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

[whiterockdove]

In that way, illness and injury are sanctified? Is that right to say?
Kind of like the saying every cloud has a silver lining? 

Just wondering if sanctification is different than a blessing.

[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.

In St. Joseph's case, God's Hand wounds in order to give merits to the wounded (St. Joseph).

[Therese]

In that way, illness and injury are sanctified? Is that right to say?
Kind of like the saying every cloud has a silver lining? 

Just wondering if sanctification is different than a blessing.

Illness and injury both are sanctified when we suffer them patiently and lovingly for God ... yes, they are blessings (in disguise).

[Therese]

"'Our Savior answered:  "My Mother, thy request is pleasing to me, and the merits of Joseph are acceptable in my eyes.  I will now assist him and will assign him a place among the princes of my people  (Ps. 115, 15), so high that he will be the admiration of the angels and will cause them and all men to break forth with highest praise.  With none of the human born shall I do as with thy spouse."  The great Lady gave thanks to her sweetest Son for this promise; and, for nine days and nights before the death of saint Joseph he uninterruptedly enjoyed the company and attendance of Mary and her divine Son.  By command of the Lord the holy angels, three times on each of the nine days, furnished celestial music, mixing their hymns of praise with the benedictions of the sick man.  Moreover, their humble but most precious dwelling was filled with the sweetest fragrance and odors so wonderful that they comforted not only saint Joseph, but invigorated all the numerous persons who happened to come near the house.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 163

[Therese]

'Love was then the real cause of the death of saint Joseph, as I have said before.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 167

[Therese]

'In order that the utmost propriety might be observed by the Virgin Mother, God enveloped the body of saint Joseph in a wonderful light, which hid all except his countenance; and thus his purest Spouse, although She clothed him for burial, saw only his face.  Sweetest fragrance exhaled from his body and it remained so beautiful and lifelike, that the neighboring people eagerly came to see it and were filled with admiration.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 168

[Therese]

'Hence thou wilt understand the great danger in the hour of death, when both the good works and the bad will begin to show their effects.  I will not tell thee how many are thus lost, in order that thy sincere love of God may not cause thee to die of sorrow at this loss.  But the general rule is:  a good life gives hope of a good end; all other reliance is doubtful, and salvation resting upon it is very rare and merely accidental.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 172

[Shin]

'By the love and respect we owe to Jesus Christ our Lord, I beg of you to begin without delay to amend your lives with the greatest care, so that at the last day, when it will be necessary to give an exact account of them, you will be found worthy.'

St. Ignatius of Loyola

[Therese]

May God help us, purify us and have mercy on us!  May Mary intercede for us!  May we be well prepared for the terrible Day of Judgment, when our lives will speak for themselves, with no excuses accepted!

[Therese]

'Since he was chosen by God, saint Joseph was no doubt the most perfect man on earth.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 176

[Therese]

'He [St. Joseph] was sanctified in the womb of his mother seven months after his conception, and the leaven of sin was destroyed in him for the whole course of his life, never having felt any impure or disorderly movement.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 177

[Therese]

'The Lord hastened in him [St. Joseph] the use of his reason, perfecting it in his third year, endowing it with infused science and augmenting his soul with new graces and virtues.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 178

[Therese]

'In virtue of these special privileges the intercession of St. Joseph is most powerful:  first, for attaining the virtue of purity and overcoming the sensual inclinations of the flesh; secondly, for procuring powerful help to escape sin and return to the friendship of God; thirdly, for increasing the love and devotion to most holy Mary; fourthly, for securing the grace of a happy death and protection against the demons in that hour; fifthly, for inspiring the demons with terror at the mere mention of his name by his clients; sixthly, for gaining health of body and assistance in all kinds of difficulties; seventhly, for securing issue of children in families.  These and many other favors God confers upon those who properly and with good disposition seek the intercession of the spouse of our Queen, saint Joseph.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 181

[whiterockdove]

Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Have mercy on us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
Pray for  when our time to die comes, that it will be peaceful and that we
Will be received into your hands,  to be presented to The Lord.
He is Holy, Mighty, Immortal and we are unworthy sinners.

Amen.

[Therese]

Amen.

[Therese]

'I wish also that thou learn from this chapter to conceal carefully the special works thou undertakest in imitation of my own; for although I had no need of refraining from any work in the presence of saint Joseph, yet I was careful to add retirement as an additional observance of perfection and prudence, since retirement of itself makes good works more praiseworthy.  But this is not to be understood of ordinary and obligatory works, since thou must give an good example and let thy light shine, avoiding any danger of scandal or cause for cavil.  There are many works which can be done in secret and unobserved by the eyes of creatures, and which are not lightly to be exposed to the danger of publicity and ostentation.  In thy retirement thou canst make many genuflections; prostrate in the dust, thou canst humiliate thyself, adoring the supreme Majesty of the Most High and offering thy mortal body, which oppresses thy soul, as a sacrifice for the disorderly inclinations against justice and reason.  Thus thou wilt not reserve any part of thy being from the service of thy Creator and Spouse, and thou wilt force thy body to make up the loss which it causes to the soul by its passions and earthly affections.

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God, Vol. III, 196