Antiphona 2

Canticles 2:6 and 8:3 both contain this verse describing intimate embrace. The 'laeva sub capite' (left hand under the head) suggests rest and support; the 'dextera amplexans' (right hand embracing) indicates active love. Patristically, the two hands represent Christ's two natures - divine and human - both embracing the beloved. Applied to Mary, this describes her unique intimacy with Christ: she held him physically as infant and spiritually as Mother of God. At Vespers, the hour of rest, this antiphon presents Mary resting in her Son's eternal embrace, a model for every contemplative soul.