Mystical City of God

The spiritual adornment of Mary Part 7 - The Incarnation - Bk3 - Ch7

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda continues her description of the preparation of Mary for the Annunciation. The Blessed Virgin Mary reminds us that we are the obstacle when it comes to God's grace and generosity, "[God] can enrich innumerable others just as He has enriched my soul, and yet infinitely more will remain. Although He will give to no creature as much as He has conferred upon me, it is not because He is not able or does not wish, but because no one will dispose himself for his grace as I did. But the Almighty is most liberal with some souls and enriches them so munificently, because they impede his gifts less, and dispose themselves better than others."

Mary pleads for the Incarnation - The preparation Part 8 - The Incarnation - Bk3 - Ch8

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda continues describing Mary's preparation through grace for the pending Annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel. God asked Mary to come closer, and The Blessed Virgin reminds us that He asks the same of us, His chosen one, to come closer as well, "For He derives just as great pleasure from their deeds, as when a father rejoices in his beloved and well-behaved son, whom he looks upon many times with great affection; or as an artist, when he beholds with pride the perfect works of his hands; or as a king, who inspects the rich city, which he has added to his dominions; or as one, who is pleased with his much-beloved friend. There is only this difference: the Most High finds incomparably more delight than all these in the souls, which He has chosen for his blessings; and in proportion, as they dispose themselves and advance in virtue, the Lord also multiplies his favors and benefits."

Mary‘s made Queen of the Universe - The Incarnation - B3 - Ch9

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes how God renewed all His favors and benefits in the Most Holy Mary. As the ultimate preparation for the Incarnation, God made her the sovereign and Queen of all the universe. The Blessed Virgin Mary explains to us that God is ready and willing to enrich each and every one of us, "[God] has created such a variety of visible goods in order that they might serve those who serve Him; and especially when she considers how many hidden treasures He has in readiness in the abundance of his sweetness (Psalm 30:20) for those that fear Him as his true children. I wish that you feel deeply obliged to your Lord and Father, your Spouse and Friend, at the thought of the riches given to those souls, who become his dearest children. For, as a powerful Father, He holds in readiness these great and manifold gifts for his children, and if necessary, all of his gifts for each one of them in particular."

The Archangel Gabriel is sent -The Incarnation - Bk3 - Ch10

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes how God sent the Archangel Gabriel to gain Mary's consent and how it differed from the other commands he gave to his angels. The Blessed Virgin Mary tells us that she was not in anyway expecting of suspecting what was about to happen; quite the contrary, she explains, "Remember, I was far from imagining, that the Most High had designed me for the dignity of Mother of God; and this was my state of mind although He had already promised his speedy coming into the world and although He had commanded me to desire after Him with such great affection, that on the day before the execution of this mystery I thought I would die and my heart would burst with loving sighs, if the divine Providence had not comforted me. He dilated my spirit with the firm hope, that the Onlybegotten of the eternal Father would descend from heaven without delay; yet on the other hand, my humility inclined me to fear, lest my presence in the world might perhaps retard his coming. Contemplate then, my beloved, this secret of my breast, and what an example it is for you and for all the mortals."

The Annunciation - The Incarnation - Bk3 - Ch 11

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes the events of the Annunciation. The Blessed Virgin Mary challenges us to personalize the coming of the Messiah. She says, "I wish however my dearest, that you turn your attention toward yourself and consider, how God humiliated Himself and came into my womb, not only for myself alone but for you as well. The Lord is infinite in his mercy and his love has no limit, and thus He attends and esteems and assists every soul who receives Him, and He rejoices in it as if He had created it alone, and as if He had been made man for it alone. There fore with all the affection of your soul you must, as it were, consider yourself as being yourself in person bound to render the full measure of thanks of all the world for his coming; and for his coming to redeem all. And if, with a lively faith you are convinced and confess, that the same God who, infinite in his attributes and eternal in his majesty, lowered Himself to assume human flesh in my womb, seeks also you, calls you, rejoices you, caresses you, and thinks of you alone, as if you were his only creature (Galatians 2:20); think well and reflect on what his admirable condescension obliges you. Convert this admiration into living acts of faith and love; for, that He condescends to come to you, you owe entirely to the goodness of the King and Savior, since you yourself could never find Him nor attain Him."

The Conception of Jesus Christ - The Incarnation - Bk3 - Ch12

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes Christ's conception and His very first activities. The Blessed Virgin Mary tells us that we need to reflect on the Incarnation and take care, "Above all, I ask of you, my dearest, to do that which is most acceptable to the Lord and most pleasing to me; that you grieve, and in sweet affection mourn over the gross ignorance and dangerous tardiness of the sons of men; over the ingratitude also of the children of the Church, who, having received the light of the divine faith, yet live in such interior forgetfulness of the works and benefits of the Incarnation, yea, of God himself, and so much so, that they seem to differ from infidels only in some ceremonies and exterior worship. They perform these without spirit or heartiness, many times offending and provoking the divine justice which they should placate.

Through this ignorance and torpidity, it happens that they are not prepared to receive and acquire the true science of the Most High. They bring upon themselves the loss of the divine light and they deserve to be left in the heavy darkness, making themselves more unworthy than the infidels themselves and entailing upon themselves an incomparably greater chastisement. Mourn, over such great damage to your neighbors, and pray for help from the bottom of your heart."

Beatific Vision Differences between Mary and Jesus - The Incarnation - Bk3 - Ch13

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes the different states and the beatific visions she experienced compared to that of Christ and also discusses special capacities she had, and we can have. The Blessed Virgin Mary tells us that God doesn't want to wait for the end of our lives to begin rewarding us with special capacities, "For if the creature, as soon as it obtains the use of reason, begins to advance toward the Lord as it should, directing its footsteps in the path of life and salvation, his Most High Majesty will issue forth to meet it, (Wisdom 6 15), being beforehand with his favors and communications; for to Him it seems a long time to wait for the end of the pilgrimage in order to manifest Himself to his friends."

Mary‘s Care for the Incarnation - The Incarnation - B3 - Ch14

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda: describes the attention and care which the Blessed Virgin Mary bestowed upon the fruit of her womb. Our Heavenly Queen reminds us that we always need to show God the proper reverence, recalling that He is present in all our dealings. He says, "...I wish you so earnestly to acquire and which shall teach you to understand profoundly, what decorous reverence is due to God. I remind you once more, that this science is very hard to learn and little coveted by men on account of their ignorance; for from there, to their great loss, it arises that, in conversing with the Most High or rendering Him service or worship, they fail to form a worthy concept of his infinite greatness and to free themselves from the darksome images of their earthly occupations, which make them torpid and carnal, unworthy and unfit for the magnificent intercourse with the supernal Deity. And this ill-bred coarseness entails another disorder: namely, that whenever they converse with their neighbors, they do it without order, measure or discretion, become entangled in their outward actions, and losing the memory and presence of their Creator in the excitement of their passions, are completely entangled in what is earthly."

God asks Mary to visit Elizabeth - The Incarnation - B3 - Ch15

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes how the Virgin Mary was informed of the will of God that she go and visit St. Elizabeth. How Holy Mary asked her husband Joseph for permission to go, yet our of prudence told him nothing about any of the other things that had been happening including the Annunciation. The Virgin Mary explained the importance of obedience in life, "Happy is the soul, to which the Most High manifests his holy and perfect will; but more happy and blessed is he, who puts into execution, what he has learned. In many ways, God shows to mortals the high ways and pathways of eternal life: by the Gospels and the Holy Scriptures, by the Sacraments and the laws of the holy Church, by the writings and examples of the saints, and especially, by the obedience due to the guidance of its ministers, of whom his Majesty said: “Whoever hears you, hears Me;” for obeying them is the same as obeying the Lord himself."

The Journey to Visit Elizabeth - The Incarnation - Bk3 - Ch16

The Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Ágreda describes the journey the holy couple undertook when the Blessed Virgin Mary and Joseph went to visit St. Elizabeth ending with the entry of Zachariah's house. The Blessed Virgin Mary teaches us, "...whenever the creature holds in proper esteem the good works and the services, which the Lord commands for his glory, it will feel within itself great facility of operation, great sweetness in undertaking them, and a readiness and alacrity in continuing and pursuing them. These different feelings then give testimony of their being truly useful and commanded by God. But the soul cannot experience these affections, if it is not altogether devoted to the Lord, keeping its gaze fixed upon his divine pleasure, hearing of it with joy, executing it with alacrity, and forgetting its own inclination and conveniences. The soul must be like the faithful servant, who seeks to do only the will of his master and not his own. This is the manner of obeying, which is fruitful and which is due from all the creatures to their God and much more from all the religious, who explicitly promise this kind of obedience."

"Attend, therefore, my daughter, with all solicitude to the works of virtue and perfection, which you know to be desirable in the eyes of the Lord. Despise none of them nor withdraw from any of them and cease not to exercise them, no matter how violently your inclinations and your weakness should oppose their exercise. Trust in the Lord and proceed to put them into execution, and soon his power will overcome all difficulties. Soon you will also know by happy experience how light is the burden and how sweet is the yoke of the Lord (Matthew 11 13). He did not deceive us when He spoke those words, as might be argued by the tepid and the negligent, who in their torpidity and distrust, tacitly repudiate the truth of this statement."