In Roma habuit domina Birgitta istam reuelacionem, que loquitur de illo glorioso gladio doloris, qui animam beate virginis Marie pertransiuit, quem sibi iustus Symeon prenunciauit in templo.
The Vision of the Purification
Birgitta witnesses a heavenly procession depicting the presentation of the child Jesus in the temple.
On the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, while the Lady Birgitta, Christ's bride, was in Rome at the church known as Saint Mary Major, she was caught up in a spiritual vision, seeing in heaven that everything was being prepared for a great feast. Then she saw what looked like a temple of wondrous beauty, and there was the venerable, righteous old man Simeon, ready to receive the child Jesus into his arms with the greatest desire and joy.1 She also saw the blessed Virgin walking with the utmost dignity, carrying the child Jesus to present Him in the temple according to the law of the Lord; then, an innumerable multitude of angels and various orders of God's saints, as well as holy virgins and noble women, went before the blessed Virgin, the Mother of God, surrounding her with every sign of joy and devotion.
The Sword of Sorrow
The vision reveals the sword of Mary's sorrow, showing how her past suffering is honored with heavenly glory.
Before this, an angel carried a long, very wide, and blood-stained sword, which signified the immense sorrows that Mary endured at the death of her most beloved Son—sorrows that were prefigured by the sword which the righteous Simeon prophesied would pierce her own soul. With the whole heavenly court rejoicing, the bride was told: "See how much honor and glory is repaid on this feast of the Queen of Heaven for the sword of sorrows she endured during the passion of her beloved Son." Then the vision disappeared.
Read the original Latin
In purificacione beate Marie virginis, dum esset domina Birgitta Christi sponsa in Roma in ecclesia, que dicitur Sancte Marie Maioris, rapta fuit dicta domina in spiritualem visionem, videns in celo quasi omnia ad magnum festum preparari.
Et tunc vidit quasi vnum templum mirabilis pulchritudinis et ibi erat ille venerabilis senex iustus Symeon paratus ad recipiendum puerum Ihesum in vlnis suis cum summo desiderio et gaudio.
Videbat quoque beatam virginem honestissime incedentem et portantem puerum filium, vt offerret eum in templo secundum legem Domini; deinde innumerabilem multitudinem angelorum et diuersorum ordinum sanctorum Dei et sanctarum virginum et dominarum beatam virginem matrem Dei precedencium et eam cum omni leticia et deuocione circumdancium.
Ante quam portabatur a quodam angelo vnus gladius longus et valde latus et sanguinolentus, qui significabat illos maximos dolores, quos Maria passa est in morte amantissimi filii sui, qui figurabantur in gladio, quem iustus Symeon prophetabat ipsius animam pertransiturum esse.
Vnde tota exultante celesti curia dictum fuit sponse: "Ecce quantus honor et gloria rependitur in hoc festo regine celi pro gladio dolorum, quos sustinuit in sui dilecti filii passione." Et tunc hec visio disparuit.
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin 'vlnis' is a common medieval spelling variant for 'ulnis' (arms).
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