"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. |
IIIe ÉLÉVATION.
La purification de Marie.
Third Elevation
The Purification of Mary
Ne cherchons aucun prétexte pour nous exempter de l'observation de la loi. Par les termes mêmes de la loi de la purification , il paraît que la suinte Vierge en était exempte, n'ayant contracté ni l'impureté des conceptions ordinaires, ni celle du sang et des autres suites des vulgaires enfantements. Elle obéit néanmoins :elle s'y croit obligée pour l'édification publique, comme son Fils avait obéi par son ministère à la loi servile de la circoncision.
Let us not seek any pretext for exempting ourselves from the observation of the the Law. By the very terms of the Law on purification, it appears that the Blessed Virgin was exempt, having contracted neither the impurity resulting from ordinary conception nor that of blood and other consequences of childbirth. She was nevertheless obedient; she considered herself obliged to follow the Law for the sake of public edification, just as her Son had obeyed through her agency the Law on circumcision.
Ne cherchons aucun prétexte de nous dispenser des saintes observances de l'Eglise, de ses jeûnes, de ses abstinences, de ses ordonnances. Le plus dangereux prétexte de se dispenser de ce que Dieu demande de nous, est la gloire des hommes. Un fidèle vous dira : Si je m'humilie, si je me relâche, si je pardonne, on dira que j'aurai tort. Un ecclésiastique à qui vous conseillerez de se retirer durant quelque temps dans un séminaire, pour se recueillir et se redresser contre ses dissipations, vous dira : On croira qu'on me l'a ordonné par pénitence, et on me croira coupable. Mais ni Jésus, ni Marie n'ont eu ces vues : Jésus ne dit pas : On me croira pécheur comme les autres, si je subis la loi de la circoncision : Marie ne dit pas : On me croira mère comme les autres, et le péché comme la concupiscence mêlé dans la conception de mon Fils comme dans celle des autres ; ce qui fera tort non tant à moi qu'à la dignité et à la sainteté de ce cher Fils : elle subit la loi, et donne un exemple admirable à tout l'univers de mettre sa gloire dans celle de Dieu et dans l'honneur de lui obéir, et d'édifier son Eglise.
Let us not seek any pretext for dispensing ourselves from the holy observances of the Church, from her fasts, from her abstinences and from her ordinances. The most dangerous pretext for dispensing ourselves from what God requires of us is the glory of men. A member of the faithful will say to you: 'If I abase myself, if I let myself go, if I say sorry, they will say I'm in the wrong. An ecclesiastic who is advised to withdraw for a certain time in a seminary, to recollect himself and to strengthen himself against dissipations, will say to you: 'People will think I've been ordered to do this as a penance, and they will think I am guilty of sin.' But neither Jesus nor Mary viewed things thus; Jesus did not say: 'They will think I am a sinner like others, if I submit to the law on circumcision.' Mary did not say:'People think I'm a mother like others, with sin and concupiscence staining the conception of my Son, just like it does for others; this will be a wrong not so much to me as to the dignity and the holiness of this beloved Son.' She submits to the Law, and provides an admirable example to the whole world of seeking her glory in that of God and in the honour of obeying Him, building thereby His Church.
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