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

[Therese]

'The more vivid and penetrating thy knowledge of the mysteries of the faith, so much the greater and more powerful will be its effects upon thee.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 105

[Shin]

Wasn't it St. John Vianney, who in one of his sermons, in tears without saying a word, held up a crucifix to the people in the pews, moving them all to tears?  What a sermon!

I don't know! But it's quite moving to think of!

It reminds me of this quote on how to be a good priest:

'We read in the chronicles of the discalced Carmelites that a Father, named Julian of St. Paul, although he had studied but little, preached with such success that the people came in crowds to hear him and were converted, every one of them deriving much fruit from his sermons. Some one having asked what good could be found in this preacher, whom every one went to hear, the following answer was given to him: "We go to hear him, because he is a saint: he sheds tears during Mass, he sleeps little, he always goes about with his eyes cast down, he is always praying, he speaks only of God and of our welfare; and therefore we do what he tells us." John de Avila had then reason to say that the first and most important rule for preaching well is to love God.'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

[Therese]

Wasn't it St. John Vianney, who in one of his sermons, in tears without saying a word, held up a crucifix to the people in the pews, moving them all to tears?  What a sermon!

I don't know! But it's quite moving to think of!

It reminds me of this quote on how to be a good priest:

'We read in the chronicles of the discalced Carmelites that a Father, named Julian of St. Paul, although he had studied but little, preached with such success that the people came in crowds to hear him and were converted, every one of them deriving much fruit from his sermons. Some one having asked what good could be found in this preacher, whom every one went to hear, the following answer was given to him: "We go to hear him, because he is a saint: he sheds tears during Mass, he sleeps little, he always goes about with his eyes cast down, he is always praying, he speaks only of God and of our welfare; and therefore we do what he tells us." John de Avila had then reason to say that the first and most important rule for preaching well is to love God.'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

What a beautiful, edifying priest!

[Therese]

'In regard to the love of neighbors apply always the first law of doing unto others as thou wishest done to thyself, which is the standard of all intercourse with men.  If thou desirest them to think and act well toward thee, thou thyself must do the same with thy brethren.  If thou feel that they offend thee in little things, avoid thou giving them any such offense.  If thou see others doing what seems evil and disagreeable to their neighbor, avoid it thyself; for thou knowest how much it offends against the law of the Most High.  Weep over thy faults and those of thy fellow men; because they are against the law of God; this is true charity toward the Lord and toward thy neighbor.  Sorrow over the afflictions of others as over thy own, for thus wilt thou imitate me.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 118

[Therese]

'...and I tell thee, my daughter, that the men of the present age have so outraged the justice of the Lord, that I cannot even manifest to them, what in my kindness I desire as a remedy of this evil.  But let them know at present that his sentence shall be dreadful and without mercy, rendered against those wicked and faithless servants who are condemned by the words of their own mouth (Luke 19, 22).

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 134

[Shin]

Here's the rest from that last passage:

Particularly do I wish thee to understand the wrath of the Almighty against those who dare to receive the Sacraments unworthily, especially the august Sacrament of the Altar. O soul! How dreadful is this sin in the eyes of the Lord and his saints! Yea, not only the receiving of Him unworthily, but the irreverences committed in his real presence on the altar! How can they be called children of the Church, who, claiming to believe and respect this mystery, not only neglect to visit Him in the many places where He is sacramentally present, but also dare to indulge in such disrespect toward Him as even the heathens are not guilty of against their false idols? This is a matter which could not be deplored sufficiently in many discourses ; and I tell thee, my daughter, that the men of the present age have so outraged the justice of the Lord, that I cannot even manifest to them, what in my kindness I desire as a remedy of this evil. But let them know at present that his sentence shall be dreadful and without mercy, rendered against those wicked and faithless servants who are condemned by the words of their own mouth (Luke 19, 22). This thou canst announce to all that will hear thee; and counsel them to come at least once a day to the churches in which their God is sacramentally present, in order to adore and worship Him ; and let them assist
at the sacrifice of the Mass, for men do not know how much they lose by their negligence in this regard.

[Therese]

'During prayer our Blessed master sometimes assumed a kneeling posture, sometimes He was prostrate in the form of a cross or at other times raised in the air in this same position which He loved so much.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 138

[Therese]

'Whenever thou must perform any interior or exterior work, consider beforehand whether what thou art going to say or do corresponds with the doings of thy Lord, and whether thou hast the intention thereby to honor thy Lord and benefit thy neighbor.  As soon as thou art sure that this is thy motive, execute thy undertaking in union with Him and in imitation of Him; but if thou findest not this motive let the undertaking rest.  This was my invariable course in pursuing the imitation of my Lord and Teacher; thou in me there was no reluctance toward the good, but only the desire of imitating Him perfectly.  In this imitation consists the fruit of his holy teaching, in which He urges us to do, what is most pleasing and acceptable to the eternal God.  Moreover from this day on be mindful not to undertake any work, not to speak or even think any of anything, without first asking my permission and consulting me as they Mother and Teacher.  And as soon as I answer thee give thanks to the Lord; if I do not answer after continued inquiry, I promise and assure thee on the part of the Lord, that He will, nevertheless, give thee light as to what will be according to his most perfect will.  In all things, however, subject thyself to the guidance of thy spiritual director, and never forget this practice!'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 143

[Therese]

'As He [St. Joseph] had the happiness and good fortune of continually enjoying the sight and the intercourse of the divine Wisdom incarnate, and of Her, who was the Mother of It, this man of God reached such a height of sanctity, that his heavenly Souse excepted, no one ever surpassed Him and he far outstripped other creatures.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 147

[Therese]

'Her blessed Son, like his heavenly Mother, ate no meat; their nourishment was only fish, fruit and herbs, and these only in the greatest moderation.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 149

[Therese]

'Other morals, on account of the decline of the natural humors and temperature, ordinarily begin to deteriorate and gradually approach decay as far as their body is concerned; the exquisite balance of bodily humors is disturbed and the earthly ones begin to predominate more and more; the hair begins to whiten, the countenance to wrinkle, the blood to cool, some of the strength to weaken; and the whole human frame, in spite of the greatest care, commences to decline toward old age and corruption.  But in the most holy Mary it was not so; for the wonderful beauty and strength, which She had attained at the age of thirty-three years, remained unchanged; and when She had reached her seventieth year, as I shall relate later on, She still retained the same beauty and entirety of her virginal body at the age of thirty-three.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 145

[Therese]

'In order to increase his [St. Joseph's] merits and crown before the time of his meriting should come to an end, He visited him in the last years of his life with certain sicknesses, such as fever, violent headaches and very painful rheumatisms, which greatly afflicted and weakened him.  In the midst of these infirmities, he was suffering from another source, more sweet, but extremely painful, namely from the fire of his ardent love which was so vehement, that the flights and ecstasies of his most pure soul would often have burst the bounds of his body if the Lord, who vouchsafed them, had not strengthened and comforted him against these agonies of love.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 155

[Therese]

'There was never a sick person, nor will there ever be one, who was so well nursed and comforted [as St. Joseph was].'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 157

[Therese]

'Very tardy is that charity (and even the politeness), which waits until the needy one asks for help.  I did not wait, but hastened to assist before I was asked.  My charity and attention anticipated the requests of my spouse and thus I consoled him not only by my services but by my loving solicitude and attention.  I shared his sufferings and hardships with heartfelt compassion; but at the same time I praised the Most High and thanked Him for the blessings of affliction conferred on his servant.  If sometimes I sought to relieved his pains, it was not in order to deprive him of the occasion of meriting, but that he might by this aid excite himself to glorify so much the more the Author of all goodness and holiness; and to these virtues I exhorted and encouraged him.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 161

[Shin]

'In order to increase his [St. Joseph's] merits and crown before the time of his meriting should come to an end, He visited him in the last years of his life with certain sicknesses, such as fever, violent headaches and very painful rheumatisms, which greatly afflicted and weakened him.  In the midst of these infirmities, he was suffering from another source, more sweet, but extremely painful, namely from the fire of his ardent love which was so vehement, that the flights and ecstasies of his most pure soul would often have burst the bounds of his body if the Lord, who vouchsafed them, had not strengthened and comforted him against these agonies of love.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 155

The Lord's is the hand that wounds, the Lord's is the hand that heals!

 

[Therese]

'In order to increase his [St. Joseph's] merits and crown before the time of his meriting should come to an end, He visited him in the last years of his life with certain sicknesses, such as fever, violent headaches and very painful rheumatisms, which greatly afflicted and weakened him.  In the midst of these infirmities, he was suffering from another source, more sweet, but extremely painful, namely from the fire of his ardent love which was so vehement, that the flights and ecstasies of his most pure soul would often have burst the bounds of his body if the Lord, who vouchsafed them, had not strengthened and comforted him against these agonies of love.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 155

The Lord's is the hand that wounds, the Lord's is the hand that heals!

 

Yes, and He only wounds us in order that we may become healed.  He is our loving Divine Physician.