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The Power of Zeal or Enthusiasm!
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Prepared by Marie Ann Shea, TSM Chaplain
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"Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and
hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
My doctrine shall drop as the
rain, my speech
shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon
the tender herb, and as the showers upon the
grass: Because I will
publish the name of the
Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
HE is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his
ways are judgment: a God of truth
and without iniquity, just and right is he."
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- Deuteronomy 32:1-4
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The Disciple SIMON the ZEALOT represents ENERGY.
October represents the Power of
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But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and
they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
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Some ancient Christian writers say that Simon and Jude went together
as missionaries to Persia, and were martyred there. If this is true, it explains, to
some extent, our lack of historical information on them and also why they are usually
put together.
Simon is not mentioned by name in the New Testament except on
these lists. Some modern writers have used his surname as the basis for conjectures
associating him, and through him Jesus and all His original followers, with the
Zealot movement described by Josephus, a Jewish independence movement devoted to
assassination and violent insurrection. However, there were many movements that were
called Zealot, not all alike, and Josephus tells us (Jewish War 4,3,9) that the
movement he is describing did not arise until shortly before the destruction of the
Temple in 70 Ad.
James E. Kiefer @ Society of Archbishop Justus
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History
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St. Simon the Apostle
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The name of Simon occurs in all
the passages of the Gospel and Acts, in which a list of the Apostles is given. To
distinguish him from St. Peter he is called (
Matthew 10:2-4;
Mark 3:16-19
) Kananaios, or Kananites, and Zelotes (
Luke 6:13-16
) Kananaios, or Kananites, and Zelotes(
Acts 1:13
). Both surnames have the same signification and are a translation of the Hebrew
qana (the Zealous). The name does not signify that he belonged to the party of
Zealots, but that he had zeal for the Jewish law, which he practiced before his call.
Jerome and others wrongly assumed that Kana was his native place; were this so, he
should have been called Kanaios. The Greeks, Copts, and Ethiopians identify him
with Nathanael of Cana; the first-mentioned also identify him with the bridegroom of
the marriage of Cana, while in the "Chronicon paschale" and elsewhere he is
identified with Simon Clopas.
The Abyssinians accordingly relate that he
suffered crucifixion as the Bishop of Jerusalem, after he had preached the Gospel in
Samaria. Where he actually preached the Gospel is uncertain. Almost all the lands of
the then known world, even as far as Britain, have been mentioned; according to the
Greeks, he preached on the Black Sea, in Egypt, Northern Africa, and Britain, while,
according to the Latin "Passio Simonis et Judae" -- the author of which was
(Lipsius maintains) sufficiently familiar with the history of the Parthian Empire in
the first century -- Simon laboured in Persia, and was there martyred at Suanir.
However, Suanir is probably to be sought in Colchis. According to Moses of Chorene,
Simon met his death in Weriosphora in Iberia; according to the Georgians, he preached
in Colchis. His place of burial is unknown.
Concerning his relics our information is as
uncertain as concerning his preaching. From Babylon to Rome and Toulouse we find
traces of them; at Rome they are venerated under the Altar of the Crucifixion in the
Vatican. His usual attribute is the saw, since his body was said to have been sawed
to pieces, and more rarely the lance. He is regarded as the patron of tanners. In the
Western Church he is venerated together with Jude (Thaddaeus); in the East separately.
The Western Church keeps his feast on 28 October; the Greeks and Copts on 10 May.
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KLEMENS LÖFFLER
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Transcribed by Gerald Morine
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The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIII
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What are the outer expressions of the Power of Zeal or Enthusiasm?
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By Marie Ann Shea
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Zeal is the zest for living; The enthusiasm or zeal faculty lies
back of all states of consciousness of man, mentally creating out of basic substances,
a world of form and character. Zeal is described as the impulse to go forward, it is
the energy that sets into motion the machinery of the universe to gain possession of
it. The power of desire is good and goes before every act of your life. It is God
Himself in a phase of life, it is the very essence of good.
An abundance of creative energy and enthusiasm can be expressed
through the Spirit of God within us. Our supply of these gifts are of an unlimited
inner supply. They await to be cultivated and put into expression. An example of the
power of zeal or enthusiasm was demonstrated by the 12 Disciples when Jesus called
them to "follow him". Their desire to follow Him was so great that they left
their worldly lifestyle and entered into a Spiritual life, dedicated to do the Will of
God.
How do we develop the spiritual power of Zeal? This creative energy
or Spiritual Zeal of our inner faculties can be developed through affirmative prayer.
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When we pray, let us pray in the silence, putting real meaning
into the chosen words.
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Pray to God with the desire that will stir up the the powers of inborn enthusiasm and
zeal, bringing forth the awareness of the Presence of the Holy Spirit to prepare us for
a Spiritual Renewal. This prayer action brings into one's mind the attitude of a
positive approach to life, expressing joy, happiness and the confidence of goal
setting for success in the new adventure of life.
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A knowing that prayer is being answered comes forth,
through the expressions of our enthusiasm and zeal for our newly found
creativities.
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As our new awareness of the Divine Gifts from God has been made known
to us, the right guidance of how to bring His Good into our lives is revealed.
Zeal is the affirmative impulse of existence. Cora Fillmore wrote
in Christ Enthroned in Man:
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 "Zeal, courage, and earnestness give luster and color to the soul, just as the sparkle of the diamond gives to beauty"
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Let your zeal be tempered with wisdom and judgment. Your zealous
impulses can create many states of consciousness, that can cause you to become tired
and board. The ideas may have sparked your interest and were good ideas serving their
purpose when newly created in your mind. Yet, as you seek and find higher ideas, the
faculty of zeal urges you on to obtain the new ideas and bring them into your world of
form and substance.
The faculty of zeal can become so active intellectually that it can
consume your vitality and leave you in a state of non-spiritual growth consciousness. A
feeling of emptiness, or despair can manifest through being over zealous.
In the book "The Revealing Word," by Charles Fillmore, he
states a reading from Psalms 69:9, "The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up."
Fillmore writes,"This passage means, that the zeal faculty has become so active
intellectually that it has consumed the vitality and left nothing for spiritual growth.
One may become so zealous for the spread of Truth as to bring on nervous prostration.
"
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Take time to be holy, Pray.
Take a walk on the
Highway to Holiness.
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"Turn a portion of your zeal to do God's will, to the establishing
of His Kingdom within you. Do not put all your enthusiasm into teaching, preaching,
healing and helping others; help your own soul. Pray to God. Do not let your zeal run
away with your judgment. When zeal and judgment work together great things can be
accomplished".
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Affirm: "Jesus Christ is now here raising me to His
Consciousness of Divine Zeal. I enthusiastically express the inner Spiritual urge.
"
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I AM GRATEFUL......Amen.
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