 Book 2, Chapter 27, of the mystical city of God, Volume 3, by the venerable sister Mary of Jesus, of a Greta. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Book 2, Chapter 27, some apparitions of Christ our Savior, to the Marys and to the Apostles, the Prudence of the Queen in listening to their reports concerning these apparitions of the Lord. After Jesus our Savior, arisen and glorified, had visited and filled with glory his most blessed Mother, he resolved, as the loving Father and Pastor, to gather the sheep of his flock, which the scandal of his sufferings had disturbed and scattered. The holy patriarchs and all whom he had rescued from Limbo, continually remained in his company, although they did not manifest themselves, and remained invisible during his apparitions. Only our great Queen was privileged to see them, know them and speak to them, all during the time intervening, between the resurrection and the ascension of her Divine Son. Whenever the Lord did not appear to others, he remained with his beloved Mother in the Seneca, nor did she ever leave this place during all the forty days. There she enjoyed the presence of the Redeemer of the world, and of the Choir of Prophets and Saints, by whom the King and Queen were attended. For the purpose of making his resurrection known to his apostles, he began by showing himself to the women, not on account of their weakness, but because they were stronger in their belief and in their hope of the resurrection, for this is the reason why they merited the privilege of being the first to see him arisen. The Evangelist Mark, Mark Chapter 15, Verse 47 mentions the special notice which Mary Magdalene and Mary Joseph took of the place where they had seen the body of Jesus deposited. Accordingly they, with other holy women, went forth on the evening of the Sabbath, from the Seneca to the city, and brought additional ointments and spices, in order to return early the following morning to the sepulchre, and show their veneration by visiting and anointing the holy body once more. On the Sunday, entirely ignorant of the graves having been sealed, and placed under guard by order of Pilate. Matthew Chapter 27, Verse 65 They arose before dawn in order to execute their pious design. On their way they thought only of the difficulty of removing the large stone, which they now remembered, had been rolled before the opening of the sepulchre, but their love made light of this hindrance, though they did not know how to remove it. When they came forth from the house of the Seneca, it was yet dark, but before they arrived at the sepulchre, the sun had already dawned and risen, for on that day the three hours of darkness which had intervened at the death of the Saviour were compensated by an early sunrise. This miracle will harmonize the statements of St. Mark and of St. John, of whom the one says that the Marys came after sunrise, and the other that it was yet dark. Mark Chapter 16, Verse 2 John Chapter 20, Verse 1 For both speak truly, that they went forth very early and before dawn, and that the sun, by its more sudden and accelerated flight, had already risen at their arrival at the grave, though they tarried not on the short way. The sepulchre was in an arched vault, as in a cave, the entrance to which was covered by a large stone slab. Within, somewhat to one side, and raised from the ground, was the hollow slab wherein the body of the Saviour rested. A little before the Marys thought and spoke of the difficulty of removing the stone, a violent and wonderful quaking or trembling of the earth took place. At the same time, an angel of the Lord opened the sepulchre and cast aside the stone that covered and obstructed the entrance. Matthew Chapter 28, Verse 2 At this noise and the earthquake, the guards of the sepulchre fell prostrate to the earth, struck motionless with fear and consternation, although they did not see the Lord. For the body of the Lord was no more in the grave. He had already arisen and issued from the monument, before the angel cast aside the stone. The Marys, though in some fear, took heart and were encouraged by God to approach and enter the vault. Near the entrance they saw the angel, who had thrown aside the stone, seated upon it, refulgent in countenance and in snow-white garments. Mark Chapter 16, Verse 5 He spoke to them, saying, Be not affrighted, you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen, he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. The holy women entered, and seeing the sepulchre vacant, they were filled with grief. For as yet they were more deeply affected at seeing the Lord absent than by the words of the angel. Then they saw two other angels, seated at each end of the slab, who said to them, Why seek you the living with the dead? Remember how he spoke unto you, when he was yet in Galilee. Luke Chapter 26, Verses 4 and 5 That he was to rise on the third day. Let go, tell his disciples and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee, there shall you see him. Mark Chapter 16, Verse 7 Being thus reminded by the angels, the Marys remembered what their Divine Master had said. Assured of his resurrection, they hastened away from the sepulchre and gave an account to the eleven apostles and other followers of the Lord. But many of these were so shaken in their faith and so forgetful of the words of their Master and Redeemer that they thought this story of the holy women a mere hallucination. Luke Chapter 24, Verse 11 While the holy women, full of trembling and joy, related to the apostles what they had seen, the sentinels at the grave awoke from their super and regained the use of their senses. As they saw the sepulchre open and emptied of the sacred body, they fled to give notice of the event to the princes and priests. Matthew Chapter 11, Verse 14 These were cast into great consternation and called a meeting in order to determine what they could do in order to palliate the miracle, which was so patent that it could not remain hidden. They concluded to offer to the soldiers much money to induce them to say that during their sleep the disciples of Jesus had come and stolen the body from the grave. The priests, having assured the guards of immunity and protection, spread this lie among the Jews. Many were so foolish as to believe it, and there are some in our own day who are obstinate and blind enough to give it credit, and who prefer to accept the testimony of witnesses, who acknowledge that they were asleep during the time of which they testify. Although the disciples and apostles considered the tale of the Mary's mere preposterous talk, St. Peter and St. John, desirous of convincing themselves, with their own eyes, departed in all haste to the sepulchre closely followed by the holy women. John Chapter 20, Verse 3 St. John arrived first, and without entering, saw the winding sheets laid to one side. He waited for the arrival of St. Peter, who, passing the other apostle, entered first. Both of them saw that the sacred body was not in the tomb. St. John then was assured of what he had begun to believe, when he had seen the great change in the Queen of Heaven, as I have related in the foregoing chapter, and he then professed his belief. The two apostles returned to give an account of the wonder they had seen in the sepulchre. The Mary's remained in a place, apart from the sepulchre, and wonderingly commented on the events. Mary Magdalene, in great excitement and tears, re-entered the sepulchre to reconnoitre. Although the apostles had not seen the angels, she saw them and they asked her, Woman, why dost thou weep? John Chapter 20, Verse 5 She answered, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. With this answer she left the garden where the sepulchre was, and met the Lord. She did not know him, but thought it was the gardener, and the Lord also asked her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom dost thou seek? Magdalene, ignorant of his being the Lord, answered him as if he were the gardener, and without further reflection said, Sir, if thou hast taken him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Then the loving master said, Mary, and in pronouncing her name he permitted himself to be recognized by the tone of his voice. As soon as Magdalene recognized Jesus, she was aflame with joyous love, and answered, saying, Riboni, my master! Throwing herself at his feet she was about to touch and kiss them, as being used to that favor, but the Lord prevented her and said, Do not touch me, for I am not yet ascended to my father, whence I came, but return until my brethren, the apostles, that I am going to my father and theirs. Then Magdalene left, filled with consolation and jubilee. Shortly she met the other Mary's. Seriously had they heard what had happened to her, and how she had seen Jesus arisen from the grave, and while they were yet standing together, conferring with each other in wonder and tears of joy, he appeared to them and said, God save you. They all recognized him, and as St. Matthew tells us, they worshiped his sacred feet. The Lord again commanded them to go to the apostles and tell them that they had seen him, and that they should go to Galilee, where they should see him arisen. Matthew chapter 22 verse 9 Jesus then disappeared, and the holy women hastened to the Sennacle, to tell the apostles all that had happened to them, but the apostles continued to hesitate in their belief. Luke chapter 24 verse 11 Then the women sought the Queen of Heaven in order to tell her of the events. Although Mary knew all that had happened, by intellectual vision, she listened to them with admirable tenderness and prudence. While listening to the Mary's, she took occasion to confirm their faith in the mysteries and high sacraments of the incarnation and in the passages of holy scriptures pertaining thereto, but the heavenly Queen did not tell them what had happened, although she was the teacher of these faithful and devout disciples, just as the Lord was the teacher of the apostles in holy faith. The evangelists do not state when the Lord appeared to St. Peter, although St. Luke supposes it, but it was after he had appeared to the women. He appeared to him in private as the head of the church and before he appeared to all the apostles together or to any one of them. This happened on that same day after the holy women had informed him of his apparition to them. Soon after also happened the apparition of the Lord to the two disciples going that afternoon to Emmaus, which is related minutely by St. Luke. Luke chapter 24 verse 13. This town is 60 stadia from Jerusalem, four Palestinian miles and about two Spanish leagues. The one of them was called Cleopas and the other one was St. Luke himself. It took place in the following manner. The two disciples left Jerusalem after they had heard the reports of the women. On the way they continued to converse about the events of the passion, the holiness of their master, and the cruelty of the Jews. They wondered that the Almighty should permit so holy and innocent a man to suffer such wrongs and torments. The one said, When was ever such meekness and gentleness seen? And the other coincided, saying, Whoever saw or heard of such patience, without a word of complaint, or the least sign of perturbation, in outward appearance or bearing. His doctrine was holy, his life blameless, his words those of eternal life, his doings for the welfare of all. What then could the priests see in him to warrant such hatred? The other answered. Truly he was wonderful in all respects, and no one can deny that he was a great prophet. He performed many miracles, gave sight to the blind, health to the sick, life to the dead, and conferred wonderful benefits upon all, but he said he would rise on the third day after his death, which is today, and this we do not see fulfilled. The other one replied. He also said that he would be crucified, and it was fulfilled to the Word. In the midst of this and similar conversation, Jesus appeared to them in the habit of a pilgrim, and as one who happened to meet them on the way, he saluted them and said, Of what do you speak, for it seems to me you are sad? Cleophas answered. Are thou the only stranger in Jerusalem, that thou dost not know what has happened during these days in the city? The Lord said. What has happened then? To which the disciple replied. Does thou not know what the princes and priests have done to Jesus of Nazareth, a man wholly and powerful in words and deeds, who they condemned and crucified? We had hopes that he would redeem Israel by rising from the dead. Now the third day has already come, and we do not know what has happened. Some of the women of our party have terrified us, since they went early this morning to the sepulchre and did not find the body. They maintained that they saw some angels, who told them that he had risen, then some of our associates went to the grave and found true what the women had said, We are going to Emmaos, in order to await the drift of these events. Then the Lord answered. Oh foolish and slow of heart to believe, since you do not understand, that it must be so, that Christ suffered all these pains and so frightful a death, in order to enter into his glory. Following up these mysteries, the Divine Master then explained to them, his life and death for the redemption of the human race. He interpreted to them, different types of holy scripture, of the Lamb which Moses commanded, to be slain and eaten, after the thresholds should have been marked with its blood. Exodus chapter 12 verse 7. The death of the high priest Aaron Numbers chapter 20 verse 23. The death of Samson through the Amores of his spouse Delilah. Judges chapter 16 verse 30. Many Psalms of David pointing out the wicked council, the crucifixion and the division of his garments. Psalm 21 verse 17 and 19, Psalm 15 verse 10. And that his body shall not see corruption, what is said in wisdom. Wisdom chapter 2 verse 20. And more clearly in Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 53 verse 2. And Jeremiah's chapter 11 verse 19. Concerning his passion. Namely that he should appear as a leper and a man of sorrows, that he should be born to slaughter like a lamb, without opening his mouth. And in Zacharias, who saw him pierced with many wounds, and many other passages of the holy prophets, which clearly manifest the mysteries of his life and death. By the fervor of these arguments, the disciples were gradually encendled with love, and enlightened in faith, which they had permitted to be obscured. And when they were already near to the castle of Emmaus, the divine master gave them to understand that he was to pass on in his journey. But they eagerly begged him to stay with them, as it was getting late in the evening. The Lord yielded, and invited by the disciples, sat down to supper with them, according to the manner of the Jews. The Lord took the bread, blessing it, and breaking it as usual. He imparted to them, with it, the certainty that he was their redeemer and master. They knew him because he opened the eyes of their souls. In the same instant, he disappeared from their bodily eyes, and they saw him no more. But they were left in a state of wonder and full of joy, conferring with each other about the ardors of charity they had felt on the way, when he had conversed with them and explained to them the scriptures. Without delay they returned to Jerusalem. Luke 24 verse 33 Although night had already set in, they went to the house where the rest of the apostles had secreted themselves for fear of the Jews, and they found them discussing the news of the risen Savior and how he had already appeared to Peter. To this the two disciples added all that had happened to them on the way to Emmaus, and how they had recognized the Savior at the breaking of the bread in the castle of Emmaus. At this meeting was present also Saint Thomas, who, although hearing the arguments of the apostles and the testimony of Saint Peter, asserting that he had seen the Master risen, refused credit to the three disciples and the women, persevering in doubt and unbelief. In a somewhat hasty manner, caused by his incredulity, he left their company. Shortly after, when Thomas had left and the doors had been locked, the Lord entered and appeared to the others. In their midst he saluted them, saying, Peace be with you, it is I do not fear. At this sudden apparition, the apostles feared, lest what they saw was a ghost or phantasm, and the Lord added, Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? See my hands and feet, that it is I myself, handle and see, for a spirit hath no flesh and bones as you see me have. The apostles were so excited and confused that though they saw him and touched the wounded hands of the Savior, they could not realize that it was he to whom they spoke and whom they touched. The loving Master, in order to assure them still more, said to them, Give me to eat, if you have ought. Joyfully they offered him some dried fish and a comb of honey. He ate part of these and divided the rest among them, saying, Do you not know that all that has happened with me is the same that has been written by Moses and the prophets in the Psalms and holy scriptures, and that all must necessarily be fulfilled in me, as it was prophesied? And at these words he opened their minds and they knew him and understood the sayings of the scriptures concerning his passion, death and resurrection on the third day. Having thus instructed them, he said again, Peace be with you. As the Father hath sent me, so I send you, in order that you may teach the world the knowledge of the truth, of God and of eternal life, preaching repentance for sins and forgiveness of them in my name. Breathing upon them he added and said, Receive ye the holy ghost, in order that the sins which you forgive may be forgiven and those which you do not forgive may not be forgiven. Preach ye to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. Then the Savior, having thus consoled and confirmed them in faith, and having given them and all priests the power to forgive sins, disappeared from their midst. All this took place in the absence of Thomas, but soon after, the Lord so disposing, he returned to the assembly and the apostles told him what had happened during his absence. Yet though he found them so changed in joyful exultation, he remained incredulous and obstinate, maintaining that he would not believe what all of them affirmed unless he himself should see with his own eyes and touch with his own hands and fingers the wounds of the Savior's side and those of the nails. John chapter 20 verse 25. In this obstinacy the incredulous Thomas persevered for eight days when the Savior again returned through locked doors and appeared in the midst of the apostles, including Thomas. He saluted them as usual, saying, Peace be with you. And then calling Thomas, he sweetly reprimanded him. Come, Thomas, and with your hands touch the openings of my hands and of my side and be not so incredulous, but convinced and believing. Thomas touched the divine wounds and was interiorly enlightened to believe and to acknowledge his ignorance, prostrating himself to the ground, he said, My Lord and my God! To which the Lord replied, Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed, but blessed are those who do not see me and believe me. The Lord then disappeared, leaving the apostles and Thomas filled with light and joy. They immediately sought most holy Mary in order to relate to her what had happened just as they had done after the first apparition of the Lord. The apostles were at that time not yet able to comprehend the great wisdom of the Queen of Heaven and Earth, and much less to understand the knowledge she had of all that happened to them and of all the works of her Divine Son. He therefore listened to them with highest prudence and with the loving sweetness of a mother and queen. After the first apparition, some of the apostles told her of the obstinacy of Thomas and that he would not believe their unanimous testimony concerning the resurrection of the Master. During the eight days in which his incredulity continued, the indignation of some of the apostles against him grew more intense. They went to the heavenly lady and accused him before her of being an obstinate and stubborn transgressor, a man too dull to be enlightened. The loving princess listened to them sweetly and seeing that the anger of the apostles, who were as yet all imperfect, was still increasing. She spoke to those most indignant and quieted them by arguing that the judgments of the Lord were deeply hidden and that the incredulity of Thomas would occasion great benefit to others and glory to God, that they should wait and hope and not be disturbed so easily. The heavenly mother offered up most fervent prayers and petitions for Thomas and on that account the Lord hastened the cure of the incredulous apostle. When he yielded and all of them brought the news to Mary, their mistress and lady, she confirmed them in their faith, at the same time admonishing and correcting them. She told them to give thanks to the Most High for this blessing and to be constant in temptation since all were subject to the danger of falling. Many other sweet words of correction, instruction and warning did she add, preparing them for what was yet to be done in the establishment of the new church. There were other apparitions and doings of the Lord, as the evangelist Saint John gives us to understand, but only those are mentioned, which suffice to establish the fact of the resurrection. The same evangelist describes the apparition of the Lord at the sea of Tiberius to Saint Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples, which, as it is so mysterious, I thought I ought not pass over unmentioned in this chapter. The apparition happened in the following manner. The apostles, after the above events in Jerusalem, betook themselves to Galilee, for the Lord had so commanded them and had promised that they should there see him. Saint Peter, happening to be with the seven apostles and disciples on the shores of that sea, proposed that they pass the time in fishing as that was his trade. All of them accompanied him and they spent the night in casting out their nets, but they caught not a single fish. In the morning our Saviour Jesus appeared on the bank without making himself known. He was near the boat, on which they were fishing, and he asked them, Have you something to eat? They answered, We have nothing. The Lord replied, Throw out your net on the right side and you shall make a catch. They complied and their net became so full that they could not lift it into the boat. This miracle caused Saint John to recognize the Lord Christ and going nearer to Saint Peter, he said, It is the Lord who speaks to us from the bank. When Saint Peter likewise recognized Jesus, and immediately seized with his accustomed fervor, he histically girded himself with the tunic, which he had laid off, and cast himself into the sea, walking on the waters to the master of life, while the others followed in their boat. They sprang ashore and found that the Lord had already prepared for them a meal, for they saw a fire, and upon its glimmering ashes, bread and a fish, the Lord however told them to bring some of those they had caught. Saint Peter then drew out the catch and found that they had secured 153 fishes, and that even with that great number, the net had not been torn. The Lord commanded them to eat. Although he was so familiar and affable in his behavior to them, no one ventured to ask who he was, for the miracles and the majesty of the Lord filled them with great reverence. He divided among them the fish and the bread. As soon as they had finished eating, he turned to Saint Peter and said to him, Simon, son of John, does thou love me more than these do? Saint Peter answered him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. The Lord replied, Feed my lambs. Immediately he asked him again, Simon, son of John, does thou love me? Saint Peter gave the same answer, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. And the Lord put the same question the third time, Simon, son of John, loveest thou me? At this third repetition Peter grieved and answered, Lord, thou knowest all things and also that I love thee. Christ our Savior then answered the third time, Feed my sheep. By these words he made Peter the sole head of his only and universal church, giving him the supreme vicarious authority over all men. On this account he had questioned him so often concerning his love as if that alone could make him capable of the supreme dignity and of itself suffice for its worthy exercise. Then the Lord intimated to him the duties of the office he had given him and said, Truly I assure thee that when thou art old thou shall not gird thyself as now, nor shall thou go where thou listest, for another shall gird thee and lead thee where thou wouldest not. Saint Peter understood that the Lord held in store for him the death of the cross in which he was to imitate and follow his Lord, but as Saint John was so beloved Peter was desirous of knowing what would become of him and ask the Savior. And what shall thou do with this one so beloved by thee? The Lord answered, What is it to thee to know this? If I desire that he remain thus until I come again to the world it will be in my hands, follow thou me and do not concern thyself with what I desire to do with him. On account of these words a report was spread among the Apostles that John was not to die, but the evangelist himself remarks that Christ had not said positively he should not die, as is plain from the words, but he seems to have expressly desired to conceal his will concerning the death of the evangelist, serving this secret to himself at that time. The Most Holy Mary, by her clear intuition, so often mentioned, had a full intelligence of all these mysteries and apparitions of the Lord. Being the archive of the works of the Lord and the treasure house of the mysteries of his church, she preserved and conferred them within her own most prudent and chaste heart. The Apostles, and especially her new son John, informed her of all that happened to them. The great lady persevered in her retirement for the 40 days after the resurrection, and there enjoyed the sight of her divine son and of the angels and saints. They, in turn, sang hymns to the Lord, which she composed, and the angels, as it were, gathered them from her mouth, celebrating the glories and the virtues of the Lord. Instruction which the Queen, Most Holy Mary, gave me. My daughter, the instruction which I shall give thee in this chapter, shall be also an answer to thy desire of knowing, why my divine son appeared at one time as a gardener, at another as a stranger, and why he did not always make himself known at first sight. Know then, my dearest, that the Marys and the Apostles, although they were followers of Christ and at that time privileged and perfect in comparison with the rest of men, yet they had with all arrived only at a low degree of perfection and holiness and not far enough advanced in the school of their master. They were weak in faith and in other virtues. They were less constant and fervent than was due to their vocation and to the graces they had received. The little faults and souls, favored and chosen for the friendship and familiar intercourse with God, weigh more in the scales of his most righteous equity than some great ones in other souls not selected for these privileges. Hence, although the Apostles and the Marys were friends of the Savior, yet on account of their faults and their weaknesses, their lukewarm and faltering love, they were not prepared for the immediate effects of the full knowledge and presence of their master. In this paternal love he therefore created in them the proper dispositions by enlightening them and encendling them with words of eternal life before he manifested himself to them. When their hearts have been thus prepared by faith and love, he made known and communicated to them the abundance of his divinity, together with other admirable gifts and graces by which they were renewed and raised above themselves. When they had enjoyed his favors, he again disappeared in order that they might desire so much the more earnestly the sweetness of his communications and intercourse. This was the secret of his appearing in disguise to Magdalen, to the Apostles and to the disciples at Emeos, the same course he pursues respectively with many other souls, whom he chooses for intimate converse and communication. By the consideration of these admirable tactics of divine providence thou wilt be instructed and reprehended for the doubts in incredulity with which thou hast so often met the divine blessings and favors of my Son. Thou wilt learn that it is time thou moderate thy constant fears lest thou pass from doubt to obstinacy and to slowness of heart in giving thanks. Thou wilt also draw a very useful lesson if thou worthily contemplate how quickly the immense charity of the most high responds to those who are contrite and humble of heart. Psalm 33 verse 19 And how ready he is immediately to assist those who seek him in love who meditate and speak of his passion and death. Psalm 6 verse 13 All this thou see as well exemplified in St. Peter, Mary Magdalene and in the disciples, imitate then, my dearest, the fervor of Magdalene in search for her master, who did not permit herself to be diverted even by the angels or leave the sepulcher with the others, or rest until she found him so full of sweetness and kindness. This she also earned by having accompanied me through all the passion, with an ardent and unfaltering heart. Similar was also the conduct of the other Marys, who thus merited before so many others the joys of the resurrection. Next to them, the humility and contrition of St. Peter in bewailing his denial secured the same reward. Immediately the Lord bent down to console him, and commissioned the women to tell especially him of his resurrection, and shortly after, he visited him, confirmed him in faith, and filled him with joy and the gifts of grace. Then before appearing to others, he showed himself to the two disciples, because, although in doubt, they were conversing regretfully of his death. I assure thee, my daughter, that none of the works of men, done with a good intention and righteous heart, shall remain without an immediate reward, for neither fire will, in its greatest intensity, so quickly consume the dryest toe, nor will a stone, freed from hindrance, so quickly fall to its center, nor the waves of the sea rush on with so great an impulse and force, as the goodness of the Most High and His Grace to those souls, who are well disposed and have cleared away the hindrances of sin. This is a truth which causes the greatest wonder in saints, who are made aware of it in heaven. This is Him for this goodness, and also for His drawing vast good out of evil, as He did out of the incredulity of the Apostles. For through it He manifested His mercy to them, and has made His resurrection plain to all men, and evident His kindness in pardoning the Apostles. He showed His willingness to forget their faults, His readiness to seek them and appear to them, dealing humanely with them as a Father, enlightening them and instructing them, according to their needs and the weakness of their faith. End of chapter 27 Book 2 chapter 28 of the mystical city of God, volume 3, by the venerable sister Mary of Jesus, of a Greta. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Book 2 chapter 28. Some hidden and divine mysteries in the life of Mary, during the days after the resurrection of the Lord, she receives the title of Mother and Queen of the Church, the apparition of Christ, before and in preparation for the ascension. During the whole course of this history, the abundance and vastness of its mysteries have made me feel destitute of proper words. Vast is that which is offered to the understanding in the Divine Light, and insignificant what can be expressed in language. On account of this inequality and defect arising from the fecundity of the intellect and the sterility of words, my faculties have suffered a great strain. For the want of correspondence between the results of the spoken word and the conception of the mind continually causes a mistrust and dissatisfaction with the words. As falling short of the meaning, and as making me hopelessly incapable of correcting the deficiency or filling up, the discrepancy between the things said and those perceived, I find myself in this state just now, when I am to describe what has been made known to me concerning the hidden mysteries and exalted sacraments of the life of Mary during the forty days after the resurrection of her son and our Redeemer, until the time he ascended into heaven. The state in which the divine power placed her after the passion and resurrection was new and more exalted, her operations were more mysterious, the favors conferred upon her were proportionate to her eminent holiness and to the will of him who wrought them. For according to this rule he proceeded, if I were obliged to describe all that has been manifested to me, it would be necessary to extend this history into many large volumes. From what I shall say, something can be gathered concerning these most divine mysteries for the glory of that great queen and lady. It has already been said at the beginning of the last chapter that during the forty days after the resurrection the Lord remained in the Seneca and in the company of his most holy mother whenever he was not absent in appearing to some of his chosen friends. All the rest of the time he spent in her presence. Anyone can prudently conjecture that all this time in which these two sovereigns of the world were together they spent in works altogether divine and above all the conceptions of the human mind. What has been made known to me of these works is ineffable. For often they would engage in sweetest colloquy of inscrutable wisdom and this conversation was for the loving mother a joy which though inferior to the beatific vision was consoling and delightful beyond all that is imaginable. At other times the great queen, the patriarchs and saints who there assisted in their glorified state occupied themselves in the praise and exultation of the most high. Mary had a deep knowledge of all the works and merits of the saints, of the blessings, favors and gifts each one had received from the omnipotent, of the mysteries, figures and prophecies which had gone before in the ancient patriarchs. All this she was mistress of and it was present to her mind in contemplation more completely than the Hail Mary is known to us for recitation. The exalted lady considered all the great motives of these saints for praising and blessing the author of all good, though they enjoying the beatific vision fulfilled and are fulfilling this duty without cessation yet in their conversations and intercourse with the heavenly princess, they were constantly urged by her to magnify and praise the divine majesty for all these blessings and operations so evident to the eyes of her soul. All this sacred choir of the saints joined with their queen and began to engage in these divine exercises according to a stated order, so that all of them formed a choir in which each one of the blessed recited a verse while the mother of wisdom answered with another. In their frequent exercise of these sweet alternating songs, the great lady by herself produced as many hymns and canticles of praise as all the saints and angels together, for also the angels entered into this competition of new songs, admirable to them and to all the blessed. For the wise worship of God, practiced by the heavenly princess in this life, exceeded that of all other creatures, including those who already enjoyed the beatific vision. All that the blessed Mary did during these days is beyond the capacity and estimation of men, but her exalted thoughts and motives were prudently measured by her most faithful love, for knowing that her divine son, tarried in this world, fully in order to assist and console her, she resolved to compensate him as far as it was possible. Therefore she did all in her power to provide for the Lord the same praises and honors as the saints furnish him in heaven. By concurring in these praises herself, she at once raised them to the highest worth and changed the house of the Seneca into a heaven. In such exercises, she consumed the greater part of the forty days, and during that time were composed more canticles and hymns than all the saints and prophets have left for our use. Sometimes this heavenly gathering may use of the Psalms of David or the prophecies of the Scripture, commenting as it were, or expatiating on these so divine and profound mysteries, and the Holy Fathers, who had been the authors of the prophecies when they recognized the gifts and favors of the right hand of God, and the revelations of such numerous and great sacraments, especially to our Queen. Amourable was the delight she drew from her conversation with her Holy Mother, her Father Joachim, Saint Joseph, Saint John the Baptist, and the great Patriarchs. In mortal flesh, no state can be imagined, which approaches so close to the beatific fruition as the one enjoyed at that time by the great Lady and Queen. Another wonder happened during those days, which was that all the souls of the just, who died in grace within those forty days, gathered in the Seneca, and those who had no debt to pay, were there beatified, but those who were subject to purgatory were obliged to wait in the same place without seeing the Lord. Some three, some five days, others again for a shorter or longer period, for the mother of mercy satisfied for their defects by genuflections, prostrations, or some work of satisfaction, but much more by the ardent charity with which she wrought for them, and applied to them the infinite merits of her divine Son. Thus she helped to abbreviate their punishment and the pain of not seeing the Lord, for they suffered no sensible pains, and soon they were beatified and admitted to the choir of the saints, for each one that thus joined their ranks, the great Lady composed new hymns of praise to the Lord. Amidst all these delights and jubilations, the kindest mother with ineffable generosity did not forget the misery and poverty of the children of Eve deprived of this glory, but like a true mother of mercy, turning her eyes upon the condition of mortals, she offered for all of them her most fervent prayers. She besought the Eternal Father, for the spreading of the new law through all the world, the multiplication of the children of the Church, for its defense and protection, and for the extension of the fruits of the redemption to all men. The fulfillment of this petition was regulated by the eternal decrees of the divine wisdom, but as far as the desires and affections of the most loving Queen were concerned, she wished the redemption and eternal life to be extended to the whole human race. Besides these general petitions, she made special ones for the Apostles, and particularly for St. John and St. Peter, for the one as her son, for the other as the head of the Church. She prayed also for Magdalene and the Marys, and all the other faithful then belonging to the Church. Finally she prayed for the exaltation of the Faith and of the name of her Divine Son, Jesus. A few days before the ascension of the Lord, while the Blessed Mary was engaged in one of the above-mentioned exercises, the Eternal Father and the Holy Ghost appeared in the Cynical upon a throne of ineffable splendor, surrounded by the choirs of angels and saints there present, and other heavenly spirits, which had now come with the divine persons. Then the incarnate word ascended the throne, and seated himself with the other two. The ever-humble Mother of the Most High, prostrate in a corner of a room, in deepest reverence, adored the most blessed Trinity, and in it her own incarnate Son. The Eternal Father commanded two of the highest angels to call Mary, which they did by approaching her, and in sweetest voices intimated to her the divine will. She arose from the dust with the most profound humility, modesty, and reverence. Accompanied by the angels, she approached the foot of the throne, humbling herself anew. The Eternal Father said to her, Beloved, ascend higher. Chapter 14 Verse 10 As these words at the same time effected what they signified, she was raised up and placed on the throne of royal majesty with the three divine persons. New admiration was caused in the saints to see a mere creature exalted to such dignity, being made to understand the sanctity and equity of the works of the Most High. They gave new glory and praise, proclaiming him immense, holy, and admirable in all his councils. The Father then spoke to the Blessed Mary, saying, My daughter, to thee do I entrust the church, founded by my only begotten, the new law of grace, he established in the world, and the people which he redeemed, to thee do I consign them all. Thereupon also the Holy Ghost spoke to her. My spouse, chosen from all creatures, I communicate to thee my wisdom and grace, together with which shall be deposited in thy heart, the mysteries, the works and teachings, and all that the incarnate word has accomplished in the world. And the Son also said, My most beloved Mother, I go to my Father, and in my stead I shall leave thee and I charge thee, with the care of my church, to thee do I commend its children and my brethren, as the Father has consigned them to me. Then the three divine persons, addressing the choir of holy angels and the other saints, said, This is the queen of all created things in heaven and earth. She is the protectress of the church, the mistress of creatures, the mother of piety, the intercessor of the faithful, the advocate of sinners, the mother of beautiful love, and holy hope. Ecclesiasticus, chapter 24, verse 24. She is mighty in drawing our will to mercy and clemency. In her shall be deposited the treasures of our grace, and her most faithful heart shall be the tablet, whereon shall be written and engraved our holy law. In her are contained the mysteries of our omnipotence, for the salvation of mankind. She is the perfect work of our hands, through whom the plentitude of our desires shall be communicated and satisfied without hindrance. In the currents of our divine perfections, whoever shall call upon her from his heart shall not perish, whoever shall obtain her intercession shall secure for himself eternal life. What she asks of us shall be granted, and we shall always hear her requests and prayers and fulfill her will, for she has consecrated herself perfectly to what pleases us. The most blessed Mary, hearing herself thus exalted, humiliated herself so much the deeper, the more highly she was praised, by the right hand of the most high, above all the human and angelic creatures. As if she were the least of all, she adored the Lord and offered herself in the most prudent terms and in the most ardent love, to work as a faithful servant in the church and to obey promptly all the biddings of the divine will. From that day on, she took upon herself anew the care of the evangelical church, as a loving mother of all its children. She renewed all the petitions she had until then made, so that during the whole course of her life they were most fervent and incessant, as we shall see in the third part, where will appear more clearly what the church owes to this great queen and lady, and what blessings she gained and merited for it. By the favor now vouchsafed to Mary, and by those conferred upon her later, she was raised to a participation in the being of her son, beyond all possibility of words to explain. For he communicated his attributes and perfections to her, in correspondence to her ministry as instructress and mother of the church, and as supplying his own ministry. He elevated her into a new state of knowledge and power, by means of which nothing was to be hidden from her, either of the divine mysteries or of the inmost secrets of the human heart. She was made to understand and know when and how she was to use this communicated power of the divinity in her dealings with men, with the demons and with all creatures. In short, all that can possibly be conferred upon a mere creature was received, and given over in all its fullness and excellence to our great queen and lady. Of these sacramental operations, Saint John was to a certain extent made aware, in order that he might form an estimate, how much he was to esteem and appreciate the inestimable treasure consigned to his care. From that day on he venerated and served the great lady with new solitude and reverence. Other wonderful favors the most high wrought for Mary in those forty days, and there was none of them in which he did not show forth his beneficent power and holiness toward his mother and his solitude to enrich her more and more before his ascension into heaven. And the preordained time for the return of the eternal wisdom to his father had arrived after having proved his resurrection by many apparitions and by many arguments. As Saint Luke says, Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 1, verse 3, He resolved to appear and manifest himself once more to that whole gathering of apostles and disciples, numbering 120 persons. This apparition took place in the Seneca on the very day of the ascension and in addition to the one mentioned by Saint Mark in the last chapter, Mark, Chapter 16, verse 14. For all this happened on one and the same day. After the sojourn of the apostles in Galilee, whether the Lord had commanded them to go, and where he appeared to them, close to the sea of Tiberius, after they had seen and adored him on the mountain, as mentioned by Mark, and after he had been seen by the 500 according to Saint Paul, the disciples returned to Jerusalem in order to be present according to the wishes of the Lord at his wonderful ascension. While the 11 apostles were reclining at their meal, as is related by Saint Mark and Saint Luke in the Acts, the Lord entered and ate with them, moderating with admirable affability and condescension the splendors of his beauty and glory in order that he might be looked upon by all. Having finished their meal, he spoke to them in earnest, yet sweetly tempered majesty. No ye, my disciples, that my eternal Father has given me all power in heaven and on earth, and I wish to communicate it to you in order that you may establish my new church throughout the whole world. You have been slow and tardy in believing my resurrection, but now it is time that as true and faithful disciples you be the teachers of the faith to all men. Wishing my gospel, as you have heard it from my lips, you shall baptize all that believe, giving them baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son, who am I, and of the Holy Ghost. Those that shall believe and be baptized shall be saved, and those that shall not believe shall be damned. Teach the believers to observe all that concerns my holy law. In confirmation thereof, the faithful shall perform signs and wonders. They shall cast out demons from their habitations. They shall speak new tongues. They shall cure the bites of serpents. If they drink odd poisonousness, it shall not hurt them. And they shall cure the sick by laying on of hands. Such miracles Christ our Savior promised for the foundation of the church, in the preaching of the gospel, and all of them were verified in the first ages of the church, for the propagation of the faith in the rest of the world, and for the preservation of the church, where it exists, he continues the same signs, when and how his providence deems it necessary, for he never will forsake the holy church, his most beloved spouse. On that same day, by divine dispensation, while the Lord was at table with the eleven apostles, other disciples and pious women gathered at the Seneca to the number of one hundred and twenty, for the Divine Master wished them to be present at his ascension. Moreover, just as he had instructed the apostles, so now he wanted to instruct these faithful, respectively, in what each was to know before his leaving them, and ascending into heaven. All of them being thus gathered, and united in peace and charity, within those walls in the hall of the last supper, the author of life manifested himself to them, as a kind and loving father, and said to them, My sweetest children, I am about to ascend to my father, from whose bosom I descended in order to rescue and save men. I lead with you in my stead, my own mother, as your protectress, consular and advocate, and as your mother, whom you are to hear and obey in all things. Just as I have told you, that he who sees me sees my father, and he who knows me knows also him. So I now tell you, that he who knows my mother knows me, he who hears her hears me, and who honors her honors me. All of you shall have her as your mother, as your superior and head, and so shall also your successors. She shall answer your doubts, solve your difficulties. In her, those who seek me shall always find me, for I shall remain in her until the end of the world, and I am in her now, although you do not understand how. Thus the Lord said, because he was sacramentally present in the bosom of his mother, for the sacred species, which she had received at the last supper, were preserved in her until consecration of the first mass, as I shall relate farther on. The Lord thus fulfilled that which he promised in St. Matthew. I am with you to the consummation of the world. Chapter 28 Verse 20 The Lord added and said, You will have Peter as the supreme head of the church, for I leave him as my vicar, and you shall obey him as the chief high priest, St. John you shall hold as the son of my mother, for I have chosen and appointed him for this office on the cross. The Lord then looked upon his most beloved mother, who was there present, and intimated his desire of expressly commanding that whole congregation to worship and reverence her in a manner suited to the dignity of mother of God, and of leaving this command under form of a precept for the whole church. But the most humble lady besought her only begotten, to be pleased not to secure her more honor than was absolutely necessary for executing all that he had charged her with, and that the new children of the church should not be induced to show her greater honor than they had shown until then. On the contrary, she desired to divert all the sacred worship of the church immediately upon the Lord himself, and to make the propagation of the gospel redound entirely to the exaltation of his holy name. Christ our Savior yielded to this most prudent petition of his mother, reserving to himself the duty of spreading the knowledge of her at a more convenient and opportune time. But in secret he conferred upon her new extraordinary favors as shall appear in the rest of this history. In considering the loving exhortations of their Divine Master, the mysteries which he had revealed to them, and the prospect of his leaving them, that whole congregation was moved to their inmost hearts, for he had incandled in them the Divine Love by the vivid faith of his divinity and humanity. Even within them the memory of his words and his teachings of eternal life, the delights of his most loving intercourse and company, and sorrowfully realizing that they were now all at once to be deprived of these blessings, they wept most tenderly and sighed from their inmost souls. They longed to detain him, although they could not, because they saw it was not befitting. Words of parting rose to their lips, but they could not bring themselves to utter them. Each one felt sentiments of sorrow arising amid feelings, both of joy and yet also of pious regret. How shall we live without such a Master, they thought? Who can ever speak to us such words of life and consolation as he? Who will receive us so lovingly and kindly? Who shall be our Father and Protector? We shall be helpless children and orphans in the world. Some of them broke their silence and exclaimed, Oh most loving Lord and Father, oh joy in life of our souls, now that we know thee as our Redeemer, thou departest and leaveest us. Take us along with thee, O Lord, banish us not from thy sight, our blessed hope, what shall we do without thy presence? Wither shall we turn, if thou goest away? Wither shall we direct our steps, if we cannot follow thee, our Father, our Chief, and our Teacher? To these and other pleadings the Lord answered by bidding them not to leave Jerusalem and to persevere in prayer until he should send the Holy Spirit, the Consolar, as promised by the Father and as already foretold to the Apostles at the Last Supper. Thereupon happened what I shall relate in the next chapter. Instruction given to me by the Queen of Heaven, most holy Mary. My daughter, it is just that in thy admiration of the hidden favors vouchsafe to me by the right hand of the Almighty, thy love be awakened in eternal benedictions and praise of his wonderful operations. Although I withhold from thy knowledge many of them, which thou shalt know after leaving mortal flesh, yet I wish that from now on thou consider it thy especial duty to praise and magnify the Lord, because in spite of my being formed of the same material as Adam. Luke, chapter 1, verse 51. He raised me from the dust, and has manifested to me the power of his arm, operating in me such great things as can never be merited. In order to exercise thyself in these praises of the most high, repeat many times over the canticle of the Magnificat, in which I have briefly comprehended them. When thou art alone, say it prostrate and upon thy knees, and above all let it be done with the sincerest love and veneration. This exercise shall be especially agreeable and pleasing in my eyes, and I shall present it to the Lord, if thou perform it in the manner I tell thee. As thou art now again astonished, that the evangelist should not have made any mention of these wonderful favors of the Lord toward me, I will repeat what I have already told thee, for I wish that all mortals should remember the reason for the reticence of the Gospels. I myself have commanded the evangelists not to write anything about my privileges except what is contained in the Articles of Faith and in the Commandments of the Divine Law and what was necessary for the establishment of the Church. For as the teacher of the Church I knew by the infused science of the most high what would then be proper for its beginning. The manifestation of my prerogatives, being included in the dignity of Mother of God and in my being full of grace, was reserved by the Divine Providence for a more opportune and convenient time, namely when the faith should be better known and established. In the course of the centuries some mysteries pertaining to me have been made plain, but the plentitude of light has been given to thee, who are to pour an insignificant creature, and this has been done on account of the necessities and unhappy state of the world. God in his kindness wishes to offer this opportune remedy to men in order that all of them may seek help and eternal salvation through my intercession. This thou hast always understood, and thou shalt understand it still better. But above all I desire, that thou occupy thyself entirely in the imitation of my life and in the continual contemplation of my virtues and works in order that thou mayest gain the desired victory over my and thy enemies. End of Chapter 28 Book 2, Chapter 29 of the Mystical City of God, Volume 3, by the venerable sister Mary of Jesus of Agreta. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Book 2, Chapter 29, Christ our Redeemer ascends into heaven, followed by all the saints in his company. He assumes with him his most holy mother and puts her in possession of glory. The most auspicious hour in which thou only be gotten of the eternal Father, after descending from heaven in order to assume human flesh, was to ascend by his own power and in a most wonderful manner to the right hand of God, the inheritor of his eternities, one and equal with him in nature and infinite glory. He was to ascend also because he had previously descended to the lowest regions of the earth, as the Apostle says. Letter to the Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verse 9. Having fulfilled all that had been written and prophesied concerning his coming into the world, his life, death and the redemption of man, and having penetrated as the Lord of all, to the very center of the earth. By this ascension he sealed all the mysteries and hastened the fulfillment of his promise, according to which he was, with the Father, to send the paraclete upon his church after he himself should have ascended into heaven. John, Chapter 16, Verse 7. In order to celebrate this festive and mysterious day, Christ our Lord selected as witnesses the 120 persons to whom, as related in the foregoing chapter, he had spoken in the Seneca. They were the most holy Mary, the eleven Apostles, the seventy-two disciples, Mary Magdalene, Lazarus their brother, and the other Mary's, and the faithful men and women, making up the above mentioned number of one hundred and twenty. With this little flock, our divine shepherd, Jesus, left the Seneca, and with his most blessed mother at his side, he conducted them all through the streets of Jerusalem. The Apostles, in all the rest in their order, proceeded in the direction of Bethany, which was less than half a league, over the brow of Mount Olivet. The company of angels and saints from Limbo and Purgatory followed the victor with new songs of praise, although Mary alone was privileged to see them. The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth was already divulged throughout Jerusalem and Palestine. Although the perfidious and malicious princes and priests had spread about, the false testimony of his being stolen by the disciples, yet many would not accept their testimony nor give it any credit. It was divinely provided that none of the inhabitants of the city, and none of the unbelievers or doubters, should pay any attention to this holy procession, or hinder it on its way from the Seneca. All except the one hundred and twenty just, who were chosen by the Lord to witness his ascension into heaven, were justly punished by being prevented from noticing this wonderful mystery, and the chieftain in head of this procession remained invisible to them. The Lord having thus secured this privacy, they all ascended Mount Olivet to its highest point. There they formed three choirs, one of the angels, another of the saints, and a third of the apostles and faithful, which again divided into two bands, while Christ the Savior presided. Then the most prudent mother prostrated herself at the feet of her son, and worshipping him with admirable humility, she adored him as the true God, and as the redeemer of the world, asking his last blessing. All the faithful there present imitated her and did the same. Weeping and sighing, they asked the Lord whether he was now to restore the kingdom of Israel. Acts of the Apostles, chapter 1 verse 6. The Lord answered that this was a secret of the eternal Father and not to be made known to them, but for the present it was necessary and befitting that they receive the Holy Ghost and preach in Jerusalem, in Samaria, and in all the world, the mysteries of the redemption of the world. Jesus, having taken leave of this holy and fortunate gathering of the faithful, his countenance beaming forth, peace and majesty, joined his hands and by his own power began to raise himself from the earth, leaving thereon the impression of his sacred feet. In gentlest motion he was wafted toward the aerial regions, drawing after him the eyes and the hearts of those firstborn children, whom amid sighs and tears, vented their affection. And as, at the moving of the first cause of all motion, it is proper that also the nether spheres should be set in motion, so the Savior Jesus drew after him also the celestial choirs of the angels, the holy patriarchs, and the rest of the glorified saints, some of them with body and soul, others only as to their soul. All of them in heavenly order were raised up together from the earth, accompanying and following their king, their chief and head. The new and mysterious sacrament which the right hand of the most high wrought on this occasion for his most holy mother, was that he raised her up with him in order to put her in possession of the glory, which he had assigned to her as his true mother, and which she had by her merits prepared and earned for herself. Of this favor, the great queen was capable even before it happened, for her divine son had offered it to her during the forty days which he spent in her company after his resurrection. In order that this sacrament might be kept secret from all other living creatures at that time, and in order that the heavenly mistress might be present in the gathering of the apostles and the faithful, in the prayerful waiting upon the coming of the holy ghost. Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 1, Verse 14. The divine power enabled the blessed mother miraculously to be in two places at once, remaining with the children of the church, for their comfort during their stay in the Seneca, and at the same time ascending with the Redeemer of the world, to his heavenly throne, where she remained for three days. There she enjoyed the perfect use of all her powers and faculties, whereas she was more restricted in the use of them during that time in the Seneca. The most blessed lady was raised up with her divine son and placed at the right hand in fulfillment of what David said. The queen was at his right hand, investments gilded with the splendors of his glory, and surrounded by the variety of his gifts and graces, in the sight of the ascending angels and saints. Psalm 44, Verse 10. In order that this astounding mystery may excite the devotion and enliven the faith of the faithful, and that it may draw them to magnify the author of this extraordinary and inconceivable miracle, I again inform those who read of it, that from the time in which the Most High commissioned me, then afterward repeatedly, through many years, expressly commanded me to write this history. He revealed to me many diverse mysteries and great sacraments, both already written and yet to be written. For the exalted nature of this history demanded such a preparation and predisposition. I have not received all these revelations at once, for the limitation of a creature is not capable of such abundance. But in order that I might be able to write, new enlightenment was given me for each mystery in particular. The enlightenment concerning each were usually given to me on the feasts of Christ our Lord and of the heavenly Lady, especially the great sacrament of Mary's being raised to heaven with her Divine Son at his ascension, and of her remaining at the same time in the Seneca, in a wonderful manner, was shown to me in several consecutive years on that feast day. When the Divine Truth is known and contemplated in God Himself, in whom there is all light, without mixture of darkness, and where as well the object as its cause is evident, it creates a certainty without a touch of doubt. First Letter of St. John, Chapter 1, Verse 5 But those who hear these mysteries told by others must excite their piety in order to ask for belief in what is obscure. On this account I would feel a hesitation in writing of the hidden sacrament of this celestial visit of our Queen, if the omission of such a great and important wonder and prerogative were not so serious a defect in this history. This hesitation occurred to me when I was made aware of this mystery for the first time, but now, after I have already related in the first part, that the child Mary at its birth was elevated to the Empirean heavens, and in the second part, she was twice thus elevated, during the nine days of preparation, for the incarnation of the Divine Word. I have no such hesitation in writing of this miracle. If the Divine Power conferred such admirable favors on the Blessed Virgin before, she became the mother of God, in preparation for this dignity. It is much more credible that he should repeat it, after she had been consecrated by hearing him, in her virginal womb, for giving him human form from her own purest blood, after nursing him at her breast, and raising him as a true son, after serving him for thirty-three years, following him, and imitating him in his life, in his passion and death, with a fidelity inexpressible in human tongue. In the investigation of these mysteries and special favors of the Blessed Mother, the reason why the Most High operated them is quite a different thing from the cause of their being kept secret for so many centuries in the Church. In inquiring into the first, we must be guided by our knowledge of the Divine Power and of the love of God for His Mother, as well as by our knowledge of His desire of raising her to a dignity above all other creatures. As men in their mortal flesh can never perfectly know the dignity of that Mother, nor her love, nor the love of her Son, or of the Blessed Trinity, nor the merits and holiness conferred upon her by the Almighty, their ignorance tends to set limits to the Divine Power in its operations. God did for her all he could, and that was as much as he wished, but he communicated himself to her in such a special manner, as to become her Son of her substance, hence it necessarily follows that in the order of grace, he dealt with her in an extraordinary manner, and as befitted no one else, not even the whole human race. This to her was due not only extraordinary favors, benefits and blessings of the Almighty, but the rule of judging about them must be, that after his own most holy humanity, nothing that could in any manner, redown to her glory and holiness, was denied her. But in regard to the revelation of these wonders in his Church, the high providence of God, which governs it and procures new splendors for it, according to the circumstances of the times, is guided by other reasons. For the happy day of grace, which dawned upon the world in the incarnation of the Word and in the redemption of man, has its mourning and its noon tide, as also its even tide, and all this the Divine Wisdom disposes when and how it becomes opportune. Although all the mysteries of Christ and his mother are revealed in the Holy Scriptures, yet not all of them are manifested at the same time, but little by little the Lord withdraws the veil of figures, metaphors and enigmas under which many of the sacraments have been hidden. Like the rays of the sun under a passing cloud, they were covered and concealed, until some of the many rays of divine light should fall upon men. Since even the angels, though they were made aware of the incarnation in a general way, as being the end of all their ministry to man, were not informed of all the conditions, effects and circumstances of this mystery, they gradually came to know many of them during the 5,200 years from the creation to the incarnation. This acquisition of new knowledge gave occasion for continued admiration and renewed praise and glory to the author of these mysteries as I have shown in the whole course of this history. I mention this example in answer to any wonder, which might be caused in those that here of this mysterious exaltation of the most blessed Mary, which with many others already described and to be described, was hidden until the most high was willing to make them manifest. Before I was capable of these reasonings, and when I first came to know of this mystery of Christ having taken his blessed mother to heaven with him, I was not a little astounded, not only on my own account, but on account of those who should hear it. Among other things which I then heard, the Lord tell me, was that I should remember what St. Paul has left recorded of himself in the church, when he refers to his rapture into the third heaven, which is that of the blessed, and how he was in doubt whether he was taken up in the body or out of the body, daring to affirm neither the one nor the other, but supposing that it could have happened in either manner. This at once cleared up my difficulties, for if such a thing as being taken bodily to heaven could happen to the apostle in the beginning of his conversion and when he had no merits, but only sins to his credit, and if the concession of such a privilege entailed no danger or inconvenience to God's church, how can anyone doubt that the Lord showed the same favor to his mother, especially after her attaining to such ineffable merit and holiness? The Lord also added that if some of the saints who rose in their body with the resurrected Christ were privileged to ascend in their body with the Savior, surely there was a better reason for showing this favor to his purest mother. Even if none of the mortals ever should have enjoyed this distinction, it was due to the most blessed Mary, because she suffered with the Lord. It was reasonable that she should share with him, his triumph in glory, in taking possession of it at the right hand of the Most High, since she, as his mother, had from her own substance given him his human nature, in which he now triumphantly ascended into heaven. And just as it was befitting that she should not be separated from her Son in glory, so it was also due to her that none of the human race should come body and soul to the enjoyment of eternal glory before most blessed Mary, not even accepted her mother or father or her spouse Joseph or any of the rest. All of them, and the Savior himself, her Son Jesus, would have been deprived of this accidental increase of their glory, if the Most Blessed Mary, as the mother of the Redeemer and as the Queen of all creation, who merited such a favor and blessing more than all the rest, had not ascended with them into heaven on that day. These arguments seemed to me sufficient to establish the knowledge and excite the pious joy and consolation of this mystery and of others to be mentioned in the third part of the further history of the life of Mary. Returning now to my history, I say that the Lord took with him his blessed mother in his ascension into heaven, and amid incredible rejoicing and admiration, filled her with splendor and glory in the sight of the angels and saints. It was also very appropriate that the apostles and the other faithful, for the time being, should be ignorant of this mystery, for if they had seen their mother and mistress ascend with Christ, their affliction would have been beyond all bounds and without recourse or relief. Nothing could ever console them for the departure of Christ more fully than to feel that they had still with them their Most Blessed Lady and Kindest Mother, even then their size and sobbing, and their tears welled up from their inmost hearts, when they saw their beloved Master and Redeemer disappearing through the aerial regions. And when they had almost lost sight of him, a most resplendent cloud interposed itself between him and those he had left upon Earth. Acts of the Apostles, chapter 1, verse 9. Intercepting him altogether from their view. In it the person of the Eternal Father descended from heaven to the regions of the air in order to meet the Son and the Mother, who had furnished the new mode of existence in which he now returned. Coming to them, the Eternal Father received them in his embrace of infinite love, to the joy of the Angels, who had accompanied the Father in innumerable choirs from his heavenly seat. In a short space of time, penetrating the elements and the celestial orbs, that whole divine procession arrived at the supreme regions of the Empirean. At their entrance, the Angels, who had ascended from the Earth with their Sovereigns, Jesus and Mary, and those who had joined them in the aerial regions, spoke to those who had remained in the heavenly heights and repeated those words of David and many others, referring to this mystery, saying, Open ye princes, open your gates eternal, let them be raised and opened up, and receive into his dwelling the great King of glory, the Lord of virtues, the powerful in battle, the strong and invincible, who comes triumphant and victorious over all his enemies. Open the gates of the heavenly paradise, and let them remain open and free forever, since the new Adam is coming, the repairer of the whole human race, rich in mercy, overflowing with the merits of his copious redemption, wrought by his death in the world. He has restored our loss, and has raised human nature to the supreme dignity of his own immensity. He comes with the reign of the elect and the redeemed, given to him by his eternal Father. Now his liberal mercy has given to mortals, the power of regaining injustice, the right loss by their sin, to merit, by the observance of his law, as his brothers and co-inheritors, of the goods of his Father eternal life. And for his greater glory, and for our greater rejoicing, he brings with him and at his side the mother of piety, who gave him the form of man, for overcoming the demon. She comes as our charming and beautiful queen, delighting all that behold her. Come forth ye heavenly courtiers, and you shall see our most beautiful king, with the crown given to him by his mother, and his mother crowned with the glory conferred upon her by her son. Amidst this jubilee and other rejoicings, exceeding all our conceptions, that new divinely arranged procession approached the empire in heavens. Between the two choirs of angels and saints, Christ and his most blessed mother made their entry, all in their order, gave supreme honor to each, respectively, and to both together, breaking forth in hymns of praise, in honor of the authors of grace and of life. Then the eternal Father placed upon the throne of his divinity at his right hand, the incarnate word, and in such glory and majesty, that he filled with new admiration and reverential fear all the inhabitants of heaven. In clear and intuitive vision, they recognized the infinite glory and perfection of the divinity, inseparably and substantially united in one personality, to the most holy humanity, beautified and exalted by the preeminence and glory, due to this union, such as eyes have not seen, nor ears heard, nor ever has entered into the thoughts of creatures. Isaiah chapter 54 verse 4. On this occasion, the humility and wisdom of our most prudent queen reached their highest point. For overwhelmed by such divine and admirable favors, she hovered at the footstool of the royal throne, annihilated in the consciousness of being a mere earthly creature. Prostrate she adored the Father and broke out in new canticles of praise for the glory communicated to his son, and for elevating in him the deified humanity to such greatness and splendor. Then the angels and saints were filled with admiration and joy to see the most prudent humility of their queen, whose living example of virtue, as exhibited on that occasion, they emulated among themselves in copying. Then the voice of the eternal Father was heard saying, My daughter, ascend higher. Her divine son also called her saying, My mother, rise up and take possession of the place which I owe thee for having followed and imitated me. The Holy Ghost said, My spouse and beloved, come to my eternal embraces. Immediately was proclaimed to all the blessed, the decree of the most holy trinity, by which the most blessed mother, for having furnished her own lifeblood toward the incarnation, and for having nourished, served, imitated and followed him, with all the perfection possible to a creature, was exalted and placed at the right hand of her son for all eternity. None other of the human creatures should ever hold that place or position, nor rival her in the unfailing glory connected with it. But it was to be reserved to the queen, and to be her possession by right after her earthly life, as of one who preeminently excelled all the rest of the saints. In fulfillment of this decree, the most blessed Mary was raised to the throne of the holy trinity at the right hand of her son. At the same time she, with all the saints, was informed that she was given possession of this throne, not only for all the ages of eternity, but that it was left to her choice to remain there even now and without returning to the earth. For it was the conditional will of the divine persons that, as far as they were concerned, she should now remain in that state. In order that she might make her own choice, she was shown anew the state of the church upon earth, the orphaned and the ceaseless conditioned of the faithful whom she was left free to assist. This admirable proceeding of the divine providence was to afford the mother of mercy, an occasion of going beyond, so to say, even her own self in doing good and in obliging the human race with an act of tenderest love, similar to that of her son, in assuming a passable state and in suspending the glory due to his body during and for our redemption. The most blessed mother imitated him also in this respect, so that she might be in all things, like the incarnate word. The great queen therefore, having clearly before her eyes, all the sacrifices included in this proposition, left the throne and prostrating herself at the feet of the three persons, said, Eternal and Almighty God, my Lord, to accept at once this reward, which like condescending kindness offers me, would be to secure my rest, but to return to the world and continue to labor in mortal life, for the good of the children of Adam and the faithful of thy holy church, would be to the glory and according to the pleasure of thy majesty, and would benefit my sojourning and banished children on earth. I accept this labor and renounce for the present the peace and joy of thy presence. Well do I know what I possess and receive, but I will sacrifice it to further the love thou hast for men, accept, Lord and Master, of all my being, this sacrifice and let thy divine strength govern me in the undertaking confided to me. Let faith in thee be spread, let thy holy name be exalted, let thy holy church be enlarged, for thou hast acquired it by the blood of thy only begotten and mine. I offer myself anew to labor for thy glory and for the conquest of the souls as far as I am able. Such was the sacrifice made by the most loving mother and queen, one greater than was ever conceived by creature, and it was so pleasing to the Lord that he immediately rewarded it by operating in her those purifications and enlightenments which I have at other times mentioned as necessary to the intuitive vision of the Divinity, for so far she had on this occasion seen it only by abstractive vision. Thus elevated she partook of the beatific vision and was filled with splendor and celestial gifts altogether beyond the power of man to describe or conceive in mortal life. The most high renewed in her all the gifts which until then he had communicated to her and confirmed and sealed them anew in the degree then befitting in order to send her back as mother and instructress of holy church, confirming all the titles he had conferred upon her as the queen of all creation, as the advocate and mistress of all the faithful, and just as wax receives the form of the seal, so the blessed Mary, by the divine omnipotence, became the image of the humanity of Christ in order that she might thus return to the militant church and be the true garden, locked and sealed to preserve the waters of grace. CHAPTER 4 VIRS. 12 O secrets of the highest majesty, worthy of all reverence, O mysteries as venerable as they are exalted, O charity and kindness of the most holy Mary, never comprehended by the ignorant children of Eve. The choice made by God of this only and sweetest mother, for a refuge of his faithful children, was not without its great mystery. It was a contrivance for manifesting to us this maternal love, which perhaps in her other great deeds we would not succeed in finding out. It was in accordance with the divine decree, by which neither she should be deprived of an occasion to attain such excellence, nor we be deprived of the blessed obligation of imitating her example. To whom should it now seem, much in comparison with this excess of love, when he sees the saints in the martyrs, rejecting momentary contentment, in order to arrive at their eternal rest, since our most loving mother has deprived herself of this complete the attitude in order to sucker her little children? How can we avoid direst confusion, when neither in gratitude for this favor, nor for the imitation of her example, nor in order to please this lady, nor in order to secure us her company or that of her son, we on our part will not deny ourselves of a slight and deceitful pleasure. That brings us only their enmity and death itself. Blessed be that woman, let all the heavens praise her and let all generations call her fortunate and happy. Luke chapter 1 verse 48 I finished up the first part of this history with the 31st chapter of the parables of Solomon, setting forth in its explanation the exalted virtues of this great lady, the only strong woman of the church, and by referring to the same chapter, I closed the second part. For the Holy Ghost includes all concerning her in the mysterious fecundity of the words of that passage. The great sacrament of which I have here spoken, that fecundity is verified more particularly in the supreme exultation of the most blessed Mary, consequent upon this blessing. But I will not tarry to repeat what I have there said, for much of what I could say can be understood by the perusal of that portion. There I said that this queen was the strong woman, whose price and value is of all things, from afar. Proverbs chapter 31 verse 10 From the farthest confines of the empire in heavens, measured by the esteem shown her by the most blessed trinity, and the heart of her man was not deceived, since she failed in nothing that he had expected of her. She was the ship of the merchant, who brought from heaven the sustenance of his church. She was the one who planted it by the fruit of her hands. She who girded herself with strength. It was she who put forth her arms two great things. She who extended her hands to the poor, and opened her palms to the destitute. She who tasted and saw how good was this negotiation, seeing with her own eyes the reward of eternal beatitude. She who clothed her servants in double garments. It was she whose light was not extinguished in the night of tribulation, and needed not to fear the rigor of temptation. Before descending from the heavens, she, in order to fulfill these offices, besought the eternal Father for his power, the Son for his wisdom, and the Holy Ghost for the fire of his love, and all the three divine persons, for their assistance and their blessing. This they gave her, as she prostrated herself before the throne, and they filled her with new influences and communications of the divinity. Then they lovingly permitted her to depart with ineffable treasures of grace. The holy angels and saints magnified her in wonderful exultation and praise, and she returned to earth as I will relate in the third part. There I shall relate all that she did in the holy church during the time of her stay, and her doings were the admiration of heaven and of exceeding benefit to men. For all her labors and sufferings were undergone to secure eternal felicitude for her children. As she had come to know the excellence of charity in its origin and source, namely in the eternal God who is charity. First letter of Saint John chapter 4 verse 16. She continued to be inflamed by its ardors, and her bread day and night was charity. Like a busy bee, she descended from the triumphant to the militant church, charged with the flower dust of charity, to construct the honeycomb of the love of God for the nourishment of the little children of the primitive church. She raised them up to manhood, so robust and consummate in perfection that they formed a foundation abundantly strong enough for the high edifice of the holy church. Letter to the Ephesians chapter 2 verse 20. In order to finish this chapter and with it, this second part, I return to the congregation of the faithful, whom we left so sorrowful, on Mount Olivet. The most holy Mary did not forget them in the midst of her glory, as they stood weeping and lost in grief, and as it were, absorbed in looking into the aerial regions into which their Redeemer and Master had disappeared. She turned her eyes upon them from the cloud on which she had ascended in order to send them her assistance. Moved by their sorrow, she besought Jesus lovingly to console these little children, whom he had left as orphans upon the earth. Moved by the prayers of his mother, the Redeemer of the human race sent down two angels in white and resplendent garments who appeared to all the disciples in the faithful and spoke to them. Ye men of Galilee, do not look up to heaven in so great astonishment. For this Lord Jesus, who departed from you and has ascended into heaven, shall again return with the same glory and majesty in which you have just seen him. Acts of the Apostles chapter 1 verse 11 By such words and others which they added, they consoled the apostles and disciples and all the rest, so that they might not grow faint, but in their retirement hope for the coming and the consolation of the Holy Ghost, promised by their Divine Master. But I must remark that these words of the angels, though they consoled these men and women, at the same time, contained a reproach of their want of faith. For if their faith had been well founded and permeated by the pure love and charity, it would not have been necessary to remain there with their gaze so intently fixed on the heavens, since they could not see their Master nor detain him by the outward and sensible demonstration of their love, which they showed in looking up in the air, where they had seen him disappear. But they should have enlivened their faith and looked for him and sought him there, where he really was and where they would certainly have found him. There's was a useless and imperfect manner of seeking him. In order to obtain the presence and assistance of his grace, it was not necessary that they should see and converse with him corporeally. That they did not understand this truth was a blamable defect in men so enlightened and perfected. For a long time had the apostles and disciples attended the school of Christ our God, and they had drawn the doctrine of perfection from its very fount, from a source so pure and exquisite that they should have been far advanced in spirituality and highest perfection. But this is the misfortune of our nature, that in its dependence upon the senses and its satisfaction in exercising its lower faculties, it wishes to love and enjoy even the most divine spiritual blessings in a sensible manner. Accustomed to this grossness, it is very dilatory in purifying and cleansing itself from those lower elements, and sometimes it is thus deceived, even when it firmly and eagerly pursues the highest aims. This truth was well exemplified for our instruction in the apostles, who had been taught by the Lord that he was the light and the truth, and at the same time the way. John chapter 14 verse 6. And that they were to come to the knowledge of the eternal Father through him, the true way, since light shines not merely for its own self, and a road is not made for the purpose of resting upon it. This teaching, so often repeated in the gospels, heard from the lips of its author, and confirmed by the example of his life, should have raised the hearts and the understanding of the apostles to its comprehension and practice. But the very pleasure which they found for their spirit and for their senses in the intercourse and conversation with their master, the security of their love, and the assurance of the just love of their master, kept the forces of their will bound to their senses, so that they did not know how to free themselves from the encroachments of their lower faculties, nor ever became aware how much of self-seeking there really was in their piety, and how much they were carried away by the spiritual delight coming only from their senses. If their divine master had not left them by ascending into heaven, they could not have separated from him, without great bitterness and sorrow, and therefore would not have been as fit to preach the gospel, for this was to be preached throughout the world, at the cost of much labors and difficulties, and at the risk of life itself. This could not be the work of small-minded men, but of men courageous and strong in love, men not hampered or softened by the sensible delights clinging to the spirit, but ready to go through abundance and want, infamy or renown, honors or dishonors, sorrows or joys, preserving throughout it all their love and zeal for the Lord, and a magnanimous heart, superior to all prosperity and adversity. Second Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 6, Verse 8 After they had therefore been admonished by the angels, they left Mount Olivet, and returned to the Sennacle, with most holy Mary, persevering in prayer, and in their expectation of the coming of the Holy Ghost, as we shall see in the last part. Instruction which most holy Mary, the Queen of Heaven, gave me. My daughter, thou wilt appropriately close this second part of my life by remembering the lesson concerning the most efficacious sweetness of the divine love and the immense liberality of God with those souls that do not hinder His flowing. It is in conformity with the inclinations of His holy and perfect will, to regale rather than afflict creatures, to console them rather than cause them sorrow, to reward them rather than to chastise them, to rejoice rather than grieve them. But mortals ignore this divine science, because they desire from the hands of the Most High such consolations, delights and rewards as are earthly and dangerous, and they prefer them to the true and more secure blessings. The divine love then corrects this fault by the lessons conveyed in tribulations and punishments. Human nature is slow, coarse and uneducated, and if it is not cultivated and softened, it gives no fruit in season, and on account of its evil inclinations, will never of itself become fit for the most loving and sweet intercourse with the highest good. Therefore it must be shaped and reduced by the hammer of adversities, refined in the crucible of tribulation, in order that it may become fit and capable of the divine gifts and favors, and may learn to despise terrestrial and fallacious goods wherein death is concealed. I counted for little all that I endured, when I saw the reward which the divine goodness had prepared for me, and therefore he ordained, in his admirable providence, that I should return to the militant church of my own free will and choice. This I knew would redown to my greater glory, and to the exultation of his holy name, while it would provide assistance to his church and to his children in an admirable and holy manner. First Letter to St. Timothy, Chapter 1, Verse 17 It seemed to me a sacred duty that I deprive myself of the eternal felicity of which I was in possession, and returning from heaven to earth, gain new fruits of labor and love for the Almighty. All this I owed to the divine goodness which had raised me up from the dust. Learn therefore, my beloved, from my example, and excite thyself to imitate me, most eagerly during these times, in which the holy church is most disconsoleate and overwhelmed by tribulations, and in which there are none of her children to console her. In this cause I desire that thou labor strenuously, ready to suffer in prayer as supplication, and crying from the bottom of thy heart to the omnipotent. And if it were necessary, thou shouldest be willing to give thy life. I assure thee, my daughter, thy solicitude shall be very pleasing in the eyes of my divine Son and in mine. Let it all be for the glory and honor of the Most High, the King of the Ages, the immortal and invisible. First Letter to St. Timothy, Chapter 1, Verse 17 And for that of his mother, the Most Blessed Mary, through all the Eternities. End of Chapter 29, End of Book 2 End of The Mystical City of God, Volume 3, By the Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus, of a Greater