 Book 2, Chapter 23 of the Mystical City of God, Volume 3, by the venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Agereda. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Book 2, Chapter 23. The triumph of Christ our Savior over the demon on the cross, his death and the prophecy of Habakkuk, the Council of the Demons in Hell. The hidden and venerable mysteries of this chapter correspond to many others scattered through the whole extent of this history. One of them is that Lucifer and his demons in the course of the life and miracles of our Savior never could ascertain fully whether the Lord was true God and Redeemer of the world, and consequently what was the dignity of the Most Holy Mary. This was so disposed by divine providence in order that the whole mystery of the incarnation and the redemption of the human race might be more fittingly accomplished. Lucifer, although knowing that God was to assume human flesh, nevertheless knew nothing of the manner and the circumstances of the incarnation. As he was permitted to form an opinion of this mystery in accordance with his pride, he was full of hallucinations, sometimes believing Christ to be God on account of his miracles, sometimes rejecting such an opinion on account of seeing him poor, humiliated, afflicted, and fatigued. Harassed by these contradicting evidences, he remained in doubt and continued his inquiries until the predestined hour of Christ's death on the cross, where, in virtue of the passion and death of the sacred humanity which he had himself brought about, he was to be both undeceived and vanquished by the full solution of these mysteries. This triumph of Christ our Savior was accomplished in such an exalted and miraculous manner that I feel the sluggishness and insufficiency of my powers to describe it. It took place in a manner too spiritual and too far removed from the perception of the senses, according to which I must describe its process. In order to manifest it, I wish we were able to speak and understand one another by means of the simple intercourse and vision peculiar to the angels. For such would be necessary in order to describe and understand correctly this great miracle of the omnipotence of God. I shall say what I can and leave the understanding of it more to the enlightenment of faith than to the significance of my words. In the preceding chapter I have said that Lucifer and his demons, as soon as they saw the Lord taking the cross upon his sacred shoulders, wished to fly and cast themselves into hell, for at that moment they began to feel with greater force the operations of his divine power. By divine intervention this new torment made them aware that the death of this innocent man, whose destruction they had plotted and who could not be a mere man, threatened great ruin to themselves. They therefore desired to withdraw and they ceased to incite the Jews and the executioners as they had done hitherto. By command of the most blessed Mary, enforced by the divine power, detained them and, chained like the fiercest dragons, compelled them to accompany Christ to Calvary. The ends of the mysterious chain that bound them were placed in the hands of Mary, the great Queen, who by the power of her divine son, held them all in subjection and bondage. Although they many times sought to break away and raged in their helpless fury, they could not overcome the power of the heavenly Lady. She forced them to come to Calvary and stand around the cross, where she commanded them to remain motionless and witness the end of the great mysteries, there enacted for the salvation of men and the ruin of themselves. Lucifer and his infernal hosts were so overwhelmed with pains and torments by the presence of the Lord and his blessed Mother, and with the fear of their impending ruin, that they would have felt greatly relieved to be allowed to cast themselves into the darkness of hell. As this was not permitted them, they fell upon one another and furiously fought with each other, like hornets disturbed in their nest, or like a brood of vermin, confusedly seeking some dark shelter. But their rabid fury was not that of animals, but that of demons, more cruel than dragons. Then the haughty pride of Lucifer saw itself entirely vanquished and all his proud thoughts of setting his throne above the stars of heaven and drinking dry the waters of the Jordan put to shame. Isaiah chapter 14 verse 13 Job chapter 40 verse 18 How weak and annihilated was now he, who so often had presumed to overturn the whole earth. How downcast and confounded he, who had deceived so many souls by false promises and vain threats. How dismayed this unhappy one, at the sight of the gibbet, where he had sought to place Mardokias. Chapter 7 verse 9 What horrid shame to see the true Esther, most holy Mary, asking for the rescue of her people and the downfall of the traitor and the chastisement of his pride, there our invincible Judith beheaded him. Judith chapter 13 verse 10 There she trod upon his haughty neck. From now on, O Lucifer, I know that thy arrogance and pride is much greater than thy strength. Chapter 16 verse 6 Instead of splendor, now worms clothe thee about. Isaiah chapter 14 verse 11 And rottenness envelops and consumes thy carrion corpse. Thou who hast afflicted the nations, art now more wounded, bound and oppressed than all the world. Thenceforward I do not fear thy counterfeit threats. I will no longer listen to thy wiles, for I see thee reduced, weakened and entirely helpless. The time had now come for this ancient dragon to be vanquished by the master of life, as this was to be the hour of his disillusionment and as this poisonous asp was not to escape it by stopping his ears to the voice of the enchanter. Psalm 57 verse 5 The Lord began to speak the seven words from his cross at the same time providing that Lucifer and his demons should understand the mysteries therein contained, for it was by this disclosure that the Lord wished to triumph over them, over sin and death, and disfoil them of their tyrannous power over the human race. The Savior then pronounced the first word. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Luke chapter 23 verse 34 Why these words the princes of darkness came to the full conviction that Christ our Lord was speaking to the Eternal Father, that he was his natural son, and the true God with him and the Holy Ghost, that he had permitted death in his most sacred and perfect humanity united to the Divinity for the salvation of the whole human race, that now he offered his infinitely precious merits for the pardon of the sins of all those children of Adam who should avail themselves thereof for their rescue, not accepting even the wretches that crucified him. At this discovery Lucifer and his demons were thrown into such fury and despair that they instantly wished to hurl themselves impetuously to the depths of hell and strained all their powers to accomplish it in spite of the powerful Queen. In the second word spoken by the Lord to the fortunate thief. Amen, I say to thee, today thou shalt be with me in Paradise. The demons understood that the fruits of the redemption in the justification of sinners ended in the glorification of the just. They were made aware that from this hour the merits of Christ would commence to act with a new force and strength, that through them should be open the gates of Paradise which had been closed by the first sin, and that from now on men would enter upon eternal happiness and occupy their dust in heavenly seats which until now had been impossible for them. They perceived the power of Christ to call sinners, justify and beautify them, and they felt the triumphs gained over themselves by the exalted virtues, the humility, patience and meekness, and all the virtues of his life. The confusion and torment of Lucifer at seeing this cannot be explained by human tongue, but it was so great that he humiliated himself so far as to beg the most blessed virgin to permit them to descend into hell and be cast out from her presence. But the great Queen would not consent as the time had not yet arrived. At the third word spoken by the Lord to his mother. Woman, behold thy son. The demons discovered that this heavenly lady was the true mother of the God-man, the same woman whose likeness and prophetic sign had been shown to them in the heavens at their creation and who was to crush their head as announced by the Lord in the Terrestrial Paradise. They were informed of the dignity and excellence of this great lady over all creatures and of her power which they were even now experiencing. As they had from the beginning of the world and from the creation of the first woman, used all their astuteness to find out who this great woman that was announced in the heavens could be, and as they now discovered her in Mary whom they had until now overlooked, these dragons were seized with inexpressible fury. There having been thus mistaken, crushed their arrogance beyond all their other torments, and in their fury they raged against their own selves, like bloodthirsty lions, while their helpless wrath against the heavenly lady was increased a thousand fold. Moreover they discerned that St. John was appointed by Christ our Lord as the guardian angel of his mother, endowed with the powers of the priesthood. This they understood to be in the nature of a threat against their own wrath, which was well known to St. John. Lucifer saw not only the power of the evangelist, but that, given to all the priests in virtue of their participation in the dignity and power of our Redeemer, and that the rest of the jest, even though no priests, were placed under the same protection of the Lord and made powerful against hell. All this paralyzed the strength of Lucifer and his demons. The fourth word of Christ was addressed to the eternal Father. God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The evil spirits discovered in these words that the charity of God toward men was boundless and everlasting, that in order to satisfy it he had mysteriously suspended the influence of the divinity over his most sacred humanity, thus permitting his sufferings to reach the highest degree and drawing from them the most abundant fruits, that he was aware and lovingly complained of his being deprived of the salvation of a part of the human race, how ready he was to suffer more if such would be ordained by the eternal Father. Man's good fortune in being so beloved by God increased the envy of Lucifer and his demons, and they foresaw the divine omnipotence following out this immense love without limitation. This knowledge crushed the haughty malice of the enemies and they were made well aware of their own weakness and helplessness in opposing this love if men themselves should not choose to neglect its influence. The fifth word of Christ, I thirst, confirmed Christ's triumph over the devil and his followers. They were filled with wrath and fury because the Lord clearly let them see their total overthrow. By these words they understood him to say to them, If what I suffer for men, and my love for them, seem great to you, be assured that my love for them is still unsatiated, that it continues to long for their eternal salvation, and that the mighty waters of torments and sufferings have not extinguished it. Much more would I suffer for them if it were necessary in order to deliver them from your tyranny and make them powerful and strong against your malice and pride. In the sixth word of the Lord, it is consummated. Lucifer and his hordes were informed that the mystery of the incarnation and redemption was now accomplished and entirely perfected according to the decree of divine wisdom, for they were made to feel that Christ our Redeemer had obediently fulfilled the will of the Eternal Father, that he had accomplished all the promises and prophecies made to the world by the ancient fathers, that his humility and obedience had compensated for their own pride and disobedience in heaven in not having subjected themselves and acknowledged him as their superior in human flesh, and that they were now, through the wisdom of God, justly humbled and vanquished by the very Lord whom they despised. The great dignity and the infinite merits of Christ demanded that in this very hour he should exercise his office and power of judge over angels and men such as had been conceded to him by the Eternal Father. He now applied this power by hurling this sentence at Lucifer and all his followers that being condemned to eternal fire they instantly depart into the deepest dungeons of hell. This very sentence was included in the pronouncing of the Seventh Word. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Luke 23.46 The mighty queen and mother concurred with the will of her son Jesus and united with his, her command that Lucifer and all demons depart to the infernal depths. In virtue of these decrees of the Supreme King and of the Queen, the evil spirits were routed from Calvary and precipitated to deepest hell more violently and suddenly than a flash of light through the ribbon clouds. Christ our Savior, as the triumphant conqueror having vanquished the great enemy, now yielded up his spirit to the Father and permitted death to approach by inclining his head. John 19.30 By this permission he also vanquished death which had been equally deceived in him with the demons, for death could not attack men nor had any jurisdiction of them except through the first sin of which it was a punishment. On this account the apostle says that the weapon or the sting of death is sin which opens up the wounds by which death enters into the world of humanity. Letter to the Romans chapter 5 verse 12 And as our Savior paid the debt of sin which he could not commit, therefore when death took away his life without the shadow of justice it lost its power which it had over the other sons of Adam. First letter to the Corinthians chapter 15 verse 55 Thence forward neither death nor the devil could attack men unless they, failing to avail themselves of the victory of Christ, should again subject themselves of their own free will. If our first Father Adam had not sinned and we ourselves in him we would not suffer the punishment of death but merely pass over to the happiness of the eternal Fatherland. But sin has made us subjects and slaves of the devil, he avails himself of death to deprive us first of the grace, the blessings and the friendship of God. Thereby he also prevents us from reaching eternal life and we remain in the slavery of sin and the devil subject to his tyrannous power. First letter of Saint John chapter 3 verse 8 Never save your Christ, disfoil the demon of all these advantages and in dying without sin and satisfying for our own, merited that our death should be a death of the body only and not of the soul, that it should have power to take away our temporal life but not our eternal, the natural not the spiritual, and that it should thence forward be merely the portal to the eternal happiness if we ourselves did not renounce that blessing. Thus the Lord satisfied for chastisements due to the first sin at the same time furnishing us a means of offering a compensation in our own name by accepting our natural and bodily death for the love of God. Christ absorbed death. First letter to the Corinthians chapter 15 verse 51 And offered his own as a bait for deceiving death. Hosea chapter 13 verse 14 By his death he put an end of its power, overcame it, and was the death of death itself. In this triumph the Savior fulfilled the prophecy contained in the canticle and prayer of Habakkuk of which I shall select some passages necessary for my purpose. The prophet was informed of the mystery and the power of Christ over death and the devil. In prophetic foresight he prayed that the Lord vivify the work of his hands, that is, man, that in his greatest wrath he remember his mercy. He prophesied that the glory of this miracle should fill the heavens and the praise of it the earth, that its splendor shall be as that of light, that in his hands he shall embrace the horns which are the arms of the cross and wherein is hidden his strength. Dead death should fly from him captive and vanquished, that before his feet the devil should be routed and measure the earth. Habakkuk chapter 3 verses 2 through 5 All this was fulfilled to the letter, for Lucifer departed having his head crushed under the feet of Christ and his blessed mother, who subdued him by their sufferings and by their power. Since the devil was forced to cast himself to lowest hell, which is the middle of the earth, and farthest removed from its surface, he is said to measure the earth. The rest of the canticle pertains to the triumph of Christ our Lord in the succeeding ages of the church, but that need not be rehearsed here. It is, however, proper for men to understand that Lucifer and his demons were restricted, lame and weakened in their power, of tempting the rational creatures, unless their sins and their own free will do not again unbind them and encourage them to return for the destruction of the world. All this will be better understood from the proceedings of the infernal council, held in hell, and from what I shall say further in the course of this history. Council held by Lucifer and his demons in hell after the death of Christ our Lord. The route of Lucifer and his angels from Calvary to the abyss of hell was more violent and disastrous than their first expulsion from heaven. So as Holy Job says, Job chapter 10 verse 21 This place is a land of darkness covered with the shades of death, full of gloomy disorder, misery, torments and confusion, yet on this occasion the chaos and disorder was a thousandfold increased, because the damned were made to feel new horror and additional punishments at the sudden meeting of the ferocious demons in their rabid fury. Today is certain that the devils have not the power of assigning the damned to a place of greater or lesser torment, for all their torments are decreed by divine justice, according to the measure of the demerits of each of the condemned. But besides this essential punishment, the just judge allows them to suffer other accidental punishments from time to time according to occasion, for their sins have left roots in the world and cause much damage to others, who are damned on their account, and the new effects, still arising from former sins, cause such accidental punishments in the damned. Thus the demons devise new torments for Judas, for having sold and brought about the death of Christ. They also understood then, that this place of dreadful punishments, where they had thrown him, and of which I have spoken above, was destined for the chastisement of those, who damned themselves by refusing to practice their faith in their lives, and for those who purposely refused to believe and avail themselves of the fruits of the redemption. Against these the devils execute a more furious wrath, similar to the one they have conceived against Jesus and Mary. As soon as Lucifer was permitted to proceed in these matters, and arise from the consternation in which he remained for some time, he set about proposing to his fellow demons new plans of his pride. For this purpose he called them all together, and placing himself in an elevated position, he spoke to them. To you, who have for so many ages, followed and still follow my standards, for the vengeance of my wrongs, is known the injury which I have now sustained at the hands of this man God, and how for thirty-three years he has led me about in deceit, hiding his divinity, and concealing the operations of his soul, and how he has now triumphed over us by the very death which we have brought upon him. Before he assumed flesh, I hated him, and refused to acknowledge him as being more worthy than I to be adored by the rest of creation. Although on account of this resistance I was cast out from heaven with you, and was degraded to this abominable condition, so unworthy of my greatness and former beauty, I am even more tormented to see myself thus vanquished, and oppressed by this man and by his mother. From the day on which the first man was created, I have sleeplessly sought to find them and destroy them, or if I should not be able to destroy them, I at least wish to bring destruction upon all his creatures, and induce them not to acknowledge him as their God, and that none of them should ever draw any benefit from his works. This has been my intent. To this all my solicitude and efforts were directed. But in vain, since he has overcome me by his humility and poverty, crushed me by his patience, and at last has despoiled me of the sovereignty of the world, by his passion and frightful death. This causes me such an excruciating pain, that even if I succeeded in hurling him from the right hand of his father, where he sits triumphant, and if I should draw all the souls redeemed down into hell, my wrath would not be satiated or my fury placated. Is it possible that the human nature, so inferior to my own, shall be exalted above all the creatures? That it should be so loved and favored as to be united to the Creator in the person of the Eternal Word, that he should first make war upon me before executing this work, and afterwards overwhelm me with such confusion? From the beginning I have held this humanity as my greatest enemy. It has always filled me with intolerable abhorrence. Oh, men, so favored and gifted by your God, whom I abhor, and so ardently loved by him. How shall I hinder your good fortune? How shall I bring upon you my own unhappiness, since I cannot destroy the existence you have received? What shall we now begin, O my followers? How shall we restore our reign? How shall we recover our power over men? How shall we overcome them? For if men from now on shall not be more senseless and ungrateful, if they are not worse disposed than we ourselves, towards this God-man, who has redeemed them with so much love, it is clear that all of them will eagerly follow him. None will take notice of our deceits. They will abhor the honors which we insidiously offer them, and will love contempt. They will seek the mortification of the flesh, and will discover the danger of carnal pleasure and ease. They will despise riches and treasures, and love the poverty so much honored by their master. And all that we can offer to their appetites, they will abhor in imitation of their true redeemer. Thus will our reign be destroyed, since no one will be added to our number in this place of confusion and torments. All will reach the happiness which we have lost. All will humiliate themselves to the dust, and suffer with patience. And my wrath and haughtiness will avail me nothing. Ah, woe is me! What torment does this mistake cause me? When I tempted him in the desert, the only result was to afford him a chance to leave the example of this victory by following which men can overcome me so much the more easily. My persecutions only brought out more clearly his doctrine of humility and patience. In persuading Judas to betray him, and the Jews to subject him to the deadly torture of the cross, I merely hastened my ruin and the salvation of men, while the doctrine I sought to blot out was only the more firmly implanted. How could one who is God humiliate himself to such an extent? How could he bear so much from men who are evil? How could I myself have been led to assist so much in making this salvation so copious and wonderful? Oh, how Godlike is the power of that man, which could torment and weaken me so! And how can this woman, his mother in my enemy, be so mighty and invincible in her opposition to me? New is such power in a mere creature, and no doubt she derived it from the divine word whom she clothed in human flesh. Through this woman the Almighty has ceaselessly waged war against me, though I have hated her in my pride from the moment I recognized her in her image or heavenly sign. But if my proud indignation is not to be assuaged, I benefit nothing by my perpetual war against this Redeemer, against his mother and against men. Now then ye demons who follow me, now is the time to give way to our wrath against God. Come all of ye to take counsel what we are to do, for I desire to hear your opinions. Some of the principal demons gave their answers to this dreadful proposal, encouraging Lucifer by suggesting diverse schemes for hindering the fruit of the redemption among men. They all agreed that it was not possible to injure the person of Christ, to diminish the immense value of his merits, to destroy the efficacy of the sacraments, to falsify or abolish the doctrine which Christ had preached, yet they resolved that, in accordance with the new order of assistance and favor established by God for the salvation of men, they should now seek new ways of hindering and preventing the work of God by so much the greater deceits and temptations. In reference to these plans some of the astute and malicious demons said, It is true that men now have at their disposal a new and very powerful doctrine in law, new and efficacious sacraments, a new model and instructor of virtues, a powerful intercessor and advocate in this woman, yet the natural inclinations and passions of the flesh remain just the same, and the sensible and delectable creatures have not changed their nature. Let us, then, make use of this situation with increased astuteness. Foil as far as in us lies the effects of what this God-man has wrought for men. Let us begin strenuous warfare against mankind by suggesting new attractions, exciting them to follow their passions and forgetfulness of all else, thus men being taken up with these dangerous things cannot attend to the contrary. Acting upon this counsel, they redistributed the spheres of work among themselves in order that each squadron of demons might with a specialized astuteness tempt men in different vices. They resolved to continue to propagate idolatry in the world so that men might not come to the knowledge of the true God and the redemption. Wherever idolatry would fail, they concluded to establish sects and heresies, from which they would select the most perverse and depraved of the human race as leaders and teachers of error. Then and there was concocted among these malignant spirits the sect of Mohammed, the heresies of Arius, Pelagius, Nestorius, and whatever other heresies have been started in the world from the first ages of the Church until now, together with those which they have in readiness but which it is neither necessary nor proper to mention here. Lucifer showed himself content with these infernal counsels as being opposed to divine truth and destructive of the very foundation of man's rescue, namely divine faith. Many lavish flattering praise and high offices upon those demons, who showed themselves willing and who undertook to find the impious originators of these errors. Some of the devils charged themselves with perverting the inclinations of children at their conception and birth, others to induce parents to be negligent in the education and instruction of their children, either through an inordinate love or aversion, and to cause a hatred of parents among the children. Some offered to create hatred between husbands and wives, to place them in the way of adultery, or to think little of the fidelity promised to their conjugal partners. All agreed to sow among men the seeds of discord, hatred and vengeance, proud and sensual thoughts, desire of riches or honors, and by suggesting sophisticated reasons against all the virtues Christ has taught. Above all, they intended to weaken the remembrance of his passion and death, of the means of salvation, and of the eternal pains of hell. By these means, the demons hoped to burden all the powers and the faculties of men, with solicitude for earthly affairs and sensual pleasures, leaving them little time for spiritual thoughts and their own salvation. Lucifer heard these different suggestions of the demons, and answering them he said, I am much beholden to you for your opinions. I approve of them and adopt them all. It will be easy to put them into practice with those who do not profess the law given by this Redeemer to men, though with those who accept and embrace these laws, it will be a difficult enterprise. But against this law and against those that follow it, I intend to direct my wrath and fury, and I shall most bitterly persecute those who hear the doctrine of this Redeemer and become his disciples. Against these must our most relentless battle be waged to the end of the world. In this new church I must strive to sow my cockle. Matthew chapter 14 verse 25 The ambition, the avarice, the sensuality, and the deadly hatreds, with all the other vices, of which I am the head. For if once these sins multiply and increase among the faithful, they will, with their concomitant malice and ingratitude, irritate God and justly deprive men of the helps of grace left to them by the merits of the Redeemer. If once they have thus dispoiled themselves of these means of salvation, we shall have assured victory over them. We must also exert ourselves to weaken piety and all that is spiritual and divine so that they do not realize the power of the sacraments and receive them in mortal sin, or at least without fervor and devotion. For since these sacraments are spiritual, it is necessary to receive them with well-disposed will in order to reap their fruits. If once they despise the medicine they shall languish in their sickness and be less able to withstand our temptations, they will not see through our deceits, they will let the memory of their Redeemer and of the intercession of his mother slip from their minds. Thus will their fowl ingratitude make them unworthy of grace and so irritate their God and Saviour as to deprive them of his helps. In all this I wish that all of you assist me strenuously, losing neither time nor occasion for executing my commands. It is not possible to rehearse all the schemes of this dragon and his allies concocted at that time against the Holy Church and her children in order that these waters of Jordan might be swallowed up in his throat. Chapter 40 Verse 18 It is enough to state that they spent nearly a full year after the death of Christ in conferring and considering among themselves the state of the world up to that time and the changes wrought by Christ our God and Master through his death and after having manifested the light of his faith by so many miracles, blessings, and examples of holy men. If these labours have not suffice to draw all men to the way of salvation it can be easily understood that Lucifer should have prevailed and that his wrath should be so great as to cause us justly to say with St. John, Woe to the earth, for Satan has come down to you full of wrath and fury. But alas, these truths so infallible and so much to be dreaded and avoided by men should in our days be blotted from the minds of mortals to the irreparable damage of the whole world. Our enemy is astute, cruel, and watchful, we, sleepy, lukewarm, and careless. What wonder that Lucifer has entrenched himself so firmly in the world when so many listen to him, accept and follow his deceits, so few resist him, and entirely forget the eternal death which he so furiously and maliciously seeks to draw upon them. I beseech those who read this not to forget this dreadful danger. If they are not convinced of this danger through the evil condition of the world and through the evils each one experiences himself, let them at least learn of this danger by the vast and powerful remedies and helps which the Savior thought it necessary to leave behind in his church, for he would not have provided such antidotes if our ailment and danger of eternal death were not so great and formidable. My daughter, by divine enlightenment thou hast received a deep understanding of the glorious triumph of my son and lord on the cross over the demons and of their rout and vanquishment, but thou must remember that thou art yet ignorant of much more than what thou knowest concerning these ineffable mysteries, for in mortal flesh the creature cannot comprehend them in their reality and the divine providence reserves the full understanding of them as a reward of the saints in heaven and for the beatific vision in which these mysteries will be comprehended clearly. This insight will also be given to the reprobate, to each one according to his degree, for their confusion and punishment at the end of their career, but what thou hast learned will suffice to apprise thee of the dangers of this mortal life and to enliven thy hope of overcoming thy enemies. I wish also to warn thee of the new wrath, which the demon has conceived, especially against thee, for what thou hast written in this chapter. He has ceaselessly pursued thee with his wrath and has sought to hinder thee from riding my life as thou hast experienced continually in this work, but now his haughty pride is incensed against thee especially, because thou hast revealed his humiliation, his crushing ruin at the death of my most blessed son, the condition in which it left him and the secret councils of revenging himself upon the children of Adam and especially upon the members of the holy church. All this has excited and disturbed him anew, seeing that these secrets will be revealed to those ignorant of them. Thou wilt feel his wrath in the difficulties he will place in thy way, the temptations and persecutions thou hast already encountered. For I warn thee to be wary and circumspect against the rabid fury and cruelty of thy enemy. Thou art astonished and justly to see, on the other hand, the power of my son's merits and of his redemption, the ruin and weakness caused by the demons and men, and on the other hand, to see the power of the devil lording it over the world in haughty presumption. Although the light given to thee in writing this history is equal to this astonishment, I wish to add still another point of information in order that thou mayest guard thyself so much the more carefully against enemies so full of malice. It is certain that when hell came to the full knowledge of the sacrament of the incarnation and redemption, and of the poverty, humility and lowliness of the birth of Jesus, of his life and miracles, ending in the mysterious passion and death, and of all the rest of his labors, to draw men to him. Lucifer and his demons were weakened and disabled, and they saw that they could not tempt the faithful in the same way as the rest of men and as they ceaselessly desire to do. In the Primitive Church, this terror and fear of the baptized and of the followers of Christ our Lord continued many years, for the divine virtues shone forth brightly in their imitation of Christ, in their zeal in confessing the faith, in following the teachings of the gospel, in practicing heroic virtues and most fervent love, humility, patience, and contempt of the vanities and deceits of the world. Many shed their blood and gave their life for Christ our Lord. They performed many admirable and exalted deeds for the glory of his name. This invincible fortitude resulted from their living at a time so near to the passion and death of their Redeemer, and so close to the prodigious example of his patience and humility, but also because they were less tempted by the devils, who could not so soon rise from the crushing defeat brought upon them by the triumph of the crucified God. This close imitation and living reproduction of Christ, confronting the demons and the first children of the Church, they feared so much that they dared not approach, and they precipitously fled from the apostles and the just ones, imbued with the doctrines of my divine Son. In them were offered up to the Almighty the first fruits of grace and of the redemption. What is seen in the saints and in perfect Christians in those times would happen in the present times with all the Catholics if they would accept grace and work with it instead of permitting it to go to waste, and if they would seek the way of the cross. For Lucifer fears it just as much now as in the times thou hast been writing of. But soon the charity, zeal, and devotion in many of the faithful began to grow cold, and they forgot the blessings of their redemption. They yielded to their carnal inclinations and desires, they loved vanity and avarice, and permitted themselves to be fascinated and deceived by the false pretenses of Lucifer, obscuring the glory of their Savior and invagaling them into the meshes of their mortal enemies. This fowl in gratitude has thrown the world into the present state and has encouraged the demons to rise up in their pride against God, audaciously presuming to possess themselves of all the children of Adam on account of this forgetfulness and carelessness of Catholics. They presumed to plot the destruction of the whole church by the perversion of so many who have fallen away from it and by inducing those who are in it to think little of it, or by hindering them from producing the fruits of the blood and death of their Redeemer. The greatest misfortune is that many Catholics fail to recognize this great damage and do not seriously think of the remedy, although they could presume that the times of which Christ forewarned the women of Jerusalem have arrived. Namely, those in which the sterile should be happy, and in which many would call upon the mountains and the hills to cover and fall upon them, in order not to see the devastation of the wickedness cutting down the sons of perdition, the dried trees barren of all the fruits of virtue. In these evil times, dost thou live, my dearest, and in order that thou mayest not be included in the perdition of so many souls, do thou bewail it, in the bitterness of thy heart, never forgetting the mysteries of the incarnation, passion and death of my divine Son. I desire thee to give thanks in compensation for the great number of those who forget it, and I assure thee that the mere memory and contemplation of these mysteries are terrible to hell, torment and drive away the demons, and that they avoid and fly those who thankfully remember the life and passion of my divine Son. End of chapter 23. Book 2, chapter 24, of the mystical city of God, volume 3, by the venerable sister Mary of Jesus of a Greta. This Liborbox recording is in the public domain. Book 2, chapter 24, the sight of Christ is opened with a lance as his body hangs on the cross, he is taken down and buried, the doings of the Blessed Mother on this occasion and until she returned to the Seneca. The Evangelist Saint John tells us that near the cross stood Mary, the Most Holy Mother of Jesus, with Mary Cleophas and Mary Magdalene. Although this is said of the time before Jesus expired, it must be understood that the unconquerable Queen remained also afterwards, always standing beneath the cross and adoring her dead Jesus and his divinity inseparably united to his sacred body. Amid the impestuous floods of sorrow that penetrated to the inmost recesses of her chastised heart, the Great Lady remained immovably constant in the exercise of ineffable virtues, while contemplating within her the mysteries of man's redemption and the order in which divine wisdom disposed of all these sacraments. The greatest affliction of the Mother of Mercy was the traitorous ingratitude which men, to their own great loss, would show toward this extraordinary blessing so worthy of eternal thanksgiving. But now she was especially solicitous for the burial of the sacred body of her divine Son and how to procure someone to take it down from the cross. Full of this sorrowful anxiety, keeping her heavenly eyes riveted upon it, she turned to her holy angels around her and spoke to them. Ministers of the Most High, my friends in tribulation, you know that there is no sorrow like unto my sorrow. Tell me then, how shall I take down from the cross, whom my soul loves? How and where shall I give him honorable burial, since this duty pertains to me as his mother? Tell me what to do and assist me on this occasion by your diligence. The holy angels answered, Our Queen and Mistress, let thy afflicted heart be dilated for what is still to be born. The omnipotent Lord has concealed his glory and power from mortals in order to subject himself to the cruelty of man's impious malice and has always permitted the laws established for the course of human events to be fulfilled. One of them is that the condemned shall not leave the cross without the consent of the judge. We are ready and able to obey thee and to defend our true God and Creator, but his will restrains us because he wishes to justify his cause to the end and to shed the rest of the blood still in him for the benefit of mankind and in order that he may bind them still more firmly to make a return for his copious and redeeming love. Psalm 79 verse 7 If they do not avail themselves of this blessing as they ought, their punishment shall be deplorable and its severity shall make amends for the longsuffering of God in delaying his vengeance. This answer of the angels increased the sorrow of the afflicted mother, for it had not been as yet revealed to her that her divine son should be wounded by the lance and the fear of what should happen to the sacred body renewed her tribulation and anxiety. She soon saw an armed band approaching Calvary and in her dread of some new outrage against the deceased savior she spoke to St. John and the pious women. Alas, now shall my affliction reach its utmost and transfix my heart. Is it possible that the executioners and the Jews are not yet satisfied with having put to death my son and lord? Shall they now heap more injury upon his dead body? It was the evening of the great Sabbath of the Jews and in order to celebrate it with unburdened minds they had asked Pilate for permission to shatter the limbs of the three men sentenced so that, their death being hastened, they might be taken down from the crosses and not left on them for the following day. With this intent the company of soldiers which Mary now saw had come to Mount Calvary. As they perceived the two thieves still alive they broke their limbs and so hastened their end. But when they examined Jesus they found him already dead and therefore did not break his bones thus fulfilling the mysterious prophecy in Exodus. Exodus chapter 12 verse 46 commanding that no bones be broken in the figurative lamb to be eaten for the pash, but a soldier by the name of Longinus approaching the cross of Christ thrust his lance through the side of the savior immediately water and blood flowed from the wound as St. John who saw it and who gives testimony of the truth assures us. John chapter 19 verse 34 This wounding of the lance which could not be felt by the sacred and dead body of the Lord was felt by the most blessed mother in his stead and in the same manner as if her chaste bosom had been pierced. But even this pain was exceeded by the affliction of her most holy soul in witnessing the cruel laceration of the breast of her dead son. At the same time moved by compassion and love and in forgetfulness of her own sorrow she said to Longinus, The almighty look upon thee with eyes of mercy for the pain thou hast caused my soul. So far and no farther went her indignation or more properly her most merciful meekness for the instruction of all of us who are ever injured. For to the mind of the sweetest dove this injury to the dead Christ weighed most heavily and the retribution sought by her for the delinquent was one of the greatest blessings namely that God should look upon him with eyes of mercy and return blessings and gifts of grace for the offense. Thus it also happened for the savior moved by the prayer of his blessed mother ordained that some of the blood and water from his sacred side should drop upon the face of Longinus and restore to him his eyesight which he had almost lost. At the same time sight was given to his soul so that he recognized in the crucified his savior whom he has so inhumanly mutilated. Through this enlightenment Longinus was converted weeping over his sins and having washed them in the blood and water of the side of Christ. He openly acknowledged and confessed him as the true God and savior of the world. He proclaimed him as such in the presence of the Jews confounding by his testimony their profitee and hardness of heart. The most prudent queen then perceived the mystery of this lance thrust namely that in this last pouring forth of the blood and water issued forth the new church cleansed and washed by the passion and death of Jesus and that from his sacred side as from the roots should now spread out through the whole world the fruits of life eternal she conferred within herself also upon the mystery of that rock struck by the rod of divine justice Exodus chapter 17 verse 6 in order that the living waters might issue forth quenching the thirst of all the human race and recreating and refreshing all who be took themselves to drink their from she considered the coincidence of the five fountains from the wounds of his hands feet and sides which opened up the new paradise of the most holy humanity of our savior and which were more copious and powerful to fertilize the earth than those of the terrestrial paradise divided into four streams over the surface of the globe Genesis chapter 2 verse 10 these and other mysteries the great lady rehearsed in a canticle of praise which she composed in honor of her divine son after his being wounded by the lance together with this canticle she poured forth a most fervent prayer that all these mysteries of the redemption be verified in the blessing spread over the whole human race the evening of that day of the perescavée was already approaching and the loving mother had as yet no solution for the difficulty of the burial of her dead son which she desired so much but the lord ordained that the tribulations of his tenderest mother should be relieved by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus whom he had inspired with the thought of caring for the burial of their master they were both just men and disciples of the lord although not of the 72 for they had not as yet openly confess themselves as disciples for fear of the jews who suspected and hated as enemies all those that followed christ and acknowledged him as teacher the dispositions of divine providence concerning the burial of her son had not been made known to the most prudent virgin and thus her painful anxiety increased to such an extent that she saw no way out of the difficulty in her affliction she raised her eyes to heaven and said eternal father and my lord by the condescension of thy goodness and infinite wisdom i was raised to the exalted dignity of being the mother of thy son and by that same bounty of an immense god thou has permitted me to nurse him at my breast nourish him and accompany him to his death now it behooves me as his mother to give honorable burial to his sacred body though i can go no farther than to desire it and deeply grieve because i am unable to fulfill my wishes i beseech thy divine majesty to provide some way for accomplishing my desires this prayer the loving mother offered up after the sacred body of the lord was perforated by the lance soon after she saw another group of men coming toward calvary with ladders and other apparatus seemingly for the purpose of taking from the cross her priceless treasure but as she did not know their intentions she was tortured by new fears of the cruelty of the jews and turning to st john she said my son what may be the object of these people in coming with all these instruments the apostle answered do not fear them that are coming my lady for they are joseph and nicodemus with some of their servants all of them friends and servants of thy divine son and my lord joseph was just in the eyes of the most high john chapter 19 verse 38 a noble decurrian in the employment of the government a member of the council who as is given us to understand in the gospel had not consented to the resolves and the proceedings of the murderers of christ and who had recognized jesus as the true messiahs although joseph had been a secret disciple of the lord yet at his death in consequence of the efficacious influence of the redemption he openly confessed his adherents setting aside all fear of the envy of the jews and carrying nothing for the power of the romans he went boldly to pilot and ask for the body of jesus mark chapter 15 verse 43 in order to take him down from the cross and give him honorable burial he openly maintained that he was innocent and the true son of god as witnessed by the miracles of his life and death pilot dared not refuse the request of joseph but gave him full permission to dispose of the dead body of jesus as he thought fit with this permission joseph left the house of the judge and called upon nicodemus he too was a just man learned in divine and human letters and in the holy scriptures as is evident in what saint john related of him when he visited christ at night in order to hear the doctrine of jesus christ john chapter three verse two joseph provided the winding sheets and burial cloths for the body of jesus while nicodemus bought 100 pounds of the spices which the jews were accustomed to use in the burial of distinguished men matthew chapter 27 verse 59 provided with these and other necessaries they took their way to calvary they were accompanied by their servants and some other pious and devout persons in whom likewise the bloodshed for all by the crucified god had produced its salutary effects they approached most holy mary who in the company of saint john and the holy women stood in inconceivable sorrow at the foot of the cross instead of a salute their sorrow at the side of so painful a spectacle as that of the divine crucified was roused to such vehemence and bitterness that joseph and nicodemus remained for a time prostrate at the feet of the queen and all of them at the foot of the cross without speaking a word all of them wept and sighed most bitterly until the invincible queen raised them from the ground and animated and consoled them and whereupon they saluted her in humble compassion the most observant mother think them kindly especially for the service they were about to render to their god and savior and promise them the reward in the name of him whose body they were to lay in the tomb joseph of arimathea answered even now our lady do we feel in the secret of our hearts the sweet delight of the divine spirit who has moved us to such love that we could never merit it or succeed in explaining it then they divested themselves of their mantles and with their own hands joseph and nicodemus placed the ladders to the holy cross on these they ascended in order to detach the sacred body while the glorious mother stood closely by leaning on the arms of saint john and mary magdalene it seemed to joseph that the sorrow of the heavenly lady would be renewed when the sacred body should be lowered and she should touch it and therefore he advised the apostle to take her aside in order to draw away her attention but saint john who knew better the invincible heart of the queen answered that from the beginning she had stood by to witness the torments of the lord and that she would not leave him whom she venerated as her god and loved as the son of her womb nevertheless they continue to urge the expediency of her retiring for a short time until they should lower their master from the cross but the great lady responded my dearest masters since I was present when my sweetest son was nailed to the cross fear not to allow me to be present at his taking down for this act of piety though it shall affect my heart with new sorrow will in its very performance afford a great relief thereupon they began to arrange for the taking down of the body first they detached the crown from the head laying bare the lacerations and deep wounds it had caused they handed it down with great reverence and amid abundant tears placing it in the hands of the sweetest mother she received it prostrate on her knees in deepest adoration bathed it with her tears permitting the sharp thorns to wound her virginal countenance impressing it to her face she asked the eternal father to inspire due veneration toward the sacred thorns in those christians who should obtain possession of them in future times in imitation of the mother saint john with the pious women and the other faithful their present also adored it and this they also did with the nails handing them first to the most holy mary for veneration and afterward showing their own reverence then the great lady placed herself on her knees and held the unfolded cloth in her outstretched arms ready to receive the dead body of her son in order to assist joseph and nicodemus saint john supported the head and mary magdalene the feet of christ and thus they tearfully and reverently placed him into the arms of his sweetest mother this was to her an event of mixed sorrow and consolation for in seeing him thus wounded and all his beauty disfigured beyond all children of men song 44 verse 3 the sorrows of her most chaste heart were again renewed and in holding him in her arms and at her breast her incomparable sorrow was rejoiced and her love satiated by the possession of her treasure she looked upon him with supreme worship and reverence shedding tears of blood in union with her as he rested in her arms all the multitude of her attendant angels worship him although unseen by all others except mary then saint john first and after him all those present in their turn adored the sacred body the most prudent mother seated on the ground in the meanwhile held him in her arms in order that they might satisfy their devotion in all these proceedings our great queen acted with such heavenly wisdom and prudence that she excited the admiration of the angels and men for all her words were full of the deepest significance the most winning affection and compassion for her deceased son full of tenderness in her lamenting and full of mystery in sentiment and meaning her sorrow exceeded all that could ever be felt by mortals she moved the hearts to compassion and tears she enlightened all in the understanding of the sacrament now transpiring under their hands above all without failing in the least of her duties she preserved her humble dignity and serenity of countenance in the midst of her heart rending affliction with uniform adaptation to the circumstances she spoke to her beloved son to the eternal father to the angels to the bystanders and to the whole human race for whose redemption the lord had undergone his passion and death i will not detain myself in particularizing the most prudent and sorrowful words of the lady on this occasion for christian piety will be able to conceive many of them and i cannot stay to enumerate all these mysteries sometime past during which the sorrowful mother held at her breast the dead jesus and as evening was far advancing st john and joseph besought her to allow the burial of her son and god to proceed the most prudent mother yielded and they now embalmed the sacred body using all the hundred pounds of the spices and the aromatic ointments brought by nicodemus thus anointed the deified body was placed on a beer in order to be carried to the sepulchre the heavenly queen most attentive in her zealous love called from heaven many choirs of angels who together with those of her guard should accompany the burial of their creator immediately they descended from on high in shapes visible to their queen and lady though not to the rest a procession of heavenly spirits was formed and another of men and the sacred body was born along by saint john joseph nicodemus and the centurion who had confessed the lord and now assisted at his burial they were followed by the blessed mother by mary magdalene and the rest of the women disciples besides these a large number of the faithful assisted for many had been moved by the divine light and had come to calvary after the lance thrust all of them in silence and in tears joined the procession they proceeded toward a nearby garden where joseph had hewn into the rock a new grave in which nobody had as yet been buried or deposited john chapter nineteen verse forty one in this most blessed sepulcher they placed the sacred body of jesus before they closed it up with the heavy stone the devout and prudent mother adored christ anew causing the admiration of men and angels they imitated her all of them adoring the crucified savior now resting in his grave there upon they closed the sepulcher with the stone which according to the evangelist was very heavy matthew chapter twenty seven verse sixty at the same time the graves which had opened at the death of christ were again closed for among other mysteries of their opening up was this that these graves as it were unsealed themselves in order to receive him whom the jews had repudiated when he was alive and their benefactor at the command of the queen many angels remained to guard the sepulcher where she had left her heart in the same order and silence in which they had come they now return to calvary the heavenly mistress of all virtues approached the holy cross and worshipped it in deepest reverence in this joseph and all the rest of the mourners followed her it was already late and the sun had sunk when the great lady betook herself from calvary to the house of the cynical in the company of the faithful having brought her to the cynical st john the marries and the others took leave of her with many tears in size and asked for her benediction the most humble and prudent lady thank them for their service to her divine son and the consolation afforded her she permitted them to depart with many hidden and interior favors and with the blessing of her most amiable and kindest heart the jews confused and disturbed by the events went to pilot on the morning of the sabbath and asked him for soldiers to guard the sepulcher for christ this seducer they said had openly announced that after three days he would arise hence his disciples might steal the body and then say that he had arisen pilot yielded to this malicious measure and gave them the guard they desired which they stationed at the sepulcher matthew chapter twenty eight verse twelve but the perfidious priests merely wish to palliate the event which they feared would really happen as was manifest afterwards when they bribed the soldiers of the guard to testify that jesus had not arisen but had been stolen by the disciples as no counsel will prevail against god proverbs chapter twenty one verse thirty the resurrection of christ became only so much the more public and was the more fully confirmed instruction which the queen of heaven gave me my daughter the last thrust which my blessed son received in his side was cruel and very painful only to me but its effects and mysteries are most sweet to those souls who know how to taste its sweetness it was a great affliction to me but whoever meets with this mysterious favor will find it a great relief and consolation in his sorrows in order that thou mayest understand this and participate in it thou must know that my son and lord on account of his most ardent love for men in addition to the wounds of the feet and hands wish to open the wound of his heart the seat of love in order that through this port the souls might enter and they receive refuge and relief this is the only retreat which I wish thee to seek during the time of thy banishment and which thou must consider as thy habitation upon earth there thou wilt find the conditions and laws of love for imitating me and learn how for injuries thou must return blessings to all who commit them against thee and thine just as thou has seen me do when I was grieved by the wounding of the side of my dead son I assure thee my dearest that thou canst not do anything more adapted to the obtaining of the efficacious graces from the almighty the prayer which thou offerst in a forgiving spirit is powerful not only for thy own good but for the good of the one that offends thee for the kind heart of my son is easily moved when he sees that creatures imitate him in pardoning offenders and in praying for them for they thereby participate in his most ardent charity manifested on the cross write this doctrine in thy heart and in imitation of me practice this virtue of which I thought so highly through this wound look upon the heart of Christ thy spouse and upon me sweetly and ardently loving in it thy enemies and all creatures consider also the anxious and ever ready providence of the most high in coming to the aid of the creatures that call to him in true confidence this thou has seen in my behalf when I found myself afflicted and at a loss concerning the proper burial of my divine son in order to come to my assistance in this plight the Lord showed his sweet love by moving the hearts of Joseph and Nicodemus and of the other faithful to assist me in burying him by their opportune help I was so much consoled in this tribulation that on account of their behavior and my prayer the most high filled them with wonderful influences of the divinity by which they were regaled during the time of taking Jesus from the cross and his burial and from that time on these faithful were enlightened and filled with the mysteries of the redemption this is the admirable disposition of the sweet and powerful providence of God that in order to bind himself to do good to some of his creatures he sends affliction upon others thus giving an occasion for the practice of benevolence so that at the same time those in necessity may be benefited thus the benefactor on account of the good work he does and on account of the prayer of the poor is rewarded by receiving graces of which he otherwise would not be worthy the father of mercies who inspires and assists the good work done afterwards pays for it as if it were due injustice for we can correspond to his inspirations merely according to our insignificant abilities while all that is really good comes entirely from his hands letter of st. james chapter one verse 17 consider also the equity maintained by this providence encompassing the injuries received in patient suffering for after my divine son had suffered death amid the contempt dishonor and blasphemies of men the most high at once provided for an honorable burial and moved many to confess him as the true god and redeemer to proclaim him as holy innocent and just and at the very time when they had finished their frightful crucifixion to adore him as the son of god even his enemies were made to feel within themselves the horror and confusion of their sin in persecuting him although these benefits availed not all men yet all of them were effects of the innocent death of the lord i also concurred in my prayers in order that the lord might be acknowledged and honored by those known to me end of chapter 24 book to chapter 25 of the mystical city of god volume three by the venerable sister mary of jesus of a grata this leber vox recording is in the public domain book to chapter 25 how the queen of heaven consoled st. peter and the other apostles how prudently she acted after the burial of her son how she saw his divine soul descend to the limbo of the holy patriarchs the fullness of wisdom in the soul of our great queen and lady amid all her sorrows permitted no defect or remissness in noticing and attending to all the duties of each occasion and at all times by this heavenly foresight she met her obligations and practiced the highest and most eminent of all the virtues as i have said the queen retired after the burial of christ to the house of the cynical remaining in the hall of the last supper in the company of st john the mary's and the other women who had followed christ from galilee she spoke to them and the apostle thanking them in profound humility and abundant tears for persevering with her up to this time throughout the passion of her beloved son and promising them in his name the reward of having followed him with so much constancy and devotion at the same time she offered herself as a servant and as a friend to those holy women all of them with st john acknowledged this great favor kissed her hands and asked for her blessing they also begged her to take some rest and some bodily refreshments but the queen answered my rest and my consolation shall be to see my son and lord arisen from the dead do you my dearest friends satisfy your wants according to your necessities while i retire alone with my son thereupon she retired with st john and being alone with him she fell upon her knees and said do thou not forget the words which my son spoke to us on the cross he condescended to call thee my son and me thy mother thou art my master art priest of the most high and on account of this dignity it is me that i obey thee in all that i am to do and from this hour i wish that thou order and command me in all things remembering that i shall always be thy servant and that all my joy shall be to serve thee as such until my death this the lady said with many tears and among other things the apostle said my mistress and mother of the redeemer and lord i am the one who should be subject to thy authority for the name of son implies devotion and subjection to his mother he that has made me priest has made thee his mother and was subject to thy authority though he was the creator of the universe luke chapter two verse 51 it is reasonable that i should likewise be so and that i labor with all my powers to make myself worthy of the office he has conferred upon me to serve thee as thy son for which i would desire to be rather an angel than a creature of earth this answer of the apostle was most appropriate but it did not avail to overcome the humility of the mother of virtues who answered my son john my consolation shall be to obey thee as my superior since such thou art in this life i must always have a superior to whom i can render my will in obedience for this purpose thou art the minister of the most high and as my son thou o'est me this as a consolation in my solitude let then thy will be done my mother said st john for in this lies my own security without further answer the heavenly mother then asked permission to remain alone in meditating on the mysteries of her divine son and she asked him also to provide some refreshment for the holy women who had accompanied her and that he assist them and console them she reserved only the marys because they wished to persevere in their fast until they should see the lord arisen and she asked st john to allow them to fulfill their pious desire st john then parted from her in order to console the marys and to execute the commands of the great lady having attended to their wants these pious women all retired to spend that night in sorrowful and mournful meditation concerning the mysteries of the lord's passion in such heavenly wisdom the blessed mary labored amid the floods of her anxieties and afflictions without ever forgetting the least point of the most perfect obedience humility charity and prudent foresight for all that was necessary she did not forget to attend to the necessities of these pious women nor did she on their account forget anything that was necessary to the exercise of the highest perfection in herself she approved of the fast of the marys as being strong and fervent in their love and she took heed of the weakness of the others she instructed the apostle in his duties toward herself and proceeded in all things as the instructress of perfection and the mistress of grace all this she did when the waters of tribulation had entered to her very soul psalm 68 verse 2 then remaining alone in her retreat she let loose the impestuous floods of her afflicted love and permitted herself to be possessed interiorly and exteriorly by the bitterness of her soul she renewed in her mind the recollection of her divine son's frightful death the mysteries of his life his preaching and his miracles the infinite value of the redemption the new church which he had founded and adorned with the riches of the sacraments and the treasures of grace the happiness of the human race now so copiously and gloriously redeemed the inestimable fortune of the predestined who should really obtain that happiness the dreadful misfortune of the reprobate who by their own fault would make themselves unworthy of the eternal glory merited for them by her son in the deep consideration of these high and hidden sacraments the great lady passed that whole night weeping and sighing praising and glorifying the works of her divine son his passion his hidden judgments and the rest of the high mysteries of divine wisdom and unsearchable providence of the lord all of them as the mother of true wisdom she contemplated and understood conferring sometimes with the holy angels at others with the lord himself concerning what the divine influences caused her to feel in her own purest heart on the following sabbath morning after four o'clock saint john entered to console the sorrowful mother falling on her knees before him she asked him for his blessing as from her superior and a priest her new son on his part asked it of her with tears in his eyes and thus they gave their blessing one to the other the heavenly queen begged saint john to meet saint peter who was looking for him on the way to the city she ordered saint john to receive and console him kindly and bring him to her presence the same he was to do with the other apostles giving them hope of pardon and offering them her friendship saint john issued from the cynical and shortly met saint peter who full of shame and in tears was timidly seeking the presence of the great queen he had just come from the cave where he had be wept his denials but he was now consoled by saint john and encouraged by the message from the heavenly mother then these two went in search of the other apostles having found some they together be took themselves to the cynical hoping for pardon saint peter entered first and alone to the presence of the mother of grace and falling at her feet he said with great sorrow i have sinned lady i have sinned before my god and i have offended my master and thee he could not speak another word further speech being stifled with tearful sobs and sighs which came from the depths of his oppressed heart the most prudent virgin seeing peter prostrate on the ground and considering him on the one hand as doing penance for sins so recently committed and on the other hand as the head of the church chosen by her divine son as his vicar did not deem it proper to prostrate herself before the pastor who had just denied his master but neither would her humility suffer her to withhold the reverence due to his office in order to conform her action to both these circumstances she resolved to show him proper reverence without disclosing her motive for this purpose she fell on her knees to do him reverence at the same time concealing her intention by saying let us ask pardon for thy guilt from my son and thy master she prayed for him reviving his hope by reminding him of the merciful behavior of the lord in regard to well known sinners and pointing out his own obligation as head of the apostolic college to give the example of constancy in the confession of the faith by these and other arguments of great force and sweetness she confirmed peter in the hope of pardon then also the other apostles presented themselves prostrating themselves before the most blessed Mary and asking pardon for their cowardice in forsaking her divine son during his sufferings they wept bitterly over their sin being moved to greater sorrow by the presence of this mother so full of sorrowful pity her wonderfully sweet countenance caused in them divine movements of contrition for their sins and of love of their master the great lady raised them up and encouraged them promising them the pardon they sought and her intercession to obtain it then all of them in their turn related what had happened to each in his flight though the blessed lady knew all even to the last particulars concerning these events she heard them all kindly taking occasion from what they said to touch their hearts and confirm them in their faith in their redeemer and master and of arousing in them divine love in this the heavenly lady completely succeeded for they all went away from this conference burning with new fervor and justified by new increase of graces these were the occupations of the heavenly queen during a part of the Sabbath at the approach of evening she again retired leaving the apostles now renewed in spirit and full of consolation and joy in the Lord yet also full of grief for the passion of their master in her retirement during this evening the great lady contemplated the doings of the most holy soul of her son after it left the sacred body for from the first the blessed mother knew that the soul of Christ United to the divinity descended to limbo in order to release the holy fathers from the subterranean prison where they had been detained since the death of the first just man that had died in expectancy of the advent of the redeemer of the whole human race in order to speak about this mystery which is one of the articles of faith pertaining to the most sacred humanity of Christ our Lord it seemed best to mention that which has been given me to understand about this limbo and its situation I say then that the diameter of the earth's sphere passing through the center from one surface to the other measures two thousand five hundred and two leagues and from the surface to the center one thousand two hundred and fifty one leagues and according to the diameter is to be calculated the circumference of this globe in the center is the hell of the damned as in the heart of the earth this hell is a chaotic cavern which contains many dark some dwellings for diverse punishments all of them dreadful and terrible all of these together form a vast globe like a huge round jar with an opening or mouth of vast expansion in this horrible dungeon filled with confusion and torments were the demons and all the damned and shall be there for all eternity as long as God is God for in hell there is no redemption Matthew chapter twenty five verse forty one two one side of hell is purgatory where the souls of the just are purged and where they cleanse themselves if they have not satisfied for their faults in this life or have not departed from this earthly life entirely free from the defects in capacitating them for the beatific vision this cavern is also large but not so large as hell and though there are severe punishments in purgatory they have no connection with those of hell to the other side is limbo with two different divisions the one for the children who die unbaptized and tainted only with original sin without either good or bad works of their own election the other served as a retreat for the just who had already satisfied for their sins for they could not enter heaven nor enjoy the vision of God until the redemption of man was accomplished and until Christ our Savior should open the gates of heaven closed by the sin of Adam Psalm twenty three verse nine this cavern is likewise smaller than hell and has no connection with it nor are there in it the pains of the senses like in purgatory for it was destined for the souls already cleansed in purgatory and implied only the absence of beatific vision or pain of probation there also stayed all those who died in the state of grace until the death of the redeemer this is the place to which Christ's soul descended with the divinity and which we refer to in saying that he descended into hell for the word hell may be used to signify any of the infernal regions in the depths of the earth though commonly we apply it only to the hell of the demons and the damned this is the most notable meaning of this word just as heaven ordinarily signifies the the habitation of the saints where they are to dwell forever while the damned remain forever in hell the other parts of hell have also the more particular names of purgatory and limbo after the final judgment heaven and hell only are to be inhabited since purgatory shall become unnecessary and since even the infants shall be transported to another dwelling place to this cavern of limbo then the most holy soul of Christ our lord we took itself in the company of innumerable angels who gave glory fortitude and divinity to their victorious and triumphant king in accordance with his greatness and majesty they commanded the portals of this ancient prison to be opened in order that the king of glory powerful in battles and lord of virtues might find them unlocked and open at his entrance at their command some of the rocks of the passage were rent and shattered although this was not really necessary since the king and his army were immaterial spirits by the presence of the most holy soul this obscure cavern was converted into a heaven and was filled with a wonderful splendor and to the souls therein contained was imparted the clear vision of the divinity in one instant they passed from the state of long deferred hope to the possession of glory and from darkness to the inaccessible light which they now began to enjoy all of them recognize their true god and redeemer and gave him thanks and glory breaking forth in canticles of praise saying the land that was slain is worthy to receive power and divinity and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and benediction thou has redeemed us lord in thy blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation and has made us to our god a kingdom and priests and we shall reign on the earth apocalypse chapter 59 verse 12 thine is oh lord the power thine the rain and thine is the glory of thy works then the lord commanded the angels to bring all the souls in purgatory and this was immediately done as if in earnest of the human redemption they were absolved then and there by the redeemer from the punishment still due to them and they were glorified with the other souls of the just by the beatific vision thus on that day of the presence of the king were depopulated the prison houses of both limbo and purgatory but for the damned in hell this was a terrible day because by the disposition of the most high all of them were made to see and feel the descent of the redeemer into limbo and also the holy fathers and the just were made witnesses of the terror caused by this mystery to the demons and the damned the demons were yet terrorized and oppressed by the ruin which they had undergone on mount calvary as related above and when they heard according to their manner of hearing and speaking the voices of the angels advancing before their king to limbo they were confounded and terrified anew like serpents pursued they hid themselves and clung to the most remote caverns of hell the damned were seized with confusion upon confusion becoming still more deeply conscious of their aberration and of the loss of salvation now secured to the just as Judas and the impenitent thief had so recently and signally shared this misfortune so their torments were greater and the demons were the more highly incensed against them then and there the infernal spirits resolved to persecute and torment more grievously the Catholics and chastise more severely those who should deny or repudiate the Catholic faith for they concluded that these merited greater punishment than the infidels to whom it is not preached of all these mysteries and of other secrets which I cannot mention the great lady of the world had a clear knowledge envision from her retreat although this knowledge in the higher parts of her being or in her soul where this knowledge originated caused her exquisite joy yet she did not permit it to overflow in her virginal body in her senses or inferior faculties to which it should naturally have been communicated on the contrary when she felt that some of this joy overflowed to the inferior parts of her being she be sought the eternal father to retard this overflow for she did not wish to permit such enjoyment to her body as long as that of her divine son rested in the grave and was not yet glorified such a careful and faithful love was that of the blessed mother toward her son and lord that she strove to be a living true and perfect image of the deified humanity in all respects attending thus minutely to the smallest particulars she was rejoiced exceedingly in her soul while she still felt the sorrows and depression of her body in imitation of the state of Christ our savior during this vision she composed songs of praise magnifying the mysteries of this triumph and the most loving and wise providence of the Redeemer who as an affectionate father and omnipotent king wished in his own person to take possession of the new reign given to him by the father and who now rescued his subjects by his own presence in order that they might commence immediately to enjoy the reward merited for them for these reasons and others recognized by her in the sacrament she rejoiced and glorified the Lord as his helper and as the mother of the conqueror instruction which the queen of heaven most holy Mary gave me my daughter attend to the teaching of this chapter as being the most appropriate and necessary for the state assigned to the by the most high and for the correspondence in love which thou oest him this requires of thee that in the midst of thy labors and intercourse with the creatures whether in commanding or governing as superior or obeying as a subject thou do not permit thyself by any of these duties or other exterior occupations to neglect the attention due to the presence of thy savior in the secret and higher parts of thy soul nor withdraw thyself from the light of the Holy Spirit and his constant communications for my divine son seeks in the secrets of thy heart such ways as are hidden to the demon and to which thy passions have no access for they lead to the sanctuary whether the high priest alone can enter letter to the Hebrews chapter nine verse seven and where the soul enjoys the hidden embraces of its king and spouse as soon as it prepares for him his chamber of rest with a single and eager mind there shall thou find thy Lord propitious the most high liberal thy creator merciful thy sweet spouse and redeemer loving then will thou not fear the powers of darkness nor the effects of sin which are unknown in that region of light and truth but the soul disordered by anxiety for the visible things or careless in the observance of the divine law will close up these ways it will be embarrassed by the disorderly attachments of the passions it will be hindered by useless cares and much more by restlessness of mind and by the want of serenity and interior peace for the heart must be untrammeled pure and detached from all that is not truth and light thou has well understood and experienced this doctrine and moreover i have shown it to thee in practice as in the clearest mirror namely in my behavior amid the sorrows sighs and afflictions of the passion of my divine son and amid the solicitous cares occupations and watchings during his burial and during the assistance rendered to the apostles and the holy women during my whole life thou has seen me act in the same manner uniting the works of the spirit with exterior occupations without friction or hindrance in order than to imitate me in all this as i require it is necessary that neither by the unavoidable intercourse with creatures nor by the labors of thy state of life nor by the hardships of this life of exile nor by the temptations or malice of the demon thou permit thy heart to desire anything that will hinder thee or pay attention to anything which destroys thy recollection and i warn thee my dearest that if thou art not very vigilant and careful in this matter thou wilt lose much time abuse immense and extraordinary blessings frustrate the high in holy purposes of the lord and wilt grieve me and the angels since all of us desire that thy conversation be with us thou wilt lose the quiet of thy spirit and the interior consolations many degrees of grace and the desired increase of divine love and finally the most copious reward in heaven so much does it concern thee to listen to me and obey me in all that i teach thee with a mother's kindness consider it my daughter ponder it and bend upon it thy mind so that through my intercession and by divine grace thou may as put it into practice take heed also to imitate me in the faithful love by which i abstained from the sweets of inferior delights in imitation of my master do thou praise him for this and for the blessings he brought to the saints in limbo when his most holy soul descended to free them and fill them with joy at his sight all of which were operations of his infinite love end of chapter 25 book 2 chapter 26 of the mystical city of god volume 3 by the venerable sister mary of jesus of agreda this liber vox recording is in the public domain book 2 chapter 26 the resurrection of christ our savior and his apparition to his most blessed mother in company with the holy fathers of limbo the divine soul of christ our redeemer remained in limbo from half past three of friday afternoon until after three of the sunday morning following during this hour he returned to the sepulchre as the victorious prince of the angels and of the saints whom he had delivered from those nether prisons as spoils of his victory and as an earnest of his glorious triumph over the chastised and prostrate rebels of hell in the sepulchre were many angels as its guard venerating the sacred body united to the divinity some of them obeying the command of their queen and mistress had gathered the relics of the sacred blood shed by her divine son the particles of flesh scattered about the hair torn from his divine face and head and all else that belonged to the perfection and integrity of his most sacred humanity on these the mother of prudence lavished her solicitous care the angels took charge of these relics each one filled with joy at being privileged to hold the particles which he was able to secure before any change was made the body of the redeemer was shown to the holy fathers in the same wounded lacerated and disfigured state in which it was left by the cruelty of the jews beholding him thus disfigured in death the patriarchs and prophets and other saints adored him and again confessed him as the incarnate word who had truly taken upon himself our infirmities and sorrows isaia chapter 53 verse 4 and paid abundantly our debts satisfying in his innocence and guiltlessness for what we ourselves owed to the justice of the eternal father there did our first parents adam and eve see the havoc wrought by their disobedience the priceless remedy it necessitated the immense goodness and mercy of the redeemer as they felt the effects of his copious redemption in the glory of their souls they praised anew the omnipotent and saint of saints who had with such marvelous wisdom wrought such a salvation then in the presence of all the saints through the ministry of those angels were united to the sacred body all the relics which they had gathered restoring it to its natural perfection and integrity in the same moment the most holy soul reunited with the body giving it immortal life and glory instead of the winding sheets and the ointments in which it had been buried it was clothed with the four gifts of glory namely with clearness and passability agility and subtlety john chapter 19 verse 40 these gifts overflowed from the immense glory of the soul of christ into the sacred body although these gifts were due to it as a natural inheritance and participation from the instant of its conception because from that very moment his soul was glorified and his whole humanity was united to the divinity yet they had been suspended in their effects upon the pure as body in order to permit it to remain passable and capable of meriting for us our own glory in the resurrection these gifts were justly called into activity in the proper degree corresponding to the glory of his soul and to his union with the divinity as the glory of the most holy soul of christ our savior is incomprehensible and ineffable to man it is also impossible entirely to describe in our words or by our examples the glorious gifts of his deified body for in comparison to its purity crystal would be obscure the light inherent and shining forth from his body so far exceeds that of the others as the day does the night or as many sons the light of one star and all the beauty of creatures if it were joined would appear ugliness in comparison with his nothing else being comparable to it in all creation the excellence of these gifts in the resurrection were far beyond the glory of his transfiguration or that manifested on other occasions of the kind mentioned in this history for on these occasions he received it transitorily and for special purposes while now he received it in plentitude and forever through impossibility his body became invincible to all created power since no power can ever move or change him by subtlety the gross and earthly matter was so purified that it could now penetrate other matter like a pure spirit accordingly he penetrated through the rocks of the sepulchre without removing or displacing them just as he had issued forth from the womb of his most blessed mother agility so freed him from the weight and slowness of matter that it exceeded the agility of the immaterial angels while he himself could move about more quickly than they as shown in his apparitions to the apostles and on other occasions the sacred wounds which had disfigured his body now shown forth from his hands and feet and side so refulgent and brilliant that they added a most entrancing beauty and charm in all this glory and heavenly adornment the savior now arose from the grave and in the presence of the saints and patriarchs he promised universal resurrection in their own flesh and body to all men and that they moreover as an effect of his own resurrection should be similarly glorified as an earnest and as a pledge of the universal resurrection the lord commanded the souls of many saints there present to reunite with their bodies and rise up to immortal life immediately this divine command was executed and their bodies arose as is mentioned by saint Matthew in anticipation of this mystery Matthew chapter 27 verse 52 among them was Saint Ann Saint Joseph and Saint Joachim and others of the ancient fathers and patriarchs who had distinguished themselves in the faith and hope of the incarnation and had desired and prayed for it with greater earnestness to the lord as a reward for their zeal the resurrection and glory of their bodies was now anticipated oh how powerful and wonderful how victorious and strong appeared even now this lion of Judah the son of David none ever woke from sleep so quickly as Christ from death Psalm 3 verse 4 at his imperious voice the dry and scattered bones of the ancient dead were joined together and the flesh which had long ago turned to dust was united to the bones renewed their former life and adorned by the gifts of glory communicated to it by the life restoring soul in one instant all these saints gathered around their savior more refulgent and brilliant than the sun pure transparent beauty is an agile fit to follow him everywhere and by their own good fortune they now confirm the prophecy of Job that in their own flesh and with their own eyes and not with those of others we shall see our redeemer for our consolation Job chapter 19 verse 26 of all these mysteries the great queen of heaven was aware as she participated in them from her retreat in the cynical in the same instant in which the most holy soul of Christ entered and gave life to his body the joy of her immaculate soul which I mentioned in the foregoing chapter as being restrained and as it were withheld overflowed into her immaculate body and this overflow was so exquisite in its effects that she was transformed from sorrow to joy from pain to delight from grief to ineffable jubilation and rest it happened that just at this time the evangelist John as he had done on the previous morning stepped in to visit her and console her in her bitter solitude and thus unexpectedly in the midst of splendor and glory met her whom he had before scarcely recognized on account of her overwhelming sorrow the apostle now beheld her with wonder and deepest reverence and concluded that the lord had risen since his blessed mother was thus transfigured with joy in this new joy and under the divine influences of her supernatural vision the great lady began to prepare herself for the visit of the lord which was near at hand while eliciting acts of praise and in her canticles and prayers she immediately felt within her a new kind of jubilation and celestial delight reaching far beyond the first joy and corresponding in a wonderful manner to the sorrows and tribulations she had undergone in the passion and this new favor was different and much more exalted than the joys overflowing naturally from her soul into her body moreover she perceived within herself another third and still more different effect implying new divine favors namely she felt infused into her being the heavenly light heralding the advent of beatific vision which I will not explain here since I have discounted on it in the first part I merely add here that the queen on this occasion received these divine influences more abundantly and in a more exalted degree for now the passion of Christ had gone before and she had acquired the merits of this passion hence the consolations from the hands of her divine son corresponded to the multitude of her sorrows the blessed Mary being thus prepared Christ our savior a risen and glorious in the company of all the saints and patriarchs made his appearance the ever humble queen prostrated herself upon the ground and adored her divine son and the Lord raised her up and drew her to himself in this contact which was more intimate than the contact with the humanity and the wounds of the savior sought by Magdalene the virgin mother participated in an extraordinary favor which she alone as exempt from sin could merit although it was not the greatest of the favors she attained on this occasion yet she could not have received it without failing of her faculties if she had not been previously strengthened by the angels and by the Lord himself this favor was that the glorious body of the son so closely united itself to that of his purest mother that he penetrated into it or she into his as when for instance a crystal globe takes up within itself the light of the sun and is saturated with the splendor and beauty of its light in the same way the body of the most holy Mary entered into that of her divine son by this heavenly embrace it was as it were the portal of her intimate knowledge concerning the glory of the most holy soul and body of her Lord as a consequence of these favors constituting higher and higher degrees of ineffable gifts the spirit of the virgin mother rose to the knowledge of the most hidden sacraments in the midst of them she heard a voice saying to her my beloved ascend higher Luke chapter 18 verse 10 by the power of these words she was entirely transformed and saw the divinity clearly and intuitively wherein she found complete though only temporary rest and reward for all her sorrows and labors silence alone here is proper since reason and language are entirely inadequate to comprehend or express what passed in the blessed Mary during this beatific vision the highest she had until then enjoyed let us celebrate this day in wonder and praise with congratulations and loving and humble thanks for what she then merited for us and for her exultation and joy for some hours the heavenly princess continued to enjoy the essence of God with her divine son participating now in his triumph as she had in his torments then by similar degrees she again descended from this vision and found herself in the end reclining on the right arm of the most sacred humanity and regaled in other ways by the right hand of his divinity canticles chapter 2 verse 6 she held sweetest converse with her son concerning the mysteries of his passion and of his glory in these conferences she was again inebriated with the wine of love and charity which she now drank unmeasured from the original fount all that a mere creature can receive was conferred upon the blessed Mary on this occasion for according to our way of conceiving such things the divine equity wish to compensate the injury thus I must call it because I cannot find a more proper word which a creature so pure and immaculate had undergone in suffering the sorrows and torments of the passion for as I have said many times before she suffered the same pains as her son and now in this mystery she was inundated with a proportionate joy and delight then still remaining in her exalted state the great lady turned to the holy patriarchs and all the just recognizing them and speaking to each in succession praising the almighty in his liberal mercy to each one of them she was filled with a special delight in speaking to her parents Saint Joachim and Anne with her spouse Saint Joseph with Saint John the Baptist and with them she conversed more particularly than with the patriarchs and prophets and with the first parents Adam and Eve all of them prostrated themselves before the heavenly lady acknowledging her as the mother of the redeemer of the world as the cause of their rescue and the co-attetrics of their redemption the divine wisdom impelled them thus to venerate and honor her but the queen of all virtues and the mistress of humility prostrated herself on the ground and reverence the saints according to their due this the Lord permitted because the saints although they were inferior in grace were superior in their state of blessedness endowed with imperishable and eternal glory while the mother of grace was yet immortal life and a pilgrim and had not as yet assumed the state of fruition the presence of Christ our savior continued during all the conference of Mary with the holy fathers the most blessed Mary invited all the angels and saints their present to praise the victor over death sin and hell where upon all saying new songs songs hymns of glory and magnificence until the hour arrived when the risen savior was to appear in other places as I shall relate in the following chapter instruction which the great lady most holy Mary gave me my daughter rejoice in thy very anxiety of not being able to explain in words what thy interior faculties perceive concerning the exalted mysteries recorded in thy writing to acknowledge oneself conquered by such sovereign sacraments as these must be looked upon as a victory for creatures and as redounding to the glory of God and in mortal flesh still more so I felt the pains of my divine son and although I did not lose my life I endured the agonies of death mysteriously therefore I experienced in myself also this wonderful and mystical resurrection to a most exalted state of grace and activity the essence of God is infinite and although the creature can participate in it so highly yet there remains much to understand love and enjoy in order that now thou mayest by the help of thy understanding trace something of the glory of Christ my son of my own and of the saints I wish to give these some rules by which thou can't pass on from the consideration of the gifts of the glorified body to those of the soul thou already know us that the gifts of the soul our vision comprehension and fruition while thou has already mentioned those of the body as being clearness impassibility subtlety and agility each of these gifts are correspondingly augmented in him who in the state of grace performs the least meritorious work even if it be no more than removing a straw or giving a cup of water for the love of God Matthew chapter 10 verse 42 for each of the most insignificant works the creature gains an increase of these gifts an increase of clearness exceeding many times the sunlight and added to its state of blessedness an increase of impassibility by which man receives from human and earthly corruption farther than what all created efforts and strength could ever effect in resisting or separating itself from such infirmity or changefulness an increase of subtlety by which he advances beyond all that could offer it resistance and gains new power of penetration an increase of agility surpassing all the activity of birds of winds and all other active creatures such as fire and the elements tending to their center from this increase of the gifts of the body merited by good works thou wilt understand the augmentation of the gifts of the soul for those of the body are derived from those of the soul and correspond with them in the beatific vision each merit secures greater clearness and insight into the divine attributes and perfections than that acquired by all the doctors and enlightened members of the church likewise the gift of apprehension or possession of the divine object is augmented for the security of the possession of the highest and infinite good makes the tranquility and rest of its enjoyment more estimable than if the soul possessed all that is precious and rich desirable and worthy of attainment in all creation even if possessed all at one time fruition the third gift of the soul on account of the love with which man performs the smallest acts so exalts the degrees of fruitional love that the greatest love of men here on earth can never be compared there to nor can the delight resulting there from ever be compared with all the delights of this mortal life elevate therefore now thy thoughts my daughter and from these wonderful rewards gained by one little deed done for God consider what shall be the lot of the saints who for the love of God have performed such heroic and magnificent works and have suffered such cruel torments and martyrdom as are known in the church of Christ and if these things happen in mere men subject to faults and imperfections that retard merit imagine as far as thou canst the exaltation of my divine son then thou wilt feel how limited is human capacity especially in mortal life to comprehend worthily this mystery and to conceive in a becoming manner such greatness the most holy soul of our Lord was united substantially to the divinity and on account of this hypostatic union the ocean of his divinity necessarily communicated itself to his divine and human personality be atifying it as participating in the very essence of God in an ineffable manner although his glory depended not on merits since it was given to him as consequent upon the hypostatic union from the first instant of his conception in my womb yet the works of the 33 years of his life his being born in poverty living in labor loving as a pilgrim operating in all the virtues redeeming the human race founding the church and the doctrines of the faith all this demanded that the glory of his body be measured by that of his soul and therefore his greatness is ineffable and immense to be manifested only in eternal life in connection with the magnificent exaltation of my divine son the right hand of the Almighty wrought also in me effects proportionate to a mere creature and in them I forgot all the tribulations and sorrows of the passion similar was the lot of the fathers of limbo and the other saints when they received their rewards I forgot the bitterness and labors I had suffered for the great joy drove out pain though I never lost from view what my son had suffered for the human race and of chapter 26