Good Fella:
Mary’s sorrow is vividly compared with a sword that passes through her soul. Her pain indicates the purpose and result of our Lord’s salvific mission and thereby serves as an incidental effect (grammatically speaking) of our salvation. Simeon singles out the Mother of our Lord for a unique share in the agony and death connected with the Messiah who would be despised and rejected by the religious elders and people of Israel. Jesus would not have saved us from our sins if it weren’t for Mary’s ‘Fiat’ and her pilgrimage of faith in association with her divine Son. Mary played a vital role in our salvation. Her faith and perseverance contributed to our redemption. Luke is teaching us this traditional belief of the Church. Elizabeth declares:
“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
Luke 1, 45
Although you once cautioned me about putting too much significance on any bible version, as the Catholic church used “both scripture and sacred tradition” – I have taken this opportunity to also take an excerpt from the Douay Rheims bible – as I understand this is a popular Catholic translation and the King James Version may not be as acceptable.
As you see below (the “red” is their commentary) – no reference is made to Mary at all with regards to Verse 35 in this commentary.
There is only a reference to Verse 34 –“for the fall” and of what this would mean for the people who would believe – or not believe in regards to Jesus.
It would appear that clarifying this portion of scripture was more significant, than that of Mary’s “vital role” in our salvation.
Douary Rheims online
34 And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted;
35 And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.
34 “For the fall”… Christ came for the salvation of all men; but here Simeon prophesies what would come to pass, that many through their own wilful blindness and obstinacy would not believe in Christ, nor receive his doctrine, which therefore would be ruin to them: but to others a resurrection, by their believing in him, and obeying his commandments.
36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser; she was far advanced in years, and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity
Good Fella:
“He became man by ‘the’ Virgin, in order that the disobedience which proceeded from the serpent might receive its destruction in the same manner in which it derived its origin. For Eve, who was a virgin and undefiled, having conceived the word of the serpent, brought forth disobedience and death. But ‘the’ Virgin Mary received faith and joy, when the angel Gabriel announced the good tidings to her that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon her, and the power of the Highest would overshadow her: wherefore also the Holy Thing begotten of her is the Son of God; and she replied, ‘Be it unto me according to thy word.’ And by her has He been born, to whom we have proved so many Scriptures refer, and by whom God destroys both the serpent and those angels and men who are like him (Gen 3:15); but works deliverance from death to those who repent of their wickedness and believe upon Him.”
Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, 100 [A.D. 155]
As Justin Martyr points out – Mary received “
faith and joy” when Gabriel announced **what was **going to happen to her - her “fiat” would be a natural result of that wouldn’t it?
*Good Fella:
“For as Eve was seduced by the word of an angel to flee from God, having rebelled against His Word, so Mary by the word of an angel received the glad tidings that she would bear God by obeying His Word. The former was seduced to disobey God, but the latter **was persuaded to obey ***God, so that ‘the’ Virgin Mary might become the advocate of the virgin Eve. As the human race was subjected to death through the act of a virgin, so it was saved by a virgin.”
Irenaeus, Against Heresies, V:19, 1 [A.D. 180]
When we read Luke, I cannot see much “persuasion” as Irenaeus says above. I can see where the angel, Gabriel - stated what was going to happen, he didn’t make a request or ask for Mary’s agreement…same in Matthew’s account.