Purification of Mary (1879)

Death is not innate to man from God, as unbelievers say. It has only come into the world through sin.1 It is the wages of sin.2 Hence it is also a king of terrors to the world.3 All people, the king and the beggar, the rich and the poor, the powerful young man, the blooming virgin, the delicate child in the cradle and the decrepit old man, in short, all people inevitably see themselves in death's terrible force; it makes an eternal end to man's earthly glory; everything that accompanies it, the final struggle, the separation of body and soul, decomposition, the dark grave and the uncertainty to where it might lead, all this fills the world with fear, anxiety, and terror. The highest, to whom the world brings death into contention, is either carnal security4 or mute despair, like Agag in 1 Samuel 15:32, and all suicides. But only those may die in the peace of God who believe in Christ. We find a glorious example of this in the venerable old man Simeon in today's Gospel. Luke 2:22-32 The death of believers: A journey home in peace; 1. what good reason they have for it: a. that Christ, the Holy One5, submitted Himself to the Law of purification6 and through it has redeemed us from our impure birth and from our corruption by original sin; b. that Christ as the true Firstborn7 presents8 and sanctifies9 Himself to the Lord as substitute for all sinners and through it also has made well before God all our sinful life; 2. whereby death would be such a journey home in peace for them: a. not by piety and fear of God, although they are in it10, because Simeon says nothing about all this11 and yet all their piety and fear of God is imperfect and stained; nor the fact that they are tired and had enough of life12, but b. by faithful looking for Jesus, . as Savior13, specifically . prepared as general Savior of all mankind, be they pagan or Jew, coarse or fine sinner.

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Genesis 2:17, 3:19; Romans 5:12; Wisdom 2:23-24. Romans 6:23. 3 Job 18:14. 4 Job 21:13. 5 Luke 1:35. 6 Luke 2:22a; cf. Leviticus 12:1-7. 7 Colossians 1:15. 8 Luke 2:22b; cf. Leviticus 13:15. 9 Luke 2:23. 10 Luke 2:25. 11 Luke 2:30. 12 Luke 2:26. 13 Luke 2:27-30.