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

[Therese]

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.

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

This part is also very powerful.  Nobody has any excuse not to be saved because God in His justice has not denied to anyone that which is necessary.

[Therese]

'82.  Of  the  earth  Moses  says, that  it was void (Gen.  1:2), which  he does not  say  of the  heavens;  for  God  had  created  the  angels  at  the  instant  indicated  by  the  word  of Moses: "God said:  Let there be light, and light was made (Ib. 3)."  He speaks here not only of material light, but also of the intellectual or angelic lights. He does not make express  mention  of  them,  but  merely  includes  them  in  this  word,  on  account  of  the proclivity  of  the  Hebrews  to  attribute  Divinity  to  new  things,  even  of  much  greater inferiority  than  the angels. But  the metaphor  of  light  was  very  appropriate to  signify the angelic nature and mystically, the light of their science and grace, with which they were endowed at their creation.  God created the earth conjointly with the heavens, in order  to  call  into  existence  hell  in  its  centre;  for,  at  the  instant  of  its  creation,  there were  left  in  the  interior  of  that  globe  spacious  and  wide  cavities,
suitable  for  hell, purgatory and limbo. And in hell was created at the same time material fire and other requisites,  which  now  serve  for  the  punishment  of  the damned.  The  Lord  was presently  to  divide  the  light  from  the  darkness  and  to  call  the  light  day  and  the darkness night (Ib. 5).  And this did happen not only in regard to the natural night and day,  but  in  regard  to  the  good  and  bad  angels;  for  to  the  good,  He  gave  the  eternal light  of  his  vision  and  called  it  day,  the eternal  day;  and  to  the bad, the night of  sin, casting them into the eternal darkness of hell.  Thus we were to be taught the intimate relation between  the merciful  liberality  of the Creator  and Vivifier  and  the justice  of the most just Judge in punishment.'

'83.  The  angels  were  created  in  the  empyrean  heavens  and  in the  state  of  grace  by which they might be first to merit the reward of glory. For although they were in the midst  of  glory,  the  Divinity  itself  was  not  to  be  made  manifest  to  them  face  to  face and unveiled, until they should have merited such a favor by obeying the divine will.  The holy angels, as well as the bad ones, remained only a very short time in the state of probation; for their creation and probation with its result were three distinct instants or moments, separated by short intermissions.  In the first instant they were all created and  endowed  with  graces  and  gifts,  coming  into  existence  as  most  beautiful  and perfect  creatures.  Then  followed  a  short  pause,  during  which  the  will  of  the  Creator was  propounded  and  intimated,  and  the  law  and  command  was  given  them,  to acknowledge Him as their Maker and supreme Lord, and to fulfill the end for which they  had  been  created.  During  this  pause,  instant  or  interval,  Saint  Michael  and  his angels  fought  that  great  battle  with  the  dragon  and  his  followers,  which is  described
by  the  apostle  Saint  John  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse (v.  7).  The  good angels,  persevering  in  grace,  merited  eternal  happiness  and  the  disobedient  ones, rebelling against God, merited the punishment, which they now suffer.'

'84.  Although all this of the second instant could have happened in a very brief time on  account  of  the  subtle  nature  of  the  angels  and  the  power  of God,  nevertheless  I understood that  the  kind  consideration  of  the  Most  High  permitted  a  certain  delay. With  the  interposition  of  some  intervals  of  time,  He  proposed  to  them  the  good  and the  bad,  truth  and  falsehood,  justice  and  injustice,  divine  grace  and  friendship  as opposed  to  sin  and  enmity  of  God.  They  were  enabled  to  see  eternal  reward  and eternal punishment, the perdition  of Lucifer  and of  those that  would  follow him.  His Majesty showed them hell and its pains.  They saw it all; for, by virtue of their superior and excellent nature, they understood the essence of other more qualified and limited creatures;  so that,  before  falling  from  grace,  they  were  clearly  aware  of  the  place  of their  chastisement.  Although  they  did  not  know  in  the  same  manner  the  reward  of
glory, they had  of  it  other  knowledge and besides they  had  the manifest  and  express promise of  the Lord.  The Most  High  had  therefore justified  his  cause and proceeded with the greatest equity and justice. But as all this goodness and equity did not suffice to  restrain  Lucifer  and  his  followers,  they  were  chastised  in  their  stubbornness  and hurled into the depths of the hellish caverns, while the good angels were confirmed in eternal  grace  and  glory.  All  this  was consummated  in  the  third  instant,  and  thus  it became truly manifest that no being outside of God himself is impeccable by nature, since  the  angel, who  held  such  an  exalted  position  and  was  adorned  with  so  many great  gifts  of  knowledge  and  grace,  nevertheless  sinned  and  was  lost.  What  will become of human frailty, if the divine power does not defend it and if it forces God to forsake it?


Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. I, 82-84

[Shin]

Wonderfully instructive passages on Creation!

[Therese]

Wonderfully instructive passages on Creation!

How I wish you would read the entire chapter, Shin.  I'll try to post more from this same chapter tomorrow.

I don't know why I did not receive a notification of this last post of yours, Shin.  Anyway, I'm glad I came across your post.  God bless you!

[Therese]

I've tried posting long passages from this chapter VII twice and have lost them each time.  I think I'd like to quit while I'm ahead.  It figures that the long passages I tried posting had to do with Satan and the other fallen angels.  I encourage others to read Mystical City of God.

[Shin]

Sounds like a troublesome day!

I'll PM you more about the technical difficulties, but I'll note that if you take a long time to post something, there's something called a 'timeout' where the system doesn't think you're logged in anymore so you can't post and have to login again.

If a post takes a long time I recommend highlighting it with the mouse and clicking 'copy' to copy it to the clipboard so you can 'paste' it in again if it doesn't take.

I have an announcement about some technical changes in a week or two that might help with your email issues receiving notifications.

[Shin]

May the Lord console you in your difficulties Kathryn! 

[Therese]

'85.  It remains to investigate the motive, which urged Lucifer and his confederates to sin  and  what  was  the  occasion  of  their  disobedience  and  fall,  for  this  is  the  point  to which I wanted to come. In regard to this, it was made known to me that they could commit many sins as far as the guilt of sin (secundum reatum) is concerned, although they did not consummate them in acts.  However, on account of those which they did actually commit freely and of their own depraved will, they acquired the disposition to all bad acts, inducing others to commit and approving in others those sins, which they could not commit themselves. Following the bad inclinations which from that time on filled   Lucifer,   he   fell   into   a   most   disorderly   self-love,   which   arose   from   the consciousness  of being  endowed  with greater  gifts  and  greater  beauty  of  nature  and grace,  than  the  other  inferior  angels.  He  tarried  with  inordinate  pleasure  in  this consciousness;  and  thus  self-satisfied  he  became  lax  and  remiss  in  the  gratitude, which was due to God as the sole cause of all that he had received. Turning again and again  in  admiration  toward  himself,  he  took  pleasure  in  his  own  beauty  and  grace, attributing them to himself and loving them as his own. This disorderly self-love not only  caused  him  to  exalt  himself  on  account  of  the  superior  virtues,  which  he  had received, but also induced him to harbor envy and covetousness for other gifts and for excellences  not  his  own.  Then,  because  he  could  not  attain  them,  he  conceived  a mortal  hatred  and  indignation  against  God,  who  created  him  out  of  nothing,  and against all his creatures.'

'86.  Hence arose his disobedience, presumption, injustice, infidelity, blasphemy, and perhaps  also  a  certain  kind  of  idolatry,  for  he  coveted  for  himself  the adoration  and reverence due to God.  He blasphemed the divine magnificence and holiness, he failed in  the  trust  and  loyalty  due  to  Him;  he  plotted  to  destroy  all  the  creatures,  and presumed  to be able to  do  all  this  and  much  more by his own power. Thus his pride ascends  continually  (Ps.  73:23)  and  perseveres,  though  his  arrogance  is  greater  than his  strength,  for  in  this  he  cannot  increase  (Is.  16:6)  and  in  sin,  one abyss  calls  the other  (Ps.  41:8 ).  The  first angel  who  sinned  was  Lucifer,  as  is  described  in  the fourteenth chapter of Isaias (v. 12). He induced others to follow him and therefore he is called the prince of the demons; not on account of his natural gifts, for these would not secure to him that title, but on account of his guilt. Those that sinned were not all of one order or hierarchy, but among all hierarchies there were many who sinned.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. I, 85-86

[Therese]

'87.  It is proper, that I also explain what was made known to me concerning the kind of honor and excellence, which Lucifer aspired to and envied. As in the works of God there is measure, number and weight (Wis. 11:21), his Providence decided to show to the  angels,  immediately  after  their  creation  and  before  they  could  incline  to  diverse ends,  the  purpose  for  which  He  had  created  them  with  such  an  exalted  and  perfect nature. Of all this I obtained the following information: At first they received a more explicit  intelligence  of  the  being  of  God,  one  in  substance,  trine  in  person,  and  that they were commanded to adore and reverence Him as their Creator and highest Lord, infinite  in  his  essence  and  attributes.  All  subjected  themselves  to  this  command  and obeyed it, but with a certain difference; the good angels obeyed through love and on account  of  the  justice  of  it,  offering  their  love  and  good  will,  freely  admitting  and believing  what was  above  their  intelligence,  and  obeying  with  joy.  Lucifer,  on  the other  hand,  submitted  him-self,  because  the  opposite  seemed  to  him  impossible.  He did not  do  it  with  perfect  charity, for  he,  as  it  were, was divided  in  his  will  between himself  and  the  infallible  truth  of  the  Lord.  In  consequence  it  happened  that  the precept appeared to him in a measure difficult and violent, and his fulfilling of it was wanting in love and in the desire to do justice. Thus he exposed himself beforehand to the  danger  of  not  persevering.  Although  grace  did  not  leave  him  on  account  of  this remissness  and  slowness  in  the accomplishment  of  these  first  acts,  nevertheless  his bad disposition began with them; for there remained with him a certain weakness and laxity of virtue and spirit,  and  the  perfection  of  his  nature  did  not  shine  forth  as  it should. It appears to me that the effect of this remissness in Lucifer is similar to that which  is caused  in  the  soul  by  a  deliberate  venial  sin.  I  do  not  say  that  he  sinned mortally, nor even venially at that time, since he fulfilled the precept of God; but this fulfillment  was remiss  and  imperfect,  springing  more  from  a  sense  of  overwhelming compulsion, than from a loving willingness to obey. Thus he put himself in danger of falling.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. I, 87





'102.  "And  was  in  pain  to  be delivered (Apoc.  12:2)."  He [St. John the Evangelist] does not  say  this  because She [Blessed Mary] was to give birth in bodily pain, for that is not possible in this divine Parturition, but because it was to be a great sorrow for that Mother to see that divine Infant come forth from the secrecy of her virginal womb in order to suffer and die as a victim for the satisfaction of the sins of the world, and to pay for that which He did not commit (Ps.  68:5).  For  this  Queen  could  know  and  did  know  all  this  beforehand  by  her knowledge of the holy Scriptures. On account of the natural love of such a Mother for such a Son, She must be deeply afflicted thereby, although in subjection to the will of God. In this pain was also foreshadowed the sorrow of this most gentle Mother at the thought of being deprived of the presence of her Treasure, after He should have issued from  her virginal  womb;  for although her soul  always  enjoyed his  presence  as  to  his Divinity,  yet  She  was  to  be  a  long  time  without  his  bodily  presence,  according  to which  He  was  exclusively  her  Son.  The  Most  High  had  determined  to  exempt  Her from  guilt,  but  not from  the  labors  and  sorrows  corresponding  to  the  reward,  which was prepared for Her. Thus the sorrows of this birth were not the effect of sin, as they are in the descendants of Eve (Gen. 3:16), but they were the effect of the intense and perfect  love  of  the  most  holy  Mother  for  her  divine  Son.  All  these  mysteries  were motives of praise and admiration for the good angels and the beginning of punishment for the bad angels.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. I, 102

[Therese]

'107. With such arms [of the understanding and the will] St. Michael and his angels gave battle, fighting as it were, with the  powerful  rays  of  truth  against  the  dragon  and  his  followers,  who  on  their  hand made use of blasphemies. But Lucifer at the sight of the holy prince, not being able to resist, was torn with interior rage and sought to fly from his torments; it was the will of  God,  however,  that  he  should  not  only  be  punished,  but  also  conquered,  in  order that  by  his  fall  he  might  know  the  truth  and  power  of  God.  Nevertheless  he blasphemed  and  cried  out:  "Unjust  is  God  in  raising  the  human  nature  above  the angelic. I am the most exalted and beautiful angel and the triumph belongs to me, It is I who am to place my throne above the stars (Is. 14:13) and who shall be like unto the Highest;  I  will  subject  myself  to  no  one of  an  inferior  nature,  and  I  will  not  consent that  anyone  take  precedence  of  me  or  be  greater  than  I."  In  the  same  way  spoke  the apostate followers of Lucifer.  But St. Michael answered:  "Who is there like unto the Lord,  who  dwells  in  the  heavens,  or  who  to  compare  himself  to  Him?  Be  silent, enemy,  cease  thy  dreadful  blasphemies,  and  since  iniquity  has  taken  possession  of thee,  depart  from  our  midst,  wretch,  and  be  hurled  in  thy  blind  ignorance  and wickedness into the dark night and chaos of the infernal pains. But let us, O spirits of the Lord, honor and reverence this blessed Woman, who is to give human flesh to the eternal Word; and let us recognize Her as our Queen and Lady."'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. I, 107

[Therese]

I have modified Post 856, adding a second quote, one of the passages I had problems posting before.

[Therese]

I have modified Post 855, substituting two quotes for what I had previously posted.

[Shin]

Those that sinned were not all of one order or hierarchy, but among all hierarchies there were many who sinned.'

I once read an author wondering wondered whether any of the highest hierarchy of seraphim had sinned, and this answers that question. 

It appears to me that the effect of this remissness in Lucifer is similar to that which  is caused  in  the  soul  by  a  deliberate  venial  sin.  I  do  not  say  that  he  sinned mortally, nor even venially at that time, since he fulfilled the precept of God; but this fulfillment  was remiss  and  imperfect,  springing  more  from  a  sense  of  overwhelming compulsion, than from a loving willingness to obey. Thus he put himself in danger of falling.'

I think this is a great warning about growing cold, or have difficulties and ignoring correcting them -- to try to rekindle the wholehearted and grateful love of a child of God. 

[Therese]

Those that sinned were not all of one order or hierarchy, but among all hierarchies there were many who sinned.'

I once read an author wondering wondered whether any of the highest hierarchy of seraphim had sinned, and this answers that question. 

It appears to me that the effect of this remissness in Lucifer is similar to that which  is caused  in  the  soul  by  a  deliberate  venial  sin.  I  do  not  say  that  he  sinned mortally, nor even venially at that time, since he fulfilled the precept of God; but this fulfillment  was remiss  and  imperfect,  springing  more  from  a  sense  of  overwhelming compulsion, than from a loving willingness to obey. Thus he put himself in danger of falling.'

I think this is a great warning about growing cold, or have difficulties and ignoring correcting them -- to try to rekindle the wholehearted and grateful love of a child of God. 

I'm glad you found an answer to your question, Shin!  About the second quote, I wanted to make sure I posted it because I thought that it could help us all a lot; for if we don't obey God through love and justice like the good angels but out of compulsion like Lucifer, then we certainly run the risk of a big fall like he.  This is one of the passages I kept losing during my posting attempts; I kept losing it not because I was too long working on the post, but because I kept accidentally hitting a wrong key that would take me to another page and would automatically delete all my work.  Anyway, I'm glad I got to post it, especially because it helped you answer your question.  God bless you!

[Therese]

'124. "I will wage fierce war against the incarnate Word, for although He is God, He is also man, and therefore of a lower nature than mine. I will exalt my throne and my dignity  above  his;  I  will  conquer  Him  and  will  humble  Him  by  my  power  and astuteness. The Woman who is to be his Mother shall perish at my hands. What is one Woman  against  my  power and  greatness?  And  you,  ye  demons,  who  were  injured together  with  me,  follow  me  and  obey  me  in  the  pursuit  of  this  vengeance,  as  you have  followed  me  in  disobedience.  Pretend  to  love  men,  in  order  to  destroy  them; serve  them,  in  order  to  ruin  them  and  deceive  them;  help  them,  in  order  to  pervert them and draw them into these my hellish regions." No human tongue can explain the malice  and  fury of  this  first  council of  Lucifer  and his  hosts  against  the human race, which  although  not  yet  in  existence,  was  to be  created.  In  it  were  concocted  all  the vices and sins of the world, thence proceeded lies, sects and errors; all iniquity had its origin in that chaos and in that abominable gathering, and all those that do evil are in the service of the prince of this assembly.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. I, 124

[Therese]

'136. On the sixth day He formed and created Adam, as it were of the age of thirty-three  years (Gen.  1:27).  This  was  the  age  in  which  Christ  was  to  suffer  death,  and Adam  in  regard  to  his  body  was  so  like  unto  Christ,  that  scarcely  any  difference existed.  Also  according  to  the  soul  Adam  was  similar  to  Christ.  From  Adam  God formed  Eve  so  similar  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  that  she  was  like  unto  Her  in  personal appearance  and  in  figure.  God  looked  upon  these  two  images  of  the  great  Originals with the highest pleasure and benevolence, and on account of the Originals He heaped many blessings upon them, as if He wanted to entertain Himself  with them and their descendants until the time should arrive for forming Christ and Mary.'

Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. I, 137