Excerpts from Mystical City of God by Ven. Mary of Agreda

[Therese]

'Le this be to thee a general rule:  that all human consolation is an imperfection and a danger, and that thou shouldst welcome only that, which the Most High sends to thee Himself or through his holy angels.  And even these favors of the divine right hand thou must accept only insofar as they strengthen thee to suffer more constantly and to withdraw thee from all that ministers to the senses.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Ageda, Mystical City of God, Vol. III, 663

[Shin]

'Le this be to thee a general rule:  that all human consolation is an imperfection and a danger, and that thou shouldst welcome only that, which the Most High sends to thee Himself or through his holy angels.  And even these favors of the divine right hand thou must accept only insofar as they strengthen thee to suffer more constantly and to withdraw thee from all that ministers to the senses.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Ageda, Mystical City of God, Vol. III, 663

This statement is a true guiding light to holiness!

[Therese]

'Le this be to thee a general rule:  that all human consolation is an imperfection and a danger, and that thou shouldst welcome only that, which the Most High sends to thee Himself or through his holy angels.  And even these favors of the divine right hand thou must accept only insofar as they strengthen thee to suffer more constantly and to withdraw thee from all that ministers to the senses.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Ageda, Mystical City of God, Vol. III, 663

This statement is a true guiding light to holiness!

So true!

[Shin]

The path to salvation is to live a supernatural life!

[Therese]

The path to salvation is to live a supernatural life!

Yes, that's right!

[Therese]

The power of the Divinity, which deified his most holy humanity by its hypostatic union, helped Him, not to lighten his pains, but to strengthen Him against death; so that, still retaining life until death should be permitted to take it away on the Cross, He might satiate his love to the fullest extent.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. III, 664

[Therese]

Near her [Blessed Mary] were saint John and the three Marys; for they alone, through her intercession and favor of the eternal Father, had obtained the privilege of remaining so constantly near to the Savior and to his Cross.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. III, 664

[Therese]

'Four times during the Passion did they despoil Jesus of his garments and again vest Him.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. III, 667

[Therese]

'The most prudent Virgin never forgot or disregarded the first word which She had heard from the mouth of her divine Son as an infant:  "Become like unto me, my Beloved."

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. III, 670

[Therese]

'In order to find places for the auger-holes on the Cross, the executioners haughtily commanded the Creator of the universe (O dreadful temerity!), to stretch Himself out upon it.  But they, following their human instinct of cruelty, marked the places for the holes, not according to the size of his body, but larger, having in mind a new torture for their Victim.  This inhuman intent was known to the Mother of light, and the knowledge of it was one of the greatest afflictions of her chastest heart during the whole Passion.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. III, 671

[Therese]

'I must not omit mentioning another barbarity inflicted upon the Lord as they raised Him:  for some of them placed the sharp points of their lances and halberds to his body and fearfully lacerating Him under the armpits in helping to push the Cross into position.  At this spectacle new cries of protest arose with still more vehemence and confusion from the multitude of people.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. III, 676

[Therese]

'Thou [Dismas] has now ceased to rob earthly possessions of thy neighbor, and immediately snatchest heaven from the hands of thy Master.  Thou seizes in justice and He yields it to thee in grace, since thou wast the last disciple of his doctrine on earth and the most alert of all in practicing it after having heard it from his mouth.  Thou hast lovingly corrected thy brother, confessed thy Creator, reprehended those who blasphemed Him, imitated Him in patient suffering, asked Him humbly as thy Redeemer not to forget thy miseries; and He, as thy Exalter, has at once fulfilled thy desires without delaying the guerdon merited for thee and all the mortals.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. III, 682

[Therese]

'By the third vow, that of chastity, thy feet are nailed to the Cross, in order that all thy steps and movements may be pure, chaste and beautiful.  For this thou must not permit in thy presence the least word offensive to purity, nor, by looking upon or touching any human creature, allow any sensual image or impression within thee; thy eyes and all thy senses are to remain consecrated to chastity, without making more use of them than to fix them upon Jesus crucified.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. III, 700

[Shin]

'By the third vow, that of chastity, thy feet are nailed to the Cross, in order that all thy steps and movements may be pure, chaste and beautiful.  For this thou must not permit in thy presence the least word offensive to purity, nor, by looking upon or touching any human creature, allow any sensual image or impression within thee; thy eyes and all thy senses are to remain consecrated to chastity, without making more use of them than to fix them upon Jesus crucified.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. III, 700

May the Lord grant us holy purity always.

[Therese]

'By the third vow, that of chastity, thy feet are nailed to the Cross, in order that all thy steps and movements may be pure, chaste and beautiful.  For this thou must not permit in thy presence the least word offensive to purity, nor, by looking upon or touching any human creature, allow any sensual image or impression within thee; thy eyes and all thy senses are to remain consecrated to chastity, without making more use of them than to fix them upon Jesus crucified.'


Do you think that our Lady doesn't want me to hug and kiss people any more, Shin?  My family and I hug and kiss when we great each other and depart from each other.  Of course we hug and kiss each other with no temptations against holy purity.  Sometimes, though not often, when I am really, really grateful to and happy with a friend I hug or kiss her; there is no temptation I feel against holy purity here too.  Do you think our Lady doesn't want me to hug and kiss people anymore?

[Therese]

'Before He assumed flesh I hated Him and refused to acknowledge Him as being more worthy than I to be adored by the rest of creation.  Although on account of this resistance I was cast out from heaven with you and was degraded to this abominable condition so unworthy of my greatness and former beauty, I am even more tormented to see myself thus vanquished and oppressed by this Man and by his Mother.'

Lucifer to his counsel of demons, after Christ's Victory of the Cross, Mystical City of God, Vol. III, 714