate us.

Our Father

10 Hail Marys: Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, Whose love is better than wine.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, who seek the One Whom our souls love, now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Glory Be, Fatima Prayer

Fourth Glorious Mystery: Assumption of Mary the Bride

Scripture Rev. 11:19, 12:1 “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”

Song of Songs 6:8-10 “The Bridegroom, ‘There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and maidens without number. My dove, my perfect one, is only one, the darling of her mother, flawless to her that bore her. The maidens saw her and called her blessed; the queens and concubines also, and they praised her. ‘Who is this that looks forth like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army with banners?’”

Intention: For all hearts to be turned toward Our Lady, Mother of Hope and Mercy.

Our Father

10 Hail Marys: Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, Who sings your praises and calls you His “perfect one”.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, who seek the One Whom our souls love, now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Glory Be, Fatima Prayer

Fifth Glorious Mystery: Coronation of Mary, the Bride and Queen

Scripture Rev 19:6-9: “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’”

Song of Songs 4:9-13,15: “You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride, you have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. How sweet is your love, my sister, my bride! how much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! Your lips distill nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue; the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon. A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a garden locked, a fountain sealed… a garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon.”

Intention: For the grace to surrender our hearts and our lives into the loving hands of our heavenly Mother and Queen.

Our Father

10 Hail Marys: Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, Who has crowned you as Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, who seek the One Whom our souls love, now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Glory Be, Fatima Prayer

Closing Prayer: Jesus, Shepherd, King, and Bridegroom, I thank You and I praise You, for all Your glorious works and mighty deeds. I enthrone You and Our Lady as the King and Queen of my heart. I entrust all I am, all I have, and all that is to come into Your loving and all-powerful hands. Amen.

Hail Holy Queen

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A booklet of all 4 Mysteries of the Holy Rosary with meditations from the Song of Songs is available from Hope’s Garden.

Prayer Before the Crucified Bridegroom

Lord Jesus Christ, my Divine Bridegroom, grant that I may aspire to You with all my heart, with abundant desire, with a thirsting soul. Grant that I may rest in You, who are most sweet and most delightful. Grant that my whole spirit and all my being may unceasingly pant after You who are true blessedness.

Most Merciful Lord, write Your wounds in my heart with your Precious Blood, that I may read in them Your suffering and Your love alike. Then may the mindfulness of Your Wounds remain with me unceasingly in the recesses of my heart, that sorrow for Your suffering may be aroused in me and the ardor of Your love may be kindled in me.

Grant also that You alone may impart sweetness to my heart. Amen.

O Beloved Bridegroom, as I kiss each of Your Holy Wounds, I pray that my kisses may be a gentle caress that soothes Your aching Heart. May my prayer be as a blanket of soft, fragrant rose petals upon Your Sacred Body.

As I kiss Your Holy Feet, I thank You for walking the tortuous path to Golgotha for me. I thank You for forgiving my sins.

As I kiss Your right hand, I thank You for enduring the pain of the nail and I thank You for touching my life with Your grace, blessings, and tender touch of healing.

As I kiss Your left hand, I thank You for blessing the work of my hands so my life might bear good fruit for You.

As I kiss Your Most Sacred Head, I thank You for wearing the wedding crown of thorns so I might wear the crown of eternal life.

As I kiss Your Wounded Side, I thank You for Your mercy and compassion that flow without ceasing.

As I kiss Your pierced Heart, I thank You for Your love as strong as death, in which I live, breathe, and have my being.

My Crucified Bridegroom, I shall praise Your love above wine, above all else. How very right it is to love You. Amen.

Written by Laura Ercolino

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The Passion of the Bridegroom: A Song of Songs Scriptural Meditation on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary

Opening Prayer:

Set me like a seal on your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is strong as Death, jealousy relentless as Sheol. The flash of it is a flash of fire, a flame of Yahweh himself. Love no flood can quench, no torrents drown. (The Song of Songs 8:6-7)

Apostles’ Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be

The First Mystery: The Agony in the Garden

Scripture Luke 22:39-46 “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation.’ He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. ‘Why are you sleeping?’ he asked them. ‘Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.’

Song of Songs 5:2-3 “I slept, but my heart was awake. Hark! my beloved is knocking. ‘Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one; for my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.’ I had put off my garment, how could I put it on? I had bathed my feet, how could I soil them?

Intention: for the graces of sensitivity of soul and spiritual alertness so we may always respond to the Bridegroom’s knocking.

Our Father

10 Hail Marys: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, His head wet with dew and drops of blood.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, who seek the One Whom our souls love, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be, Fatima Prayer

The Second Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar

Scripture Isaiah 53:3-5 “He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, knowing pain, like one from whom you turn your face; spurned, and we held Him in no esteem. Yet it was our pain that He bore, our sufferings He endured. We thought of Him as stricken, struck down by God and afflicted, but He was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole; by His wounds we were healed.”

Song of Songs 5:7 “I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer.

The watchmen found me, as they went about in the city; they beat me, they wounded me, they took away my mantle, those watchmen of the walls.”

Intention: for the grace of contrition for our sins that we might console Christ in His agony with our true repentance.

Our Father

10 Hail Marys: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, being beaten and wounded, while giving no answer. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, who seek the One Whom our souls love, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be, Fatima Prayer

The Third Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns

Scripture Mark 15:16-20 “The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.”

Song of Songs 3:11 “Daughters of Zion, come and see King Solomon, wearing the diadem with which his mother crowned him on his wedding day, on the day of his heart’s joy.”

Intention: for the graces of perseverance and patience in our sufferings that we might wear a wedding crown of thorns in union with You.

Our Father

10 Hail Marys: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, wearing the crown with which His Mother crowned Him on His wedding day. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, who seek the One Whom our souls love, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be, Fatima Prayer

The Fourth Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross

Scripture Mark 15:20-23 “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.”

Song of Songs 4:6-8 “Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense. You are all fair, my love; there is no flaw in you. Come with me from Lebanon, my bride: come with me from Lebanon. Depart from the peak of Ama′na, from the peak of Senir and Hermon, from the dens of lions, from the mountains of leopards.”

Intention: for the graces of compassion and generosity that we might willingly help our brothers and sisters to carry their crosses and, in so doing, help You.

Our Father

10 Hail Marys: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, His love for us carrying Him to the mountain of myrrh. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, who seek the One Whom our souls love, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be, Fatima Prayer

The Fifth Mystery: The Crucifixion and Death of our Bridegroom

Scripture Mark 15:37-39 “With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’”

Song of Songs 7:8 “I say I will climb the palm tree and lay hold of its branches.”

Intention: for the grace of knowledge of Jesus’ love for us so that we might desire intimacy and union with Him above all else.

Our Father

10 Hail Marys: Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, climbing the palm tree of the Cross.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, who seek the One Whom our souls love, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, Hail Holy Queen

Closing Prayer: Set me like a seal on your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is strong as Death, jealousy relentless as Sheol. The flash of it is a flash of fire, a flame of Yahweh himself. Love no flood can quench, no torrents drown. (The Song of Songs 8:6-7)

Hail Holy Queen

These Song of Songs meditations on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary are from the Hope’s Garden booklet, “Praying the Rosary with Christ the Bridegroom”. This booklet is only available in the Hope’s Garden Shop.

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The Song of Songs is God’s love letter to every human heart. Yet, many of us are afraid to read it, to enter into the divine love song. In my ministry at Hope’s Garden, I have found prayerful, meditative expressive arts creates a gentle but powerful experience of the Song of Songs.

The mediation below focuses on verse 2:14 of the Song of Songs, “My dove hiding in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice…” Inspired by St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s 63rd sermon, we contemplate the Wound in Christ’s Side as the “cleft in the rock”. This is a powerful prayer to begin Holy Week.

May the ears of your heart be opened to the sweet song of Jesus our Bridegroom.

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“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” (Revelation 3:20)

Jesus the Divine Bridegroom literally knocked on the door of my heart and asked to sing the Song of Songs to me on the evening of June 1, 2019. My twenty-seven year marriage had, only 9 months before, ended in a tragic divorce leaving me with a broken and grieving heart. I decided I needed time alone with the Lord so He could heal my wounded heart and restore my hope for the future. I was delighted to discover that Christ the Bridegroom Monastery was only thirty minutes from my home and offered poustinias for personal retreats. On the first day of my retreat, Mother Gabriella found me sobbing in the chapel and kindly opened her heart to me. I shared my story of betrayal, covert abuse, and sexual trauma with her.

I also shared how Jesus had rescued me from the darkness and was gently leading me into His light. The journey from the darkness of sin into the light of His love and truth must be taken slowly and with patience for eyes accustomed to darkness are blinded by His light. Mother Gabriella understood this truth and because she herself knows the Divine Bridegroom, she recognized His presence in my story. Shortly after we spoke, she knocked on the door of the poustinia. When I opened the door, I knew it was Jesus Himself standing at the door and knocking. She was holding out to me an icon of Christ that she had painted and a book, The Cantata of Love: A Verse by Verse Reading of the Song of Songs. She simply said, “I think Jesus wants you to have these.”

I have often wondered if she had any idea just how true those words were and just what Jesus was going to do in my heart and the hearts of so many others because of her willingness to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit that evening.

Five years have passed and now, I can say with certainty, the Bridegroom stands at the door of your heart and knocks. “Open to me my love, my dove, my perfect one, for my head is covered with dew, my locks with the drops of night.” (Song of Songs 5:2)

Will you let Him in and listen to His song of love?

I’m going to be honest with you. I did not want to read the Song of Songs. I had always said that I would never read The Song of Songs because I was convinced that I would never know such a beautiful, pure, and intimate love. The tender and eloquent words of love that the Bridegroom sings to his Bride throughout this book of Scripture pierced my heart like daggers. My heart had been pierced already by daggers of betrayal; beautiful words that were later revealed to be lies; confessions of love that were manipulation tactics; and marital intimacy that was an expression of lust not love. The intimacy between a bride and her bridegroom was unsafe and painful.

Jesus, the Perfect Gentleman, had other plans for me. He softly and tenderly sang The Song of Songs to my aching heart and revealed the divine meaning of its lyrics. He untwisted the distorted vision of love my life experiences had taught me. In my marriage, I had learned what love, especially spousal love, is not. Now Jesus, Love Himself, began teaching me all it is meant to be.

How wrong, how deceived, I was all those years when I believed that the Bridegroom of The Song of Songs would only cause me more pain. I have met many others, women and men, whose wounds have led them to believe that the Song of Songs is not for them.

The truth is, The Divine Bridegroom, Jesus, Who we meet in the Song, is the only remedy for our deepest heart wounds. His spousal love, pure and true, is the antidote to the poison of distorted love.

This is how Jesus heals. He uses the very thing that wounded us as the remedy. In His healing there is redemption and restoration. The book of Holy Scripture that I most resisted, that made me cry with longing and regret, is now the healing balm I can’t get enough of and the heart of my ministry, Hope’s Garden. I look back now and imagine how Jesus must have smiled as He thought with delight of the future I could not see or begin to imagine. As St. Augustine learned so many centuries ago, when we look into our deepest wounds with Christ, we will see His glory and be dazzled.

May the Lord grant us the courage our vulnerable and wounded hearts need so that we may be able to enter into His song and allow Him to heal us. All for the glory of our Divine Bridegroom with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Hope’s Garden offers many resources to help you enter into God’s divine love song. You will find them all on our website Hopesgarden.com.

As I have been praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet for some time now, my understanding of this very powerful prayer has deepened.

How remarkable it is that our Lord Himself dictated the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to Saint Faustina. Jesus appeared to her and instructed her in how, when, and why God asks us to offer His sorrowful Passion to His Father in atonement for the sins of the whole world.

The prayers of this chaplet are addressed to God the Father Almighty. As I pray, I am literally begging God, my Creator, to spare me and to have mercy on not just my soul but on all souls. It struck me that like Moses at the time of the golden calf incident, I am asking God to have mercy on His people by reminding Him of His Love and Mercy in the past. In this case, I am reminding Him of His great mercy and love in giving of His precious Son to suffer and die for us.

Mindful to Whom I am addressing my pleadings as I pray, “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world”, I can no longer hurriedly and distractedly murmur this prayer. I am humbly aware of the fact that I am speaking directly to the Almighty God. Yes, He is my loving Father, and He is also the God of Justice and Righteousness and our sins are so very offensive, horrific actually.

As I pray each decade of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, I meditate on a detail of my Lord’s sorrowful Passion. For example, Jesus told St. Faustina that as He was enduring the scourging at the pillar He suffered spiritual pain greater than the physical pain specifically from knowledge of and in reparation for sins against purity. As I beg God to have mercy on all of us, especially those committing sins against purity such as pornography use, infidelity, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and sexual abuse of children, I can see our Lord, silent and resigned. His body is struck again and again, the whips and chains tearing His flesh and His Holy blood stained Face bathed in His tears.

And yet, for all the sorrow, suffering and acute awareness of my own sins and the sins of the world, as I pray the closing prayer I am filled with hope and a deep peace that I know only comes from the Lord.

“Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless, and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us, and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult times, we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy Itself.”

God first proved His Love and Mercy by sending His dearly beloved Son to suffer and die for us. It is only through the power of Christ living within us that we can hope to grow in love and mercy for one another, especially those who hurt us.

Yes, Lord, please pour Your mercy into my heart. Fill me to overflowing so that Your perfect Mercy spills forth from me into the world. This is how the world will come to know that You are Love and Mercy Itself… when we are merciful to one another as You have been and will be merciful to us.

Closing prayer: Dear Jesus, You have revealed that no soul is beyond Your Mercy. The oceans are contained by the shores, but the ocean of Your Mercy cannot be contained. I am but a droplet in Your great boundless ocean, riding the wave of Your mighty Love. You hold me so firmly, so closely, I can go nowhere but where Your will carries me, yet I do not fear because Your will is Love and Mercy Itself and You desire only good for me. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen

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I have been living and breathing the Song of Songs for 7 years now and teaching the Song of Songs study at Hope’s Garden is still a life-giving, joyful “job”. This video is from one of the first sessions of our 36 week study. I often think, “I should record new better quality videos” but honestly, I don’t have the time or energy and I think these unscripted talks turn out the best. So, please excuse the poor editing. Perhaps, this is a good reason to close your eyes, listen to the divine love song, and just let the truth of the Bridegroom’s crazy passionate eros envelope you.

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The Hope’s Garden YouTube Channel and The Bridegroom Speaks Podcast are your source for Song of Songs inspired content.

You can find all of my Song of Songs inspired books on my Amazon.com author page.

I’ve written these reflections on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary for those of us who have been wounded by betrayal. Anyone we’ve allowed ourselves to trust or love, or with whom we’ve risked vulnerability, has the power to betray us. A spouse’s infidelity or pornography addiction, resulting in Betrayal Trauma, is an especially devastating betrayal. Many of us suffering other betrayals - whether by our spouses, friends, siblings, our children, or persons in positions of authority or counsel such as parents, therapists or priests - are left with confusion and heartache.

As we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, let us reflect on the many forms of betrayal Jesus endured including the times we betray our Lord, whether intentionally or unintentionally. With a heart shattered by the grief of betrayal, He willingly accepted His Passion and death. Jesus chose Love, love of His betrayers, because He is Love. Let us ask our Lord and Blessed Mother for mercy and forgiveness when we betray others and for the courage and the strength to love those who betray us.

It is my hope that walking through the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary with these betrayal focused reflections will bring you comfort and healing. Know that you are not alone - Jesus and our Blessed Mother are with you.

Betrayed: The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary for those healing from betrayal

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.What do you do when grief over your sins and the sins of the world feels suffocating? And when you realize that the grief you are feeling is but a shadow of the sorrow Jesus feels?

I paint and pray…

And this is what I painted as grief, remorse, and contrition overwhelmed this past Sunday.

This was my prayer…

I was thinking about our Sweet and Gentle Jesus poured out every last drop of His Precious Blood for love of us and how we respond with such indifference. I started with a loose wash of color, holding the paper up so the paint could flow freely. As I watched “His Blood” flowing on the page, my heart felt heavier and heavier.

My meditation went to the Scourging at the Pillar and scenes from The Passion of Christ filled my mind. I actually “threw” the paint from the brush as I imagined His Body being scourged and His Blood spilling out. And then I sat back and silently looked at what had become of the painting.

My thoughts then turned to Cana and to the Holy Eucharist. In His love, He has transformed His Blood into the Wine of Immortality… the Medicine that heals our sick souls. And so I added stone jars in which to gather His Blood, the Wine, His Love.

In the end, it was this verse of the Song of Songs that lingered in my mind and heart…

“Your love is better than wine.”

This was truly painting my prayer.

The Passion of the Bridegroom: A Song of Songs Scriptural Meditation on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary

Opening Prayer:

Set me like a seal on your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is strong as Death, jealousy relentless as Sheol. The flash of it is a flash of fire, a flame of Yahweh himself. Love no flood can quench, no torrents drown. (The Song of Songs 8:6-7)

Apostles’ Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be

The First Mystery: The Agony in the Garden

Scripture Luke 22:39-46 “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation.’ He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. ‘Why are you sleeping?’ he asked them. ‘Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.’

Song of Songs 5:2-3 “I slept, but my heart was awake. Hark! my beloved is knocking. ‘Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one; for my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.’ I had put off my garment, how could I put it on? I had bathed my feet, how could I soil them?

Intention: for the graces of sensitivity of soul and spiritual alertness so we may always respond to the Bridegroom’s knocking.

Our Father

10 Hail Marys: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, His head wet with dew and drops of blood. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, who seek the One Whom our souls love, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be, Fatima Prayer

The Second Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar

Scripture Isaiah 53:3-5 “He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, knowing pain, like one from whom you turn your face; spurned, and we held Him in no esteem. Yet it was our pain that He bore, our sufferings He endured. We thought of Him as stricken, struck down by God and afflicted, but He was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole; by His wounds we were healed.”

Song of Songs 5:7 “I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer.

The watchmen found me, as they went about in the city; they beat me, they wounded me, they took away my mantle, those watchmen of the walls.”

Intention: for the grace of contrition for my sins that we might console Christ in His agony with our true repentance.

Our Father

10 Hail Marys: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, being beaten and wounded, while giving no answer. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, who seek the One Whom our souls love, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be, Fatima Prayer

The Third Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns

Scripture Mark 15:16-20 “The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.”

Song of Songs 3:11 “Daughters of Zion, come and see King Solomon, wearing the diadem with which his mother crowned him on his wedding day, on the day of his heart’s joy.”

Intention: for the graces of perseverance and patience in our sufferings that we might wear a wedding crown of thorns in union with You.

Our Father

10 Hail Marys: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, wearing the crown with which His Mother crowned Him on His wedding day. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, who seek the One Whom our souls love, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be, Fatima Prayer

The Fourth Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross

Scripture Mark 15:20-23 “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.”

Song of Songs 4:6-8 “Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense. You are all fair, my love; there is no flaw in you. Come with me from Lebanon, my bride: come with me from Lebanon. Depart from the peak of Ama′na, from the peak of Senir and Hermon, from the dens of lions, from the mountains of leopards.”

Intention: for the graces of compassion and generosity that we might willingly help our brothers and sisters to carry their crosses and, in so doing, help You.

Our Father

10 Hail Marys: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, His love for us carrying Him to the mountain of myrrh. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, who seek the One Whom our souls love, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be, Fatima Prayer

The Fifth Mystery: The Crucifixion and Death of our Bridegroom

Scripture Mark 15:37-39 “With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’”

Song of Songs 7:8 “I say I will climb the palm tree and lay hold of its branches.”

Intention: for the grace of knowledge of Jesus’ love for us so that we might desire intimacy and union with Him above all else.

Our Father

10 Hail Marys: Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, climbing the palm tree of the Cross. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, who seek the One Whom our souls love, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, Hail Holy Queen

Closing Prayer: Set me like a seal on your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is strong as Death, jealousy relentless as Sheol. The flash of it is a flash of fire, a flame of Yahweh himself. Love no flood can quench, no torrents drown. (The Song of Songs 8:6-7)

Hail Holy Queen

A booklet of the entire Rosary with reflections from the Song of Songs is available in the Hope’s Garden Shop.

Proceeds support our mission of spreading the sweet scent of Christ the Bridegroom’s love to all souls.

This quote, from St. John Paul II, has truly pierced my heart and has also become the heart of my personal mission as I walk alongside other women coming to know Christ the Bridegroom.

When Jesus began asking me to enter His divine love song, The Song of Songs, I was afraid at first. My heart had been so wounded by the one who had vowed to love, honor, and cherish me. Reading a love poem, even one inspired by God, seemed like the last thing I should do and was definitely, the last thing I wanted to do. But isn’t this just how the Lord works?

My deepest wound had been caused by the twisting and defiling of spousal love and the Lord knew the remedy was an encounter with His pure and true spousal love. The entirety of Scripture is a love letter from God to His people but the Song of Songs, in the center of the Bible, is the Divine Bridegroom’s enchanting serenade to His beloved ones, His brides. Once I began to immerse myself in His love song, I could not get enough! I had to read and re-read it. I had to read it aloud to my heart and His, and I had to invite Jesus, the Lover of my soul, to sing His song to me. I had to become intimately familiar with this often over-looked book of Holy Scripture. I had to prayerfully reflect on and open the ears of my heart to the unique song my Bridegroom and I had been singing to one another throughout my life.

I see now that my life with Jesus has become our own original new edition of the Song of Songs. As I gradually came to this realization, I was amazed and astounded. If anyone had told me years ago, when my nine children were young, that this was what God had planned for me, I would have laughed and told them they were crazy! And now I realize, I am "crazy" - crazy in love with Christ the Bridegroom! And is there any other appropriate response to His crazy love that sent Him willingly to the Cross for us? Falling in love with the One Whom my soul had always been seeking has healed my heart and transformed my life.

I invite you to take St. John Paul II’s words to heart and dare to embark on your own adventure of divine romance with Jesus, the Bridegroom of your soul. What treasures He has waiting for you, His Beloved!

Together in His Heart,

Laura Ercolino

I am excited to share another conversation I had with about Christ the Bridegroom and His divine love song. Jenny and I have both experienced the Bridegroom’s tenderness and patience as He heals our hearts. The Song of Songs has been His chosen remedy for both of us as well as hundreds of women who have come to Hope’s Garden seeking the one whom their souls love.

In this episode of The Bridegroom Speaks, Jenny and I reflect on verse 2:14 of the Song of Songs, “My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock, in the coverts of the cliff, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is beautiful.’” Jenny shares her insights on how this verse helped in her heart heal from the effects of an abusive marriage. The Bridegroom’s gentle yet persistent invitation to come out of hiding and let Him gaze upon her with love was the healing balm she did not know she needed. The Bridegroom’s invitation to the Bride of the Song of Songs, to Jenny and to myself, is for all of us. Healing of our deepest wounds is possible when we stop hiding in our own brokenness and let Jesus see our faces and hear our voices.

May He grant us the grace to let Him.

Listen now to The Bridegroom’s Invitation of the hope’s Garden Podcast, The Bridegroom Speaks.

Learn more about Jesus the Bridegroom and His divine love song at Hopesgarden.com

On Friday mornings, the members of the Hope’s Garden core team are diving deeply into the Catechism of the Catholic Church through the lens of the Song of Songs. If you have been reading my articles for any amount of time, you will have noticed that I have a deep devotion to Christ as my Bridegroom and an obsession with the Song of Songs. I see allusions to the Song almost everywhere and, most certainly, in the Scriptures and teachings of the Catholic Church.

This study of the Catechism has been profoundly fruitful in my life as well as the lives of the other participants. I pray that this talk on prayer will enkindle your desire to speak heart to heart with Jesus your Bridegroom and allow Him to draw you in His footsteps that together you might run to the heavenly wedding feast!

For more content on the Song of Songs, join the Hope’s Garden virtual community and register for our free Song of Songs Scripture study beginning later this month.

“While the king rests in his own room, my nard yields its perfume.” (Song of Songs 1:12)

“‘My nard’, says the Bride. She might as well say: my life! For this is in fact her whole being, the very essence of her being that is poured out at the feet of the King. To her King, who has just called her ‘my love’ and has promised to cover her with gold and silver jewelry, she does not respond with words pf gratitude. Her first and genuine response can be given fully only by her life: my nard, myself, my life, silently and lovingly poured like nard spilling out of a broken vase; what other response can I give you?”

This priceless sweet smelling nard that we have to offer the Bridegroom is our prayers, our acts of kindness and mercy, the small sacrifices we make all day long, in essence all we do in love for God and one another. And so, we too can say with the Bride of The Song of Songs “While the Kings rests in his own room my nard yields its perfume.”

Learn more about Jesus the Bridegroom and the Song of Songs at Hopesgarden.com

In my last post, I shared with you an excerpt from St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s second sermon on the Song of Songs. Today I am sharing the next paragraph. In my 5 years of teaching the Song of Songs, I have had countless people tell me that the opening verse is a stumbling block. It is my hope that the wisdom of St. Bernard will remove this obstacle and allow more people to enter into the divine love song.

“I must ask you to try to give your whole attention here. The mouth that kisses signifies the Word who assumes human nature; the nature assumed receives the kiss; the kiss however, that takes its being both from the giver and the receiver, is a person that is formed by both, none other than "the one mediator between God and mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus." It is for this reason that none of the saints dared say: "let him kiss me with his mouth," but rather, "with the kiss of his mouth." In this way they paid tribute to that prerogative of Christ, on whom uniquely and in one sole instance the mouth of the word was pressed, that moment when the fullness of the divinity yielded itself to him as the life of his body. A fertile kiss therefore, a marvel of stupendous self-abasement that is not a mere pressing of mouth upon mouth; it is the uniting of God with man. Normally the touch of lip on lip is the sign of the loving embrace of hearts, but this conjoining of natures brings together the human and divine, shows God reconciling "to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven.'' "For he is the peace between us, and has made the two into one.'' This was the kiss for which just men yearned under the old dispensation, foreseeing as they did that in him they would "find happiness and a crown of rejoicing," because in him were hidden "all the jewels of wisdom and knowledge.' Hence their longing to taste that fullness of his.” (St. Bernard of Clairvaux)

You can read the full sermon here.