A sign that will be contradicted, Mary: Day 322

A sign that will be contradicted

St. Alphonsus imagines, beyond the few words recorded in Scripture, what St. Simeon may have said to Our Lady when Jesus was presented in the temple.

Watch now as Mary walks to Jerusalem to offer her Son. She hurries toward the place of sacrifice, and she herself carries the beloved Victim in her arms. She enters the temple and approaches the altar. There, beaming with mod- esty, devotion, and humility, she presents her Son to the Most High. Then holy Simeon takes the divine Child from the hands of the Blessed Virgin. Enlightened by the Holy Spirit, he announces to her how much the sacrifice which she then made of her Son would cost her. With him, her own blessed soul would also be sacrificed. In this moment, St. Thomas of Villanova imagines the holy old man becoming troubled and silent at the thought of having to speak a prophecy so fatal to this poor mother. The saint then looks at Mary, who asks him, “Why, Simeon, are you so troubled in the midst of such great consolations?”

“Royal Virgin,” he replies, “I don’t want to announce to you such bitter news. But since God wills it this way for your greater merit, listen to what I have to say. This Child, who is now such a source of joy to you—and, O God, for such good reason!—this Child, I say, will one day be a source of such bitter grief to you that no creature in the world has ever experienced the like. This will happen when you see him persecuted by men of every class, and made a butt upon earth for their scoffs and outrages. They will even go so far as to put him to death as a villain before your own eyes.

“You greatly rejoice in this Infant. But see, he is placed as a sign that will be contradicted. Know that after his death there will be many martyrs, who for the love of this Son of yours will be tormented and put to death. Their martyrdom will be endured in their bodies; but yours, Mother of God, will be endured in your heart.” —St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary

 IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

What words would you imagine St. Simeon saying to Mary at the Presentation?

What must Mary have thought and felt to hear such words?

CLOSING PRAYER

Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Sorrows, no grief was ever like your grief. Thank you for enduring the sword that pierced your heart, and for comforting us in our sorrows.

_________________________________________________________________________
Remember to subscribe to my feed so you will not miss a day! This recurring feature at The Catholic Blogger is possible through the cooperation of author Paul Thigpen and publisher Saint Benedict Press. To get your own copy of this book, click below.