Extracts from the Mystical City of God
'With the help of the Almighty's grace, thou canst rise above thyself and make thyself a daughter of heaven, whence all grace comes.'
Our Lady's Words to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. I, 310
VOLUME II
PART IThe Incarnation
The Mysteries of the Life of the Holy Mother of God from the Incarnation of the Divine Word in her virginal Womb to the Return of the Holy Family from Egypt.
'Soul, created by the hand of the Almighty, if thou wishest, as one of the elect, to follow in the path of the true light and attain the position of a most chaste spouse of the Lord, who calls thee, it is befitting, that thou observe the laws and precepts of love. The first thing required of thee is, that thou reject entirely all earthy inclinations, renouncing all and every affection toward the transient things, so that thou have no love or affection toward any created being, no matter how beautiful, useful or agreeable it may appear to thee. Cherish no created image, harbor no earthy affection; let thy will rest in no created object, except in so far as thy Lord and Spouse shall command thee for the well-ordering of thy love, or in so far as thou canst be aided thereby to love Him alone.'A Voice to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, Introduction of Bk. 3, Para. 16
'Many turned from sin at the mere sight of Her [Mary]; others amended their lives; all were effected at seeing Her and experienced heavenly influences in their souls. But immediately they forgot the source of these influences; for if they could have remained in her presence, or could have retained the memory of her image, and if God had not prevented it by a mystery, nothing would have been able to divert their attention from Her and all would have sought Her without wavering.'Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 2
'Subject thyself gladly, not to the pleasurable in creatures, since that will obscure thy understanding and weaken thy will, but to the adverse and the painful resulting from their activity. Suffer this with joyous willingness, for I have done the same in imitation of my Son, although I had the power to neutralize their molestations and had no sins to atone for.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 26
'Before conceiving Him and becoming is Mother, She was inspired with divine knowledge and science concerning the passibility of the Word made flesh. And when She became Mother She saw and experienced this truth in Her Son and Lord himself and therefore She gave a greater license, or rather a more strict command, to creatures to afflict Her, since She saw the results of this activity in their own Creator. Hence, as the Most High did not wish his only and chosen Spouse to be continually molested by the creatures, even though She herself desired it, He often restrained them and neutralized their operations, so that the heavenly Princess unhindered by them, might occasionally enjoy the delights of the most high King.'Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 31
'I desire, therefore, that thou, my friend, be now my companion in the sorrow which I suffered and which is so little noticed by the living. In order to imitate me therein and in the effects of this most just grief, thou must deny thyself, forget thyself entirely, and crown thy heart with the thorns of sorrow at the behavior of mortals. Weep thou at seeing them laugh at their eternal damnation, for such weeping is the legitimate occupation of the true spouses of my most holy Son. Let them seek their delight only in the tears, which they pour out on account of their sins and those of the ignorant world. Thus prepare thy heart in order that the Lord may make thee a participant of his treasures; not in order to become rich, but in order that his Majesty may fulfill his most generous love toward thee and in order that souls may find justification. Imitate me in all that I teach thee, since thou knowest that this is my desire in favoring thee.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 46
"'Yet, although I have shown thee part of their malice, I wish, my friend, that thou shouldst once more know in Me, how small is the number of those who are to know and love me as my chosen ones; and how great and extended is the number of the ungrateful and of the reprobate. The innumerable sins and abominations of these impure and defiled men, whom I have foreseen in my infinite knowledge, retard my bounteous mercy and have locked up the treasurehouse of my Divinity, making the world entirely unworthy of receiving my gifts.'"God the Father to Blessed Virgin Mary on the fifth day before the Incarnation, as revealed to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 48
'I had no part in the sin of Adam, for I was exempted from his disobedience; but because I partook of his nature and by it was his daughter, I humiliated myself in my estimation to nothingness. In the light of this example then, how far must those humiliate themselves, who not only have had a part in the first sin, but also have committed other sins without number? The aim and motive of this humiliation moreover, should not be to remove the punishment of those sins, but to make restoration and recompense for the diminution and loss of honor, which was thereby occasioned to the Creator and Lord.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 67
'Great victories and advances in merit are connected with the true submission of self and subjection of our own judgments to those of others. Thou shouldst never wish to retain for thyself the power to will or not to will: then thou shalt sing of victories and overcome thy enemies.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 69
'If thou wishest to attain the highest purity of that perfection and become worthy of standing in the presence of thy Lord and Spouse, strive to be robust and strong in love; and thou knowest, that this is augmented in the same degree, as mortification and self-abnegation are practiced. Thou must deny thyself and forget all earthly things; thou must expel all the meanings toward thyself and toward visible things, in the divine love solely thou must increase and advance. Wash and purify thyself in the blood of thy Redeemer, Christ, and apply this cleansing many times by renewing thy loving sorrow for thy sins. Thereby wilt thou find grace in his eyes and thy beauty will be desired by Him, and all thy adornments will be full of the greatest perfection and purity.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 85
'Remember that the Lord very often shows great favors to the unworthy, in order to manifest his goodness and munificence.Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 86
'All have their source only in his goodness, binding us and obliging us to grateful recognition.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 86
"Be thou not any longer slow in understanding the greatness of his divine love and his readiness to benefit his friends and dear ones, whom He desires to elevate from the dust and enrich in diverse manners.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 96
'And in order that thou mayest dispose thyself and be inspired so much the more, I remind thee, that the Lord often says these same words to his chosen ones: "Reverte, reverte, ut intueamur te." For He derives just as great pleasure from their deeds, as when a father rejoices in his beloved and well-behaved son, whom he looks upon many times with great affection; or as an artist, when he beholds with pride the perfect work of his hands; or as a king, who inspects the rich city, which he has added to his dominions; or as one, who is pleased with his much beloved friend. There is only this difference: the Most High finds incomparably more delight than all these in the souls, which He has chosen for his blessings; and in proportion as they dispose themselves and advance in virtue, the Lord also multiplies his favors and benefits. If the mortals, that attain to the light of faith, would enter into this truth, they would, merely on account of this complacence of the Almighty in their good deeds, not only preserve themselves from sin, but they would zealously engage in great works until death and eagerly show their loving servitude to Him, who is so liberal in rewarding, and so generous in his favors.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 97
'" . . . Thou, my Spouse, shalt be my chosen One and thou hast found grace in my sight; and therefore I make thee Mistress of all these goods and I give thee dominion and possession of them all, so that, if thou art a faithful spouse according to my wishes, thou mayest distribute and dispose of them according as thou desirest and according as thy intercession shall direct; for this is the purpose, for which they are given into thy possession." Therewith the most blessed Trinity placed a crown on the head of our Princess Mary, consecrating Her as the sovereign Queen of all creation.'Our Lord to Blessed Mary on the night before the Incarnation, as revealed to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 103
'Her entire being was made to shine forth the Divinity; for since the divine Word was to issue from the bosom of the eternal Father to descend to that of Mary, He provided for the greatest possible similarity between the Mother and the Father.'Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 105
'Rare and astonishing prodigy of humility, to see this Maiden, most holy Mary, though raised to the supremest dignity and holiness next to God, yet humiliating Herself and debasing Herself below the meanest of creatures; so that, by the force of this humility, no thought of her being destined for the Mothership of the Messias could find entrance into her mind! And not only this: She did not even have a suspicion of anything great or admirable in Herself (Ps. 130, 1). Her eyes and heart were not elated; on the contrary the higher She ascended by the operation of the right hand of her God, so much the more lowly were her thoughts concerning Herself. It was therefore just, that the Almighty should look upon her humility (Luke 1, 48), and that therefore all generations should call her fortunate and blessed.'Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 106
'The bodily shape of the heavenly Queen was well proportioned and taller than is usual with other maidens of her age; yet extremely elegant and perfect in all its parts. Her face was rather more oblong than round, gracious and beautiful, without leanness or grossness; its complexion clear, yet of a slightly brownish hue; her forehead spacious yet symmetrical; her eyebrows perfectly arched; her eyes large and serious, of incredible and ineffable beauty and dovelike sweetness, dark in color with a mixture tending towards green; her nose straight and well shaped; her mouth small, with red colored lips, neither too thin nor too thick. All the gifts of nature in Her were so symmetrical and beautiful, that no other human being ever had the like. To look upon Her caused feelings at the same time of joy and seriousness, love and reverential fear. She attracted the heart and yet restrained it in sweet reverence; her beauty impelled the tongue to sound her praise, and yet her grandeur and her overwhelming perfections and graces hushed it to silence. In all that approached Her, She caused divine effects not easily explained; She filled the heart with heavenly influences and divine operations, tending toward the Divinity.'Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 115
'My daughter, with special affection I manifest to thee now my will and desire that thou make thyself worthy of intimate and familiar converse with God, and that for this purpose thy dispose thyself with great zeal and solicitude, weeping over thy sins, and forgetting and rejecting all the visible things, so that thou have no thought henceforth for any other thing outside of God. Therefore thou must begin to practice all that I have taught thee until now, and whatever I will yet teach thee in the balance of this history.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 120
'In imitation of me be thou so humble, that as far as thou art concerned, thou be persuaded and convinced of thy entire worthlessness and incapability, not meriting to be considered even a slave of the servants of Christ.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 121
'By the intensity of these movements and supernal affections, her most pure heart, as it were by natural consequence, was contracted and compressed with such force, that it distilled three drops of her most pure blood, and these, finding their way to the natural place for the act of conception, were formed by the power of the divine and holy Spirit into the body of Christ our Lord. Thus the matter, from which the most holy humanity of the Word for our Redemption is composed, was furnished and administered by the most pure heart of Mary and through the sheer force of her true love. At the same moment, with a humility never to be sufficiently extolled, inclining slightly her head and joining her hands, She pronounced these words, which were the beginning of our salvation: "Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum" (Luke 1, 31).Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 137
'This [the Incarnation] happened in springtime on the twenty-fifth of March, at break or dawning of the day, in the same hour, in which our first father Adam was made and in the year of the creation of the world 5199, which agrees also with the count of the Roman Church in her Martyrology under the guidance of the Holy Ghost.'Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 138
'The Lord is infinite in his mercy and his love has no limit, and thus He attends and esteems and assists every soul who receives Him, and rejoices in it, as if He had created it alone, and as if He had been made man for it alone. Therefore with all the affection of thy soul thou must, as it were, consider thyself as being thyself in person bound to render the full measure of thanks of all the world for his coming; and for his coming to redeem all.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 141
'Look upon Him as upon the infinite God, loving, yet terrible.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 143
'By the same Omnipotence He provided that this most holy soul of Christ, in its superior faculties and in its most noble operations, should be in the state of glory and enjoying beatitude; while all this immense glory was at the same time compressed, as it were, into the superior parts of his soul, suspending the effects and gifts of glory, that would otherwise naturally have communicated themselves to his body. On this account He could be at the same time viator, subject to suffering, enabling Him to procure our salvation by means of his Cross, Passion and Death.'Ven, Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 145
'Above all I ask of thee, my dearest, to do that which is most acceptable to the Lord and most pleasing to me; that thou grieve, and in sweet affection mourn over the gross ignorance and dangerous tardiness of the sons of men; over the ingratitude also of the children of the Church, who having received the light of the divine faith, yet live in such interior forgetfulness of the works and benefits of the Incarnation, yea, of God Himself, and so much so, that they seem to differ from infidels only in some ceremonies and exterior worship. They perform these without spirit or heartiness, many times offending and provoking the divine justice which they should placate.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 156
'She [Blessed Mary] did not feel in her body the force of weight and gravity; therefore She could walk without feeling the inconvenience usual to that kind of exercise; She could move about with instantaneous speed, without feeling any shock or fatigue as we would feel. All this belonged naturally to the quality and condition of her body, so spiritualized and well-formed. During the time of her pregnancy She felt even less the weight of her body; although, in order to bear her share of labors, She allowed hardships to produce their effect.'Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 173
'Although death in all the sons of Adam was the stipend and punishment of sin (Rom. 6, 23), and therefore death and all the other effects and chastisements had no rights in me, who had not sinned; yet the Most High ordained, that I also, in imitation of my most holy Son, should enter into felicity and eternal life by the death of the body ( Luke 24, 26).'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 176
'In such a way must thou study Him and unite thyself to Him, that no created being will come between thy soul and the true and highest Good. At all times and in all places, occupations and operations thou must keep Him is sight, without releasing Him from the intimate embrace of they heart (Cant. 3, 4). Therefore I command thee to treat Him with a magnanimous heart, with decorum and reverence, with deepfelt fear of the soul. And whatever pertains to his divine worship, I desire that thou handle with all attention and care. Above all in order to enter into his presence by prayer and petitions, free thyself from all sensible and earthly images. And since human frailty can not always remain constant in the force of love, nor always experience the sweet violence of its movements on account of its earthly nature, thou should seek other assistance, such as will help thee toward the same end of finding thy God. Such help, for instance, is afforded by his praise in the beauty of the heavens and of the stars, in the variety of plants, in the pleasant vista of the fields, in the forces of the elements, and especially in the exalted nature of the angels and in the glory of his saints.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 188
'But bear continually in mind especially this particular caution, not to seek any earthly alleviation in any event or in any labor which thou art to undergo, nor to indulge in any diversion coming from human creatures; and especially not in those coming from men, for an account of thy naturally weak and yielding character, so much adverse to giving pain, thou placest thyself in danger of exceeding and overstepping the limit of what is allowed or just, following, more than is proper for the religious spouses of my most holy Son, thy sensible likings. The risks of this negligence all human creatures incur; for if full reins are given to frail human nature, it will not give heed to reason, not to the true light of the Spirit; but, forgetting them entirely, it will blindly follow the impulse of its passions and pleasures.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 189
'And in order that thou mayest be diligent, cultivate love; for love is a fire, which does not have its effect until the material in prepared; therefore let thy heart always be disposed and prepared. Whenever the Most High bids thee or communicates to thee anything for the welfare of souls, or especially for their eternal salvation, devote thyself to it entirely; for they are bought at the inestimable price of the blood of the Lamb and of divine love.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 199
'The heavenly Princess beheld the interior of her spouse, knowing all that passed within his soul; and in her prudence She reflected how it would naturally be unavoidable, that he should come to know of her pregnancy; for there would be no possibility of concealing it from her most beloved and chaste spouse. The great Lady did not know at the time, how God would arrange this matter; yet, although she had not received any intimation or command to conceal this mystery, her heavenly prudence and discretion taught Her that it would be proper to conceal it as a great sacrament, greater than all other mysteries. Therefore She kept it secret, saying not a word about it to her husband, neither after the message of the angel. nor during this journey [to the house of Zacharias], nor later on, during the anxieties occasioned to saint Joseph at becoming aware of her pregnancy.'Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 204
'Tender compassion filled my heart, especially for the suffering and the infirm, and I tried to obtain some relief for all.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 214
'At the same time the fortunate child [St. John the Baptist], looking through the walls of the maternal womb as through clear glass upon the incarnate Word, and assuming a kneeling posture, adored his Redeemer and Creator, whom he beheld in most holy Mary as if enclosed in a chamber made of purest crystal. This was the movement of jubilation, which was felt by his mother Elisabeth as coming from the infant in her womb (Luke 1, 44).'Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 218
'I wish that in imitation of my cousin Elisabeth, thou do not enter into any friendship with any human creatures, except those, with whom thou canst and shouldst converse about the works of the Most High and of his mysteries, and with whom thou canst learn to pursue the true path of his divine pleasure.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 230
'A few times She [St. Elisabeth] merited to see most holy Mary during her prayers, ravished and raised from the ground and altogether filled with divine splendor and beauty, so that she could not have looked upon her face, nor remain alive in her presence, if she had not been strengthened by divine power.'Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 239
'The imitation of this I desire especially of thee; let thy ambition be to take the last place, to live in subjection to all others; abased and considered as useless, in the presence of the Lord and of men, thou must judge thyself as less than the dust of the earth itself . . . It is good to obey the prelates and the instructors, therefore do it always. But I desire that thou go much farther, and that thou obey the most insignificant of thy fellow beings in all that is not sinful, and in such a way, as if thou wert obeying the highest of thy superiors; and I desire that in this matter thou be very earnest, as I was during my earthly life.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 241
'His Majesty gave me such a deep knowledge of how much He is pleased with this virtue [humility], that in order to be allowed to perform only one of the acts mentioned by thee, such as sweeping the floor or kissing the feet of the poor, I would have been ready to suffer the greatest torments of the world. Thou wilt never find words to express the love for humility which I had, nor to describe its excellence and nobility.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 252
'But in connection with this humility of life, let thy thoughts always be of the noblest and thy conversation in heaven with the angelic spirits (Philip 3, 20); deal with them and converse with them in order to obtain new light concerning the Divinity and the mysteries of Christ my most holy Son. With creatures let thy intercourse be such as will continually increase thy fervor and serve thee as means of advancing and profiting by means of humility and divine love. In thy own mind assume the lowest place beneath all creatures, so that when the occasion and the time of exercising the acts of humility arrive, thou mayest be found prompt and willing to exercise them. Only then wilt thou be the mistress of the passions, if first thou hast acknowledged thyself in thy heart as the least and weakest and most useless of all the creatures.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 253
'Hence whenever the Lord sends to thee, or throws in thy way, a needy soul and makes thee aware of its state, labor faithfully to assist it. Pray and weep with heartfelt and fervent love, that God may furnish the remedy for such great and dangerous evil, and do not neglect any means, divine or human, as far as thou art concerned, in order to obtain the salvation of eternal life for the soul entrusted to thee. By means of the prudence and moderation which I have taught thee, thou must not grow weary in admonishing, nor in praying for that which will benefit that soul; and in all secrecy continue thy labor in its behalf. Likewise I wish, that whenever it is necessary, thou command the demons in the powerful name of the Almighty and my own, to depart and leave in peace the souls oppressed by them; and as all this is to be done in secret, thou canst in all propriety animate and encourage thyself to this kind of work. Remember that the Lord has placed thee, and will place thee in a position to exercise this doctrine.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 260
'I wish that thou offer up all thy petitions and prayers in the name of my most holy Son and my own; and be assured without doubt, that they will be heard, if they are joined with the upright intention of pleasing God. Look upon me with loving affection as thy Mother, thy refuge and thy help; trust thyself to my devoted love, and remember, my dearest, that my desire for thy greater good urges me to teach thee the means of obtaining great blessings and favors of divine grace at the most liberal hands of God. Do not make thyself unfit for them, not hinder them by thy timidity. And if thou wishest to induce me to love thee as my much beloved daughter, rouse thyself to a fulfillment of what I tell thee and manifest to thee. Toward this direct thy careful efforts, resting satisfied only when thou hast labored hard to put my teachings into practice.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 269
'Thy habitations shall be the Divinity of the Most High, the humanity of my most holy Son, and thy own interior . . . In order that thou mayest be aided therein by retirement of the body, I desire that thou remain secluded in thy choir or in thy cell, leaving it only, when obedience or charity make it inevitable.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 280
'It is also certain that ordinarily the demons have no power over souls, unless they gain entrance by some mortal or venial fault. Mortal sin gives them a sort of direct right over those who commit it; while venial sin weakens the strength of the soul and invites their attacks.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 281
'Remember that thou owest Him the perfection of thy love, and that all hell will combine against thee, in order to ensnare thee by thy natural tenderness to be sweet and loving towards creatures, and less grateful to the eternal God. Watch over thyself, and see that thou resist this unfaithfulness, trusting in thy beloved Master and Spouse.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 303
'The wonderful infant [St. John the Baptist] by divine dispensation spoke to the Virgin, although in a low and infantile voice: "Thou art the Mother of God himself, the Queen of all creation, the Keeper of the ineffable Treasure of heaven, my help and protection: grant me, thy servant, thy blessing, and may thy intercession and favor never fail me." Three times he kissed the hand of the Queen of heaven; likewise he adored the incarnate Word in her virginal Womb, and asked Him for his benediction and grace.'Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 309
'I do not say that thou must do away with all sensible feeling, for that is not naturally possible to the creature; but whenever thou meetest with adverse happenings, or when thou art deprived of what is useful, necessary or agreeable thou must bear it with joyful resignation and give praise to the Lord, because his will is being filled in that regard. By seeking only his pleasure, and considering all else as of passing moment, thou wilt gain a quick and easy victory over thyself, and thou will seek all occasions to humiliate thyself under the mighty hand of the Lord (I Pet. 5, 6). I also exhort thee to imitate me in my esteem and veneration of the priests, and that thou always ask their blessing before speaking to them and in leaving them. Do this also in regard to the Most High before beginning any work. Toward thy superiors always show thyself devoted and submissive.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 313
'To imitate and oblige me, do thou likewise work and pray for those whose interior becomes known to thee through the Lord or though other means; admonish them with prudence, humility and resignation; for the Almighty does not wish for thee to proceed noisily, nor that the results of thy labors be always manifest, but that they remain hidden. In this He conforms Himself to the naturally retiring disposition and to thy desires, and He seeks what is most secure for thee. And, although thou must pray for all souls, yet thou must pray more earnestly for those whom the divine will points out to thee.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 321
'Men are lost in forgetful rest and sleep, as if there were no vigilant and powerful enemies. This dreadful carelessness arises from two causes: on the one hand men are so taken up with their earthly and sensible being (I Cor. 2, 14), that they do not feel any other evils except those concerning the animal nature in them; all that is interior is harmless in their estimation. On the other hand, since the princes of darkness are invisible and unperceived by any of the senses (Ephes. 6, 12) and since carnal men neither touch, not feel, nor see them, they forget the fear of them. Yet for this reason they ought to be more attentive and careful, since invisible enemies are more cunning and adroit in injuring us by their treachery. So much the more certain is the danger, the more concealed it is, and so much the more deadly are the wounds, the less they are felt and recognized.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 331
I wish to make known to thee that no intellect, nor any tongue of man or angels can describe the wrath and fury which Lucifer and his demons entertain against mortals just because they are images of God and because they are capable of enjoying Him for all eternity. The Lord alone can comprehend the wicked malice of these proud and rebellious spirits against his holy name and against his worship. If these foes were not restrained by his almighty arm they would in one moment destroy the world; they would like famishing lions, like wild beasts and fierce dragons, despatch all mankind and tear them to pieces. Now however the most kind Father of all mercies wards off and curbs their wrath and He bears his little children in his arms in order that they may not fall a prey to these hellish wolves.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, City of God Vol. II, 332
'The arrogance of the dragon is great (Is. 16, 6), yet his weakness is greater; and he does not represent more than a weak atom in the face of the divine power. Yet as his cunning and malice far exceed that of mortals (Job 41, 21), it is not advisable to allow the soul to bandy words with him, whether he is present invisibly or visibly; for from his darksome mind, as from a smoking furnace, issue the shadows of confusion, obscuring the judgment of mortals; if they listen to him, he will fill their minds with deceits and darkness, so that they will neither recognize the truth and the beauty of virtue, nor the vileness of his poisonous falsehoods. Thus the souls will be made unable to distinguish the precious from the worthless, life from death, truth from error (Jer. 15, 19), and they easily fall into the clutches of this fierce and wicked dragon.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 355
'The devil is proud and deeply hurt by contempt; in the presumption of his arrogance and vanity he desires above all the attention of men. On this account he is so persistent in pursuing us step by step; for in his deceitfulness he can not rely upon the force of truth, but on his persistent counterfeiting of the good and the true. As long as this slave of wickedness is not despised, he never believes himself discovered and he continues, like an importunate fly, to buzz about the spot tainted by the greatest corruption.'Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 357
'And when this dragon afterwards engaged in his last battle with this Queen, which is described in the third part of this history (Part III, 452 seq.), this heavenly Lady vanquished him so completely that through Her and her most holy Son his head was entirely crushed. In that final battle his strength was so weakened and ruined that if human creatures do not deliver themselves into the hands of his malice they can very easily resist and overcome him with the divine grace.'Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, Vol. II, 370
Volume I - Part II . . . Volume II - Part II
About
See Further
Inspirational Books from the Saints
The Mystical City of God
saintsquotes.net