The Bridegroom Speaks

Meditate on the piercing of Christ's Side and His Heart that was broken so we might know the love of the Father.

Jesus our Bridegroom willingly suffered death by crucifixion for us. His great desire to spend all of eternity with us was the force that held Him to the Cross. In this meditation, inspired by the writings of St. Gertrude the Great, we spiritually kiss each of Jesus' wounds and proclaim our love for Him.

To watch this meditation click the link below to the video version on the Hope's Garden YouTube channel.

https://youtu.be/fa1hUY7WpRs

"I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the heart of Jesus." St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Lose yourself in the Sacred Heart of Jesus with this meditation from Thomas F. Dailey's book Behold This Heart: St. Francis de Sales and Devotion to the Sacred Heart. Laura adds prayers and visualizations to draw you deeply into the Sacred of Jesus, pierced for love of you.

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Otjánbird Pt. II by Spheriá | https://soundcloud.com/spheriamusic

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Deep within every human heart is a longing to return to Eden. If we long for Eden then we must also have an ancient, subconscious memory of Paradise. In this episode, I share a reflection on the Prologue of the Song of Songs as a memory of intimacy with God before the Fall. 

The first monthly Hope's Garden Mass was celebrated on the feast of St. Agnes, January 21st, 2023. It was St. Agnes' belief in the truth of her identity as the bride of Christ that gave her strength to endure martyrdom and it is this truth that can give each one of us the strength to endure the trials and tribulations we must endure. In this episode of The Bridegroom Speaks, we share Father Michael Stalla's homily about St. Agnes.

In this excerpt from a session of our Brides of Christ heart-led study of The Song of Songs, Laura explains the meaning of verses 1:12-13 in The Song of Songs. 

1:12 – While the King rests in his own room my nard yields its perfume.

1:13 - My Beloved is a sachet of myrrh lying between my breasts.

A note from Laura...

Father Michael Stalla's homily for the Fourth Week of Advent.

In this episode, Laura unpacks verses 1:9-11 of The Song of Songs, the Bridegroom's first words in the poem.  Like a "mare harnessed to Pharaoh's chariot" we have all been enslaved at one time or another and Jesus wants to free us. But the Bridegroom does not just free us, does not just heal us; He redeems and transforms us. He turns the chains that have held us bound into the jewels with which He adorns us. 

THE BRIDEGROOM

1:9 To my mare harnessed to Pharaoh’s chariot I compare you, my love.

1:10 Your cheeks show fair between their pendants and your neck within its necklaces.

1:11 We shall make you golden earrings and beads of silver.

The Bride of the Song of Songs, in verse 1:7, cries out to the Bridegroom, "Tell me then, you whom my heart loves: Where will you lead your flock to graze, where will you rest it at noon? That I may no more wander like a vagabond beside the flocks of your companions." She has spent too long failing to tend to her own heart and wandering after false loves. She is certain now that He is the only one Who can heal her wounded and neglected heart and satisfy her deepest desires. In this episode, Laura talks about how we, like the Bride, often neglect our vineyard hearts and come to the realization that we need Jesus Christ and no one else to tend to our hearts. 

In The Song of Songs, the Bride exclaims, "Draw me in your footsteps, let us run."  This verse was Laura's prayer in preparation for her pilgrimage to the Holy Land in February 2020. In this episode, she shares her experience of being drawn into the Bridegroom's historical footsteps and the depth of meaning in this simple verse. Jesus longs to walk in your footsteps as you journey through this life and into eternal life with Him. May this episode inspire you to draw Him into every moment of your day!