"She lived in solitude, and now in solitude has built her nest; and in solitude, He guides her... He alone, who also bears in solitude, the wound of love." St. John of The Cross
The Spiritual Canticle Stanza's 14 and 15
My Beloved, the mountains
and lonely wooded valleys,
strange islands,
and resounding rivers,
the whistling of love-stirring breezes,
the tranquil night
at the time of the rising dawn,
silent music,
Murmuring solitude,
the supper that refreshes, and deepens love.
Murmur: In nature, a murmur is a soft, low, continuous, and indistinct sound made by elements like flowing water, wind in the trees, buzzing insects or the sound of the wings of a bird or birds.
I imagine the Bride coming out of an old farmhouse, she is wearing a simple, long flowing dress and as she steps into her yard, there is a gentle, cool, early evening breeze. She removes the half apron she is wearing and stretches her arms up after a day of her usual chores. Just a few steps behind her, there are dishes in the sink, clothes needed to be folded, bills needed to be paid. She knows though, something she didn’t know a few stanza’s back. She has learned that even a few minutes in this ‘silent music’ to appreciate the beauty of God’s creation, is something she can no longer be without. She listens and hears the nearby brook, the buzzing of bees, the vibration of a dragonfly near her head.
She looks out into a nearby field, and sees a huge carpet of black. She makes her way closer and sees that the black carpet is actually thousands of starlings!! All at one time, they swoop up into the air and she witnesses her first Starling Murmuration! She brings her hands to her heart, catching and holding her breath. The Starlings look like an enormous, shifting black cloud that twists and turns and dances in the sky! There is a soft humming sound made by the beating of thousands of wings!
The Bride, with apron in her hands, holds it out in front of herself and we see her dancing in rhythm with the starlings! She is mesmerized by this sight.
I imagine this scene like watching a movie scene with soft, beautiful music as its soundtrack. The cameraman shows us the dancing birds in the sky and then cuts to the dancing woman who is using her apron as her dance partner. The camera Switching from one to the other, the murmuration of the starlings and the dancing woman. At last we notice that instead of the woman dancing with her apron, that her apron has been replaced by the Bridegroom! The two dance in sync with the starlings, the camera showing a close up of hands clasped, bodies close and eyes staring into each other. Then, as quickly as the murmuration started, the starlings are gone and the Bride is alone again. But, she is not sad. Nor is she searching as she was several stanzas back. The Bride has since learned that she has only to “tune into” this silent music in order to spend time with her bridegroom!
She has since learned that the Bridegroom IS the mountain, he IS the wooded valley, the island, the rivers, the breezes, the night, the dawn, the murmuration, the silent music itself.
She gives thanks for witnessing such a spectacular sight and like our own St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, the bride thinks, “Sometimes I say to myself that He acts as if He had no one to love but me!”
She goes back into her house, pauses and turns to gaze at the vibrant, orange yellow and red setting of the “SON” and smiles!
I like to think that the Holy Spirit loves to give us little gifts that He knows we will delight in! As though He says to Himself, "Ahhh! Lindy will love this!"
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures forever! (Psalm 136:1)
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| Starlings in the Rain by Ohara Koson |
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| Eugene Samuel Grasset |
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| Painting by Edmund Charles Tarbell |
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| Painting by Alexander Mueller |
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| Painting by Anthony Van Dyck |
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| Painting by George Elgar Hicks |
