• =?UTF-8?Q?February_18th_=E2=80=93_St=2E_Simeon_of_Jerusalem?=

    From rich@1:396/4 to All on Mon Feb 17 09:39:45 2020
    From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

    February 18th =E2=80=93 St. Simeon of Jerusalem
    (Also known as Simon of Jerusalem)

    Died c. 107. Not all of Jesus' relatives understood His teaching or
    recognized His divinity. One who did was Simeon, his first cousin.
    Tradition says that Simeon was the son of Cleophas (Alpheus, brother
    to Saint Joseph) and Mary (sister-in-law of the Blessed Virgin). Some
    think that Simeon was the bridegroom for which Jesus changed the water
    into wine at Cana.

    Some Christians believe that this Simeon was the same person as Jesus=E2=80= =99
    disciple who was nicknamed 'the Zealot' because he belonged to a party
    of strongly nationalistic Jews. If Simeon and Simon are one, he was
    also brother to Saint James the Lesser and Saint Jude, apostles, and
    of Joseph. If they are identical, Simeon was among the band of
    followers, who, after His Resurrection, devoted themselves to prayer
    in Jerusalem until the descent of the Holy Spirit to bless and inspire
    them all.

    Saint Epiphanius relates in =E2=80=9CPanarion seu adversus LXXX haereses (7=
    8,
    c. 14)=E2=80=9D that when the Jews massacred Saint James the Lesser in 62 A=
    D,
    Simeon reproached them for their atrocious cruelty. Simeon was
    unanimously chosen successor to his brother as patriarch of Jerusalem.
    He was the natural choice because he had probably assisted his brother
    in the government of that church.

    Tradition says that, like Lot in Sodom, Simeon was supernaturally
    warned of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 66, and
    withdrew with many fellow-Christians to the small city of Pella, where
    they remained until it was safe for them to return to Jerusalem after
    its destruction in AD 70.

    Epiphanius and Eusebius assure us, that the church flourished at
    Pella, and that multitudes of Jews were converted by the great number
    of prodigies and miracles wrought in it. Nevertheless, already during
    this early period the Church saw the rise of heresy in the form of the Nazareans, who thought Jesus to be the greatest of prophets but only a
    man, and the Ebonites and Docetists, which seems to be gnostic sects.
    The Nazareans joined all the ceremonies of the old law with the new,
    and observed both the Jewish Sabbath and the Lord's Day (Sunday).
    Ebion added other errors to these, which Cerenthus had also espoused,
    and taught many superstitions, permitted divorces, and allowed of the
    most infamous abominations. The authority of Simeon kept the heretics
    in some awe during his life, which was the longest upon earth of any
    of our Lord's disciples. But, as Eusebius says, he was no sooner de=
    ad
    than a deluge of execrable heresies broke out of hell upon the Church,
    which durst not openly appear during his life.

    Simeon's life was never free of danger. He escaped the death ordered
    by Emperors Vespasian and Domitian when they decreed that all of
    Jewish origin were to be executed, but finally, during the
    persecutions of Atticus under the Emperor Trajan in 107, Simeon was
    caught, tortured, and crucified like his Lord. Reputedly, he was well
    over 100 (120 by most accounts) years old at the time of his death.
    Atticus and the executioners expressed admiration of Simeon's
    fortitude and strength in martyrdom. Tradition places the site of his
    martyrdom in far-flung Persia, Egypt, or the British Isles
    (Benedictines, Bentley, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Husenbeth).

    In art, Saint Simeon is portrayed as an ancient bishop being crucified
    (easily confused with Saint Nestor) (Roeder).


    <><><><>
    Whoever humbleth himself shall be exalted. --Lk. 14:11

    "I am despised and derided, and I resent it; just so do peacocks and
    apes. I am despised and derided, and I rejoice at it; thus did the
    Apostle. This is the deepest grade of humility, to be pleased with
    humiliation and abjection, as vain minds are pleased with great
    honors; and to find pain in marks of honor and esteem, as they find it
    in contempt and affronts"
    --St. Francis de Sales

    St. Dominic remained more willingly in the diocese of Carcassone
    than in that of Toulouse, where he had converted so many heretics. On
    being asked his reason, he replied that in the latter he received many
    honors, but in the former only injuries and insults.

    St. Felix the Capuchin experienced great affliction in seeing
    himself honored and esteemed; and he was often heard to say that he
    would have been glad to be frightfully deformed, that all might abhor
    him. He repeated many times that it would have been more agreeable to
    him to have been dragged and scourged through the streets of Rome,
    than to have been reverenced by the people.

    (Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". February - Humility)

    Bible Quote
    But the prophet, who being corrupted with pride, shall speak in my
    name things that I did not command him to say, or in the name of
    strange gods, shall be slain. (Deuteronomy 18:20)


    <><><><>
    Holy Mary, help the helpless, strengthen the faithful,
    comfort the sorrowful, pray for the people,
    plead for the clergy, intercede for all women
    consecrated to God; may all who keep thy
    sacred commemoration experience the
    might of thine assurance.
    --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
    * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)