Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
and you yourself a sword will pierce
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
St. Simeon, the old and holy man in the temple who wanted to live to see the Messiah, said to Mary “. . . and you yourself a sword will pierce. . .” The passage is usually not taken literally. Since the Blessed Mother of all believers was not recorded to have died from a fatal sword attack, most assume that the passage is allegorical. It applies to all women who have enough love and courage to bring children into the world.
Second, Today’s Reading is Also an Overlooked Mystery to Solve.
Catholic Fundamentalism certainly accepts the usual interpretation of Luke, 33-35. We agree that Simeon’s words prophesy that Mary would suffer heartbreak and grief from the murder of Her Son by Roman, Herodian, and Jerusalem establishments.
Catholic Fundamentalists feel obligated to take God’s Words, in this case, from St. Simeon, as literally as we can. A literal interpretation of “and you yourself a sword will pierce”, must be considered. In doing so, we realize that Mary would not have been the only person close to Jesus to have been attacked or killed by enemies of the Early Church.
Her Son and His disciples, with the possible exception of St. John, were all painfully executed.
She may have been injured or killed, “pierced by an (actual) sword”. If so, it would most likely have been an assassin’s dagger
We know that Her Presence on earth would have been an ongoing danger to groups and organizations besides Romans, Herodians, and Jews. The angry mob of rioting idol-makers in Ephesus showed their rage by shouting, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” when faced with the new, Christian religion that threatened their cash flows. Those in the idol business still become violent when their incomes are threatened.
The leaders of such organizations knew that The Blessed Mother’s continued presence would attract more people to Christianity. They also knew that it was politically expedient to avoid the outrage that would follow a public execution. One can picture the leaders of powerful interests considering Mary’s great power among people, and concluding, “She has to go. Quietly.”
Neither the Catholic Fundamentalism nor the conventional Catholic interpretation of this passage can be eliminated. Both may be correct.
