From a sermon by Saint
Bernard, abbot
The martyrdom of
the Virgin is set forth both in the prophecy of Simeon and in the actual story
of our Lord’s passion. The holy man said
of the infant Jesus: He has been established as a sign which will
be contradicted. He went on to say
to Mary: And your own heart will be pierced by a sword.
Truly,
O blessed Mother, a sword has pierced your heart. For only by passing through your heart could
the sword enter the flesh of your Son. Indeed after your Jesus--who belongs to
everyone, but is especially yours—gave up his life, the cruel spear, which was
not withheld from his lifeless body tore open his side. Thus the violence of sorrow has cut through
your heart, and we rightly call you more than martyr since the effect of
compassion in you has gone beyond the endurance of physical suffering.
Or were those
words: Woman, behold your Son, not more than a sword to you, truly
piercing your heart, cutting through to the division between soul and
spirit? What an exchange! John is given to you in place of Jesus, the
servant in place of the Lord, the disciple in place of the master; the son of
Zebedee replaces the Son of God, a mere man replaces God himself. How could these words not pierce your most
loving heart, when the mere remembrance of them breaks ours, hearts of stone
and iron though they are!
Do not be surprised
brothers, that Mary is said to be a martyr in spirit. Let him be surprised who does not remember he
words of Paul, that one the greatest crimes of the Gentiles was that they were
without love. That was far from the
heart of Mary; let it be far from her servants.
Perhaps someone
will say: “Had she not known before that
he would die?” Undoubtedly. “Did she not expect him to rise again at
once?” Surely. “And still she grieved over her crucified
Son?” Intensely. Who are you and what is the source of your
wisdom that you are more surprised at the compassion of Mary than at the
passion of Mary’s Son? For if he could
die in body, could she not die with him in spirit? He died in body through a love greater than
anyone had known. She died in spirit
through a love unlike any other since his.
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