Bossuet 15 : Contradictions against Jesus Christ on the mystery of grace

"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.

The Presentation in the Temple. J-J Tissot.

XVe ÉLÉVATION.

Contradictions contre Jésus-Christ sur te mystère de la grâce.

The Fifteenth Elevation

Contradictions against Jesus Christ on the mystery of grace

Voici encore un écueil terrible pour l'orgueil humain. L'homme dit en son cœur : J'ai mon franc arbitre : Dieu m'a fait libre, etje me veux faire juste : je veux que le coup qui décide de mon salut éternellement vienne primitivement de moi. Ainsi on veut par quelque coin se glorifier en soi-même. Où allez-vous, vaisseau fragile ? vous allez vous briser contre l'écueil, et vous priver du secours de Dieu qui n'aide que les humbles, et qui les fait humbles pour les aider. Connaissez-vous bien la chute de votre nature pécheresse ; et après même en avoir été relevé, l'extrême langueur, la profonde maladie qui vous en reste ? Dieu veut que vous lui disiez : « Guérissez-moi ; » car à tout moment je me meurs, etje ne puis rien sans vous. Dieu vont que vous lui demandiez toutes les bonnes actions que vous devez faire : quand vous les avez faites. Dieu veut que vous lui rendiez grâces de les avoir faites. Il ne veut pas pour cela que vous demeuriez sans action, sans effort-mais il veut qu'en vous efforçant comme si vous deviez agir tout seul, vous ne vous glorifiiez non plus en vous-même que si vous ne faisiez rien.

Here is another terrible trap for human pride.  A man  says in his heart: 'I have my free will; God has made me free, and I want to do the right thing; but I want that which decides my eternal salvation to come originally from me.'  And so, in this little way, the man seeks glory for himself.  But where are you going, you fragile vessel?  You are going to fall in a trap, smash yourself, and cut yourself off from the help of God Who gives his help only to the humble, and Who makes them humble in order to help them.  Do you fully understand the fall of your sinful nature; and even after having been raised up from it, the extreme languor, the deep sickness which still remains in you?  God wants you to say "Heal me;"[1] for at each moment I am dying, and I can do nothing without you.  God wants you to ask from the Him all the good things that you must do; and, when you have done them, God wants you to thank Him for having done them.  For all that, he doesn't want you to remain idle, making no effort yourself, but He does not want you to act as though you were all alone, and He doesn't want you to glorify yourself any more than He wants you to do nothing at all.

[1] Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. Miserere mei, Domine, quoniam infirmus sum; sana me, Domine, quoniam conturbata sunt ossa mea.[Psal. vi. 3.]

Je ne puis : je veux trouver quelque chose à quoi me prendre dans mon libre arbitre, que je ne puis accorder avec cet abandon à la grâce. Superbe contradicteur, voulez-vous accorder ces choses, ou bien croire que Dieu les accorde? Il les accorde tellement qu'il veut, sans vous relâcher de votre action, que vous lui attribuiez finalement tout l'ouvrage de votre salut : car il est le Sauveur ; et il dit : « Il n'y a point de Dieu qui sauve que moi (1). » Croyez bien que Jésus-Christ est Sauveur, et toutes les contradictions s'évanouiront.

I cannot do it: I want to find something in which I can make use of my own free will, but which I can reconcile with this abandonment to God's grace.  This is an artful contradiction, do you really want to reconcile these things, or to believe that God reconciles them?  He reconciles them in such a way that, without taking anything away from your own action, He wants you to attribute to Him, finally, the work of your salvation; for He is the Saviour, and He says: "there is no Saviour besides me." [1] Please believe that Jesus Christ is the Saviour and then all the apparent contradictions melt away.  

[1] I am, I am the Lord: and there is no saviour besides me. Ego sum, ego sum Dominus; et non est absque me salvator.[Isai. xliii. 11]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bossuet 14 : The person of Jesus Christ, a sign of contradiction even for some Christians

"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.

The Presentation in the Temple. J-J Tissot.

XIVe ÉLÉVATION.

Contradictions des chrétiens mêmes contre Jésus-Christ, sur sa personne.

The Fourteenth Elevation

A sign of contradiction even for Christians, on the person of Jesus Christ

Je frémis, je sèche, Seigneur, je suis saisi de frayeur et d'étonnement; mon cœur se pâme , se flétrit, quand je vous vois en butte aux contradictions, non-seulement des infidèles, mais encore de ceux qui se disent vos disciples. Et premièrement, quelles contradictions sur votre personne ! Vous êtes tellement Dieu qu'on ne peut croire que vous soyez homme : vous êtes tellement homme, qu'on ne peut croire que vous soyez Dieu. Les uns ont dit : « Le Verbe est en Dieu ; » mais ce n'est rien de substantiel ni de subsistant : il est en Dieu comme notre pensée est en nous : en ce sens il est Dieu comme la pensée est notre aine. Car qu'est-ce que la pensée, sinon notre âme en tant qu'elle pense? Non, disent les autres : on voit trop que le Verbe est quelque chose qui subsiste : c'est un fils ; c'est une personne : qui ne le voit pas par toutes les actions et toutes les choses qu'on lui attribue? Mais aussi ne doit-on pas croire que cet homme qui est né de Marie, sans être rien autre chose, est cette personne qu'on nomme le Fils de Dieu? Quoi! il n'est pas devant Marie, lui qui dit qu'il est « devant Abraham ? » lui qui « était au commencement ? » Vous vous trompez, il est évident, dit Arius, qu'il est devant que le monde fût : c'est dès lors une personne subsistante ; mais inférieure à Dieu, faite du néant comme le sont les créatures, quoique plus excellente. Tiré du néant? cela ne se peut : lui « par qui tout a été tiré du néant . » Comment donc est-il fils? Un fils n'est-il pas produit de la substance de son père, et de même nature que lui? Le Fils de Dieu sera-t-il moins fils, et Dieu sera-t-il moins père que les hommes ne le sont? Il serait donc fils par adoption comme nous? Et comment avec cela « être fils unique, qui est dans le sein du Père  ? » Arius, vous avez tort, dit Nestorius : Le Fils de Dieu est Dieu comme lui ; mais aussi ne peut-il pas en même temps être fait homme? Il habite en l'homme comme Dieu habite dans un temple par grâce; et si le Fils de Dieu est fils par nature, l'homme qu'il s'est uni par sa grâce ne l'est que par adoption.

I tremble, I know not what to say, O Lord, I am seized with fear and astonishment ; my heart swoons and I feel weak when I see you become a sign of contradiction, not only for those without faith but also for those who call themselves your disciples.  Firstly, consider the contradictions about your person!  You are God to such an extent that they cannot believe you could be a man; you are a man in such a way that they cannot believe you might be God.  Some say "the Word was with God;"[1] but he is nothing substantial nor subsisting; he is in God as our thought is in us; in this sense he is God like a thought is for us.  For what is a thought, other than our soul in as much as the soul is thinking thoughts?  But no, say others: it is plain to see that the Word is something which subsists; he is a son; he is a person: who does not see this in all the actions and all the things that are attributed to him?  And aren't we obliged to believe that this man who was born of Mary, without being anything else, is is person who is called the Son of God?  What!  Is he not before Mary, he who says that he is " before Abraham?"[2]  - he "who was in the beginning?"[3] You are in error, it is evident, said Arius, that he is before the world was; he is accordingly a subsisting person, but lower than God, made from nothing just like all creatures, but more excellent.  Made from nothing?  That is not possible for him " through whom all was created from nothing."[4] How then is he a son?  For is not a son a product of the substance of his father, and of the same nature as him?  Would the Son of God be less of a son, and would God be less of a father than men are?  Would he then be a son by adoption as we are?  And that being the case, how could he be "the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father?" Arius, you are in error, said Nestorius: the Son of God is God like him; but could he not also at the same time be made man?  He dwells in man as God dwells in a temple through grace; and if the Son is a son by nature, the man to whom he has united himself through his grace is a man only by adoption.

[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum.[Joan.i.1]

[2] Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am. Dixit eis Jesus : Amen, amen dico vobis, antequam Abraham fieret, ego sum.[Joan.viii.58] move

[3] The same was in the beginning with God. Hoc erat in principio apud Deum.[Joan.i.2]

[4] All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. Omnia per ipsum facta sunt : et sine ipso factum est nihil, quod factum est.[Joan.i.2]

[5] No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. Deum nemo vidit umquam : unigenitus Filius, qui est in sinu Patris, ipse enarravit.[Joan.i.18]

On s'oppose à cette perverse doctrine : on dit à Nestorius : Vous séparez trop : il faut unir jusqu'à tout confondre, et faire de deux natures une nature. Hélas! quand finiront ces contentions? Pouvez-vous croire, disent ceux-ci, qu'un Dieu puisse en effet se rabaisser jusqu'à être effectivement homme? La chair n'est pas digne de lui : il n'en a point, si ce n'est une fantastique et imaginaire. Imaginaire ! dit l'autre; et comment donc a-t-on dit : « Le Verbe a été fait chair , » en définissant l'incarnation par l'endroit que vous rebutez? Il a une chair, et l'incarnation n'est pas une tromperie. Mais le Verbe lui tient lieu d'âme : ou bien, si vous voulez lui donner une âme, donnons-lui celle des bêtes quelle qu'elle soit; mais ne lui donnons point celle des hommes. Le Verbe est son âme encore un coup : ou du moins il est son intelligence : il veut par sa volonté, et il ne peut en avoir d'autre. Est-ce tout enfin ? Oui c'est tout : car on a tout contesté, le corps, l’âme, les opérations intellectuelles; et toutes les contradictions sont épuisées. Jésus est donc « en butte aux contradictions » de ceux qui se disent ses disciples! Car, disent-ils, le moyen de comprendre cela et cela? Mais Jésus avait prévenu les contradictions par une seule parole : « Dieu a tant aimé le monde, qu'il lui a donné son Fils unique .»

Others reject this perverse teaching: they say to Nestorius: You take separation too far: you should join things into a unity, and make of two natures but one nature.  Alas!  When will these contentions cease? Can you believe, say some, that a God can in reality so lower himself as to become, effectively, a man?  Flesh is not worthy of him; he does not have flesh, except in a fantastical and imaginary sense.  Imaginary?  Says another; and so how has it been written: "and was made flesh,"[1] defining the incarnation there where you rebut it?  He has flesh, and incarnation is not a delusion.  But the Word had for him the place of a soul; or even, if you want to attribute to a soul to him, give him whatever soul that the beasts have; but do not give him a human soul.  The Word is his soul; or at least it is his intelligence; he will through his own will, and he cannot have any other.  And is that finally everything?  Yes it is everything; for everything has been questioned: body, soul, and intellectual operations; and all contradictions have been exhausted.  Jesus is therefore "a sign which shall be contradicted" by those who call themselves his disciples!  For, they say, how to understand this and that?  But Jesus had anticipated these contradictions through one single utterance: " For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son;"[2]

[1] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Et Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis : et vidimus gloriam ejus, gloriam quasi unigeniti a Patre plenum gratiae et veritatis.[Joan.i.14]

[2] For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting. Sic enim Deus dilexit mundum, ut Filium suum unigenitum daret : ut omnis qui credit in eum, non pereat, sed habeat vitam aeternam.[Joan.iii.16]

Pour tout entendre, il ne faut qu'entendre son amour. « Dieu a tant aimé le momie. » Un amour incompréhensible produit des effets qui le sont aussi. Vous demandez des pourquoi à Dieu? Pourquoi un Dieu se faire homme! Jésus-Christ vous dit ce pourquoi. « Dieu a tant aimé le monde. » Tenez-vous-en là : les hommes ingrats ne veulent pas croire que Dieu les aime autant qu'il fait. Mais le disciple bien-aimé résout leurs doutes, en disant : « Nous avons cru à l'amour que Dieu a pour nous . » Dieu a tant aimé le monde : et que reste-t-il après cela, sinon de croire à l'amour pour croire à tous les mystères ?

To understand all, we have only to understand His love.  "God so loved the world." A love which is incomprehensible produces effects which are also incomprehensible. Why do you ask so many why-questions of God?  Why would God become man!  Jesus Christ answers this question."God so loved the world." Hold fast to this; ungrateful men do not wish to believe that God loves them so much.  But the beloved disciple removes their doubts, when he says: "And we have known, and have believed the charity, which God hath to us."[1] God so loved the world, and what is there left after that, except to believe in this love, in order to believe in all the mysteries?

[1]  And we have known, and have believed the charity, which God hath to us. God is charity: and he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him. Et nos cognovimus, et credidimus caritati, quam habet Deus in nobis. Deus caritas est : et qui manet in caritate, in Deo manet, et Deus in eo. [I Joan. iv. 16] 

Esprits aussi insensibles à l'amour divin, que vous êtes d'ailleurs présomptueux. Le mystère de l'Eucharistie vous rebute? Pourquoi nous donner sa chair et s'unir à nous corps à corps pour s'y unir esprit à esprit? « Dieu a tant aimé le monde, » dit Jésus : et saint Jean répond pour nous tous : « Nous avons cru à l'amour que Dieu a eu pour nous. » Mais il est incompréhensible : c'est pour cela que je veux le croire et m'y abîmer : il n'en est que plus digne de Dieu. Après cela il ne faut plus disputer, mais aimer ; et après que Jésus a dit : « Dieu a tant aimé le monde, » il ne fau-droit plus que dire : Le monde racheté a tant aimé Dieu.

O ye spirits, as insensitive to divine love as you are full of presumption besides!  You find the mystery of the Eucharist off-putting?  Why would He give His flesh and unite himself with us body to body in order to unite himself spirit to spirit?  "God so loved the world," says Jesus. Saint John replies on behalf of us all: "And we have known, and have believed the charity, which God hath to us." But this is incomprehensible; it is for this reason that I want to believe it and contemplate its depths; there is nothing more worthy of God.  After this, there is no more room for disputes, but only for love; and in reply to the words of Jesus: "God so loved the world," all that should be said is: "The redeemed world so loves God."

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bossuet 13: The Genesis of the Contradiction

 "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.

The Presentation in the Temple. J-J Tissot.

XIIIe ÉLÉVATION.

D'où  naissaient  ces  contradictions.

The Thirteenth Elevation

The Genesis of the Contradiction

« Vous êtes d'en bas, et je suis d'en haut : » Je viens apprendre aux hommes des choses hautes qui les passent; et les hommes superbes ne veulent pas s'humilier pour les recevoir.

« Vous êtes du monde , et je ne suis pas du monde : » Vous êtes charnels et sensuels ; et ce que je vous annonce qui est spirituel , ne peut entrer dans votre esprit. Il faut que je vous régénère , que je vous renouvelle, que je vous refonde, car, « ce qui est né de la chair est chair , » et on n'est spirituel qu'en renaissant et en renonçant à sa première vie.

"You are from beneath, I am from above."[1] I come to teach men about high things which pass over them; and men who are proud do not want to humble themselves in order to receive these things.

"You are of this world, I am not of this world."[1] You are carnal and sensual but what I announce to you is spiritual and cannot enter into your spirit.  It is necessary for me to regenerate you, to renew you and to recast you, because "That which is born of the flesh, is flesh"[2] the a man is spiritual only by being reborn and renouncing his former life.

« La lumière est venue au monde ; et les hommes ont mieux aimé les ténèbres que la lumière, parce que leurs œuvres étaient mauvaises. » Car « celui qui fait mal hait la lumière; et il ne vient point à la lumière, de peur que ses œuvres ne soient manifestées . »

Voilà trois paroles du Fils de Dieu , qui contiennent trois raisons pour lesquelles les hommes n'ont pu le souffrir. Ils sont superbes, et ils ne veulent pas s'humilier pour recevoir les sublimités qu'il leur annonce : ils sont charnels et sensuels, et ils ne veulent pas se dépouiller de leurs sens pour entrer dans les choses spirituelles où il les veut faire entrer : ils sont vicieux et corrompus, et ils ne peuvent souffrir d'être repris par la vérité.

"The light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light: for their works were evil."[3] For "every one that doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his works may not be reproved."[3]

These are three utterances of the Son of God which contain three reasons why men could not endure Him.  They are proud and they have no wish to humble themselves in order to receive the sublime gifts which He announces to them; they are carnal and sensual and they do not wish to strip themselves of their senses in order to enter into the spiritual things which He offers them; and, through vices and corruption, they cannot tolerate being reclaimed by truth. 

« Vous me voulez faire mourir, dit le Sauveur, parce que ma parole ne prend point en vous et n'y trouve point d'entrée . » Ainsi elle vous révolte , parce que vous ne pouvez pas y entrer. Comme jamais il n'y eut de vérité ni plus haute, ni plus spirituelle, ni plus convaincante et plus vivement reprenante que celle de Jésus-Christ, il n'y eut jamais aussi une plus grande révolte ni une plus grande contradiction. C'est pourquoi il en faut venir jusqu'à la détruire, jusqu'à faire mourir celui qui l'annonce. « Vous cherchez à me faire mourir, moi qui suis un homme qui vous dis la vérité. » Voilà le sujet de votre haine : « Vous ne connaissez pas mon langage. » Pourquoi? « parce que vous ne pouvez pas seulement écouter ma parole : » elle vous est insupportable, parce qu'elle est vive, convaincante, irrépréhensible.

"You seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you."[4] and this word causes you to revolt because you cannot enter therein.  As there has never been a truth which is higher, more spiritual, more convincing and more restorative of life than that of Jesus Christ, neither has there been a greater revolt nor a greater contradiction.  This is why they felt obliged to destroy it and to put to death Him Who announced it.  "But now you seek to kill me, a man who has spoken the truth to you"[5] Here is the subject of your hatred: "Why do you not know my speech? Because you cannot hear my word."[6] My word is intolerable for you because it is life-giving, convincing and beyond reproach.

C'est la grande contradiction que souffre Jésus : les hommes se révoltent contre lui, parce qu'ils ne veulent pas se convertir, s'humilier, se mortifier , combattre leurs cupidités et leurs passions. Ils aimeront quelquefois ses vérités qui sont belles en elles-mêmes : quand elles se tournent en jugement, en répréhension, en correction , ils se révoltent contre lui et contre les prédicateurs qui prêchent les vérités fortes ; et contre les supérieurs , contre les amis qui nous mettent nos défauts devant les yeux, et qui troublent le faux repos d'une mauvaise conscience. C'est de ce côté-là plus que de tous les autres que Jésus-Christ est « en butte aux contradictions, » et cet endroit est pour lui le plus sensible.

Here is the great contradiction that Jesus endures: men revolt against Him because they do not want to be converted, to humble themselves, to modify themselves, to overcome their their desires and their passions.  They will occasionally be attracted to His truths which are beautiful in themselves; but when these truths turn to the questions of judgment, of reproach, and of correction, men revolt against Him and against preachers who proclaim these mighty truths; and against superiors, against friends who lay our sins before our eyes and to disturb the false peace of a bad conscience.  It is in this sense more than in any other that Jesus Christ is "a sign which shall be contradicted;" and He is most sensitive in this.

Notes

[1] And he said to them: You are from beneath, I am from above. You are of this world, I am not of this world. Et dicebat eis : Vos de de the orsum estis, ego de supernis sum. Vos de mundo hoc estis, ego non sum de hoc mundo. [Joan.viii.23.] The

[2] That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit. Quod natum est ex carne, caro est : et quod natum est ex spiritu, spiritus est.[Joan.iii.6.]

[3] And this is the judgment: because the light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light: for their works were evil. Hoc est autem judicium : quia lux venit in mundum, et dilexerunt homines magis tenebras quam lucem : erant enim eorum mala opera. For every one that doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his works may not be reproved. Omnis enim qui male agit, odit lucem, et non venit ad lucem, ut non arguantur opera ejus :[Joan.iii.19, 20.]

[4] I know that you are the children of Abraham: but you seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. Scio quia filii Abrahae estis : sed quaeritis me interficere, quia sermo meus non capit in vobis.[Joan.viii.37.] 

[5] But now you seek to kill me, a man who have spoken the truth to you, which I have heard of God. This Abraham did not. Nunc autem quaeritis me interficere, hominem, qui veritatem vobis locutus sum, quam audivi a Deo : hoc Abraham non fecit.[Joan.viii.37.] 

[6] Why do you not know my speech? Because you cannot hear my word. Quare loquelam meam non cognoscitis? Quia non potestis audire sermonem meum.[Joan.viii.43.] 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bossuet 12: Prophecies of Simeon. Jesus Christ as a sign of contradiction.

 "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.

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]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bossuet 11: The Wonderment of Joseph and Mary

"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.

The Presentation in the Temple. J-J Tissot.

XIe ÉLÉVATION.

Admiration de Joseph et de Marie.

Eleventh Elevation

The Wonderment of Joseph and Mary

« Le père et la mère de l'enfant étaient en admiration de ce qu'on disait de lui  » Pourquoi tant être en admiration ? Ils en savaient plus que tous ceux qui leur en parlaient. Il est vrai que l'ange ne leur avait pas encore annoncé la vocation des gentils. Marie n'avait ouï parler que « du trône de David et de la maison de Jacob. » Elle avait senti toutefois par un instinct manifestement prophétique et sans limitation, que « dans tous les temps on la publierait bienheureuse : » ce qui semblait comprendre tous les peuples comme tous les âges : et l'adoration des mages était un présage de la conversion des gentils. Quoi qu'il en soit, Siméon est le premier qui paroisse l'avoir annoncée , et c'était un grand sujet d'admiration.

"And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him."[1] Why such wonderment?  They knew more about this than all those who spoke to them.  It is true that the angel had not yet revealed the calling of the Gentiles.  Mary had only heard words about "the throne of David and the house of Jacob."[2] She had for a long time felt, by an instinct manifestly prophetic and without any limitation, that "henceforth all generations will call her blessed;"[3] this seemed to include all peoples and all ages; and the adoration of the Magi presaged the conversion of the Gentiles.  Be that as it may, Simeon seems to be the first to have announced it, and this was a great cause for wonderment.

Sans en tant rechercher les causes, le Saint-Esprit nous veut faire entendre une excellente manière d'honorer les mystères. C'est à la vue des bontés et des merveilles de Dieu, de demeurer devant lui en grande admiration et en grand silence. Dans ce genre d'oraison, il ne s'agit pas de produire beaucoup de pensées, ni de faire de grands efforts : on est devant Dieu : on s'étonne des grâces qu'il nous fait : on dit cent et cent fois sans dire mot, avec David : Quid est, homo? « Qu'est-ce que l'homme, que vous daigniez vous en souvenir ? » Encore un coup : qu'est-ce que l'homme, que vous, vous qui êtes le Seigneur admirable par toute la terre , vouliez y penser? Et on s'abîme dans l'étonnement et dans la reconnaissance, sans songer à vouloir produire, ni au dedans, ni au dehors, la moindre parole, tant que dure cet le bienheureuse et très-simple disposition.

The Holy Spirit wants us to understand an excellent way of honouring mysteries, without always searching for explanations. This means, at the sight of the gifts and wonders from God, to stand before Him with great wonder and in silence.  In this sort of prayer, it's not a question of having many thoughts, nor of making great efforts; we stand before God, we are amazed at the graces He bestows upon us; we say inwardly hundreds of times, like David: What is man?  "What is man that thou art mindful of him?"[4] And again: What is man, that you, you who are the Lord most admirable of the whole earth, that you want to think of him?  And we are prostrate in amazement, without dreaming of wanting to utter, either within or without, the least word, for so long as this blessed and quite simple disposition continues.

Il y a dans l'admiration une ignorance soumise, qui, contente de ce qu'on lui montre des grandeurs de Dieu , ne demande pas d'en savoir davantage ; et perdue dans l'incompréhensibilité des mystères , les regarde avec un saisissement intérieur, également disposée à voir ou à ne voir pas, à voir plus ou moins selon qu'il plaira à Dieu. Cette admiration est un amour. Le premier effet de l'amour, c'est de faire admirer ce qu'on aime, le faire toujours regarder avec complaisance, y rappeler les yeux , ne vouloir point le perdre de vue. Cette manière d'honorer Dieu est marquée dans les saints dès les premiers temps. Elle est répétée plusieurs fois dans saint Clément d'Alexandrie. 

There is within wonderment a sort of willing ignorance, which, satisfied that we are being shown the greatness of God, doesn't want to know any more; and which, lost in the incomprehensibility of the mysteries, contemplates them with an interior sense, disposed alike to see or not to see, to see more or less, as it pleases God.  This wonderment is a form of love.  The first effect of love is to make wondrous that which is loved, ever to delight in its contemplation, to recall it to the mind's eye, never to wish to lose sight of it.  This manner of honouring God is observed among the saints from the earliest times.  It is referred to several times by saint Clement of Alexandria. 

Mais quoi? Elle est de David,lorsqu'il dit : Quàm admirabile ! quid est homo ! quàm magna multitudo dulcedinis tuae. Domine ! « Que votre nom est admirable! qu'est-ce que l'homme! que vos douceurs sont grandes et innombrables ! » C'est le cantique de tous les saints dans l'Apocalypse : « Qui ne vous craindra, Seigneur? Qui n'exaltera votre nom? car vous êtes le seul saint . » On se tait alors, parce qu'on ne sait comment exprimer sa tendresse, son respect, sa joie, ni enfin ce qu'on sent de Dieu : et c'est « dans le ciel le silence d'environ une demi-heure : » silence admirable, et qui ne peut durer longtemps dans cette vie turbulente et tumultueuse.

It is referred to by David, when he says: How admirable!  What is man!  How great is the multiplicity of thy sweetness, the Lord!  "How admirable is thy name in the whole earth! For thy magnificence is elevated above the heavens."[5] it is the canticle of all the saints in the Apocalypse: "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and magnify thy name? For thou only art holy:"[6] and so we stay silent, because we don't know how to express our tenderness, our respect, our joy, nor finally what we feel coming from God: and there is "silence in heaven, as it were for half an hour."[7]

[1] And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him.Et erat pater ejus et mater mirantes super his quae dicebantur de illo.[Luc. ii. 33]

[2] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. hic erit magnus, et Filius Altissimi vocabitur, et dabit illi Dominus Deus sedem David patris ejus : et regnabit in domo Jacob in aeternum,[Luc. i. 32]

[3] Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae : ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes,[Luc. i. 38]

[4] What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?Quid est homo, quod memor es ejus? aut filius hominis, quoniam visitas eum?[Ps. viii. 5]

[5] O Lord our Lord, how admirable is thy name in the whole earth! For thy magnificence is elevated above the heavens.Domine, Dominus noster, quam admirabile est nomen tuum in universa terra! quoniam elevata est magnificentia tua super caelos.[Ps. viii. 2]

[6] Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and magnify thy name? For thou only art holy: for all nations shall come, and shall adore in thy sight, because thy judgments are manifest.Quis non timebit te, Domine, et magnificabit nomen tuum? quia solus pius es : quoniam omnes gentes venient, et adorabunt in conspectu tuo, quoniam judicia tua manifesta sunt.[Apoc. xv. 4]

[7] And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven, as it were for half an hour.Et cum aperuisset sigillum septimum, factum est silentium in caelo, quasi media hora. [Apoc. viii. 1]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Our Lady's birthday: Ave Maris Stella!

The Church celebrates the birthdays of three persons: Our Blessed Lord, Our Lady and St John the Baptist. All three were born without stain of sin.

In honour of Our Heavenly Mother's birthday, here is the beautiful hymn Ave Maris Stella.

Ave Maris Stella is a popular liturgical hymn of unknown origin. It can be dated back to at least the 9th century for it is preserved in the Codex Sangallensis, a manuscript in the Swiss Monastery of St. Gallen. It is found in ancient codices of the Divine Office for Vespers on Marian feasts. Today it is still in use in the Divine Office and in the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin.

Mary as a young girl.J-J Tissot

Ave maris stella,
Dei Mater alma,
Atque semper Virgo,
Felix cæli porta.

Ave, star of ocean,
Child divine who barest,
Mother, ever-virgin,
Heaven’s portal fairest.

Magnificat anima mea. J-J Tissot

Sumens illud Ave
Gabriélis ore,
Funda nos in pace,
Mutans Hevæ nomen.

Taking that sweet Ave
Erst by Gabriel spoken,
Eva’s name reversed,
Be of peace the token.

Solve vincla reis,
Profer lumen cæcis,
Mala nostra pelle,
Bona cuncta posce.

Break the sinners’ fetters,
Light to blind restoring,
All our ills dispelling,
Every boon imploring.

Venite adoremus. JJ Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

Virgo singuláris,
Inter omnes mitis,
Nos culpis solútos
Mites fac et castos.

Maid all maids excelling,
Passing meek and lowly,
Win for sinners pardon,
Make us chaste and holy.

Mary cradles her Son. JJ Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

Vitam præsta puram,
Iter para tutum,
Ut vidéntes Jesum,
Semper collætémur.

As we onward journey
Aid our weak endeavour,
Till we gaze on Jesus
And rejoice forever.

After her Assumption, Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven. Fra Angelico.

Sit laus Deo Patri,
Summo Christo decus,
Spirítui Sancto,
Tribus honor unus.

Father, Son, and Spirit,
Three in One confessing,
Give we equal glory
Equal praise and blessing.

Amen.
Amen.

Totus tuus ego sum 
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam

Bossuet 10: The Canticle of Simeon

  "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.

The Presentation in the Temple. J-J Tissot.

Xe ÉLÉVATION.

Tenth Elevation

Le cantique  de Siméon.

The Canticle of Simeon

Le saint vieillard ne veut plus rien voir, après avoir vu Jésus-Christ (1. Il croyait profaner ses yeux sanctifiés par la vue de Jésus-Christ : et il ne désire plus que d'aller bientôt au sein d'Abraham y attendre l'espérance du monde, et annoncer comme prochaine aux enfants de Dieu la consolation d'Israël.

The holy old man, having seen Jesus Christ, no longer has eyes for anything else. [1] He thought it would profane his eyes now sanctified by the sight of Jesus Christ; and he desires no more than to depart immediately to Abraham's bosom, there to await the Hope of the world, and to announce to the children of God the approaching consolation of Israel.

En général on ne doit souhaiter de vivre que jusqu'à tant qu'on ait connu Jésus-Christ. Mourir sans l'avoir connu, c'est mourir dans son péché : mais aussi quand on l'a connu et goûté par la rémission de ses péchés, qui pourrait aimer la vie et se repaître encore de ses illusions? La vie de l'homme n'est que tentation et tromperie. Les pompes, les grandeurs, les biens du monde, qu'est-ce autre (2), » un vain faste, une vaine enflure, un amusement dangereux, un piège, un attrait trompeur pour les faibles ? « Fuyons, fuyons cette Babylone, pour n'être point corrompus par ses délices (3): » après avoir vu le vrai en Jésus, fuyons le faux qui est dans le monde.

In general, we should wish to live only until that time when we have come to know Jesus Christ.  To die without having known Him, is to die in sin; but when we have known and savoured Him, with the remission of our sins, how could we still like this life and draw comfort from its illusions?  The life of man is but temptation and deceit.  The trappings, greatness and the riches of this world, what are they except: empty splendour, vain pomp,  dangerous pastimes, a trap, a treacherous attraction for the weak?

Eh bien, je laisserai le monde : je m'en irai contempler les œuvres de Dieu dans la retraite : je n'y trouverai pas ce faux que j'aperçois dans le monde : quelle consolation, puisque le vrai y est encore imparfait ! Les créatures peuvent être nos introducteurs vers Dieu: mais quand nous le pouvons voir lui-même, qu'avons-nous besoin des introducteurs ? Fermez-vous dorénavant, nos yeux : vous avez vu Jésus-Christ ; il n'y a plus rien à voir pour vous.

Accordingly, I will flee the world: withdrawn, I will enter into contemplation of the works of God.  There I won't find the falseness that I perceive in the world.  What consolation, since the truth is there still imperfect!  Other people can introduce us to God, but when we can see Him ourselves, what need have we of these others?  Henceforth, close your eyes; you have seen Jesus Christ; there is nothing more for you to see.

C’est ainsi que le juste méprise la vie, et ne la supporte qu'avec peine. Mais alors, et quand Jésus-Christ devait paraître, on pouvait désirer la consolation de le voir et de lui rendre témoignage. Maintenant, où pour le voir il faut mourir, la mort n'est-elle pas douce? Si le saint vieillard a tant désiré de voir Jésus dans l'infirmité de sa chair, combien plus devons-nous désirer de le voir dans sa gloire! Heureux Siméon, combien de « prophètes, » combien « de rois ont désiré de voir ce que vous voyez, et ne l'ont pas vu ? » C'est ce que Jésus disait à ses disciples ; et il ajouta : « Et d'ouïr ce que vous écoutez, et ne l'ont pas ouï . » Siméon n'écoutait pas sa parole, qui faisait dire à ses auditeurs, peut-être encore incrédules : « Jamais homme n'a parlé comme celui-ci  ; » et néanmoins il est ravi : combien plus le devons-nous être d'entendre sa sainte parole, et d'en attendre la dernière et parfaite révélation dans la vie future! Siméon ne voit rien encore qu'un enfant où rien ne paraît d'extraordinaire ; et Dieu lui ouvre les yeux de l'esprit, pour voir que c'est la « lumière » que Dieu prépare « aux gentils » pour les éclairer, et le flambeau pour les recueillir de leur dispersion : en même temps la« gloire d'Israël, » et celui où se réunissent ceux qui sont loin et ceux qui sont près : en un mot l'attente commune des deux peuples, comme Jacob le vit eu mourant, lorsqu'il vit sortir de Juda celui « qui était l'espérance de tous les peuples de l'univers . »

It is thus that the just man mistrusts life, and endures it only with effort.  But then, and when Jesus Christ must appear, we could desire the consolation of seeing Him and bearing witness unto Him.  Now, when to seek Him we must die, does not death become sweet?  If the holy old man desired so much to see Jesus in the infirmity of his flesh, how much more ought we to desire to see Him in His Glory!  Blessed Simeon, how many "prophets," how many "kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it?" This is what's Jesus said to his disciples; and he added: "and to hear what you hear, and have not heard them."[2] Simeon did not hear His speech, which made his listeners, still perhaps incredulous, declare: " never man did speak like Him;" and he is nevertheless overwhelmed.  How much more should we be on hearing His words, and waiting for the last and perfect revelation in the life to come!  Simeon sees no more than a little baby and nothing seems out of the ordinary; and yet God opens his eyes of the spirit, in order to see that it is the "light" that God prepares "for the Gentiles" to illuminate them, a torch to gather them in from their dispersion; and at the same time the "glory of Israel," and Him in Whom would be drawn together those who were far away and those who were close by; in a word, the common expectation of two peoples, as Jacob saw when he was dying, when he saw emerging from Judah Him "who was the hope of all the peoples in the universe."[3]

Eclairez-nous, ô Sauveur, « lumière qui éclairez tout homme venant au monde  : » éclairez-nous, nous que votre Evangile a tirés de la gentilité : éclairez les Juifs encore endurcis, et qu'ils viennent confesser avec nous Jésus-Christ Notre-Seigneur. Qui verra cet heureux temps? Quand viendra-t-il? Bienheureux les yeux qui verront, après la conversion des gentils, la gloire du peuple d'Israël !

Enlighten us, O Saviour, "light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world;"[4] enlighten us, we who were drawn by your Gospel; enlighten the Jews whose hearts are still hardened, so that they may come with us to praise Jesus Christ Our Lord.  Who will behold this happy time?  When will it arrive?  Blessed those eyes which shall see it, after the conversion of the Gentiles, the Glory of the people of Israel!

Notes

[1] Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; Nunc dimittis servum tuum Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace : Because my eyes have seen thy salvation,quia viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum,[Luc. ii. 29-30]

[2] And turning to his disciples, he said: Blessed are the eyes that see the things which you see.Et conversus ad discipulos suos, dixit : Beati oculi qui vident quae vos videtis.[Luc. x. 23] For I say to you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see the things that you see, and have not seen them; and to hear the things that you hear, and have not heard them. Dico enim vobis quod multi prophetae et reges voluerunt videre quae vos videtis, et non viderunt : et audire quae auditis, et non audierunt.[Luc. x. 23-4]

[3] The sceptre shall not be taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from his thigh, till he come that is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of nations.Non auferetur sceptrum de Juda, et dux de femore ejus, donec veniat qui mittendus est, et ipse erit expectatio gentium.[Gen xlix. 10]

[4] That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world.Erat lux vera, quae illuminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum.[Johan. i. 9]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.