The ardent longing and desire of Advent is so beautifully expressed by the Bride in the first verse of The Song of Songs, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.”
St. John of the Cross explains that the Bride, in her exile, does not want anymore to be told about her Bridegroom, no matter how beautifully. Now she wants to talk directly to Him, without any intermediary, and to be with Him at last. This was the longing of the bride, Israel, at the time of the Annunciation and Nativity of our Lord. And this was surely the desire of the young Mary who loved God with her whole heart and soul.
Imagine you are a dear friend of our Blessed Mother. All your life you have heard the promises of the coming Messiah, the Bridegroom of Yahweh. You have listened to the voices of the teachers and the prophets and you have closed your eyes and pictured the wonderful beauty and peace of the coming age. God’s promises to betroth His people to Himself, to rejoice over you as a bridegroom over his bride, to prepare a wedding banquet of exquisite wine and fattened calves, are etched into your heart and soul. His promise to be not only your Maker but to love you with an everlasting tender spousal love is the hope that carries you through the years of longing and waiting.
But in many moments the expectant longing seems unbearable and your heart cries out, “How long, O Lord? How long must we wait for the coming of Your long-awaited Bridegroom? O, let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth… now… for I can no longer wait. Lord, make haste to help me. Send the One You have promised, the Messiah, who will be my light and my salvation. You have created me with this longing only He can fulfill so end my long suffering and send Him to me today!”
Have we not all at times grown impatient and eager in our longing to be with Jesus? Perhaps, you have not demanded a kiss from God; but have you longed for a tangible and real awareness of His nearness, of His voice, of His care and love for you?
If so, then you can pray as the Bride of The Song of Songs and let your heart cry out to Jesus this Advent, “Come, Lord Jesus, and kiss me with the kisses of Your mouth, for Your Holy Spirit is the kiss of Your love and Your peace that I so desire to know. I need You now and immediately. No one and nothing else can satisfy the longings of my heart. Come and kiss away my tears of heartache and loneliness with Your kisses of love and comfort. Grant me the grace to recognize Your heavenly kisses in all the many gifts and blessings You shower upon me day after day. And my Jesus, may my open heart and grateful receiving of Your kisses be a kiss of love from me to You. Amen.”