 Book 1, Chapter 1 of the Mystical City of God, Volume 3. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. The Mystical City of God, Volume 3 by the Venerable Sister Mary of Jesus of Agreta. Book 1, concerning the perfection with which the Most Holy Mary copied and imitated the activity of the soul of Christ, how the incarnate Word instructed her in the laws of grace, the Articles of Faith, the Sacraments, the Ten Commandments, and with what alacrity and noble promptitude she corresponded. Also concerning the death of St. Joseph, the preaching of St. John, the fasting and baptism of our Redeemer, the call of the First Disciples, and the baptism of the Virgin Mary, our Blessed Lady. Chapter 1 The Lord still farther tries the Most Holy Mary by acting toward her with a certain distance and severity. The reasons for this behavior are explained. Already, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph had settled in Nazareth and thus changed their poor and humble dwelling into a heaven. In order to describe the mysteries and sacraments which passed between the divine child and his purest mother, before his twelfth year and later on, until his public preaching, many chapters and many books would be required, and in them all I would be able to relate but the smallest part in view of the vastness of the subject and the insignificance of such an ignorant woman as I am. Even with the light given me by this great lady, I can speak of only a few incidents and must leave the greater part unsaid. It is not possible or befitting to us mortals to comprehend all these mysteries in this life since they are reserved for the future life. Early after their return from Egypt to Nazareth, the Lord resolved to try his Most Holy Mother in the same manner as he had tried her in her childhood and as was mentioned in the second book of the first part, Chapter 27. Although she was now vastly grown in the exercise of her love and wisdom, yet as the power of God and the object of divine charity is infinite, and as moreover the capacity of the Queen exceeded that of all creatures, the Lord wished to raise her to a higher level of holiness and merit. Moreover, being a true educator of the Spirit, he wished to form of her a disciple of such exalted knowledge that she would truly be for us a consummate teacher and a living example of his own doctrines. For such was to be her office after the ascension of her son and Redeemer, as I will relate in the third part. It was also befitting and necessary for the honor of Christ, our Redeemer, that the teaching of the Gospel, by which and on which he was to found the law of grace, holy, immaculate and without a wrinkle, should give full evidence of its efficacy and power in a mere creature, and that all its adequate and supereminent effects should be exhibited in someone who could be a standard for all men. It is clear that this creature could be none else than the Most Blessed Mary, who, as his mother, stood so close to the Master and Teacher of all holiness. The Most High therefore resolved that the Heavenly Lady should be the first disciple of his school and the firstborn daughter of the new law of grace, the most perfect copy of his ideals and the most pliant material upon which, as on liquid wax, should be set the seal of his doctrine of holiness, so that the Son and the Mother might be the two true tablets of the new law of the world. Exodus 31 verse 18 For this purpose of the infinite wisdom he manifested to her all the mysteries of the evangelical law and of his doctrine, and this was the subject of his instructions from the time of their return from Egypt until his public preaching as we shall see in the course of this history. In these hidden sacraments the incarnate word and his holy mother occupied themselves during the twenty-three years of their stay in Nazareth as all this concerned the Heavenly Mother alone, whose life the Holy Evangelist did not profess to narrate. The writers of the Gospel made no mention of it, accepting that which was related of the child Jesus when in his twelfth year he was lost in Jerusalem. During all those years Mary alone was the disciple of Christ. In addition therefore to the ineffable gifts of grace and holiness which he had conferred upon her until their arrival in Nazareth he infused into her new light and made her a participant in his divine knowledge depositing and engraving into her heart the whole law and doctrine of grace which to the end of the world was to be dispensed by his holy church. This was moreover effected in such an exalted manner that no human thought or words can express it and the great lady was thereby filled with such wisdom and knowledge that it would suffice to enlighten many worlds if there were more than one. In order to rear in the heart of the purest Virgin this edifice of holiness to a height beyond all that is not God, the Lord laid its foundations accordingly, trying the strength of her love and all of her other virtues. For this purpose the Lord withdrew himself, causing her to lose him from her sight which until then had caused her to revel in continual joy and delight. I do not wish to say that the Lord left her bodily, but still remaining with her and in her by an ineffable presence and grace he hid himself from her interior sight and suspended the tokens of his most sweet affection. The heavenly lady in the meanwhile knew not the inward cause of this behavior as the Lord gave her no explanation. Moreover, her divine son, without any forewarning, showed himself very reserved and withdrew from her society. Many times he retired and spoke but few words to her, and even these, with great earnestness and majesty. But what was apt to afflict her most was the eclipse of the light by which she was want to see reflected as in a crystal, the human operations of his most pure soul. This light was suddenly dim so much that she could not thenceforth distinguish them as a living copy for her own actions. This unannounced and unexpected change was the crucible in which the purest gold of the love of our Queen was cleansed and assayed. Just at what was happening, she immediately took refuge in the humble opinion she had of herself, deeming herself unworthy of the vision of the Lord, who now had hidden himself. She attributed it, all to her want of correspondence and to her ingratitude, for the blessings she had obtained from the most generous and exalted father of mercies. The most prudent Queen did not feel so much the privation of his delightful caresses as the dread of having displeased him and of having fallen short in his service. This was the arrow that pierced her heart with grief. One filled with such true and noble love could not feel less. For all delight of love is founded in the pleasure and satisfaction given by the lover to the one beloved, and therefore he cannot rest when he suspects that the beloved is not contented or pleased. The loving sighs of his mother were highly pleasing to her most holy son. He was enamored with her anew, and the tender affection of his only and chosen one wounded his heart. Canticles, Chapter 4, Verse 9 But whenever the sweet mother sought him out, in order to hold converse with him, he continued to show exterior reserve. Just as the flame of a forge or a conflagration is intensified by the application of insufficient water, so the flame of love in the heart of the sweetest mother was fan to an intenser blaze by its adversity. The single-hearted dove exercised herself in heroic acts of all the virtues. She humbled herself below the dust. She reverenced her son in deepest adoration. She blessed the Father, thanking him for his admirable works and blessings, and conforming herself to his wishes and pleasure. She sought to know his will in order to fulfill it in all things. She unceasingly renewed her acts of faith, hope, and burning love, and in all her actions and in all circumstances, this most fragrant spike-nard gave forth the odor of sweetness for him, the King of Kings, who rested in her heart as in her flowery and perfumed couch. Canticles, Chapter 1, Verse 11 She persevered in her tearful prayers, with continual sighing and longing from her inmost heart. She poured forth her prayers in the presence of the Lord, and recounted her tribulation before the throne of God. On 141, Verse 3 And many times she broke out in words of ineffable sweetness and loving sorrow, such as these. Creator of all the universe, she would say, Eternal and Almighty God, infinite is thy wisdom and goodness, incomprehensible in essence and perfection, well do I know that my size are not hidden to thee, and that thou knowest of the wound that pierces my heart, if as a useless handmaid I have fallen short in thy service, and in pleasing thee. Why, O life of my soul, dost thou not afflict me and chastise me with all the pains and sufferings of this my mortal life, so that I may not be obliged to endure the turning away of thy eyes, though I have deserved this treatment through my default? All punishments would be less than this, for my heart cannot bear thy displeasure. Thou alone, O Lord, art my life, my happiness, my glory and my treasure. My soul counts for nothing all that thou hast created, and their image lives not in my soul, except in order to magnify thy greatness, and to acknowledge thee as Creator and Lord of all. What shall I then do, if thou my blessed Lord, the light of my eyes, the goal of my desires, the north star of my pilgrimage, the life of my being, and the essence of my life, fail me? Who will give fountains to my eyes to bewail my wants of correspondence to all the blessings I have received, and my ingratitude for my benefits? My Lord, my light, my guide, and teacher on the way, who by thy most exalted and perfect operations directest my fragile and lukewarm undertakings, how can I regulate my life if thou fail me as my model? Who will guide me securely through this desert? What shall I do, and whither shall I turn, if thou deprives me of thy assistance? Lord did this wounded dear rest satisfied their with, but thirsting after the purest fountains of grace, she addressed herself also to the holy angels, and held long conferences and colloquies with them, saying, Sovereign princes and intimate friends of the highest king, my guardians, by your fullest citizen's vision of his divine countenance. Matthew chapter 18 verse 10 And the ineffable light. First letter to St. Timothy chapter 6 verse 16 I conjure you to tell me the cause of his displeasure, if such he has conceived against me, intercede for me in his real presence, that through your prayers he may pardon me if I have offended him. Remind him, my friends, that I am but dust. Job chapter 10 verse 9 Although I am formed by his hands, and have upon me the seal of his image, beseech him not to forget his needy one to the end, so that she may confess and magnify his name. Psalm 73 verse 19 Ask him to give back to me the breath of life, which fails me at the dread of having lost his love. Tell me how and by what means I can please him, and regain the joy of his countenance? The holy angels answered. Our Queen and Sovereign, dilated is thy heart, so that thou canst not be vanquished by tribulation, and none is so able as thou to understand how near the Lord is to the afflicted who call upon him. Psalm 40 verse 15 Without doubt he recognizes thy affection, and does not despise thy loving size. Psalm 37 verse 10 And shalt thou find him a kind father, and his only begotten, a most affectionate son, looking upon thy afflictions. The love-lorn mother replied. Will he perhaps be presumption to appear before him and prostrate myself before him, asking his pardon for any fault he might find in me? Which shall I do? What relief can I find in my anxieties? The holy prince is answered. A humble heart does not displease our King. On it he fixes his loving regard, and he is never displeased by the clamors of those who act in love. These colloquies and answers of the holy angels somewhat gladdened and consoled their Queen and Mistress, since they confirmed her, in her own interior conviction, that these sweet sighs would excite the special love and delight of the Most High. They would not speak more openly, because the Lord on his own account wished to prolong these delights. Although her most holy son, on account of his natural love toward his mother, a mother only not having any father, was often deeply touched with compassion at seeing her so afflicted, yet he would not show any signs thereof, hiding his compassion under a severe countenance. Sometimes when the most loving mother called him to meals, he would delay. At other times he would partake of them without looking at her or speaking to her. But although the great lady at such times shed many tears and lovingly sighed in her heart, she always put upon herself such restraint and weighed all her actions so wisely that if it were possible for God to give way to wonder, which certainly he cannot, he would have yielded to such a feeling in the presence of such plentitude of holiness and perfection in this mere creature. In as far as he was man, the child Jesus delighted especially in seeing his divine love and grace bring forth such abundant fruits in his virgin mother. The holy angels sang to him new hymns of praise for this admirable and unheard of prodigy of virtues. Upon the request of the loving mother, Saint Joseph had made a couch, which she covered with a single blanket, and upon which the child Jesus rested and took his sleep. For from the time in which he had left the cradle, when they were yet in Egypt, he would not accept any other bed or of more covering. Although he did not stretch himself out on this couch, nor even always made use of it, he sometimes reclined in a sitting posture upon it, resting upon a poor pillow made of wool by the same lady. When she spoke of preparing for him a better resting place, her most holy son answered that the only couch upon which he was to be stretched out was that of his cross, in order to teach men by his example. First Letter of St. Peter, Chapter 2, Verse 21 That no one can enter eternal rest by things beloved of Babylon, and that to suffer is our true relief in mortal life. Thence forward the heavenly lady imitated him in this manner, of taking rest with new earnestness and attention. When at night the time for repose had come, the mistress of humility had been accustomed to prostrate herself before her son as he reclined on his couch, asking his pardon for not having fulfilled all her duty in serving him, and for not having been sufficiently grateful for the blessings of the day. She poured out her thanks anew, and with many tears, acknowledged him as true God and Redeemer of the world. She would not rise from the ground until her son commanded her and gave her his blessing. This same behavior she observed also in the morning, requesting her divine teacher and master to impose upon her all that she was to do during the day in his service, which Jesus did with tokens of great love. But now he changed his bearing and manner toward her, when the most innocent mother approached to reverence and adore him as she was want, although her tears and sighs issued more abundantly from her inmost heart. He would not answer her a word, but listen to her unmoved, commanding her to be take herself away. To see her son, the true God and man, so indifferent in his behavior and so distant in his action, so sparing of words, and in all his exterior bearing, so changed, ineffably affected the purest and dove-like heart of the loving mother. The heavenly lady examined her interior, searched all the conditions, circumstances and sequence of her actions, and wracked her memory in her inquiry into the celestial workings of her soul and faculties. Although she could find no shadow of darkness, where all was light, holiness, purity, and grace, yet since she knew, as Job says, that neither the heavens nor the stars are pure in the eyes of God. Job 15 verse 15. And since he finds fault in even the angelic spirits. Job 25 verse 5. The great queen feared lest she should have overlooked some defect which was known to the Lord. In this anxiety, she, though filled with supreme wisdom, suffered agonies of love, for her love being strong as death. Canticles chapter 8 verse 6. Caused in her an emulation incandled by an unquenchable fire of suffering and tribulation. This trial of our queen lasted many days, during which her most holy son looked upon her with incomparable pleasure, by which he raised her to the position of a teacher of all the creatures. He rewarded her loyalty and exquisite love with abundant graces in addition to those which she already possessed, then happened what I shall relate in the following chapter. Instruction vouchsafe by Mary, the most holy queen of heaven. My daughter, I see that thou art desirous of being a disciple of my most holy son, since now thou hast understood and described my behavior in this regard. For thy consolation, take notice, that he has exercised this office of teacher not only once and not only at the time when he taught his holy doctrine, while yet in mortal flesh, as is related in the Gospels. Matthew chapter 28 verse 20. But that he continues to be the teacher of souls to the end of the world. He admonishes, instructs, and inspires them, urging them to put in practice whatever is most perfect and most holy. Thus he acts towards all, without exception, although according to his divine ordainment, and according to the disposition and attentiveness of each soul, everyone receives more or less of the benefits. Matthew chapter 11 verse 5. If thou hadst always applied this truth, thou wouldest have known by abundant experience that the Lord does not refuse to act as the teacher of the poor, of the despised, and of the sinners if they wish to listen to his secret doctrines. As thou now desirous to know what disposition he requires of thee in order to have him teach thee to thy heart's content, I shall in his name inform thee of it. I assure thee that if he shall find thee well disposed, he will, as a true and wise teacher, communicate to thee the plentitude of his wisdom and enlightenment. First of all, thou must keep thy conscience pure, undefiled, serene, and quiet, keeping a constant watch against falling into any sin or imperfection throughout all the events of this life. At the same time, thou must withdraw thyself and disentangle thyself from all that is earthly, so much so that, as I have already formerly admonished thee, thou do not retain any image or memory of human or visible things, but maintain the utmost sincerity, purity, and serenity of heart. When thou thus hast cleared thy interior from the images and shadows of earthly things, then thou wilt pay attention to the voice of thy God, like a beloved daughter, forgetting the voice of Babylon, the house of her father, Adam, and all the aftertaste of sin. I assure thee that he will speak to thee words of eternal life. John 6.69 It will be thy duty to listen to him with reverence and humble gratitude, to appreciate his teachings and to follow them in practice, with all diligence and punctuality. Nothing can be hid from this great master and teacher. Letter to the Hebrews, chapter 4, verse 13 And he withdraws in disgust from those who are ungrateful and disobedient. No one must think that these withdrawals of the most high always happened in the same way as they happened to me. For the Lord withdrew from me, not on account of any fault of mine, but out of exceeding love. He is accustomed to withdraw from other creatures in order to visit them with merited punishment for their many sins, outrages, ingratitudes, and negligences. Therefore my daughter, engaging thy reverence and esteem for the teaching and enlightenment of thy Divine Master, and for my own exhortations, thou must take into account thy omissions and faults. Moderate thy inordinate fears and do not any more doubt that it is the Lord who speaks to thee and teaches thee, since his doctrine of itself gives testimony of its own truth and assures thee that God is its author, for thou see as that it is holy, pure, perfect, and without error. It inculcates whatever is best and reprehends thy least fault, and it is moreover approved by thy instructors and spiritual directors. As I am thy teacher, I wish that thou also, in imitation of me, come every morning and night, humbly and sorrowfully, to confess thy faults, in order that I may intercede for thee and as thy mother, obtain for thee the pardon of the Lord. As soon as thou commit us any imperfection, acknowledge it without delay and ask the Lord pardon, promising to amend. If thou attend to these things, which I hear tell thee, thou wilt be a disciple of the Most High and of me, as thou desireest to be. Purity of soul and the Divine Grace is the most exquisite and adequate preparation for partaking of the influences of Divine Light and Science and the Redeemer of the world communicates it to his true disciples. End of Chapter 1. Book 1, Chapter 2 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 1, Chapter 2. The operations of the soul of her Most Holy Son, and all that had been hidden to her, again becomes visible to Most Holy Mary, she is instructed in the Law of Grace. Even ingenuity had made long and copious inquisitions into the natures and properties of love and into its cause and effects. In order to explain the Holy and Divine Love of our Blessed Mother, I was compelled to add much to all that has been written and said concerning Love. 4. With the exception of the Love existing in the Soul of Christ our Redeemer, there was none in all the human creatures, which was equal to that possessed by that Heavenly Lady, who married to the Name of Beautiful Love. Ecclesiasticus, Chapter 24, Verse 24. The object and end of Holy Love is the same in all, namely God in Himself and all the other creatures for His sake, but the subject in which it exists, the source from which it flows, the effects which it produces, are widely different. Now in our great Queen, all these elements of Love attain their highest perfection, purity of heart, faith, hope, filial and holy fear, knowledge and wisdom, remembrance and gratitude for the greatest benefits, and all the other sources of a most exalted Love were hers in boundless affluence and proportion. The flame of her Love was not encendled or inflamed by the foolishness of the senses which are without the guide and control of reason. Her holy and pure Love entered by way of her most exalted understanding, of the infinite goodness and ineffable sweetness of God, for since God is wisdom and goodness, He wishes to be Love not only with sweetness, but also with wisdom and knowledge of the One that loves. These loving affections are more alike to themselves in their effects than in their causes, for if they once take possession and subject to themselves the heart, they are hard to expel. From this fact arises the suffering of the human heart in seeing itself forsaken and unnoticed by the One Beloved. For this want of proper correspondence implies the obligation of rooting out its own Love. As this Love has taken such entire possession of the heart, that it dreads a dispossession, although on the other hand, reason urges it, such a violent strife is caused, as will resemble the agony of death. In the blind and worldly Love, this agony is but frenzy and madness. But in divine Love, this agony is highest wisdom, for since no reason can be found for expelling Love, it is the height of prudence to search after means of loving more ardently and seeking to please the beloved more zealously. As also the will therein acts with fullest liberty, it happens that the more freely it loves, the highest good, so much the more does it lose the power of not loving him. In this glorious strife, the will, being the master and sovereign of the soul, becomes happily the slave of its Love, it neither seeks, nor is it able to deny itself this free servitude. On account of this free violence, if the soul finds avoidance or withdrawal of the highest good, which it loves, it suffers the pains and agonies of death, in the same manner as if its life were ebbing away. The soul's whole life is in its Love, and in the knowledge that it is loved. Hence one can understand a little of the sufferings of the most ardent and pure heart of our Queen. In the absence of the Lord, and in the eclipse of the light of His Love, it caused in her agonies of doubt, whether perhaps she had not displeased him. For as she was, so to say, a vast abyss of humility and love, and as she knew not, whence the austerity and reserve of her beloved originated, she suffered a martyrdom so entrancing and yet so severe, as no human or angelic powers will ever be able to fathom. Mary, who is the mother of the Most Holy Love. Ecclesiasticus, Chapter 24, Verse 24 And who reached the pinnacle of created perfection, alone knew how and was able to bear this martyrdom, and in it she exceeded all the sufferings of the martyrs and the penances of all the confessors added together. In her was fulfilled what is said in the canticles. If a man should give all the substance of his house for love, he shall despise it as nothing. Canticles, Chapter 8, Verse 7 For in it she forgot all the visible and created things and her own life, accounting it all for naught, until she again found the grace and love of her Most Holy and Divine Son, whom she feared to have lost, although she continued to possess him. No words can equal her care and solicitude, her watchfulness and diligence, in trying to please her sweetest Son and the Eternal Father. Thirty days passed in this conflict, and they equalled many ages in the estimation of her, who deemed it impossible to live even one moment, without the love and without the beloved of her soul. After such delay, according to our way of speaking, the heart of the child Jesus could no longer contain itself or resist further the immense force of his love for his sweetest mother. For also the Lord suffered a delightful and wonderful violence, and thus holding her in such a suspense and affliction. It happened that the humble and sovereign Queen one day approached her son Jesus, and throwing herself at his feet, with tears in size coming from her inmost heart, spoke to him as follows. My sweet love and highest good, of what account am I, the insignificant dust and gnashes before thy vast power? What is the misery of a creature in comparison with thy endless affluence? In all things, thou excellest our lowliness, and thy immense sea of mercy overwhelms our imperfections and defects. If I have not been zealous in serving thee, as I am constrained to confess, do thou chastise my negligence and pardon it, but let me, my Son and Lord, see the gladness of thy countenance, which is my salvation, and the wishful light of my life and being. Here at thy feet I lay my poverty, mingling it with the dust, and I shall not rise from it until I can again look into the mirror which reflects my soul. These and other pleadings, full of wisdom and most ardent love, the great Queen poured humbly forth before her most holy Son, and as his longings to restore her to his delights were even greater than those of the Blessed Lady, he pronounced with great sweetness these few words. My Mother Arise As these words were pronounced by him, who is himself the word of the Eternal Father, it had such an effect that the Heavenly Mother was instantly transformed and elevated into a most exalted ecstasy in which she saw the divinity by an extractive vision. In it the Lord received her with sweetest welcome and embraces of a Father and spouse, changing her tears into rejoicing, her sufferings into delight, and her bitterness into highest sweetness. The Lord manifested to her great secrets of the scope of his new evangelical law. Wishing to write it entirely into her purest heart, the most holy Trinity appointed and destined her as his firstborn daughter and the first disciple of the incarnate word, and set her up as the model and pattern for all the holy apostles, martyrs, doctors, confessors, virgins, and other just of the new church and of the law of grace, which the incarnate word was to establish for the redemption of man. To this mystery must be referred all that the Heavenly Lady says of herself and which the holy church applies to her in the twenty-fourth chapter of Ecclesiasticus under the figure of divine wisdom. I will not detain myself in explaining it, as by proceeding to describe this mysterious event I shall make plain what the Holy Spirit says in this chapter of Our Great Queen. It is sufficient to quote some of the sayings therein contained, so that all may understand something of this admirable mystery. I came out of the mouth of the Most High, says this Lady. The firstborn before all creatures. I made that in the heavens. There should arise light that never faileth, and as a cloud I covered all the earth. I dwelt in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of cloud. I alone have compassed the circuit of heaven, and have penetrated into the bottom of the deep, and have walked in the waves of the sea, and have stood in all the earth, and in every people, and in every nation, I have had the chief rule, and by my power I have trodden under my feet the hearts of all the high and low, and in all these I sought rest, and I shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord. Then the Creator of all things commanded and said to me, and He that made me, rested in my tabernacle, and He said to me, Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inheritance in Israel, and take root in my elect. From the beginning, ab in Yeteo, and before the world, I was created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy dwelling place I have ministered before him. And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city, likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem. And I took root in an honorable people, and in the portion of my God, his inheritance, and my abode, is in the full assembly of his saints. Ecclesiasticus, Chapter 24, Verses 5-16 A little farther on in Ecclesiasticus continues to enumerate the Excellences of Mary saying, I have stretched out my branches as the turpentine tree, and my branches are of honor and of grace. As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odor, and my flowers are the fruit of honor and riches, I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. In me is all the grace on the way and the truth. In me is all hope of life and of virtue. Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits. For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb. My memory is unto everlasting generations. They that eat me shall yet hunger, and they that drink me shall yet thirst. He that hearken to me shall not be confounded, and they that work by me shall not sin. They that shall explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus, Chapter 24, Verses 22-31 Let these words of Scripture suffice for pious souls, for in them they will immediately recognize such a pregnancy of mysteries and sacraments, referring to Most Holy Mary, that their hearts will at once be lifted up, and they will understand and feel to what an inexplicable greatness and excellence the teaching and instruction of her son have exalted the sovereign mother. By the decree of the Most Holy Trinity, this Princess of Heaven was made the true Ark of the Covenant in the New Testament. Apocalypse, Chapter 11, Verse 19 And from the abundance of her wisdom and grace, as from an immense ocean, all sorts of blessings, which were received and shall be received by the other saints, until the end of the world, have overflowed. The heavenly mother came out of her trance, and again adored her Most Holy Son, asking his forgiveness for any negligence that she might have been guilty of in his service. The child Jesus, raising her up from the ground where she lay prostrate, said to her, My mother, I am much pleased with the affection of thy heart, and I wish thee to dilate it and prepare it for new tokens of my love. I will fulfill the will of my father, record in thy bosom the evangelical law which I came to teach in this world, and thou, mother, shall put it in practice with the perfection desired by me. The Most Pure Queen responded, My son and lord, may I find grace in thy eyes, and do thou govern my faculties in the ways of thy rectitude and pleasure, speak my lord, for thy servant hears, and will follow thee unto death. 3rd Book of Kings, Chapter 3, Verse 10 During this conference of the divine child and his holy mother, the great lady began again to see the Most Holy Soul of Christ and its interior operations, and from that day on, this blessing increased as well subjectively as objectively. For she continued to receive more clear and more exalted light, and in her Most Holy Son, she saw mirrored the whole of the new law of the gospel with all its mysteries, sacraments and doctrines, according as the divine architect of the church, had conceived it, and as he had, in his quality, of redeemer and teacher, predisposed it for the benefit of men. In addition to this clear vision of this law, which was reserved to Mary alone, he added another kind of instruction, for also in his own living words, he taught and instructed her in the hidden things of his wisdom. Psalm 50, Verse 8 Such as all men and angels could never comprehend, this wisdom of which Mary partook without deceit, she also communicated without envy, both before and still more, after the ascension of Christ our Lord. I well know that it belongs to this history, to manifest the most hidden mysteries, which pass between Christ our Lord and his mother, during the years of his boyhood and youth, until his preaching, for all these years were spent in teaching his heavenly mother. But I must confess again, as I have done above, that I, as well as all other creatures, are incapable of such exalted discourse. In order to do justice to these mysteries and secrets, it would be necessary to explain all the mysteries of the Holy Scriptures, the whole Christian doctrine, all the virtues, all the traditions of the Holy Church, all the arguments against errors and sex, the decrees of the Holy Councils, all that upholds the Church and preserves her to the end of the world, and also the great mysteries of the glorious lives of the saints. For all this was written in the purest heart of our great Queen, and it would be necessary to add thereto, all the works of the Redeemer and Teacher, in multiplying the blessings and instructions of the Church. Also all that the Holy Evangelists, Apostles, Prophets, and Ancient Fathers have recorded, and that which afterwards was practiced by the saints, the light vouchsafe to the doctors, the sufferings of the martyrs and virgins, and all the graces which they received for bearing their sufferings and accomplishing their works of holiness. All this and much more that cannot be enumerated here, as Holy Mary knew and personally comprehended and witnessed. She it was that gave proper thanks for it, and corresponded with it in her actions as much as is possible for a mere creature, cooperating with the Eternal Father, as the author of it all, and with her, his only begotten Son, as the head of the Church. These things I will explain farther on, in so far as it will be possible. Nor, in attending to the instructions of her Son and teacher, and in fulfilling all her works with the highest perfection, did she ever fail in what concerned the outward service and the bodily wants of her Son and St. Joseph. But to all her duties, she applied herself without failing or neglect, providing for their food and their comforts, always prostrate on her knees, before her most Holy Son, with ineffable reverence. She also sought to procure for St. Joseph the consoling intercourse of the child Jesus, as if he had been his natural father. In this, the Divine Child obeyed his mother, many times bearing St. Joseph company in the hard labor, which the St. pursued with tireless diligence, in order to support with the sweat of his brow, the Son of the Eternal Father and his mother. When the Divine Child grew larger, he sometimes helped St. Joseph as far as his strength would permit. At other times, as his doings were always kept a secret in the family, he would perform miracles, regarding the natural forces in order to ease and comfort him in his labors. Instruction given to me by the Queen of Heaven. My daughter, I call thee anew to be, from this day on, my disciple and my companion, in the practice of the Celestial Doctrine, which my Divine Son teaches his Church, by means of the Holy Gospels and other scriptures. I desire of thee to prepare thy heart, with new diligence and attention, so that, like a chosen soil, it may receive the living and holy seed of the Word of the Lord, producing fruits a hundredfold. CHAPTER VIII Make thy heart attentive to my words, and at the same time let thy reading of the Holy Gospels be continual, meditate and ponder within thyself the doctrines and mysteries which thou perceivest therein. Hear the voice of thy spouse and master. He calls all men, and invites them to the feast of his words of eternal life. JOHN CHAPTER VI VIRUS 69 But so great is the dangerous deception of this mortal life, that only very few souls wish to hear and understand the way of light. MATHEW CHAPTER VII VIRUS 14 Many follow the delights presented to them by the Prince of Darkness, and those that follow them know not whether they are led. JOHN CHAPTER XII VIRUS 35 But thou art called by the Most High to the paths of true life, follow them by imitating me, and thou wilt have thy longings fulfilled, deny thyself to all that is earthly and visible, ignore it and refuse to look upon it, have no desire for it, and pay no attention to it, avoid being known, and let no creatures have any part in thee, guard thou thy secret. Isaiah chapter 24 verse 16 AND THY TREASURE Matthew chapter 13 verse 44 From the fascination of men and from the devil, in all this wilt thou have success, if, as a disciple of my most holy son and of me, thou putest in perfect practice the evangelical doctrine inculcated by us, in order to compel thyself to such an exalted undertaking, always be mindful of the blessing of being called by divine providence, to the imitation of my life and virtues, and to the following of my footsteps throughout my instruction. From the state of a novice, thou must pass on to a more exalted state, and to the full profession of the Catholic faith, conforming thyself to the evangelical law, and to the example of thy Redeemer, running after the odor of his ointments, and by his truth in the paths of rectitude. By first being my disciple, thou shouldest prepare thyself for becoming a disciple of my son. Both these states should lead thee to the perfect union with the immutable being a God. These three stages are favors of peerless value, which place thee in a position to become more perfect than the exalted Seraphim. The divine right hand has conceded them to thee, in order to dispose, prepare and enable thee to receive proper light and intelligence for recording the works, virtues, mysteries, and sacraments of my life. Freely and without thy merit, the Lord has shown thee this great mercy, yielding to my petitions and intercessions. I have procured thee this favor, because thou dissubject thyself in fear and trembling to the will of the Lord in obedience to thy superiors, who continue to give thee express commands for the writing of this history. Thy greatest reward is that thou hast learnt of the three stages or ways which are so mysterious, hidden and exalted, above carnal prudence, and so pleasing to thy divine master. Isaiah chapter 24 verse 16 They contain most abundant instruction, as thou thyself hast learnt, and experienced for the attainment of still higher ends. Do thou record them separately in a treatise for itself, according to the will of my most holy son. Let its title be the same as what thou hast already mentioned in the introduction of this history. Laws of the spouse, crumbs of his chaste love, and fruits collected from the tree of life in this history. End of chapter two. Book two chapter three of the mystical city of God, volume three, by the venerable sister Mary of Jesus of a greater. This labor box recording is in the public domain. Book one chapter three. Most holy Mary and Joseph go to Jerusalem every year, according to the requirement of the law. And they take with them the child Jesus. Some days after our Queen and Lady with her most holy son and Saint Joseph had settled in Nazareth, the time of the year in which the Jews were obliged to present themselves before the Lord in the temple of Jerusalem was at hand. This commandment obliged the Jews to this duty three times each year as can be seen in Exodus and Deuteronomy. But it obliged only the men, not the women. Exodus chapter 23 verse 17. Therefore the women could go or not, according to their devotion, for it was neither commanded nor prohibited to them. The heavenly lady and her spouse conferred with each other as to what they should do in this regard. The holy husband much desired the company of the great queen, his wife, and of her most holy son, for he wished to offer him anew to the eternal father in the temple. The most pure mother also was drawn by her piety to worship the Lord in the temple, but as in all things of that kind she did not permit herself to decide without the counsel and direction of the incarnate word, her teacher. She asked his advice upon this matter. They finally arranged that two times a year Saint Joseph was to go to Jerusalem by himself, while on the third occasion they would go together. The Israelites visited the temple on the Feast of the Tabernacles. Deuteronomy chapter 16 verse 13. The Feast of the Weeks, or Pentecost, and the Feast of the Unloving-Breds, or the Posks, of the Preparation. To this latter the sweetest Jesus, most pure Mary and Joseph went up together. It lasted seven days, and during that time happened what I shall relate in the next chapter, for the other solemnities Saint Joseph went alone, leaving the child and the mother at home. The Holy Spouse Joseph made these pilgrimages for himself and his spouse in the name of the incarnate word. Instructed by him and furnished with his graces, the Saint journey to the temple, offering there to the eternal Father, the gifts always reserved for this occasion. Being the substitute of the mother and son, who remained at home praying for him, he offered up the mysterious sacrifices of his prayers, and as he therein represented Jesus and Mary, his offering was more acceptable to the eternal Father than the offerings of the whole Jewish people. But whenever he was accompanied by the incarnate word and the virgin mother, at the Feast of the Posks, the journey was a more wonderful one to him and to the heavenly courtiers, who, as I have already recorded of similar occasions, formed for them a most solemn procession. The ten thousand angels accompanied the three pilgrims, Jesus Mary and Joseph, in human forms, refulgent in their beauty and full of the profoundest reverence, serving their Creator and their Queen. The distance between Nazareth and Jerusalem was in the neighborhood of thirty leagues, and the holy angels, according to the command and disposition of the incarnate word, observed the same mode of accompaniment, both in going and returning. They consumed more time in these journeys than in previous ones, for after they had come back from Egypt, the child Jesus desired that they journey on foot, and therefore all three, the son and the parents, made the pilgrimage afoot. And it was necessary to proceed slowly, for already the child Jesus began to assume hardships in the service of his eternal Father and for our advantage. He refused to make use of his immense power for lessening the difficulties of the journey, but undertook it as a man subject to suffering and allowed all the natural causes to produce their effects. One of these effects was the fatigue and exhaustion caused by travel. Although in his first journey the Heavenly Mother and St. Joseph eased his fatigue by sometimes carrying him in their arms, yet this was but a slight alleviation, and later on he always made the whole journey on foot. The sweetest mother did not interfere, since she knew his desire of suffering, but ordinarily she led him by the hand, and sometimes this was also done by St. Joseph. Many times, when the child was fatigued and overheated, the loving and prudent mother was moved to the tenderest and tearful compassion. She inquired about his sufferings and fatigue, and wiped his divine countenance, which was more beautiful than the heavens and all the stars. She was wont to do this on her knees and with ineffable reverence. The divine child would respond with much pleasure, and speak of the delight with which he accepted these hardships for the glory of the Eternal Father and for the good of men. With these conversations and conferences varied by canticles of divine praise, they shortened much of their journey, as I have already mentioned in other places. At other times, when the great Queen and Lady beheld on the one hand the interior activity of the soul of Christ, and on the other hand the perfection of his deified humanity, the beauty and activity of which manifested itself in the operations of divine grace and in his growth as true man, and when she pondered upon all this in her heart. Luke chapter 2 verse 19. She exercised herself in heroic acts of all the virtues, and was inflamed with divine love. She beheld also the child as the son of the Eternal Father and as the true God. Without ever failing in the love of a true and natural mother, she showed him all the reverence due to him as her God and Creator. All this flowed naturally from her spotless and pure heart. Very often the wind would flutter through the hair of the child Jesus as he walked along. His hair grew to no greater length than was necessary, and he lost none of it, except what the executioners tore out later on. Such little incidents were noticed by the sweetest mother, and they afforded her subjects for affectionate and sweet meditation. In all her interior and exterior conduct, she was wonderful to the angels and pleasing to her most Holy Son and Creator. During these journeys of the Holy Family, Jesus and Mary performed heroic acts of charity for the benefit of souls. They converted many to the knowledge of the Lord, freed them from their sins, and justified them, leading them on the way of eternal life. But as it was not yet time for the Teacher of Virtue to manifest himself, all these works were done in secret. Chapter 12 Verse 49 As the heavenly Lady knew that such activity was enjoined upon her Son by the Eternal Father, and that for the present it was to remain hidden, she concurred therein as the instrument of the Redeemer's will, though in a covered and hidden manner. In order to govern herself according to the dictates of the highest wisdom, the most prudent Lady always consulted the Divine Child, concerning all her dooming on the way, and concerning their stopping places and their lodging-houses on their journey. The heavenly Princess well knew that her Son pre-arranged the occasions for his admirable works, which he foresaw and foreordered in his wisdom. Hence they passed their nights sometimes in lodging places, sometimes in the open fields, but the Divine Child and his Purist Mother never separated. At all times, the Great Lady attended upon her Son and Master, watching his actions in order to imitate and follow them closely. The same she did in the Temple, where she joined in the prayers and petitions of the incarnate Word to his Eternal Father, and was witness to the humble and profound reverence by which his humanity acknowledged the gifts flowing from the Divinity. A few times the most blessed Mother heard the voice of the Father saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew Chapter 17 Verse 5 At other times she perceived and witnessed how her most Holy Son prayed for her to the Eternal Father, and how he offered her to him as his True Mother. And this knowledge was inexpressibly joyful to her. She perceived also how he prayed for the whole human race, and how he offered up all his works and labors for all these ends. In these petitions and offerings she accompanied, imitated, and followed him at all times. It happened also at other times that the holy angels entombed hymns of sweetest harmony in honor of the incarnate Word, as well when they entered the Temple as on their journey. The most fortunate Mother saw them and listened to them, understanding all the mysteries, and being filled thereby with new light and wisdom. Her purest heart was inflamed and blazed up in divine love. The most high showered upon her new gifts and blessings, such as my inadequate tongue, cannot clothe in words. But by them he prepared her for the adversities which she was to suffer. For, many times after these consolations, she beheld as in a panorama all the affronts, ignominies, and sufferings awaiting her most Holy Son in that same city of Jerusalem. In order that she might, already at that time, see all this with so much the more vivid sorrow, he was want to enter upon his prayers in the presence of his sweetest Mother. And as she was filled with the light of divine wisdom, and with a divine love for God and her Son, she was pierced with the sword of sorrow mentioned by Simeon. Luke chapter two verse 35. She shed many tears in anticipation of the injuries to be borne by her sweetest Son, and at the thought of the sufferings and ignominious death to which he was destined. Isaiah chapter 53 verse three. Her soul was filled with anguish when she remembered that the beauty of the Son of God, greater than that of all men, was to be disfigured worse than with leprosy. Wisdom chapter two verse 20. Psalm 44 verse three. And that she herself was to see all this with her own eyes. In order to lessen her sorrows, the divine child was want to turn toward her, telling her to dilate her heart with charity for the human race, and together with him, offer to the eternal Father all these sufferings for the salvation of men. Thus both Son and mother made delightful offerings to the Holy Trinity, applying them for the benefit of the faithful, and especially for the predestined, who would profit by their merits, and by the redemption through the incarnate Word. Principally in these occupations, the sweetest Jesus and his mother spent the days of their visits to the temple of Jerusalem. Instruction vouchsafed me by Mary, the most Holy Queen. My daughter, if thou wilt deeply and attentively weigh thy obligations, thou wilt find very easy and sweet, all the labors enjoined upon thee by the commands and precepts of the holy law of the Lord. This must be the first step of thy pilgrimage, as the beginning and foundation of all Christian perfection. But I have already many times reminded thee that the fulfillment of the precepts of the Lord must not be cold and lukewarm, but most fervent and devoted. For this favor will prevent thee from being satisfied with common virtue and excite thee to undertake works of purest love beyond that which God imposes upon thee by command. For this is one of the artifices of his wisdom that he seeks to be obliged by his true servants and friends in order that he may reward them. And this is what I desire of thee. Remember, dearest, that the journey from the mortal to the eternal life is long, painful and dangerous. Matthew chapter seven verse 14. Long, because it takes up the whole life, painful on account of the hardships, dangerous on account of the human frailty and the astuteness of the enemies. In addition to this, the time is short. First letter to the Corinthians chapter seven verse 29. The end uncertain. Ecclesiasticus chapter nine verse two. Being either very happy or most unfortunate. Matthew chapter 25 verse 31. While the one as well as the other termination is irrevocable. Ecclesiasticus chapter 11 verse three. Since the sin of Adam, the animal and earthly life of man is burdensome for those that subject themselves to it. Job chapter seven verse 29. The chains of the passions are strong. The war against the lower nature continual sensual pleasures are always present and easily fascinate the faculties of man, while that which is noble, as well as its immediate consequences is often hidden from the gaze. All this fills the pilgrimage of life with hazardous dangers and difficulties. Among all these dangers and difficulties, not the least of those of the flesh for its human weakness, always present and always active withdraws many from grace. The shortest and most secure course to follow both for the and for all men is to welcome bitterness and sorrow and put aside ease and pleasure of the senses and inviolably to resolve not to allow them to become dissipate or enjoy greater freedom than the strict rule of reason permits. In addition to this, thou must continually seek after the greater pleasure of the Lord and aspire to the great last end of all thy longings. For this purpose, thou must always be solicitous to imitate me, for to this I call and invite thee, desiring that thou arrive at the summit of virtue and holiness. Consider the punctuality and fervor with which I achieve so many and so great results, not because the Lord urged me on by his commands, but because I wish to please him more. Do thou also multiply thy deeds of fervor, thy devotions, thy spiritual exercises, and in all things increase thy prayers and sacrifices to the eternal father for the benefit of mortals. Help them also by the example and thy exhortations wherever thou canst. Console the sorrowful, encourage the weak, help the fallen to arise, and for all of them offer, if necessary, thy own lifeblood. Above all, strive to please my most holy son, who suffers so kindly the ingratitude of men, preserving them in existence and continuing to shower his favors upon them. Consider his invincible love toward them and how I imitate him, and even now show toward them the same love. I desire of thee that thou follow thy sweet spouse in his exalted charity, and also me, who am thy teacher. End of chapter three Book one chapter four of the mystical city of God, volume three, by the venerable sister Mary of Jesus of Agreta. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Book one chapter four. At 12 years of age, the child Jesus goes with his parents to Jerusalem, and he conceals himself from them in the temple. As I have said, Mary and Joseph repeated their visit to the temple at the feast of the unleaven bread every year. Also, when the divine child was 12 years old, and when it was time to allow the splendors of his inaccessible and divine light to shine forth, they went to the temple for this feast. Luke chapter two verse 42. This festival of the unleavened bread lasted seven days, according to the command of the divine law, and the more solemn days were the first and the last. On this account, our heavenly pilgrims remained in Jerusalem during the whole week, spending their time in acts of worship and devotion, as the rest of the Jews, although on account of the sacraments connected with each of them, their worship and devotion was entirely different and greatly exalted above that of the others. The Blessed Mother and Holy Joseph received during these days, favors and blessings beyond the conception of the human mind. Having thus spent all the seven days of the feast, they betook themselves on their way home to Nazareth. When his parents departed from Jerusalem, and were pursuing their way homeward, the child Jesus withdrew from them without their knowledge. For this purpose, the Lord availed himself of the separation of the men and women, which had become customary among the pilgrims for reasons of decency, as well as for greater recollection during their return homeward. The children which accompanied their parents were taken in charge promiscuously, either by the men or the women, since their company with either was a matter of indifference. Thus it happened that St. Joseph could easily suppose that the child Jesus had remained with his Most Holy Mother, with whom he generally remained. The thought that she would go without him was far from his mind, since the heavenly Queen loved and delighted in him more than any other creature, human or angelic. The great lady did not have so many reasons for supposing that her Most Holy Son was in the company of St. Joseph, but the Lord himself so diverted her thoughts by holy and divine contemplations that she did not notice his absence at first. When afterwards she became aware of her not being accompanied by her sweetest and beloved son, she suppose that the Blessed Joseph had taken him along, and that the Lord accompanied his foster father for his consolation. Thus assured, Holy Mary and Joseph pursued their homeward journey for an entire day, as St. Luke tells us. As the pilgrims proceeded onwards, they gradually thinned out, each taking his own direction and joining again with his wife or family. The Most Holy Mary and St. Joseph found themselves at length in the place where they had agreed to meet on the first evening after leaving Jerusalem. When the great lady saw that the child was not with St. Joseph, and when the holy patriarch found that he was not with his mother, the two were struck dumb with amazement and surprise for quite a while. Both, governed in their judgment by their most profound humility, felt overwhelmed with self-reproach at their remissness in watching over their Most Holy Son and thus blame themselves for his absence, for neither of them had any suspicion of the mysterious manner in which he had been able to elude their vigilance. After a time, they recovered somewhat from their astonishment and with deepest sorrow took counsel with each other as to what was to be done. Luke chapter 2 verse 45 The loving mother said to St. Joseph, My spouse and my master, my heart cannot rest unless we return with all haste to Jerusalem in order to seek my Most Holy Son. This they proceeded to do, beginning their search among their relations and friends, of whom, however, none could give them any information or any comfort in their sorrow. On the contrary, their answers only increased their anxiety since none of them had so much as seen their son since their departure from Jerusalem. The afflicted mother turned to her holy angels, those that carried the discussions, inscribed with the Most Holy Name of Jesus, of which I spoke at the circumcision, had accompanied the Lord while the other angels still remained with the purest mother. This was the order maintained whenever the son separated from the mother. These, who numbered ten thousand, she asked, saying, My friends and companions, you well know the cause of my sorrow. In this bitter affliction, be my consolation, and give me some information concerning my beloved so that I may seek and find him. Canticles chapter 3 verse 2 Give some relief to my wounded heart, which, torn from its happiness in life, bounds from its place in search of him. The holy angels, who, though they never lost sight of the Creator and Redeemer, were aware that the Lord wished to furnish his mother this occasion of great merit, and that it was not yet time to reveal the secret to her, answered by speaking to her words of consolation without manifesting to her the whereabouts and the doings of their Lord. This evasive answer raised new doubts in the most prudent lady. Her anxiety of heart caused her to break out in tears, and sighs of inmost grief, and urged her onward in search, not of the lost dracom, like the woman in the Gospel, but of the whole treasure of heaven and earth. Luke chapter 15 verse 8 The mother of wisdom then began to discuss within her heart the different possibilities. The first thought, which presented itself to her, was the fearless Archelaus, imitating the cruelty of his father Herod, should have obtained notice of the presence of Jesus and had taken him prisoner. Although she knew from the holy scriptures and revelations, and by her conversations with her most holy son and teacher, that the time for his passion and death had not yet come, and that the king would not take away his life, yet she was filled with dread at the thought that they should have taken him prisoner and might ill treat him. In her profoundest humility, she also had misgivings, lest per chance she had in any way displeased him, by her conduct, and therefore deserved that he should leave her and take up his abode in the desert with his precursor, Saint John. At other times, addressing her absent love, she exclaimed, Sweet love and delight of my soul, thou art impelled by thy desire of suffering for men, and by thy immense charity to avoid no labor or pain, but on the contrary I fear, O Lord and Master, that thou seekest it on purpose. Isaiah chapter 53 verse 7 Whither shall I go, and whither shall I find thee, light of my eyes? Tobias chapter 10 verse 4 Does thou wish to deprive me of life by the sword of severance from thy presence? But I do not wonder, O my highest good, thou chastisest by thy absence, her who did not know how to profit by thy company. Why, O my Lord, hast thou enriched me with the delights of thy infancy, if I am so soon to lose the assistance of thy loving instruction? But woe is me, since not being worthy to retain and enjoy thee as my son, I must confess that I am obliged to thank thee even for the favor of condescending to accept me as thy slave. If the privilege of being thy unworthy mother can be of any avail in finding thee, my God and my highest good, do thou, O Lord, permit it, and make me worthy again of finding thee, so that I may go with thee in the desert, to sufferings, labors, tribulations, or whatever thou wilt. My Lord, my soul desires to merit at least in part, to share thy sorrows and torments, to die if I do not find thee, or to live in thy service and presence. When thy divinity hid itself from my gaze, thy amiable humanity at least remained, and although thou wast a steer and less kind to me than thou hadest been, I could throw myself at thy feet, but now this happiness is taken away from me, and I have lost sight entirely of the sun, which enlightens me, left only to groans in size. Ah, love of my soul, what size from the inmost of my heart can I send thee as messengers? But I am not worthy of thy clemency, since my eyes find no traces of thee. Thus this sincerest dove persevered in her tears and groans, without cessation or rest, without sleeping or eating anything for three whole days. Although the ten thousand angels accompanied her in corporeal forms, and witnessed her affliction and sorrow, yet they gave her no clue to find her lost child. On the third day, the great queen resolved to seek him in the desert, where Saint John was. For since she saw no indications that Archelaus had taken him prisoner, she began to believe more firmly that her most holy son was with Saint John. When she was about to execute her resolve, and was on the point of departing for the desert, the holy angels detained her, urging her not to undertake the journey, since the divine word was not there. She wanted also to go to Bethlehem, in the hope of finding him in the cave of the nativity, but this the holy angels likewise prevented, telling her that he was not so far off. Although the blessed mother heard these answers, and well perceived that the holy angels knew the whereabouts of the child Jesus, she was so considerate and reserved in her humility and prudence, that she gave no response, nor asked where she could find him, for she understood that they withheld this information by command of the Lord. With such magnanimous reverence did the queen of the angels treat the sacraments of the Most High and of his ministers and ambassadors. Second Book of Maccabees, Chapter 2, Verse 9. This was one of the occasions in which the greatest of her queenly and magnanimous heart was made manifest. Not all the sorrows suffered by all the martyrs ever reached the height of the sorrows of the Most Holy Mary in this trial, nor will the patience, resignation, and tolerance of this lady ever be equaled, nor can they, for the loss of Jesus was greater to her than the loss of anything created, while her love and appreciation of him exceeded all that can be conceived by any other creature. Since she did not know the cause of the loss, her anxiety was beyond all measure, as I have already said. Moreover, during these three days, the Lord left her to her natural resources of nature and grace, deprived of special privileges and favors. For with the exception of the company and intercourse of the angels, he suspended all the other consolations and blessings, so constantly vouchsafed to her Most Holy Soul. From all this we can surmise, what sorrow filled the loving heart of the Heavenly Mother. But, O prodigy of holiness, prudence, fortitude, and perfection, in such unheard of affliction and sorrow, she was not disturbed, nor lost her interior or exterior peace, nor did she entertain a thought of anger or indignation, nor allow herself any improper movement or expression, nor fell into any excess of grief or annoyance, as is so common in great affliction with other children of Adam, who allow all their passions and faculties to be disarranged, yea, even in small difficulties. The mistress of virtue held all her powers in heavenly order and harmony, though her sorrow was without comparison great, and had pierced her in most heart. She failed not in reverence and in the praise of the Lord, nor seized in her prayers and petitions for the human race, and for the finding of her Most Holy Son. With this heavenly wisdom and with greatest diligence, she sought him for three successive days, roaming through the streets of the city, asking different persons and describing to the daughters of Jerusalem, the marks of her beloved, searching the byways on the open squares of the city, and thereby fulfilling what was recorded in the canticles of Solomon. CANTICLES CHAPTER V verse 10 Some of the women asked her what were the distinctive marks of her lost and only son, and she answered in the words of the spouse. My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands. One of the women, hearing her thus describing him, said, This child, with those same marks, came yesterday to my door to ask for alms, and I gave some to him, and his grace and beauty have ravished my heart, and when I gave him alms, I felt myself overcome by compassion to see a child so gracious in poverty and want. These were the first news the sorrowful mother heard of her only begotten in Jerusalem. A little respited in her sorrow, she pursued her quest and met other persons, who spoke of him in like manner. Guided by this information, she directed her steps to the hospital of the city, thinking that among the afflicted, she would find the spouse and the originator of patient poverty among his own legitimate brethren and friends. MATHEW CHAPTER 5 VIRS. 40 Inquiring at that place, she was informed that a child of that description had paid his visits to the inmates, leaving some alms and speaking words of much consolation to the afflicted. The report of these doings of her beloved caused sentiments of sweetest and most tender affection in the heart of the heavenly lady, which she sent forth from her inmost heart as messengers to her lost and absent son. Then the thought struck her that since he was not with the poor, he no doubt tarried in the temple, as in the house of God and of prayer. The holy angels encouraged her and said, Our queen and lady, the hour of thy consolation is at hand. Soon thou wilt see the light of thy eyes, hasten thy footsteps, and go to the temple. The glorious patriarch Saint Joseph at this moment again met his spouse, for in order to increase their chance of finding the divine child they had separated in different directions. By another angel he had now been likewise ordered to proceed to the temple. During all these three days he had suffered unspeakable sorrow and affliction, hastening from one place to another, sometimes without his heavenly spouse, sometimes with her. He was in serious danger of losing his life during this time, if the hand of the Lord had not strengthened him, and if the most prudent lady had not consoled him and forced him to take some food and rest. His sincere and exquisite love for the divine child made him so anxious and solicitous to find him, that he would have allowed himself no time or care to take nourishment for the support of nature. Following the advice of the holy princes, the most pure Mary and Joseph betook themselves to the temple where happened what I will relate in the next chapter. Instructions given to me by the Queen of Heaven, most holy Mary. My daughter, by oft-repeated experience, mortals know that they do not lose without sorrow what once they have possessed with delight. This truth, so well established, should convince men what little love they have for their god and creator, since among the many who lose him there are so few who heartily grieve at this loss, and thereby show that they have never possessed or loved him with a love flowing from grace, just as they fail to grieve at losing the highest good, which they do not hold in loving possession, so they also fail to seek after their god when they have lost him. But there is a great difference in the manner in which men lose sight of their highest good, for it is not the same to lose sight of god, for the purpose of being tried in virtue and love, and to lose sight of him in punishment for sins committed. The first is a contrivance of divine love and a means of communicating itself more abundantly to the one that longs for it and merits it. The second is a just punishment for outrages committed against the divinity. In the first kind of absence, the Lord humiliates the soul by holy fear and filial love, leaving it uncertain whether it has not given cause for his withdrawal. Proverbs 28 verse 13. Although its conscience does not represent it, the loving and ingenuous heart knows its danger, feels the loss, and thus, as the wise man says, is blessed. Ecclesiasticus 9 verse 1. For it then lives in constant fear and dread of such a loss, knowing that man, until the end of this life, is uncertain whether he deserves love or hate in the sight of God. During their mortal existence, the just man and the sinner commonly share the same good and evil lot without much distinction. This is the great evil which the wise man mentions, as among the happenings under the sun, that the impious and the wicked harden their hearts in their malice and false security, seeing that the same mishaps befall both themselves and others, and that no one can tell with certainty who are the chosen and the reprobate, the friends or enemies of God, the just or the sinners, who are worthy of love and who of hate. But if men would dispassionately and without deceit appeal to their conscience, it would answer each one truthfully what he should know. Luke chapter 12 verse 58. For when it cries out against sins committed they would be foolish not to attribute the evils and adversities to themselves or to fail to see themselves forsaken by grace and deprived of the highest good. If their reason were unbiased, the greatest source of misgivings would be to be unmoved by the loss or by the cessation of the spiritual joys of grace. For the want of this misgiving in a soul created and destined for eternal happiness is a strong indication that the soul neither desires nor loves this happiness, and therefore it is a sign that it does not seek it in earnest so as to enjoy a well-founded prospect of once possessing the highest good. For thou must remember that this well-founded assurance of having not forfeited it in this mortal life can be attained by all faithful souls. I was deprived of the bodily presence of my most holy son, but although I was in hope of again finding him, yet in my great love the uncertainty as to the cause of his withdrawal gave me no rest until I found him. In this I wish that thou, my dearest, imitate me, whether thou lose him through thy own fault or by the disposition of his own will. So great should be thy dread of losing him through thy fault that neither tribulation, nor trouble, nor necessity, nor danger, nor persecution, nor the sword, neither height nor depth, should ever withhold thee from seeking after thy God. Romans chapter 8 verse 35 For if thou art faithful as thou shouldst be, and if thou dost not wish to lose him, neither the angels, nor the principalities, nor the powers, nor any other creature can ever deprive thee of him, so strong are the bonds of his love and his chains that no one can burst them except thy own free will. Book 1 chapter 5 of the Mystical City of God, volume 3, by the venerable sister Mary of Jesus of Ereda. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Book 1 chapter 5 After three days, most Holy Mary and St. Joseph find the child Jesus in the temple disputing with the teachers. In the foregoing chapter a partial answer might be found to the question raised by some as to how the Heavenly Queen, who was so diligent and solicitous and attending upon and serving her most Holy Son, could ever so far lose him out of sight as to leave him in Jerusalem. Although it would be a sufficient answer to say that the Lord Himself brought it about, yet I will now explain more fully how it could have happened without any voluntary negligence or oversight of the loving Mother. It is certain that besides availing Himself of the great concourse of people, our Lord was obliged to use also, supernatural means, to elude the attention of his solicitous Mother, for without it she could no more have lost sight of him than of the Son that lighted her on the way. Therefore at the parting of the men and the women, which I mentioned, the Almighty Lord visited his Heavenly Mother with an abstracted vision of the Divinity, which with divine power, centered and withdrew all her faculties toward her interior. She thus remained so abstracted, inflamed and deprived of her senses, that she could make use of them only insofar as was necessary to pursue her way, as to all the rest she was entirely lost in the sweetness and consolation of the Divine Vision. Saint Joseph was guided in his behavior by the circumstances already mentioned, although he also was wrapped in a most exalted contemplation, which made more easy and mysterious his error in regard to the whereabouts of the child. Thus Jesus withdrew himself from both of them, remaining in Jerusalem. When after a considerable while, the Queen came to herself and found herself without the company of her Most Holy Son, she supposed him to be with his reputed Father. It is very near to the gate of the city that the Divine Child turned and he sent back through the streets, foreseeing in his Divine Four Knowledge all that was to happen. He offered it up to his Eternal Father for the benefit of souls. He asked for alms during these three days, in order to ennoble from that time, unhumble mendicity, as the firstborn of holy poverty. He visited the hospitals of the poor, consoling them and giving them the alms which he had received. Secretly he restored bodily health to some and spiritual health to many, by enlightening them interiorly and leading them back to the Way of Salvation. On some of the benefactors, who gave him alms, he performed these wonders with a great abundance of grace and light, thus fulfilling from that time on the promise which he was afterwards to make to his Church, that he who gives to the just and to the Prophet, in the name of the Prophet, shall receive the reward of the just. Having thus busied himself with these and other works of his Father, he betook himself to the Temple. On the day which the Evangelist mentions, it happened that also the rabbis, who were the learned and the teachers of the Temple, met in a certain part of the buildings, in order to confer among themselves, concerning some doubtful points of holy scriptures. On this occasion, the coming of the Messiah was discussed, for on account of the report of the wonderful events which had spread about, since the birth of the Baptist and the visit of the Kings of the East, the rumor of the coming of the Redeemer and of his being already in the world, though yet unknown, had gained ground among the Jews. They were all seated in their places filled with the sense of authority, customary to those who are teachers and considered as learned. The child Jesus came to the meeting of these distinguished men, and he that was the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Apocalypse 19 verse 16 And the infinite Wisdom itself. First letter to the Corinthians, chapter 1 verse 24 And who corrects the wise? Wisdom, chapter 7 verse 15 Presented himself before the teachers of this world as a humble disciple, giving them to understand that he came to hear the discussion, and inform himself on the question treated of, namely, whether the Messiahs was already come, or if not concerning the time in which he should come into the world. The opinions of the scribes were much at variance on this question, some of them answering in the affirmative, others in the negative, those in the negative quoted some testimonies of holy scriptures and prophecies with the course interpretation represented by the apostle, namely, killing the spirit by the letter. Second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 3 verse 6 They maintained that the Messiahs was to come with kingly magnificence and display in order to secure the liberty of his people by the exercise of great power, rescuing them in a temporal manner from the slavery of the Gentiles, yet that there was no indications of this power and freedom in the present state of the Hebrews and no possibility of throwing off the yoke of the Romans. This outward circumstance was an argument of great force among this carnal and blinded people, for they presumed that the coming greatness and majesty of the promised Messiahs and the redemption was intended for themselves only, and they believed this redemption to be temporal and earthly just as even now the Jews in the obscurity which envelops their hearts. Isaiah chapter 6 verse 10 Continue to believe For to the present day they have not yet come to realize that the glory, the majesty, and the power of the Redeemer and the liberty which he is to bring to the world is not an earthly, temporal, and perishable kind, but heavenly, spiritual, and eternal, and that it is not intended alone for the Jews, although offered to them before all other nations, but indiscriminately for the whole human race descended from Adam. First letter to the Corinthians, chapter 3 verse 15 The teacher of truth, Jesus, foresaw that the discussion would end with the confirmation of this error, for although some of the learned men inclined to the contrary opinion, they were but few, and they had now been silenced by the authority and specious arguments of the others, as the Lord had come into the world in order to give testimony of the truth. John chapter 18 verse 37 Which was he himself, he would not on this occasion, when it was so important to manifest the truth, allow that the deceit and error opposed to it should be confirmed and established by the authority of the learned. His measureless charity could not pass by unnoticed this ignorance of his works and high purposes in these men, who were set as teachers of the people and matters concerning eternal life and its author, our Redeemer. Therefore the divine child presented himself to the disputants, manifesting the grace poured out over his lips. Psalm 44 verse 3 He stepped into their midst with exceeding majesty and grace, as one who would propose some doubt or solution. By his pleasing appearance, he awakened in the hearts of these learned men, a desire to hear him attentively. The divine child spoke to them as follows The question concerning the coming of the messiahs and the answer given to it, I have heard and understood completely. In order to propose my difficulty in regard to its solution, I presuppose what the prophets say, that his coming shall be in great power and majesty, which has also been confirmed by the testimonies brought forward. For Isaiah says, that he shall be our lawgiver and king, who shall save his people. Isaiah chapter 30 verse 27 And David, that he shall crush all his enemies. Psalm 44 verse 3 Daniel, that all tribes and nations shall serve him. Daniel chapter 7 verse 14 Ecclesiasticus, that he shall come with a great multitude of the saints. Ecclesiasticus chapter 24 verse 3 All the prophets and scriptures are full of similar promises, manifesting his characteristics clearly and decisively enough for all those that study them with enlightened attention. But the doubt arises from the comparison of these with other passages in the prophets, since all of them must be equally true, though on account of their brevity they may appear to contradict each other. Therefore they must agree with each other in another sense, which can and must be found equally applicable in all the passages. How then shall we understand what this same Isaiah says of him, that he shall come from the land of the living, and when he asks, who shall declare his generation? Isaiah chapter 53 verse 8 That he shall be satiated with reproach, that he shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and that he shall not open his mouth. Jeremiah states that the enemies of the messiahs shall join hands to persecute him and mix poison with his bread, and they shall wipe out his name from the earth, although they shall not prevail in their attempt. Jeremiah chapter 11 verse 19 David says that he shall be the reproach of the people and of men, and shall be trodden underfoot, and shall be despised as a worm. Psalm 21 verse 78 Zachary, that he shall come meek and humble, seated upon an insignificant beast. Zachariah chapter 9 verse 9 All the prophets say the same concerning the signs of the promised messiahs. Hence, added the divine child. How will it be possible to reconcile these prophecies if we suppose that the messiahs is to come with the power and majesty of arms in order to conquer all the kings and monarchs by violence and foreign bloodshed? We cannot fail to see that he is to come twice, once to redeem the world, and a second time to judge it. The prophecies must be applied to both these comings, giving to each one its right explanation. As the purposes of these comings are different, so must also the conditions be different, for he is not to exercise the same office in both, but widely divergent and opposite offices. In the first advent, he is to overthrow the demon, hurling him from his sovereignty over souls, obtained through the first sin, and therefore he must first render satisfaction to God for the whole human race. Then also teach men, by his word and example, the way of eternal life, how they are to overcome their enemies, serve and adore their God and Redeemer, how they must correspond to the gifts and use well the blessings of his right hand. All these requirements the messiahs must fulfill in the first coming. The second coming is for the purpose of exacting an account from all men in the general judgment, of giving to each one the return for his works, good or bad, chastising his enemies in his wrath and indignation. This is what the prophets say of his second coming. Accordingly, when we wish to understand how his first coming shall be in power and majesty, or as David says, that he shall reign from sea to sea, that in his advent he shall be glorious, as said by the other prophets. All this cannot be interpreted as referring to visible and terrestrial sovereignty with all its outward show of pomp and majesty, but of a spiritual reign in a new church, which would be extended over all the earth with sovereign power and riches of grace and virtue in opposition to the demon. By this interpretation the whole scripture becomes clear, while in another sense its different parts cannot be made to harmonize, that the people of the Jews are under dominion of the Romans and are in no condition to restore their sovereignty, not only cannot be held as a proof of his not having come, but on the contrary it is an infallible sign that he is already come into the world. For our patriarch Jacob has pointed out this very sign for the guidance of his posterity, commanding them to expect the messiahs as soon as they should see the tribe of Judah deprived of the scepter and sovereignty of Israel. Genesis chapter 49 verse 10 And you must confess that neither Judah nor any other tribe of Israel can hope to recover or hold it. The same is also proved by the weeks of Daniel. Daniel chapter 9 verse 25 Other arguments did the child Jesus add, and while seeming to ask questions he taught with a divine efficacy. The scribes and learned men who heard him were all dumbfounded, convinced by his arguments they looked at each other and in great astonishment asked, whence has he come and who is the child? But though thus astonished, they did not recognize or suspect who it was that thus taught and enlightened them concerning such an important truth. During this time, and before Jesus had finished his argument, his most holy mother and Saint Joseph, Hermos Chase Spouse, arrived, just in time to hear him advance his last arguments. When he had finished, all the teachers of the law arose with stupendous amazement, the heavenly lady, absorbed in joy, approached her most loving son, and in the presence of the whole assembly spoke to him the words recorded by St. Luke. Son, why hast thou done so to us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. Luke chapter 4 verse 48 This loving complaint, the heavenly mother uttered with equal reverence and affection, adoring him as God and manifesting her maternal affliction, the Lord answered, Why is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be about my father's business? The evangelist says that they did not understand the mystery of these words. Luke chapter 2 verse 50 For it was hidden at the time to most holy Mary and Saint Joseph, and for two reasons. On the one hand, the interior joy of now reaping what they had sown in so much sorrow and the visible presence of their precious treasure entirely filled the faculties of their souls. And on the other hand, the time for the full comprehension of what had just been treated of in this discussion had not yet arrived for them. Moreover, for the most solicitous queen there was another hindrance just at that time, and it was, that the veil, concealing the interior of her most holy son, had again intervened and was not removed until sometime later. The learned men departed, commenting in their amazement upon the wonderful event by which they had been privileged to hear the teaching of eternal wisdom though they did not recognize it. Being thus left alone, the Blessed Mother, embracing him with maternal affection, said to him, Permit my longing heart, my son, to give expression to its sorrow and pain, so that it may not die of grief as long as it can be of use to thee. Do not cast me off from thy sight, but accept me as thy slave, if it was my negligence, which deprived me of thy presence, pardon me, and make me worthy of thy company, and do not punish me with thy absence. The divine child received her with signs of pleasure, and offered himself as her teacher and companion until the proper time should arrive. Thus was the dove-like and affectionate heart of the great lady appeased, and they departed for Nazareth. But at some distance from Jerusalem, when they were alone upon the road, the most prudent lady fell upon her knees before her son and adored him, asking his benediction. For she had not thus reverenced him, openly in the presence of the people and the temple, being always anxious to conduct herself with the perfection of holiness. With loving tenderness, the child Jesus raised her from the ground, and spoke to her, words of sweetest comfort. Immediately the veil fell, revealing anew his most holy soul, with greater depth and clearness than ever before. Then the Heavenly Mother read and perceived, in the interior of her most holy son, all the mysteries of his doings, during those three days in Jerusalem. She understood also, all that had passed in the dispute with the doctors, what Jesus had said, and why he did not manifest himself more clearly as the true messiahs. Many other sacramental secrets he revealed to his Virgin Mother, depositing them with her, as in an archive of all the treasures of the incarnate Word, in order that thence he might receive for all of them the return of honor and praise due to him as author of such great wonders, and she, the Virgin Mother, fulfilled all the expectations of the Lord. Then she asked him to rest a while in the field, and partake of some nourishment, and he accepted it from the hands of the great Lady, the attentive mother of divine wisdom. Ecclesiasticus chapter 24 verse 24 During the rest of the journey the Heavenly Mother discourse, with her sweetest son, on the mysteries, interiorly manifested to her concerning the discussion with the teachers. He repeated by word of mouth what he had shown her interiorly. In particular, he told her that these doctors had not recognized him as the messiahs, because they were inflated and arrogant in their own knowledge. Their understanding was obscured by the darkness of their pride, so that they could not perceive the divine light, shining forth in such perfusion from him. While, if they had had the humble and loving desire of seeing the truth, his reasoning would have sufficiently convinced them. On account of these obstacles, they saw it not, though it was open before their eyes. Our Redeemer converted many souls to the ways of salvation on this journey, and as his most Holy Mother was with him, he used her as an instrument of his wonderful works. By means of her most prudent words and holy admonitions, he enlightened the hearts of all to whom she spoke. They restored health to many of the sick, they consoled the afflicted and sorrowful, and everywhere they scattered grace and mercy, without ever losing an occasion for doing good. Since I have described more particularly some of the wonders performed during other of their journeys, I do not stop to describe any more here. For many chapters and much time would be necessary to relate them all, and there are other things, more to the point to be related in this history. They arrived at Nazareth, where they occupied themselves in what I shall record later on. The Evangelist Luke compendiously mentions all the mysteries in few words, saying the child Jesus was subject to his parents, namely, most Holy Mary and St. Joseph, and that his Heavenly Mother noted and preserved within her heart all these events, and that Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and grace with God and men. Luke chapter 2 verse 52 Of which, as far as my understanding goes, I will speak later on. Just now I wish only to mention that the humility and obedience of our God and Master toward his parents were the admiration of the angels, but so was also the dignity and excellence of his most blessed mother, who thus merited that the incarnate God should subject himself and resign himself to her care, so much so that she, with the assistance of St. Joseph, governed him and disposed of him as her own. Although his subjection and obedience was to a certain extent a natural result of her motherhood, yet in order to make proper use of this maternal right and superiority, a different grace was necessary than the one by which she conceived and gave birth to him. The graces necessary for such ministry and office were given to Most Holy Mary in such abundance that they overflowed into the soul of St. Joseph, making him worthy of being the reputed father of Jesus and the head of this family. To the obedience and subjection of her Most Holy Son, the great lady on her part responded by heroic works. Among her other excellences, she conceived as it were an incomprehensible humility and a most heartfelt gratitude for having regained the companionship of her Son. This blessing, of which the Heavenly Queen deemed herself unworthy, vastly increased in her most pure heart, her love and her anxiety to serve her Divine Son, and she was so constant in showing her gratitude, so punctual and solicitous to serve him, kneeling before him and lowering herself to the dust that it excited the admiration of the highest Seraphim. Moreover, she sought with the closest attention to imitate him in all his actions as they became known to her and exerted herself most anxiously to copy them and reproduce them in her own life. The plentitude of her perfection wounded the heart of our Christ and Lord and, according to our way of speaking, held him bound to her with chains of invincible love. His being thus bound as God and as Son to this Heavenly Princess gave rise to such an interchange and divine reciprocity of intense love as surpasses all created understanding, for into the ocean of Mary's soul entered all the vast floods of the graces and blessings of the incarnate Word, and this ocean did not overflow. Ecclesiastes 1.7 Because it contained the depth and expanse necessary to receive them, but these currents turned back to their source like ebbs and tides of the Divinity held between two shores, the Son of God and his mother. This explains the many repetitions of the humble acknowledgement of the spouse. My beloved to me and I to him who feedeth among the lilies till the daybreak and shadows retire. Canticles 2.16 And elsewhere, I to my beloved and my beloved to me. Canticles 6.2 I to my beloved and his turning to me. Canticles 7.10 The fire of divine love which burned in the heart of our Redeemer and which he came to spread upon the earth, finding material so prepared and ready at hand as was that of the pure heart of Mary produced such effects as only the Lord himself who was the author of them could properly estimate. There is but one thing which I wish to record having received an understanding thereof that in the outward demonstration of his love for his most holy mother he guided himself not by the natural affections and inclinations of a son but by her capability of mariting as a pilgrim in mortal life. For he well knew that if in these demonstrations he would allow his filial love for such a mother to have full sway he would impede her merits by forcing upon her the continual enjoyment of the delights of her beloved. On this account the Lord restrained to a certain extent the human activity of his love and permitted his mother though she had reached the pinnacle of sanctity to engage in meritorious labor and suffering by stopping now and then the flow of visible favors from his divine humanity. In his daily intercourse the divine child therefore maintained a certain reserve and moderation. Hence, though the most assiduous lady was so solicitous in serving and ministering to him in all his wants her most holy son indulged in no such outward tokens of his filial love as would have been an adequate return for her loving service. Instruction given to me by the most holy Mary the Queen of Heaven. My daughter all the works of my most holy son and my own actions are full of mysterious instruction and doctrine for the mortals who contemplate them diligently and reverently. The Lord absented himself from me in order that, seeking him in sorrow and tears, I might find him again in joy and with abundant fruits for my soul. I desire that thou imitate me in this mystery and seek him with such earnestness as to be consumed with a continual longing without ever in thy whole life coming to any rest until thou holdest him and canst lose him no more. Canticles chapter 5 verse 4 In order that thou mayest understand better this sacrament of the Lord, remember that the infinite wisdom made men capable of his eternal felicity and placed them on the way to this happiness but left them in doubt of its attainment as long as they have not yet acquired it and thus filled them with joyful hope and sorrowful fear of its final acquisition. This anxiety engenders in men a lifelong fear and abhorrence of sin by which alone they can be deprived of beatitude and thus prevent them from being ensnared and misled by the corporeal and visible things of this earth. This anxiety, the Creator assists by adding to the natural reasoning powers faith and hope which are the spurs of their love towards seeking and finding their last end. Besides these virtues and others infused at baptism he sends his inspirations and helps to keep awake the soul in absence of its Lord and to prevent forgetfulness of him and of itself while deprived of his amiable presence. Thus it pursues the right course until it finds the great goal where all its inclinations and longings shall be satiated. Hence thou canst estimate the listless ignorance of mortals and how few stop to consider the mysterious order of the creation and justification and all the works of the Almighty tending toward this exalted end. From this forgetfulness flow so many evils endured by men while they appropriate so many earthly goods and deceitful delights as if they could ever find in them their ultimate end. The height of perversity opposed to the order of the Creator is that mortals in this transitory and short life rejoice invisible things as if they were their last end while they ought on the contrary to make use of creatures to gain not to lose the highest good. Do thou therefore, my dearest, be mindful of this dangerous human folly. Consider all delights and joys of the world as insanity, its laughing as sorrow, sensible enjoyment as self-deceit, as the source of foolishness which intoxicates the heart and hinders and destroys all true wisdom. Live in constant and holy fear of losing eternal life and rejoice in nothing except in the Lord until thou obtainest full possession of him. Fly from conversation with men and dread its dangers if sometimes God places thee in the way of human intercourse for his glory and by obedience although thou must trust in his protection yet never be remiss or careless in guarding thyself from contamination. Do not trust thy natural disposition when there is question of friendship and close intercourse with others. In this consists for thee a greater danger for the Lord has given thee a pleasing and mild disposition so that thou mayest naturally incline toward him, resist none of his intentions and make a proper return for the blessings bestowed upon thee. But as soon as thou givest entrance to creatures into thy heart thou wilt certainly be carried away and alienated by them from the highest good and thou wilt pervert the intentions and operations of his divine wisdom in thy behalf. It would certainly be most unworthy of thee to divert that which is most notable in thy nature toward an unseemly end. Raise thyself above all created things and above thyself. Perfect the operations of thy faculties and set before them the exalted perfections of thy God of my beloved son and thy spouse who is beautiful among the sons of men. Psalm 44 verse 3 Love him with all the powers of thy heart and soul. End of chapter 5