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

[Therese]

Just imagine how beautiful our Lady, so perfectly conformed to her Son Jesus,  must be in all her glory.  All the beauty of other creatures combined must look like ugliness in comparison to her beauty in heaven.

[Therese]

'The essence of holiness consists in the creature's conforming itself to the divine will, loving God above all things in obedience, whereas sin consists in deviating from this rule by the love of some other object and obedience to the demon.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 453

[Therese]

'In order to deserve this protection of the Lord, God wishes the creature on its part never to relax in vigilance, nor trust in its own strength, nor ever be remiss in asking and desiring this help; for without it, man can do nothing and will soon perish.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 454

[Therese]

'...I wish to impress upon thy mind, not for thy discouragement, but for thy advise and warning, that the works of the just, to which this serpent does not impart some of its poison, are very rare.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 454

[Therese]

'The demon often deceives the soul under the cloak of a good intention, proposing some apparently or remotely good end, in order to lead them into proximate danger; and thus it happens, that, enmeshed in this danger, the men never attain the good which drew them into action.  At other times he prevents the soul, under cloak of this good intention, from examining into circumstances, which vitiate the act by imprudence in the performance.  Then again, under the outwardly good intention, are often hidden the earthy passions and inclinations, which dominate the heart.  Hence, amid so many dangers, thou canst find safety only in scrutinizing thy actions by the light which the Lord infuses into the superior part of thy soul; by it thou wilt know how to distinguish the good from the evil, the truth from the falsehood, the bitter from the sweet, passions from right reason.  Then the divine light will not be obscured by darkness, the eye will be single and will purify to body of thy actions (Matth. 6, 22), and thou wilt be entirely and in all things pleasing to thy Lord and to Me.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 455

[Shin]

This scrutiny takes great and constant care!

[Therese]

This scrutiny takes great and constant care!

So true!

[Therese]

'To call the Queen Mother of God was agreed among the Apostles after they had composed the creed; and in speaking of Her they used indiscriminately the term of Virgin or Mother, because it was very important that all the faithful of the Church should accept the doctrine of the virginity and maternity of the great Lady.  Some of the other faithful called Her Mary of Jesus, or Mary of Jesus, the Nazarene.  Others less significantly called Her Mary, the daughter of Joachim and Anne.  Such were the titles given to our Queen by the faithful in their conversation.  The holy Church, preferring the names given Her by the Apostles, calls Her Virgin and Mother of God, and to these it has added other titles, still more illustrious and mysterious.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 459

[Therese]

'Consider then, my dearest, that, just as in the present condition of man nothing is more contrary to his nature than the subjection of one's will to that of another, so nothing is more necessary than this subjection for the bending of the stiff-necked pride, which the demon seeks to stir up in all the children of Adam.  Hence the enemies labor sleeplessly to induce men to follow their own judgment and will.  Threreby the devils gain many triumphs and lead many souls into diverse roads of destruction; for in all states and conditions of life the demon seeks to instill this poison into mortals, secretly soliciting them to follow their own judgment and refuse to obey the laws and the will of their superiors, but rather to despise and rebel against it, perverting the order of divine Providence for the well-ordering of all things.  And because men overthrow this government of the Lord, the world is filled with confusion and darkness, created things are thrown out of order and subjected to opposite force without regard or attention to God and his laws.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 474

[Therese]

'In teaching thee this lesson I wish to reward thee for thy labor in writing my life; for by these instructions in so important a doctrine I wish to impress thee, that, if thou wishest to imitate me as thou shouldst, thou must communicate or speak with no one, nor undertake anything, nor write letters, nor move about, nor allow any thoughts (if possible), except in obedience to me and to those who govern thee.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 477

[Therese]

'But the demon is never fatigued or weakened in his efforts at tempting souls.  The almighty, however, is not wanting in his providence; for He limits and restrains the power of the demons, so that they cannot pass the measure set for them, nor exert all their indefatigable powers for the persecution of souls.  On the other hand He supports the weakness of men, giving them grace and strength to resist and overcome their enemies on the prescribed battleground.'

'Hence the inconstancy of souls in virtuously maintaining their position during temptation and in not bearing with fortitude and patience the inconveniences of doing good and fighting against the demons, is not excusable.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 499-500

[Shin]

'To call the Queen Mother of God was agreed among the Apostles after they had composed the creed; and in speaking of Her they used indiscriminately the term of Virgin or Mother, because it was very important that all the faithful of the Church should accept the doctrine of the virginity and maternity of the great Lady.  Some of the other faithful called Her Mary of Jesus, or Mary of Jesus, the Nazarene.  Others less significantly called Her Mary, the daughter of Joachim and Anne.  Such were the titles given to our Queen by the faithful in their conversation.  The holy Church, preferring the names given Her by the Apostles, calls Her Virgin and Mother of God, and to these it has added other titles, still more illustrious and mysterious.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 459

I have a pamphlet called '255 titles of Our Lady' and that is only a portion of what the Holy Church has adorned her with! 

[Shin]

'Consider then, my dearest, that, just as in the present condition of man nothing is more contrary to his nature than the subjection of one's will to that of another, so nothing is more necessary than this subjection for the bending of the stiff-necked pride, which the demon seeks to stir up in all the children of Adam.  Hence the enemies labor sleeplessly to induce men to follow their own judgment and will.  Threreby the devils gain many triumphs and lead many souls into diverse roads of destruction; for in all states and conditions of life the demon seeks to instill this poison into mortals, secretly soliciting them to follow their own judgment and refuse to obey the laws and the will of their superiors, but rather to despise and rebel against it, perverting the order of divine Providence for the well-ordering of all things.  And because men overthrow this government of the Lord, the world is filled with confusion and darkness, created things are thrown out of order and subjected to opposite force without regard or attention to God and his laws.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 474

'This government of the Lord' 'well-orderering' 'the order of divine Providence'

[Therese]

Great! I can't wait to have a look at the pamphlet!

[Therese]

'Consider then, my dearest, that, just as in the present condition of man nothing is more contrary to his nature than the subjection of one's will to that of another, so nothing is more necessary than this subjection for the bending of the stiff-necked pride, which the demon seeks to stir up in all the children of Adam.  Hence the enemies labor sleeplessly to induce men to follow their own judgment and will.  Threreby the devils gain many triumphs and lead many souls into diverse roads of destruction; for in all states and conditions of life the demon seeks to instill this poison into mortals, secretly soliciting them to follow their own judgment and refuse to obey the laws and the will of their superiors, but rather to despise and rebel against it, perverting the order of divine Providence for the well-ordering of all things.  And because men overthrow this government of the Lord, the world is filled with confusion and darkness, created things are thrown out of order and subjected to opposite force without regard or attention to God and his laws.'

Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 474

'This government of the Lord' 'well-orderering' 'the order of divine Providence'

Insightful!

[Therese]

I love the list of titles of our Lady!  Here are a few beautiful titles for our fellow members to ponder over:


More Beautiful Than Beauty
More Glorious Than Paradise More Gracious Than Grace
More Holy Than the Cherubim, the Seraphim, and the Entire Angelic Hosts