"And thy own soul a sword shall pierce" are words spoken by Simeon to Our Blessed Mother when she presented her first-born in the Temple, in accordance with the Law of Moses.
It is traditional to reflect on the Sorrows of Mary in the month of September. To this end, in the following posts I offer the words of the French scholar and preacher Bossuet, taken from his Elevation* on the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple. I have added my own (fairly literal) translation and occasional notes on Scriptural references.
*élévation: THÉOLOGIE. Mouvement de l’âme vers Dieu ; prière qui favorise et traduit ce mouvement. Elevation: theology. A movement of the soul towards God; a prayer that favours and translates this movement.
Laudetur Jesus Christus et Maria Immaculata.
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| The Presentation in the Temple. J-J Tissot. |
The XIIe ÉLÉVATION.
Prédictions du saint vieillard. Jésus-Christ en butte aux contradictions.
The 12th Elevation
Prophecies of Simeon. Jesus Christ as a sign of contradiction.
« Cet enfant que vous voyez, est pour la ruine et pour la résurrection de plusieurs dans Israël » C'est ce qu'opère tout ce qui est haut et ce qui est simple tout ensemble. On ne peut atteindre à sa hauteur : on dédaigne sa simplicité : ou bien on le veut atteindre par soi-même ; et on ne peut, et on se trouble , et on se perd dans son orgueil. Mais les humbles cœurs entrent dans les profondeurs de Dieu sans s'émouvoir ; et éloignés du monde et de ses pensées, ils trouvent la vie dans la hauteur des œuvres de Dieu.
"Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel."[1] This is how something which is high and at the same time simple operates; we cannot scale its heights and we are disdainful of its simplicity, or we try through our own efforts to scale the heights, but we can't and this troubles us, and we lose ourselves in our pride. But hearts which are humble penetrate to the depths of God without trouble; and setting themselves aside from the world and thoughts thereof, they find life in the heights of the works of God.
« Et il sera en butte aux contradictions des hommes. » Siméon est inspiré de parler à fond à Marie, qui plais (pie personne a ces oreilles intérieures où le Verbe se fait entendre. Ouvrons l'Evangile, et surtout celui de saint Jean, où le mystère de Jésus-Christ est découvert plus à fond : c'est le plus parfait commentaire de la parole de Siméon. Ecoutons murmurer le peuple. « Les uns disaient : C'est un homme de bien; les autres disaient: Non, il trompe le peuple et abuse de sa crédulité. N'est-ce pas lui qu'ils voulaient faire mourir? Et il prêche et personne ne lui dit mot :les prêtres auraient-ils connu qu'il est le Christ ? Mais on ne saura d'où viendra le Christ, et celui-ci nous savons d'où il est venu (1). Que veut-il dire, qu'on ne peut aller où il va ? Ira-t-il aux gentils dispersés, et s'en rendra-t-il le docteur? Les uns disaient : C'est le Christ ; les autres disaient : Le Christ doit-il venir de Galilée? Ne sait-on pas qu'il doit venir de Bethléem ? Il y eut donc sur ce sujet une grande dissension, et le voilà « en butte aux contradictions des hommes. »
And He will be "a sign which shall be contradicted;"[1] Simeon is inspired to speak to Mary's heart, to her whose soul had, as it were, ears and to whom the Word could speak. Letters consult the Gospels, and especially the gospel of Saint John, where the mystery of Jesus Christ is revealed in greater depth: it is the most perfect commentary on the words of Simeon. Let us listen to the people murmuring. "For some said: He is a good man. And others said: No, but he seduceth the people." [2] "Is not this he whom they seek to kill? And behold, he speaketh openly, and they say nothing to him. Have the rulers known for a truth, that this is the Christ? But we know this man, whence he is: but when the Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is."[3] What does he mean, that we cannot go where he is going? Is he going to the scattered gentiles, and will he become their Teacher? Some said:'It is the Christ;' others said:'Can the Christ come from Galilee? Don't we know that he is to come from Bethlehem?' There was thus on the subject much disagreement, and hence He is "a sign which shall be contradicted."
Poursuivons. Jésus répète encore une fois : « Je m'en vais, et vous ne pouvez venir où je vais. » Où ira-t-il? « Se tuera-t-il lui-même (3), » afin qu'on ne puisse le suivre? Ce n'était pas seulement les infidèles et les incrédules qui contredisaient à ses paroles : ceux qui croyaient, mais non pas encore assez à fond, aussitôt qu'ils lui entendirent dire cette parole la plus consolante qu'il ait jamais prononcée: « La vérité vous affranchira, » s'emportèrent jusqu'à oublier leurs captivités si fréquentes, et jusqu'à lui dire : Vous nous traitez d'esclaves : « nous n'avons jamais été dans l'esclavage (4). » Il leur fait voir leur captivité sous le péché , dont lui seul pouvait les affranchir : ils ne veulent point s'apaiser ; et de discours en discours, pendant que Jésus leur dit la vérité, ils s'emportent jusqu'à lui dire qu'il était « un samaritain et possédé du malin esprit, » sans être touchés de sa douceur : l'entretien se finit par vouloir prendre des pierres pour le lapider.
Let us continue. Jesus repeats:"I go . . . Whither I go, you cannot come."[4] Where will He go? "Will he kill himself?"[4] so that we cannot follow him? It was not only those without faith and incredulous who contradicted his words; those who did believe, but not sufficiently deeply, as soon as they heard from Him these words, the most consoling that He had ever uttered the: "The truth will set you free,"[5] was so taken as to forget their own history of captivity, even to the point of saying two Him: you are treating us like slaves; "we have never been slaves to any man:"[6] He caused them to see their enslavement to saint, from which He alone could set them free. They would hear nothing of it, and in speech after speech in which Jesus was telling them the truth, they went so far as to tell Him that He was "a Samaritan, and hast a devil,"[7] without being moved at all by His gentleness. The conversation concluded when they took up stones and sought to cast them at Him.
Continuons. « Je donne, leur dit-il, ma vie de moi-même, et personne ne me la peut ôter . » Et il s'élève sur cette parole de nouvelles dissensions : « C'est un possédé, disaient les uns, c'est un fol; pourquoi l'écouter davantage? D'autres disaient : Ce ne sont pas là les paroles d'un possédé; un possédé rend-il la vue à un aveugle-né ? » Les contradictions étaient fortes; les défenseurs étaient faibles; et le parti des contradicteurs devint si fort, qu'à la fin il met en croix l'innocence même. « Ils s'amassent pourtant autour de lui ; » et avec une bonne foi apparente ils lui disent : « Pourquoi nous faire mourir et nous tenir toujours en suspens? Si vous êtes le Christ, dites-le nous ouvertement . » Il le leur avait dit tant de fois, et ses œuvres mêmes partaient ; ce qui lui fait dire : « Je vous le dis , et vous ne me croyez pas ; » et quand je me tairais, «les œuvres que je fais au nom de mon Père rendent témoignage de moi (1). » Ils ne l'en croient pas, et ils en reviennent à prendre des pierres pour le lapider : tant il était né pour essuyer les contradictions du genre humain.
Let us continue. "I lay down my life" He says to them, "No man taketh it away from me:"[8] a new dissension arose about these words. " 'He hath a devil,' said some, 'and is mad: why hear you him?' 'These are not the words of one that hath a devil: Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?'"[9] The contradictions were powerful, the defenders were weak; the the group contradicting His words became so strong, but in the end they crucified innocence itself. "The Jews therefore came round about him," and apparently in good faith they said to him: "'How long dost thou hold our souls in suspense? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.'"[10] He had told them so many times and His works themselves bore witness; which made Him say to them them: "I speak to you, and you believe not:" and when I am silent, "the works that I do in the name of my Father, they give testimony of me."[10]
On le chicanait sur tout : « Pourquoi vos disciples méprisent-t-ils nos traditions? Ils se mettent à table sans se laver (2). » Voici une chicane bien plus étrange. « Cet homme ne vient pas de Dieu : il fait des miracles et il guérit les malades le jour du sabbat (3). » Ils n'eussent pas « craint le jour du sabbat de retirer d'un fossé leur âne ou leur bœuf (4) : » mais guérir le jour du sabbat une fille d'Abraham , et la délivrer du malin esprit dont elle était opprimée, c'est un crime abominable. Faut-il s'étonner si on contredit sa doctrine et ses mystères , puisqu'on trouve mauvais jusqu'à ses miracles et à ses bienfaits ?
They quarrel with him over everything: "Why do your disciples not respect our traditions? They sit down at table without washing themselves." [11] Here is a quibble which is even more strange: " This man is not of God: he performs miracles and he heals the sick on the Sabbath-day." They, however, did not "fear on the Sabbath day to withdraw from a ditch their ass or their ox;" [12] but to heal on the Sabbath day a daughter of Abraham, and to deliver her from a demon by which he was oppressed, that is a terrible crime. Can we be astonished if they contradict His teaching and His mysteries, since they find that even his miracles and his acts of kindness are evil?
Notes
[1] And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted;Et benedixit illis Simeon, et dixit ad Mariam matrem ejus : Ecce positus est hic in ruinam, et in resurrectionem multorum in Israel, et in signum cui contradicetur :[Luc. ii. 34] the. II
[2] And there was much murmuring among the multitude concerning him. For some said: He is a good man. And others said: No, but he seduceth the people.Et murmur multum erat in turba de eo. Quidam enim dicebant : Quia bonus est. Alii autem dicebant : Non, sed seducit turbas.[Joan. vii. 12]
[3] Some therefore of Jerusalem said: Is not this he whom they seek to kill? Dicebant ergo quidam ex Jerosolymis : Nonne hic est, quem quaerunt interficere? And behold, he speaketh openly, and they say nothing to him. Have the rulers known for a truth, that this is the Christ? et ecce palam loquitur, et nihil ei dicunt. Numquid vere cognoverunt principes quia hic est Christus? But we know this man, whence he is: but when the Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.Sed hunc scimus unde sit : Christus autem cum venerit, nemo scit unde sit.[Joan. vii. 25-27]
[4] Again therefore Jesus said to them: I go, and you shall seek me, and you shall die in your sin. Whither I go, you cannot come.Dixit ergo iterum eis Jesus : Ego vado, et quaeretis me, et in peccato vestro moriemini. Quo ego vado, vos non potestis venire.The Jews therefore said: Will he kill himself, because he said: Whither I go, you cannot come?Dicebant ergo Judaei : Numquid interficiet semetipsum, quia dixit : Quo ego vado, vos non potestis venire? [Joan. viii. 21-22]
[5] And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.et cognoscetis veritatem, et veritas liberabit vos.[Joan. viii. 32]
[6] They answered him: We are the seed of Abraham, and we have never been slaves to any man: how sayest thou: you shall be free?Responderunt ei : Semen Abrahae sumus, et nemini servivimus umquam : quomodo tu dicis : Liberi eritis?Jesus answered them: Amen, amen I say unto you: that whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin.Respondit eis Jesus : Amen, amen dico vobis : quia omnis qui facit peccatum, servus est peccati.[Joan. viii. 33-34]
[7] The Jews therefore answered, and said to him: Do not we say well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Responderunt ergo Judaei, et dixerunt ei : Nonne bene dicimus nos quia Samaritanus es tu, et daemonium habes?[Joan. viii. 48]
[8] Therefore doth the Father love me: because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. Propterea me diligit Pater : quia ego pono animam meam, ut iterum sumam eam. No man taketh it away from me: but I lay it down of myself, and I have power to lay it down: and I have power to take it up again. This commandment have I received of my Father. Nemo tollit eam a me : sed ego pono eam a meipso, et potestatem habeo ponendi eam, et potestatem habeo iterum sumendi eam. Hoc mandatum accepi a Patre meo.[Joan. x. 17, 18]
[9] A dissension rose again among the Jews for these words. Dissensio iterum facta est inter Judaeos propter sermones hos.And many of them said: He hath a devil, and is mad: why hear you him?Dicebant autem multi ex ipsis : Daemonium habet, et insanit : quid eum auditis? Others said: These are not the words of one that hath a devil: Can a devil open the eyes of the blind? Alii dicebant : Haec verba non sunt daemonium habentis : numquid daemonium potest caecorum oculos aperire? [Joan. x. 19-21]
[10] The Jews therefore came round about him, and said to him: How long dost thou hold our souls in suspense? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Circumdederunt ergo eum Judaei, et dicebant ei : Quousque animam nostram tollis? si tu es Christus, dic nobis palam. Jesus answered them: I speak to you, and you believe not: the works that I do in the name of my Father, they give testimony of me. Respondit eis Jesus : Loquor vobis, et non creditis : opera quae ego facio in nomine Patris mei, haec testimonium perhibent de me :[Joan. x. 24,25]
[11] [2] Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the ancients? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. Quare discipuli tui transgrediuntur traditionem seniorum? non enim lavant manus suas cum panem manducant. [Matt. xv. 2]
[12] And answering them, he said: Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fall into a pit, and will not immediately draw him out, on the sabbath day? Et respondens ad illos dixit : Cujus vestrum asinus, aut bos in puteum cadet, et non continuo extrahet illum die sabbati? [Luc. xiv. 5]
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