A SWORD WILL PIERCE YOUR OWN SOUL

By Agbortem J.C
It is not always easy to hear a Prophecy and remain undisturbed especially when it has to do with pains or something we find unacceptable. People always love to hear good prophecies about their futures and whenever bad prophecies enter their ears, they ask questions on how to stop what has been prophesied from happening.

We all know that the Jews knew exactly what prophecies were since they witnessed the era when God spoke to them through prophets and all God’s prophecies came to pass in their history. Luke recounts one of such prophecies from Simeon in his Gospel.

He recounts that while the child Jesus was being presented in the temple, Simeon took him and said to Mary, his mother, "See him; he will be for the rise or fall of the multitudes of Israel. He shall stand as a sign of contradiction, while a sword will pierce your own soul. Then the secret thoughts of many may be brought to light." (Luke 2:34-35)

Why did Simeon make this prophecy to Mary at this given time? In the annunciation, angel Gabriel told Mary only of Jesus’ conception and the person of Jesus. He told her that the child she was to bare was to be a great king but in the temple, Simeon is telling her “A sword will pierce your own soul.”

This message to Mary is very much understood when we read through the Gospels. Simeon revealed to Mary the role she was to play Jesus’ work to save mankind. She was not to abandon him but to participate with him in saving the world though painful as it was.

As a woman who was so much devoted and dedicated to God in everything; she accepted this mission with love for God and her people. She did not question the prophecy like some of us would have done; she embraced this mission and accepted to pay the price since it was for the salvation of God’s people. Being a woman full of courage and faith in God, she did not give up; she immediately took up this mission first by caring for Jesus as a child and accompanying him in most of his pastoral works. She was faithful to what she said to the angel: "I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said." (Luke 1:38)

She revealed Jesus to us when she went to him and asked for wine at the marriage feast in Canna in the Gospel of John 2:1-12. She did not only ask for wine but opened our eyes to see the person of Jesus as someone we can turn to in times of need. Though Jesus’ time was not yet ripe, he could not resist Mary’s demand and today many who turn to her for intercession can testify that she continues to intercede for us in our various needs as the mother of humanity.

She taught us obedience to Jesus when she said in the Gospel: "Do whatever he tells you." (John 2:5) She gave us the lesson that obedience to Jesus gives way to many blessings from Jesus in times of need.

Mary, obedient to God followed Jesus right to the cross of Calvary and stood by him at the feet of the cross. She suffered emotionally as a mother with Jesus seeing how he was being maltreated by the soldiers.

She did not abandon Jesus. She accepted that the sword should pierce her own soul seeing her son bleeding on the cross of Calvary. How many mothers could stand this? Mary should also be venerated for her courage and bravery in the role of man’s salvation.

At the cross of Calvary, Mary had to embrace another role, that of being the mother of humanity: When Jesus saw the Mother, and the disciple, he said to the Mother, "Woman, this is your son." Then he said to the disciple, "There is your mother." (John 19:26-27)

Jesus after promising to send the Holy Spirit to the apostles gave them his mother to be their physical guide and the Acts of the Apostles recounts that she use to pray together with the apostles. (Acts 1:14)

        Mary’s role in the history of our salvation is not a coincidence, neither is it man made; it is Godly designed. She is the mother of all mankind and as she has proven in most of her apparitions, she continues to care for God’s people and intercede for us to her son just as she did at the wedding feast at Canna.