For years, Simeon waited patiently. In the solitude and majesty of the Temple, Simeon embraces the child Jesus; he rejoices in his knowledge of God’s fidelity. In his faith and in his waiting, Simeon discovered a joyful opportunity to love God and to live as a disciple of Christ.
Just like Simeon, we are called to put our trust and confidence in God. In his trust and confidence, Simeon waited patiently until he could be in the presence of the Christ. The saint we commemorate today was called to stand up for his faith in a very different way when compared to Simeon. Yesterday, we commemorated the feast of the Holy Innocents: children who were martyred by King Herod when he felt threatened by the birth of Jesus. Like the Holy Innocents, Beckett also is a martyr for the faith. He was chancellor and trusted friend to King Henry II in 12th century England. He was made Archbishop of Canterbury by the king. Despite his loyalty and friendship with the King, Beckett stood firm when King Henry tried to usurp Church authority through the Constitutions of Clarendon, which would have denied the clergy the right of trial by a Church court and would have prevented them from making direct appeal to Rome. Thomas fled to France for safety, where he remained in exile there for 7 years. He returned to England even though he knew it would mean certain death for him. Four of the king's knights murdered Thomas Beckett in the Canterbury Cathedral shortly after his return. The king saw Thomas Beckett as yet another “troublesome priest.” Yet, across the centuries of time and history, the courage of Thomas Beckett and his willingness to sacrifice for the faith remain a strong witness to us today, just like Simeon's own patience and perseverance. May we take courage from the patience of Simeon and the steadfastness of Thomas Beckett.
No comments:
Post a Comment