Beloved Lover: Part 2

Chapters 1-7

Fr. Jonas Verdeflor, OMV

Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024

Agenda

Spiritual Exercises: Phases 1 & 2

Presence and Preach: Chap. 1-2

Attentively present to the beloved.

Desire for the groom: Song 1:1-4

1. The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.
2. O that you would kiss me with the kisses of your mouth! For your love is better than wine,
3. your anointing oils are fragrant, your name is oil poured out; therefore the maidens love you.
4. Draw me after you, let us make haste. The king has brought me into his chambers. We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine; rightly do they love you.

Chapter 1: Presence

Chapter 2: Preach

• “The people of God attest that they see preaching as the most important role of the priest” (p. 28).
• “Jesus is the answer to all the deepest desires of our hearts” (p. 30).
• “We must seek the face of the Lord in prayer and listen for his voice” (p. 32).
• “We are to preach Christ and to do so we must immerse ourselves in him” (p. 33).

Beauty restored: Chapters 3-5

Led by the Good Shepherd, we sinners rediscover our beauty.

See our true selves: Song 1:5-17

5. I am very dark, but comely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
6. Do not gaze at me because I am swarthy, because the sun has scorched me. My mother’s sons were angry with me, they made me keeper of the vineyards; but, my own vineyard I have not kept!
7. Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you pasture your flock, where you make it lie down at noon; for why should I be like one who wanders beside the flocks of your companions?
8. If you do not know, O fairest among women, follow in the tracks of the flock, and pasture your kids beside the shepherds’ tents.
9. I compare you, my love, to a mare of Pharaoh’s chariots.
10. Your cheeks are comely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels.
11. We will make you ornaments of gold, studded with silver.
12. While the king was on his couch, my nard gave forth its fragrance.
13. My beloved is to me a bag of myrrh, that lies between my breasts.
14. My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of En-ged′i.
15. Behold, you are beautiful, my love; behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves.
16. Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly lovely. Our couch is green;
17. the beams of our house are cedar, our rafters are pine.

Chapter 3: Dignity Restored

• “We are especially called to show love to the world in the form of mercy” (p. 47)
• “The wounds Jesus endured on the cross for us are the signs of his undying love and the Father’s mercy” (p. 49).
• “The faithful have a right to priests who are holy” (p. 53)
• Lanteri: “The Oblate dies in the pulpit or the confessional” (p. 56)

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Chapter 4: A Shepherd’s Care

• “Contemporary culture consciously breeds dependent and frail individuals” (p. 65-66).
• “Our deepest longing is to belong to someone, from the time we belong to our family, through adulthood when we seek to attach to others. We belong first to the Lord” (p. 69).
• “For us, knowing Jesus is near dispels all fear of evil and brings peace and rest to his flock” (p. 72).
• “No matter how dark or stormy it gets, God makes his voice heard in our hearts” (p. 74).

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

Chapter 5: Vision of Beauty

• “Love helps us to discern the beauty — and the dignity — that God has placed in each soul” (p. 84).
• “The sight of beauty moves us, captivates us, ravishes our hearts” (p. 85).
• “The closer we come to God, the more immersed in him, the more beautiful we become” (p. 86). 🡪 ordination (p. 88)
• Why Celibacy? (p. 89-90)
• Divine love received and given
• Availability

Consuming Love: Chapters 6-7

At home with God and others

Song 2:1-9: Delight in the Bridegroom

1. I am a rose of Sharon,�a lily of the valleys.
2. As a lily among brambles,�so is my love among maidens.
3. As an apple tree among the trees of the wood,� so is my beloved among young men.�With great delight I sat in his shadow,� and his fruit was sweet to my taste,
4. He brought me to the banqueting house,� and his banner over me was love.
5. Sustain me with raisins,� refresh me with apples;� for I am sick with love.
6. O that his left hand were under my head,� and that his right hand embraced me!
7. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,� by the gazelles or the hinds of the field,�that you stir not up nor awaken love� until it please.
8. The voice of my beloved!� Behold, he comes,�leaping upon the mountains,� bounding over the hills.
9. My beloved is like a gazelle,� or a young stag.�Behold, there he stands� behind our wall,�gazing in at the windows,� looking through the lattice.

Chapter 6: Consuming Love

• “The only solid basis for priesthood is the experience of God’s love” (p. 107)
• The Bread of Presence (p. 108) 🡪 Eucharist (p. 110)
• “Jesus’ marriage bed is the Cross” (p. 111).
• “Whoever offers a sacrifice must share in it” (p. 112).
• Lanteri’s method (p. 114).
• Fr. Tim’s book A Biblical Way of Praying the Mass
• My blog entries on this method: https://livetheessentials.blog/tag/learning-the-mass/
• Transformed (p. 122) 🡪 Service (p. 119)

Chapter 7: �My Portion �and My Cup

• “Wherever [the priest] is sent, he must find his home in God” (p. 130).
• “There is a tension between who we are and who we are becoming as we are transformed by the grace of the Holy Spirit” (p. 131).
• “Often, we priests are unaware of how people perceive us, and what an amazing difference we can make in their lives by simply listening to them reverently and affirming their goodness” (p. 141).
• Self-care and boundaries (p. 142)

A primer into mental prayer

Ignatian prayer unlocks potential fruits from the book.

Ignatian Prayer

• “I will consider how God our Lord looks upon me”
• I review the Scripture for this prayer.
• I imaginatively enter the place of this Scripture (composition).
• I ask of God what I wish and desire in this prayer.
• Body of Prayer (Images or Text)
• I speak to God as my heart is moved (colloquy).
• I conclude with an Our Father.

PAGE 18

Chapter 7

A primer to mental prayer

Ignatian Prayer

Prayer exercise

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

Prayer Exercise�No. 5 �(p. 63)

“One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was sitting at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “What is it, Teacher?” “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”.”

Luke 7:36-50, Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

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• Ask during prayer: Jesus, help me love much because you have forgiven much in me.

PAGE 19

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Ignatian Prayer

Prayer Exercise

Readings�for next time

Read a chapter from each of these groups:

• Chap. 8-9: Hidden listening
• Chap. 10-11: Sacrificial ruler
• Chap. 12-14: A burning identity

Song of Songs 2:10-5:1

Q&A

Any questions?