Mystical City of God

The Journey to Bethlehem - The Incarnation - Bk 4 - Ch9

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes the journey made by Mary and Joseph, in the company of their Guardian Angels, from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The Virgin Mary teaches us, "You know well, my dearest, that you have been incessantly instructed and exhorted by divine enlightenment to forget the terrestrial and visible and to gird yourself with fortitude (Proverbs 31:17), to raise yourself to the imitation of me, copying in yourself, according to your capacity, the works and virtues manifested to you in my life. This is the very first purpose of the knowledge which you receive in writing this history; for you have in me a perfect model, and by it you can arrange the converse and conduct of your life in the same manner as I arranged mine in imitation of my sweetest Son. The dread with which this command to imitate me has inspired you as a being above your strength, you must moderate and you must encourage yourself by the words of my most holy Son in the Gospel of Saint Matthew: “Be ye perfect as my heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). This command of the Most High imposed upon his holy Church is not impossible of fulfillment, and, if his faithful children on their part dispose themselves properly, He will deny to none of them the grace of attaining this resemblance to the heavenly Father. All this my most holy Son has merited for them. But the degrading forgetfulness and neglect of men hinder them from maturing within themselves the fruits of His Redemption."

The Birth of Christ - The Incarnation - Bk4 - Ch10

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes the event of Christ our Savior's birth to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the town of Bethlehem. The Virgin Mary, Our Queen, reminds us that we really encounter Christ in the Eucharist demanding the same reverence we would show approaching the Child Jesus in person. She says, "Learn from my example the reverence, fear, and respect, with which you must treat Him, remembering how I acted, when I held Him in my arms; follow my example, whenever you receive Him in your heart in the venerable sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, wherein is contained the same God-Man, who was born of my womb. In this holy Sacrament, you receive Him and possess Him just as real, and He remains in you just as actually, as I possessed Him and conversed with Him, although in another manner."

Announcing the Birh of Our Saviour - The Incarnation - Bk 4 - Ch11

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes how the Archangel Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. Why shepherds? The Blessed Virgin Mary tells us that many more could have been notified, if only they had lived different lives. She said, "...take notice of and ponder over the burning love of my most holy Son in communicating Himself to men as soon as He was born, in order to make them immediate partakers of the joyful fruit of his coming. Men do not know of this obligation, because few of them penetrate to the significance of this great blessing, just as there were few who saw the Word at his Birth and thanked Him for his arrival. They are not aware of the cause of their evil state and of their blindness, which neither was nor is to be ascribed to the Lord nor to any fault in his love, but to the sins and the bad dispositions of men. If their own bad dispositions would not impede or make them unworthy of this favor, the same light, which was given to the just, to the shepherds, and to the kings [Magi], would have been granted to all or to many. That there should be so few, will make you understand in what an unhappy condition the world was at the time of the coming of the incarnate Word; and also the unhappiness of the present times, when these mysteries have become so evident and when grateful memory of them has become so scarce."

Satan misjudges the birth of Jesus - The Incarnation - Bk4 - Ch12

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes what was concealed from the demon concerning the birth of Christ and the event leading up to Jesus' circumcision. The Blessed Virgin Mary reminds us our affection needs reverence, and our love for God should always contain holy fear. She said, "What I require of you, and all that remains for you to do, is, that you exert yourself in holy emulation to imitate this intercourse and reproduce in yourself the disposition of the angels, the purity of my husband, and to copy in yourself my life, as far as possible, in order to be a fit dwelling-place of the Most High (1st Corinthians 3:17). You must direct all those endeavors, all those desires, and exertions, with which you would have wished yourself to be animated if you had seen and adored my most holy Son in his birth and infancy, toward the fulfillment of this doctrine; for if you imitate me, you may rest secure, that you have me as a Teacher and the Lord for an assured possession of your soul. In this assurance you can speak to Him, embrace Him and delight yourself with Him, as with One who is present; for in order to communicate these delights to the pure and untainted souls, He has assumed human flesh and become a Child. But always look upon Him as the great God, though a Child, in order that your caresses may be guarded by reverence and your love accompanied by holy fear; for the one is due to Him as God, and the other befits his immense bounty and merciful magnificence."

 

The decision regarding Jesus’ Circumcision - The Incarnation - Bk 4 - Ch13

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes how the Blessed Virgin Mary was informed of the Divine Will of the Lord, that His Onlybegotten Son should be circumcised, and she confer about it with St. Joseph and the Holy Name of Jesus is brought from Heaven. The Blessed Virgin Mary teaches us about how and what to ask in guidance from the Lord saying, "Take notice of the cautiousness with which I proceeded in my duties; since, as regards finding grace in the eyes of the Lord, a vast difference always remains between the efforts of other creatures and my own. Nevertheless, though I held in my arms God himself as his true Mother, I never presumed to ask Him to explain to me anything whatsoever by extraordinary revelation, neither for the sake of knowing it or for the sake of ridding myself of suffering, nor for any other merely human reason; for all this would have been human weakness, vain and vicious curiosity, which could find no room in me. Whenever necessity urged it upon me for the glory of his Majesty, or some circumstances made it unavoidable, I asked permission to propose my wishes. Although I always found Him most favourable, ready to answer me with kindness and mercifully urging me to declare my wishes, I nevertheless humiliated myself to the dust and merely asked Him to inform me of what was most pleasing and acceptable in his eyes."

The Circumcision of Christ - The Incarnation - Bk 4 - Ch14

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes how the Divine infant was circumcised and received the name, Jesus. The Blessed Virgin Mary tells us we need to make special use of this information saying, "...I wish you to consider attentively the blessed favor conferred upon you by being informed of the solicitous care and attention which I lavished upon my most holy and sweetest Son in the mysteries just now described. The Most High does not give you this special light in order only to be regaled by the knowledge of these mysteries but in order to imitate me in all these things as a faithful handmaid and in order to distinguish yourself in rendering thanks for his works in the same measure as you are distinguished in knowing them more fully. Ponder, then, dearest, upon the small return given for the love of my Son and Lord by mortals, and how forgetful of thanks even his faithful continue to be. Assume it as your task, as far as your weak powers allow, to render satisfaction for this grievous offense: loving Him, thanking Him, and serving Him with all your powers, for all the other men who fail to do so. Therefore, you must be an angel in promptness, most fervent and punctual on all occasions; you must die to all earthly things, eliminating and crushing all human inclinations and rising upon the wings of love to the heights of love designed for you by the Lord."

Gabriel tells of the Magi - The Incarnation - Bk4 - Ch15

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes how the Blessed Virgin Mary remained in the portal of the Nativity until the arrival of the Three Kings. Our Heavenly Queen also tells us, "...in the foregoing chapter, you have been instructed not to seek information from the Lord by supernatural means, neither in order to relieve any suffering, nor in order to satisfy a natural hankering of curiosity. Now I exhort you likewise not to yield, for any of these reasons, to the desire of performing any exterior action according to the promptings of nature. For in all the activity of your exterior faculties and senses you must seek to moderate and subject your inclinations, not yielding to them in their demands, although they may have the color of virtue or piety. I was in no danger of going to excess in these affections on account of my sinlessness; nor was there a want of piety in my desire of remaining in the cave, where my most holy Son had been born and had been circumcised. Yet I did not wish to express my desire, even when asked about it by my spouse; for I preferred obedience to this pious inclination, and I knew that it is more secure for the souls and more according to the pleasure of the Lord to seek his will in the counsel and decision coming from other, rather than in their own inclination. In me, this course of action was advisable only on account of the greater perfection contained therein, but in you and in other souls, who are subject to error in their judgment, this rule must be observed most rigorously, so as to prevent and avoid mistakes diligently and discreetly. For in their ignorance and lack of courage, men are easily carried away by their feelings and inclinations toward insignificant things, and very often they occupy themselves with trifles as if they were important matters, and with vanities as if they were realities. All such activity weakens the soul and deprives it of great spiritual blessings, of grace, enlightenment, and merit."

The Arrival of the Magi - The Incarnation - Bk 4 - Ch16

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes how the three Kings of the orient came to adore the Word made Man in Bethlehem. Our Mother, The Blessed Virgin Mary, tells us that we need to learn from these events saying, "My daughter, the events recorded in this chapter contain much for the instruction of kings and princes and for the other faithful; as for instance, the prompt obedience and humility of the Magi, which men should imitate, and the obdurate wickedness of Herod, which they are to fear and abhor; for each reaped the fruit of his actions. The kings reaped the fruit of justice and other virtues, which they practiced; while Herod reaped those of ambition and pride by which he had usurped the government, and of other vices into which he cast himself without restriction or moderation. But let this remark, together with the other teachings of the holy church, suffice for those that live in the world. To yourself must you apply the doctrine contained in what you have written; always remembering that all the perfection of a Christian life must be founded upon the Catholic truths, and in the constant and firm acknowledgment of them, as they are taught by holy faith. In order to impress them upon your heart, you must profit of all that you read or hear of the divine Writings, and of what is contained in the other devout and instructive books concerning the virtues. Your faith you must accompany by the practice and abundance of all good works, hoping ever in the visitation and coming of the Most High (Titus 2:13)."

Magi: The Presentation of the Gifts - The Incarnation - Bk4 - Ch17

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes how the Magi Kings returned to the cave of the Nativity to see and adore the child Jesus, offering the gifts and then returning home avoiding Jerusalem. The Blessed Virgin Mary tells us we can provide such gifts as well, saying, "My daughter, great were the gifts which the Kings offered to my most holy Son; but greater still was the affection with which they offered them and the mystery concealed beneath them. On account of all this, they were most acceptable to his Majesty. I wish that you also offer up similar gifts, thanking Him for having made you poor in condition and profession. For I assure you, my dearest, there is no more acceptable gift to the Most High than voluntary poverty. There are very few in the world in our days who use well the temporal riches and offer them to their God and Lord with the generosity and love of these holy Kings. The poor of the Lord, so numerous in our day, experience and give witness how cruel and avaricious human nature has become; since in their great necessities, they are so little succored by the rich. This gross uncharitableness of men offends the holy angels and grieves the Holy Ghost since they are bound to witness the nobility of the souls so degraded and abased in the service of vile greed of gold with all its evil powers (Sirach 10 20). As if all things had been created for the individual use of the rich, they appropriate them to themselves and deprive the poor, their brothers springing from the same nature and flesh; and denying them even to God, who created and preserves all things, and who can give or take at will. It is most lamentable that while the rich might purchase eternal life with their possessions, they abuse them to draw upon themselves damnation as sense less and foolish creatures (Luke 16 9)."

Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh: What happened to the Gifts? - The Incarnation - Bk4 - Ch18

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes how the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph distributed the gifts received from the Magi, and how they remained in Bethlehem until their departure for the Presentation at the Temple of the infant Jesus. Our Queen Mary tells us how the Holy Family saw money as a burden and provides a warning saying, "My daughter, by the divine light I knew, better than all other creatures, at what a low value the Most High esteems earthly blessings and riches. Therefore, in my holy liberty of spirit, I felt myself troubled and inconvenienced by the possession of the treasures of the Kings offered to my most holy Son. As in all my deeds I was to shine in humility and obedience, I did not wish to appropriate them to myself, nor dispose of them according to my own will, but according to the wishes of my spouse Joseph. In this resignation I managed to act as if I were his handmaid and as if none of these gifts concerned me in any way; for it is debasing, and for you, weak creatures, very dangerous to appropriate or attribute any of the goods of the earth, be they of material possessions or goods of honor; for all this cannot be done without covetousness, ambition and vain ostentation."