Song of Songs 3:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Consequently, He proclaims: “When I came a little way from them.” Having departed from all creation and traversed every conceivable aspect of it, I, through faith, have “found” the Beloved and will hold on to the embrace of this faith concerning the One who has been found, clinging to Him until He dwells within my 'palace.' This 'palace' undoubtedly refers to the heart, which becomes spacious enough for the Divine presence when it is restored to the state it was meant to be in at its creation. Indeed, anyone who interprets the term 'mother' to signify the initial cause of our redemption will not be mistaken.

And of course, the heart indeed is that very heart, which opens itself for the Divine indwelling as it retrieves its original form at the time of its formation in the parent. Those who identify the term 'mother' in reference to the first cause of our redemption will surely be on the right path.

He likewise appreciated the woman who reached out and was healed from her affliction, remarking: "Someone touched Me, for I perceived power had gone out from Me" (Luke 8:46). Therefore, reach out and hold onto Him through faith, and faithfully embrace His sufferings so that His power might flow into you and restore your spirit. Even if He instructs you, "Do not touch Me," persist in holding onto Him, for "I have not yet ascended to My Father" (John 20:17). When He said to refrain from touching Him upon His resurrection, it may have been directed at someone who believed He had been discreetly taken away and had not risen by His own power. In another passage, you read that He reassured those who held His feet and worshipped: "Do not be afraid" (Matthew 28:10).

O soul, cling to Him as Mary did, proclaiming: "I have taken hold of Him and will not let Him go," just as they both affirmed: "We will hold onto you!" Proceed to the Father, but do not abandon Eve, lest she falter again. Take her with you, no longer lost, but firmly anchored to the tree of life. Grasp her as she clings to your feet, so that she may rise with you. Do not forsake me, for the serpent may inject his venom again, seeking to wound the woman’s heel (Gen. 3:15) and cause Adam to stumble. Let your soul declare: "I will take you to my mother’s house and into the sanctuary of her who bore me" (Song 8:2), that I may understand your mysteries and receive your teachings. Hence, welcome Eve, no longer covered in fig leaves, but adorned with the Holy Spirit and radiant with renewed grace, for she no longer conceals her nakedness (Genesis 3:8), but approaches as if arrayed in brilliant attire, for grace is her garment. Initially, Adam was not unclothed, for innocence was his covering.

Who but the holy Church should guide you in how to hold onto Christ? She has already imparted this wisdom to you, if you truly grasp what you read: "But hardly had I," she states, "departed from them when I found Him whom my soul loves and clung to Him, refusing to let Him go." By what means is Christ held? Not through connections of unrighteousness or a cord of rope, but through the ties of love, bound by heartfelt thought and emotions. If you seek to hold Christ, pursue Him continually, unafraid of any offense; for often in the midst of suffering and even at the hands of persecutors, Christ is more readily found. Indeed, shortly after you have escaped from the grasp of your adversaries without yielding to worldly powers, Christ will come to meet you and will not allow you to be tested for long.

She who sought Christ in this manner and found Him can now say: "I embraced Him and did not let Him go until I brought Him into my mother’s house, and into the inner chamber of the one who conceived me." What is this mother’s house and inner chamber but your own inner, hidden self? Safeguard this dwelling and keep its essence pure, so it may become a spiritual abode built upon the foundation of the holy priesthood, allowing the Holy Spirit to reside within. She who earnestly seeks Christ and implores Him will not be abandoned; instead, He will visit her frequently, for He promises to remain with us until the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). What then is this mother’s house and chamber but your inward nature? Protect this space, maintain its purity, allowing it to be undefiled by thoughts of impurity, transforming it into a sacred home centered on the holy priesthood, where the Holy Spirit can dwell. Those who sincerely seek Christ and call upon Him shall not be forsaken; rather, He is ever-present, assuring us of His eternal companionship (see Matt. 28:20).

Having scarcely separated from them, she narrates that she found Him and would not allow Him to escape until she brought Him into her mother’s home and the chambers of her conception. She refers to the city as the dwelling of God, which we identify as the Church; the squares and streets symbolize the divine Scriptures, while the vigilant guardians of the city represent the holy prophets and apostles whom the devout soul, yearning for the Divine Word, consults. Following them, she encounters the Bridegroom along with His guardians and servants. Grasping Him tightly, she resolves not to let Him go until she ushers Him into her mother’s house and the chambers of her conception. We understand that the mother of all the faithful is the heavenly Jerusalem, of which the blessed Paul declares: But the heavenly Jerusalem is free; she is the mother of us all (Galatians 4:26).

Until I have brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me (Song of Songs 3:4; LXX). This expresses the voice of the Church. If the Church is indeed the mother of all believers, it is essential to recognize who the progenitor of the Church is, into whose abode, she declares, she has led her beloved. As previously noted, the Church represents the body of Christ, comprised of united members. The mother of the Church is the holy heavenly Jerusalem.

They encourage our righteous desires through their teachings, whether spoken or written. After briefly passing their guidance, we ultimately find the One we adore; for although our Redeemer was a man among men in His humanity, He reigns supreme in His divinity. Thus, once the guardians are surpassed, we are led to the discovery of the Beloved.