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)