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

[Therese]

'24.  In the inferior state, which I have mentioned, I see the most holy Virgin and the angels in themselves and their mode of teaching me, speaking to me, and enlightening me.  I  understand  this  to  be  similar  to  the  mode  in  which  the  angels  themselves enlighten, communicate and speak with each other, when the superior orders enlighten the inferior. The Lord is the first cause of this light, but the Queen who has received it in  its  highest  plenitude,  communicates it  as through a channel  to the superior part of my soul, so that I begin to know her excellence, her prerogatives and mysteries in the same manner as an inferior angel perceives that, which is communicated to him by the superior  spirits.  I  recognize  Her  also  by  the  doctrine  which  She  teaches,  by  the efficacy  peculiar  to  it, and  by  other  qualities,  which  are  felt  and  tasted  and  which indicate the purity, elevation and certainty of these visions. There, nothing impure, or obscure, or  false, or  suspected  is  met  with;  and  nothing  that  is holy, pure  and  true is withheld  from  view.  The  same  happens  to  me  in  its  proper  proportion,  when conversing with the holy angels; for the Lord himself has often informed me, that they enlighten  and  communicate with  me  in  the same  manner  as  they  converse with  each other.  Often  it  happens  that  the  enlightenments  pass  through  all  these  channels  and conduits  in  succession:  the Lord  gives the intelligence or light, the most  holy Virgin reveals  it  to  me and  the angels  express  it  to  me in  words. At other  times (and  this  is the  most  ordinary  mode)  the  Lord communicates  and  teaches  me  his  holy  doctrine, sometimes the most holy Queen, and sometimes the holy angels. It also happens, that I  receive  only  the  understanding  of  things,  and  then  I  am  left  to  find  for  myself  the terms  which  befit  that  which  I  hold  in  the  intelligence.  In  finding these  terms  I  may err,  if  the  Lord  allows,  for  I  am  only  an  ignorant  woman  and I  must  rely  on  what  I have  heard.  If  any  difficulties  arise  in  the  explanation  of  my  visions, I  take  counsel with my master and spiritual guide, especially in more difficult and arduous matters.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. I, 24

[Shin]

It makes one thing of a gigantic cloud of lights, like you see beams shining down from the heavens sometimes, but each of those beams shining down upon the choirs of angels and saints, and from the higher to the lower.

[Therese]

Good analogy, Shin, especially because what gets communicated down form God to Mary to the angels is light, although not visible light like you speak of.  God bless you!

[Shin]

It's really good to see the earlier parts of this work treated thoroughly.    

[Therese]

It's really good to see the earlier parts of this work treated thoroughly.    

Yes, it is good! 

[Therese]

'30.  I  saw  the  Lord  as  He  was  before  He had created  anything  and  with great astonishment I looked to see where was the throne of the Most High, for the empyrean heavens  were  not, nor  the  lower ones, nor did the sun exist, nor the moon, nor the other stars, nor the elements, only the Creator was, without any  of  his  creatures.  All was void, without  presence of angels, or  men or animals.  I  saw  how  of  necessity  it must  be  admitted,  that  God  has  his  being  in  Himself,  and  that  He  stands  in  want  or need of none of the created things. For He is as infinite in his attributes before as He is after creating them, and He will possess and hold these attributes during the whole of eternity,  because  they  exist in Him  as in an  independent uncreated  Essence.  No perfection which  is  in  itself  purely  and  essentially  such,  can  be  wanting  to  his Divinity:  for  the Godhead  is  the only  thing  that  is, and contains all the perfection of created beings  in  an  eminent  and  ineffable manner. All  the other  beings, in so far as they exist, have their existence solely in that infinite Being, as effects in their cause.'
 
'31.  I  understood, that  the  Most  High was  in the  quiescent state of his own  being, when the three Persons (according to our way of understanding things),  decreed  to communicate his perfections as  a free gift.  For greater  clearness, I  must  remark, that God comprehends in Himself all things by one indivisible, most   simple   and instantaneous  act.  He does  not  go  on  from  the  understanding of one thing  to the understanding of another like we do, distinguishing and perceiving first one thing by an  act of the understanding,  and  after  that  proceeding  to  the knowledge of others  by their  connection  with those already  known.  God  knows  them  conjointly all at once, without before or after, since all are together and at once contained in the divine and uncreated knowledge and science, just as they are comprehended and enclosed in his infinite Being, as in their first beginning.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. I, 30-31

[Therese]

'37.  In this enlightenment and knowledge which I possess, two things hold my lukewarm heart in wonder and inflame it unto annihilation. The first is the inclination and urgent desire which I see in God, and the strong will, to communicate his Divinity and  the  treasures of  his  grace.  The second is the unspeakable and incomprehensible immensity of the good  gifts,  which  I see He wishes to distribute according to this decree, assigning them for this purpose and yet remaining infinite, as if He had yet given  nothing.  In this desire and inclination which fills  his  Majesty  I see Him prepared  to  sanctify,  justify  and overwhelm  with  gifts  and  perfections  all  creatures together and each one in particular for itself. He would be ready to give to each of the creatures  more  than  what  is  held  by  all  the  angels  and  seraphim  together;  even  if  all the drops in the ocean and the grains of sand on their shores, all the stars, the planets and the elements, and all creatures were capable of reason and of his gifts, they would receive them without measure, provided they would dispose themselves and place no obstacle  toward  receiving them.  O  fearful  malice  of  sin,  which  alone  is  capable  of holding up the impetuous stream of such great and eternal gifts.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. I, 37

[Shin]

'30.  I  saw  the  Lord  as  He  was  before  He had created  anything  and  with great astonishment I looked to see where was the throne of the Most High, for the empyrean heavens  were  not, nor  the  lower ones, nor did the sun exist, nor the moon, nor the other stars, nor the elements, only the Creator was, without any  of  his  creatures.  All was void, without  presence of angels, or  men or animals.  I  saw  how  of  necessity  it must  be  admitted,  that  God  has  his  being  in  Himself,  and  that  He  stands  in  want  or need of none of the created things. For He is as infinite in his attributes before as He is after creating them, and He will possess and hold these attributes during the whole of eternity,  because  they  exist in Him  as in an  independent uncreated  Essence.  No perfection which  is  in  itself  purely  and  essentially  such,  can  be  wanting  to  his Divinity:  for  the Godhead  is  the only  thing  that  is, and contains all the perfection of created beings  in  an  eminent  and  ineffable manner. All  the other  beings, in so far as they exist, have their existence solely in that infinite Being, as effects in their cause.'
 
'31.  I  understood, that  the  Most  High was  in the  quiescent state of his own  being, when the three Persons (according to our way of understanding things),  decreed  to communicate his perfections as  a free gift.  For greater  clearness, I  must  remark, that God comprehends in Himself all things by one indivisible, most   simple   and instantaneous  act.  He does  not  go  on  from  the  understanding of one thing  to the understanding of another like we do, distinguishing and perceiving first one thing by an  act of the understanding,  and  after  that  proceeding  to  the knowledge of others  by their  connection  with those already  known.  God  knows  them  conjointly all at once, without before or after, since all are together and at once contained in the divine and uncreated knowledge and science, just as they are comprehended and enclosed in his infinite Being, as in their first beginning.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. I, 30-31

This reminds me of when I was reading about Catholic Dogma in Ludwig Ott's book.

[Therese]

Yes, it sounds like something from that book, Shin.  God bless you!

[Therese]

'In  my  admiration  I  can  say  with  St. Dionysius  the  Areopagite (Letter  to St. Paul):  "If  faith  would  not  instruct  me,  and  if the understanding of what I see would not teach me, that it is God, who has conceived Her in his mind, and who alone could and can in his Omnipotence form such an image of  his  Divinity,  if  this  all were  not  present  to  my  mind,  I  might  begin  to  doubt, whether the Virgin Mother contain not in Herself Divinity."'

'44.  O what tears flowed from my eyes, and what sorrowful astonishment possessed my  soul,  to  see  that  divine  prodigy  not  acknowledged  and  that  wonder  of  the  Most High not manifest to all the mortals. Much is known of it, but much more is unknown, as  this  sealed  book  has  not  been  opened.  I  am  ravished  in  the  perception  of  this tabernacle  of  God,  and  I  perceive  that  the  Author  of  it  is  more  admirable  in  her creation, than in that of all the rest of the world, although the diversity of the creatures manifests   the   wonderful   power   of   their   Creator.   In   this   Queen   alone   are comprehended  and  contained  more  treasures  than  in  all  the  rest  of  things  joined together, and the variety and the preciousness of her riches honor the Lord above all the multitudes of the other creatures.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. I, 43-44

[Therese]

'For Them [Jesus Christ and Blessed Mary] primarily did He create the heaven and earth  with  its  stars  and  elements  and  all  that  is  contained  in  them.  Secondarily  the intention and decree included the creation of the members, of which Jesus was to be the Head, and of whom He would be the King; in order that with kingly providence, all the necessary and befitting arrangements might be made beforehand.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol I, 45

[Therese]

'The  predestined  were  chosen  by  free  grace,  and  the  foreknown  were reprobated   with   exact   justice.   All   that   was   convenient   and   necessary   for   the conservation of the human race and for obtaining the end of the Redemption and the Predestination,  was  preordained,  without  interfering  with  the  free  will  of  men;  for such  ordainment  was  more  conformable  to  God's  nature  and  to  divine  equity.  There was no injustice done to them, for if with their free will they could sin, so also could they abstain from sin by means of grace and the light of reason. God violated the right of  no  one,  since  He  forsook  no  one  nor  denied  to  anyone  that  which  is  necessary.  Since  his  law  is  written  in  the hearts  of all men (Ps.  4:7),  nobody  is  excused for  not knowing and loving Him as the highest Good of all creation.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. IV, 48

[Shin]

Since His law is written in the hearts of men, nobody is excused for not knowing and loving Him as the highest Good of all Creation. . .

[Therese]

Since His law is written in the hearts of men, nobody is excused for not knowing and loving Him as the highest Good of all Creation. . .

I found that last excerpt to be a very powerful warning to men!

[Shin]

It reminds me of one of St. Francis Xavier's letters about his time as a missionary to the Japanese.

A warning yes!

And uplifting too -- that God has written His law on the hearts of every person.

[whiterockdove]

'For Them [Jesus Christ and Blessed Mary] primarily did He create the heaven and earth  with  its  stars  and  elements  and  all  that  is  contained  in  them.  Secondarily  the intention and decree included the creation of the members, of which Jesus was to be the Head, and of whom He would be the King; in order that with kingly providence, all the necessary and befitting arrangements might be made beforehand.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol I, 45

This is a lovely thought!