نشيد سمعان الشيخ ونشيدنا…

قبل أن نَغرِفَ مِن هذه الكلماتِ النُّورانيَّة، لا بُدَّ أن نُوضحَ أنّ كلمَةَ “إسرائيل” في الكتابِ المُقدَّسِ لا تتكلَّمُ على دَولةٍ، بَل تُشيرُ إلى كلِّ إنسانِ تَعلَّقَ باللهِ ولم يَترُكْه، أي اتَّخَذَ اللهُ إلهًا لَهُ قلبًا وقالبًا.
ثلاثةُ مَحاورَ في هذا النَّشيد
١- أن يُطلَق بسلام: مَن يجرؤ منّا أن يقولَ: أنا جاهِزٌ لأَنطَلِقَ مِن هذهِ الحَياةِ وأقفَ بِالكُليَّةِ أمامَكَ يا رَبّ؟
أمرٌ صعبٌ للغَايةِ لَكنَّهُ آتٍ عَاجِلًا أم آجلًا لا مَحالة. ألا نَستَعِدُّ له إذًا بالتَّوبةِ والتَّنقيةِ الدَّاخليّةِ وأعمالِ الرَّحمةِ الصَّادِقَة؟
٢- أبصَرَ الخَلاصَ: هَل نحنُ أيضًا نُبصِرُ أم لنا عيونٌ ولا نرى؟ الخَلاصُ هو يسوعُ الفادي ولا أَحَدَ غيرَه، فَهَل ما زِلنا نبحثُ عَن مُخلِّص؟
٣- نورٌ ومَجد (عظمة): “الشَّعْبُ السَّالِكُ فِي الظُّلْمَةِ أَبْصَرَ نُورًا عَظِيمًا.” (إش ٢:٩). هذه هي تَعزِيَتُنا. ويجب ألاّ يَغفَلَ عن ذِهنِنا أنَّ لنا مجدًا إلهيًّا أعدَّهُ اللهُ لنا مِن قَبلِ تَأسيسِ العَالَمِ، “لِنَكُونَ قِدِّيسِينَ وَبِلاَ لَوْمٍ قُدَّامَهُ فِي الْمَحَبَّةِ” (أفسس ٤:١).

نشيد سمعان الشيخ هذا كان ثالث نشيد يذكره لوقا الإنجيلي

– الأوّل، نشيد مريم العذراء التي افتتحته قائلةً: «تُعَظِّمُ نَفْسِي الرَّبَّ، وَتَبْتَهِجُ رُوحِي بِاللهِ مُخَلِّصِي”. وقد أنشدته بعد أن قالت لها أليصابات «مُبَارَكَةٌ أَنْتِ فِي النِّسَاءِ وَمُبَارَكَةٌ هِيَ ثَمَرَةُ بَطْنِكِ! فَمِنْ أَيْنَ لِي هذَا أَنْ تَأْتِيَ أُمُّ رَبِّي إِلَيَّ”

– الثاني، نشيد زكريا والد القدّيس يوحنا المعمدان، وابتدأ به قائلًا: «مُبَارَكٌ الرَّبُّ إِلهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ لأَنَّهُ افْتَقَدَ وَصَنَعَ فِدَاءً لِشَعْبِهِ” (لوقا 1: 68).

الرب ينتظر لقيانا ونشيدنا.

خِتامًا، الهيكلُ المَصنوعُ بِيَدِ إنسانٍ يأخُذُ بِهذا العِيدِ بُعدَهُ الحَقيقيّ، وسيُصبحُ «الْمَسْكَن الأَعْظَم وَالأَكْمَل، غَيْر الْمَصْنُوعِ بِيَدٍ، أَيِ الَّذِي لَيْسَ مِنْ هذِهِ الْخَلِيقَةِ» (عب١١:٩).

فَتَعالَ يا رَبُّ وأدْخُلْ هيكَلَ نُفوسِنا لِنُصبِحَ نحنُ هيكلَكَ أنت.

The Song of Symeon and Our Song.

Symeon rejoiced in the spirit. Behold, he carries in his arms the One for whom he had been waiting many years.

He is meeting the One for whom his soul longed and thrived. His tongue began singing what his heart felt, a song transmitted from one generation to another.

It is the song of a passage from the earthly to the heavenly, from darkness to light.

Therefore, the Church concludes the service of Vespers with this song, as if to say: the sunset of our life is gone.

The life-giving light has shone. We are ready now to sing with the author of this song: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word;
for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2: 28-32).

Before we sip from these words of light, we must make it clear that the word “Israel” in the Bible does not indicate a country, but rather refers to every person who clings to God and does not leave Him, being consecrated to God in full.

There are three themes in this song:

1- To let one depart in peace: Who dares to say: I am ready to depart from this life and stand entirely before you, O Lord?

It is very difficult, but it shall happen, sooner or later. Shall we not be prepared for it, then, by repentance, inner purification, and sincere charity works?

2- To behold salvation: Do we also behold it, or do we have eyes that do not see? Salvation is Jesus the Redeemer and no one else. Are we still searching for a Savior?

3- Light and glory (magnificence): “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2). This is our comfort. We must not forget that we have a divine glory that God has prepared for us before the foundation of the world, “that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4).

This song of Symeon is the third mentioned by Luke the Evangelist:

– The first is the song of the Virgin Mary (Magnificat) that begins with: « My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” She sang it after Elizabeth told her “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

– The second is the song of Zechariah, father of Saint John the Baptist, which begins this way: “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people” (Luke 1:68).

The Lord is awaiting our encounter with Him and our song.

In conclusion, the temple made by humans takes its true dimension in this feast, as it will become “the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation” (Hebrews 9:11).

Come, Lord, enter the temple of our souls, so that we may be your temple.