The Divine Romance II

St. John the Baptist spoke of The Lord Jesus as the Bridegroom who had come for his Bride.  In the beginning of his commentary on the Song of Songs (called The Canticle of Canticles, in the Douay English translation), the learned Alcuin of Yorkshire (d. 804) interprets the first words of the Song as spoken by the Jewish people, who had waited with longing for the Lord's coming, much as a bride would wait for her Groom to arrive to take her to his house:

" 'Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth.'  The Synagogue desired for God to be incarnated and ran to meet him, with devoted loved, when he came.  Hers is the first voice to sound in this Song of love; the holy prophets repeatedly taught her how to live, and showed her the coming of the One who 'comes forth as a Bridegroom from his wedding chamber', enriching the world with a new blessing.  But with the passing of the voices of his heralds, she begins to desire the presence of her King and Savior, saying, 'Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth.'  That is, Do not destine me forever for the teaching of the angels and prophets, but let him come some time who has for so long been promised to me, let him shine upon me the light of his presence, and let him console me with the speech of his own mouth, as though he were conferring a kiss.  That is, Do not let him spurn to teach me the way of salvation.  That this was fulfilled, is written in the Gospel: 'When Jesus sat on the mountain, his disciples came to him.  And, opening his mouth, he taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God' (Matthew 5, 1).  Therefore, she says, 'Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth.'  That is, Let him touch me with his sweet presence, the promise of which I have heard so often from the prophets."