"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. |
VIIIe ÉLÉVATION.
Qu'est-ce que recevoir Jésus-Christ entre ses bras ?
The Eighth Elevation
What is it to receive Jesus in one's arms?
« Il prit l'Enfant entre ses bras (6). » Ce n'est pas assez de regarder Jésus-Christ; il faut le prendre, le serrer entre ses bras avec Siméon, afin qu'il n'échappe point à notre foi.
Jésus-Christ est la vérité : le tenir entre ses bras, c'est comprendre ses vérités, se les incorporer, se les unir, n'en laisser écouler aucune, les goûter, les repasser dans son cœur, s'y affectionner , en faire sa nourriture et sa force : ce qui en donne le goût et les fait mettre en pratique.
"He took the Child into his arms."[1] It is not enough just to look at Jesus Christ; we need to take Him and hold Him tight in our arms like Simeon did, so that He does not escape from our faith.
Jesus Christ is the truth; to hold Him in our arms is to understand His truths, to incorporate them, to unite ourselves to them, never to allow any to escape from us, to savour them, to ponder them in our hearts, to hold them dear, to nourish ourselves with them and to be empowered by them; this gives us a taste for them and enables us to translate them into action.
[1] He also took him into his arms, and blessed God ...: et ipse accepit eum in ulnas suas : et benedixit Deum ... :[Luc. ii. 28]
C'est un défaut de songer seulement à la pratique : il faut aller au principe de l'affection et de l'amour. Lisez le psaume CXVIII, tout consacré à la pratique de la loi de Dieu : « Heureux ceux qui marchent dans la loi de Dieu . » Mais que fait David pour cela? Il la recherche, il l’approfondit, il désire qu'elle soit sa règle, il désire de la désirer, il s'y attache par un saint et fidèle amour ; il en aime la vérité, la droiture ; il en chante les merveilles, il use ses yeux à la lire nuit et jour, il la goûte, elle est un miel céleste à sa bouche. C'est ce qui rend la pratique amoureuse et persévérante.
It is a failing simply to dream of the practice; we have to go to the principle of affection and of love. Read Psalm cxviii which is consecrated to putting into practice God's law: "Blessed are they ... who walk in the law of the Lord."[1] But how does David do that? He meditates, he depends his understanding, he once it to be his role of life, he wants to want it, he attaches himself he sings of its to it through a wholly and faithful love; he loves its truth, its straightness; he sings of its wonders, his Iowa is it tireless in reading it's night and today, he savours it, it is a celestial honey in his mouth. This is what makes for a loving and faithful practice.
[1] Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Alleluja. Beati immaculati in via, qui ambulant in lege Domini. [Ps. cxviii. 1]
Combien plus devons-nous aimer l'Évangile? Mais pour aimer l'Evangile, il faut primitivement aimer Jésus-Christ, le serrer entre ses bras, dire avec l'Epouse : « Je le tiens, et ne le quitterai pas . » Une pratique sèche ne peut pas durer : une affection vague se dissipe en l'air : il faut, par une forte affection, en venir à une solide pratique.
Ceux qui disent qu'il en faut venir à la pratique, disent vrai sans doute ; mais ceux qui pensent qu'on en peut venir à une pratique forte, courageuse et persévérante sans l'attention de l'esprit et l'occupation du cœur, ne connaissent pas la nature de l'esprit humain, et ne savent pas embrasser Jésus-Christ avec Siméon.
How much more should we love the Gospel? But in order to love the Gospel, we must first love Jesus Christ, hold Him tight in our arms, and say with the Spouse: "I held him: and I will not let him go."1] Doing this in a dry manner has no lasting effect; and a vague affection dissipates into the air. We must, through a strong affection, arrive at a solid deeds.
Those who say that we must take action, doubtless tell the truth; but those who think one can take action in a strong, courageous and persevering manner, without the attention of the spirit and the involvement of the heart, do not understand the nature of the human spirit, and do not know how to embrace Jesus Christ with Siméon.
[1] When I had a little passed by them, I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him: and I will not let him go, till I bring him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that bore me. Paululum cum pertransissem eos, inveni quem diligit anima mea : tenui eum, nec dimittam, donec introducam illum in domum matris meae, et in cubiculum genetricis meae.[Cant. iii. 4]
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