Crusaders for Christ
  • Blog
    • Staff only
  • About Us
  • Downloads
    • Catholic Family Calendar
    • Catholic Homeschool - Study Guides
    • Handwriting
    • Student Planners
    • Coloring Pictures
    • St. Catherine's Academy Gazette
    • Printable Children's books
  • Catholic Reading
    • Saint of the Day
    • Father Muller Books
    • Chapter Books >
      • Jesus of Nazareth - The Story of His Life Simply Told
      • Little Therese
    • Sermons for Children
    • Books We Have Enjoyed
    • This and That
    • The Blessed Mother for the Child in all of us!
  • Julie's Threaded Needle
  • For Moms
    • Popular Instructions on the Bringing Up of Children

Sunday Within the Octave -         Prophecy of Simeon Concerning Jesus and Mary

12/29/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
"THE holy old man Simeon, having blessed Jesus,  said to Mary: ''This Child is set for the fall . . . and the resurrection of many in Israel, and a sword of sorrow shall pierce thy heart." Simeon made these two prophecies, one concerning Jesus and the other concerning Mary. We should reflect on both, since they are calculated to suggest useful reflections.

First Point — The prophecy which relates to Jesus. When Simeon declared that Jesus should be the ruin of many, we must not understand that He shall be the author of their ruin, or that He shall lead men to it. This would be simply impious. The Sacred Scriptures, which this divine Child has inspired, are full of His love for all men, His desire to see them merit it, and to obtain their salvation. Simeon wishes to announce that Jesus shall become, not the cause, but the occasion of loss to very many. Jesus shall be what Isaias announced He should be, and what St. Paul declares He has been, viz., "The stone on which they shall fall, and on which many of the children of Israel shall be injured." You shall find those who shall accuse Him because of their fall on that stone, on which their feet have stumbled. Far from Jesus being the cause of our loss, the cause is traceable to ourselves, because we refuse to hear Him, or to obey Him, or to follow Him. It is in a very different sense that holy Simeon said to Mary that Jesus shall be the resurrection of many. In fact. He is not only the occasion of our salvation, as He is of our loss, but He is the true cause of it; He is the general cause of salvation for all men by the benefit of redemption; and He is the particular cause of salvation for the just, because it is He who, by His grace, has wrought their justification. By His passion and death He has opened for us the gates of heaven; He has shown us the way to heaven by His law; by His example He guides us there, and by His strength sustains us in the journey of life. Our salvation, therefore, comes from Him, while our loss comes from ourselves. If you have been stained by sin, you can blame only yourselves for your faults, while, if you have persevered in justice, you must be grateful to Him for your innocence. And thus, among the children of Israel, Jesus has been the resurrection of one part and the ruin of the other: some He has saved, but others are lost through their own fault. What He has been for the age in which He lived and for the nation which possessed Him, He has not ceased to be for all ages and for the whole human race. He has been the resurrection of those who hear His voice, who believe His word, who conform to His law, and who are attached to Him; but He is the ruin of those who disdain to hear Him who refuse to believe Him, who resist His instructions and who disobey His precepts. The manner in which this oracle of Simeon is ac- complished must suggest to us a very sorrowful reflection. When we consider the number of the Jews for whom Jesus was the ruin, and the number for whom He was the resurrection, what a vast dis- parity there exists! On the one hand we behold a handful of disciples, on the other a multitude of enemies. While almost all the citizens loudly demanded that He should be crucified, what a small number of faithful followers retired apart with Him, trembling for themselves and weeping for the Saviour ! The number was small that preserved for Him a personal attachment. Now what was true in His time has been always true; it is true today. The unfortunate disproportion among those for whom Jesus is the resurrection, and those for whom He is the ruin, has continued from generation to generation, even until now. This has been an object of profound sorrow for the pious souls who are members of Christ's Church, and woe to us if we are insensible to it! This culpable indifference should make us tremble, lest we should be numbered among those unfortunates who could make Jesus the cause of their salvation, but instead make Him the occasion of their reprobation.

Second Point. — Holy Simeon announced to Mary that a sword of sorrow should pierce her heart.   This prophecy of the holy old Simeon has been fulfilled in Mary, and with a cruel precision. It is the destiny of mortals that no one can exempt himself from the law which condemns all to suffer. Even she who by special privilege was exempted from the stain of Adam has been obliged to submit to this severe condition of suffering. Although she had been declared blessed, and that she should see, in the future, all generations publish her honor, still her heart was a prey to the most bitter affliction. Her august character of Mother of God, which proclaimed her the happiest of women, however, ren- dered her the most afflicted of mothers. For other mothers it is a matter of supremest joy to possess a son, but for Mary it was a subject of constant distress and sadness, because she knew for what fright- ful destinies she had given birth to her Son. St. John, in the Apocalypse, records that he saw Jesus under the figure of a lamb immolated. The sorrowful Mother of Jesus had this lamentable spectacle before her eyes during her whole life. The sweetness of those caresses which she lavished on her Son, the tenderness of her cares with which she surrounded Him, were constantly empoisoned by this horrible image. The very circumstances best calculated to excite her joy recalled the sorrows which awaited her. When she rejoiced to have found Him in the Temple, after an absence of three days, the thought that she should one day lose Him in a more sorrowful manner came quickly to her mind. If she rejoiced at having snatched Him from the fury of Herod, at once she thought that it was only for a death still more cruel she had preserved Him. She rejoiced, it is true, to see Him walking through the cities and villages, working miracles, strewing blessings at every footstep, surrounded by multitudes full of enthusiasm and gratitude; but she saw that same multitude turn against Him with fury, demand His death with loud cries, hasten His punishment, and to insult and raillery add their cruelty. Thus, from the day when the fatal destiny of her Son was revealed to her, the life of Mary was only one long and continual agony. If the heart of Mary was so violently disturbed by the sufferings of her Son, and when she could only foresee them, what must have been her cruel agony when she saw His sufferings realized before her eyes? The desolate Agar, wandering in the desert of Bersabee, was crushed by affliction at seeing the state to which her son Ismael had been reduced. This is the ordinary effect of sorrow, it is the natural promptings of a mother's love; but with the Mother of God everything is supernatural. A love like hers demands the greatest sacrifice. She never left this Son, so dear to her, and she shall not abandon Him until His last sigh on the cross. The Virgin of Nazareth walks to the mountain on which her Son is to be immolated. She walks, followed by some other daughters of Sion, weeping with her for their well-beloved Jesus, and while He shall there consummate the holocaust of His life they shall consummate holocausts of their hearts. There nothing is lost for her which can bring her the deepest affliction; she hears all, sees all — all the cruelties of the executioners and the torments of her Son she feels in her own heart. Moreover, although the fury of the Jews had spared her life, the Fathers of the Church do not hesitate to attribute to Mary the glory of martyrdom; and this martyrdom, although not stained by blood, is not the less heroic. The other martyrs suffered with Jesus reigning in heaven; Mary suffered with Jesus while He suffered on the cross; the prospect of His glory sustained their constancy, but the sight of His humiliations disconcerted the Mother. The love of God was for them a solace, but for Mary it was an increase of sorrow.

O Mary, my Mother, engrave deeply in my heart the memory of thy sorrows, that I may better comprehend how much thou hast paid for the sad privilege of having me for thy child. And Thou, amiable Jesus, give me the grace to follow Thee as my Guide, to imitate Thee as my Model, and to obey Thee as my King, that Thou mayst be for me, not the occasion of my ruin, but the cause of my resurrection and salvation. Amen.

Source: Short Instructions for Every Sunday of the Year and the Principal Feasts, Imprimatur 1897


0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Holy Mother Church 
      dedicates the month   of April to the        Holy Ghost

    Picture
    Student Planners
    Handwriting Books
    Coloring Books
    Julie's Threaded Needle
                      COPYRIGHT
    The purpose of this website is to share the beautiful Catholic resources that God has so richly blessed us with.  All texts unless they are my own words have their sources quoted, and most of them are in the public domain. Any educational items that I have made for or with my children are NOT TO BE USED FOR PROFIT, but are meant to be used for personal use by individuals and families. You may link to our site if you so choose.

    A Saint for everyday and good reading at:

    Picture

    Visit our friends at St. Fiacre's for a good cup of tea!

    Picture

    Archives

    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012

    Categories

    All
    10th Day Of Christmas
    10th Sun After Pentecost
    10th Sunday After Pentecost
    11th Day Of Christmas
    11th Sunday After Pentecost
    12 Days Of Christmas
    12th Day Of Christmas
    12th Sun After Pentecost
    13th Sun After Pentecost
    14th Sun After Pentecost
    15th Sun After Pentecost
    16th Sun After Pentecost
    17th Sun After Pentecost
    18th Sun After Pentecost
    19th Sun After Pentecost
    1st Commandment
    1st Sun After Easter
    1st Sun After Epiphany
    1st Sun After Pentecost
    1st Sunday After Easter
    1st Sunday After Epiphany
    1st Sunday Of Advent
    2016-2017 School Planners
    20th Sun After Pentecost
    21st Sun After Pentecost
    22nd Sun After Pentecost
    23rd Sun After Pentecost
    24th Sunday After Pentecost
    2nd Day Of Christmas
    2nd Sun After Easter
    2nd Sun After Easter
    2nd Sun. After Pentecost
    2nd Sunday After Epiphany
    2nd Sunday Of Advent
    2nd Sunday Of Lent
    2nd Sun Of Advent
    3rd Day Of Christmas
    3rd Sun After Easter
    3rd Sun After Easter
    3rd Sun. After Epiphany
    3rd Sun After Pentecost
    3rd Sunday Of Advent
    3rd Sunday Of Lent
    3rd Sun Of Advent
    4th Day Of Christmas
    4th Sun After Easter
    4th Sun After Epiphany
    4th Sun After Pentecost
    4th Sunday After Pentecost
    4th Sunday Of Advent
    4th Sunday Of Lent
    5th Day Of Christmas
    5th Sun After Easter
    5th Sun After Pentecost
    5th Sunday After Epiphany
    5th Sunday After Pentecost
    6th Day Of Christmas
    6th Sunday After Epiphany
    7th Day Of Christmas
    7th Sunday After Pentecost
    8th Day Of Christmas
    8th Sunday After Pentecost
    9th Day Of Christmas
    Admonition
    Advent
    Advent Coloring Pictures
    Advent Time
    Advent To Christmas
    Agnes
    Alban's Day
    All Saints Day
    All Souls Day
    Ambrose
    Ascension Day
    Ascension Thursday
    Ash Wednesday
    Assumption
    Assumption Of The B.V.M.
    Bad Books
    Bellas-boutique89968f2d4e
    Bellas-little-shoppe
    Be Strong
    Bishop-hay
    Blessed Richard Gywn
    Blessed-virgin-mary
    Book Giveaway5ede0bf3e3
    Bridget
    Bvm-coloring-book
    Calling Good Evil And Evil Good
    Candlemas
    Candlemas Ceremonies
    Can-you-explain-catholic-customs
    Cardinal Pie
    Catechism-in-examples
    Catechism In Rhyme
    Catherine Laboure
    Catherine Of Siena
    Catholic Calendar
    Catholic Ceremonies
    Catholic-ebooks
    Catholic-marriage
    Catholic-reading
    Catholics-ready-answer
    Catholics-ready-answer
    Certificates Of Completion
    Charity
    Childrens-books-pdf
    Childrens-meditation
    Childrens-sermons
    Childrens Sermons6a865c90b1
    Childs-history-of-apostles
    Christian-in-the-world
    Christmas
    Christmas Book List
    Christmas-coloring-book
    Christmas-customs
    Christmas Day
    Christmas Eve
    Christmas-octave-prayers
    Christmastide
    Circumcision-of-our-lord
    Circumcision-of-our-lord
    Coloring Book
    Coloring Pictures
    Come The End
    Communion Of Saints
    Confiteor
    Cradle Hymn
    Creeds-and-deeds
    Crusaders-for-christ
    Damien Of Molokai
    Dangers Of The Day
    Daughters Of Charity
    Devotion-to-mary
    Doll-habits-and-costumes
    Dorothy
    Downloads
    Duties-of-a-christian-father
    Duties-of-the-christian-mother
    Dymphna
    Easter Sunday
    Ecclesiastical Year
    Ecclesiastical-year
    Elizabeth Of Hungary
    Ember Friday In Advent
    Ember Saturday In Advent
    Ember Wed. In Advent
    Epiphany
    Epiphany For Children
    Epiphany - House Blessing
    Epiphany The Twelth Night
    Equality
    Evangelist
    Evils Of Worldliness
    Faith
    Faith Of Our Fathers
    False Christs
    False Prophets
    False Worship
    Family And Catholic Customs
    Fasting
    Father Lasance
    Father Muller
    Feast Of The Holy Family
    February 2016
    First Sunday Of Lent
    First Sun. Of Advent
    For Children
    Francis Xavier
    Fraternity Or Brotherly Love
    Genealogy Of St. Joachim And St. Anne
    Genevieve
    Gifts At Christmas
    Give-a-Way
    Glory Be
    God Of Mercy And Compassion
    God The Teacher Of Mankind
    Goffine's Devout Instruction
    Goffine's Devout Instruction
    Good Friday
    Guardian Angel
    Guardian Angels
    Guardian Angels
    Guarding The Eyes
    Hail Mary
    Handwriting Books
    Handwriting Practice
    Heaven
    Heaven Is The Prize
    Heresy
    Hilary - January 14th
    Holy Cross Day
    Holydays And History
    Holy Ghost Novena
    Holy Innocents
    Holy Mass
    Holy Name Of Jesus
    Holy Name Of Mary
    Holy Souls
    Holy Thursday
    Holy Week
    Homeschool
    Honor-thy-father-and-thy-mother
    How Catholics Lose The Faith
    How-to-be-a-saint
    Human Respect
    Human Respect
    Humility
    Immaculate Conception
    In A Little While
    Indifferentism
    Instruction On Advent
    Instruction On Penance
    Instruction On The Feast Of The Holy Rosary
    Issue 42
    Issue 47
    January 2017
    Jesus Christmas
    Jesus With Childen
    Joan Of Arc
    John
    John The Evangelist
    Lectures For Boys
    Lent
    Lenten Catechism
    Lenten Lapbook
    Lenten Printables
    Lent For Children
    Lent To Easter
    Liberal Catholics
    Liberty
    Lisbeth
    Litany Of The BVM
    Little Month Of Saint Joseph
    Little Stories Of Christ's Passion
    Luke
    Maidens For Mary
    March 2016
    Margaret Mary
    Marks Of The Church
    Martinmas
    Mass
    Mass Study Guide
    Matthew - Sept. 21st
    Maundy Thursday
    May 1st
    May - Dedicated To Our Blessed Mother
    Meditations For Lent
    Menu-planner
    Metropolitan-second-reader
    Misericordia-reader
    Modernism
    Mondays-with-father-muller
    Month-of-saint-joseph
    Moral-briefs
    Moral-briefs-chapter-1
    Moral-briefs-chapter-2
    Moral-briefs-chapter-3
    Morning Prayers
    Mothers Day 20132303cd0d22
    Motion-pictures
    My Catholic Faith
    My-catholic-faith-giveaway
    My-prayer-book
    Narcissus
    Nativity
    New Years
    New Years Day
    New Years Eve
    Nov Ninth72cdf219cc
    Nov. Tenth
    One And Only Saving Faith
    On Resignation To The Will Of God
    Our Lady Of Good Counsel
    Palm Sunday
    Parental Rights And Obligations
    Passion Sunday
    Patrick
    Penance
    Pentecost
    Pentecost Sunday
    Plain Lessons In Christian Doctrine
    Pope St. Pius X
    Popular Instruction To Parents
    Position And Prospects
    Practical Aids For Catholic Teachers
    Prayer
    Prayer Against Temptation
    Prayer For Lent
    Prayer For Perseverance
    Prayer To Obtain The Confidence Of One's Children
    Prayer To St. Joseph
    Precious Blood
    Presentation Of The Bvm
    Printable Books
    Prudence And Liberalism
    Purity
    Quinquagesima Sunday
    Quote Of The Day
    Quote Of The Day
    Rearing Of Children
    Reason And Revelation
    Remember Me
    Remember-me
    Remember Tomorrow
    Rita Of Cascia
    Rogation Days
    Roman Missal
    Rosary
    Sacramentals
    Sacred Passion Of Jesus Christ
    Saint Catherine's Academy Gazette
    Saintly ABC's
    Saints Of Christmastide
    Saint Stephen
    Saint Sylvester
    Saint Valentines Day
    Scandal
    School Planners
    Septuagesima Sunday
    Sermon Matter
    Sermon Matters
    Sermons For Chidren's Masses
    Seven Dolors Of The Bvm
    Sexagesima Sunday
    Short Catechism Of Church History
    Short Instructions
    Short Sermons For Every Sun
    Shrove Tuesday
    Signs Of The Times
    Sins Against Faith
    Spiritual Communion
    Spiritual Communion
    Spiritual Works Of Mercy
    Stability-progress
    St. Anne's Day
    Stations Of The Cross Coloring Book
    St. Benedict's Day
    St. Bernadette Soubirous
    St Catherines Academy Gazette
    St. Catherine's Academy Gazette
    Stephen
    St. George
    St-hilary-of-poitiers
    St. John Evangelist
    St. John's Eve
    St. John The Baptist's Day
    St. Joseph
    St. Joseph For Children
    St Lucy
    St Lucy Giveaway
    St. Mary Magdalen
    St Nicholas
    St. Nicholas
    Story Of The Week
    Story Sermonettes
    St-paul-the-first-hermit
    St. Stephen
    St. Therese
    Student Planners
    Study Guide
    Sufferings And Death Of Jesus
    Sunday After Christmas
    Sunday Within The Octave
    Survey
    Survey Doll Costume
    Sweet Name Of Jesus
    Talks To Boys And Girls
    Te Deum
    The Angelus
    The BeeHive
    The Childs Desire
    The Christian Father
    The Christian In The World
    The Christian Mother
    The Church Of The Saints
    The Drops Of Precious Blood
    The Ecclesiastical Year
    The Friends Of Jesus
    The Good Shepherd
    The Greatest And First Commandment
    The Holy Innocents
    The Love Of God
    The New Year
    The Particular Judgment
    The Prodigal Son
    The Queen's Festivals
    The Sacred Heart
    The Santa Lie
    The Way To God
    The Wondrous Childhood
    This And That
    Thomas A' Becket
    Tomorrows Far Away
    TOM'S CRUCIFIX
    To The Heart Of A Child
    Trinity Sunday
    True Christmas Spirit
    Truth
    Truth And Lies
    Tutorials
    Two Thousand Years Ago
    Valentine's Day
    Veronica Of Milan
    Vigil Of Epiphany
    Whitsunday
    Whom The Lord Loveth
    Whom To Believe
    William- Jan. 10th
    With The Church
    Work And Listen To God!
    Works Of Mercy
    You And Your Neighbor
    Your Cross
    Your Neighbor And You

    RSS Feed

© Crusaders for Christ 2012