she did not stain the bridal linen, the rebuke of Paul did not touch her when he said: But when they have grown wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, having condemnation because they have set aside their first faith. Truly worthy of condemnation is she who has buried the memory with her God-joined spouse, and especially when a child or children are present, for which reason the law of marriage has been established; but if the young widow has no child, it is likely that she would rush into a second marriage, pricked by the love of having children. Since, exhorting this very thing, the blessed Paul cried out: I desire that the younger widows marry; then, showing what is the mark of the progress of a second marriage, he added, saying: I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the household. Therefore, the addition of a second marriage is for the sake of bearing children; but when the young widow rushing towards marriage has children, then such a sowing is superfluous, with the rational ears of corn contending against it.

Let us therefore return to the subject; what then says the evangelist? For it is good to take up the whole matter. You just heard the evangelist Luke saying how Simeon said to the virgin: Behold, this one is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that will be spoken against, and a sword will pierce through your own soul also. What does "And a sword will pierce through your own soul also" mean? Listen with understanding. When Simeon had spoken concerning the Lord, for the virgin's ears to hear: Behold, this one is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that will be spoken against, it is likely the mother of the Lord was indignant against Simeon, saying to him: You do not know what you are proclaiming, man. Do you announce grim things against the Christ? Do you not know the conception of the child, that you declare a sign of contradiction as if about a common birth? There is no fall in him, but much exaltation and condescension to those who receive his benefits. Why then do you not bless, saying: 'Behold, this one is set not for the fall, but for the rising of many in Israel;' but why 'And for a sign that will be spoken against?' But Simeon said to the virgin: It is enough for you, virgin, to be called mother; it is sufficient for you to be found the nurse of him who nourishes the world; it is a great thing for you to bear in the flesh him who bears all things. The Christ who has now dwelt in you, the same has now prepared me to speak the things concerning him, that 'This one is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel;' for the fall of the unbelieving Jews, but for the rising of the believing Gentiles. Behold, this one is set for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that will be spoken against; calling the cross a sign of contradiction.

Since on the cross itself many of the unbelievers brought words of contradiction to the Lord, mocking in words and deeds, striking with a reed, giving vinegar to drink, offering gall, placing a crown of thorns around, piercing his side with a spear, slapping with hands, shouting with reproachful words: He saved others; himself he cannot save. Therefore, interpreting this, he said: And for a sign that will be spoken against. Many spoke against him when Peter denied him and all the apostles were scattered like sheep without a shepherd. Therefore, at the sign of the cross, the heart of the virgin herself was also filled with grief; for which reason she also said: Why did I not die beforehand? Why have I come to this day? I have remained a virgin, and I am bitten in my bowels more than mothers are. These boundless thoughts of the virgin Simeon called a sword, as piercing her inmost parts, as bringing scandals, just as the Lord foretold: All of you will be scandalized because of me this night. Whence Simeon also added, saying: And a sword will pierce through your own soul also, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. You see how the boundless

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οὐκ ἐρύπωσε τὴν νυμφικὴν σινδόνα, οὐχ ἥψατο αὐτῆς ὁ ἔλεγχος Παύλου λέγοντος· Ὅταν δὲ καταστρηνιάσωσι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, γαμεῖν θέλουσιν, ἔχουσαι κρίμα ὅτι τὴν πρώτην πίστιν ἠθέτησαν. Ὄντως κρίματος ἀξία ἡ τὴν μνήμην συνθάψασα τῷ θεοζεύκτῳ συζύγῳ, καὶ μάλιστα τέκνου ἢ τέκνων παρόντων διὸ καὶ ὁ νόμος τοῦ γάμου πεφυτούργηται· εἰ δὲ μὴ πρόσεστι τῇ νέᾳ χήρᾳ τέκνον, εἰκὸς αὐτὴν ἐπὶ δεύτερον γάμον ὁρμᾶν τῷ ἔρωτι τῆς φιλοτεκνίας νυττομένην. Ἐπειδὴ καὶ τοῦτο παραινῶν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος κέκραγεν· Βούλομαι νεωτέρας χήρας γαμεῖν· εἶτα δεικνὺς τί τὸ σύμβολον τῆς προκοπῆς τοῦ δευτέρου γάμου προσέθηκε λέγων· Βούλομαι νεωτέρας χήρας γαμεῖν, τεκνογονεῖν, οἰκοδεσποτεῖν. Ὥστε περὶ τῆς παιδοποιΐας ἡ προσθήκη τοῦ δευτέρου γάμου· ὅταν δὲ πρόσεστι τῇ ὁρμησάσῃ νέᾳ χήρᾳ πρὸς γάμον τέκνα, περιττὸς λοιπὸν ὁ τοιοῦτος σπόρος τῶν λογικῶν σταχύων ἀντεριζόντων.

Πάλιν οὖν τῷ λόγῳ ἐπανέλθωμεν· τί οὖν ὁ εὐαγγελιστής; Καλὸν γὰρ τῆς πάσης πραγματείας ἐπιλαβέσθαι. Ἤκουες ἀρτίως τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ Λουκᾶ λέγοντος πῶς ὁ Συμεὼν πρὸς τὴν παρθένον ἔφη· Ἰδοὺ οὗτος κεῖται εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ εἰς σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον, καὶ σοῦ δὲ αὐτῆς τὴν ψυχὴν διελεύσεται ῥομφαία. Τί ἐστι Καὶ σοῦ δὲ αὐτῆς τὴν ψυχὴν διελεύσεται ῥομφαία; Ἄκουε συνετῶς. Τοῦ Συμεῶνος εἰρηκότος περὶ τοῦ κυρίου εἰς ἐξάκουστον τῶν παρθενικῶν ἀκοῶν τό· Ἰδοὺ οὗτος κεῖται εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ εἰς σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον, ἠγανάκτησεν εἰκὸς ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ κυρίου κατὰ τοῦ Συμεῶνος λέγουσα πρὸς αὐτόν· Οὐκ οἶδας τί διαγορεύεις, ἄνθρωπε. Ἐπὶ τὸν Χριστὸν σκυθρωπὰ καταγγέλλεις; Οὐκ οἶδας τὴν σύλληψιν τοῦ παιδίου καὶ ὡς περὶ κοινοῦ τόκου σημεῖον ἀντιλογίας μηνύεις. Οὐδεμία πτῶσις ἐν αὐτῷ, ὕψωσις δὲ πολλὴ καὶ συγκατάβασις τοῖς εὐεργετουμένοις. Τί οὖν οὐκ εὐλογεῖς φάσκων· Ἰδοὺ οὗτος κεῖται οὐκ εἰς πτῶσιν, ἀλλ' εἰς ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ· διὰ τί δὲ Καὶ εἰς σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον; Ὁ δὲ Συμεὼν πρὸς τὴν παρθένον· Ἀρκεῖ σοι, παρθένε, τὸ μητέρα σε κληθῆναι· ἱκανόν σοι τὸ τροφὸν εὑρεθῆναι τοῦ τρέφοντος τὸν κόσμον· μέγα σοι τὸ σαρκὶ βαστάσαι τὸν τὰ πάντα βαστάζοντα. Ὁ ἐν σοὶ νῦν Χριστὸς κατοικήσας καὶ ἐν ἐμοὶ νῦν ὁ αὐτὸς τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ λαληθῆναι παρεσκεύασεν ὅτι Οὗτος κεῖται εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ· εἰς πτῶσιν τῶν ἀπίστων Ἰουδαίων, εἰς ἀνάστασιν δὲ τῶν πιστευόντων ἐθνῶν. Ἰδοὺ οὗτος κεῖται εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ εἰς ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ εἰς σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον· σημεῖον ἀντιλογίας τὸν σταυρὸν προσαγορεύσας.

Ἐπειδὴ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ σταυρῷ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀπίστων ἀντιλογίας ῥήματα προσήνεγκαν τῷ κυρίῳ λόγοις καὶ ἔργοις κωμῳδοῦντες, καλάμῳ τύπτοντες, ὄξος ποτίζοντες, χολὴν προσάγοντες, ἀκάνθινον στέφανον περιτιθέντες, λόγχῃ τὴν πλευρὰν νύττοντες, χερσὶ ῥαπίζοντες, ὀνειδιστικοῖς λόγοις βοῶντες· Ἄλλους ἔσωσεν, ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται σῶσαι. Τοῦτο οὖν ἑρμηνεύων ἔλεγε· Καὶ εἰς σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον. Πολλοὶ ἀντεῖπον ὅτε Πέτρος ἠρνεῖτο καὶ πάντες οἱ ἀπόστολοι ὡς ἀποίμαντα πρόβατα διεσκορπίζοντο. Ἐν τῷ οὖν σταυρικῷ σημείῳ καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς παρθένου ἐπεπλήρωτο ἡ καρδία λύπης· διὸ καὶ ἔλεγε· ∆ιὰ τί μὴ προετελεύτησα; ∆ιὰ τί δὲ τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην κατέλαβον; Παρθένος μεμένηκα καὶ μείζονα μητέρων τοῖς σπλάγχνοις δάκνομαι. Τούτους τοὺς ἀπείρους διαλογισμοὺς τῆς παρθένου ῥομφαίαν ὁ Συμεὼν προσηγόρευσεν ὡς νύττοντας τὰ ἐνδόσθια, ὡς σκάνδαλα προσοίσοντας, καθὼς ὁ κύριος προεῖπε· Πάντες ἐν ἐμοὶ σκανδαλισθήσεσθε ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ. Ὅθεν καὶ ἐπήγαγεν ὁ Συμεὼν φάσκων· Καὶ σοῦ δὲ αὐτῆς τὴν ψυχὴν διελεύσεται ῥομφαία, ὅπως ἂν ἀποκαλυφθῶσιν ἐκ πολλῶν καρδιῶν διαλογισμοί. Ὁρᾷς πῶς τοὺς ἀπείρους

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