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

[Shin]

Thanks for the reminder, Shin!  God bless you!

Thank you for providing the quote!! 

[Therese]

Thanks for the reminder, Shin!  God bless you!

Thank you for providing the quote!! 

My pleasure!  I posted this quote because I know how very important mental prayer and keeping recollected is.  God bless you!

[Therese]

The Apostles on Pentecost spoke in tongues when speaking their own language of Palestine.  They also were given the science of understanding different languages and conversing with others in their different languages, which was very helpful for converting the world.

'This grace [speaking in various languages] was given not only to the Apostles, although it was more complete and noticeable in them; also the disciples and the all the one hundred and twenty, who were in the Cenacle at the time, and also the holy women, who received the Holy Ghost, were thus favored.  This was really necessary at the time on account of the great multitudes, who came to the faith....Although all the men and many of the women came to the Apostles, yet many, after having heard them, went to Magdalen and her companions, who catechized, instructed and converted them and others that came at the report of the miracles they performed.  For this gift was also conferred on the women, who, by the imposition of hands, cured all sicknesses, gave sight to the blind, tongue to the mute, motion to the lame, and life to many of the dead.  These and other wonders were principally wrought by the Apostles, nevertheless both their miracles and those of the women excited the wonder and the astonishment of all Jerusalem; so that nothing else was talked about except the prodigies and the teachings of the Apostles of Jesus, of his disciples, and followers of his doctrine.

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 83

[Therese]

'I content myself with saying, that the power and grace of the Holy Spirit were not exhausted in those first-fruits.  His influence is always the same and would be just as efficacious with the many to the end of the Church, as it was with a few in its beginnings, if those many were as faithful as those few.  It is true that the times have changed; but this change from virtue to vice, from good to evil, consists not in any change of the heavens and the stars, but in a change of men, who have strayed form the straight way of life eternal and walk the way of perdition...I speak of the faithful, who pride themselves in being children of light, but content themselves with only the name, and who sometimes use it merely to cloak their vices and to cover up their crimes.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 86

[Therese]

'Let then mortals, who have sinned against God, undeceive themselves: without penance their shall be no grace, without reform no pardon, without pardon no glory.  But just as these are not conceded to those that are unworthy, so they are never denied to those that are worthy; nor is ever the mercy of God withheld from anyone who seeks to obtain it.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 94

[Therese]

How few souls these days practice penance.  A real pity.

[Therese]

'And since my divine Son ordains all these things [holy inspirations, helps and instructions] for thy own good and for the good of other souls, I wish, lastly, that in imitation of me, as has been shown thee, thou impregnate thy heart with a most sincere determination to assist all the children of the Church, and all other men, as far as thou canst, clamoring to the Lord from thy inmost heart and asking Him to look upon the souls with mercy for their salvation.  And in order that thy may gain this blessing, offer to suffer for them as a victim if necessary; remembering, that they cost my divine Son and thy Spouse the shedding of his blood and his life, and remembering my own labors in the Church.  Do thou continually implore the divine mercy for the fruit of that Redemption, and this practice I command thee under obedience.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 95

[eschator83]

Many thanks and best wishes for so many fascinating posts: what an enormous labor of Love.

[Therese]

Many thanks and best wishes for so many fascinating posts: what an enormous labor of Love.

You are most welcome, Eschator83!  And thank you so much!  I'm so glad that you are fascinated by Ven. Mary of Agreda's work as much as I am.  This work of Ven. Mary of Agreda is so edifying and should be read by everybody, so it is my great pleasure to make at least some parts of it available for you and others to read.  I have tried to post the most important parts of this work, but I'm afraid that there are so many more important parts that I have not been able to include due to their lengthiness.  Enjoy the rest of the excerpts of Vol. IV, which I'll be posting over the next month or so!  God bless you!

[Therese]

[On the octave of Pentecost (Trinity Sunday, the day around 5,000 people received Baptism), at the first holy Sacrifice of the Mass, after receiving her Son in the Blessed Sacrament, at the hands of St. Peter] She [Blessed Mary] remained in a trance, elevated from the floor; but the holy angels shielded Her somewhat from view according to her own wish, in order that the attention of those present might not be unduly attracted by the divine effects apparent in Her.  The disciples continued to distribute holy Communion, first to the disciples and then to the others who had been believers before the Ascension.  But of the five thousand newly baptized only one thousand received Communion on that day; because not all were entirely prepared or furnished with the insight and attention required for receiving the Lord in this great sacrament and mystery of the Altar.  With regard to the manner of Communion in that day, the Apostles observed the distinction of giving to the most holy Mother and to the one hundred and twenty, upon whom the Holy Ghost had come, both species, of bread and wine; but the recently baptized partook only of the species of bread.  But this difference was not made because the new faithful were less worthy of the one species than of the other; but because the Apostles knew, that in either one of the species they received the same Object in its entirety, namely the sacramental God; and that there was no precept, and likewise no necessity that each one receive both species.  They considered, that there would be great danger of irreverence and other very grave inconveniences to permit the multitude to partake of the species of the blood, while this was not to be feared of the Communion of the few, who then partook of them at that time.  I have been made to understand, that, for all those who were not consecrating or celebrating, the practice of communicating only the specie obtained from the very beginning of the Church.  Although some, that were not priests, for some time partook of both species; yet, as soon as the Church increased and spread over the whole world, she being guided by the Holy Ghost, very wisely ordained, that laymen and those not celebrating Mass should communicate only in the specie of the sacred body; and that it was to pertain to those who were celebrating these divine mysteries, to partake of both species.  Such is the secure practice of the Roman Catholic Church.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 113

[Therese]

I wish that all you folks would obtain Mystical City of God and read it, all four volumes.  There is so much that has been passed over.  In this last chapter, written about the Ascension of our Lord, we read about how Blessed Mary was taken up to the empyrean heavens with her Son where she took her seat on the divine throne to the right of her Son, while at the same time remaining on earth (miraculously she was able to be in two places at the same time).  She remained in heaven with God and all the Saints for three entire days and was given the choice by God to remain in glory in heaven or to return to earth to console, assist and instruct the new Church.  In heroic imitation of her Son she chose to return to earth to console, assist and instruct the new Church.  Some of the Saints had their bodies with them up in heaven just like Jesus Christ and Blessed Mary had their bodies in heaven.

The bold-faced print should read: where she took her seat on the throne of the Divinity or on the throne of the Blessed Trinity.  I did not mean to call the throne of God a divine throne.  When I went back to edit my mistake it was too late, so now I am making the necessary correction.  Sorry about my mistake and for my typos found throughout this thread of excerpts.  God bless you!

[Shin]

Don't trouble yourself Therese I think folks'd understood it properly.

I found that last quote about Holy Communion very instructive!

[Therese]

Don't trouble yourself Therese I think folks'd understood it properly.

I found that last quote about Holy Communion very instructive!

This paragraph did not mention the other wonderful effects that receiving Holy Communion had on Blessed Virgin Mary.  Another paragraph before it gets into how it effected her and facial appearance.  God bless you!

[Therese]

'From the understanding which has been given me of the mystery of the love of Christ the Lord for his most holy Mother and of the force with which He was drawn towards Her, I would go so far to say, that if He had not found this way of remaining with Her in the sacramental species [lodging Himself in the Blessed Sacrament in Blessed Mary's heart], He would have come down from the right hand of the Father to the world in order to render companionship to his Mother while She sojourned with his Church.  And if it had been necessary that the heavenly mansions and the celestial courtiers should be deprived of the presence of the most sacred humanity from that time, He would have considered that of less importance than to be deprived of the company of his Mother.  It is no exaggeration to say this, when we all must confess, that in the purest Mary the Lord found a correspondence and a degree of love more conformable to his will than all in the blessed combined; and consequently, his own love for Her exceeded his love for all others.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 123

[Therese]

'Do thou guard thyself against these pernicious errors, and never resolve on anything, or govern thyself by anything that is merely sensible or arising from sensible impressions, nor pursue the advantages held out through them.  In thy actions take counsel first of all from the interior knowledge and light communicated to thee by God, in order that thou mayest not go blindly forward; and He shall always grant thee sufficient guidance.  Immediately seek the advise of thy superiors and teachers, if thou canst do so before making thy choice.  And if thy superior or teacher is not at hand, seek counsel of others, even inferiors; for this is more secure than to follow thy own will, which may be disturbed or blinded by passion.  This is the rule to be followed especially in the exterior works, pursuing them with recollection, with secrecy, and according to the demands of circumstances and fraternal charity as they occur.  In all of them it is necessary not to lose out of sight the north-star of interior light, while moving in the profound gulf of the intercourse with creatures, where there is continual danger of perishing.'

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

[Therese]

'Prevented by her [Blessed Mary's] power he [Lucifer] desisted, and the first children of the Church enjoyed much peace and tranquility.  This happiness under the protection of the great Queen and Lady would have continued forever, if men had not thought little of it, giving themselves up to the same and worst deceits than Ananias and Saphira.  O that the faithful would fear this example and imitate that of the Apostles!'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 148