Hunolt Sermons/Volume 12/Sermon 67
SIXTY-SEVENTH SERMON
ON THE HOLY CONFESSOR OF TREVES, ST. SIMEON.
Subject.
1. St. Simeon had good reason to rejoice at his death, and to say with Simeon of old: " Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, Lord," etc.; 2. If we imitate St. Simeon in life we shall have reason to rejoice with him at the hour of death. Preached on the feast of St. Simeon.
Text.
" Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, Lord, according to Thy word, in peace." (Luke 2:29)
Introduction.
If it be true, as Plato writes, swans never sing so sweetly and agreeably as when they know that they are on the point of death, a similar pleasing song was sung in olden times by that pious, God-fearing old man Simeon, so celebrated by St. Luke the Evangelist, when, after having spent a long life in the service of the Lord, he saw and received into his arms the Saviour of the world, whom he so eagerly longed to behold. " Now," he cried out, full of joy, "Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, Lord, according to Thy word, in peace." The same words, it seems to me, could have been said with the same joy and sweet consolation of heart by our great St. Simeon, who was like that holy old man, not only in name, but also in justice and righteousness, when, after having come to the end of a severe and laborious life, in this cloister, at the invitation of his Saviour, and in His embrace, he gave up the ghost. What just reason he had to rejoice at the hour of death, and how we may attain to a similar happiness at the end of our lives, shall form the subject of this panegyric.
Plan of Discourse.
Just cause had St. Simeon to rejoice at the hour of death, and to sing: "Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, etc.: this we shall see, to his praise, in the first part. If we imitate St. Simeon in life we shall have like cause to rejoice in death: this shall form the lesson of the second part.
O great patron, holy St. Simeon,, obtain for us, through the intercession of Mary, the Mother of God, and that of the holy angels, powerful graces, that we may resolve to do this latter, and so be enabled in our last moments to say and sing with joy: " Now Thou," etc.
But after all is that enough to a man's praise to be able to say of him that he left this world with joy? Is it then so very unusual and rare to die cheerfully and contentedly? Can I find nothing else in our St. Simeon wherewith to praise him than his last hour and departure into eternity? Is there not more than matter enough to extol him in what almost half the world from east to west has seen and admired of his holy and wonderful life? Truly, my dear brethren, such is the case; and if I had time to describe his life at length I should go in thought to Constantinople where, in the bloom of youth, he learned, with the liberal arts, the contempt of the world and of all its goods, and renouncing his native land and inheritance once for all, and leaving his father and friends, impelled only by the love of God and the desire of serving Him perfectly, set out on a journey to the Holy Laud, and accomplished it in spite of a thousand dangers and difficulties. I should have to go with you to Jerusalem, where he spent seven whole years attending on poor strangers and pilgrims through Christian charity; I should show you, if it were possible, the gloomy deserts on the banks of the Jordan, the ravines on the shore of the Red Sea, the caves in the neighborhood of Bethlehem, the deep holes and fallen rocks on Mount Sinai, in which, separated from all human consolation, he hid himself among wild animals, and lived in the utmost poverty, assailed continually by the rage of the demons, and terrified by hideous spectres, while he endeavored to sustain life by eating herbs and roots, and drinking muddy, stagnant water.
Again, I should accompany you to Babylon, where this holy man, having been forced by obedience to leave his solitude in order to go to France, was seized as a spy and traitor, and driven off with many insults. I should explain to you how, not long after, by a decree of Divine Providence, since God wished to try His servant by many contradictions, he fell into the hands of pi rates, who cruelly slew all who were with him in the ship, while he alone, trusting in God, leaped into the sea, and escaping the fury of the waves, as well as the clouds of arrows that were shot at him, arrived safely in harbor; how, now that he was deprived of his companions, he travelled quite alone through Italy and France, amid countless dangers by land and water, and, after suffering many hardships, at last arrived here in Treves. From Treves he again went with the then Archbishop Poppo to the Holy Land, and from there returned again to Treves, which of all places in the world was assigned to him by a divine revelation as his last dwelling and final resting-place in his laborious life. I could and must finally lead you here to the holes and crannies that are still to be found in these walls where he had himself built in, and spent the remaining seven years of his life in constant watching, prayer, and psalmody, amid unceasing attacks of the hellish foe, and sustaining life with a little bread and water, so that, like St. Paul, he could say: " Our flesh had no rest, but we suffered all tribulation. ... In many labors " I passed my life; "in deaths often, in journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers; in perils in the sea, in labor and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness; " always in difficulties, never out of want, as the Life of this Saint in the History of Treves proves.
See, my dear brethren, what matter I have to praise him; but I will not dwell on this, for I believe you have heard it all described in former years, and perhaps you are better acquainted with it than I am. I will only briefly recall to-day what you have often heard before: for I refer to the holy life of this great servant of God in proof of the proposition with which I began, that, namely, our St. Simeon, as well as the holy old man of the gospel, had a joyful and consoling death, which sets the crown on all his other laudable exploits, and that he could say with as much desire and longing as his namesake the Canticle of Simeon: " Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, Lord, according to Thy word, in peace." And truly, if the saint of old could utter those consoling words on account of his just and pious life, as the Scripture says of him: "And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout," and God-fearing, what else but piety and uprightness do we find in the life of our St. Simeon? If the former had a desire and longing to die because his eyes had seen the Saviour, as he says him self: " Because my eyes have seen Thy salvation," so, too, did our St. Simeon see with his own eyes the holy places in which the same Saviour was born, where He died and was buried, and where He rose again and ascended into heaven; while with the eyes of the faith, and far more meritoriously, he saw his Lord continually in contemplation, and embraced Him in his heart with burning love. If a divine revelation gave the former courage to die: " He had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord," so, too, our St. Simeon had received a similar answer from God; for three months before his death he himself related in detail to the Abbot Ebervin, in his cell, how God had announced to him his approaching death; how he was to die in presence of the Abbot, and in what manner he was to be buried.
I know well that death is looked on as the most terrible of all terrible things. I know, too, that the approach of death is wont to make even the bravest heroes and holiest souls shudder and tremble with dread and aversion through the natural horror we have of it. But what fear or terror could it cause such a servant of God, who had, so to speak, spent the time of his life rather with the dead in a grave than with the living? When David spoke of the courage of Abner he said: " Not as cowards are wont to die hath Abner died." The same I might say of St. Simeon: Not as cowards are wont to die hath Simeon died; not with fear and trembling, but full of consolation and joy. Sinners may await death with anguish and despair; and no wonder they should, for they have every ill to fear, and no good to hope for. Not as these did our Saint die; for to keep his soul, innocent as it was, from hell, he condemned himself to prison, and could say with St. Jerome: Through fear of hell I have sentenced myself to this prison." Let those vain children of the world die with fear and trembling who fix their thoughts and hopes in gold and temporal goods, and their hearts on creatures; no wonder they should; death must be bitter to them, since it takes them violently away from what they love to excess. Not as they are wont to die did Simeon die, for death could take from him nothing but his troubles; he never asked the world for consolation; although in the world, he was, as it were, out of it, and was in the number of those of whom St. Paul says: " Of whom the world was not worthy; " whom it did not deserve to have on it; who were "wandering in deserts, in mountains and in dens, and in caves of the earth." Let tenderlings fear death on account of its pains; he did not die as they are wont to die, for he never allowed himself any comfort, and was already accustomed to suffering. Let others feel the anguish inspired by the presence of the demons in their last moments, when the evil spirits put forth all their strength to attack the dying man; our Saint had little to fear from them, for he had been engaged in constant combats with them, and had turned them into ridicule. Let others fear to be separated from the world, since they desire and expect a longer life on earth; not like them did St. Simeon die; for, like St. Paul, his most ardent wish was to be dissolved and to be with God as soon as possible; therefore he could not look on death otherwise than as the joyful completion of his merits, the beginning of his future happiness, the foundation of his glory, the union with his last end, the crown of his combat, a sweet sleep and longed-for repose, which was to put an end to all the miseries of life. Finally, let others fear death who do not know when, where, and how they are to die; not so did St. Simeon die, for all this was revealed to him by God, who invited him to enter into glory.
Oh, with what reason, then, could he not have wished for the approach of death; nay, with what real eagerness did he not actually see it approach; and with what joy and exultation did he not behold the heavenly glory prepared for him, so that he might well sing: " Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant;" now shall my eyes behold my Saviour, no longer darkly, but in the clear light! Such seems to have been his idea when, a week be fore his death, he said with a cheerful countenance to him who brought him the bread and water as usual: Now it is finished; you have done your duty well; you need not bring me anything else, and then, as if saying adieu to everything in the world, he added: "Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, Lord, according to Thy word, in peace; " all suffering is now at an end. Hunger and thirst, you will plague me no more; ye caves and dens will no longer shut me in; ye demons will no more annoy me; ye hardships that I have voluntarily undergone will no more torment me; the long wished-for hour of my departure is at hand! Now, Lord, Thou dost allow Thy poor and lowly servant to depart! Now wait no longer; my eyes have seen Thy holy one; they have wept enough; my hands have labored, my feet have walked in the way of Thy commandments; my body is worn away with penances; my heart is melting with love; I have done what Thou didst require of me; now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant; now give me what Thou hast promised, according to Thy word, which Thou didst reveal to me. Now let me depart into that better and eternal life with the hope of which I have consoled myself!
Thus, my dear brethren, he who wept during life could afford to laugh in death; thus he who was always sighing could sing at the end; thus he who lived in hardships could at last exult; thus he who dwelt among wild beasts and the assaults of the demons could close his eyes and joyfully give up the ghost in the hands of the angels, in the embrace of his Saviour. Thus he whom the world despised and considered as a poor, simple, miserable fool, entered into his glory in heaven, and was made illustrious before the whole world, after his death, by countless miracles. One day the children of the world will say: " We fools esteemed their life madness, and their end without honor; behold how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints." death of the just, how precious thou art in the sight of God! death of the just, how joyous thou art in the hearts of the dying! death of the just, what a reward is given to thee in heaven! Rejoice, therefore, now, holy St. Simeon; we congratulate thee, and while we humbly beg of thee to intercede for us, permit me to go on to the moral lesson for the good of our souls in the
Second Part.
One day, and perhaps it is not far distant, that now will also come for us, and we shall have to leave the world. When it comes we may not all expect a revelation to warn us of it as happened to St. Simeon. All the Holy Ghost says to us is: "Be you then also ready; for at what hour you think not the Son of man will come." Who among us is so daring as to venture this day, this very hour, in the place in which we now are, to send forth his voice to heaven, and to challenge death to appear? Who has the courage to sing in joyous tones, like Simeon: " Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, Lord "? come, now, Lord, and take me from this world? I am now ready to die? Oh, if it came to the last moment with us, how laughing and singing would be at an end with the most of us! Far other would be the notes we should utter, the sighs that would burst forth from our lips! What would you think who now exult in your youthful health and strength, and think of nothing but leading a happy and comfortable life? Would you say: Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant? Oh, no; methinks I hear you rather cry out: Oh, not now, Lord, not now! it is too soon for me; I must first learn to know the world! What would you think of it who seem to have a good hold of prosperity, if death were to come to your door to-day suddenly? Would you say: Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant? Oh, no, not yet! you would exclaim; I have not yet prepared for death; I should like first to enjoy the good things that surround me! What would you think who, sunk in worldly and domestic occupations, toil and sweat the whole day for the good of those dependent on you, and hardly find a moment for your God and your soul? Oh, not yet, Lord! you would exclaim; do not take me from my children so soon! How would it be with you who are fettered by the love of a creature, in whom you place all your happiness and delight, and whom you regard as your last end? Oh, no! you would cry out; not yet; death would be too bitter altogether now! What would you think, sinner, who are still in the state of sin, and are still minded to continue in your wicked ways? Are you inclined to say: Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, Lord? Now, Lord, I am ready? Ah, ready to die in the state of sin! Oh, no; I must first make my confession; I must first be reconciled with God. In a word, my dear brethren, I should find very few who, like St. Simeon, are ready with joy and cheerfulness to await the approach of death.
Yet there is no one, no matter how wicked he may be, who does not now and then desire to die, and say with the Prophet; " Let my soul die the death of the just, and my last end be like to them;" yet we do not always dare to welcome death, because our lives are not like the lives of the just. We sometimes hear people crying out for death, and exclaiming, as it were, at the top of their voice: Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, Lord! Such is the cry of the unhappy wife; of the man who has fallen into dire poverty and secret want, who hardly knows what to do to find food for himself and his family; it is the cry of the persecuted man, who is oppressed and hunted down; it is the cry of nearly all who are discontented with their state, and over whelmed with trials and crosses. Come, death! they say; Oh, that I were dead! But why so? Is it through fervent love of God? through a confident desire of heaven? Not by any means! Love has not such power over them! Their trials, their want, their poverty, their misery, their pain seem too much for them; they wish to be freed from suffering, and so impatience or desperation presses that cry from them. But a wish of that kind is of no good, and when it is the result of despair it does not help to heaven. Come, death, that I may be freed from this torment! What! do you really mean that? If your invitation were accepted, and death came to you in your despair, where would you go to? Not into the peace of the servants of God, but in your anger and discontent you would involve yourself in far greater sufferings. My opinion is that many a one would bitterly repent if he were taken at his word when he utters such thoughtless complaints, and wishes for death.
And, as there is reason to dread, how many in such circumstances, instead of singing the joyful nunc dimittis of Simeon, would rather, like the wicked Antiochus, writhe with agony on their beds, and howl forth: " Into what tribulation am I come, and into what floods of sorrow wherein now I am; I that was pleasant. . . . But now I remember the evils that I did in Jerusalem." Ah, now at last my eyes are opened; now I see that everything in the world that I have loved is vanity; now there is an end to my pleasures and delights; now I know how wickedly and foolishly I have acted in not loving my God and serving Him more zealously; now I see the sins I have committed in the city, in that house, in that company, with that person; now I remember the injustices, the hatred, the persecution of my neighbor, the impurity and wantonness that I have commit ted in thought, word, and action! " Into what tribulation am I come, and into what floods of sorrow, wherein I now am!" Would that I were now so happy as to be able to think of my good works, and to say with Ezechias: " I beseech Thee, Lord, remember how I have walked before Thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is pleasing before Thee."
How happy I should be now, many a one will say, if, like St. Simeon, I had led a poor, austere, and just life in a cave; as Philip, king of Spain, holy though he was, sighed when on his death-bed: " Ah, how happy I should now be if I had lived in some out-of-the-way corner in a desert!" And I believe it, too; it would be far better for him to have lived thus than to have wielded the royal sceptre. With what sweet consolation the formerly poor Simeon may now say: Oh, what a happiness for me now that I lived in a corner of the desert! that I spent almost all my life apart from men, hidden from the world, unknown, despised, living in caves and holes in the earth, serving my God alone in solitude! blessed caves, blessed cells, which enclosed me for so many years! blessed tears that the love of God forced me to shed! Blessed the nights that I spent in watching and prayer; blessed the fasts and hunger I suffered voluntarily; blessed the hair-girdles with which I encircled my loins! You have raised me to this glory before men, to this eternal joy in heaven!
My dear brethren, if we wish to die thus joyfully with St. Simeon and like him to exult in the hour of death, let us now live like him, and abandon the world. We, I say; for the author of the life of our Saint affirms of the people of Treves that in former times they could boast, not merely of possessing the body of St. Simeon, but also of having inherited his mind and spirit. Let us, then, not depart from this spirit, nor go aside from the footsteps of our ancestors. But are we, then, all to shut our selves up within four walls? No. Must we all become hermits, and hide ourselves in the caves of the wilderness? No. Must we enter a cloister and become religious? No. Must we all lead an austere life, and pass the nights in watching, and live on bread and water? Neither is that necessary. What, then? Shall we, like Simeon, abandon the world? Yes! But in what manner? In the way of which the Apostle speaks: " They that use this world as if they used it not; " they who live in the world as laity should not and must not live according to the world, nor according to the teaching of the world, nor according to the perverse maxims and usages of the world, nor according to the vain principles of the world, nor according to its false policy and scandalous practices. We must not allow our hearts to become attached to the goods of the world; we must keep our desires and thoughts free from its delights; we must dwell in spirit in heaven, and devote our chief care and labor to our God, to our souls, and to their eternal salvation; we must mortify our senses, and restrain and deaden our evil passions; we must take from the hand of the Lord with patience and gratitude the miseries, trials, and troubles that daily cross our path in the world; we must be as satisfied, and love and serve and praise God as well in adversity as in prosperity, in poverty as well as in riches, in contempt as well as in honors, in sickness as well as in health, in suffering as well as in joy; that will be a sign that we care little for the world; that we are only pilgrims and strangers who are here for a time; that we set little store by worldly gain, suffer no disappointment by worldly loss; in a word, that is the way to leave the world in a spiritual sense.
Oh, what a joyful death will follow such a life! " Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord." a Blessed are they who, already dead to the world, have served the Lord alone, and at last die in the Lord. They may die poor, despised, abandoned by all; that makes no matter; they are blessed because they die in the Lord! And what a consolation it must be in that hour to have enjoyed little of the consolation of this world! What a joy to have suffered much for God's sake; to have patiently borne many crosses and trials! What happiness to be able to look at those things as evils that we have suffered, and that appeared in deed hard and difficult to bear, and to remember that they are now passed away, that they can never trouble us again; that, on the contrary, they will be to us the source of a bliss that will never pass! Ye miseries of this life, how many tears you have cost me! Ye persecutions,, how many sad days you made me spend! Misfortune, poverty, secret want, how many sleepless nights you caused me! Premature death of my dear friends, how you have troubled me! Past pains, sighs, miseries, sicknesses, where are ye now? You are all gone; I feel you no longer. " I have afflicted thee," will the Lord say, " and I will afflict thee no more; " the rod is broken. Well done, good and faithful servant (oh, what sweetness these words cause in the hearts of the dying!), enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
O my God, shall that consolation fall to my lot on my deathbed? Alas, what will all the world be able to do for me if I do not die the death of the just! How could I have been so foolish as not to have prepared myself sooner for it, and with more diligence! How foolish of me to make my death troubled and anxious by a sinful life! What a false opinion I have formed of those contradictions that Thou, my God, hast sent me! I looked on myself as unfortunate when I had the least thing to suffer, although if I had borne it for Thy sake it would have helped to prepare for me a joyful death and a happy heaven. In future, my God, this shall be my greatest, my only care: to avoid all sin, to serve Thee alone zealously, to bear with patience and joy the cross es Thou wilt send me, and those I have now to suffer; so that one day, when Thou wilt come for me, even if it were to-day, I may be able to sing with consolation, like Thy servant Simeon: " Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, Lord, according to Thy word, in peace," and bring him to heaven. Amen.