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

[Shin]

Perhaps a login timeout perhaps? Sometimes a back arrow will fix that. Or perhaps -- copying and pasting from facsimile's often gives bad OCR.

In any case, I am glad now we know!  

It's always comforting to have an original language source to compare a translation to!

The only reasons I know of for a post not to go through are either because a person tries to post a link -- which gives an error result, or if you are taking a very long time to type up a post, your login times out.

In such cases I tend to recommend highlighting and copying and pasting the post to your clipboard before clicking 'post' so you have it to 'paste' again if there's a problem.

[Shin]

There shouldn't be any problems with your account itself. I am still looking into the notifications issue. 

[Therese]

Perhaps a login timeout perhaps? Sometimes a back arrow will fix that. Or perhaps -- copying and pasting from facsimile's often gives bad OCR.

In any case, I am glad now we know!  

It's always comforting to have an original language source to compare a translation to!

The only reasons I know of for a post not to go through are either because a person tries to post a link -- which gives an error result, or if you are taking a very long time to type up a post, your login times out.

In such cases I tend to recommend highlighting and copying and pasting the post to your clipboard before clicking 'post' so you have it to 'paste' again if there's a problem.

Yes, that sounds right, Jeffrey; I must have spent too much time on my post.  Thanks for your help!

[Therese]

There shouldn't be any problems with your account itself. I am still looking into the notifications issue. 

Thanks so much, Shin!!  God bless you!!

[Shin]

You too!

You know now that both the Spanish and English etexts are available online it's not impossible someday a critical edition will come out with both texts produced side by side or interlinear. I love seeing those. 

[Therese]

When quoting from a book one can use the term [sic] when one comes across some error.  Should I be using the term [sic]  whenever I find an inconsistency with pronouns, Shin?

[Therese]

You too!

You know now that both the Spanish and English etexts are available online it's not impossible someday a critical edition will come out with both texts produced side by side or interlinear. I love seeing those. 

Wow!  Those are great!  You know, Shin, you are one of the most resourceful people that I know!  

[Therese]

'Remember that thou owest Him the perfection of thy love, and that all hell will combine against thee, in order to ensnare thee by thy natural tenderness to be sweet and loving towards creatures, and less grateful to the eternal God.  Watch over thyself, and see that thou resist this unfaithfulness, trusting in thy beloved Master and Spouse.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. II, 303

[Shin]

You're pretty resourceful yourself!

Thanks again for the hard work!

[Therese]

You're pretty resourceful yourself!

Thanks again for the hard work!

I am nowhere near as resourceful as you are, Shin!  You have many God-given talents to be grateful for.  Deo gratias!  This hard work you speak of is more pleasure than toil.  What is important is that souls benefit spiritually from these excerpts.  God bless you!

[Therese]

'The wonderful infant [St. John the Baptist] by divine dispensation spoke to the Virgin, although in a low and infantile voice:  "Thou art the Mother of God himself, the Queen of all creation, the Keeper of the ineffable Treasure of heaven, my help and protection:  grant me, thy servant, thy blessing, and may thy intercession and favor never fail me."  Three times he kissed the hand of the Queen of heaven; likewise he adored the incarnate Word in her virginal Womb, and asked Him for his benediction and grace.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. II, 309

Note:  We will read later in this work about how the Infant Jesus spoke to His Mother.

[Therese]

'I do not say that thou must do away with all sensible feeling, for that is not naturally possible to the creature; but whenever thou meetest with adverse happenings, or when thou art deprived of what is useful, necessary or agreeable thou must bear it with joyful resignation and give praise to the Lord, because his will is being filled in that regard.  By seeking only his pleasure, and considering all else as of passing moment, thou wilt gain a quick and easy victory over thyself, and thou will seek all occasions to humiliate thyself under the mighty hand of the Lord (I Pet. 5, 6).  I also exhort thee to imitate me in my esteem and veneration of the priests, and that thou always ask their blessing before speaking to them and in leaving them.  Do this also in regard to the Most High before beginning any work.  Toward thy superiors always show thyself devoted and submissive.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. II, 313

[Therese]

'To imitate and oblige me, do thou likewise work and pray for those whose interior becomes known to thee through the Lord or though other means; admonish them with prudence, humility and resignation; for the Almighty does not wish for thee to proceed noisily, nor that the results of thy labors be always manifest, but that they remain hidden.  In this He conforms Himself to the naturally retiring disposition and to thy desires, and He seeks what is most secure for thee.  And, although thou must pray for all souls, yet thou must pray more earnestly for those whom the divine will points out to thee.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. II, 321

[Therese]

'Men are lost in forgetful rest and sleep, as if there were no vigilant and powerful enemies.  This dreadful carelessness arises from two causes: on the one hand men are so taken up with their earthly and sensible being (I Cor. 2, 14), that they do not feel any other evils except those concerning the animal nature in them; all that is interior is harmless in their estimation.  On the other hand, since the princes of darkness are invisible and unperceived by any of the senses (Ephes. 6, 12) and since carnal men neither touch, not feel, nor see them, they forget the fear of them.  Yet for this reason they ought to be more attentive and careful, since invisible enemies are more cunning and adroit in injuring us by their treachery.  So much the more certain is the danger, the more concealed it is, and so much the more deadly are the wounds, the less they are felt and recognized.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. II, 331

[Therese]

I wish to make known to thee that no intellect, nor any tongue of man or angels can describe the wrath and fury which Lucifer and his demons entertain against mortals just because they are images of God and because they are capable of enjoying Him for all eternity.  The Lord alone can comprehend the wicked malice of these proud and rebellious spirits against his holy name and against his worship.  If these foes were not restrained by his almighty arm they would in one moment destroy the world; they would like famishing lions, like wild beasts and fierce dragons, despatch all mankind and tear them to pieces.  Now however the most kind Father of all mercies wards off and curbs their wrath and He bears his little children in his arms in order that they may not fall a prey to these hellish wolves.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God Vol. II, 332

[Therese]

'The arrogance of the dragon is great (Is. 16, 6), yet his weakness is greater; and he does not represent more than a weak atom in the face of the divine power.  Yet as his cunning and malice far exceed that of mortals (Job 41, 21), it is not advisable to allow the soul to bandy words with him, whether he is present invisibly or visibly; for from his darksome mind, as from a smoking furnace, issue the shadows of confusion, obscuring the judgment of mortals; if they listen to him, he will fill their minds with deceits and darkness, so that they will neither recognize the truth and the beauty of virtue, nor the vileness of his poisonous falsehoods.  Thus the souls will be made unable to distinguish the precious from the worthless, life from death, truth from error (Jer. 15, 19), and they easily fall into the clutches of this fierce and wicked dragon.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. II, 355