CITY OF GOD PART III - THE CORONATION - Book VIII Contents
CHAPTER I.
THE MOST BLESSED MARY DEPARTS WITH SAINT
JOHN FROM JERUSALEM FOR EPHESUS; SAINT PAUL GOES FROM DAMASCUS TO JERUSALEM;
SAINT JAMES ARRIVES THERE; HE VISITS THE GREAT QUEEN IN EPHESUS; REFLECTIONS ON
THE MYSTERIOUS HAPPENINGS DURING ALL THESE JOURNEYS.
CHAPTER II.
THE GLORIOUS MARTYRDOM OF SAINT JAMES;
THE MOST BLESSED MARY ASSISTS HIM AND BEARS HIS SOUL TO HEAVEN; HIS BODY IS
BROUGHT TO
CHAPTER III.
THE DOINGS OF THE MOST BLESSED MARY IN
CONNECTION WITH THE DEATH AND CHASTISEMENT OF HEROD; SAINT JOHN PREACHES IN
EPHESUS AND WORKS MANY MIRACLES; LUCIFER RISES UP TO BATTLE WITH THE QUEEN OF
HEAVEN.
CHAPTER IV.
THE MOST BLESSED MARY DESTROYS THE TEMPLE OF DIANA IN EPHESUS; HER ANGELS
BRING HER TO THE EMPYREAN HEAVENS, WHERE THE LORD PREPARES HER FOR THE
BATTLE AND VICTORY OVER THE INFERNAL DRAGON; THIS CONFLICT BEGINS WITH
TEMPTATIONS TO PRIDE.
CHAPTER V.
THE MOST HOLY MARY, CALLED BY THE
APOSTLE SAINT PETER, RETURNS FROM EPHESUS; SHE CONTINUES HER BATTLE WITH THE
DEMONS; IS OVERTAKEN BY GREAT STORMS AT SEA; SOME OTHER INTERVENING MYSTERIES.
CHAPTER VI.
THE VISIT OF THE MOST BLESSED MARY TO
THE HOLY PLACES; SHE GAINS MYSTERIOUS TRIUMPHS OVER THE DEMONS; SHE SEES THE
DIVINITY IN HEAVEN BY A BEATIFIC VISION; THE APOSTLES CONVOKE A COUNCIL; THE
HIDDEN MYSTERIES CONNECTED WITH ALL THESE EVENTS.
CHAPTER VII.
THE MOST HOLY MARY ENDS THE BATTLE WITH
THE DEMONS, GLORIOUSLY TRIUMPHING OVER THEM: AS IS DESCRIBED BY SAINT JOHN IN
THE TWELFTH CHAPTER OF THE APOCALYPSE.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE STATE OF CONTINUAL ABSTRACTIVE
VISION. IN WHICH GOD PLACED THE MOST BLESSED MARY AFTER HER VICTORY OVER THE
DEMONS, AND HER BEHAVIOR THEREON.
CHAPTER IX.
THE BEGINNINGS OF THE GOSPELS WRITTEN BY
THE EVANGELISTS; THE PART WHICH THE MOST BLESSED MARY HAD IN THEIR
COMPOSITION,. SHE APPEARS TO SAINT PETER IN ANTIOCH AND IN ROME: SIMILAR FAVORS
SHOWN TO OTHER APOSTLES.
CHAPTER X. THE EXERCISES IN MEMORY OF THE PASSION
PRACTICED BY THE MOST HOLY MARY; THE REVERENCE WITH WHICH SHE RECEIVED HOLY
COMMUNION, AND OTHER DOINGS OF HER MOST HOLY LIFE.
CHAPTER XI.
THE LORD, BY NEW FAVORS, RAISES THE MOST
BLESSED MARY ABOVE THE STATE DESCRIBED IN THE EIGHTH CHAPTER OF THIS BOOK.
CHAPTER XII.
HOW THE MOST BLESSED MARY CELEBRATED HER
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION AND NATIVITY; AND THE BLESSINGS WHICH SHE RECEIVED ON
THOSE DAYS FROM HER SON OUR SAVIOR JESUS.
CHAPTER XIII. THE MOST BLESSED MARY COMMEMORATES OTHER
BLESSINGS WITH HER ANGELS, ESPECIALLY HER PRESENTATION AND THE FEAST DAYS OF
SAINT JOACHIM, SAINT ANNE AND SAINT JOSEPH.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE WONDERFUL MANNER IN WHICH THE MOST
BLESSED MARY CELEBRATED THE MYSTERIES OF THE INCARNATION AND NATIVITY OF THE
GODMAN, AND HOW SHE GAVE THANKS FOR THESE IMMENSE BLESSINGS.
CHAPTER XV. OTHER FEAST DAYS CELEBRATED BY THE MOST
BLESSED MARY IN MEMORY OF THE CIRCUMCISION, THE ADORATION OF THE KINGS, HER
PURIFICATION, THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD, HIS FAST, THE INSTITUTION OF BLESSED
SACRAMENT, HIS PASSION AND RESURRECTION.
CHAPTER XVI.
HOW THE MOST BLESSED MARY CELEBRATED THE
FEASTS OF THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST OUR SAVIOR, THE COMING OF THE HOLY GHOST, THE
FEAST OF THE HOLY ANGELS AND SAINTS AND OTHER ANNIVERSARIES OF FAVORS RECEIVED
BY HER. CHAPTER XVII. THE ANGEL GABRIEL SENT AS AMBASSADOR TO THE MOST BLESSED MARY TO INFORM HER. THAT SHE STILL HAD THREE YEARS OF LIFE, AND WHAT HAPPENED TO SAINT JOHN AND TO ALL NATURE AT THIS NEWS.
CHAPTER XVIII.
HOW THE DESIRES AND LONGINGS OF MOST
HOLY MARY TO SEE GOD INCREASED DURING HER LAST DAYS; SHE TAKES LEAVE OF THE
SACRED PLACES AND OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH; SHE MAKES HER TESTAMENT IN THE
PRESENCE OF THE MOST BLESSED TRINITY.
CHAPTER XIX. THE GLORIOUS AND HAPPY
TRANSITION OF THE MOST HOLY MARY. HOW THE APOSTLES AND DISCIPLES ARRIVED
PREVIOUSLY IN JERUSALEM AND WERE PRESENT AT HER DEATH.
CHAPTER XX.
THE BURIAL OF THE SACRED BODY OF THE
MOST BLESSED MARY, AND WHAT HAPPENED THEREAT. CHAPTER XXI. THE SOUL OF THE MOST HOLY MARY ENTERS THE EMPRYEAN HEAVEN AND, IN IMITATION OF CHRIST OUR REDEEMER, RETURNS TO RESUSCITATE HER SACRED BODY; IN IT SHE AGAIN ASCENDS TO THE RIGHT HAND OF THE LORD ON THE THIRD DAY. CHAPTER XXII. MOST HOLY MARY IS CROWNED AS QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND OF ALL CREATURES; ALL HER GREAT PRIVILEGES IN FAVOR OF MANKIND ARE AGAIN CONFIRMED UPON HER.
CHAPTER XXII AN OFFERING OF PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING
MADE BY ME, SISTER MARY OF JESUS, THE LEAST OF THE MORTALS, TO THE LORD AND TO
HIS MOST HOLY MOTHER, FOR HAVING BEEN CHOSEN TO WRITE THIS HEAVENLY HISTORY
UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE QUEEN AND MISTRESS OF HEAVEN. |
Describes the Journey of the
Most Blessed Mary with Saint John to Ephesus; the Death and Chastisement of
Herod; the Destruction of the Temple of Diana; the Return of the Most Blessed
Mary from Ephesus to Jerusalem; the Instructions She gave to the Evangelists;
the exalted State of Her purest Soul before Her death; Her most blessed Transition,
Assumption and Coronation in heaven.
CHAPTER 1. THE MOST BLESSED MARY DEPARTS WITH SAINT
JOHN FROM JERUSALEM FOR EPHESUS; SAINT PAUL GOES FROM DAMASCUS TO JERUSALEM;
SAINT JAMES ARRIVES THERE; HE VISITS THE GREAT QUEEN IN EPHESUS; REFLECTIONS ON
THE MYSTERIOUS HAPPENINGS DURING ALL THESE JOURNEYS.
365. The most blessed Mary,
having enriched and blessed Saragossa and the kingdom of Spain by her presence,
and her promises of protection, and having established through saint James and
her angels the temple as a monument to her sacred name, was borne by the hands
of the seraphim back to Jerusalem. As soon as the great Lady of heaven and Queen
of the angels had left the cloud-throne, on which She had been borne, and set
her foot upon the floor of the Cenacle, She prostrated Herself upon it,
humbling Herself to the dust in order to praise the Most High for the favors
conferred upon Her, upon saint James and upon the kingdom of Spain in this
miraculous journey. At the thought of a temple built in her honor and for her
invocation, She, in her ineffable humility, so annihilated Herself in her own
estimation, as seemingly to have entirely forgotten that She was the Mother of
God, a sinless Creature and without measure superior to all the highest
seraphim. She humbled Herself and gave thanks for these benefits, as if She
were a mere worm of the earth, of less value and guilty of more sins than all the
creatures. This new debt seemed to Her so great, that She felt obliged to
aspire to new and more exalted degrees of holiness in recompense. This She
resolved to do and really accomplished, arriving at a degree of wisdom and
humility beyond all our capacity to conceive.
366. In these exercises, and
in praying with great fervor for the defense and increase of the Church, She
spent the greater part of the four days after her return to 367. Then She asked permission of saint John to visit the holy places of our Redemption and there to worship and adore the Lord, who had consecrated them by his presence and his precious blood. With the Apostle She made these sacred stations, exhibiting incredible devotion and tears of reverent love, and saint John, deeply consoled at being permitted to accompany Her, exercised himself in heroic acts of virtue. The most blessed Mother saw at each of the holy places the angels, who had been deputed to guard and defend them; and anew She charged them to resist Lucifer and his demons, lest they destroy or profane by irreverence those sacred spots, as they desired and intended to do through the unbelieving Jews. She told the angels to drive away by holy inspirations the bad thoughts and diabolical suggestions, by which the infernal dragon sought to excite the Jews and other mortals to blot out the memory of Christ our Savior in those holy places, and She charged them with this duty for all the future times, since the wrath of the evil spirits against the places and the works of the Redemption endures through all the ages. The holy angels obeyed their Queen and Mistress in all that She ordained.
368. Having satisfied her
piety, She asked
369. For her greater
alleviation and comfort during this journey all her holy angels on her leaving
the Cenacle, appeared to Her in visible and corporeal forms surrounding Her and
protecting Her in their midst. With this escort of the celestial host and the
human company of
370. They came to the harbor
and immediately embarked in the ship with other passengers. The great Queen of
the world was now for the first time upon the sea. She saw and comprehended
with clearness the vast
371. When this great panorama
of creatures, in which were reflected, as from a most clear mirror, the
greatness and omnipotence of the Creator, was presented to her faculties filled
with heavenly wisdom, her spirit winged its ardent flight to the very being of
God, so wonderfully reflected in those creatures, and for all of them, and in
all of them, She gave praise and glory and magnificence to the Most High. With
the compassion of a most loving Mother for those who trusted their lives to the
indomitable fury of the sea in navigating over its waves, She most fervently
besought the Almighty to protect from its dangers all who should call upon her
name and ask for her intercession. The Lord immediately granted this petition
and promised to favor whoever upon the sea should carry some image of Her and
should sincerely look upon this Star of the sea, most blessed Mary, for help in
its perils. Accordingly it will be understood, that, if the Catholics and the faithful
encounter ill success and perish in navigation, it is because they ignore the
favors to be obtained from the Queen of the angels, or because on account of
their sins they fail to remember Her in the raging storms, or fail to seek her
favors with sincere faith and devotion; for neither can the word of the Lord
ever fail, nor will the great Mother ever deny assistance to those endangered
by the perils of the sea.
372. Another wonder also
happened; for when the most blessed Mary saw the sea with the fishes and other
maritime animals, She gave them all her blessing and commanded them to
acknowledge and praise their Creator in the manner they were capable of. Then
it was wonderful to see all the fishes of the sea
obeying her command and with incredible swiftness placing themselves in front
of the ship. None of the species of sea-animals was missing, each being
represented by an innumerable multitude. All of them surrounded the ship and
showed their heads above the water and with unwonted motions and signs of
pleasure for a long time acknowledged Her as the Queen and Mistress of
creatures and showed themselves grateful to Her for coming upon the waters and
visiting them in their place of habitation. This strange event astonished all
the passengers as something never before seen. The multitudes of large
and small fishes, so crowded and packed together, somewhat impeded the progress
of the vessel, and the passengers gazed upon this spectacle and wonderingly
discussed it, for they did not know the cause of this miracle.
373. When they landed the
great Queen continued to work miracles equal to those wrought upon the sea. She
cured the sick and the possessed, who, as soon as they came into her presence,
were set free. I will not tarry to relate all these wonders; for many books
would be necessary and much time to describe all the doings of the most blessed
Mary and the favors of heaven, which She dispensed as the instrument and medium
of the omnipotence of the Most High. I will record only those, which are
necessary for this history and which shall suffice to manifest in some measure
the unknown and wonderful works of our great Queen and Lady. In
374. The most blessed Mary
thanked the owners, who were to live with Her. Then She retired to her room
and, prostrate upon the ground as was usual in her prayers, The adored the
immutable essence of God, offering to sacrifice Herself in his service in this
city and saying:
"Lord God omnipotent, by
the immensity of thy Divinity Thou fillest all the
heavens and the earth (J er. 23, 24). I, thy humble
handmaid, desire to fulfill entirely thy holy will, on all occasions, in all
places, and at all times, in which thy Providence shall deign to place me; for
Thou art my only Good, my being and my life, and toward thy pleasure and
satisfaction tend all my thoughts, words and actions." The most prudent
Mother perceived that the Lord accepted her prayer and her offering, and that
He responded to her desires with divine power, ready to assist and govern Her
always.
375. She continued her prayer
for the holy Church and laid out her plans for the assistance of all the
faithful. She called her angels and sent some of them to aid the Apostles and
disciples, whom She knew to be much pressed in the persecutions, raised by the
demons through infidel men. In those days
376. With greater clearness
this may be proved by computing the time of the death of saint Stephen and the
journey of the most blessed Virgin to
377. Conformably with this
reckoning we must assume, that
378. From the fear and
suspicion of saint Peter and James concerning the perseverance of saint Paul we
can likewise deduct that he arrived in Jerusalem in the absence of the most
blessed Mary and saint John; for he would have presented himself first of all
to Her to allay suspicion against him; and the two Apostles would likewise have
first asked Her, whether they could trust saint Paul. All of them would have
been set at ease by the most prudent Lady, as She was so solicitous and
attentive in consoling and instructing the Apostles, especially saint Peter.
But since the great Lady had already left for
379. Lucifer and his demons
were not asleep on this occasion, for they were visited by the Almighty with an
increase of torment at the arrival of
380. The great Mistress of
heaven perceived all this from her retirement in
381. Hence
382. Having thus been
reassured in regard to the life of saint Paul, the most blessed Mother
entertained the hope that through the assistance of divine Providence She might
save the life of her cousin James, who was very dear to Her and who was still
in Saragossa, protected by the hundred angels She had appointed for his
guardians and companions at Granada. These holy angels frequently went back and
forth, bringing the petitions of the Apostles to the most blessed Mary and her
counsels back to him. In this way saint James learned of the sojourn of the
great Queen in
383. Saint James happily
attained his object and reached
384. In order to prepare
saint James for his leave taking the blessed Mary one
day said to him: "James, my son, these will be the last few days of thy
life. Thou knowest how deeply I love thee in the Lord, and how I desire to
raise thee to his intimate love and eternal friendship, for which He has
created thee, redeemed and called thee. In the few days that still remain of
thy life, I desire to demonstrate to thee my love and I offer thee all that by
the divine grace I can do for thee as a true Mother." To this exceedingly
great favor saint James responded with deepest veneration: "My Mistress
and Mother of my God and Redeemer, from the bottom of my soul I thank Thee for
this new benefit, possible only to thy unbounded charity. My Lady, I beseech
Thee, give me thy blessing that I may suffer martyrdom for thy Son, my true God
and Savior. If it is his will and for his glory, I beseech Thee from my soul,
not to forsake me in the sacrifice of my life, but that I may see Thee with my
own eyes in my passage and that Thou offer me as an acceptable victim in his
divine presence."
385. The most holy Mary
promised to present his petition to the Lord and that She would fulfill it, if
the divine will and condescension should so permit. Thus inspiring him with the
hope of her assistance and with other consolations of eternal life, She comforted
the Apostle and strengthened him for his expected martyrdom. Among other words
She spoke to him also as follows: "My son James, what torments or
suffering shall ever seem great at the prospect of entering the eternal joys of
the Lord? The most bitter shall seem sweet and the most terrible, welcome and
desirable to him who knows the infinite and highest Good, which he shall
possess in return for a momentary sorrow (II Cor. 4, 17). I congratulate thee,
my master, for thy most happy lot and that thou art so soon to leave the
tribulations of this mortal1ife in order to enjoy the infinite Good as a
comprehensor in the gladness of his divine countenance. In this my heart is
lightened that thou art so shortly to obtain what my soul desires for thee; and
that thou givest thy temporal life for the unending possession of eternal rest.
I give thee the blessing of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, in
order that all the three Persons, in the oneness of their essence, assist thee
in tribulation and lead thee to the desired end; and my own blessing shall be
with thee in thy glorious martyrdom."
386. The great Queen added
other words of admirable wisdom and highest consolation in parting from saint
James. She asked him, in her name and in the name of all the creatures to
praise God, and to intercede for the holy Church, as soon as He should come to
the vision of the blessed Trinity. Saint James offered to do all She desired
and again asked her favor and protection in the hour of his martyrdom. This She
once more promised, and taking leave of Her, saint James said: "My
Mistress, blessed among women, thy life and intercession is the prop on which
the holy Church, now and during the ages in which it is to exist, shall rest
securely in the midst or the persecutions and temptations of the enemies of the
Lord. Thy charity shall be to Thee the instrument of thy martyrdom. Keep in
mind always, as our sweetest Mother, the
387. Saint James took leave
also of his brother saint John, who shed abundant tears, not so much of sorrow
as of joy, on account of the happy lot of the elder brother, since he was to be
the first of the Apostles to attain eternal happiness and the palm of
martyrdom. Thereupon saint James journeyed without much delay to INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN,
MOST HOLY MARY GAVE ME.
388. My daughter, in the
events of this chapter thou wilt find much guidance for a perfect life.
Consider then, that just as God is the beginning and origin of all the being
and faculties of creatures, so also, according to right reason, He is to be
their sole last end; for if man has received all without meriting it, then he
likewise owes all to Him who has given it gratis; and if men have received all
in order to produce results, then all the results belong to the Creator and not
to the creatures. This truth, which I understood fully and pondered in my
heart, urged me to prostrate myself and lower myself to the very dust in
adoring the immutable being of God. I reflected how I was created out of
nothing, formed of earth, and in the presence of God I annihilated myself,
acknowledging Him as the Creator, to whom lowed my life, being and motion (Acts
17, 28), and protesting that without Him I was nothing, and that all was due to
Him as the one beginning and end of all creation. In the light of this truth,
all that I did and suffered seemed little; and although I ceased not to do
good, I continually longed and sighed to do and suffer still more. Never was my
heart satisfied, because I still found myself a debtor, getting poorer and ever
more indebted. This state of mind is very well founded in right reason and
still more on faith, and this debt is manifest and common to all men, if they
would only direct their attention toward it. But amid the universal
forgetfulness of men I wish, my daughter, that thou solicitously imitate me in
the practices and exercises described to thee, and especially that thou humble
thyself to the dust and abase thyself in proportion as the Most High raises
thee up by the favors and blessings of his right hand. The example of my
humility thou wilt see clearly evident in the special favors, as for instance,
when He commanded a temple to be built, in which I was to be honored and
invoked even during my mortal life. This and other favors humbled me beyond all
human imagination. Therefore, if I thus humbled myself after performing such
great things, consider how much more thou must do it in response to such great
liberality of the Lord toward thee and after such niggardly correspondence on
thy part.
389. I wish also, my
daughter, that thou imitate me in being very careful to practice poverty of
spirit concerning the use of necessities and comforts, offered thee by thy
sister-nuns or by thy well-wishers. Choose and accept only the most poor and
most ordinary, the most undesirable and humble things for thy use; for
otherwise thou canst not imitate me in the spirit, in which without ostentation
I refused all comforts and good things of this life offered to me by the
faithful of Jerusalem, and of which I accepted only what was absolutely
necessary during my sojourn in Ephesus. In the exercise of this virtue is
contained much that will make human beings happy, while the deceived and blind
worldlings please themselves in pursuing what is entirely opposed to this
virtue and truth.
390. Seek also to guard
thyself from another very common mistake: namely that by which men, instead of
acknowledging that all the goods of body and soul belong to the Lord,
nevertheless appropriate all of them to themselves and consider them so much
their own, that they not only refuse to offer them freely to their Creator, but
even, if at any time they must part with them; lament and are aggrieved over
their loss, as if they had been injured or as if God had treated them unjustly.
With such a disorderly affection parents are wont to love their children, and
children their parents, married men their wives, and wives their husbands, and
all of them, their possessions, honor, health and other temporal goods, while
many souls thus love even the spiritual goods; and they go so far in this
disorderly love, that they have no measure in their sorrow, when they lose
them. Though it be impossible to recover them, they live in unrest and
dejection, passing from the disorder of their sensible affection to the
disorder of their reason and to unjust complaint. Hence they dare not only
condemn the rulings of divine Providence and lose the merit of sacrificing what
is the Lord's, but they wish to have it understood, that they esteem the
possession of these transitory goods as their highest aim, and that, if they
were permitted, they would live many ages content with these apparent and
perishing things.
391. None of the children of
Adam can have a love greater, or one equal to that, with which I loved my
divine Son and my spouse saint Joseph; yet this love was so well ordered while I
lived in their company, that I willingly sacrificed their conversation and
intercourse during all the time in which I was deprived of their presence. This
conformity and resignation I desire thee to imitate, whenever something is
wanting to thee, which thou shouldst love in God; for outside of God thou art
permitted to love nothing. The anxious desire of seeing the supreme Good and of
loving God eternally and forever in heaven must alone be perpetual in thee. For
this happiness thou must sigh in tears from thy inmost heart; for it thou must
gladly suffer all the hardships and afflictions of this mortal life. Thou must
live in these aspirations in such a way, that from now on in trying to make
thyself worthy of God thou be anxious to suffer all that thou hearest or
understandest as having been suffered by the saints. But remember these desires
of suffering and these aspirations and attempts to see God are to be of such a
kind, that thy suffering becomes real through thy sorrow at not being able
actually to encounter actual torments and at not being found worthy of bearing
all the martyrdom thou thus desirest. In thy flights of desire to arrive at the
beatific vision thou must permit no other lower motive to intermingle, such as
the relief afforded by the joy of God's vision against the hardships of this
life; for to desire the vision of the highest Good, is not love of God, but
love of self and of one's own comfort, and cannot merit reward in the eyes of
the all-penetrating and all weighing omnipotent God. But if thou do all these
things sincerely and in all perfection, as a faithful servant and spouse of my
divine Son, desiring to see Him in order to love Him, praise Him, and never to
offend Him eternally, and if thou covet all labors and sufferings only for these
ends, believe me and assure thyself, that thou wilt draw Us to thee and that
thou wilt arrive at the kind of love thou continually desirest; since
precisely for this purpose, We are so liberal with thee. THE GLORIOUS MARTYRDOM OF SAINT JAMES;
THE MOST BLESSED MARY ASSISTS HIM AND BEARS HIS SOUL TO HEAVEN; HIS BODY IS
BROUGHT TO
392. Our great apostle saint
James came to
393. This wickedness the
devils had intended to execute through the instrumentality of the unbelieving
Jews; for they themselves could not come near saint James on account of the
terrors of the divine grace emanating from the Apostle. Philetus first began
the dispute with saint James, so that, if he should gain no advantage,
Hermogenes, as the more skillful master in the magic art, might enter the
combat. Philetus brought forth his sophistical and false arguments, but the
holy Apostle spoke with such wisdom and force, that all his sophism yielded as
the darkness before the light: Philetus was overcome and converted to the truth
of Christ, becoming from that time on a defender of the Apostle, and his
doctrine. But fearing the diabolical arts of his master
Hermogenes,
he sought the protection of saint James. The holy Apostle gave him a piece of
cloth or linen, which he had received from Mary, and with this relic Philetus
protected himself against the power of Hermogenes for some days, until the
latter himself entered the dispute.
394. Although Hermogenes
feared saint James, he could not evade the meeting, because he had pledged
himself to the Jews to enter the discussion and convince saint James.
Accordingly he tried to enforce his errors by more cogent arguments than his
disciple. But all that he could do was unavailing against the heavenly force
and wisdom of the Apostle, which was like an impetuous torrent. He brought
Hermogenes to silence and obliged him to confess his belief in the mysteries of
the faith of Christ, just as he had done with Philetus: both of them accepted
the faith and doctrine preached by the Apostle. The demons were roused to fury
against Hermogenes and, through the power they had acquired over him, began to
maltreat him on account of his conversion. As he learned how Philetus had
defended himself by the relic obtained from the Apostle, he sought a like favor
against his enemies. Saint James gave him the scarf he had used in his travels
and with it Hermogenes put to flight the demons and made them powerless to
approach or afflict him further.
395. These conversions and
others made by saint James in Jerusalem were hastened by the tearful sighs and
prayers of the great Queen in her retreat at Ephesus, where (as I have often
said) She knew by vision all that was done by the Apostles and the other
faithful of the Church; and particularly what happened with the beloved Apostle
James for whom She was especially solicitous as being so near his martyrdom.
Hermogenes and Philetus persevered for some time in the faith of Christ; but
afterwards they fell away and lost it in Asia, as is evident from the second
epistle to Timothy, where saint Paul says that Figelus, or Philetus, and
Hermogenes had left him. Although the seed of the faith had sprung up in the
hearts of these men, it took no sufficient root to resist the temptations of
the demon, whom they had served and familiarly entertained for so long a time.
The evil and perverse inclinations of their vices still remained and again
prevailed, withdrawing them from the faith they had accepted.
396. When the Jews, through
the conviction and conversion of Philetus and Hermogenes, saw their hopes
frustrated, they were filled with new anger against the apostle saint James and
they determined to put an end to his life. For this purpose they bribed
Democritus and Lysias, centurions of the Roman militia, to furnish them with
soldiers for the arrest of the Apostle. In order to hide their treachery they
were to raise a feigned quarrel or disturbance on a certain day during his preaching
and thus get him within their power. The execution of this wicked design was
left to Abiator, the high-priest of that year, and to Josias, a scribe of the
same mind as the high priest. As they had planned, so they executed their
scheme; for, while the saint was preaching to the people about the mystery of
the Redemption, proving it to them with admirable wisdom from the testimonies
of the ancient writings and moving his audience to tears of compunction, the
priest and the scribe were roused to diabolical fury. Giving the signal to the
Roman soldiers, the priest sent Josias to throw a rope around the neck of saint
James and fell upon him, proclaiming him a disturber of the people and the
author of a new religion in opposition to the Roman empire. 397. Democritus and Lysias thereupon rushed up with their soldiers and brought the Apostle bound to Herod, the son of Archelaus, whose malice had been roused interiorly through the astuteness of Lucifer and exteriorly by the evil-minded and hateful Jews. Thus doubly incited, Herod began against the disciples of the Lord, whom he abhorred, the persecution mentioned by saint Luke in the twelfth chapter of the Acts and sent his soldiers to afflict and imprison them. He instantly commanded saint James to be beheaded, as the Jews had asked. Incredible was the joy of the holy Apostle at being seized and bound like his Master and at seeing himself conducted to the place, where he was to pass from this mortal life to the eternal through martyrdom, as he had been informed by the Queen of heaven. He offered most humble thanks for this benefit and publicly reiterated the open profession of his faith in Christ our Lord. Remembering the petition he had made in Ephesus, that She be present at his death, he called upon Her from his inmost Soul.
398. The most holy Mary from
her oratory heard these prayers of her beloved Apostle and cousin; for She was
attentive to all that happened to him and She helped and favored him with her
own efficacious petitions. During this her prayer, She saw a great multitude of
angels and heavenly spirits of all hierarchies descending from heaven, part of
them surrounding the Apostle in Jerusalem as he was led to the place of
execution, while numerous others approached their Queen at Ephesus. Presently
one of them addressed Her saying: "Empress of heaven and our Lady, the
most high Lord and God bids you immediately to hasten to Jerusalem to console
his great servant James, to assist him in his death and to grant all his loving
and holy desires." This favor the most blessed Mary joyfully and
gratefully acknowledged. She praised the Most High for the protection granted
to those who trust in his mercy and put their lives in his hands. In the
meanwhile the Apostle was led to execution and on the way thereto he wrought
great miracles upon the sick and ailing and on some possessed by the demons.
There were a great number of them, because the rumor of his execution by Herod
had spread about and many of the unfortunates hastened to receive his last
ministrations and counsels. All that applied were healed by the great Apostle.
399. In the meanwhile the
holy angels placed their Queen and Mistress upon a most refulgent throne, as
they had done on other occasions, and on it bore Her to Jerusalem
and to the place of the execution of saint James. The holy Apostle fell upon
his knees in order to offer his life to the Most High in sacrifice, and when he
raised his eyes toward heaven, he saw in the air near him the Queen of heaven,
whom he had been invoking in his heart. He beheld Her clothed in divine
splendors and great beauty, surrounded by multitudes of the angels. At this
heavenly spectacle the soul of James was moved to new jubilee and his heart was
seized with the ardors of a divine love. He wished to proclaim the most blessed
Mary as the Mother of God and the Mistress of all creation. But one of the
sovereign spirits restrained him in this fervent desire and said: "James,
servant of our Creator, restrain within thy own bosom these precious sentiments
and do not manifest to the Jews the presence and assistance of our Queen; for
they are not worthy or capable of knowing Her, but instead of reverencing Her
will only harden themselves in their hatred." Thus advised the Apostle forbore
and moving his lips in silence, he spoke to the heavenly Queen as follows:
400. "Mother of my Lord
Jesus Christ, my Mistress and Protectress, Thou consolation of the afflicted
and refuge of the needy, in this hour bestow upon me, my Lady, thy so much
desired blessing. Offer for me to thy Son and Redeemer of the world, the
sacrifice of my life, since I am burning with desire to be a holocaust for the
glory of his name. Let today thy most pure and spotless hands be the altar of
my sacrifice, in order that it may become acceptable in the eyes of Him, who
died for me upon the cross. Into thy hands, and through them into the hands of
my Creator, I commend my spirit." Having said these words, and keeping his
eyes fixed upon the most holy Mary, who spoke to his heart, the holy Apostle
was beheaded by the executioner. The great Lady and Queen of the world (O
wonderful condescension!) received the soul of her beloved Apostle and placing
it at her side on the throne, ascended with it to the empyrean heavens and
presented it to her divine Son. As the most blessed Mary entered the heavenly
court with this offering, She caused new joy and accidental glory to all the
heavenly inhabitants and was received with songs of praise. The Most High
received the soul of James and placed it in eminent glory among the princes of
his people. The most blessed Mary, prostrate before the throne of the Almighty,
composed a song of praise and thanksgiving for the triumphal martyrdom first
gained by one of his Apostles. On this occasion the great Lady did not see the
Divinity by intuitive vision, but by an abstractive one, such as I have
described before this. But the blessed Trinity filled Her with new blessings
and favors for Herself and for the holy Church, for which She had made great
preparations. All the saints likewise blessed her and then the holy angels
brought Her back to her oratory in Ephesus, where in the meanwhile an angel had
impersonated Her. On arriving the heavenly Mother of virtues prostrated Herself
as usual in order to give thanks to the Most High for all that had happened.
401. The disciples of saint
James during the following night secured his sacred body and secretly brought
it to Jaffa, where by divine disposition they embarked with it for Galicia in
Spain. The heavenly Lady sent an angel to guide and accompany them to the port,
where according to the divine will they were to disembark. Although they did
not see the angel, they felt his protection during the whole voyage and often
in a miraculous manner. Thus Spain, just as it owed its first instruction in
the faith so deeply rooted in the hearts of its people, to the protection
lavished by most holy Mary upon the Apostle, now also owes to Her the
possession of his sacred body for its consolation and defense. Saint James died
in the year forty-one of our Lord, on the twenty-fifth of March, five years and
seven months after his setting out to preach in Spain. According to this count
and that which I gave above, the martyrdom of saint James happened seven full
years after the death of our Savior Jesus Christ.
402. That his martyrdom was
at the end of March is clear from the twelfth chapter of the Acts, where saint
Luke says, that because of the rejoicings of the Jews in the death of saint
James, Herod imprisoned also saint Peter with the intention of beheading him
after the feast of the Pasch, which was that of the paschal lamb, or of
unleavened bread. This the Jews celebrated on the fourteenth of the moon of
March. From this passage it appears that the seizure of saint Peter was during
this Pasch or very near it; and that the death of James had preceded it a few
days, the fourteenth of the moon of March in the year forty-one, according to
our present computation of the years and months, occurred in the last days of
March. Accordingly the death of saint James happened on the twenty-fifth,
before the fourteenth of the moon, and soon thereupon took place the
imprisonment of Peter and the Pasch of the Jews. The holy Church does not
celebrate the feast of saint James on the day of his death, because it falls on
the same day as the Incarnation and ordinarily also in the time of the Lord's
passion. It was therefore transferred to the twenty-fifth of July, which is the
day on which the body of the Apostle was brought to Spain.
403. The death of saint James
and the haste of Herod in inflicting it, greatly increased the most impious
cruelty of the Jews; for in the savage brutality of the wicked king they saw a
valuable means of pursuing their vengeance against the followers of Christ the
Lord. Lucifer and his demons were of like opinion; they, by their suggestions,
and the Jews, by their insistent flatteries, persuaded him to seize upon saint
Peter, which he readily did in order to gain the good will of the Jews for his
own temporal ends. The demons stood in great awe of the vicar of Christ on
account of the power emanating from him against them; and therefore they
secretly sought to hasten his imprisonment. Saint Peter, bound with many
chains, lay in the dungeon awaiting his execution after the holidays of the
Pasch. (Acts 12, 4). Although the undaunted heart of the Apostle was as free
from anxiety or solicitude as if he had been at liberty, yet the whole body of
the Church of Jerusalem was in consternation, and all the disciples and the
faithful were greatly afflicted at the news that Herod was to execute him
without delay. In their affliction they multiplied their prayers and petitions
to the Lord for the preservation of saint Peter, whose death threatened the
whole Church with great havoc and tribulation. They invoked also the protection
and powerful intercession of the most blessed Mary, from whom they all expected
deliverance.
404. The dangerous crisis
impending over the Church was not unknown to the heavenly Mother, for, from her
retreat in Ephesus, by her clearest interior vision of all things, She saw all things that passed in Jerusalem. She likewise
increased her ardent requests, her sighs, prostrations and bloody tears,
supplicating the Lord for the liberation of saint Peter and the protection of
the holy Church. These prayers of the blessed Mother penetrated the heavens and
wounded the heart of her Son Jesus, our Savior. In response the Lord descended
in person to her oratory, where She was lying prostrate with her virginal face
upon the ground mingling with the dust. The sovereign King entered and raised
Her lovingly from the ground, saying: "My Mother, moderate thy sorrow and
ask whatever thou wishest; for I shall grant it all and thou shalt find grace
in my eyes to obtain it."
405. By the presence and
loving caresses of her Son the heavenly Mother was reanimated and filled with
glad consolation; for the tribulations of the Church were the sole cause of her
martyrdom, and to see saint Peter in prison condemned to death, and the dangers
thus threatening the primitive Church, afflicted Her more than can be
conceived. She renewed her petition in the presence of Christ the Redeemer, and
said: "Lord and true God, my Son, Thou knowest the tribulations of thy
holy Church and her clamors sound in thy ears, while they penetrate to the
inmost of my afflicted heart. Thy enemies are resolved to take away the life of
her Pastor, thy vicar; and if Thou, my Lord permit it now, they will scatter
thy little flock and the infernal wolves will triumph over thy name in seeing
their wishes fulfilled. Issue then, my Lord God and life of my soul, thy
sovereign command over this sea of tribulation, and the winds and waves, that
batter this little ship, shall be quieted and I shall live. Protect thy vicar
and confound thy enemies. And if it is to thy glory and according to thy will
let these tribulations come over me, so that I may suffer for thy faithful
children and be the aid of thy right arm I may battle with the invisible
enemies in the defense of thy holy Church."
406. Her divine Son answered:
"I desire that thou act according to thy wishes, using the powers I have
given Thee: do or undo whatever is necessary for the welfare of my Church, and
Thou mayest be sure, that all the fury of the demons will be turned toward
Thee." She thanked him for this new favor and offered to undertake the
battles of the Lord for his faithful, saying: "Most High Lord, hope and
life of my soul, prepared is the heart and spirit of thy servant to labor for
the souls bought with thy blood and life. Although I am but useless dust, I
know Thee to be infinite in power and wisdom; with the favor of thy assistance
I fear not the infernal dragon. As Thou wishest me to dispose and act in thy
name for the welfare of the Church, I now command Lucifer and all his ministers
of wickedness, who are disturbing the Church, to descend to the abyss and there
be silenced until it shall please thy Providence to permit their return to the
earth." This command of the Queen of the world in Ephesus was so powerful,
that at the very moment of her issuing it, all the demons in Jerusalem were
precipitated into hell, the whole multitude descending into the eternal caverns
without power of resisting the divine force exerted through the most blessed
Mary.
407. Lucifer and his
companions knew that this chastisement proceeded from our Queen, whom they
called their enemy because they dared not pronounce her name. They remained in
hell, confounded and dismayed as on other occasions, until they were permitted
to rise in order to battle against Mary, as will be related further on. During
that time they consulted anew about the means of attaining this end. Having
obtained this triumph over the demons the most blessed Mary bethought Herself
of overcoming likewise the opposition of Herod and the Jews, and therefore She
said to her divine Son: "Now, my Son and Lord, if it is thy will, let one
of thy holy angels be sent to deliver thy servant Peter from prison."
Christ our Lord approved of her wish and, at the orders of both these
Sovereigns, one of the heavenly spirits there present hastened to liberate
saint Peter from his prison in Jerusalem.
408. The angel executed these
orders very swiftly.
Coming to the dungeon, he
found saint Peter fastened with two chains, guarded by two soldiers at his side
and by a number of other soldiers at the entrance of the prison. The Pasch had
already been celebrated and it was the night before he was to be executed
according to the sentence passed upon him. But the Apostle was so little
disturbed that he was sleeping with as much unconcern as his guards (Acts 12,
6). When the angel arrived, he was obliged to wake him by force and while saint
Peter was still drowsy, said to him: "Arise quickly; put on thy girdle and
thy shoes, take thy mantle and follow me." Saint Peter found himself free
of the chains and, without understanding what was happening to him and ignorant
of what this vision could mean, followed the angel. Having conducted him
through some streets, the angel told him, that the Almighty had freed him from
prison through the intercession of his most blessed Mother, and thereupon
disappeared. Saint Peter, coming to himself understood the mystery and gave
thanks to the Lord for this favor.
409. Saint Peter thought it
best first to give an account of his liberation and consult with James the Less
and others of the faithful, before seeking safety in flight. Hastening his
steps he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, who was also called
Mark. This was the house of the Cenacle, where many of the disciples had
gathered in their affliction. Saint Peter called to them from the street, and a
servant-maid, by the name of Rhode, descended to see who was calling. As she
recognized the voice of Peter, she left him standing at the door outside and
fled excitedly to the disciples, telling them that it was Peter. They thought
it some foolish misunderstanding of the servant; but she maintained, that it
was Peter; so they, far from guessing the liberation of Peter, concluded that
it might be his angel. During these questions and answers saint Peter was in
the street clamoring at the door, until they opened it and with incredible joy
and gladness saw the holy Apostle and head of the Church freed from the sorrows
of prison and death. He gave them an account of all that had happened to him
through aid of the angel, in order that they might in strict secrecy notify
saint James and all his brethren. Foreseeing that Herod would search for him
with great diligence, they unanimously decided that he leave Jerusalem that
very night and not return, lest he should be taken in some future search. Saint
Peter therefore fled, and Herod, having instituted a search in vain, chastised
the guards, and was roused to new fury against the disciples. But on account of
his pride and impious designs, God cut short his activity by a severe
punishment, of which I shall speak in the following chapter. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF THE
ANGELS GAVE ME.
410. My daughter, thy
astonishment at the singular favor conferred by me on my servant James at his death,
affords me an occasion to tell thee of a privilege confirmed to me by the
Almighty at the time when I bore the soul of the Apostle to heaven. Although I
have already on other occasions revealed to thee something of this secret, thou
shalt now understand it more fully in order to increase thy filial devotion
toward me. When I brought to heaven the happy soul of James, the eternal Father
spoke to me in the hearing of all the blessed: "My Daughter and Dove,
chosen for my acceptation from all the creatures, let my courtiers, angels and
saints understand that, for the exaltation of my holy name, for thy glory and
for the benefit of mortals, I now give thee my royal word, that if men, in the
hour of their death invoke thee and call upon thee with affection in imitation
of my servant James, soliciting thy intercession with me, I will bend to them
in clemency and look upon them with eyes of fatherly mercy; I will defend and
guard them against the dangers of that last hour; I will ward off the cruel
enemies that seek the perdition of souls in that hour; I will furnish them
through thee with great helps for resisting these enemies and gaining grace, if
they wish to avail themselves of this help; and thou shalt present to Me their
souls to be rewarded by my liberal hands."
411. For this privilege the
whole triumphant Church, and I with it, sang hymns of thanks and praise to the
Most High. Although the angels have the office of presenting the souls when
they issue from the captivity of mortal life, to the tribunal of the just
Judge, yet I have this same privilege in a more exalted degree than is granted
to any other creature by the Omnipotent; for I possess it by another title and
by a particular and supereminent right. Many times I make use of this privilege
and I have done so with some of the Apostles. Since I see thee desirous of
knowing how thou canst obtain from me this favor so precious to the soul, I
answer thy pious wish by exhorting thee to take care lest thou make thyself
unworthy by ingratitude and forgetfulness; and before all, to gain for thyself
that inviolate purity, which I expect of thee and of the other souls. For the
great love which love and cherish toward God, obliges me, with sincerest
affection and charity to demand of all men the observance of his holy law and
the preservation of their friendship and grace with God. This thou must prefer
before thy life and be willing to die rather than offend thy God and highest
Good.
412. I wish that thou set
about obeying me, act out my instructions, and work with all thy might to
imitate what thou seest and writest of me; that thou
permit no intermission in thy love, nor forget for one moment the heartfelt
affection thou owest to the liberal mercy of thy Lord; that thou be thankful
for all his blessings and to me, since thy obligations are far beyond the power
of fulfillment by thee in this mortal life. Be faithful in thy correspondence,
fervent in thy devotion, ready to do what is most holy and perfect. Let thy
heart expand and do not narrow it in pusillanimity, following the instigations
of the devil. Extend thy hand to strong and powerful deeds, filled with
confidence in the Lord; be not oppressed by adversities, thus impeding the will
of the Lord in thee, and the high ends of his glory. Retain vivid faith and
hope, even in the greatest assaults and temptations. In all this let the
example of my servants James and Peter assist thee, and the certain knowledge
of possessing through me the happy security of those who live under the
protection of the Most High. In this confidence and in devotion to me James
obtained the singular favor I showed him in his martyrdom; trusting in me he
undertook immense labors in order to reach that crown. In this confidence saint
Peter remained so tranquil and content in his prisonchains,
nor lost for a moment the serenity of his soul. Thus he merited at the same
time, that my divine Son and myself should plan his liberation. Of such favors
the children of darkness make themselves unworthy, because they build all their
hopes on that which is visible and on their diabolical earthly astuteness.
Raise up thy heart, my daughter, and withdraw it from these deceits; aspire to
that which is most pure and holy, since with thee shall be the arm of the
Almighty, who wrought such great wonders in Me. THE DOINGS OF THE MOST BLESSED MARY IN
CONNECTION WITH THE DEATH AND CHASTISEMENT OF HEROD; SAINT JOHN PREACHES IN
EPHESUS AND WORKS MANY MIRACLES; LUCIFER RISES UP TO BATTLE WITH THE QUEEN OF
HEAVEN.
413. In the rational creature
love produces on the heart effects similar to those of the force of gravity on
the stone. The stone tends to move whithersoever its own weight draws it, that
is to its centre of attraction; love is the weight of the heart, drawing it to
its centre, namely, to that which it loves. If at any time the heart is
diverted by necessity or inadvertence, love will immediately make it recoil
like a liberated spring returning again to its normal position. This weight or
sway of love in a manner seems to take away the liberty of the heart, in so far
as it becomes subject and subservient to what it loves, and prevents the will
from commanding any other course of action than that sought and ordered by the
urgency of this love. The happiness or unhappiness of a creature arises from
the good or evil use it makes of love, for what man loves that he makes his
master; if this master is evil and vile, so will also the man be tyrannized and
degraded; if good, then will he be ennobled and made happy, and so much the
more, the more noble and excellent the good is, that he loves. By these
principles I hope to be able to explain in part, what has been made known to me
concerning the exalted state in which the most holy Mary lived never having
dropped from it but rising higher and higher from the first instant of her
Conception without interruption or relaxation, until She entered the state of a
comprehensor in the beatific vision.
414. If all the love of the
holy angels and of men could be united in one person, it would be less than
that of the most holy Mary; yet, if we could unite the love of all the other
creatures into one whole, it is certain that such a conflagration of love would
result, that, without being infinite, it would seem so to us, on account of its
surpassing all our comprehension. If then the charity of our great Queen
exceeded all this, only the infinite Wisdom could measure the love of this
Creature and estimate the intensity, with which it inclined and tended toward
the Divinity. We however can at least understand that in this chastest, purest
and most inflamed heart there could be no other mastery or sway, no other
movement or liberty, except that of loving supremely the highest Good; and this
in such an exalted degree, that with our limited capacity we can much sooner
believe than understand it, confess than penetrate it. This charity of the most
pure Virgin filled Her at the same time with the most ardent desires of seeing
the face of God, who was absent, and assisting the holy Church, which was
present to Her. Thus She was consumed by two opposite tendencies; but She
governed them with such wisdom, that there arose from them no conflict within
Her, nor did She give Herself up to the one to the neglect of the other; but
She attended to both, exciting wonder in all the saints and fullest complacency
in the Lord of the saints.
415. In this exalted and
eminent state of holiness the most holy Mary often consulted within her heart
about the condition of the primitive Church left in her charge; and how She
could exert Herself for its peace and progress. In these aspirations the
liberation of saint Peter, which made it possible for him to continue the
government of the faithful, and also the casting forth of Lucifer and his
demons from Jerusalem, which freed the faithful from their tyranny and allowed
them some respite, afforded the most holy Mary some relief and consolation in
her anxiety. The divine Wisdom, which dispenses labors and consolations with
weight and measure (Wis. 11, 21), ordained that the most blessed Mother should
at that time have a very intimate knowledge of the evil disposition of Herod.
She perceived the abominable ugliness of that most unfortunate soul brought on
by his boundless vices and oft-repeated crimes, which had roused the wrath of
the just and almighty Judge. She knew how greatly Herod and the Jews were
enraged against Jesus and his disciples after the escape of saint Peter. She
saw, also, how the seed of rage, sown by the demons in the hearts of Herod and
the Jews, had grown, and how furious their hatred against Jesus our Redeemer
and his disciples had become; how the iniquitous ruler had conceived the
purpose of exterminating all the faithful within the confines of Judea and
Galilee and how he would employ in this work all his forces and means. Although
the most blessed Mary was aware of this design of Herod, She was not informed
at that time of his horrid death. But as She knew his power and the depravity
of his soul, She was horrified at his evil state, and deeply grieved at his
wrath against the followers of the faith.
416. In her anxieties and in
her reliance upon the divine help our Queen labored incessantly in prayers and
tears, travailing in her clamors as I have shown on other occasions. Ever
governed by her most exalted prudence, She spoke to one of the highest angels
of her guard, saying: "Minister of the Most High and creature of his
hands, my solicitude for the holy Church strongly urges me to seek its welfare
and progress. I beseech thee to ascend to the throne of the Most High, represent
to Him my affliction; ask Him in my name, that I may be permitted to suffer
instead of his faithful servants and that Herod be prevented from executing his
designs for the destruction of the Church." Immediately the angel betook
himself to the Lord with this message, while the Queen of heaven, like another
Esther, remained in prayer for the liberty and salvation of her people and of
Herself. (Eph. 4, 16). The heavenly ambassador was sent back by the blessed
Trinity with the answer: "Princess of heaven, the Lord of hosts says, that
Thou art the Mother, the Mistress and the Governess of the Church, and that
Thou holdest his power while Thou art upon earth; and He desires Thee, as the
Queen and Mistress of the heaven and earth, to execute sentence upon Herod."
417. In her humility the most
blessed Virgin was somewhat disturbed by this answer, and urged by her charity,
She replied to the angel: "Am I then to pronounce sentence against a
creature who is the image of the Lord? Since I came forth from his hands I have
known many reprobates among men and I have never called for vengeance against
them; but as far as I was concerned, always desired their salvation if
possible, and never hastened their punishment. Return to the Lord, angel, and
tell Him that my tribunal and power is inferior to and dependent upon his, and
that I cannot sentence anyone to death without consulting my Superior; and if
it is possible to bring Herod to the way of Salvation, I am willing to suffer
all the travails of the world according to the disposition of his divine
Providence in order that this soul may not be lost." The angel hastened
back with this second message of his Queen and having presented it before the
throne of the most blessed Trinity, was sent back to Her with the following answer:
"Our Mistress and Queen, the Most High says, that Herod is of the number
of the foreknown, since he is so obstinate in his malice, that he will take no
admonition or instruction; he will not co-operate with the helps given to him;
nor will he avail himself of the fruits of the Redemption, nor of the
intercession of the saints, nor of thy own efforts, 0 Queen and Lady, in his
behalf."
418. For the third time the
most holy Mary dispatched the heavenly prince with still another message to the
Most High, saying: "If it must be that Herod die in order to hinder him
from persecuting the Church, do thou, 0 angel, represent to the Almighty, how
in the infinite condescension of his charity, He has granted me in mortal life
to be the Refuge of the children of Adam, the Advocate and Intercessor of
sinners; that my tribunal should be that of kindness and clemency for the
refuge and assistance of all that seek my intercession; and that all should
leave it with the assurance of pardon in the name of my divine Son. If then I
am to be a loving Mother to men, who are the creatures of his hands and the
price of his life-blood, how can I now be a severe judge against one of them?
Never was I charged with dealing out justice, always mercy, to which all my
heart inclines; and now it is troubled by this conflict of love with obedience
to rigorous justice. Present anew, O angel, this my anxiety to the Lord, and
learn whether it is not his pleasure that Herod die without my condemning
him."
419. The holy messenger
ascended for the third time and the most blessed Trinity listened to his
message with the plenitude of pleasure and complacency at the pitying love of
his Spouse. Returning, the angel thus informed the loving Mistress: "Our
Queen, Mother of our Creator and my Lady, the almighty Majesty says that thy
mercy is for those mortals who wish to avail themselves of thy powerful
intercession, not for those who despise and abhor it like Herod; that Thou art
the Mistress of the Church invested with all the divine power, and that
therefore it is meet Thou use it as is opportune: that Herod must die; but it
shall be through thy sentence and according to thy order." The most
blessed Mary answered: "Just is the Lord and equitable are his judgments
(Ps, 118, 137). Many times would I suffer death to rescue this soul of Herod,
if he himself would not by his own free will make himself unworthy of mercy and
choose perdition. He is a work of the Most High (Job. 10,8), formed according
to his image and likeness (Gen. 1,27) ; he was redeemed by the blood of the
Lamb, which taketh away the sins of the world (Apoc.
1, 5). But I set aside all this and, considering only his having become an
obstinate enemy of God, unworthy of his eternal friendship, by the most
equitable justice of God, I condemn him to the death he has merited, in order
that he may not incur greater torments by executing the evil he has
planned."
420. This wonder the Lord
wrought for the glory of his most blessed Mother and in witness of his having
constituted Her as the Mistress of all creatures with supreme power to act as
their Sovereign like her divine Son. I cannot explain this mystery better than
in the words of the Lord in the fifth chapter of saint John, where He says of
Himself: "The son cannot do anything that the Father does not; but He does
the same, because the Father loves Him; and if the Father raises the dead, the
son also raises whom he pleases, and the Father has given to the Son to judge
all, in order that just as all honor the Father, they may also honor the Son;
for no one can honor the Father without honoring the Son." And immediately
He adds: that He has given Him the power of judging, because He is the Son of
man, which He is through his most blessed mother. On account of the likeness of
the heavenly Mother to her Son (of which I have often spoken) the relation or
proportion of the Mother with the Son in this power of judgment must be
transferred to the Mother in the same manner as that of the Son from the
Father. Mary is the Mother of mercy and clemency to all the children of Adam
that call upon Her; but in addition to this the Almighty wishes it to be
understood that She possesses full power of judging all men and that all should
honor Her, just as they honor her Son and true God. As his true Mother He has given
Her the same power with him in the degree and proportion due to Her as his
Mother and a mere creature.
421. Making use of this power
the great Lady sent the angel to Caesarea, where Herod then was, to take away
his life as the minister of divine justice. The angel executed the sentence
without delay. The evangelist saint Luke says, that the angel of the Lord
struck Herod and, eaten up by worms, the unhappy man died the temporal and
eternal death. The wound of this stroke was interior and from it sprang the
corruption and the worms that so miserably finished him. From the same text it
appears that, after having beheaded saint James and after saint Peter had
escaped, Herod descended to Caesarea in order to compose some differences that
had arisen between him and the inhabitants of Sidon and Tyre (Acts 12, 23).
Within a few days, vested in the royal purple and seated upon a throne, he
harangued the people with great show of words. The people, full of vain
flattery, proclaimed him as a victor and as a god; and Herod, in foolish
vanity, was pleased with this adulation of the people. Because he had not given
honor to God, but usurped to himself divine honor in vain pride, as saint Luke
says, the angel of the Lord struck him. Although this was his last crime, which
filled the measure of his iniquity, he merited the chastisement not only for
this, but for so many other crimes committed by him in persecuting the
Apostles, mocking the Lord our Savior (Luke 23, 11), beheading the Baptist
(Mark 6, 27), committing adultery with his sister-in-law Herodias, and for many
other abominations.
422. Immediately the angel
returned to Ephesus and gave an account of the execution of the sentence
against Herod. The merciful Mother wept over the loss of this soul; but praised
the judgments of the Lord and gave him thanks for the benefit, which the Church
would derive from his chastisement; for, as saint Luke says (Acts 12, 24), the
Church grew and increased by the word of God. This was true not only in Galilee
and Judea, where the persecutor Herod was removed, but, through saint John and
the help of the most holy Mother, the Church was taking root in Ephesus. The
science of the blessed Apostle was full as that of the cherubim, and the love
of his heart was inflamed like that of the seraphim; and he had with him as his
Mother and Teacher, the Mistress of wisdom and grace. On account of these
precious advantages the Evangelist could undertake great and wonderful works
for the foundation of the law of grace, not only in Ephesus, but in all
neighboring regions of Asia and in the borderlands of Europe.
423. Arriving at Ephesus the
Evangelist began to preach in the city, baptizing those whom he converted to
the faith of Christ our Savior and confirming the faith by great miracles and prodigies,
such as had never been witnessed by those gentiles. Since the Greek schools in
those countries turned out many philosophers and men learned in what,
notwithstanding the admixture of many errors, could be called human sciences,
the blessed Apostle convincingly taught them the true science, making use not
only of miracles and signs, but of argumentation for the credibility of the
Christian faith. All his catechumens he immediately sent to the most holy Mary
and She instructed many; as She knew the interior inclinations of all, She
spoke to the heart of each one and filled it with heavenly light. She wrought
prodigies and miracles for the benefit of the unfortunate, curing the possessed
and the infirm, succored the poor and the needy and, by the labor of her own
hands, gave assistance to the sick in the infirmaries, attending upon them in
person. In her house the kindest Queen had a supply of clothes for the most
poor and forsaken of her fellowmen. She helped many in the hour of their death,
gaining these souls in their last agony and bringing them safely through all
the assaults of the demon to their Creator. So many souls did She draw to the
path of truth and life eternal, and so numerous were the wonders She wrought
for this end, that they could not be recorded in many books; for no day passed
in which She did not increase the possessions of the Lord by the copious and
abundant fruit of souls.
424. On account of the growth
of the primitive Church through the holiness, solicitude and labors of the Queen
of Heaven, the demons were filled with confusion and furious disappointment.
Although they rejoiced in the condemnation of all souls because it swelled the
numbers of the damned in hell yet they were grievously put out at the death of
Herod; for on account of his obstinacy they had expected from him no amendment
of his vile and abominable life and therefore had considered him a powerful
instrument for the persecution of the followers of Christ our Lord. The divine
Providence permitted Lucifer and the other infernal dragons to emerge from the
depths of hell, whither they had been cast forth from Jerusalem by the most
blessed Mother, as I have related in the last chapter. After having spent their
time in hell in planning and preparing temptations for their conflict with the
invincible Queen of the angels, Lucifer resolved to make complaint against Her
to the Lord himself, as he had done against holy Job (Job 1, 9) ; although he
now did it with greater wrath. With this intent, before issuing from the abyss,
he spoke to his ministers as follows:
425. "If we do not
vanquish this Woman, our Enemy, I fear that without a doubt She will destroy my
sovereignty; for we all find in Her a strength more than human, which
annihilates and oppresses us, whenever and in whatsoever manner She pleases to
exercise it. This is what makes Her intolerable to me; for if She were God, who
is offended by my high aspirations and hostility and who has infinite power to
destroy us, I would not feel so much confusion at being overcome; but this
Woman, though She is the Mother of God, of the incarnate Word, is not God; She
is a mere creature of a nature inferior to ours. I shall not further endure to
be treated by Her in such an imperious manner and be ruined by her opposition
to me. Let us all go forth to destroy Her and let us make our complaint to the
Omnipotent as we have now concluded to do." In reliance upon his pretended
rights the dragon executed his resolve; for he alleged, that God, instead of
leaving Her in her humble condition exposed to the persecutions and temptations
of the demons, had by his graces and gifts unjustly raised this Woman above
him, though She was but dust of the earth while he was an angel of such
superior essence. But I must remark, that these hellish foes did not present
themselves before the Lord so as to see Him, being entirely incapable thereof;
but through their knowledge and belief in the supernatural mysteries, which is
conceded to them in a curtailed yet by them unavoidable measure, they are
permitted to speak to God. This is what is meant, when they are mentioned as
being in the presence of God to make complaint or to have converse with Him.
426. The Almighty gave
Lucifer permission to go forth in battle against the most blessed Mother; but
the conditions asked by Satan were unjust, and therefore many of them were not
conceded. The divine Wisdom furnished those weapons, which were appropriate to
each combatant, in order that the victory of his Mother might be so much the
more glorious and crush the head of this ancient and poisonous serpent (Gen 3,
15). This battle was mysterious, no less than its triumphant issue, as we shall
see in the following chapters; moreover its mysterious character is plainly
evident in the twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse and from the other mysteries
of which I have spoken in my explanations of the first part of this history
(Part 1, No. 94). I wish only to state here, that the divine Providence
foreordained all this, not only for the greater glory of his most holy Mother
and for the exaltation of the divine power and wisdom, but also in order to
bring relief to the Church from the persecutions roused against it by the
demons; and also to bind Himself with some show of justice to the bestowal of
the infinite favors and blessings which the most holy Mary alone and no other
souls could ever merit for the whole Church. The Lord continually works in this
manner in his Church: preparing and fortifying some chosen souls, against
which, as members and parts of his holy Church, the dragon may exert all his
wrath and fury. If they overcome him by the help of divine grace, their
victories redound to the benefit of the whole mystical body of the faithful and
the enemy loses some of his right and power over them. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE GREAT QUEEN OF THE
ANGELS, MOST HOLY MARY, GAVE ME.
427. My daughter, when in the
course of this history I so often call thy attention to the lamentable state of
the world and to that of the holy Church in which thou livest, and when I so
often express my maternal solicitude that thou imitate me, remember, my
dearest, that I have great reasons for obliging thee to lament with me and for
wishing thee to weep over that which I bewailed in my mortal life ; and which
would afflict me in my present state, if in it I were capable of sorrow. I
assure thee, soul, thou hast reached times, in which thou oughtest
to shed tears of blood because of the calamities coming over the children of
Adam. Since thou canst not at one and the same time attain a full knowledge of
them all, I remind thee of what from my place in heaven I see going on in the
whole world among the believers of the holy faith. Turn then thy eyes upon
those multitudes and behold the greater part of the children of Adam in the
darkness and errors of unbelief, rushing without hope of salvation to eternal
perdition. Behold also the children of the faith and of the Church, how
heedless and forgetful of this damage they continue to be, so that there are
none who seem to deplore it. For in contempt of their own salvation, they care
not about that of others and, their faith being dead and their love extinct,
they sorrow not for the loss of souls created by God and redeemed by the blood
of the incarnate Word.
428. All are the children of
the eternal Father who is in heaven (Matth 23, 9) and all are obliged to have a
care of their brethren according to each one's condition. This obligation rests
more especially upon the children of the Church, who can live up to it by their
prayers and supplications. But this duty lies still more directly upon those
who have influence, upon those who are nourished by the Christian faith, and
who enjoy more of the benefits of the liberal hand of the Almighty. Those who
through the law of Christ are favored with temporal advantages and who make use
of them for the service and the delights of the flesh, are they who, as the
powerful, are to be more powerfully tormented (Matth 23, 9). If the pastors and
the chiefs of the house of the Lord seek only a life of ease, without caring to
engage in true earnest labor, they will make themselves accountable for the
ruin of the flock of Christ and for the carnage brought on by the infernal
wolves. 0 my daughter, into what a lamentable state has the Christian people
been cast by the powerful, by the pastors, and by the wicked ministers, whom
God has given them in his secret judgments! O what confusion and chastisements
await them! Before the tribunal of the just Judge they will have no excuse;
since the Catholic truth undeceives them, their conscience loudly protests,
while they willfully remain deaf to all warnings.
429. The cause of God remains
neglected and without a champion; his possessions, which are the souls, are
left without increase; all as it were look but to their own interest and
preservation, each one according to his own diabolical cunning and according to
his state of life. Truth is obscured, flattery raises its voice, avarice is
unbridled, the blood of Christ is trodden under foot, the fruits of the
Redemption are held in contempt; no one wishes to risk his own comfort or
interest in order to save what has cost the Savior his blood and life. Even the
friends of God are influenced by the evils; for they do not make use of their
charity and its holy liberty as they ought; and most of them allow themselves
to be overcome by their cowardice and content themselves with working for
themselves alone, forsaking the common cause of the souls of others. Hence thou
mayest understand, my daughter, that now, after the evangelical Church has been
established by my divine Son and fertilized by his own blood, those unhappy
times have come, of which the Lord himself complains through his holy Prophets,
saying: what the palmerworm hath left the locust has eaten, and what the locust
left the bronchus consumed, and the residue is destroyed by the mildew; (Joel
1, 4) and in order to gather some fruits from his vineyard, the Lord goes about
like the gleaner after the vintage, who seeks some remaining grape, or some
olive, which is not dried up, or carried away by the demons (Is. 24, 13).
430. Tell me now, my
daughter, how is it possible, if thou still hast a true love for my divine Son
and for me, that thou find consolation or rest in thy heart at the sight of the
loss of souls, which He redeemed by his blood and I have sought with
blood-mingled tears? Even today, if I could shed them, I would begin to do so
with new weeping and compassion; and since it is not possible for me now to
weep over the dangers threatening the Church, I wish that thou do it and that thou
spurn consolation in a misfortune so calamitous and so worthy of lament. Weep
bitterly then, and lose not the merit of such a sorrow; and let it be so deep,
that thou findst no relief except in affliction for the sake of the Lord whom
thou lovest. Think of what I did, in order to stave off the damnation of Herod
and to prevent it for those who wish to avail themselves of my intercession. In
the beatific vision I pray without ceasing for the salvation of my clients. Let
not the labors and tribulations sent to thee by my divine Son intimidate thee
from helping they brethren and acquiring them for the possession of Christ
Amidst the injuries done to Him by the children of Adam, do thou labor to
recompense them in some measure by the purity of thy soul, which I desire shall
be rather that of an angel than of an earthborn woman. Fight the battles of the
Lord against his enemies and in his name and mine, crush their head, reign over
their pride and cast them into hell. Do thou also counsel the ministers of Christ
with whom thou conversest, to use their power in doing the same, to defend the
souls in lively faith and, in them, the honor and glory of the Lord; for thus
shall they repress and vanquish them with divine power. THE MOST BLESSED MARY DESTROYS THE
TEMPLE OF DIANA IN EPHESUS; HER ANGELS BRING HER TO THE EMPYREAN HEAVENS, WHERE
THE LORD PREPARES HER FOR THE BATTLE AND VICTORY OVER THE INFERNAL DRAGON; THIS
CONFLICT BEGINS WITH TEMPTATIONS TO PRIDE. 431. Most celebrated is the history of the city of Ephesus, situated on the western confines of Asia; for many renowned events of past ages made that city famous and illustrious throughout the globe. But its greatest privilege and excellence consists in having entertained and harbored within its walls the supreme Queen of heaven and earth for the space of some months, the number of which I will state later on. This privilege was a most fortunate one for Ephesus; since the other things which are mentioned for its renown made it truly unhappy and infamous, because through them the prince of darkness had permanently set up his throne in that city. But as our great Lady and Mother of grace found Herself hospitably entertained and thus considered Herself under obligation to its inhabitants, who received Her liberally and offered her gifts, it naturally followed, that She, in accordance with her most perfectly ordered and burning charity deeming Herself brought nearer to these her benefactors, should repay their hospitality with greater blessings. For if She was liberal to all, even strangers, She would certainly be much more free with her gifts and favors to the inhabitants of Ephesus. Her own gratitude moved Her to this, since She considered Herself indebted to the whole commonwealth. She offered up for it special prayers, asking her divine Son to pour out over its inhabitants his blessings and as a kind Father to illumine and bring it to the knowledge of the true faith.
432. The Lady received answer
that, as the Mistress and Queen of the whole Church, She was free to do as She
pleased; that, however, She should take notice of the obstacles, which this
city placed in the way of the divine clemency by its ancient and still existing
abominations; that its inhabitants had thereby locked the gates of mercy and
merited the rigors of justice, which would have already been executed upon
them, if the Lord had not ordained Her to live among them just at the time,
when their wickedness had reached the highest point and called the loudest for
punishment. Together with this answer the most blessed Mother perceived, that
the divine Justice, as it were, asked her permission and consent to the
destruction of that idolatrous people of Ephesus and its neighborhood. At this
answer and what it implied the kind heart of the sweetest Mother was much
afflicted; but her immense charity was not intimidated, and multiplying her
prayers, She answered the Lord:
433. "Most High, just
and merciful King! I know well that the rigor of thy justice will be executed,
if thy mercy is excluded; but for thy mercy any motive found by thy wisdom is
sufficient, although small may be the inducement presented on the part of
sinners. Consider therefore, 0 Lord, how this city has afforded me a dwelling
according to thy will and how its inhabitants have helped me and offered me and
thy servant John their goods. Temper thy rigor, my God, and let it be exercised
on me, for I am willing to suffer for the salvation of these unfortunates.
Thou, O Allpowerful, whose infinite goodness and
mercy forever conquers in good or evil canst take away the obstacle, which
prevents their profiting of thy blessings; let not my eyes behold the
destruction of so many souls, the works of thy hands, purchased by thy
blood." The Lord replied: "My Mother, I desire that thou see for
thyself the cause of my just indignation and how much these men, for whom thou pleadest, have merited it. Attend, and thou shalt
see." And immediately, by a most clear vision, She saw what follows.
434. She perceived that many
centuries before the incarnation of the Word in her virginal womb, among the
many councils held by Lucifer for the destruction of men, one was held in which
he thus spoke to his demons: "From the delights of my former state in
heaven, from the prophecies made by God to man and from the favors shown to
many of his friends, I conjecture how much God shall be beholden to men and
women for abstaining from certain vices, which I desire to maintain upon the
world. These vices are especially those connected with the delights of the flesh
and with the pleasures of possession or avarice; in these He seeks to induce
them to renounce even what is allowed. In order that they may be so induced, He
shall furnish them with many helps, so that they may be chaste and poor of
their own accord, and subject their free will to that of others. If through
these virtues they overcome us, they will merit great reward before God, as I
have spied out in some who were chaste, poor and obedient. My plans will be
seriously frustrated, if we do not take measures to counteract this damage and
seek to compensate for it in all the ways open to our astuteness. I take into
consideration also, that, if the divine Word is to assume human flesh, as I
have been given to understand, He will be very chaste and pure, and that He
will teach chastity to others, not only men, but women, who, though they are
weaker, yet usually are more tenacious. If they, whom I overcame in the first
woman, shall thus vanquish me, it will be so much the more tormenting to me.
Besides all this, the Scriptures of the ancients speak much of the favors,
which men shall enjoy through the incarnate Word. For the human nature of the
Son of God is to enrich and raise up earthborn men by his power."
435. "In order to oppose
all this" Lucifer continued, "I desire your counsel and your diligent
help; and we must begin even now to hinder men from attaining such great
benefits." Thus the hateful plotting of hell against evangelical
perfection was far in advance of its profession in the religious orders. This matter
was thoroughly considered by the demons and the result of their deliberations
was, that a great many demons should be appointed as heads of hellish legions,
who were to tempt those desirous of living a life of chastity, poverty and
obedience. In derision of chastity especially, they were to institute a sort of
false and apparent state of virginity, in which counterfeit and hypocritical
virgins were to consecrate themselves to Lucifer and all the demons. The
enemies hoped thereby to gain over these persons to themselves not only for
their own triumph, but also to cast discredit upon the chaste life of religious
orders, which they presumed would be instituted by the incarnate Word and his
Mother in the world. In order that this false religion might be propagated so
much the better in the world, they resolved to found it upon worldly abundance
and on whatever is most pleasing to nature, as in reality it was; for in secret
those interested agreed to live licentiously under the name of chastity in
honor of false gods.
436. But immediately the
question arose, whether this religion was to be for men or for women. Some of
the demons wanted it to be for men only, in order that through their greater
constancy those religious orders might be more permanent; others again thought
that men are not so easily deceived as women, since they reason more deeply and
could more easily detect error; while there was not so much of this risk in
women, who were of weak judgment, ready to believe earnestly in what they like
and have once settled upon, and inclined to persevere in their error. This
argument prevailed and was approved by Lucifer, although he did not entirely
exclude men; for he judged, that some would be found, who would embrace the
fallacy on account of the influence they would thereby gain over others. This
could be expected especially if the demons would help along by nourishing their
fear of losing the estimation of their fellowmen and by astutely making use of
public opinion to keep alive the fallacies in those who would engage in this
service.
437. Following up their
infernal schemes the demons set about instituting a counterfeit and false
religious order or congregation of virgins; for Lucifer said to the other
demons: "Although it would be a great pleasure to me to have real virgins
consecrated and dedicated to my worship and adoration in the same way as God
wishes them for Himself; yet chastity and purity of the body so offends me,
that I cannot endure this virtue, even if practiced entirely in honor of my greatness.
Therefore we must see to it, that these virgins be the object of our basest
attempts. If any of them should remain chaste in body, we shall fill her with
bad thoughts and desires, so that in reality none of them will be chaste,
though they may strive to contain themselves out of vain pride; and as they are to be impure
in their thoughts, we will seek to maintain them in the vainglorious conceit of
their virginity."
438. In order to start these
false religious orders the demons scoured through the whole earth, and it
seemed to them, that among all the nations, certain women called Amazons were
best suited for the execution of their devilish plans. These Amazons had come
from Scythia to Asia Minor where they now lived. They were warlike, covering up
by their arrogance and pride the weakness of their sex. By force of arms they
had possessed themselves of extended provinces, and had constituted Ephesus as
the centre of their power. For a long time they governed themselves, disdaining
subjection to men and life in their company, for such a life, they in their
presumptuous pride, called slavery or servitude. Since much is said of them in
histories, though with many contradictions, I will not dilate upon this matter.
For my purpose it is sufficient to state, that, since these Amazons were proud,
vainglorious and averse to men, Lucifer found them predisposed toward his
counterfeit virginity. He filled them with vain hopes of gaining great
veneration and renown in the world by being known as pledged to virginity and
stirred them with the desire of becoming famous and admired of men and perhaps
of one of them reaching the position and worship of a goddess. In their
unbridled desire of this worldly honor they gathered around them many Amazons,
both true and counterfeit virgins, and instituted their spurious congregation
of virgins at Ephesus, the place of their origin.
439. In a short time these
more than foolish virgins grew very numerous and through the instigations of
the demons were much admired and applauded by the world. Among them one
signalized herself and became very celebrated for her beauty, nobility, high
intellect, chastity and other allurements. She was called Diana and the fame
and admiration of her became widespread. The veneration of her and the
multitude of her companions were the occasion of the building of the renowned
temple of Ephesus, which the world estimated as one of its marvels and which
took many years to construct. As Diana gradually gained the worship and title of
goddess among the blind multitude, this rich and sumptuous temple was finally
dedicated to her, and was called the temple of Diana. In imitation of it and
under the same title, many others were built in other parts of the world. In
order to spread the renown of this counterfeit virgin during her lifetime in
Ephesus, the demon communicated with her and filled her with diabolical
illusions; many times he surrounded her with a false splendor and manifested to
her secrets to be promulgated. He taught her also some ceremonies and forms of
worship similar to those of the people of God; by which she and the people
might worship the devil. The rest of the virgins venerated her as a goddess;
which was also done by the other heathens, who were as prodigal as they were
blind in attributing divinity to all that seemed to them wonderful.
440. These diabolical frauds
had thus been established when the neighboring kings defeated the Amazons and
assumed the government of Ephesus. They preserved this temple of Ephesus as something
sacred and divine, and they permitted the continuance of that gathering of
foolish virgins. Although some man of the people burned this temple, the city
and the government authorities rebuilt it, being especially helped by the
contributions of women. This was a little more or less than thirty years before
the Redemption of the human race. Hence at the time when the most blessed
Mother was in Ephesus not the old temple stood, but the second one, built
later. In this temple the virgins occupied different apartments. But as, during
the time of the Incarnation and death of Christ, idolatry was so firmly
established in the world, those diabolical women not only had not improved in
their customs, but deteriorated, and nearly all of them held abominable intercourse
with the demons. In connection therewith they committed other most loathsome
crimes and deceived the world by their humbugging prophecies, by which the
devil filled both them and their dupes with their insanities.
441. This and much more did the
most blessed Mary behold around Her in Ephesus and on account of it She was
struck with a sorrow certainly mortal, if She had not been preserved by the
Lord. But having seen that Lucifer had appropriated the statute of Diana as a
seat or throne of his wickedness, She prostrated Herself upon the ground before
her divine Son and said: "Lord God Most High, worthy of all reverence and
praise! It is proper that these abominations, which have lasted for so many
ages, should cease. My heart cannot bear to see that an unhappy and abominable
woman receive the worship due to the true God, such as Thou alone as the
Infinite deservest; nor can I endure to see the name
of chastity so profaned and prostituted in honor of the demons. Thy infinite
condescension has made me the guide and the mother of virgins, as a most noble
part of thy Church, the most precious fruit of thy Redemption, most pleasing to
Thee. The title of chastity must be consecrated to Thee in the souls, which
shall be my children, and I cannot consent to leave it any longer to these
adulterous women. I make complaint against Lucifer and against hell, for their
presumption in unjustly appropriating such a right. I beseech Thee, my Son, to
chastise them by rescuing these souls from his tyranny and conferring on them
the liberty of thy faith and true light."
442. The Lord answered:
"My Mother, I grant thy petition, for it is not just that, even were it
only in name, this virtue of chastity, which was so ennobled in Thee and is so
pleasing to Me, should be ascribed to my enemies. But many of those counterfeit
virgins are foreknown as reprobates on account of their abominations and their
obstinacy, and all of them will not embrace the way of eternal life. Some few
of them will accept the faith, which shall be taught them." At this
juncture saint John came to the oratory of the most blessed Mother; but he did
not then know of the mystery She was then engaged in, nor of the presence of
her divine Son. But the true Mother of the humble wished to join to her prayers
those of his beloved disciple. She therefore secretly asked permission of her
Son to speak to him and said to him: "John, my Son, my heart is grieved on
account of the abominable crimes committed against the Most High in the temple
of Diana and my soul desires to see them ended and atoned." The holy
Apostle answered: "My Lady, I have seen something of what passes in that
abominable place. I cannot restrain my sorrow and my tears, that the demon
should be there venerated and worshipped as is due to God alone; and no one can
put a stop to such great evils, unless Thou, my Mother, wilt take this matter
in hand."
443. The most blessed Mary
then ordered the Apostle to join Her in prayer for a remedy of these evils.
Saint John betook himself to his chamber, while the most blessed Lady remained
with the Savior in hers. Prostrate before the Lord and shedding copious tears,
She resumed her prayers and petitions. She persevered therein with most burning
fervor and as it were in agonizing sorrow appealing to her divine Son for
comfort and consolation, She received the following response to her petitions
and prayers: "My Mother and my Dove, let what thou askest
be done without delay; give thy orders and commands according to thy heart's
wishes as the powerful Mistress." By this favor the love of the most
blessed Virgin was inflamed with zeal for the honor of the Divinity. As Queen
She imperiously commanded all the demons in the temple of Diana to descend
immediately to the depths of hell and to leave the place, which they had
infested as their own for so many years. Many legions of them inhabited that
temple, deceiving men by their superstitions and profaning the souls; but in
the shortest twinkling of an eye, in virtue of the powerful command of the
Queen, most holy Mary, all of them were hurled into hell. So great was the
terror by which She struck them down, that as soon as She opened her lips to
pronounce the first word they waited not for the second; for they were then
already in hell and the swiftness of an angel, proper to them as pure spirits,
seemed to them tardy in their flight from the Mother of the Omnipotent.
444. They were unable to
leave the abysmal caverns until, as I shall soon relate, they received
permission to come forth with the great dragon to do battle with the Queen of
heaven; and in hell itself they sought the localities farthest removed from the
place where She was upon earth. I must remark, that by these triumphs the most
holy Mary so vanquished the demon, that he could not return to reassume the
same position or jurisdiction in those places of which he was dispossessed. But
this infernal serpent was and is so venomous, that new heads grow upon him
where the former are cut off, continually evolving new schemes of malice and
wickedness against God and his Church. Following up her victory the great
Mistress of the world, with the consent of Christ our Savior, immediately
ordered one of her holy angels to repair to the temple of Diana and destroy it
without leaving a stone upon a stone. Of all the women that dwelt there he was
to save only nine designated by Her, while all the rest should die and be
buried in the ruins of the building. These were reprobates, whose souls, before
they could increase their punishment by more sins, should be buried in hell
with the demons, whom they had obeyed and worshipped.
445. The angel of the Lord
executed the mandate of his Queen and Mistress, and in the shortest space of
time the rich and famous temple of Diana, the establishment of which had
consumed many ages, was shattered to the dust: so sudden was the destruction
and ruin of it, that it roused the astonishment and fear of the inhabitants of
Ephesus. He saved the nine women designated by the most holy Mary in pursuance
of the command of Christ our Savior; for these alone accepted the faith, as I
shall relate. All the others perished in the ruins, not leaving even a
remembrance of themselves. Although the inhabitants of Ephesus instituted an
inquiry, they could find no one upon whom to put the blame, as they had been
able to do in the burning of the first temple when, for the sake of the fame
attached to his crime, the incendiary delivered himself up of his own accord.
The evangelist saint John took occasion from this event to preach with still
greater fervor the divine truth and to free the Ephesians from the deceits and
errors of the demons. The Evangelist joined the Queen of heaven in giving
thanks to the Most High for this triumph over Lucifer and over idolatry.
446. But it is necessary here
to explain, that this event must not be connected with that mentioned in the
nineteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles concerning the temple of Diana,
which saint Luke relates, that a renowned artificer of Ephesus, called
Demetrius, who manufactured silver images of the goddess Diana, conspired with
others, who were interested in his art or trade, against saint Paul; for the
Apostle preached all through Asia, that those were no gods, which were
manufactured by the hands of men. On account of this new doctrine Demetrius
persuaded his associates, that saint Paul was not only ruining their trade, but
causing the temple of Diana, so greatly venerated in Asia and the whole world,
to be despised. This conspiracy roused the artisans, and they, the whole city,
so that the cry went up: "Great is the Diana of the Ephesians,"
bringing on what saint Luke relates in that chapter. In order to make
intelligible what I have said above, I will add, that this temple, of which
saint Luke speaks, was another, less costly and more ordinary temple, which the
Ephesians began to build after the most blessed Virgin had returned to
Jerusalem. When saint Paul came to preach in Ephesus this temple had already
been completed. From what saint Luke says, we can gather how deeply ingrown
idolatry and the cult of Diana was in the Ephesians and in the whole of Asia.
This was natural not only on account of the length of the time in which this
error had held sway, but also because that city had made itself illustrious and
famous throughout the world by the worship of Diana and by its great temple.
The inhabitants of Ephesus having been delivered from this deceit and vanity by
the Blessed Virgin, and their city being the seat and source of this worldwide
superstition, imagined that they could not live without their goddess or
without their building temples in her honor. So ingrained was the ignorance of
the true God among the heathens, that many Apostles and many years were
required for making known the truth and rooting out the cockle of idolatry,
especially among the Romans and the Greeks, who esteemed themselves the most
wise and civilized of all the nations of the earth.
447. Having destroyed the
temple of Diana the most holy Mary conceived still greater desires of laboring
for the exaltation of the name of Christ and for the spread of the holy Church,
in order that the triumph gained over the enemies might bring its proper fruit.
While She was thus multiplying her prayers and petitions for this purpose, it
happened one day that the holy angels manifested themselves to Her in visible
forms and said to Her: "Our Queen and Mistress, the great God of celestial
hosts commands us to bring Thee to heaven before his royal throne to which He
calls Thee." The most holy Mother answered: "Behold here the handmaid
of the Lord; let his holy will be done in me." Then the angels received
Her on a throne of light, such as I have described on other occasions, and bore
Her to the empyrean heavens and to the presence of the most holy Trinity, which
manifested Itself not by an intuitive, but by an abstractive vision. She
prostrated Herself before the sovereign throne, adored the immutable being of
God in profound humility and reverence. Then the eternal Father spoke to Her
and said: "My Daughter and meekest Dove, the cries of thy inflamed heart
for the exaltation of my holy name have come to my ears, and thy petitions for
the holy Church are acceptable in my eyes, inclining me to mercy and clemency.
In response to thy love I wish to renew in thee my power, in order that thou mayest defend my honor and glory, triumph over my enemies
and their ancient pride, bind and crush their necks, and in order that through
thy victories thou mayest assist my Church and
acquire new blessings and favors for its members, thy brethren."
448. The most holy Mary
replied: "Behold, 0 Lord, I am the least of thy creatures; my heart is
prepared for all that shall be thy pleasure and for all that shall promete the exaltation of thy ineffable name and thy
greater glory; let thy divine will be done in me." The eternal Father
added: "Let all my courtiers of heaven understand, that I appoint Mary as
the chief and leader of all my hosts, and as the conqueror of all my enemies
gloriously to triumph over them." The other two divine Persons, the Son and
the Holy Ghost, added their approval; and all the blessed with the angels
answered: "Thy holy will be done, 0 Lord, in heaven and on earth."
Thereupon the Lord ordered eighteen of the highest seraphim to adorn,
strengthen, and arm their Queen for battle against the infernal dragon. On that
occasion were mysteriously fulfilled the promise in the book of Wisdom: that
the Lord armed the creatures for vengeance upon his enemies, and the other
sayings there recorded (Wis. 5, 18). Six of the seraphim first came forward to adorn
the most blessed Lady with a sort of light as with an impenetrable armor, which
at the same time manifested the holiness and justice of the Queen, so
invincible and impenetrable to the demons, that in an ineffable manner She was
made godlike in strength. For this wonder the seraphim and the saints gave
thanks to God.
449. Immediately another six
of the seraphim approached and, in obedience to the command of the Lord, they
furnished Her with another new enlightenment. It was a sort of reflection of the
Divinity in her countenance, unbearable to the sight of the demons. In virtue
of this gift, the enemies, although, as we shall see, they came to tempt Her,
could not look upon her godlike face, not being deemed worthy of this privilege
by the Lord. Then came also the last six seraphim and at the command of the
Lord they furnished Her with offensive weapons, since She was to take upon
Herself the defense of the Divinity and its honor. In pursuance of their divine
commission the angels added to all the faculties of the great Lady new
qualities of divine virtue, corresponding to the gifts with which the Most High
had endowed Her. In virtue of this privilege the great Mistress received the
power to impede, restrain and counteract at her will the most secret schemes
and attempts of all the demons, so that all of them became subject to the will
and mandate of the most holy Mary, without liberty to hinder her decrees; and
of this power She availed Herself frequently in favor of the faithful and of
her clients. All these special powers, and whatever they implied, the three
divine Persons confirmed, each One separately conferring upon her gifts
corresponding to his divine attributes and bidding Her return to the Church and
by them triumph over the enemies of the Lord.
450. In parting the three
divine Persons gave their blessing to the most blessed Mary and She adored Them
in deepest reverence. Then the angels, full of wonder at the works of the Most
High, brought Her back to her oratory, exclaiming: "Who is She, that so
godlike, rich and prosperous, descends from the highest heaven to the world to
defend the honor of God's name? How well appointed and how beautiful does She
advance to battle for the Lord? 0 Queen, 0 most exalted Lady, proceed
prosperous in thy beauty, go forth and reign over all the creatures, and let
all of them praise and magnify Thee; because He has shown Himself so liberal
and powerful in thy blessings. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Sabbaoth, the Lord of the celestial hosts (Is. 6, 3) and in
Thee shall bless Him all the generations of men." Arriving at her oratory
the most blessed Mary gave humblest thanks to the Almighty, prostrating Herself
to the dust as She was wont to do on such occasions.
451. The most prudent Mary
conferred within Herself for some time, in order to prepare for her conflict
with the demons. While thus meditating She saw issuing upon the earth, as from
the abyss, a fearful red dragon with seven heads, from each of which came forth
the smoke and fire of vast wrath and fury, while many other demons followed him
in similar shapes. This vision was so horrible that no other living being could
have looked upon it without losing its life; and it was indeed necessary, that
the most blessed Mary should be forewarned and made so invincible in order to
enter into battle with these blood-thirsty beasts of hell. They gathered around
the great Queen in furious howlings and began to
vaunt their threats, saying; "Come, come let us destroy this our enemy; we
have the permission of the Almighty to tempt Her and make war upon Her. This
time we shall make an end of Her, we shall take vengeance for the injuries She
has continually inflicted on us and for the destruction of our temple of Diana.
Let us destroy Her likewise; She is but a Woman, a mere Creature, whereas we
are knowing, astute and powerful spirits; we need not fear this earthly
creature."
452. That entire host of
infernal dragons advanced upon the invincible Queen, Lucifer leading them on
and challenging Her to battle. As the most deadly poison of this serpent is his
pride, by which he usually instills his vices for the destruction of
innumerable souls, it seemed to him proper to begin with this vice, outwardly
concealing it in accordance with the state of sancity,
which he attributed to the most holy Mary. For this purpose the dragon and his
followers transformed themselves into angels of light and thus manifested
themselves to Her, imagining that She had not yet seen and recognized them as
demons and dragons of hell. They began with praise and flattery saying:
"Powerful art Thou, Mary, great and valorous among women; all the world
honors and celebrates Thee for the virtues it sees in Thee and for the
prodigies and wonders Thou performest through them.
Thou art worthy of glory, since no one equals Thee in holiness. We know this
better than all the rest, and therefore we proclaim it and sing to Thee in
festive joy at thy doings." By these counterfeit acknowledgments Lucifer
sought to excite in the mind of the humble Queen, haughty thoughts of pride and
presumption. But instead of moving or persuading Her to any pleasure or consent
in them, he drew forth in Her living darts of pain, that transfixed her
sincerest heart. Not all the torments of the martyrs were to Her so painful as
these diabolical flatteries. In order to confound them, She excited acts of
humility, annihilating Herself and debasing Herself in such an admirable and
resistless a manner, that hell could not bear it nor remain longer in her
presence; for the Lord had ordained that Lucifer and his ministers should
recognize and feel these acts of humility. All the devils fled with dreadful
howls, saying: "Let us away to the abyss, for less painful to us is the
confusion of that place than the humility of this invincible Woman." They
left Her, and the most prudent Lady gave thanks to the Almighty for this first
victory. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE GREAT QUEEN AND
LADY OF HEAVEN GAVE ME.
453. My daughter, the pride
of the demon includes a desire which the devil himself knows is absurd: namely,
his desire that the saints serve and obey him as god, and thus make him like to
God in this respect. But the fulfillment of this desire is impossible, since it
implies in itself a contradiction. The essence of holiness consists in the
creature's conforming itself to the divine will, loving God above all things in
obedience, whereas sin consists in deviating from this rule by the love of some
other object and obedience to the demon. But the uprightness of true virtue is
so conformable to reason, that even the devil cannot ignore it. On this account
he seeks, if possible, to cause the good to fall in order to satisfy his wrath
and envy at not being able to draw them to his service, and satiate his intense
desire of preventing the glory of God in his saints, which he cannot
appropriate for himself. Hence also his violent efforts to fell to the earth
some cedar of Lebanon in sanctity and to enslave those who have been the
servants of the Most High. With this in view he exerts all his ingenuity and
care, and often he seeks to induce his devotees to practice some of the moral
virtues, even if only in appearance, as is done by hypocrites and as we have
seen in the virgins of Diana. He hopes thereby to have his share in what God
loves and desires, and to sully and pervert what the Lord wishes to use as a
channel for his purity.
454. Remember, my daughter,
that the byways, snares and schemes of this serpent for the fall of the just
are so numerous, that without the special favor of the Most High the souls
could never know them, much less overcome them or escape his treacherous plots.
In order to deserve this protection of the Lord, God wishes the creature on its
part never to relax in vigilance, nor trust in its own strength, nor ever be
remiss in asking and desiring this help; for without it, man can do nothing and
will soon perish. What especially draws down the divine clemency is fervor of
the heart and promptness in divine worship, and above all, persevering
obedience and humility, which give stability and fortitude against the assaults
of the enemy, I wish to impress upon thy mind, not for thy discouragement, but
for thy advice and warning, that the works of the just, to which this serpent
does not impart some of its poison, are very rare. For usually he tries with
utmost subtlety to excite some terrestrial passion or inclination, by which he
secretly deflects or perverts the intentions, preventing man from acting purely
for God and for the legitimate ends of true virtue. Since the cockle of some
foreign affection, either in part or the whole, is thus sown with the wheat, it
is difficult to detect, unless souls strip themselves of all earthly
inclinations and examine their works in the divine light.
455. Thou art well warned, my
daughter, against this peril and against the ceaseless efforts of the demons,
which are more violent against thee than against other souls. Let not thy
vigilance be less than his, and do not trust in the mere appearance of good
intention in thy works; for, though appearances must always be good and
upright, yet this is not sufficient, nor can the creature always discern them.
The demon often deceives the soul under the cloak of a good intention,
proposing some apparently or remotely good end, in order to lead them into
proximate danger; and thus it happens, that, enmeshed in this danger, the men
never attain the good which drew them into action. At other times he prevents
the soul, under cloak of this good intention, from examining into
circumstances, which vitiate the act by imprudence in the performance. Then
again, under the outwardly good intention, are often hidden the earthly
passions and inclinations, which dominate the heart. Hence, amid so many
dangers, thou canst find safety only in scrutinizing thy actions by the light
which the Lord infuses into the superior part of thy soul; by it thou wilt know
how to distinguish the good from the evil, the truth from the falsehood, the
bitter from the sweet, passions from right reason (Jer.
15, 19). Then the divine light in thee will not be obscured by darkness, the
eye will be single and will purify the body of thy actions (Matth.
6, 22), and thou wilt be entirely and in all things pleasing to thy Lord and to
Me. THE MOST HOLY MARY, CALLED BY THE
APOSTLE SAINT PETER, RETURNS FROM EPHESUS; SHE CONTINUES HER BATTLE WITH THE
DEMONS; IS OVERTAKEN BY GREAT STORMS AT SEA; SOME OTHER INTERVENING MYSTERIES.
456. After the death of the
unhappy Herod the primitive Church of Jerusalem enjoyed some measure of quiet
and tranquillity for a considerable time. The great
Lady of the world merited this favor through her maternal solicitude and care.
During this time saint Barnaby and saint Paul preached with wonderful success
in the cities of Asia Minor, Antioch, Lystra, Perge and others, as is related by saint Luke in the
thirteenth and fourteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles and in connection
with the miracles and prodigies performed by saint Paul in those cities and
provinces. The apostle saint Peter, after his liberation from prison, fled from
Jerusalem and retired to another part of Asia not under the jurisdiction of
Herod. From that place he governed the faithful accruing to the Church in Asia
and those that were in Palestine. All of them acknowledged and obeyed him as
the Vicar of Jesus Christ and head of the Church, believing that all he
ordained and enacted upon earth was confirmed in heaven. With this firm faith
they came to him with all their doubts and difficulties as to their supreme
pontiff. Among other matters they asked him to decide the questions raised by
some of the Jews concerning the doings and teachings of saint Paul and Barnaby
as well in Jerusalem as in Antioch, in opposition to the circumcision and the
law of Moses, as I will relate later on and as is recorded by saint Luke in the
fifteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.
457. On this occasion the
Apostles and disciples of Jerusalem begged saint Peter to return to the holy
city in order to settle these controversies and establish order, so that the
preaching of the faith might not be hindered; for since the death of Herod the
Jews had no one to assist them in their persecutions, and therefore the Church
enjoyed greater peace and tranquillity in Jerusalem.
On the same grounds they also asked him to request the holy Mother of Jesus to
come to that city; for all the faithful longed for Her with loving hearts,
expected to be consoled in the Lord and hoped for the prosperity of all the
affairs of the Church through her presence. On account of these appeals saint
Peter resolved to return at once to Jerusalem, and before setting out, he wrote
the following letter to the most holy Queen.
458. Letter of Saint Peter to
most holy Mary. “To Mary, the Virgin, Mother of God: Peter, the Apostle of
Jesus Christ, thy servant and the servant of the servants of God." "Lady,
among the faithful some doubts and differences have arisen concerning the
doctrine of thy Son and our Redeemer, whether the ancient law of Moses is to be
observed in conjunction with his teachings. They wish to know from us what is
proper, and that we state to them what we heard from the mouth of the divine
Teacher. In order to consult with my brethren, the Apostles, I am now setting
out for Jerusalem and, for the consolation of all and by thy love for the
Church, we beseech Thee likewise to come to that city, where, since the death
of Herod, the Jews are more peaceful and the faithful more at ease. The
multitude of the followers of Christ desire to see Thee and console themselves
in thy presence. When we shall have arrived at Jerusalem, we shall notify the
other cities, and with thy assistance will be established what shall be
conducive to the interests of the holy faith and to the excellence of the law
of grace."
459. This was the tenor and
contents of the letter. The Apostles usually observed the same method,
addressing first the person or persons to whom they were writing, then
mentioning the writer, or inversely, as is apparent in the letters of saint
Paul, and of saint Peter and of the other Apostles. To call the Queen Mother of
God was agreed among the Apostles after they had composed the creed; and in
speaking of Her they used indiscriminately the term of Virgin or Mother,
because it was very important that all the faithful of the Church should accept
the doctrine of the virginity and maternity of the great Lady. Some of the
other faithful called Her Mary of Jesus, or Mary of Jesus, the Nazarene. Others
less significantly called Her Mary, the daughter of Joachim and Anne. Such were
the titles given to our Queen by the faithful in their conversation. The holy
Church, preferring the names given Her by the Apostles, calls Her Virgin and
Mother of God, and to these it has added other titles, still more illustrious
and mysterious. A messenger brought the letter of saint Peter to the heavenly
Lady, and in giving it to Her, he mentioned that it was from the Apostle. She
received it on her knees, in reverence for the Vicar of Christ, and kissed it;
but She would not open it, because saint John was absent preaching in the city.
As soon as the Evangelist returned, She as usual asked his benediction on her
knees, and handed him the letter, telling him that it was from saint Peter, the
supreme high-priest. Saint John asked her what it contained; but the Mistress
of all virtues answered: "Do thou, my master, first read it and then tell
me what it contains." This the Evangelist proceeded to do.
460. I cannot restrain my
wonder and confusion at the humility and obedience of the most holy Mary in a
matter of so small moment; for only her heavenly prudence could inspire Her,
the Mother of God, with the thought, that it would be more humble and
submissive not to read this letter of the Vicar of Christ except in the
presence and under the obedience of the one to whose guidance She had submitted
Herself as her superior. Her example reproves and stigmatizes the presumption
of inferiors, who try to find excuses and pretenses for evading the humility
and obedience due to their superiors. But the most holy Mary was a model and a
teacher of holiness in all things, great or small. Having read the letter to
Her, he asked Her, what She thought best to write to the Vicar of Christ. But
also in this She did not wish to give any appearance of her being his equal or
superior, preferring to obey; and therefore She answered: "My son and
master, do thou arrange whatever shall be proper; for I, as thy servant, will
obey." The Evangelist replied, that it seemed to him best to obey saint
Peter and return immediately to Jerusalem. "It is right and proper to obey
the head of the Church," answered the purest lady; "let us prepare
even now for our departure."
461. Thus resolved, saint
John went out to seek passage for Palestine and to prepare whatever was
necessary for a speedy departure. In the meanwhile, at the request of the
Evangelist, most blessed Mary called together the women who were her
acquaintances and disciples in Ephesus, in order to take leave of them and
instruct them in what they must do to persevere in their holy faith. There were
seventy-three of them, many of them virgins, among whom were also the nine
saved from the ruins of the temple of Diana. These and many others Mary herself
had converted and catechized in the faith; and She had formed of them a
community in the house of their hostesses. Through this congregation of women
the heavenly Lady had begun to atone for the sins and abominations, perpetrated
in the temple of Diana for so many ages, and She established the observance of
chastity in community life in that very city of Ephesus where the devil had
profaned it. Of all this, these women had been informed, though they did not
know that She had destroyed the temple of Ephesus; for this remained a secret,
in order that neither the Jews should find a pretext, nor the heathens be
stirred to anger against the gentle Mother by their insane love of Diana. The
Lord provided that the ruin of the temple should be looked upon as an accident
and be soon forgotten, so that profane authors wrote nothing about it, though
they had written much concerning the burning of the first temple.
462. The most blessed Mary,
in her desire to console them for her absence spoke to these disciples in
sweetest words. She left them a paper, in which She had written with her own
hand: "My daughters, the will of the Almighty calls me back to Jerusalem.
In my absence keep in mind the doctrine, which you
have received from me and which I heard from the mouth of the Redeemer of the
world. Look upon Him always as your Lord and Master and as the Spouse of your
souls, serving Him and loving Him with all your heart. Remember the
commandments of his holy law, in which you shall be instructed by his ministers
and priests, reverence and obey them in humility, without ever accepting other
teachers, who are not disciples of Christ my divine Son, or followers of his
doctrine. I shall always see that his ministers assist and protect you, and I
shall never forget you or cease to commend you to the Lord. In my place will
remain Mary, the elder: obey her in all things with great respect, and she will
care for you with the same love and solicitude as I have done. You will observe
inviolate retirement and recollection in this house, and no man shall ever
enter it; and if it is necessary to speak to anyone, it shall be in the portal,
in the presence of three of your number. Your prayers shall be uninterrupted
and in private, reciting and singing those I have left you written in my
chamber. Observe silence and meekness and treat your neighbors as you would be
treated yourselves. Speak always the truth and be ever mindful of Christ
crucified in all your thoughts, words and actions. Adore Him and confess Him as
the Creator and Redeemer of the world; and in his name I give you his blessing,
and I ask Him to live in your hearts."
463. These and other
exhortations the most blessed Mother left for the congregation, which She had
dedicated to her Son and true God. The one She had appointed their superior was
one of the pious women, who had offered Her hospitality and who owned the
house. This woman was well able to govern, for she had had much intercourse
with the Queen and had been well informed concerning the law of God and its
mysteries. She was called Mary the elder, because the most holy Mother had
given her own name to many others in Baptism, communicating, as the Wise man
says, without envy the excellence of her name (Wis. 7, 13) ; as this one was
the first thus baptized in Ephesus, She was called Mary the elder, to
distinguish her from the later ones. The most blessed Mary left them also in
writing, the Our Father, the Creed and the ten Commandments together with other
prayers, which they were to recite vocally. To encourage them in these and
other exercises She also left them a large cross made quickly at her request by
the hands of the angels and set up in her oratory. Besides all this, as a kind
Mother, and in order to bind them to Her still more, She distributed the things
in her possession, which, though of trifling human value, were nevertheless
rich and inestimable to them as being pledges and proofs of her maternal love.
464. Moved to great pity
because, having engendered them in Christ, She was now obliged to relinquish
them as orphans, She took leave of them. They all prostrated themselves at her
feet with great wailing and abundant tears; for now they were to lose in one
moment the consolation, the refuge and the joy of their heart. But on account
of the continued solicitude of the most blessed Mother for her devout
congregation all the seventythree afterwards
persevered in the fear of God and the faith of Christ our Lord. Yet the demon
raised up violent persecutions against them and against the inhabitants of
Ephesus. Foreseeing this the prudent Queen fervently prayed for them before
leaving and asked her divine Son to guard and preserve them, and to appoint
some angels for the defense of this small flock. All this the Lord granted Her
according to her wish; and She afterwards often consoled them by sending
exhortations from Jerusalem and by charging the disciples and Apostles at
Ephesus to watch over these virgins and retired women. The great Lady continued
this loving care during her whole life.
465. When the day of
departure arrived, the Humblest of the humble asked saint John for his blessing
and with it they betook themselves to the ship, having remained in Ephesus two
years and a half. On leaving their dwelling all her thousand angels manifested
themselves in visible human forms, but all of them were armed for battle and
formed into squadrons. This unwonted sight gave Her to understand, that She was
to be prepared to continue her conflict with the great dragon and his allies.
Before reaching the sea She saw a great multitude of the infernal legions
meeting Her in various dreadful and terrific shapes; in the midst of them came
a dragon with seven heads, so horrible and huge as to exceed the size of a
large ship, and so fierce and abominable as to cause torment by its mere
presence. Against these formidable hosts the invincible Queen fortified Herself
by the most firm faith and fervent love, repeating the words of Psalms and the
sayings from the mouth of her most holy Son. She ordered her holy angels to
assist Her, for those terrific shapes naturally inspired Her with some human
dread and horror. The Evangelist knew nothing of this conflict until the
heavenly Lady afterwards informed him and gave him an insight into it.
466. Our blessed Lady
embarked with the saint, and the ship's sails were set. But it had proceeded
only a short distance from the port, when those dragons of hell, making use of
the permission given them, stirred up the sea by a tempest such as had not been
seen before that time nor until now; for the Almighty wished to exalt the power
of his arm and the holiness of Mary and therefore He permitted such liberty to
the malice and powers of the demons in this battle. The waves rose with
terrific roarings, piling themselves upon the winds
and apparently even upon the very clouds, forming with them mountains of water
and foam, as if they were preparing for an onset to break the bounds of the
abysses that imprisoned the ocean (Ps. 13, 9). The ship was lashed and battered
to and fro, and it seemed a miracle that it was not shattered to splinters at
each shock. Sometimes it was hurled up into the clouds, at others sent to plow
up the sand of the ocean's abysses; often its sails and masts were buried in
the foaming waves. During some of the onsets of this unspeakably furious
hurricane the ship was held in the air by the angels in order to save it from
some of the vaster billows, which would inevitably have
overwhelmed
and sent it to the bottom.
467. The mariners and
passengers perceived the effects of this assistance, but remained ignorant of
the cause; in their distress they were beside themselves, bewailing their ruin,
which they deemed inevitable. The demons added to their terror; for, assuming
human shapes, they loudly called upon the mariners as if from neighboring ships
sent to their aid and urged them to forsake their ship and save themselves in
the others. For though all the vessels suffered in this storm, yet the wrath of
the demons and their power of doing harm was confined principally to the ship
on which our Lady sailed and the distress and peril of the other vessels was
not so great. The malicious designs of the demons were known only to the most
blessed Virgin and not to the sailors, and therefore they believed these voices
as of true passengers and sailors. Thus deceived they at times gave up caring
for their own ship and left it to the fury of the sea, expecting to save themselves
on one of the other ships. But the angels supplied their place directing and
steering it when the sailors gave it up in despair to the destruction of the
waves.
468. In the midst of this
confusion and distress the most holy Mary preserved her tranquillity,
serenely borne up by the ocean of her magnanimity and virtue, but at the same
time practicing all the virtues by acts heroic in proportion to the exigencies
of the occasion and the dictates of her wisdom. As during this tempestuous
voyage She personally experienced the dangers of navigation, which She had
understood on her former voyage by divine inspiration, She was moved to new
compassion for all voyagers at sea and renewed her former prayers and
petitions. The most prudent Virgin also admired the indomitable forces of the
sea and was led to consider the wrath of divine justice, so well represented by
this insensible creature. And passing from these considerations to that of the
sins of mortals, who drew it upon themselves from the Almighty, She entered
into the most ardent prayers for the conversion of the world and the increase
of the Church. For this She offered up the hardships of this voyage; since
notwithstanding the tranquillity of her soul, She
suffered much bodily inconvenience and still greater affliction at the. thought
that all her fellow-voyagers were made to suffer this persecution and
tribulation of the demons on her account.
469. A large share of this
suffering fell to the evangelist saint John on account of his deep solicitude for
his true Mother and Mistress of the world. To this was added his own actual
suffering. All was so much the more dreadful to him, because at that time he
did not know what was passing in the interior of the most blessed Virgin. He
sought a few times to console Her and console himself by assisting and
comforting Her. Although the voyage from Ephesus to Palestine usually lasted
only about six days, this one lasted fifteen, of which fourteen were
tempestuous. One day saint John was very much disheartened at the continuance
of this measureless hardship and, no longer able to restrain himself, said
"My Lady, what is this? Are we to perish at sea? Beseech thy divine Son to
look upon us with the eyes of a Father and to defend us in this
tribulation." The blessed Mother answered him: "Do not be disturbed,
my son; for we must now fight the battles of the Lord and overcome his enemies
by fortitude and patience." I shall beg of Him that no one who is with us
shall perish, and that He sleep not, who watches over Israel (Ps. 70, 4) ; the
strong ones of his court assist us and defend us; let us suffer for Him who
placed Himself upon the Cross for the salvation of all." At these words
saint John recovered the necessary courage.
470. Lucifer and his demons
with increasing fury threatened the powerful Queen by telling Her that She
would perish in this sea and not escape alive. But these and other threats were
but spent arrows and the most prudent Mother despised them, not even listening
to them, or looking upon the demons, or speaking to them a single word. They
themselves on the other hand could not bear even to glance at her face on
account of the virtue of the Most High shining from it. And the more they
strove to overcome this virtue, the weaker they became and the more were they
tormented by those offensive weapons, with which the Lord had clothed his most
holy Mother. But in all of this lengthened conflict He concealed from her his
purpose and also his countenance, never showing Himself to Her in visions as
had been usual.
471. But at the end of
fourteen days of this stormy voyage her divine Son deigned to descend and visit
Her in person. He appeared upon the sea and saying: "My dearest Mother, I
am with thee in tribulation." This vision and the words of the Lord, ineffably
consoling on all occasions, were especially consoling to the most blessed
Mother in this extremity; because help is more welcome in necessity. She adored
her Son and God and answered: "My God and only Good of my soul, whom the
winds and the sea obey (Matth. 8, 27), behold, my
Son, our affliction: let not the works of thy hands perish." The Lord said
to Her: "My Mother and my Dove, from thee have I received human form;
therefore I desire that all my creatures obey thy orders; command them as the Mistress
of all, for they are subject to thy will." The most prudent Mother had
desired the Lord to command the waves, as He had done in the storm on the sea
of Galilee; but the occasion was different, since at that time there was no one
else but He to command the winds and the sea. The heavenly Mary therefore
obeyed and, in the name of her divine Son, She first commanded Lucifer and his
hosts instantly to leave the Mediterranean and cease to harass it. Immediately
they fled in the direction of Palestine; for She had not commanded them to
hell, not wishing to put an end to the battle. The enemies having retired, She
commanded the waters and the winds to subside. They immediately obeyed,
becoming tranquil and serene in the shortest space of time to the great astonishment
of the passengers, who knew not the cause of this sudden change. Christ the
Lord took leave of his Mother, having filled her with benedictions and joy and
told Her to disembark on the next day. Thus it also happened; for on the
fifteenth day after their embarkation, they arrived happily at port and left
the ship. Our Queen and Mistress gave thanks to the Almighty for these benefits
and offered Him songs of thanksgiving and praise for having saved Her from the
dreadful dangers. In this also the Evangelist joined, and the blessed Mother
thanked him for having accompanied Her in her hardships. She asked his blessing
and then they both set out for Jerusalem.
472. The holy angels
accompanied their Queen and Lady in battle array as I have said; for also the
demons were awaiting her arrival resolved to continue the conflict as soon as
She had reached the shore. With incredible fury they led on the assault by
suggesting various temptations against all the virtues; but all their darts
fell back upon themselves; they could make no breach in this tower of David, of
which the Spouse says, that it is furnished with the thousand shields and all
the arms of the strong, e Cant. 4, 4), and that it is fortified by towers of
silver. Before entering her house in Jerusalem the great Lady, in her piety and
devotion, yearned to visit the sacred spots consecrated by our Redemption,
which was also the last thing She had done on leaving the city; but as saint
Peter, at whose call She had come, was waiting, and as She knew the proper
order to be maintained in all the virtues, She preferred obedience to her
private devotions. Accordingly She betook Herself directly to the house of the
Cenacle, where saint Peter then stayed, and falling on her knees before him,
She asked for his blessing and begged his pardon for not having complied sooner
with his command. She sought his hand in order to kiss it as that of the
high-priest; but She did not lay the blame for her delay on the storm, nor did
She mention any other circumstance in excuse. Only from the accounts furnished
to him afterwards by saint John, did saint Peter learn of the hardships
encountered on the voyage. The Vicar of our Savior and all the disciples and
faithful of Jerusalem received their Teacher and Mistress with indescribable
joy, reverence and love, and they prostrated themselves at her feet, thanking
Her for having come to fill them with gladness and consolation and live where
they could see and serve Her. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN,
MOST HOLY MARY, GAVE ME.
473. My Daughter, I desire
that thou continually renew the remembrance of what I have told thee of these
sacred mysteries of my life; for it is not my will that thou be only an
insensible instrument for manifesting them to the Church, but rather that thou
be the one, who before and above all others shall draw fruit from this new
blessing by practicing my teachings and following my example. For this purpose
has the Lord called thee, and for it have I chosen thee as my daughter and
disciple. Since thou hast duly noticed my act of humility in not opening the
letter of saint Peter without consent of my son John, I wish to dilate further
upon the lesson contained in this instance. I desire thee to notice that in
those two virtues, humility and obedience, which are the foundation of
Christian perfection, there is nothing small, and all that pertains to them is
most pleasing to the Most High and draws down the most abundant reward of his
generous mercy and justice.
474. Consider then, my
dearest, that, just as in the present condition of man nothing is more contrary
to his nature than the subjection of one's will to that of another, so nothing
is more necessary than this subjection for the bending of that stiff-necked
pride, which the demon seeks to stir up in all the children of Adam. Hence the
enemies labor sleeplessly to induce men to follow their own judgment and will.
Thereby the devils gain many triumphs and lead many souls into diverse roads of
destruction; for in all states and conditions of life the demon seeks to
instill this poison into mortals, secretly soliciting them to follow their own
judgment and refuse to obey the laws and the will of their superiors, but
rather to despise and rebel against it, perverting the order of divine
Providence for the well-ordering of all things. And because men overthrow this
government of the Lord, the world is filled with confusion and darkness,
created things are thrown out of order and subjected to opposite force without
regard or attention to God and his laws.
475. But though all this
damage is odious in the eyes of the supreme Governor and Lord, yet it is
especially displeasing to Him in religious, who, being bound by the vows of
religion, seek to widen these restrictions or altogether free themselves from
their obligations. I am not now speaking of those who transgress their rules in
open daring or break their vows in small or in great things; this is nothing
else than a dreadful temerity entailing eternal damnation. But, in order that
they may not incur such a danger, I wish to exhort those who seek their
salvation in religion, to guard themselves against entertaining opinions or
explanations for relaxing the obedience due to their superiors in the name of
God, or against trying to determine what liberties they might take without
committing sin by infringing on obedience and their other vows or against
studying whether they may not act according to their own judgment in certain
matters great or small. Such disquisitions are never made for the better
observance of vows, but always in order to stifle the remorse of conscience in
breaking them. I remind them, that the demons seek to induce them to swallow
these poisonous gnats, in order that, little by little, after being accustomed
to those that seem insignificant, they may arrive at swallowing the camels of
the more serious sins. Those that continually hover about the entrances to
mortal sins, will, to say the least, make themselves liable to a strict inquiry
by the Judge and thus receive the smallest reward. For they have studied all
their lives to give to the Lord the least in their power to oblige Him.
476. These attempts to
explain away the binding force of the love of God, tending to remodel it
according to the inclinations of the flesh, are very abominable to my divine
Son and to myself; for it is a sign of great disaffection to obey the divine
law out of necessity, making it apparent, that only the fear of punishment
urges one on, and not love toward Him who commands, and that nothing would be
done, if no punishment were in store. Many times, in the effort to avoid
humiliation at the hands of the immediate superior, the subject appeals to the
higher authority and thus asks for exemptions from those who have only a
general information and cannot know or understand his particular needs or
danger. It cannot be denied, that this is still a kind of obedience; but it is
also certain, that it is a shift for greater liberty, diminishes the reward and
incurs danger; since without doubt it is more meritorious to obey and subject
oneself to the inferior authority, to those in a lower condition, and to those
less favorably disposed to one's own views and inclinations. I learned no such
doctrines in the school of my divine Son, nor did I show them in practice; for
all things I sought the permission of those I held as superiors, never being
without them as thou hast seen. Even for opening and reading the letter of
saint Peter, the head of the Church, I waited to find out the will of his
inferior, who was my more immediate superior.
477. My daughter, I do not
wish thee to follow the teachings of those who seek liberty and license in
following their own inclinations; but I choose thee and conjure thee to imitate
me and walk the secure path of perfection. Hankering after dispensations and
exemptions perverts the christian and the religious
life. At all times thou must live in humble and obedient subjection, and thou
must not hold thyself excused therefrom on account of
being a superior, for thou hast thy confessors and superiors. If sometimes in
their absence thou canst not act in obedience, ask counsel and obey one of thy
subjects. For thee, all of them should be as superiors; and let not this seem
strange to thee; since thou art the least of the human born and shouldst consider thyself so, humiliating thyself beneath
them all in order to be my true follower, my disciple and daughter. Besides
this thou must punctually tell me thy faults twice a day and ask my permission
for all that thou art to do during each day, confessing also every day the sins
thou committest. I shall exhort thee, and command
thee what is proper, both through myself and through my ministers of the Lord;
and thou must not shrink to tell many others of thy ordinary faults, in order
that in all things and before all men thou humiliate thyself in the eyes of the
Lord and in mine. This science, hidden to the world and the flesh, I desire
thee to learn and impart to thy nuns. In teaching thee this lesson I wish to
reward thee for thy labor in writing my life; for by these instructions in so
important a doctrine I wish to impress thee, that, if thou wishest
to imitate me as thou shouldst, thou must communicate
or speak with no one, nor undertake anything, nor write letters, nor move
about, nor allow any thoughts (if possible), except in obedience to me and to
those who govern thee. The worldly and carnal men call these virtues
impertinent and vain observances; but their ignorant pride will have its
punishment when, in the presence of the Judge, truths will be revealed; then will
be seen who were the ignorant and the wise, and those will be rewarded, who as
true servants have been faithful as well in small as in greater things (Matth. 25, 21); when there is no remedy left, the foolish
ones will know the damage done by their carnal prudence.
478. As thou wert moved to a
certain envy on learning that I myself governed that congregation of women at
Ephesus, I now advise thee to have no such feeling. Remember that thou and thy
nuns have chosen me for your Superior and special Patroness in order that I
might govern you as your Queen and Lady; and I desire them to know, that I have
accepted this office and have constituted myself in it forever on condition,
that they be perfect in their vocation and very faithful to their Lord, my divine
Son, to whom I have assigned them as his spouses. Remind them often of this, so
that they watch over themselves and retire from the world, despising it with
all their hearts; that as my daughters they do not degenerate, living in
recollection and peace; that they follow and execute the doctrines which I have
given thee in this history for thee and for them and that they hold it in high
veneration, gratefully writing it in their hearts. For in having presented to
them my life for the rule and government of their souls, as it is now written
by thy hands, I am fulfilling my office as Mother and Superior, in order that
as subjects and as daughters they may tread in my footsteps, imitate my virtues
and correspond with me in faithful love.
479. Another important lesson
canst thou draw from this chapter, namely: those that do not obey willingly,
when any adverse circumstance turns up in what is commanded, will immediately
be cast down, afflicted and disturbed, and, in order to justify their
impatience, they will blame the one that commands, and complain about him
either to his superiors or to others, as if he that commands were responsible
for the untoward accidents happening to the inferior, or as if he had it in his
power to direct the government of the whole world according to the wishes of
his subject. Indeed, many times God, in reward for complete submission, raises
hindrances in order that the one who obeys may increase his merit and crown, at
other times he punishes those who show any repugnance in obeying by withholding
full success; and all these accidents can in nowise be blamed upon the
superior, who commands. The Lord simply said: He who hears you, and who obeys
you, hears and obeys Me (Luke 10, 16). The labor connected with obedience
always redounds to the benefit of those who obey; if they do not profit by
their obedience, it is no fault of the one that commands. I made no complaints
against saint Peter for asking me to come from Ephesus to Jerusalem, although I
suffered so much on the voyage; but I asked him pardon for not having fulfilled
his command more expeditiously. Never show any grievance or sign of being
displeased toward thy superiors, for this is a very ugly spirit and such
liberty will destroy all the merit of thy obedience. Look upon them with
reverence, as taking the place of Christ, and thy merit will be abundant;
follow my footsteps, my example and my doctrine, and thou wilt be perfect in
all things. THE VISIT OF THE MOST BLESSED MARY TO
THE HOLY PLACES; SHE GAINS MYSTERIOUS TRIUMPHS OVER THE DEMONS; SHE SEES THE
DIVINITY IN HEAVEN BY A BEATIFIC VISION; THE APOSTLES CONVOKE A COUNCIL; THE
HIDDEN MYSTERIES CONNECTED WITH ALL THESE EVENTS.
480. All our efforts are
gloriously insufficient to describe the plenitude of perfection of all the
doings of the most blessed Mary; for unfailingly are we overcome by the
grandeur of even the smallest virtue (if indeed there be any of them small)
when we come to consider the matter upon which She wrought them. But our
efforts, shall always be full of blessings for us, if, without presumptuously
attempting to fathom this ocean of grace, we humble ourselves to glorify and
exalt in Her the Creator and to discover more and more in what we can imitate
Her. I shall esteem myself very fortunate, if by making known the favors
conferred by God upon our great Queen, I can show to the children of the Church
something of what is so far above that for which I cannot find adequate and
appropriate terms to describe; for in all that I can say, I shall still speak
as one that is dull, stuttering and without fervor of devotion. Wonderful are
the events which have been manifested to me for the purpose of being recorded
in this and the following chapters.
481. After the most blessed
Mary had complied obediently with the will of saint Peter, as I have related in
the preceding chapter, She thought it proper to satisfy her piety in visiting
the sacred spots of our Redemption. She performed all her works of mercy with
such prudence, that She omitted none, assigning to each one its place in order
that no circumstance necessary to bring it to perfection might be wanting.
Applying her heavenly wisdom She first performed that which was greater and
foremost in order, then what seemed of less importance; but, as well the one as
the other, with all the attention of her soul in the measure as each required.
She left the Cenacle to visit the sacred places and was accompanied by all her
holy angels, as well as followed up by Lucifer and his legions for further
conflict. These dragons, forming in battle array and presenting the most
fearful shapes, uttered their threats and suggested their temptations. But as
soon as the great Lady approached any of the holy places to perform her
devotions, the demons fell back, repelled by divine power; they also felt
themselves crushed by the hidden virtue communicated to these holy places
through the Redemption of Christ. Lucifer, urged on by the temerity of his
pride, attempted to come nearer; for, relying upon his permission to tempt and
persecute the great Lady, he was anxious, if possible, to gain some victory
over Her in the very places where he had been so signally vanquished; or at
least to hinder Her from showing the veneration and worship required.
482. But the Most High
ordained, that the power of his arm against Lucifer and his demons should be
shown through this very Queen, and that her exercises, which he tried to
disturb, should be the sword with which he was to be overcome and cut down. And
thus it happened; for the devotion and piety with which the heavenly Mother
worshipped her divine Son and with which She renewed the grateful remembrance
of the Passion, caused such terror to the demons, that they could not tolerate
it and they felt a force so oppressive and tormenting proceeding from Her, that
they were obliged to recede still farther from the invincible Queen. They broke
out into fearful roarings, audible to Her alone, and
they exclaimed: "Let us fly from this Woman, our Enemy, who so confounds
and oppresses us by her virtues. We seek to blot out the remembrance and the
veneration of these places, in which men were redeemed and in which we were
despoiled of our dominion; and this Woman, being a mere creature, hinders our
designs and renews the triumphs gained by her Son upon the Cross."
483. The most holy Mary made
all the stations of the holy places in company of her angels; and having
arrived on mount Olivet, where her Son ascended into heaven, the Lord himself,
in effable beauty and glory, descended from his throne to visit and console his
most pure Mother. He manifested Himself to Her with the affection and bounty of
a Son, yet as the infinite and powerful God. He so filled Her with his Divinity
and elevated Her above the terrestrial, that for a long time She was separated from
visible things; and though She ceased not to attend to external works, She
performed them with a greater constraint upon Herself, being completely
spiritualized and transformed into her Divine Son. Through her divine Son She
perceived that these favors were part of her reward for her humility and
obedience toward saint Peter and in attending upon his commands in preference
not only to her devotion, but also her convenience. He also promised Her anew
his assistance in her battle against the demons and in immediate fulfillment of
this promise, the Lord ordained that Lucifer and his hosts should then and
there become convinced of a power in Her such as they had not experienced
before.
484. The Queen returned to
the Cenacle and as the demons again sought to renew their temptations, they
rebounded like inflated rubber balls, when thrown swiftly at a stone wall.
These vainglorious hosts were hurled back upon themselves with greater force
than that with which they had assaulted the most holy Mary. They broke out in
still more furious howlings and, driven to confess
certain truths by their own dismay, they said; "0 we unhappy ones, who are
obliged to look upon such happiness of the human nature! What great excellence
and dignity man has now attained in this pure Creature! How ungrateful shall
men be, and how foolish, if they do not profit by the blessings bestowed upon
them in this Daughter of Adam! She is truly its salvation and our destruction.
Great things her Son does with Her; but She is not unworthy of them. A cruel
punishment is this, that we must confess all these truths. O would that God
conceal from us this Woman, who adds such torments to our envy! How shall we
vanquish Her, if the mere sight of Her is insufferable to us? Let us console
ourselves in the fact, that men lose so much of what this Woman merits for
them, and that they foolishly despise Her. In them shall we avenge our
injuries, through them we shall exercise our fury, filling them with illusions
and errors; for if they but pay attention to her example, all of them would
profit by this Woman and follow her virtues. But this is not enough to console
me (added Lucifer) for this Woman, his Mother, can please God more than all the
sins we can lead men into shall displease Him; and even if this were not so my
position does not permit me to remain indifferent at seeing human nature so
highly exalted in a mere weak Woman. This wrong is unbearable: let us return to
persecute Her; let us give vent to the fury of our envy even in spite of
torment: and though we all suffer by it, let our pride be not dismayed, for
possibly some triumph may yet be gained over this our Enemy."
485. The most blessed Mary
knew of and heard all these wrathful threats; but as the Queen of virtues She
despised them all. Without the least sign of disturbance in her countenance She
retired to her oratory in order prudently to confer with Herself concerning the
mysteries of this conflict and concerning the difficult business now before the
Church in seeking to end circumcision and the ancient law. In this the Queen of
the angels labored for a few days, engaged during her retirement in continual
prayers, petitions, tears and prostrations. In her own affairs She also asked
the Lord to stretch out his almighty arm against Lucifer and grant Her the
victory over him and the demons. Although the great Lady knew Him to be on her
side and that He would not leave Her in tribulation, She ceased not her prayers
and She acted on her part as if She had been the weakest of creatures in the
time of temptation. She taught us what we ourselves should do in temptation,
since we are so subject to them and so apt to be overcome. She prayed for the
holy Church, asking the Lord to grant to it his evangelical law, pure,
unsullied, without wrinkle, and unhampered by the ancient ceremonies.
486. This petition the most
blessed Mary urged with the most burning fervor; for She knew that Lucifer and
all hell sought through the Jews to unite circumcision with Baptism and the
rites of Moses with the truths of the Gospel. The admission of these fallacies
would help to maintain the Jews in their stubborn adhesion to the old Law
during the coming ages. One of the fruits and triumphs of the great Lady in her
battle with the dragon was, that circumcision was immediately rejected by the
council of which I shall speak; and from that time on the pure grain of
evangelical truth was separated from the dried and barren stubble of the mosaic
ceremonies, as it is to this day in our holy mother the Church. All this the
most blessed Mary procured through her merits and her prayers. She knew, in the
meanwhile, that saint Paul and saint Barnaby were hastening from Antioch to
Jerusalem in order to confer with saint Peter and, as related by saint Luke in
the fifteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, solve the difficulties
raised by the Jews.
487. Saint Paul and saint
Barnaby were aware of the return of the Queen of heaven when they came to
Jerusalem. In his ardent desire of seeing Her saint Paul with saint Barnaby, at
once sought her presence, and they cast themselves at her feet, shedding
abundant tears of joy. Not less was the joy of the heavenly Mother at meeting
these Apostles, toward whom She bore an especial love
in the Lord on account of their zealous labors for the exaltation of God's name
and the spread of the faith. The Mistress of the humble desired them to present
themselves first to saint Peter and the rest, and last to Her, judging Herself
to be the least of all creatures. But they, preserving the proper order in
their reverence and love, thought that none should be preferred to Her who was
the Mother of God, the Mistress of all creation and the beginning of all our
happiness. The great Lady prostrated Herself before saint Paul and Barnaby,
kissed their hands and asked for their blessing. On this occasion saint Paul
was favored with a wonderful ecstatic abstraction, in which were revealed to
him great mysteries and prerogatives of this mystical City of God, the Blessed
Mary, and he saw Her as it were completely invested with the Divinity.
488. Through this vision
saint Paul was filled with admiration and with incomparable love and veneration
for the heavenly Mary. Somewhat recovering himself, he said to Her:
"Mother of all piety and clemency, pardon this vile and sinful man for
having persecuted thy divine Son, my Lord, and his holy Church." The
Virgin Mother answered and said: "Paul, servant of the Most High, if He
who created and redeemed thee, deigned to call thee to his friendship and made
thee a vessel of election, how can I, his slave, refuse to pardon thee? (Acts
9, 15). My soul magnifies and exalts Him, because He wished to manifest Himself
so powerful, liberal and holy in thee." Saint Paul thanked the heavenly
Mother for the benefit of his conversion and for the other favors conferred
upon him by Her in saving him from so many dangers. The same also saint Barnaby
did, and both again asked for her protection and help, which the most holy
Mother promised.
489. Saint Peter, as the head
of the Church, had called upon the Apostles and disciples then in and around
Jerusalem, and convoked them to a meeting in the presence of the Mistress of
the world. In order that the most prudent Virgin, in her profound humility,
might not absent Herself from this council, saint Peter had interposed his
authority as Vicar of Christ. All of them being gathered, saint Peter said:
"My brethren and children in Christ our Savior, it was necessary that we
meet in order to solve the difficulties and decide upon the affairs, which our
most beloved brethren Paul and Barnaby have brought to our notice, and to
determine other matters touching the increase of the holy faith. For this it is
proper that we engage in prayer to obtain the assistance of the Holy Ghost and
we shall persevere therein for ten days as is our custom. On the first and on
the last day we shall celebrate the sacrifice of the Mass, by which we shall
dispose our hearts to receive the divine light." All of them approved of
this arrangement. In order to celebrate the first Mass on the next day the
Queen prepared the hall of the Cenacle, cleaning and decorating it with her own
hands and holding all things in readiness for the Communion of Herself together
with the Apostles and disciples during those Masses. Saint Peter alone
celebrated, observing all those rites and ceremonies which I have described,
when speaking of the Masses on other occasions.
490. The other Apostles and
disciples communicated at the hands of saint Peter; then the most blessed Mary,
taking the last place. Many angels descended to the Cenacle. All those present
saw them and at the time of the consecration the Cenacle was filled with a wonderful light and fragrance, through which the Lord
wrought wonderful effects in their souls. Having celebrated the first Mass,
they agreed upon certain hours, in which they were to persevere together in
prayer, as far as they could without neglecting the necessary ministry of
souls. The great Lady retired to a place, where She remained alone and
motionless for those ten days without eating or speaking to anyone. During that
time She experienced such hidden mysteries as to move the angels to
astonishment; and I find myself unable to describe what has been manifested to
me concerning them. I will briefly indicate a small part of these mysteries,
for to state all is impossible. The heavenly Mother having received holy
Communion on the first of the ten days and retired to pray alone, at the
command of the Lord, was immediately raised up by her angels and others there
present to the empyrean heavens. Since She was taken up body and soul, one of
the angels took her shape in order that the Apostles in the Cenacle might not
become aware of her absence. They bore Her up with the splendor and
magnificence described by me on other occasions, and on this occasion it was
even greater on account of the designs of the Lord. When Mary arrived in a
region of the air far removed from the earth, the almighty Lord commanded
Lucifer and all his hellish hosts to come into the presence of the Queen into
those higher regions. Immediately all of them came before Her and She saw them
and knew them all just as they were and the condition they were in. The sight
was somewhat painful to her, because the demons are so abominable and
disgusting; but She was armed with divine virtue, so that She could not be
harmed by this horrible and execrable sight. Not so the demons; for the Lord
gave them to understand by an especial insight the greatness and superiority of
that Woman, whom they were persecuting as their Enemy. They were made to
perceive how foolishly presumptuous they had been in their attempts against
Her. To their still greater terror they saw that She carried in her bosom the
sacramental Christ and that the whole Divinity held Her as it were enveloped in
its Omnipotence for their humiliation, overthrow and destruction.
491. The demons moreover
heard a voice proceeding from the Deity itself, saying: "With this shield
of my powerful arm, invincible and strong, I shall always defend my Church.
This Woman shall crush the head of the ancient serpent (Gen. 3, 15), and shall
forever triumph over Its haughty pride for the glory of my holy name." All
these and other mysteries of the most holy Mary the demons perceived and
understood while they were gathered around Her in dismay. So great was the
despair and crushing pain which they felt, that they, with loudest clamors,
said: "May the power of the Almighty cast us immediately into hell, and
let it not keep us in the presence of this Woman, who torments us more than the
fire. 0 invincible and strong Woman! Recede from us, since we ourselves cannot
fly from thy presence, where we are bound by the chains of the Almighty. Why
dost Thou also torment us before our time? (Matth. 8,
29). Thou alone of all human nature art the instrument of the Omnipotent
against us; and through Thee men can acquire the eternal blessings we have
lost. Those that have sunk into despair of ever seeing God eternally, are now
rewarded for the accredited good works of their Redeemer by the vision of Thee,
which in our hate is to us a torment and chastisement. Release us, almighty
Lord and God; let this new punishment, in which Thou renewest
that of our fall from heaven, cease; for in it Thou executest
the punishment Thou hast threatened us with in this wonder of thy powerful
arms."
492. During these and other
lamentations of despair the demons were held spellbound in the presence of the
Queen for a long time, and although thy made the most violent efforts to fly,
they were not permitted to do it as fast as their fury urged them on. In order
that the terror of the most holy Mary might strike them so much the deeper and
become the more notorious, the Lord ordained, that She herself should use her
authority as Mistress and Queen in permitting them to leave. At the instant in
which She did this, all of them cast themselves, with all the swiftness in
their power, from the upper regions into the abyss. They gave forth dreadful
howls, terrorizing all the damned souls with new punishments, and, full of
dismay and torments in not being able to deny their defeat, they proclaimed in
their presence the power of the Almighty and of his holy Mother. Having won
this triumph the most serene Empress proceeded on her way to the empyrean
heaven, where She was received with new and admirable jubilee, remaining there
for twenty-four hours.
493. She prostrated Herself
before the throne of the most blessed Trinity and adored It in the unity of its
undivided nature and majesty. She prayed for the Church, in order that the
Apostles might understand and resolve what was proper for the establishment of
the evangelical law and the termination of the law of Moses. In answer to these
petitions She heard a voice from the throne, by which the three divine Persons,
One after the Other and each One for Himself, promised to assist the Apostles
and disciples in declaring and establishing the divine truth, assuring Her,
that the Father would direct its establishment by his Omnipotence, the Son, as
head of the Church, assist it by his Wisdom, and the Holy Ghost, as its Spouse,
by his Love and his enlightening gifts. Then the heavenly Mother saw, that the
most holy humanity of her Son presented to the Father the prayers and
petitions, which She Herself had offered for the Church, and how, approving of them,
He proposed the reasons why they should be fulfilled, in order that the faith
of the Gospel and his entire holy law might be established in the world in
accordance with the decrees of the divine will and mind.
494. Immediately, in
execution of this will and proposal of Christ our Savior, the Lady saw issuing
forth from the Divinity and immutable essence of God the form of a temple or
Church, beautiful, clear and resplendent as if built of diamond or of sparkling
crystal, adorned with many enamels and relieves to enhance its beauty. The
angels and saints saw it and in astonishment exclaimed: "Holy, holy, holy
and powerful art Thou, Lord, in thy works" (Apoc.
4, 8). This Church or temple the most blessed Trinity placed in the hands of
the most holy humanity of Christ, and, in a manner which cannot be described in
words, He united it with Himself. Thereupon He turned it over to the most holy
Mother and as soon as Mary received it, She was filled with new splendor. She
annihilated Herself within Herself and then saw the Divinity, clearly and
intuitively, by eminent and beatific vision.
495. The great Queen remained
in this joy for many hours, truly introduced into the cellar of fermented wine
spoken of in the Canticles (Canticle 8, 2). Since what She experienced and
received there surpasses all created thought or capacity, it suffices here to
say, that anew was ordered in Her love (Cant. 2, 4) and directed with new
fervor toward the Church consigned to Her under the above symbol. Enriched by
these favors, She was borne back by the angels to the Cenacle, having in her
hands the mystical temple She had received from her divine Son. She remained in
prayer during the other nine days without motion and without interrupting the
acts, in which She had been left by the beatific vision. They fall not within
human thought, and can much less be indicated by human words. Among other
things which She did, was to distribute the treasures of the Redemption among
the children of the Church. Commencing with the Apostles and going through the
different ages, She applied them separately to the just and the saints,
according to the secret disposition of eternal predestination. The execution of
these decrees her divine Son had consigned to the most holy Mary, giving Her
dominion over the whole Church and the dispensation of all the graces, that
each one earns through the merits of the Redemption. Regarding a mystery so
exalted and hidden, I cannot say more than this.
496. On the last of the ten
days saint Peter celebrated the other Mass and all received holy Communion as
in the first. Then, all being gathered in the name of the Lord, they invoked
the Holy Ghost and began to consult about the solution of the difficulties that
had arisen in the Church. Saint Peter, as the head and the highpriest,
spoke first, then saint Paul and Barnaby, and saint James the Less, as is
related by saint Luke in the fifteenth chapter of the Acts. The first decision
of this council was, that the exact law of the circumcision and the law of
Moses should not be imposed upon the baptized; since eternal salvation was
given through Baptism and faith in Christ. Although saint Luke principally
mentions only this decision, yet there were others, which defined certain
matters concerning the government and the ceremonies of the Church, in order to
stop some abuses introduced by the indiscreet piety of some of the faithful.
This is held to be the first council of the Apostles, although they had also
gathered to establish the Credo and other things as mentioned before. However,
at that only the Apostles had convened, whereas now also those disciples took
part, who could come. Also the manner of conferring and of resolving was
different, being a formal decision, as is clear from the words of saint Luke:
"It has seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us," etc. (Luke 15, 28).
497. Couched in these terms
the decision of the council was sent by letter to the faithful and to the
churches of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia; and they remitted these letters through
the hands of saint Paul and Barnaby and of other disciples. In order that the
approbation of the Lord might not be wanting, it happened, that, both in the
Cenacle at coming to their decision, and in Antioch when the letters were read
before the faithful, the Holy Ghost descended in visible fire, so that all the
faithful were consoled and confirmed in the Catholic truth. The most holy Mary
gave thanks to the Lord for the blessings thus bestowed upon the Church. She
immediately dispatched saint Paul and Barnaby with the rest and for their
consolation She gave them as relics part of the clothes of Christ our Lord and
some objects She had still left of the Passion. Offering them her protection
and prayers, She sent them filled with new consolation and spiritual force upon
the labors still awaiting them. During all these days of the council, on
account of the terror with which most holy Mary had inspired him, Lucifer and
his ministers could not come near the Cenacle; yet they prowled about in the
distance, without being able to execute any of their malice against its
members. Happy age, and fortunate congregation!
498. Since, in spite of his
continual prowling about the Queen and his roaring as of a hungry lion, Lucifer
saw that he could gain no advantage himself, he engaged some sorceresses, with
whom he had made an express pact, and persuaded them to attempt the life of
Mary by magic means. These unhappy dupes tried it in several ways; but their
enchantments were of no avail. Many times, when they purposely placed
themselves in the way of the Queen, they were struck dumb and motionless. The
most blessed Mary, in her boundless charity, labored much to undeceive and
convert them by kind words and deeds; but of the four, who were thus sent on by
the demon, only one was converted and received Baptism. And thus all his
attempts came to naught, Lucifer was so confused and enraged, that he would
many times have given up tempting the most blessed Mary, if his unquenchable
pride had permitted him. The Lord almighty ordained all this, in order that the
victories and triumphs of his Mother might be more glorious, as we shall see in
the following chapter. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF THE
ANGELS, MOST HOLY MARY, GAVE ME.
499. My daughter, in the
constancy and invincible fortitude with which I vanquished the demons, thou
hast one of the most urgent motives for persevering in grace and acquiring
great crowns. The human nature and that of the angels (even though they be
devils) are subject to contrary and opposite conditions; for the spiritual nature
is indefatigable, and that of mortals weak and so prone to fatigue, that it
soon tires and succumbs in labor. As soon as it finds any difficulty in the
practice of virtue it is discouraged and turns back; what it pursues with
pleasure on one day, it contemns the next; what seemed agreeable today, it
finds hard tomorrow; now it wishes, then again it does not wish; sometimes it
is fervent, sometimes lukewarm. But the demon is never fatigued or weakened in
his efforts at tempting souls. The Almighty, however, is not wanting in his
providence; for He limits and restrains the power of the demons, so that they
cannot pass the measure set for them, nor exert all their indefatigable powers
for the persecution of souls. On the other hand He supports the weakness of
men, giving them grace and strength to resist and overcome their enemies on the
prescribed battleground.
500. Hence the inconstancy of
souls in virtuously maintaining their position during temptation and in not
bearing with fortitude and patience the inconveniences of doing good and
fighting against the demons, is not excusable. The bent of passion, drawing man
toward the sensible and pleasurable, suddenly presents itself across the path
of duty and the demons, with diabolical astuteness, seek to exaggerate the
hardship and disagreeableness of mortification, representing it as dangerous to
health and life. Thus he deludes innumerable souls to precipitate themselves
from one abyss to another. In this thou hast before thy eyes, my daughter, a
very common aberration of the worldly-minded, but which is very abominable in
the sight of the Lord and myself. Hence it is, that many men are weak, wavering
and indisposed toward the practice of virtue or penitential mortification for
their sins. And the very ones who are so weak in doing good, are strong in
doing evil. In the service of the devil they are constant and are ready to
undergo much more difficult and arduous tasks in sinning, than the law of God
commands for the practice of virtue. They show themselves tardy and imbecile in
the work of saving their souls, eager and strong to load upon themselves
eternal damnation.
501. This damage also those
who profess a life of perfection are wont in part to incur, if they unduly
consider the hardships attached to such a life. Drawn into this deception, they
either hinder their advance in perfection or afford the devil many victories in
temptation. In order that thou, my daughter, mayest
not incur this danger, thou shouldst consider the
fortitude and constancy with which I resisted Lucifer and all hell, and the
magnanimity with which I despised his illusions and temptations, not permitting
myself to be disturbed, or to pay any attention to them; for this is the best
way to overcome his haughty pride. Nor was I ever led by temptation to
remissness in my labors or in my exercises; but I augmented them, together with
my prayers, petitions and tears, as is necessary in the time of battle with
those enemies. Hence I exhort thee to do the same in eager watchfulness;
because thy temptations are not of the ordinary kind, but are directed against
thee in highest malice and astuteness. Of this I have warned thee many times
and this experience teaches thee.
502. Since thou hast noticed
the great terror caused to the demons at perceiving the sacramental Lord
resting in my bosom, I wish to call thy attention to two things. First, that
for the overthrow of hell and for causing fear in the demons, all the holy
Sacraments of the Church are most powerful means; but above all the holy sacrament
of the Eucharist. This was one of the hidden purposes of the Lord my Son, in
the institution of this sovereign mystery and of the other Sacraments. If in
our time men do not ordinarily feel these powerful effects, it is because in
the frequency of the reception of the Sacraments much of the veneration and
estimation in receiving them has been lost. But do not doubt, that souls who
frequent them with devotion and piety, are formidable to the demons and that
they exercise great power and dominion over them in the same way as thou hast
seen and described it of me. The explanation of this fact is: that this divine
fire, in the pure souls, finds itself as it were in its own element. In me it
was active to the limit of possibility in a mere creature, and therefore I
inspired such terror to the demons.
503. In further proof of what
I said, I wish secondly to inform thee, that these blessings were not to have
an end with me; for in proportion God has wrought the same effects in other
souls. In our own times it has happened that, in order to vanquish the demon,
God showed and opposed to him a soul bearing within it the sacramental species
and thereby so humiliated and annihilated the dragon, that for many days he
dared not approach this soul and begged the Omnipotent not to be shown any soul
bearing within it holy Communion. On another occasion Lucifer, in conjunction
with some heretics and other bad Christians, schemed to do severe harm to these
Spanish kingdoms; and if God had not cut them short through this same person,
the whole of Spain would now be lost and in the hands of the enemies. The
divine clemency interfered for its defense by showing this person to the devil
and his ministers after Communion. In their terrors the demons dropped their
malicious designs for the immediate destruction of all Spain. I will not tell
thee who this person was; for it is not necessary, and I reveal this secret to
thee for no other purpose than to show how favorably the Almighty looks upon a
soul which tries to merit its favors and worthily receives Him in holy
Communion; and how He manifested Himself liberal and powerful not only to me,
on account of my dignity and sanctity of Mother, but how He wishes also in
other souls to be known and glorified as relieving the needs of the Church
according to time and occasion.
504. From this thou wilt
understand, that, in the same proportion as the demons fear the souls that
worthily receive holy Communion and other fortifying Sacraments, so they exert
all their powers to cause those souls to fall and to hinder them from
accumulating all this strength of the Lord against them. Labor then against
these tireless and astute enemies and seek to imitate me in fortitude. I desire
also that thou hold in great veneration the councils of the Church and all such
gatherings, and whatever is resolved and established by them; for the Holy
Ghost assists at these councils and He fulfills his promise, that He will be
with those who gather together in his name (Matth. 8,
20). Hence what is thus ordained and commanded must be obeyed. Although in our
times no visible signs of the assistance of the Holy Ghost occur in such
councils, yet He does not fail to govern them invisibly; for signs and wonders
are not any more so necessary as in the first beginnings of the Church. Such as
are necessary are not withheld by the Lord. For all these blessings exalt and
praise his liberal kindness and mercy, and especially for those which He
conferred on me during my mortal life. THE MOST HOLY MARY ENDS THE BATTLE WITH
THE DEMONS, GLORIOUSLY TRIUMPHING OVER THEM: AS IS DESCRIBED BY SAINT JOHN IN
THE TWELFTH CHAPTER OF THE APOCALYPSE.
505. In order to understand
better the mysteries to be described in this chapter, it is necessary to
presuppose what I have written in the eighth, ninth and tenth chapter, of the
first book, of the first part, where I explained the twelfth chapter of the
Apocalypse in so far as it was made known to me at that time. Not only there,
but during the whole course of this heavenly history, have I referred to the
present chapters of this third part for a description of the battles of the
most holy Mary with Lucifer and the demons, the triumphs She gained, and the
state in which She was left by the Almighty after these battles for the rest of
her earthly life. Of all these sacred mysteries the evangelist saint John had a
knowledge and he describes them in his Apocalypse (as I have stated at other
times), especially in the twelfth and twenty-first chapters. On these two
chapters I must discourse in this history for two reasons.
506. First, the secrets
contained in them are so exalted and magnificent, that they can never be
adequately explained or manifested; especially as the Evangelist, considering
it as the sacrament of the King and Queen, has enveloped them in such
enigmatical and metaphorical language, as can be interpreted only through
divine revelation when and how the Lord shall please; and in this the
Evangelist followed the express commands of the most holy Mary. Secondly, the
proud rebellion of Lucifer, although in general opposing the supreme will and
orders of the Most High and omnipotent God, was especially directed against
Christ our Lord and his Mother, to whose superiority and excellence the
apostate angels do not wish to subject themselves. Also the first rebellion and
war waged with saint Michael in heaven was in protest against their authority;
but at that time they could not war with the incarnate Word and with his Virgin
Mother in person, but only against the mysterious sign or representation of
that mysterious Woman, which they saw placed in the heavens as a prophetic
symbol of all the mysteries of the Incarnation to be enacted in her womb. When
the time came for the execution of all these sacraments and for the Incarnation
of the Word in her womb, it was proper that this battle of the demons should be
renewed and that Christ and Mary should triumph over them in person. For this
the Lord, as well in heaven as afterwards in paradise, had threatened them with
this enmity between the Woman and the serpent, and between the seed of the
Woman and the serpent, in order that She might crush his head.
507. All this was fulfilled
to the letter in Christ and in Mary; for of our great Highpriest
and Savior saint Paul says, that He was tempted in all things like we ourselves
and for our example, but without sin; and the same can be said of the most holy
Mary. Lucifer had permission to tempt Them after his fall from heaven, as I
have said in the tenth chapter of the first Part. And because this battle with
the most holy Mary was to be a counterpart of the first one in heaven and was
to be for the demons the fulfillment of the threat and menace contained in her
image, it was described and enveloped in the same enigmatical words. Having
sufficiently explained about the first battle, I must now speak of what
happened in the second. Although Lucifer and his demons had already been
punished in their first rebellion by the eternal loss of the beatific vision
and hurled into hell, they were now punished anew in this second battle by
additional accidental torments corresponding to their evil desires and attempts
against the most blessed Mary. The explanation thereof is, that the natural
faculties of a creature draw satisfaction and contentment from their attaining
what they strive after and this in proportion to the vehemence with which they
have striven; and on the other hand, pain and disappointment in not attaining
their object, or in experiencing opposite results. Now, the demons since their
fall had desired nothing more vehemently than to see that One fall from grace,
who was to be the medium of grace for the children of Adam. Hence it was an
inconceivable torment for the infernal dragons to find themselves vanquished
and foiled in the desperate desires and hopes entertained by them for so many
ages.
508. The heavenly Mother on
the other hand, on account of the same and many other reasons, in the overthrow
of the ancient serpent gained a most joyful triumph. For the conclusion of this
battle, moreover, and for the state which She was then to enjoy during the rest
of her life, her divine Son held in readiness so many and such great blessings,
as surpass all human and angelic capacity. In order to say something of what I
have been made to understand, the reader must remember, that, on account of our
limited powers and capacity, we are constrained to use for the most exalted
mysteries the same terms and words as we use for the more ordinary ones. Yet in
what I am to speak of now, there is infinite latitude and extent of mystery,
within which the Almighty can raise the creature from one state, which seems to
us the highest, to one much more exalted, and from this again to a higher and
more excellent state. For, such a creature as Mary, after being destined and
confirmed in this world of graces, gifts and favors, and after reaching (as She
really did) all that is not God's essence, must at last embrace within itself a
vastness of excellence so great, that, of its own Self, it constitutes a new
hierarchy, greater and more exalted than all the rest of the creatures angelic
and human.
509. Having premised all
this, I will proceed to tell as well as I can, what happened to Lucifer until
his final overthrow through the most holy Mary and her Son our Savior. The dragon
and his demons were not yet entirely subdued by the triumphs related in the
last chapter, when they were hurled down from the upper air into the abyss by
the great Lady; nor by their ill-success with the sorceresses in Jerusalem.
But, fearing in his malice that he should have little time left for his
temptations and persecutions, the enemy, in his implacable malice, wished to
make up for the shortness of time by an increase of fury and temerity. Hence he
sought out other men, who, having been especially instructed by him in magic
and witchcraft, were still greater sorcerers. To these Lucifer gave special and
minute directions how to take away the life of Her whom they held as their
enemy. These ministers of evil attempted to fulfill their commission many
times, making use of very powerful and pernicious charms. But none of them
could in any way harm either the life or the health of the most blessed Mary;
for the effects of sin exerted no influence over Her who was sinless and who,
moreover, for other reasons, was exempt and superior to all natural causes.
Seeing this and finding his most deeply laid plans frustrated, the dragon
visited those sorcerers with fierce and cruel punishments; for the Lord
permitted this, because they had merited chastisement for their temerity and in
order that they might know, what kind of master they served.
510. Full of this new fury
Lucifer convened all the princes of darkness and reminded them of the many
reasons they had since their fall from heaven, for straining all their forces
and their whole malice in order to cast down this Woman, their Enemy; since
they now clearly recognized in Her the One shown to them at that time. They all
agreed with him and resolved to unite and assault Her alone, presuming that on
some occasion or another they would find Her less prepared and bereft of her
defense. Mary being alone in her oratory, they at once seized this opportunity
and, emptying hell for this enterprise, they advanced upon Her in united
multitudes. This battle was the greatest ever fought by a mere creature, from
the first one in the empyrean heaven to the end of the world; and it was very
much like that first one. In order to estimate the fury of Lucifer and his
demons, in coming to where the most blessed Mary then was, one must consider
their torments, as well in perceiving the divine power emanating from Her as in
remembering how often they had been oppressed and vanquished by Her. But their
wrath and envy conquered even these torments and drove them, in spite of their pains,
to throw themselves as it were upon the bristling pikes and swords to avenge
themselves upon the heavenly Lady for not to make such an attempt was a
greater torment than any other.
511. The first assault of the
demons was directed principally upon the exterior senses of Mary, consisting in
terrific how lings and confused clamors. Arraying their hosts in the air, they
produced such a fearful noise and trembling, that the machinery of the whole
world seemed on the point of destruction. To make all this appear more real,
they assumed diverse visible shapes, some of horrid and different kinds of
demons, other of angels of light. In these shapes they pretended to begin a
darksome and formidable contest or battle, seemingly without cause and so that
only the confused and terrible noise could be heard. Thus they sought to
produce fear or disturbance in the soul of the most blessed Lady. And truly
they would have excited terror in any other, even the most holy creature, if
left to the ordinary resources of grace, and no one could have encountered them
without losing life; for this onset lasted for twelve whole hours.
512. But our great Queen and
Lady remained immovable and serene, as tranquil as if She heard or saw nothing
of all this; She was disturbed or altered in no wise, showed no change in her
countenance, no traces of sorrow during the whole of this infernal uproar. Then
the demons proceeded to other temptations directed against the internal
faculties of the invincible Mother, pouring out their diabolical malice more
than I can describe; for all that devilish multitude exhausted the full measure
of their hellish astuteness in concocting their false revelations, lights and
suggestions, their promises and threats in attempting to infect each of her
virtues by temptations to the contrary vice. I will not stop to enumerate in
particular these temptations, as it is neither necessary nor convenient. But
our Lady and Queen overcame them all, since in opposition to the vices She
performed acts of the contrary virtues, which reached an excellence fully in
proportion to the impulse and force of her then acquired state of grace, gifts
and perfection.
513. As one who was
experiencing the strength of hellish malice and who knows the necessity of
divine assistance, She prayed on that occasion for all that are afflicted and
tempted by the demon. The Lord granted Her the power of extending her
protection to all those who are tempted and who invoke her intercession. The
demons persevered in this battle until no kind of malice was left un-attempted
against the most pure Mother. Then She on her part called upon the divine
justice, asking God to rise up and judge his cause (as David says Ps. 73, 22),
that his enemies might be dispersed and those who abhorred his presence be put
to flight. To fulfill his judgment the incarnate Word descended from heaven to
her retirement in the Cenacle, appearing to his Virgin Mother as her sweetest
and loving Son, and to the enemies as the severe Judge on the throne of his
supreme majesty. He was accompanied by innumerable angels, by the ancient
saints, Adam and Eve and many patriarchs and prophets, and saint Joachim and
Anne. All these presented and manifested themselves to the most blessed Mary in
her oratory.
514. Prostrating Herself as
usual in deepest veneration and worship, the great Lady adored her Son and true
God. The demons did not see the Lord, though they were made aware of his royal
presence and tried to fly from the imminent punishment. But the divine power
detained them, fettering them in the manner in which their spirit nature
permitted; and the ends of their fetters or chains the Lord placed into the
hands of his most blessed Mother.
515. Then a voice issued from
the throne saying: "Today comes upon you the wrath of the Almighty, and
the first sentence, fulminated against the ancient serpent from on high and
afterwards in paradise, shall be executed: a Woman descended from Adam and Eve
shall crush its head (Gen. 3, 15), because in your disobedience and pride, you
have despised the humanity of the Word in the virginal womb." Immediately
the most holy Mary was raised from the earth by the hands of six seraphim
nearest to the throne of God and, enveloped in a refulgent cloud, was placed at
the side of the throne of her divine Son. From his own essence and Divinity
issued an ineffable and supereminent splendor, which
enveloped and surrounded Her like the globe of the sun. Beneath her feet
appeared also the moon, indicating that She was to subject to Her all that was
inferior, earthly and variable, symbolized by the concavity of the moon. Over
her head was placed a diadem or crown of twelve stars, as an emblem of the
divine perfections communicated to Her to the fullest extent possible in a mere
creature. She was also shown as pregnant, not only of the concept of God in her
mind, but also of the corresponding love. She gave forth a voice as if of the
sorrows of the birth of what She had conceived, in order that all creatures
might participate in it; and they rejected it, although She desired it with
tears and groans (Apoc. 12, 1).
516. This sign, in all the
grandeur in which it had been conceived in the divine mind, was shown in heaven
to Lucifer, who was present as the great, red dragon with seven heads crowned
with seven diadems and ten horns. In this horrid shape he represented himself
as the author of the seven capital sins, who attempted to crown these sins with
his invented heresies as diadems and who armed by his astuteness and strength
as with ten horns, had sought to overthrow the divine law contained in the ten
commandments. In like manner he had encircled with his tail and drawn to hell
with him a third part of the stars of heaven; (Apoc.
12, 4) ; not only in seducing the myriads of angels, who followed him in
disobedience, but also in casting from heaven of the Church many of the
believers, who seemed to have risen above the stars either in dignity or
sanctity.
517. In such a fearful and
horrid shape stood Lucifer, and with him, in many other and various, all of
them abominable, shapes, stood his fellow-demons, arranged in battle array
around Mary, who was about to bring forth in spiritual birth the perpetual
existence and enrichment of the holy Church. And the dragon, in furious envy,
that this Woman should be so powerful in establishing and spreading this
Church, and that She should, by her merits, example and intercession, enrich it
with so many graces and raise so many myriads of men to their predestined
eternal happiness, stood in readiness to devour if possible, what She was to
bring forth and to destroy this new Church. In spite of the envy of the dragon
She brought forth a man-child, who was to govern all the nations with a strong
rod of iron. This manchild was the most righteous and
strong spirit of the Church, which in the righteousness of Christ our God holds
sway over all the nations in justice; and likewise it signified all the
apostolic men, who in the same righteous spirit are to judge (Matth. 19, 28) with the iron rod of divine justice. All
this it was that most holy Mary brought forth, not only because She gave birth
to Christ, but also because through her merits and diligence She brought forth
the Church in holiness and rectitude, nourished it during the time She lived in
it, and even now and forever preserves it in the manly spirit, in which it was
born, maintaining the uprightness of the Catholic truth, against which the
gates of hell shall not prevail (Matth. 16, 18).
518. Then, says saint John,
this man-child was taken up to the throne of God and the Woman fled to her
destined place in the desert in order that She might there be nourished one
thousand two-hundred and sixty days. This signifies, that all the legitimate
offspring of the heavenly Mother, as well that which is the fruit of the
general spirit of holiness in the Church, as also the particular souls which
She engendered and engenders as her proper spiritual children, shall arrive at
the throne where is her natural Offspring, Christ, in whom and for whom She
engenders and raises her children. But the solitude to which the most blessed
Mary was carried was a most exalted and mysterious state, to which She was
raised after her battle and of which I shall say something presently. It is
called a solitude, because She alone of all creatures was in that state, and
none other could ever reach or attain it. In it She was without the company of
creatures; and She was moreover left alone by the dragon, who more than anyone
else was ignorant of this mystery, and could not any more tempt or persecute
Her in person. There the Lord nourished Her one thousand two hundred and sixty
days, which was the time She lived in this state before passing to another.
519. All this was darkly
known and intimated to Lucifer and his demons before this heavenly Woman and
living Sign was hidden away from their sight. The knowledge of her destiny took
away the confidence, which, for more than five thousand years, had inspired the
dragon with the hope of being able to vanquish Her who was the Mother of the
incarnate Word. Hence the despair and torment of Lucifer and his demons can to
a certain extent be imagined; especially as they now saw themselves overcome
and held bound by the very Woman, whom they had with such insane fury sought to
cast down from grace and deprive of the merits and fruits of the Church. The
dragon in agonizing efforts to escape, said: "O Woman, give me leave to
hurl myself into hell, for I cannot bear thy presence, nor will I ever venture
to come before Thee as long as Thou livest upon this
world. Thou hast conquered, 0 Woman, Thou hast conquered, and I acknowledge thy
power in Him who has made Thee his Mother. Omnipotent God, chastise us Thyself,
since we cannot resist Thee; but do not send thy punishments through a Woman of
a nature so inferior to ours. Her charity consumes us, her humility crushes us,
and She is in all things a living manifestation of thy mercy for men. This is a
torment surpassing many others. Assist me, ye demons! But alas, what can our
united efforts avail against this Woman, since all our power cannot ever
deliver us from her presence until She herself casts us forth? O foolish
children of Adam, who follow me, forsaking life for the sake of death, truth or
falsehood? What absurdity and insanity is yours, (so in despair I must
confess), since you have in your midst and belonging to your own nature the
incarnate Word and this Woman? Greater is your ingratitude than mine and this
Woman forces me to confess the truths, which I abhor with all my heart. Cursed
be my resolve to persecute this Daughter of Adam, who so torments and crushes
me!"
520. While the dragon thus
gave vent to his despair, the prince of the heavenly hosts saint Michael
appeared in order to defend the cause of the incarnate Word and his most
blessed Mother; and by the arms of the understanding they began another battle
with the dragon and his followers (Apoc. 12, 7).
Saint Michael and his angels hurled at them the convincing arguments of old,
reproaching them with their pride and disobedience in heaven and with their
temerity in persecuting and tempting the incarnate Word and his Mother, and
contending with those in whom they had no part or right whatever, since they
could accuse Them of no sin, injustice or imperfection. Saint Michael justified
the works of the divine justice, declaring them most righteous and unblamable chastisements for the disobedience and apostasy
of Lucifer and the demons. Anew they anathematized them and confirmed
the sentence of their damnation, confessing the Almighty as holy and just in
all his works. The demon and his angels on the other hand likewise tried to
defend their rebellion and the audacity of their pride; but all their reasonings were false, vain, and full of diabolical
presumption and error.
521. A silence ensued in the
altercation and the Lord of hosts spoke to the most holy Mary: "My Mother
and my Beloved, chosen from the creatures by my eternal wisdom for my
habitation and holy temple! Thou hast given Me human form and restored the
human race; Thou hast followed Me, imitated Me and merited the graces and gifts
communicated to Thee above all my creature and Thou
hast never permitted them to be unprofitable in Thee. Be Thou the worthy object
of my infinite love, the protection of my Church, its Queen, Mistress and
Governess. To Thee is commissioned my power, and, as the almighty God, I place
it in thy most faithful disposal. In virtue of it do Thou command the infernal
dragon, that as long as Thou shalt live in the Church, he shall not sow the
seed of error and heresy which he holds in readiness; cut off his hardened
neck, crush his head; for during the days of thy life I desire that the Church
shall derive this advantage from thy presence."
522. The most holy Mary
executed this command of the Lord and as Queen and Mistress enjoined the infernal
dragons to become mute and powerless to spread their false doctrines among the
faithful, and that, as long as She was to live upon earth, none of them presume
to deceive mortals by their heretical tenets and doctrines. And so it happened;
for although the demon, in his wrath and vengeance, had intended to pour out
this poison in the Church, the Lord, for the sake of his love of the heavenly
Mother, hindered it during her lifetime. After her glorious Transition,
permission was given to the demon to spread his heresies because the sins of
men subjected them to the just judgments of the Lord.
523. Thereupon, (as saint
John says), the great dragon, the ancient serpent called satan
and devil, was cast forth and with his demons banished from the presence of the
Queen. Their chains were lengthened and they fell upon the earth, where they
were permitted to remain. The voice of the archangel was heard in the Cenacle,
saying: "Now is come the salvation, and the
strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of Christ; because the
accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God day and
night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of the
testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death. Therefore rejoice, 0 heaven,
and you that dwell therein. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil
is come down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short
time" (Apoc. 12, 10). By these words the angel
proclaimed, that in virtue of the victories and triumphs of the most blessed
Mary, united to those of her Son and Savior, the reign of God, his Church, and
the effects of the Redemption of man were assured to the just. All this he
called the salvation, the strength and power of Christ. And as, without doubt,
if the most blessed Mother had not overcome the infernal dragon, this impious
and powerful enemy would have hindered the effects of the Redemption; therefore
this voice of the angel resounded victoriously at the conclusion of the battle
and at his casting forth unto the earth and the sea. He congratulated the
saints, because now the head and the plottings of the
demon, by which he slandered men, were crushed, and the angel calls them
brethren because of their relationship with the angels through the soul,
through grace and glory.
524. The calumnies, by which
the devil persecuted and accused the mortals were the illusions and deceits by
which he expected to pervert the beginnings of the evangelical Church, and his
appeals to the justice of God, alleging that men, through their ingratitude and
wickedness and by their having taken away the life of Christ the Savior, did
not merit Redemption or mercy, but deserved to be punished by leaving them to
their own sinfulness and to the darkness of eternal damnation. Against all
these accusations, however, Mary, as our most sweet and kind Mother, rose up in
our defense, meriting for us faith and its spread, the abundance of mercies and
gifts accruing to us from the death of her Son, all of which the sins of those
that crucified Him and the others, that would not receive Him, have indeed
failed to deserve. The angel, by his prediction of woe, warns the inhabitants
of the earth to be prepared for the serpent, which now descended to them in
such great wrath; for without a doubt this dragon knows, that he has little
time for wrecking his fury upon men, since he has learned of the mysteries of
Redemption, the power of most holy Mary, the abundance of grace and wonderful
favors in the primitive Church. From all these facts he suspects, that the end
of the world is at hand, or that all men will follow Christ our Lord and avail
themselves of the intercession of his Mother to gain eternal life. Alas, that
men themselves should be more foolish and ungrateful than even the demon
himself dared to think.
525. In further explanation
of these mysteries, the Evangelist states, that when the dragon saw himself
cast upon the earth, he attempted to persecute the mysterious Woman, who had
brought forth the man-child. But to Her were given two wings as of a great
eagle, in order that She might fly into the solitude or desert, where She was
nourished for a time, and for two times, and for the half of a time, hidden
away from the sight of the serpent. And therefore the serpent cast forth after
the Woman a great river to overwhelm Her if possible. By these words the wrath
of Lucifer against God, his Mother and the Church are more definitely declared;
for, as far as this dragon is concerned, he never permits his envy to slumber,
his pride to weaken, or his malice to sleep in tempting anew this Queen as long
as he has power and permission. But they were taken from him in regard to the
Queen; and hence it is said, that two wings were given to Her for flying into
the desert, where She is nourished during the stated times. These wings were
the divine power of ascending to the vision of the Deity given to Mary and of
descending to distribute the treasures of grace to men, as we shall describe in
the next chapter.
526. From that time on the
serpent had no more power to tempt Mary in person, wherefore it is said that
her solitude or desert is removed from the sight of the demon. The times and
the time and half of a time are three years and a half, which contain the
thousand two hundred and sixty, less a few days, as mentioned before. In this
state, and in others yet to be spoken of, the most blessed Mary spent the rest
of her mortal life. But since the dragon was forced to give up tempting Her, he
shot forth the blood of his venomous malice after the heavenly Woman; for after
her victory he sought astutely to tempt the faithful and to persecute them
through aid of the Jews and gentiles; and especially after her glorious
Transition into heaven did he loosen the flood of his heresies and false
schisms locked up within himself. The threats which he uttered after her
victory, referred to the war he intended to wage against men in order to avenge
himself upon Her; for, being now unable to vent his rage upon the person of the
Queen, he resolved to continue it against those, whom the Lady loved so much.
527. Hence saint John says
that the dragon proceeded to make war upon the others, who are of her
generation and seed, who observe the law of God, and have the testimony of
Christ. And the dragon stood upon the sands of the sea, namely; he relied upon
the countless infidels, idolators, Jews and pagans,
through whom he has made and does make war upon the holy Church, besides
secretly waging the war of temptation against the faithful. But the solid and
firm set earth, which is the immutability of the Church, and the imperishable
Catholic truth helps the mysterious Woman; because She opens her mouth and
swallows and absorbs the flood poured out against Her by the serpent. And so it
happened in reality, since the holy Church, which is the organ and the
mouthpiece of the Holy Ghost, has condemned and overthrown all the errors, the
false sects and doctrines by her definitions, by holy Scriptures, by the
decrees of her councils, by the teachings of her doctors, instructors and
preachers of the Gospel.
528. All these mysteries and
many others the Evangelist intimates and describes under the image of this
battle and triumph of most holy Mary. In order to end the conflict, though
Lucifer was already cast from heaven and given over, fettered in chains, into
the hands of the victorious Queen, the great Lady perceived it to be the will
of the Lord her divine Son, that She hurl him and his hosts into the infernal
caverns. Fortified and strengthened by God, She released them and commanded
them immediately to depart into hell. As soon as She pronounced the word, all
the demons fell into the most distant caverns of hell, where they remained for
some time giving forth terrible and despairing howls. Then the holy angels sang
new hymns to the incarnate Word on account of his victories and those of his
invincible Mother. The first parents, Adam and Eve, gave thanks to God, because
He chose this their Daughter for his Mother and thus repaired the ruin they had
caused to their posterity; the Patriarchs, because their great expectations and
prophecies were so happily and gloriously fulfilled; saint Joachim, saint Anne
and saint Joseph, with still greater jubilee, glorified the Almighty for their
Daughter and Spouse; and all of them together sang the glory and praise of the
Most High, so holy and admirable in his counsels. The most blessed Mary
prostrated Herself before the royal throne and adored the incarnate Word,
offering Herself anew to labor for the Church, and asking his blessing, which She
received with admirable effects. She asked also her parents and her Spouse for
their blessing, recommending the holy Church and all the faithful to their
prayers. Thereupon the whole celestial gathering took their leave and returned
to heaven. INSTRUCTION WHICH MARY, THE QUEEN OF THE
ANGELS, GAVE ME
529. My daughter, with the
rebellion of Lucifer and his demons in heaven have commenced the battles
between the kingdom of light and that of darkness, between Jerusalem and
Babylon; and these battles will not cease to the end of the world. The Captain
and Head of the children of light is the incarnate Word, as the Author of
holiness and grace; and Lucifer, as the author of sin and perdition, has
constituted himself as the leader of the children of darkness. Each one of
these chieftains defends his followers and seeks to increase his reign and the
number of his adherents. Christ seeks to draw men to Himself by the truths of
his divine faith, by the favors and gifts of his grace, by the holiness of his
virtues, by his consolations in labors and by the certain hope of his promised
happiness, commanding his angels to accompany, to console and defend them until
they should be able to bring them to heaven; Lucifer, on the other hand, gains
his followers by lies, deceits and treachery, by the allurements of ignominious
and abominable vices, by darkness and confusion; he treats them in this life
like a tyrant, afflicting them relentlessly and depriving them of all
consolation; while in the next life he holds in readiness for them eternal and
horrible torments, which he himself and through his demons shall inflict upon
them with inhuman cruelty as long as God is God.
530. But alas! in spite of
this truth, so infallible and so well known to mortals, in spite of the infinite
difference of the recompense, how few, my daughter, are the soldiers that
follow Christ, as their legitimate Lord, as their King, their Chief, and their
model; and how numerous are those that band with Lucifer, who gives them no
existence, no life, who affords them no nourishment, nor any return; who
deserves nothing nor in any way obliges them, as was and is the case with the
Author of life and grace, my divine Son? So great is the ingratitude of men, so
foolish their infidelity, so unhappy their blindness. Merely because God has
given men freedom of will, either to follow their Master or not, to show
themselves thankful or not, they side with Lucifer and serve him freely, permit
him to enter the house of God and his temple, that he may tyrannically confuse
and profane it and draw after him the greater part of the world to his eternal
torments.
531. This conflict will last
to the end, because the Prince of eternity, on account of his infinite
goodness, will not cease to defend the souls He created and redeemed by his
blood. But not only He himself battles with the dragon, nor only through his
angels; for it redounds to the greater glory and exaltation of his name, if He
overcomes the enemies and confounds their pride through the human creatures, in
whom they seek to avenge themselves upon the Lord. I, being a mere creature,
next to my Son, the true God, was the Leader and Sovereign in these battles.
Although through his Passion and Death, He vanquished the demons, who had
become very haughty by the dominion of sin inaugurated among men by Adam; yet,
after He, and I in his name, had triumphed over the enemies and through our
victories established the Church in such high perfection and holiness, the
Church would have persevered and Lucifer would have remained crushed (as I said
before), if the ingratitude and the forgetfulness of men had not impelled him
anew toward the perdition and ruin of the whole globe.
532. Nevertheless my divine
Son did not forsake the Church, which He had acquired by his blood, nor have I,
as its Mother and Protectress, forsaken it; and We
continue to look within it for some souls to defend the glory and honor of God
and fight the battles against hell for the confusion and crushing of the
demons. Hence I wish thee to dispose thyself by divine grace for this battle
and not to wonder at the strength of the demon, nor to be downcast at thy
misery and poverty. Thou knowest that the wrath of Lucifer against me was
greater than against any of the creatures, and greater than against all of them
together; but by the power of the Lord I vanquished him gloriously, and thou,
in the same power, canst resist him in thy smaller temptations. Although thou mayest be weak and wanting in what is required, I wish thee
to understand, that my divine Son acts now as a king who is short of subjects
and soldiers and will admit anyone who wishes to serve in his army. Encourage
thyself then to conquer satan in present matters, for
then the Lord will afterwards arm thee for greater battles. I tell thee, that
the Church would not be entangled in its present difficulties, if a number of
the souls belonging to it had taken it upon themselves to defend the cause and
honor of God; but the Church stands very much alone and forsaken by the
children, whom it nourished at its own bosom. THE STATE OF CONTINUAL ABSTRACTIVE
VISION. IN WHICH GOD PLACED THE MOST BLESSED MARY AFTER HER VICTORY OVER THE
DEMONS, AND HER BEHAVIOR THEREON.
533. In the measure in which
the mysteries of the infinite and eternal Wisdom were being fulfilled, so the
great Lady was raised in the sphere of holiness beyond all human thought above
the rest of the creatures. As her triumphs over the infernal dragon were gained
under the conditions and circumstances I have described, and resulted in the
rewards I have mentioned; and as all these events of her life were the sequel
of the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption and of all the rest, in
which She had associated with her divine Son, it is impossible that our lowly
human faculties should even faintly comprehend the effects of these mysteries
upon the purest heart of the heavenly Mother. She conferred within Herself upon
these works of the Lord and weighed them by the scales of her most exalted
wisdom. The devouring flame of her celestial love grew into a conflagration,
which excited the astonishment of all the angels and courtiers of heaven; and
her natural powers of life could not have withstood the impetuous onsets of her
desire to annihilate Herself entirely in the essence of the Divinity, if they
had not been sustained by miraculous influence. At the same time She was drawn
toward men by her most sweet and maternal charity; for they all depended upon
Her, just as the plants upon the sun that vivifies and nourishes them. She therefore
lived in a state of violent longing to unite both the objects of her love in
her bosom.
534. In such a state the most
blessed Mother found Herself after the victories over the dragon.
Notwithstanding her having, through the whole course of her life from its first
instant, at all times done what was most pure, most holy and exalted, without
ever being embarrassed by her travels, labors and cares in the service of her
divine Son; yet at this juncture there arose as it were a contest in her heart
between her love of God and of the souls. In all her works of charity She felt
the force of her aspirations drawing Her to the higher and new gifts and
workings of grace. On the one hand She was impelled to withdraw Herself from
all the sensible things in order to wing her flight to the continual and
supreme union with the Divinity, and, in imitation of comprehensors
and especially of the state of her divine Son on earth, free Herself from all
hindrance of creatures in order to enjoy all that He enjoyed outside of what
belonged to Him in virtue of the hypostatic union. This latter was indeed not
possible in the blessed Mother; yet the height of her sanctity and love seemed
to demand all that was next below the state of comprehensors.
On the other hand She was drawn by her love of the Church to hasten the relief
of the faithful in all the necessities; for without thus being engaged in these
duties of a Mother of the family, She could scarcely rest satisfied with the
favors and delights of the Most High. As each of these activities of Martha
required time, She continued to study how She might adjust her life so as to be
wanting neither in the active nor the contemplative life.
535. The Most High permitted
this sort of solicitude to arise in his most blessed Mother in order that the
favor of her new state, held in readiness for Her by his omnipotence, might
come to Her so much the more opportunely. Therefore He spoke to Her and said:
"My Spouse and my Beloved, the anxious aspirations of thy most ardent love
have wounded my heart and by the power of my right hand I wish to operate in
thee what I have done to none of the creatures, nor ever shall do; for thou art
chosen as none other of my creatures for my delights. For thee alone have I
prepared a state and condition, in which I shall nourish thee with my Divinity
as one of the blessed, yet in a different manner; in it thou shalt continually
enjoy my sight and my embraces, my peace and tranquillity,
without being embarrassed by created things or by thy condition as a pilgrim.
In this habitation thou shalt wing thy flight freely and without bonds through
the infinite regions required by thy love; and from it thou shalt also fly to
the aid of the holy Church, of which thou art Mother. Charged with my
treasures, thou shalt distribute them among thy brethren according to thy
pleasure in their necessities and labors, so that through thee they all may be
relieved."
536. This is the favor which
I pointed out in the last chapter and which the Evangelist clothes in these
words: "And the Woman fled into the wilderness, where She had a place
prepared by God, that there they should feed Her a thousand two hundred and
sixty days," and a little farther on: "And there were given to the
Woman two wings of a great eagle, that She might fly into the desert unto her
place, where She was nourished" (Apoc. 12, 14).
It is not easy to make myself understood regarding this mystery; for it
contains many supernatural effects, which have no counterpart in any other
creature and are wonders reserved by God exclusively to the faculties of the
most blessed Mary; and since faith teaches us, that we cannot measure or
comprehend the power of the Almighty, it is proper to confess, that He can
operate in Her much more than we can understand and that we need only deny such
excellence in Her, as would imply an evident and manifest contradiction. In
that which has been shown me for the purpose of recording it in this history,
supposing that I understand it, I do not see any contradiction in the way I see
it; although the proper terms for recording it fail me in what I write.
537. I say then, that after
Mary our Leader and Mistress had triumphed in her battles over the dragon and
his demons, God raised Her to a state in which He manifested to Her the
Divinity, not by an intuitive vision like that of the blessed, but by another
clear vision through created species, which in this history I have always
called abstractive vision; because it depends not upon the actual presence of
the object seen, nor moves the understanding by the object itself; but by other
species, which present the object as it is in itself, although absent; namely
in the same manner as God can show me the city of Rome as it is in itself by
infusing into my mind all the images and likenesses of that city. This kind of
vision of the Divinity the most blessed Virgin had enjoyed before during her
life, as I have often demonstrated in this history. Although it was thus not
altogether new to Her, since She enjoyed abstractive vision at the moment of her
Conception (as said at the time), yet it was new now in two respects. First,
from this time on it was permanent and continual, enduring till her death and
till She passed into the beatific vision; while before that time it had been
occasional and passing. Secondly, from this time it continued to increase in
intensity day by day, and thus reached a degree more exalted, more admirable
and excellent than before, and beyond all created thought and measure.
538. For this purpose all her
faculties were touched by the fire of the sanctuary, causing new effects of the
Divinity, illuminating and exalting Her above Herself; for this state was to be
a participation of that held by the comprehensors and
the blessed, yet at the same time different from theirs. Hence it is important
to note wherein it was like and wherein it was unlike to theirs. The likeness
consisted in Her seeing the same object of the Divinity and the same attributes
which they enjoyed by secure possession, only She understood them more deeply
than they. The differences consisted in three points: first the blessed see God
face to face and by intuitive vision, whereas the most blessed Mary saw Him by
an abstractive vision as described; secondly, the beatific vision of the saints
in the Fatherland and their essential fruition, in which the glory of the
understanding and the will consists, cannot increase; whereas the abstractive
vision of Mary in her pilgrimage had no limit or restriction, but her knowledge
of the infinite attributes and the divine essence increased day by day; and for
this were given to Her two wings of an eagle, by which She was to soar
continually in this limitless ocean of the Divinity, comprehending ever more
and more of its infinity.
539. The third difference
was, that the saints can neither suffer nor merit, this being incompatible with
their state; whereas our Queen could well accumulate suffering and merit in her
state of vision, as being still a wayfarer. And without this possibility this
state would not have been so great and valuable in her eyes, nor for the
Church; for the meritorious works of so great a Lady, in this state of so great
grace and holiness, were of the most inestimable value and price to all men.
She presented a new and wonderful spectacle to the angels and saints, a sort of
portrait of her divine Son; for as the Queen and Mistress She had the power to
dispense and distribute the treasures of grace, and at the same time, to add to
them by her own ineffable merits. And though She was not a comprehensor,
as the saints in heaven; yet in her state of pilgrimage She held a place so
near to Christ and so like to his on earth, that, if compared with Him, She was
indeed a pilgrim in body and soul; but if compared to the other pilgrims on
earth, She seemed a comprehensor and one of the
blessed.
540. This her state required
that all the armory of her senses and other faculties should be of another
order and capable of operations proportionate to her condition Hence the manner
of her activity experienced an entire change, and in the following way: all the
species or impressions of creatures, which through her senses had acted upon
her understanding, were now at an end or blotted out from her mind; though, as
I have said above in this third part (No. 126), the great Lady had not admitted
any images or species except only those that were necessary for the exercise of
charity and other virtues. Now even these, in as far as they were terrestrial
and in as far as they partook of the sensitive in entering her understanding,
the Lord abolished, purging and distilling them of all that they yet contained
of their origin in the senses. In place of the images and impressions, which
thenceforward She could receive through the natural activity of her sensitive
and intellectual faculties, the Lord infused into her mind other species, more
pure and immaterial, and by means of these her perception and understanding was
raised to a more exalted level.
541. This wonder will present
no difficulty to the understanding of the learned. In order to explain myself
more thoroughly, I wish to say, that, when we call to action the five bodily
senses by which we hear, see and taste, we receive certain impressions of the
objects presented to them; these impressions are passed on to another interior
and corporeal faculty, called the general or common sense, the imaginative, or
estimative phantasy, in which all the impressions of
the exterior senses are united and perceived or felt and are deposited and kept
in reserve, as in a storehouse of the five senses. Up to this point our
perception is like that of the animals, although with some difference. After
these impressions of the common sense or phantasy
have thus been stored within us, who are rational animals, our mind, by means
of the natural workings of its faculties, co-operates with them and enables the
intellect to become active, distilling from them other spiritual or immaterial
images; and by means of these spiritual images, which it produces within
itself, it naturally comes to know and understand what first entered through
the senses. Hence philosophers say, that, in understanding our mind speculates
upon the phantasy in order to draw from it the images
of what it is to understand according to the natural routine of our acting
faculties. This routine is maintained, because the soul is united to the body
and depends upon it in its operations.
542. But in the most blessed
Mary, after entering the new state, this mode of procedure was not entirely
preserved; for the Lord had miraculously supplied for her intellect another
mode of action, independent of the phantasy and the
general sense. In place of the species, which her understanding was naturally
to draw from the impressions of exterior objects through the senses, He had
infused into Her other kinds of images, which represented exterior objects in a
more exalted manner; whereas those which She acquired by the senses, remained
in the storehouse of the phantasy without being used
by the active understanding, which was instead furnished with and illustrated
by the supernatural species. These her understanding made use of in its
activity, while at the same time those received and stored in the general phantasy served Her for the feeling of pain and sensible
afflictions. Thus in this temple of the most blessed Mary was fulfilled what
happened in its figure long before: the stones were shaped and wrought outside
the temple, whereas within, the strokes of the hammer or other noise were not
heard (III Reg. VI 7); likewise the animals were killed and sacrificed upon the
altar outside the precincts of the sanctuary (Ex. 40, 27); and in it were
offered only the holocaust of the incense and spices burned in the sacred fire.
543. Through the workings of
this miracle in our great Queen and Lady the stones of her virtues for her
adornment were hewn and polished in the lower sensitive faculties of her soul,
while in the for all of the common senses were offered up the hardships,
sorrows and pains, which She bore for the faithful in her labors for the
Church. But in the holy of holies of her intellect and her will were offered up
only the perfume of her contemplation and vision of the Divinity and the fire
of her incomparable love. For this purpose the species of the senses,
representing objects in a more earthly manner and with the turmoil natural to
them, were not appropriate. Therefore the divine power excluded them altogether
and replaced them with other images of the same objects, infused, supernatural
and purer, capable of nourishing the abstractive contemplation of the Divinity
and more appropriate to her knowledge of God, whom She unceasingly looked upon
and loved in the inviolable peace, tranquillity and
serenity of her soul.
544. These infused species in
the most blessed Mary were founded upon the essence of God himself, because
they represented all things to her understanding in the same way as a mirror
represents objects to our eyes and make themselves known to us without obliging
us to inspect them directly. In this manner She was aware in all things of whatever
was for the good of the children of the Church; of what She was to do for them
in their labors and difficulties and of the manner in which She was to promote
the fulfillment of the divine will in heaven and on earth. Favored by this kind
of vision, She was enabled to make her petitions in such a way as to have them
all granted by the Lord. From this kind of insight the Lord exempted in Her the
works which She was to perform in obedience to the commands of saint Peter and
saint John, and sometimes requested by some of the other Apostles. The heavenly
Mother herself had asked for this exemption, because She did not wish to
interrupt her practice of obedience, which She loved so much; and also because
She wished to make it plain, that through obedience the will of God is known
with such certainty, that the obedient person needs no other means or byways of
finding the will of God than this obedience to the commands of superiors; for
this is without a doubt what God wishes and commands, and therefore is right.
545. For all her other doings
then (except what pertained to obedience and holy Communion), the understanding
of the most blessed Mary did not depend upon her intercourse with sensible
creatures, nor on the images of the senses. But of all of them She remained
independent and undisturbed, enjoying the abstractive vision of the Divinity
without interruption, either awake or asleep, working or at rest, without need
of forethought or reasoning about what was most perfect, or more agreeable to
the Lord, about the necessities of the Church, or the time and manner coming to
its aid. All this was present to her mind in the vision of the Divinity, just
like to the blessed through the beatific vision. And just as the least
important of the knowledge of the blessed is that concerning the creatures; so
also (besides what our great Queen knew concerning the state of the Church, its
government and of all the souls), the principal object of her knowledge were
the incomprehensible mysteries of the Divinity, which She comprehended more
deeply than the highest seraphim and saints. With this heavenly bread and
nourishment She was sustained in that solitude prepared for Her by the Lord. In
it She was solicitous for the Church without being disturbed, busily employed
without inquietude, attentive without distraction, and in all things She was
full of God within and without, clothed with the purest gold of the Divinity,
immersed and absorbed in this incomprehensible sea. Yet at the same time She
was attentive to all her children and their welfare, finding no rest except in
the ministrations of her maternal charity.
546. This was the reason why
the two wings of an eagle were given to Her; for by them She raised Herself to
the solitude where the thoughts of neither angels or men could ever soar; and
by them She descended from that unattainable height and flew to the aid of
mortals, not haltingly, but with the lightest and swiftest flight. O prodigy of
the omnipotence of God! O unheard of miracle, which so clearly manifests
his infinite greatness! Our understanding fails us, our comprehension is
suspended and our powers are exhausted in the contemplation of such a hidden
sacrament. Happy, golden ages of the beginnings of the Church, when it held
such treasures within it, and fortunate we, if we could in our own unhappy
times, as far as is possible and as far as our necessities and miseries
require, see these signs and wonders renewed through his most blessed Mother!
547. The happiness of that
age, and the manner in which the most holy Mother used her powers, will be
better understood, if we adduce some practical instances of the assistance
rendered by Her to the souls. One was that of a man living in Jerusalem and
well known in the city, because he held a prominent position and was endowed
with more than an ordinary mind and some moral virtues. As for the rest, he was
a zealous upholder of the ancient law like saint Paul, and a bitter opponent of
the teachings and the law of Christ the Savior. The blessed Mary knew this in
the Lord, and through her intercession God had prepared the way for his
conversion. On account of his good standing in the opinion of others, the
blessed Lady desired very much to convert and save him. This She asked of the
Most High with ardent love and fervor, and the Lord granted Her the request.
Before the most blessed Mother entered the new state of being, She had applied
her great prudence and insight to find means of converting this soul; but now
this kind of study was no longer necessary; for She needed only to attend to
the Lord, where, at her request, all that She had to do for his conversion was
made clearly manifest.
548. She saw that this man
was to come to Her through the preaching of saint John and that She need only
tell saint John to preach where this Jew would hear him. The Evangelist obeyed
her orders; and at the same time the guardian angel of that man inspired him
with the desire of seeing the Mother of the Crucified, whom all praised as a
loving, modest and pious Woman. The Jew did not at that time foresee any
spiritual good possibly to result from this visit, because he had not the
divine light for such knowledge; but without proposing to himself any such
ends, he desired to visit the great Lady out of calculating curiosity, merely
in order to see who this Woman, so much spoken of by others, might be. But when
he came into the presence of most holy Mary and looked upon Her, while with
heavenly prudence She spoke to him, He was entirely changed into a new man. He
immediately prostrated himself at the feet of the great Queen, confessing
Christ as the Savior of the world and asking to be baptized. He received
Baptism then and there at the hands of saint John, and while the words of
Baptism were pronounced, the Holy Ghost came in visible form upon this man, who
thenceforward was distinguished for his holy life. The heavenly Mother sang a
hymn of thanksgiving for this great and wonderful favor.
549. Another inhabitant of
Jerusalem, deceived by her cousin versed in witchcraft, apostatized from the
faith. As the blessed Lady knew all things in the Lord, She was aware of her
fall. In great affliction the Lady applied Herself to tearful prayers and
exercises of atonement for the return of this woman, for She knew that such
willful falling away in those who have once given themselves to the pursuit of
eternal life, always makes a return much more difficult. The prayers of the
most blessed Mother readily paved the way for the salvation of this soul
deceived by the serpent. Immediately the Queen saw that this Woman should be
warned and exhorted by saint John, in order to bring her to a sense of her evil
deed. Saint John spoke to her, she listened and confessed her sin to him, thus
being restored to grace. The blessed Mary afterwards exhorted her to persevere and
resist the demon.
550. Lucifer and his demons
dared not disturb the Church in Jerusalem during the presence of the Queen,
whom they feared to approach; for her power filled them with fear and drove
them to flight. Instead they sought to make conquests among the baptized of
those ports of Asia where saint Paul and the other Apostles were preaching;
they succeeded in perverting some to apostasy and to cause disturbance or
hindrance in the preaching of the Gospel. The most zealous Princess knew of the
machinations of the dragon and asked the Lord for assistance, if it should be
proper under the circumstances. She received answer, that She might act as the
Mother, as the Queen and Mistress of all creation, and that She had found grace
in the eyes of the Most High. Thus encouraged from on high She clothed Herself
with invincible strength; and like the faithful spouse, who rises from the
couch, leaves the bridal chamber and the throne of her bridegroom, and arms
herself to defend him against his assailants: so the valorous Lady, armed with
divine power, rose up against the dragon, snatched the prey from his maw,
wounding him by the power of her virtues, and commanding him again to sink into
the abyss. And as She commanded, so it was fulfilled. Many other innumerable
wonders, wrought by our Queen, could be cited; but these will suffice to
indicate the state in which She then was constituted and the way in which She
operated therein.
551. For greater perspicuity
and in connection with the reckonings given before, it remains to mention the
year in which the most blessed Lady received this favor (Nos. 376, 465, 495,
435). When She betook Herself from Jerusalem to Ephesus, She had attained the
age of fifty-four years, three months and twenty-six days; and her voyage took
place in year forty of the birth of Christ, on the sixth of January. She
remained in Ephesus two and a half years, returning in the year forty-two on
the sixth of July; and in the year fifty-six and ten months ef
her age. The first council mentioned above was held by the Apostles two months
after the Queen returned from Ephesus; so that during that council the most
blessed Mary completed her fifty-seventh year. Then succeeded the battles and
triumphs and her elevation to the exalted state herein described, in the
beginning of her fifty-eighth year, and in the year of our Lord the Savior,
forty-two and nine months. This state lasted twelve hundred and sixty days
mentioned by saint John in the twelfth chapter, and then She passed to another,
which I shall describe farther on. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN,
MOST BLESSED MARY, GAVE ME.
552. My daughter, none of the
mortals have any excuse for not ordering their lives in imitation of the life
of my divine Son and of my own; for We were an example and model for all. Noone can be without blame, if in his own state he is not
perfect, having before his eyes the incarnate God, who became the Teacher of
holiness for all states of life. Some souls, however, are by the divine will
chosen and set apart from the common order, in order that they may enjoy more
of the fruit of his blood, imitate more perfectly his life and mine, and cause
his divine goodness, omnipotence and mercy to shine forth more resplendently.
Whenever these chosen souls faithfully and fervently correspond with the Lord,
only worldly ignorance will wonder, that He should show Himself so liberal in
exerting his power to overwhelm them with favors and blessings beyond all human
conception. Whoever places such wonders of his beneficence in doubt, will only
hinder the glory God seeks in his works. Such unbelievers attempt to measure
them by the restricted and curtailed capacity of the human mind, which in them
is usually depraved and obscured by their own.
553. And if the chosen souls
themselves are so gross as to doubt his benefits, or do not dispose themselves
to receive and use them prudently, or with the esteem and appreciation due to
the operations of God: then, no doubt, they offend his Majesty much more than
others, to whom no such blessings or talents are vouchsafed. The Lord does not
wish the bread of the children to be cast to the dogs (Matth.
15, 26) ; nor his pearls to those who tread them under foot or despise them (Matth. 7, 7) ; for these blessings of special grace are the
reserves of his highest Providence, and the capital of the price of the
Redemption. Reflect then, my dearest, that such faults are committed by those
souls, who are diffident in arduous or adverse events, or who shrink from the
Lord, or hinder Him, when they are singled out as the instruments of his power
for his service. Their sin is still more reprehensible when they refuse to
confess Christ in all such works for fear of the difficulties connected with
them and of the gossip of the world concerning such new undertakings; when they
act in such a manner, that they serve God and do his will only when it
coincides with their own; or if they practice virtue only when it is
accompanied by such and such conveniences; or love only when it does not
disturb their tranquillity; or if they believe or
acknowledge benefits only when sweetened by caresses. As soon as adversity or
labor is to be encountered for the sake of God, they at once give way to
discontent, sorrow, discouragement and impatience, by which they frustrate the
designs of the Lord and make themselves incapable of perfection in virtue.
554. All this arises from a
deficiency of prudence, knowledge and true love, which prevents these souls
from looking to their own and their neighbor's advance. For they look to themselves,
rather than to God; and are governed more by self-love, than divine love and
charity. Tacitly they are guilty of great presumption, since they attempt to
direct God's will and even to reprehend it, professing their readiness for
great labors in his service under such and such conditions and their inability
under other conditions. They are unwilling to risk their credit and their
comfort, even for the common good and for the glory of God. They think that, as
they do not openly proclaim their refusal, they do not make themselves guilty
of this temerity; yet it is the devil, who conceals it from them, in order that
they may incur guilt.
555. In order that thou, my
daughter, mayest not fall into this monstrous sin,
thou shouldst discreetly ponder what I give thee to
understand and record, and how much I desire thee to imitate me. I could not
fall into such sins, yet in continual watchfulness I prayed to the Lord to
govern me in all my actions according to his will and pleasure only, and I gave
myself no liberty of doing anything that was not according to his greater
pleasure. Hence I sought for myself the forgetfulness and the retirement from
all creatures. Thou art subject to sin, and thou knowest how many snares the
dragon, by himself and through the creatures, has laid in order to lead thee
into it: hence thou hast good reason for ceaselessly beseeching the Almighty to
govern thee in all thy actions, and for closing the portals of thy senses in
such a way as to exclude from thy interior every image or figure of mundane and
earthly things. Renounce therefore thy free will into the hands of thy God and
yield it to every pleasure of the Lord and mine. In what thou must necessarily
transact with creatures for the fulfillment of the divine law and of charity,
admit no image except what is unavoidable; and immediately ask, that the
remembrance of what is not necessary be blotted out of thy mind. Concerning all
thy works, words and thoughts consult with God, with thy angels and with me,
for we are always with thee; consult also with thy confessor wherever possible.
All that thou dost or resolvest without this
consultation, hold in suspicion and as dangerous, and only by comparing it with
my teachings, thou canst ascertain, whether it agrees or disagrees with the
will of God.
556. Above all never lose
sight of the essence of God; for the light of faith which thou hast received,
is to serve especially for this purpose. Since this is to be thy last end, I
wish that even in mortal life thou attain this vision as far as is possible to
thee with the divine grace. It is indeed time that thou cast out those vain
fears and suggestions, by which the enemy has sought to hinder and detain thee
from giving constant credit to the blessings and favors of the Lord. Begin to be
prudent and strong in this confident faith and deliver thyself entirely to the
pleasure of his Majesty, in order that He may do with thee and in thee what
shall be best for his service. THE BEGINNINGS OF THE GOSPELS WRITTEN BY
THE EVANGELISTS; THE PART WHICH THE MOST BLESSED MARY HAD IN THEIR
COMPOSITION,. SHE APPEARS TO SAINT PETER IN ANTIOCH AND IN ROME: SIMILAR FAVORS
SHOWN TO OTHER APOSTLES.
557. I have described, as far
as I was permitted, the exalted state of the great Queen and Lady after the
first council of the Apostles, and also her victories over the infernal dragon
and his demons. Although the wonderful works which She accomplished during
these times and at all times, cannot be recorded in a history, nor even summed
up, I was nevertheless given special light for the purpose of describing the
beginnings of the Gospels and the call of the Evangelists to undertake their
writing, the part which Mary bore in their being written, her solicitous care
for the absent Apostles, and the miracles She wrought for them. In the second
part, and on many occasions I have stated, that the heavenly Mother had a
positive knowledge of all the mysteries of grace, of the Gospels and other holy
writings, which were to serve for the confirmation of the new Law. In this
knowledge She was confirmed many times, especially on the day of her ascension
with her divine Son into heaven. From that day on, without forgetting anything,
She often prostrated Herself in prayer before the Lord, asking Him to send his divine
light upon the Apostles and holy writers and to order them to write, when the
opportune time should have come.
558. Afterwards, when the
Queen returned from heaven and was put in charge of the Church (as related in
the sixth chapter of this book), the Lord made known to Her that the time for
beginning to write the holy Gospels had arrived and that She should make her
arrangements for this purpose as the Mistress and Instructress of the Church.
But in her profound humility and discretion She obtained the consent of the
Lord, that this should be attended to by saint Peter, his vicar and the head of
the Church; and that he should be specially assisted by divine enlightenment
for a matter of such importance. All this was granted by the Most High; and when
the Apostles met in the council mentioned by saint Luke in the fifteenth
chapter of the Acts, after they had settled the doubts about circumcision, as I
described in the sixth chapter, saint Peter proposed to them all the necessity
of recording in writing the mysteries of the life of Christ our Savior and
Teacher, so that they might be preached to all the faithful in the Church
without variation or difference, thus doing away with the old Law and establish
the new.
559. Saint Peter had already
consulted with the Mother of wisdom; and all the council having approved of his
proposal, they called upon the Holy Ghost to point out the Apostles and
disciples who should write the life of the Savior. Immediately a light was seen
descending upon saint Peter and a voice was heard saying: "The high priest
and head of the Church shall assign four for recording the works and the
teachings of the Savior of the world." Saint Peter and all present
prostrated themselves, giving thanks to the Lord for this favor. When all of them
had again risen, saint Peter spoke: "Matthew, our beloved brother, shall
immediately begin to write his Gospel in the name of the Father, the Son and
the Holy Ghost. Mark shall be the second, who shall likewise write the Gospel
in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Luke shall write the
third, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Our most beloved
brother John shall be the fourth and last to write the mysteries of our Savior
and Teacher in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost." This
decision the Lord confirmed by permitting the heavenly light to remain until
these words were repeated and formally accepted by all those appointed.
560. Within a few days saint
Matthew set about writing the first Gospel. While praying in a retired room of
the Cenacle and asking to be enlightened for the inception of his history, the
most blessed Mary appeared to him seated on a throne of great majesty and
splendor, the doors of the room still remaining closed. The great Lady told him
to arise, which he did, asking for her benediction. Then She spoke to him and
said: "Matthew, my servant, the Almighty sends me with his blessing, in
order that with it thou begin the writing of the Gospel which thou hast the
good fortune to be entrusted with. In this thou shalt have the assistance of
the Holy Ghost and I shall beg it for thee with all my heart. But concerning
myself it is not proper, that thou write anything except what is absolutely
necessary for manifesting the Incarnation and other mysteries of the Word made
man, and for establishing his faith in the world as the foundation of his
Church. This faith being established, the Almighty will find other persons,
who, when the times arrive in which it shall become necessary, shall reveal to
the faithful the mysteries and blessings wrought by his powerful arm in
me." Saint Matthew signified his willingness to obey the mandate of the
Queen; and while he conferred with Her about composing his Gospel, the Holy
Ghost came down upon him in visible form; and in the presence of the Lady He
began to write the words as they are still extant in his Gospel. The blessed
Mary then left him and saint Matthew proceeded in his history, finishing it in
Judea. He wrote it in the Hebrew language in the year forty-two of our Lord.
561. The Evangelist Mark
wrote his gospel four years later, in the forty-sixth year after the birth of
Christ. He likewise wrote it in Hebrew and while in Palestine. Before
commencing he asked his guardian angel to notify the Queen of heaven of his
intention and to implore her assistance for obtaining the divine enlightenment
for what he was about to write. The kind Mother heard his prayer and
immediately the Lord commanded the angels to carry Her with the usual splendor
and ceremony to the Evangelist, who was still in prayer. The great Queen
appeared to him seated on a most beautiful and resplendent throne. Prostrating
himself before Her, he said: "Mother of the Savior of the world and
Mistress of all creation, I am unworthy of this favor, though I am a servant of
thy divine Son and of Thyself." The heavenly Mother answered: "The
Most High, whom thou servest and lovest,
sends me to assure thee, that thy prayers are heard and that his holy Spirit
shall direct thee in the writing of the Gospel, with which He has charged
thee." Then She told him not to write of the mysteries pertaining to Her,
just as She had asked of saint Matthew. Immediately the Holy Ghost, in visible
and most refulgent shape, descended upon saint Mark, enveloping him in light
and filling him with interior enlightenment; and in the presence of the Queen
he began to write his Gospel. At that time the Princess of heaven was sixty-one
years of age. Saint Jerome says, that saint Mark wrote his short Gospel in
Rome, at the instance of the faithful residing there; but I wish to call
attention to the fact, that this was a translation or copy of the one he had
written in Palestine; for the Christians in Rome possessed neither his nor any
other Gospel, and therefore he set about writing one in the Roman or Latin
language.
562. Two years afterwards, in
the year forty-eight and of the Virgin the sixty-third, saint Luke wrote his
Gospel in the Greek language. To him also, as to the others, Mary appeared when
he was about to begin it. Having represented to the heavenly Mother, that, in
order to manifest the Incarnation and life of her divine Son, it was necessary
to touch upon the manner of the actual conception of the Word made man and upon
other things concerning her dignity as the natural Mother of Christ, and having
received orders from Her to pass over in silence the other mysteries and
wonders connected with her dignity as Mother of God, saint Luke obtained her
permission to write somewhat more freely of the heavenly Mary in his Gospel.
The Holy Ghost descended upon him and in the presence of the great Queen he
began to write his Gospel, drawing his information principally from direct
inspiration of her Majesty. Saint Luke continued a most devoted servant of the
Lady and never permitted the image of the sweetest Mother seated on the throne
of majesty, as he had seen Her on this occasion, to be effaced from his mind.
Thenceforward he lived continually in her presence. Saint Luke was in Achaia,
when this apparition happened to him, and there also he wrote his Gospel.
563. The last of the four
Evangelists who wrote the Gospels, was the apostle saint John in the year
fifty-eight of the Lord. He wrote his in the Greek language, during his stay in
Asia Minor after the glorious transition and assumption of the most blessed
Mary. His Gospel was directed against the heresies and errors, which, (as
indicated above), the devil immediately after the transition of the Virgin
Mother began to sow for undermining the faith in the Incarnation of the divine
Word. For as Lucifer had been humiliated and vanquished by this mystery, he at
once directed the onslaught of heresy against it. For this reason the
evangelist saint John writes so sublimely and adduces so many arguments for the
true and undoubted Divinity of Christ our Savior, far surpassing the other
Evangelists in this regard.
564. Although when the
Evangelist was about to begin his Gospel the most blessed Mary was already in
heaven, She descended in person, resplendent with ineffable glory and majesty
and surrounded by thousands of angels of all choirs and hierarchies. Appearing
to saint John She said: "John, my son and servant of the Most High, now is
the proper time for writing the life and mysteries of my divine Son, so that
all mortals may know Him as the Son of the eternal Father, as true God and at
the same time as true man. But it is not yet the opportune time for recording
the mysteries and secrets which thou knowest of me;
nor shall they as yet be manifested to a world so accustomed to idolatry, lest
Lucifer abuse them for disturbing those who are to receive the faith in their
Redeemer and in the blessed Trinity. The Holy Ghost will assist thee and I
desire thee to begin writing in my presence." The Evangelist worshipped
the great Queen of heaven and was filled with the divine Spirit as the others
had been. Assisted by the kind Mother, he immediately set about writing his
Gospel. Before She departed to the right hand of her divine Son, She gave him
her benediction and promised him her protection for all the rest of his life.
Such were the beginnings of the sacred Gospels, all of them having been
commenced with the assistance and by the intervention of the most blessed Mary,
giving the Church to understand, that all these benefits have been vouchsafed
at her hands. After having thus anticipated the history of the Evangelists, in
order to account for the beginnings of the Gospels, we shall now return to our
narrative.
565. In proportion as the
most blessed Lady after the council of the Apostles was exalted by her divine
knowledge and the abstractive vision of God, so her care and solicitude for the
welfare of the Church increased; for the faith was now spreading out over the
earth day by day. As a true Mother and Teacher, She lavished her special
attention upon the Apostles, whose names and whose welfare She bore written in
her heart. All of them, except saint John and saint James the less, immediately
after the termination of the council, left Jerusalem for the field of their
labors, and the kindest Mother was deeply concerned at the thought of the
hardships and difficulties connected with their preaching. She looked upon them
with tender pity in their peregrinations, and held them in highest veneration
on account of their holiness and dignity as priests, as Apostles of her divine
Son, founders of the Church, preachers of his doctrine, and as the elect of the
divine Wisdom chosen for such high ministries to the glory of the Most High. It
was truly necessary that the most blessed Lady and Mistress, in order to attend
to and take care of so many matters throughout the holy Church, should be
raised to the state which She now held: for in any lower condition She could
not have so easily and properly attended to so many duties and at the same time
maintain that interior tranquility and peace, which her soul enjoyed.
566. Besides her own
knowledge and solicitude for the whole Church, the most holy Mother again
charged her angels to take care of all the Apostles and disciples, to console
them in all their tribulations and to haste to their aid in all their
difficulties. For by the subtlety of their spiritual nature they could attend
to all this without losing sight of the face of God and enjoying beatific
vision. She thus charged them because it was so important to establish the
Church and because they were the ministers of the Most High and the works of
his hands. She told them also to inform Her of all that the Apostles and
disciples were doing, and especially when they were in need of any clothing; for
to this matter the watchful Mother wished to attend in particular, in order
that they might go about clothed in a uniform manner, such as they wore when
they departed from Jerusalem. By this prudent foresight, the Apostles showed no
difference in their garments as long as the great Lady was alive; but all of
them wore clothes of the same form and color, similar to that worn by her
divine Son. Assisted by the holy angels, She wove with her own hand the tunics
for this purpose and sent them through the angels to the Apostles on their
journeys. In thus making it possible for them to wear vestments similar to
those which had been worn by Christ our Savior, the great Mother provided that
even in their exterior appearance the Apostles preached his doctrines and his
most holy life. In regard to the other necessities of life, such as food, She
left them to begging and to the labor of their hands, or to the alms which were
offered to them.
567. At the orders of the
Queen the angels frequently assisted the Apostles in their travels and
tribulations and in the persecutions as well of the gentiles and the Jews, as
of the demons, who continually excited evil-minded men
against the preachers of the Gospel. The angels often visited them in visible
shapes, conversing with them and consoling them in the name of the most blessed
Mary. At other times they performed the same office interiorly without
manifesting themselves; sometimes they freed them from prison; sometimes they
warned them of dangers and snares; sometimes they accompanied them on their way
or carried them from one place to another where they were to preach, or
informed them of what they were to do according to the circumstances peculiar
to certain places or peoples. Of all these things they also kept their blessed
Lady informed; for She took care of all of them and labored with them more than
all of them together. It is not possible to enumerate the cares, solicitudes
and diligent doings of this kindest Mother; for not a day or a night passed, in
which She did not perform many miracles for the Apostles and for the Church.
Besides all this She wrote to them many times, animating them with heavenly
exhortations and doctrines, and filling them with consolation and strength.
568. But what is more
wonderful: She not only communed with them by means of her angels and by
letters, but She appeared to them Herself, whenever they called upon Her or
when they were in some tribulation or necessity. Although (besides appearing to
the Evangelists, concerning which I have already spoken), She appeared to many
of the Apostles, I will here speak only of her apparitions to saint Peter, who,
as head of the Church, stood in greater need of the counsels and assistance of
the most blessed Mary. Hence to him, She sent her
angels more frequently, and the saint sent those, which were assigned to him as
pontiff of the Church, and he wrote to Her and communicated with Her oftener
than the other Apostles. Soon after the council of Jerusalem saint Peter was
journeying to Asia Minor and came to Antioch, where he first established his
pontifical see. On account of the difficulties which he met in the execution of
his design, the vicar of Christ was downcast and afflicted, and the most
blessed Mary well knew of it and how much he stood in need of her favor. In
order to confer it upon him in the manner suited to the importance of the
occasion, She had her holy angels bring Her to saint Peter, and appeared to
him, seated on a throne of majesty as at other times. The Apostle, seeing Her
before him so resplendent, prostrated himself before Her with wonted fervor,
and bathed in tears, said to Her: "Whence this favor to me, a sinner, that
the Mother of my Redeemer should come to where I am ?" The heavenly
Teacher of the humble descended from her throne, and, moderating the splendors
which surrounded Her, knelt before the Highpriest of
the Church and asked his blessing. With none of the other Apostles, but only
with saint Peter did She observe this conduct in her apparitions to them;
although except at these apparitions, when She conversed with them in the
natural way, She was wont to ask their blessing on her knees.
569. But because saint Peter
was the vicar of Christ and the head of the Church She descended from her royal
throne and showed him reverence, acting as one of the members of the Church yet
in mortal flesh. Speaking familiarly with the holy Apostle She conferred with
him upon the weighty matters then under consideration. One of them was the
advisability of beginning to celebrate some of the feasts of the Lord. After
they had resolved on the course to be taken, the holy angels took Her back from
Antioch to Jerusalem. Later on, when saint Peter, in obedience to the orders of
the Savior, had gone to Rome with the intention of transferring the apostolic
see to that city, the blessed Lady appeared once more to saint Peter. There it
was ordained that in the Roman Church should thenceforth be celebrated the
feast of the Nativity of her divine Son, of the Passion, and of the institution
of most holy Sacrament in the manner as it is now done on Holy Thursday or
Maundy Thursday. Later on, after many years, was established also the feast of
Corpus Christi to be celebrated on the first Thursday after the octave of
Pentecost, as is still the rule. But the first feast of the blessed Sacrament
on Holy Thursday, was instituted by saint Peter, as also the feast of the
Resurrection, the Sundays, the Ascension, with the paschal and other
observances of the Roman Church to the present day; and all of these were
instituted by the order and according to the counsel of the most blessed Mary.
After these doings saint Peter went to Spain, visiting some of the churches
founded by saint James and establishing others before returning to Rome.
570. On another occasion,
before (though very near), the glorious transition of the heavenly Mother,
saint Peter being likewise at Rome, a dispute arose among the Christians, which
greatly distressed and afflicted both him and all those concerned. The Apostles
remembered the favors he had received in his tribulations at the hands of the
great Queen and grieved very much that he should now be deprived of her counsel
and assistance. He therefore besought the angels of his guard and those given
him as assistants in his office of highpriest, to manifest
his troubles and necessity to the blessed Mother in order to obtain help in his
difficulties by her powerful intercession with her Son. The Queen, who knew the
fervor and humility of saint Peter, failed not in responding to his wishes. She
commanded the angels of the Apostle to bring him to Jerusalem, where She then
was. They immediately executed her command and brought saint Peter to the Cenacle
and the presence of his Queen. This singular favor inflamed the fervent
affections of the Apostle, and he prostrated himself before the most blessed
Mary, full of joy and tears to see the prayer of his heart fulfilled. The great
Lady commanded him to arise, and She, instead, fell on her face saying:
"My master, give thy servant thy blessing as vicar of Christ our Lord my
Son." Saint Peter obeyed and gave Her his blessing. Then they gave thanks
to the Lord for having fulfilled their wishes; and although the humble Mistress
of virtues was not unaware of the tribulations of saint Peter and of the
faithful of Rome, She listened to his account of what had happened.
571. The most blessed Mary
advised him of all that he needed to know and do in order to allay the trouble
and restore peace in the church of Rome. She spoke with such wisdom, that,
although he had had a high concept of her prudence, he was carried beside
himself in his admiration and joy of what he heard and experienced of it on
this occasion, and he gave humble thanks for this new favor. Having thus
informed him of many things for establishing the Church in Rome, She asked his
blessing and took leave of him. The angels brought him back to Rome, while, as
was her wont, the most blessed Mary remained prostrate upon the ground in the
form of a cross, asking the Lord to quiet this disturbance. Her prayer was
heard; for on coming back to Rome, saint Peter found matters in a better state,
and soon the consuls permitted the faithful freely to follow the law of Christ.
From these miracles, which I have adduced, some insight is afforded in the
doings of Mary in the government of the Apostles and of the Church. For if all
were to be recorded, more volumes would be required than I am now writing
lines. Hence I refrain from enlarging upon them, in order that in the rest of
this history I may describe the wonderful and unheard-of favors, which the Lord
conferred upon the most holy Mary in the last years of her life; although at
the same time I confess, that I can give only some stray hints of what I have
seen, in order that Christian piety may be led to the contemplation and praise
of the Omnipotent, the Author of these venerable sacraments. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF THE
ANGELS GAVE ME.
572. My dearest daughter, at
other times I have spoken to thee of a complaint, which I have against the
children of the Church, and especially against the women, in whom the fault is
greater. In my sight it is abominable, because it is so much opposed to my own
conduct in life. I repeat it here, in order that thou mayest
imitate me and keep away from what the foolish women and daughters of Belial
are guilty of: namely, treating the priests of the Most High without reverence,
esteem, or respect. This fault increases day by day in the Church, and
therefore I renew this warning already several times recorded. Tell me, my
daughter, what must be thought of the fact, that priests, the anointed of the
Lord, appointed to represent Christ and to consecrate his body and blood, are
serving vile, impure, and earthly women? That they should stand uncovered and
do reverence to a proud and miserable woman, only because she is rich and they
are poor? I ask, has the poor priest less dignity than the rich? Or do riches
confer a greater or equal dignity, power and excellence, than the one given to
priests and ministers by my divine Son? The angels have no regard for the rich
on account of their possessions, but they respect priests for their exalted
dignity. Hence, how could such an abuse and perversity creep into the Church,
that the anointed of the Lord should be outraged and despised by the faithful,
who know and confess them to be sanctified by Christ himself ?
573. It is true that the
priests themselves are very guilty and reprehensible when they, disregarding
their dignity, enslave themselves to the service of other men, and much more,
of women. But if priests have some excuse in their poverty, the rich have none
in their pride, that they should, on account of the poverty of the priests,
oblige them to be servants, when in reality they are masters. This monstrosity
is very abominable to the saints and very disagreeable in my eyes on account of
the veneration I had for the priests. Great was my dignity as Mother of God;
yet I often prostrated myself at their feet and considered it a great happiness
to kiss the ground on which they trod. But the blindness of the world has
obscured the sacerdotal dignity and confounded the precious with the vile (Jer. 15,· 19); it has lowered the priests to the position
of the common people by its laws and disorderly customs (Is. 25, 2), making use
of the one as well as the other for their degradation; and the same minister
who now at the altar offers the tremendous sacrifice of the sacred body and
blood, afterwards leaves it to serve and subject himself to the service even of
women, who by nature and by the condition are so inferior, and sometimes are
made even more unworthy by their sins.
574. I wish then, my
daughter, that thou seek to make up for this fault and abuse among the children
of the Church as far as possible. I give thee to understand that even from my
throne in heaven I look with veneration and respect upon the priests who are on
earth. Thou must always regard them with the same veneration, as if they were
at the altar, or holding the most blessed Sacrament in their hands or at their
breast; and even the ornaments and all their vestments thou shouldst
hold in great veneration, just as I with reverence provided garments for the
Apostles. Then, besides what thou hast understood and written concerning the
divine Scriptures, thou must gage thy esteem for these writings by what they
contain and enclose and by the means which the Almighty took to incite the
Evangelists to write them. As well in the Gospels as in the rest of holy
writings the Holy Ghost himself lent his assistance in order that the Church
might be rich and prosperous in the abundance of doctrine, of science and tight
concerning the mysteries and operations of the Lord. To the supreme pontiff of
Rome thou must render highest obedience and veneration before all other men;
and when thou hearest him mentioned. show reverence
by inclining thy head as if thou heardst the name of
my divine son or my own named in thy presence; for on earth he takes the place
of Christ. And when I lived in the world, I showed my reverence whenever the
name of saint Peter was pronounced. In order that thou mayest
practice my doctrine and find grace in the eyes of the Most High, whom all
these works please very much and who considers none of them small if done for
his love, I wish that thou be very attentive and a most faithful follower of my
footsteps. THE EXERCISES IN MEMORY OF THE PASSION
PRACTICED BY THE MOST HOLY MARY; THE REVERENCE WITH WHICH SHE RECEIVED HOLY
COMMUNION, AND OTHER DOINGS OF HER MOST HOLY LIFE.
575. Without ever failing in
her attention to the exterior government of the Church (as I have until now
made plain), the most blessed Mary in secret practiced other exercises and good
works, by which She merited innumerable gifts and blessings from the Most High,
as well for the common benefit of all the faithful, as for myriads of
particular souls in furtherance of their salvation. As far as I can in these
last chapters, I shall, for our instruction and admiration and for the glory of
the most blessed Mother, write of these hidden and unknown works. First of all
I will state, that notwithstanding the many privileges which the great Queen of
heaven enjoyed, She constantly kept present in her memory the doings and the
mysteries of the life of her divine Son; for besides the abstractive vision, by
which She in these last years continually saw the Divinity and knew all things,
the Lord had from her Conception conceded to Her the privilege of never
forgetting what once She had known or understood; for in this regard She
enjoyed the privilege of an angel, as I have stated in the first part.
576. I also stated in the
second part, in writing of the Passion, that the blessed Mother felt in her
body and purest soul all the pains and torments of our Savior Jesus, so that
none of them were hidden to Her or without the corresponding suffering in her
own self. All the images or impressions of the Passion remained imprinted in
her interior just as She had received them; for She had made this request of
her Lord. These were not blotted out, as were the other sensible images,
through the vision of the Divinity; rather they were made more vivid, in order
that She might miraculously rejoice in her compassion and at the same time
suffer those sorrows, for this was her desire during the time She was still to
live in mortal flesh and to this exercise She directed her natural will-power.
As exquisite as her favors and privileges were (according to what I have always
maintained in my discourse), they nevertheless were all pledges and tokens of
the reciprocal love of her divine Son, who, in our way of speaking, could not
contain Himself or refrain from dealing with his Mother as the God of love, as
the Omnipotent, infinitely rich in mercies. But the most blessed Virgin did not
ask for them or seek them; for her sole desire was to be crucified with Christ,
to continue within Herself his sorrows, renew his Passion, and without this it
seemed to her useless and idle to live in passible
flesh.
577. Hence She ordered all
her occupations in such a manner, that She might at all times preserve in her
heart the image of her divine Son, afflicted, outraged, wounded and disfigured
by the torments of his Passion and within Herself She beheld this image as in
a most clear mirror. She heard the injuries, outrages, affronts and blasphemies
against Him, with all the circumstances of time and place, and She beheld the
whole Passion as in one living and penetrating vista. Throughout the day this
sorrowful vision excited Her to most heroic acts of virtue and stirred her
sorrow and compassion; but her most prudent love did not content itself with
these exercises. During stated hours and times She engaged in other exercises
with her holy angels, especially with those I have mentioned in the first part
as bearing the tokens or the escutcheons of the instruments of the Passion.
These in the first place, and then the other angels, She engaged as assistants
in the following exercises.
578. For each kind of the
wounds and sufferings of Christ our Savior She recited special prayers and
salutations, in order to give them special adoration and worship. For each of
the contemptuous and insulting words of the Jews and his other enemies, which
had been spoken either in envy or in fury or vengeance, for each of the
blasphemies uttered, She composed special hymns of veneration and honor to make
up for their attempts at diminishing it. For the insulting gestures, mockeries
and personal injuries, She practiced most profound humiliations, genuflections
and prostrations, and in this manner She sought continually to make up for the
affronts and injuries heaped upon her divine Son in his life and his passion;
and thus She confessed his Divinity, his humanity, his holiness, his miracles,
his works and his doctrines. For all She gave Him glory and magnificence; and
in all the holy angels joined Her, and corresponded with Her full of admiration
of such wisdom, fidelity and love united in a mere creature.
579. Even if the most blessed
Mother during her whole life had engaged in no other occupation than these
exercises, She would have accomplished and merited more than all the saints in
all that they have done or suffered for God. By the force of love her sorrow in
these exercises was equal to martyrdom many times over; and many times would
She have died in them, if the divine power had not sustained her life for still
greater merit and glory. And if, as is true, She in her immense charity offered
all these works for the Church, let us consider how much we are in her debt as
faithful children for thus increasing the treasures of help, which She left at
the disposal of us unfortunate children of Eve. And in order that our
meditation may not be halfhearted and lukewarm, I will say, that the effects of
her contemplations were often astounding; many times She wept tears of blood,
which covered her whole face; at other times in her agony She was not only
bathed in perspiration, but in a bloody sweat, running from Her even to the
ground. What is more, sometimes her heart was wrenched from its natural
position by the violence of her grief; and when She was in such extremes, her
divine Son came from heaven, furnishing Her with new strength and life to
soothe her sorrow and heal the wounds caused by love of Him, and in order that
by such assistance and comfort, She might continue the exercises of her
compassion.
580. The Lord however wished
Her to lay aside these sorrowful sentiments and affections on the days in which
She commemorated the mystery of his Resurrection, as I will speak of later on,
in order that there might be maintained the proper relation between cause and
effect. For some of these sorrows were incompatible with the favors overflowing
in their effects upon the body, yet excluding pain. But She never lost sight of
his sufferings and therefore felt other effects of her compassion by uniting
with her joys, the gratitude for what the Lord endured. Thus in the sweetness
of all the favors of the Lord his Passion entered as a mixture of bitterness.
She obtained also the consent of the evangelist saint John to remain retired in
her oratory for celebrating the death and burial of her divine Son on the
Friday of each week. On those days saint John remained in the Cenacle to
receive those who called upon Her and allowed none to disturb Her; and whenever
he could not attend to this duty, it was performed by some other disciple. The
most blessed Mary retired for this exercise at five 0' clock on Thursday and
did not reappear until toward noon of Sunday. In order that during these three
days no important matter pertaining to the government of the Church might be
neglected, the great Lady appointed one of her angels to take her shape and
briefly dispatch what would suffer no delay, so provident and attentive was She
in all affairs of charity touching her children and domestics.
581. To describe or
comprehend what happened with our heavenly Mother during the exercises of these
three days can never be within our capacity; the Lord alone, who was the Author
of them, shall one day manifest it to us in the light of the saints. Also what
I myself have come to know of it, I am unable to
describe; I will only say that beginning with the washing of the feet, the most
blessed Mary commemorated all the mysteries up to that of the Resurrection; and
in each hour and moment She renewed in Herself all the movements, actions,
works and sufferings as they had happened in her divine Son. She repeated the
same prayers and petitions as He himself had made and as we have seen described
in their place. Anew the most pure Mother felt in her virginal body all the pains
endured by Christ our Savior. She carried the Cross and placed Herself upon it.
In short, I will say, that as long as She lived, the whole passion of her
divine Son was renewed in Her week for week. Through this exercise the great
Queen gained great favors and blessings for those who devoutly bear in mind the
Lord's passion; and hence the powerful Queen has promised to all such souls,
especial assistance and participation in the treasures of the Passion; for She
desired from her inmost heart, that the Church should continue and preserve its
commemoration. In virtue of her wishes and prayers the Lord ordained, that
afterwards many persons in the holy Church should follow these exercises of the
Passion, imitating his most blessed Mother, who was the first one to teach and
practice such an exalted profession.
582. In these exercises the
great Queen sought especially to celebrate the institution of the most blessed
Sacrament by new hymns of praise, of thanksgiving and fervent love. She was
solicitous to invite for this purpose her own angels and many others from the
empyrean heaven, in order to assist and accompany Her in these praises of the
Lord. It was a wonder worthy of his Omnipotence, that the Most High should
send from heaven multitudes of angels to view this prodigy of Christ's
remaining sacramentally present in her heart from one
Communion to the other and to incite them to give glory and praise for the
wonderful effects of his sacramental presence in this Creature, whom they
beheld more pure and more holy than the angels and seraphim and the like of
which they had not seen or would ever see in all the rest of creation.
583. It was not less
wonderful to them (just as it ought to be to us) to see, that though the great
Queen was worthy of preserving within Herself the sacred species as in a
tabernacle, She was so solicitous in preparing Herself anew by the most fervid
exercises and devotions every time She was again to receive holy Communion; and
this She did nearly every day except on those in which She remained in her
oratory. She first offered up for this purpose her weekly exercises of the
Passion; and besides this, whenever She retired at nightfall before the day of
Communion, She began other exercises, such as prostrations in the form of a
cross, genuflections, prayers, and adorations of the immutable essence of God.
She asked permission of the Lord to speak to Him and to permit Her, in spite of
her earthly lowliness, to partake of his Son in the holy Sacrament; She
appealed to his infinite bounty and to his love toward the Church in thus
remaining sacramentally present, as a reason that She
should be favored with this blessing. She offered to Him his own Passion and
Death, the worthiness with which He had communicated Himself, the union of his
human nature with the divine, all his works from the moment of his conception
in the virginal womb, all the virtue of the angelic nature and its works, of
all the just in past, present and future times.
584. Then she made most
intense acts of humility, professing Herself but dust and ashes in comparison
with the infinite being of God, to which the highest creatures are so inferior
and unequal. In the contemplation of what She was to receive sacramentally, She was so affected and so deeply moved,
that it is impossible to describe it in words; for She raised Herself and
transcended above the choirs of seraphim and cherubim; and as, in her own
estimation, She considered Herself the lowest of all creatures, She called upon
her guardian angels and upon all the other angels, asking them, with
incomparable humility, to supplicate the Lord to dispose and prepare Her for
receiving Him worthily, since She was but an inferior and earthly creature. The
holy angels, obeying Her in joyful admiration, assisted and accompanied Her in
these petitions, in which She persevered for the greater part of the night
preceding her Communion.
585. As the wisdom of the
great Queen, although in itself finite, is for us incomprehensible, we can
never worthily understand to what height rose her virtues and works of love on
these occasions. But they were often of such a kind as to oblige the Lord to
respond by a personal visit, in which He gave Her to understand with what
pleasure He came to dwell sacramentally in her heart
and to renew in Her the pledges of his infinite love. When the hour of her
Communion arrived, She first heard the Mass usually celebrated by the
Evangelist. In these Masses, although the Epistles and Gospels, being not yet
written, were not read, the consecration was always the same as now, and to it
were added other rites and ceremonies with many psalms and orations. At the end
of Mass the heavenly Mother approached, making three most profound
genuflections; all inflamed with love She received her Son in the Sacrament,
welcoming in her purest bosom and heart that same God, to whom She had given
the most sacred humanity in her virginal womb. Having communicated, She
retired, and, unless some very urgent need of her fellowmen demanded otherwise,
remained alone for three hours. During these hours the Evangelist was often
privileged to see rays of light darting forth from Her as from the sun.
586. The prudent Mother also
provided that for the celebration of the unbloody
sacrifice of the Mass the Apostles and priests be clothed in ornate and
mysterious vestments, different from those they wore in ordinary life.
Accordingly, with her own hands, She provided ornaments and sacerdotal
vestments for its celebration, thus originating the ceremonious observances in
the Church. Although these vestments were not quite of the same form as
nowadays; yet they were not materially different in appearance from those which
in the course of time came into use in the Roman Church. The material was more
alike; for She made them of linen and rich silks, purchased with the alms and
presents made to Her. Whenever She worked at these vestments, sewing or fitting
them, She remained on her knees or on her feet, and She would not entrust them
to other sacristans than the angels, who assisted and helped Her in all these
things; likewise She kept these ornaments and all that pertained to the service
of the altar in incredible order and cleanliness; and from such hands as hers,
all came forth with a celestial fragrance, which enkindled the spirit of the
ministers.
587. From many kingdoms and
provinces, where the Apostles were preaching, numbers of converts came to
Jerusalem in order to visit and converse with the Mother of the Redeemer of the
world, at the same time offering rich gifts. Among others, four sovereign
princes, who were royal governors of provinces, visited Her and brought many
valuable presents, which they placed at her disposal for her own use and for
the Apostles and disciples. The great Lady answered that She was poor like her
Son, and that the Apostles likewise were poor in imitation of their Master;
that hence these riches were not appropriate to the life they professed. They
begged Her to console them by accepting their gifts for the poor or for the
divine worship. On account of their persistent requests She received part of
what they offered, and from the rich silks She made some ornaments for the
altar; the rest She distributed among the indigent and the infirmaries. For She
was accustomed to visit such places and often served and washed the poor with
her own hands, performing such services, as well as distributing the alms, on
her knees. Wherever it was possible She consoled the needy and assisted the
sick in their last agony. Nor did She ever rest from works of charity, either
actually engaging in them, or pleading and praying for others in her
retirement.
588. She gave salutary advice
to those princes or kings at their visit, admonishing them and instructing them
in regard to the good government of their provinces. She charged them to watch
over the equitable administration of justice without acceptation of persons; to
consider themselves mortal men as all the rest, to fear the supreme Judge, by
whom all are to be judged according to their own works; and above all, to
further the exaltation of the name of Christ, the propagation and security of
the holy faith, in which alone the governments and reigns can be firmly
established. For without faith, government is but a lamentable and disastrous
slavery of the demons, which is permitted by the hidden judgments of God for
the punishment of both those that govern and that are governed. The fortunate
princes promised faithfully to execute all her instructions and they afterwards
remained in communication with the heavenly Queen through letters and other
intercourse. The same benefit in its degree resulted to all that visited Her;
for all of them left her presence more ardent in virtue, full of light, joy and
consolation unspeakable. Many who were as yet unbelievers, on seeing Her,
loudly professed their belief in the true God; for they were unable to restrain
the interior forces awakened by the presence of their most blessed Mother.
589. And such effects must
not be held as surprising, since the great Lady was entirely transformed into a
most efficacious instrument of the power of God and of his grace among men.
Not only her words, so full of wisdom, roused the admiration and convinced the
minds by communicating new light; but on her lips was diffused heavenly grace
for communicating it and in her countenance shone the sweetness and beauty of
heaven, while her own quiet majesty and modesty, grave yet pleasing, together
with the hidden virtue (like that ascribed to her divine Son in the Gospel),
attracted and refreshed the hearts (Luke 6, 19). Some remained speechless in
admiration, some broke forth in tears, others in
exclamations of wonder and praise, confessing that great is the God of the
Christians, who had formed such a Creature. Truly could they testify to what
some saints said to Her: that Mary was a divine prodigy of virtue. Let Her be
eternally known and praised through all the generations as the true Mother of
God, who made Her so attractive to human eyes, such a sweet Mother to the
sinners, so amiable to angels and men.
590. During these last years
the Queen ate or slept very little; and this little only, because saint John
asked Her to rest for at least a small portion of the night. But this sleep was
only a slight suspension of the senses, lasting no longer than a half hour,
during which, in the manner above described, She lost not the vision of the
Divinity. Her food was a few mouthfuls of ordinary bread and sometimes a little
fish, taken at the instance of the Evangelist and in order to keep him company;
for in this, as in other privileges, saint John was thus fortunate, not only
eating with Her from the same table, but having the food prepared for him by
the great Queen and administered to him as from a mother to her son, and
moreover being obeyed by Her as a priest and a substitute of Christ. Very well
could the great Queen get along without even this sleep or nourishment, which
seemed more a ceremony than the sustenance of life; but She partook of them not
from necessity, but in order to practice obedience and humility and thus pay some
tribute to human nature; for in all things She was most prudent. INSTRUCTION WHICH MARY THE MOST BLESSED
QUEEN OF THE ANGELS, GAVE ME.
591. My daughter, through the
whole course of my life is evident how gratefully I kept in mind the works of
the Redemption, the passion and death of my divine Son, especially after I had
actually seen Him sacrificed on the Cross for the salvation of men. But in this
chapter particularly have I wished to draw thy attention to the care and the
continual exercises, by which I renewed in me not only the remembrance, but the
sufferings of the Passion. I desire that the knowledge of this cause men to
feel reproach and confusion at their monstrous forgetfulness of the
incomprehensible benefit of the Redemption. 0 what a shameful, what a horrible
and dangerous ingratitude of men is this! Forgetfulness is a clear proof of
contempt, for one does not forget so easily, what one holds dear. What reason
or excuse then can there be, that men forget the eternal blessings they have
received? That they should despise the love, with which the eternal Father has
delivered over to death his only begotten Son? The charity and patience with
which his and my Son accepted it for them (John 3, 16.) The insensible earth
responds to the efforts of those that cultivate it; wild beasts become tame and
domesticated in return for benefits. Men among themselves are beholden to their
benefactors; and when such thankful feelings are not forthcoming, they resent
it, condemn it, and call it a great offense.
592. What is the reason then,
that only toward their God and Redeemer they should be ungrateful and forget
what He suffered in order to rescue them from eternal damnation? And in view of
this very evil return, they complain of not receiving his assistance as they
desire. In order that they may understand what fearful guilt they load upon
themselves by their ingratitude, I will remind thee, my daughter, that Lucifer
and his demons, seeing so many souls oblivious of the sufferings of Christ,
draw the following conclusions and say of such souls: "This soul does not
remember or hold in esteem the benefit of God's Redemption and we are certain
of gaining it over to our side; for the soul that is so foolish as not to
remember such a blessing, will certainly not detect our wiles. Let us proceed
to tempt and destroy it, since it is deprived of its strongest defense."
Having in their large experience found their reasoning on this point to be
almost infallible, they zealously seek to blot out the memory of the passion and
death of Christ and to excite a contempt for the preaching or discoursing about
it among men; and they have succeeded to a great extent, causing dreadful
damage to souls. On the other hand they are wary and fearful of tempting those
who have accustomed themselves to the meditation and the remembrance of the
sufferings of Christ; for from this source they feel issuing against them a
force and influence, which often prevents them from approaching those who thus
piously cherish the memory of the Passion.
593. I desire thee then, my
dearest, not to detach from thy bosom and heart this bouquet of myrrh (Cant. 1,
12) and to imitate me closely in the contemplation and the exercises of the
Passion. For thus must thou keep alive the memory of the sufferings of my
divine Son and satisfy for the injuries and blasphemies inflicted upon his
divine Person by his enemies who crucified Him. Seek thou, as long as thou
shalt be upon earth, to compensate for the ingratitude and forgetfulness of
mortals. And in order to do it as I desire, never let thy remembrance of Christ
crucified, afflicted and blasphemed be extinguished. Persevere in thy
exercises, never omiting them except in obedience or
in a just cause; for if thou imitate me in this I shall make thee a participant
in the effects I myself felt.
594. In order to dispose
thyself day by day for holy Communion thou shouldst
apply whatever thou performest in these exercises;
imitate also the other works and practices, which thou hast come to know of me.
If I, the Mother of Him whom I was to receive, deemed myself unworthy of
Communion and by so many means sought the purity necessary for such a
Sacrament, consider what thou must do, so poor and subject to so many miseries
and imperfections! Purify the temple of thy interior, scrutinizing it by the
divine light and adorning it with great virtues, since it is the eternal God,
whom thou art to receive; One, of whom nobody but Himself is worthy. Invoke the
intercession of the angels and saints to obtain grace from the Lord. Above all
I exhort thee to call upon me and ask me to help thee; for thou must know, that
I am the special Advocate and Protectress of those,
who desire to arrive at great purity for receiving holy Communion. Whenever
they invoke me for this purpose, I present myself before the throne of the Most
High, and, as one well knowing the disposition required for harboring God
himself, I ask his favor and grace for those who are about to receive Him in
the holy Sacrament. I have not lost in heaven the solicitude and zeal, which I
exhibited upon earth. Having asked me, proceed to ask also the intercession of
the angels, for they also are very anxious to see souls approach the holy
Eucharist with great devotion and purity. THE LORD, BY NEW FAVORS, RAISES THE MOST
BLESSED MARY ABOVE THE STATE DESCRIBED IN THE EIGHTH CHAPTER OF THIS BOOK.
595. In the eighth chapter I
have stated that the Queen of heaven for a thousand, two hundred and sixty days
was nourished and maintained in the condition and state described by the
Evangelist, as described in the twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse. That number
of days made up more or less three and a half years, and brought the most
blessed Mary to the sixtieth year of her life plus two months and a few days
and the forty-fifth of the Lord. Just as the stone falls the more swiftly the
closer it approaches to its centre of gravity, so, in proportion as the great
Queen and Mistress of all the creatures advanced toward the end of her most
holy life, the more swift became also the flight of her purest spirit and the
impulse of her desires to arrive at the centre of her eternal rest and repose.
From the moment of her Immaculate Conception She had issued forth like a vast
river from the ocean of Divinity, where She was conceived in the eternal ages;
and by the inundations of gifts, graces, favors, virtues, merits and holiness,
She was now grown in greatness beyond the limited sphere of all creation. The
impetuous floods of her wisdom and love resistlessly
rushed back to unite themselves with the ocean of the Infinite; for thence She
had issued only in order to shed forth over and over again her maternal
clemency upon the Church (Eccles. 1,7).
596. In these last years of
her life the great Queen had already, by the violence of her love, begun to
suffer a sort of ceaseless martyrdom. Without a doubt it is true in the
spiritual order, what philosophers claim in the corporal: that the nearer a
moving object approaches its centre of attraction, the more powerfully is it
drawn to that centre; and the most blessed Mary had now approached so closely
to the infinite and highest Good, that She was divided from It, as is said in
the Canticles (Cant. 2,9), only by the grating or partition of mortality. This
did not any more suffice to impede the reciprocal vision and love, and between
Them was only the vast force of love, impatient of all hindrances, to complete
the union, so that all other desires were swallowed up by the one immense
desire of overcoming and doing away with these hindrances. Such was the desire
of her divine Son, held back only by his reluctance to deprive his Church of
such a Teacher; such was also the desire of the most holy Mother, who, although
She restrained Herself from asking for the natural death, could not restrain
the forces of her love and thus felt the violence of the constraint of mortal
life and of the fetters hindering her flight.
597. Yet as long as the
conditions predetermined by the eternal Wisdom had not arrived, She continued
to suffer the pains of that love, which is strong as death (Cant. 8, 6).
Through them She called upon her Beloved, who came from his retreat from the
mountains to dwell in the village of the plains (Cant. 7, 11), to view the
flowers and the fragrant fruits of his vineyard. By the darts of her eyes and
of her desires She wounded the heart of her Beloved and drew Him from the
heights into her presence. Hence it happened once, in the time of which I am
going to speak, that the ardors of love in the most blessed Mother grew to such
proportions, that She could truly be said to be languishing with love (Cant. 2,
5); for without being affected by the infirmities of our earthly passions, She
languished on account of the impetus of her loving heart drawn toward the Lord,
in order that just as He was the cause of her ailment, He might also be its
glorious medicine and cure. Her holy angels full of admiration of the effects
of their Queen's impetuous love, spoke to Her angelic words in order to soothe
her ardors by inspiring her with hope of secure possession. But these remedies
allayed not the flame, but rather enkindled it; and the great Lady answered
only by conjuring them to tell her Beloved, that She was languishing with love.
To Him they brought her message and presented to Him the tokens She desired. On
this occasion, and on others of this last part of her life, (as I wish
especially to state), were fulfilled in Her, the only and worthy Spouse, the
hidden mysteries of the Canticle of Solomon, and so it came, that the supreme
princes of heaven, who were present in visible form, were obliged to support
Her in their arms on account of the pains of love that overcame Her.
598. Then her divine Son came
down from heaven, seated on a throne of glory and surrounded by myriads of
angels, who gave Him praise and magnificence. Coming to the most blessed Lady
He refreshed and comforted Her in her pains, and said to Her: "My Mother,
most beloved and chosen for our delight, the clamors and sighs of thy loving
soul have wounded my heart. Come my Dove, come to my celestial fatherland,
where thy sorrow shall be turned to delight, thy tears into gladness, and where
thou shalt rest from thy sufferings." Immediately the holy angels, at his
command, placed the Queen at the side of the Lord, her divine Son, and with celestial
music they all ascended to the empyrean heaven. Mary fell in adoration at the
throne of the most holy Trinity. The sacred humanity of Christ kept Her at his
side, causing new accidental joy to all the courtiers of heaven and, according
to our mode of speaking, exciting anew the attention of all the saints, He
presented Her and spoke to the eternal Father, saying:
599. "My Father and
eternal God, this is the Woman, that gave Me my human form in her virginal
womb, that nourished Me at her breast and sustained labors for Me, that shared
in my hardships and co-operated with Me in the works of the Redemption. This is
She, who was always most faithful and fulfilled our will
according
to our entire pleasure; She, pure and immaculate as my Mother, through her own
works, has reached the summit of sanctity according to the measure of the gifts
We have communicated to Her; and when She had merited her reward and could have
enjoyed it forever, She deprived Herself of it for our glory and returned to
attend to the establishment, the government, and instruction of the Church
militant; and We, in order that She might live in it for the succor of the
faithful, deferred her eternal rest, which She has merited over and over again.
In the highest bounty and equity of our Providence it is just, that my Mother
should be remunerated for her works of love beyond all other creatures; and
toward Her the common law of the other mortals should not apply. If I have
merited for all infinite merits and boundless graces, it is proper that my
Mother should partake of them above all the others who are so inferior; for She
in her conduct corresponds to our liberality and puts no hindrance or obstacle
to our infinite power of communicating our treasures and participating them as
the Queen and Mistress of all that is created."
600. To these words of the
most sacred humanity of Christ the eternal Father replied: "My most
beloved Son, in whom I have the plenitude of my pleasure and complacency (Matth. 17,5) : Thou art the First-born and the Head of all
the predestined (Rom. 8, 29) and in thy hands I have placed all things (John 3,
35) in order that Thou mayest judge with equity all
the nations and generations, and all my creatures (John 5, 22). Distribute my
infinite treasures and communicate them as Thou desirest
to thy Beloved, who clothed Thee in passable flesh;
reward Her according to her dignity and merit, which are so pleasing in our
eyes."
601. In accordance with the
pleasure of the eternal Father Christ our Savior decreed and as it were pledged
Himself to his most blessed Mother, in the presence of all the saints, that
from henceforth, as long as She should live in mortal flesh, She should, on
every Sunday after finishing her exercises of the Passion, be brought by the
holy angels to the empyrean heaven and there, in the presence of the Most High,
celebrate in body and soul the joys of the Resurrection. The Lord also decreed,
that in her daily Communion He should manifest to Her his most sacred humanity
united to the Divinity in a new and wonderful manner, different from that in
which She had enjoyed it until that day; so that this might serve as a pledge
and foretaste of the glory, which He had reserved for his most holy Mother in
eternity. All the blessed understood how just were these manifestations of his
glory and greatness in his holy Mother, how well they corresponded to the
dignity and holiness of the great Queen, and how well they were merited by her
full response to the divine operations in Her. All of them sang new canticles
of praise and glory to the Lord, who was so holy, just and wonderful in all
these works.
602. Then Christ our God
turned to his purest Mother and said: "My most loving Mother, I shall
remain with Thee always as long as thy mortal life shall last; and I shall be
with Thee in a new manner, so wonderful, as neither men nor angels have known
until now. In my presence thou shalt not feel lonely, and where I am, there
shall be my reign, in Me shalt Thou rest from thy anxieties; I shall be thy
recompense in the narrowed space of thy exile; for Thee the fetters of thy
mortal body shall not be irksome and soon shalt Thou be free of them. Until
that day comes, I shall be the end of thy afflictions, and I shall release the
barriers still opposing thy loving desires. In all this do I give Thee my royal
promise." While these promises and favors were lavished upon Her the most
Holy Mary was immersed in her ineffable humility, praising, magnifying and
thanking the Omnipotent for his beneficent liberality and annihilating Herself
in her own estimation. Such a spectacle can neither be described nor understood
in this life. For here was to be seen the infinite God freely proclaiming his
Mother worthy of assuming the highest place in the estimation of his infinite
wisdom, while She, in rivalry with the infinite Power, humiliated Herself,
abased and annihilated Herself, though meriting the exaltation She received.
603. Besides all this She was
enlightened and renewed in all her faculties, (in the manner explained
elsewhere), for the beatific vision. When She was thus prepared, the veil fell,
and for some hours, wrapt in the intuitive vision of
God, She enjoyed the essential fruition and glory in a manner far above that of
the saints. She drank the waters of life from their own fount; She satiated her
most burning desires; She reached her centre and rested from that swift motion,
which She was again to resume as soon as She was to return from her vision.
After this vision She gave thanks to the most blessed Trinity and again
interceded for the Church. Then, entirely refreshed and comforted, the holy
angels brought Her back to her oratory. There, as described on other occasions,
her body had remained in visible form, in order that She might not be missed by
the faithful. On leaving the cloud, in which She had been borne from heaven,
She prostrated Herself as usual upon the ground and humiliated Herself for all
these favors and benefits more deeply than all the children of Adam ever
humiliated themselves for all their sins and miseries. From that time on, as
long as She lived, the promise of the Savior in regard to Her was fulfilled;
and on all Sundays, after She had done with the exercises of the Passion, at
the hour of the Resurrection, all her angels raised Her in a cloud-throne to
the empyrean heaven, where Christ, her most Holy Son, came forth to meet Her
and unite Her with Himself. The Divinity did not always manifest Itself
intuitively; but aside of this, the effects and participation of this visit
were glorious beyond human capacity to comprehend. On these occasions the
angels were wont to sing that hymn: "Regina Crœli lætare,
alleluia;" and these were days of solemn festivity for all the saints,
especially for saint Joseph, saint Joachim and Anne, and those more closely
connected with Her, as well as for her guardian angels. At these visits She
consulted with the Lord about the arduous affairs of the Church, pray for it,
particularly for the Apostles, and return to the earth laden with riches like
that ship of the merchant, of which Solomon speaks in the thirty-first chapter
of the Proverbs.
604. This privilege, although
it was a special grace of the Most High, nevertheless was due to the most
blessed Mary on two accounts. First because, for the sake of watching over the
Church, She voluntarily deprived Herself of the joys of the beatific vision,
and therefore, by the ardors of her love and of seeing God, many times suffered
the agonies of death. Hence, in order to preserve her life it was very proper,
that She should sometimes enjoy the divine presence; and whatever was possible
and proper, was due to the Mother from her Son. Secondly, in renewing every
week the memory of the passion of her divine Son, She as it were suffered it on
her own Person and died with the Lord: consequently, it was proper that She
should rise with Him. As He however was already glorified in heaven, it was
reasonable that She should, through his presence, be made a participant in the
joy of his Resurrection, and thus reap the fruits of the sorrows and tears She
had sown (Ps. 125, 5).
605. With regard to the
second privilege, which the Lord promised her, namely, daily Communion, I
advert that, up to the time of which I am speaking, the great Queen omitted
holy Communion on some days; as for instance during the journey to Ephesus,
during some absences of saint John, and on other occasions. Her profound
humility induced Her to submit to these omissions, resigning Herself without
complaint in obedience to the Apostles; for in all things the great Lady was
the model and Mistress of perfection, teaching us self denial also in such
things as appear most holy and proper. But the Lord, who seeks his rest in
humble souls and above all desired to rest and live in the heart of his Mother
for the purpose of frequently renewing his wonders, ordained that from this
time on, She should communicate every day for the rest of her life. This will
of the Most High, Mary perceived in heaven; but, being most prudent in all her
actions, She resolved to wait until it could be executed in obedience to saint
John; for She did all things as an humble inferior and as a subject of those by
whom She was to be governed in such things.
606. Therefore She did not
herself tell saint John of what She had recognized as the will of God. But it
happened one day that the Evangelist was very much taken up with preaching and
he let the hour for Communion pass. She spoke to her holy angels, asking their
advice; and they answered, that the command of her divine Son ought to be
fulfilled, and that they would inform saint John and intimate to him this order
of his Master. Then one of the angels manifested himself to saint John where he
was preaching and said: "John, the Most High wishes that his Mother, our
Queen, receive Him sacramentally every day during her
life upon the earth." Thus reminded, the Evangelist immediately returned
to the Cenacle, where the most blessed Mary was waiting for holy Communion, and
said: "My Mother and Lady, the angel has told me of the command of the
Lord, that I administer his sacramental body to Thee each day without
exception." The most blessed Mother answered: "And thou, Sir: what
dost thou command in regard to this?" Saint John replied: "That the
command of thy Son, my Lord, be fulfilled." And the Queen said:
"Behold me ready to obey in all things as thy servant." From that day
on She received holy Communion every day without exception to the end of her
life. Fridays and Saturdays, the days of her exercises, were not excepted;
while on Sundays, instead of holy Communion, She was raised to the empyrean
heavens.
607. At the moment when She
received in her heart the sacramental species, the sacred humanity of Christ
manifested itself through them in the form He had when He instituted the
blessed Sacrament. Although the Divinity did not manifest Itself in any other
than by the abstractive vision now habitual to Her, yet the humanity manifested
Itself to Her glorious, much more resplendent and wonderful than at the
Transfiguration on mount Tabor. This vision She enjoyed for three consecutive
hours after receiving holy Communion, and its effects upon Her were such as
cannot be described in words. This was the second reward offered to Her by her
divine Son to recompense Her somewhat for the eternal glory, which He had
delayed at her own desire. Besides this there was another reason for this
wonder: the Lord wished to recompense Himself and counteract beforehand the
ingratitude, the lukewarmness and evil disposition,
with which the children of Adam were to receive and handle the sacred mystery
of the Eucharist during the ages of the Church. If the most blessed Mary had
not made up for these shortcomings of creatures, the Lord would have earned no
sufficient thanks from his creatures, nor could He have been satisfied with the
returns made by men for the institution of this Sacrament. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE GREAT QUEEN OF THE
ANGELS GAVE ME.
608. My daughter, when
mortals, having run the short course of their lives, come to the end at which
God expects them to merit eternal life, then will they also by their own
experience, see the finish of all their errors and deceits. Then the just will
see in what consisted their real salvation and happiness, and the reprobate,
wherein lay their lamentable and everlasting perdition. 0 how happy, my
daughter, is the man, who during the short instant of his life seeks to
anticipate the divine science, which he is so soon to possess by experience!
This is the true wisdom, not to wait for the end until knowing that end, but
look to the end in the beginning of the course, and enter upon it, not with so
many doubts whether we shall attain the end, but with some security of
attaining it. Consider then, with what sentiments those must be animated, who,
at the beginning of a race, see a great prize, which they can attain by
pressing on their course for a time with great diligence (I Cor.
9, 24). Certainly they will set out with all speed, without turning aside or
permitting themselves to be detained by any cause whatsoever. And if they press
not on or if they cease to look to the prize at the end of their course, they
will be held either as foolish, or as ignorant of what they were losing.
609. Such is mortal life of
men, a short course, the end of which shall bring to the runner either eternal
glory or everlasting torment as a reward or punishment. All men are born to run
this race by the use of their reason and free will; and no one, much less the
children of the Church, can plead ignorance as an excuse. Hence, where is the
judgment and good sense of those in the Catholic faith? Why does vanity still
retain its hold upon them? Why do they ensnare themselves in the love of what
is only apparent and deceitful? Why do they ignore the end to which they shall
come so soon? Why will they not understand what there awaits them? Do they
perhaps not know that they are born but to die (Ps. 138, 49), that life is but
momentary, death infallibly certain, the reward or punishment unavoidable and
eternal? (II Cor. 4, 1i). What can the lovers of this
world answer to these questions? Those that consume all of their short life
(for even the longest lives are very short), in accumulating honors, or riches,
in wasting their strength and powers in the enjoyment of corruptible and most
vile pleasures?
610. Alas, my friend,
consider how false and treacherous is the world in which thou art born and
which thy eyes behold. In it I desire thee to show thyself as my disciple, my
follower, a child of my desires, and a fruit of my prayers. Forget it entirely
with a heartfelt abhorrence: do not lose sight of the end toward which thou runnest so swiftly, the purpose for which thy Creator
formed thee out of nothing; sigh for it continually, and direct toward it thy
anxious solicitude; do not permit thyself to be drawn away by the fleeting,
vain and deceitful things of the world; let the divine love alone dwell in thee
and engage all thy forces; for that is not a true love, which permits any part
of them to be diverted to other things, or which does not free them and mortify
them entirely from passing things, and subject them to the one great end. Let
this love be in thee strong as death (Cant. 8, 6), so that thou mayest be renewed entirely as I desire. Do not hinder the
will of my divine Son in all that He wishes to accomplish in thee, and be
assured of his fidelity, which rewards a hundredfold (Matth.
19, 29). Keep in mind with humble veneration what He has until now wrought in
thee; and I exhort thee and admonish thee to experience in thee anew his
truths, as I have commanded thee. For all this continue thy exercises with new
solicitude in finishing this history. And give thanks to the Lord for the great
and inestimable benefits of his having ordered and disposed thy superiors to
permit thee to receive Him daily in holy Communion. Preparing thyself for it in
imitation of me, continue also the petitions I have recommended and enjoined
upon thee. HOW THE MOST BLESSED MARY CELEBRATED HER
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION AND NATIVITY; AND THE BLESSINGS WHICH SHE RECEIVED ON
THOSE DAYS FROM HER SON OUR SAVIOR JESUS.
611. All the offices and
titles of honor, which the most blessed Mary held in the Church, that of Queen,
Mistress, Mother, Governess and Teacher, and all the rest, were given to her by
the Omnipotent not as empty and fruitless names, but were accompanied by the
superabundant plenitude of grace which is proper and which the Almighty can
communicate to each. This plenitude consisted in this, that as Queen She knew
all that concerned her reign and its extent; as Mistress She knew the measure
of her power; as Mother She knew all the children and dependents of her
household, without excepting anyone through all the ages of the Church until
the end; as Governess She knew all that were subject to Her; and as Teacher,
She possessed the wisdom and science through which the holy Church, by her
intercession, was to be instructed and guided, while enjoying the presence and
the influence of the Holy Ghost until the end of the world.
612. Hence our great Queen
had a clear knowledge not only of all the saints that preceded or followed Her
in the Church, of their lives, their works, their deaths, and rewards in
heaven; but also of all the rites, ceremonies, decisions, and festivities of
the Church in course of the ages, and of all the reasons, motives, necessities and
opportunities, in and for which they were established with the assistance of
the Holy Ghost. For He gives us our spiritual nourishment in proper time for
the glory of the Lord and the increase of the holy Church. As I have spoken of
this matter in the course of this history, especially in the second part. I
need not repeat it here. From her full knowledge and her corresponding
holiness, there arose within the heavenly Instructress a certain thankful
eagerness, to introduce into the Church militant the worship, veneration and
festivities observed by the holy angels in the triumphant Jerusalem, and thus
imitate, as far as was possible, what She had so often seen done in heaven for
the praise and glory of the Most High.
613. In this more than
seraphic spirit She commenced to practice by Herself many of the ceremonies,
rites and exercises, which were afterwards introduced in the Church; and these
She also inculcated and impressed upon the Apostles, in order that they might
introduce them as far as the circumstances then allowed. She not only invented
the exercises of the Passion, of which I have spoken above, but many other
customs and ceremonies, which were later on received in the churches, in the
congregations and religions. For whatever She knew as pertaining to the worship
of the Lord or the practice of virtue, She performed, and in her wisdom She was
ignorant of nothing that ought to be known. Among these exercises and rites was
the celebration of the feasts of the Lord and of Herself, in order to renew the
memory of the benefits for which She stood indebted, as well the benefits
relating in general to the human race, as those especially referring to
Herself, striving thus to give thanks and adoration for all. Although She had
spent her whole life in this pursuit without relaxation or forgetfulness, yet,
when She entered upon this new mysterious phase of her life, She prepared to
signalize these feast days by celebrating them with exercises founded on a
deeper insight. As I will speak of the other festivals in the following
chapters, I will describe here only how She celebrated her Immaculate
Conception and Nativity, the first mysteries of her life. These commemorations
or feasts She had begun to celebrate since the Incarnation of the Word; but She
celebrated them more particularly after the Ascension, and especially in these
last years of her life.
614. On the eighth day of
December of each year She celebrated her Immaculate Conception with a jubilee
and gratitude beyond all human words; for this privilege was for the great
Queen of the highest importance and value. She imagined Herself altogether
incapable of ever acknowledging it with sufficient gratitude. She commenced her
exercises on the evening before and spent the whole night in admirable
devotions, shedding tears of joy, humiliating Herself, prostrating Herself, and
singing the praises of the Lord. She deeply reflected, that She was formed of
the same earth and descended from Adam according to the common order of nature;
that She was preserved and exempted from the weight of the same guilt and
conceived with such a plenitude of graces and gifts only because She was set
apart and snatched from the rest by the Almighty. She invited her own angels to
help Her to return proper thanks, and in union with them She alternated new
songs of praise. Then She asked the same favor of the rest of the angels and
saints in heaven; but during all this time the divine love so inflamed Her,
that the Lord was obliged to strengthen Her, lest all her natural forces be
consumed and death ensue.
615. After She had spent the
whole night in these exercises, Christ descended from heaven and the angels
raised Her to his royal throne in heaven, where the celebration of the feast
was continued with new glory and to the accidental joy of the courtiers of the
heavenly Jerusalem. There the blessed Mother prostrated Herself and adored the
most holy Trinity, again giving thanks for the benefit of her immunity from sin
and her Immaculate Conception. Then She again took her place at the right hand
of Christ her Son and the Lord himself as it were acknowledged the goodness of
the eternal Father in having given Him a Mother so worthy and so full of grace,
exempt from the common guilt of Adam. Anew the three divine Persons confirmed
upon Her this privilege, as it were ratifying and approving it and pleasing
Themselves in thus having distinguished Her among all the creatures. In order
to give repeated testimony to this truth, a voice proceeded from the throne in
the name of the Father, saying: "Beautiful are thy footsteps, 0 prince's
Daughter, conceived without sin." Another in the name of the Son, said:
"Altogether pure and without contact of guilt is my Mother, who gave Me
human form to redeem men." And in the name of the Spirit:
"All fair art thou, my
Spouse, all fair art thou and without stain of the universal guilt."
616. In between these voices
were heard the choirs of all the angels and saints, singing in sweetest
harmony: "Most holy Mary, conceived without original sin." To all
these honors the most prudent Mother answered by thanksgiving, worship and
praise of the Most High, rendered with such profound humility that it passed
all angelic understanding. In order to conclude the solemnity She was raised to
the intuitive and beatific vision of the most holy Trinity; and after enjoying
this glory for some hours, She was brought back by the angels to the Cenacle.
This was the manner in which her Immaculate Conception was solemnized after the
Ascension of her divine Son. Now this feast is celebrated in a different
manner, as I will describe in another book, which I have orders to write
concerning the holy Jerusalem, the Church triumphant, if the Lord shall concede
this grace to me. This feast and others She began to celebrate from the time of
the Incarnation; for finding Herself to be the Mother of God She wished to
commemorate the blessings She had received in virtue of this dignity, and
therefore in this latter part of her life, She requited them in company with
Her holy angels by rendering her worshipful thanksgiving to the Son of God, who
had thus favored Her. The other exercises She performed in her oratory on
returning from heaven, and they were of the same kind as I have often referred
to on occasions of special favors from God; for all of them ever increased Her
admirable humility.
617. The feast of her
Nativity She celebrated on the eighth of September, on which She was born. She
began on the evening before with the same prostrations and canticles as at the
feast of her Conception. She gave thanks for having been born to life into the
light of this world, and for the favor of having been raised to heaven in the
hour of her birth to look upon the Divinity intuitively, as I have narrated in
the first part of this history. She resolved anew to spend her whole life in
fulfilling the pleasure of the Lord, acknowledging that for this purpose alone
it was given to Her. Though in the first beginning and entrance of her life She
had advanced in merit as far as the highest saints and seraphim, She resolved
now, in its latter part, to begin to labor anew as if She were just beginning
the practice of virtue. She asked the Lord to lend Her his assistance, govern
Her in all her actions and lead Her to the highest end proposed for his glory.
618. As for the rest
concerning this feast, although She was not raised to heaven as on the day of
her Conception, yet her divine Son came down from there with many choirs of the
angels, with the Patriarchs and Prophets, and with saint Joachim, saint Anne,
and saint Joseph. With this company Christ our Savior descended in order to
celebrate the birthday of his most blessed Mother upon earth. And this purest
of creatures, in the presence of that celestial company, adored the Lord with
wonderful reverence and worship, and again expressed her thankful
acknowledgment for having been placed upon the earth and for the benefits
connected therewith. Then the angels imitated Her and sang: "Nativitas tua, Dei Genetrix Virgo," etc., signifying: Thy birth, 0 Mother
of God, announced to all the universe a great joy; for of Thee was born the Sun
of justice, Christ our God. The Patriarchs and Prophets sang their hymns of
glory and thanksgiving; Adam and Eve also, because in Her was born the Restorer
of their ruin; her parents and her spouse, because they had been blessed with
such a Daughter and Spouse. Then the Lord himself raised the heavenly Mother
from the ground on which She lay prostrate, and placed Her at his right hand;
and straightway new mysteries of the Divinity were manifested to Her. This
vision, although not intuitive but abstractive, afforded Her a still deeper
insight and participation in the Divinity.
619. By these ineffable
favors She was transformed, inflamed and spiritualized to the likeness of her
divine Son in a new and special manner, as if for a new beginning. On these
occasions the Evangelist saint John merited some measure of participation in
the feast, for he heard some of the music of the angels and he was privileged
to say Mass while the Lord and the angels were present in the oratory, and to
communicate the great Queen while Jesus her Son, whom She was receiving sacramentally, was Himself at her side. These spectacles
were the source of new joy to the saints, who served at the same time as
witnesses to this Communion, more worthy than any ever was seen since Christ
lived, or shall ever be seen upon earth. At the moment of Communion her divine
Son remained with the great Lady in the sacramental form, while He himself, in
his glorious and natural form, ascended to heaven. O hidden marvels of the
divine Omnipotence! If the Lord shows Himself wonderful in all his saints, (Ps.
67, 36), how wonderful will He not have been with his exalted Mother, whom He
loved above all, and for whom He had reserved the great and special
manifestations of his wisdom and power? Let all the creatures confess Him and
give Him glory, virtue and magnificence. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF THE
ANGELS, MOST BLESSED MARY, GAVE ME.
620. My daughter, first of
all I wish to enlighten thee concerning certain doubts of thy heart regarding
the exalted and extraordinary mysteries of this history. Two misgivings have
disturbed thy interior: first, whether thou who knowest thyself to be such an
insignificant, useless and ignorant woman, art a fit instrument for recording
these mysteries; whether it would not be better to let some other person, more
learned and perfect in virtue, write them and thus give them more authority;
since thou art the least of all, the most useless and ignorant. Secondly, whether
these mysteries, which are so extraordinary and never heard of, especially the
frequent beatific and intuitive visions of the Divinity during my life, shall
ever find credit among those who read of them. To thy first doubt I answer,
that in truth thou art the least and most useless of all; since thou hast heard
it from the mouth of the Lord and I confirm it. But remember that belief in
this history and in all that it contains, does not depend on the instrument,
but on its Author, who is the highest truth, and upon the contents of thy
writing; and in this regard not even the highest seraph could add thereto, nor
canst thou diminish or omit anything.
621. That an angel should
write this history is not befitting; and if he should, the unbelievers and the
sluggish of heart will nevertheless find occasion to slander him. It is
necessary that the instrument be a human person; but it was not proper that
this person be the most learned or wise; for then this work might be ascribed
to his knowledge and thus occasion the danger of having the divine light
esteemed no higher, or even lower, than human knowledge, or it might be
attributed entirely to human forethought and industry. It is more to the glory
of God, that this person should be a woman, who can rely neither on her own
knowledge, nor her own industry. I likewise take special pleasure and honor
from the fact that thou art this instrument; because thou (and all others) wilt
know, that there is nothing of thy own in this history and that thou must not
attribute more to thyself than to the pen with which thou writest,
since thou art but the instrument in the hands of the Lord and the repeater of
my words. And, as thou art such, so insignificant and sinful, thou wilt not be
disturbed in seeing mortals refuse to believe; since, in disbelieving what thou
writest, they will not do any wrong to thee, but by
their unbelief fail in proper reverence for my words. Although thy faults and
shortcomings are many, they can all be neutralized by the charity and kindness
of the Lord, who has not looked for any other instrument of this work, but has
raised thee from the dust and manifested in thee his liberal power. He has
communicated his doctrine by one in whom the power of his truth would appear
more plainly; and hence I desire that thou follow it up in thy conduct and
reach the perfection thou desirest.
622. In answer to the second
misgiving and anxiety, whether the greatness of these mysteries will not
prevent belief in what thou writest, I have said many
things in the course of this history. Those that take care to attain a worthy
concept and appreciation of me, will find no difficulty in believing me; for
they will understand the relation and proportion of my privileges to the
dignity of Mother of God. They will understand that God's works are perfect;
and if anyone begins to doubt in these matters, it is certain that he does not
know what God is, or what I am. If God has shown Himself so powerful and
liberal in the other saints, that many in the Church are held to have seen the
Divinity in mortal life, and certainly have seen it, how, or on what grounds
can that be denied to me, what is conceded to so many others inferior to me?
All that my divine Son merited and did for them, was ordained for his glory,
and secondarily in my honor; the end must be held in higher esteem and
valuation than the means: hence greater was the divine love, which inclined God
to favor me than all the rest, whom He has benefited for my sake. There is no
reason for surprise in stating that what He has done sometimes for them, He has
done many times for Her, whom He has chosen as his Mother.
623. Let the pious and the
prudent keep in mind what has been taught in the Church, that the measure of
the favors I received from the hands of my divine Son, is his Omnipotence and
my capacity; for He has conceded to me all the favors which He could confer,
and which I was capable of receiving. These graces were in me not barren, but
always fruitful to the fullest extent in which it was possible in a creature.
The divine Master himself was my Son, powerful to operate as far as the
creature placed no obstacle; since I placed no such obstacle, how can anyone
dare to limit his works of love toward me his Mother, whom He himself had made
worthy of his benefits and favors above all the rest of his saints, not one of
whom deprived himself, like I have, of his fruition, even an hour, for the sake
of helping his Church? And if what He did for me seem much, I desire thee and
all the rest to understand, that all his favors were grounded upon and included
in the one privilege of my being conceived without sin; for it was a greater
favor to make me worthy of his glory, when I could not merit it, than to show
me his glory when I had merited it and had placed no hindrance.
624. By these considerations
thy doubts will be solved; and as for the rest, let that be my concern, and let
it be thine, to follow and imitate me; for as far as
thou art concerned, this is the purpose of all thou understandest
and writest. This should be thy solicitude, that thou
omit the practice of no virtue made known to thee. I wish that thou also attend
to what the other saints have done in following my divine Son and me; for thou
dost not owe less than they to his mercy, and with none have I been more kind and
liberal. In my school I wish thee to learn the love, the gratitude and humility
of a true disciple of mine; for I desire thee to distinguish thyself and
advance thyself exceedingly. All my festivals thou shouldst
celebrate with a sincere devotion and invite the saints and angels to assist
thee therein; especially the feast of the Immaculate Conception, in which I was
so highly favored by the divine power and from which I derived so much joy. In
these times, more than formerly, I am solicitous of seeing it acknowledged by
men and of their praising the Most High for this extraordinary miracle. On the
day of thy own birth into the world thou shouldst
render special thanks to the Lord in imitation of me and perform some extra
work in his service. Above all thou shouldst resolve
thenceforth to amend thy life and to commence to labor in this anew. And all
the mortals, instead of spending the anniversary of their birth in
demonstration of vain earthly joy, should make similar resolutions. THE MOST BLESSED MARY COMMEMORATES OTHER
BLESSINGS WITH HER ANGELS, ESPECIALLY HER PRESENTATION AND THE FEAST DAYS OF
SAINT JOACHIM, SAINT ANNE AND SAINT JOSEPH.
625. Gratitude for the
benefits received at the hands of the Lord is a virtue so noble, that by means
of it we may preserve our intercourse and correspondence with God himself: He,
as rich, generous and powerful conferring upon us his gifts; we, as poor,
humble and aware of our needs, returning for them our thanks. It is natural
that he who gives liberally and generously should be content with the thanks of
him who, as the needy one, is receiving the benefit; and this thankfulness is a
short, easy and delightful return, which satisfies the liberal giver and
induces him to continue his liberality. If this ordinarily happens among men of
generous and magnanimous heart, how much more in the dealings of God with men;
for we are misery and poverty itself, while He is rich, most liberal, and if we
could imagine any constraint in Him, it would be that of receiving and not that
of giving. As this great Lord is so wise, just and equitous,
He will never reject us on account of our poverty, but only on account of our
ingratitude. He desires to give us plentifully, but at the same time He wishes
us to be grateful, rendering Him the glory, honor and praise contained in
gratitude. Such a return for small benefits, obliges Him to confer other
greater ones; if we are grateful for all, He multiplies them. However it is
only the humble that secure them, since they are at the same time thankful.
626. The great Teacher of
this science was the most blessed Mary; for, though She alone had received the
plenitude of highest blessings possible to be communicated to a mere creature
by the Almighty, She forgot none of them, nor ever ceased to acknowledge them
by the most perfect thankfulness within the powers of a creature. For each one
of the gifts of nature or grace, none of which She failed to recognize and
acknowledge, She composed special songs of praise and thanksgiving and instituted
admirable exercises in special commemoration and acknowledgment. In view of
this She had assigned the days of the whole year, and special hours of each
day, in which She sought to renew the memory of these graces and give thanks
for them. But in the midst of all these observances and solicitudes She forgot
not those of the government of the Church, the instruction of the Apostles and
disciples, the counsel and advice to be given to the innumerable persons, who
came to Her; for She denied Herself to no one who came, nor failed to respond
to the needs of any of the faithful.
627. Hence, if due
thankfulness obliges God so much and inclines Him to renew and increase his
blessings, what human thought can ever conceive how much his beneficence was
called into action by the gratitude shown by his most prudent Mother for his
many and exalted blessings and rendered to Him with all the fullness of humble
love and praise due to each? All we other children of Adam in comparison with
Her are slow, ungrateful and so dull of heart, that the little we do (if we do
anything at all), does not appear worthy of consideration; but "the great
things, which the faithful and thankful Queen performed, seemed little to Her,
and even when She did all in her power, She held Herself to be remiss and
failing in diligence. In another place I said that the activity of the most
blessed Mary resembled that of God himself, who is a pure act, operative by his
very being or essence, which cannot cease in its infinite activity. Of this quality
and excellence of the Divinity our great Queen had acquired a certain ineffable
participation, so that She seemed in Herself to be one continued and untiring
act. If grace is impatient of rest in others, no one must be surprised, if in
Mary, in whom grace was without measure and, according to our way of thinking,
without known limits, it should partake in such an exalted degree of God and
his activity.
628. I cannot show or
elucidate this mystery better than by referring to the admiration it caused in
the angels, who were witnesses of it. Many times it happened, in their wonder
at what they saw in their Queen and Lady, that they spoke to Her or to each
other: "Powerful, great and admirable is God in this Creature more than in
all his works. Vastly does human nature in Her rise above us. Eternally be
blessed and magnified thy Maker, 0 Mary; Thou art the ornament and beauty of
all the human race. Thou stirrest to holy emulation
all the angelic spirits, and to admiration all the inhabitants of heaven. Thou
art the wonder of God's omnipotence and of the power of his right hand, the
summary of the works of the incarnate Word, the exact copy of his perfections,
the reproduction of all his actions, assimilating Thyself entirely to the One
Thou hast given form in thy womb. Thou art a worthy Teacher of the militant
Church, the special glory of the triumphant, the honor of our people, the
restorer of thy own. Let all the nations know thy virtue and greatness, and let
all generations praise and bless Thee. Amen."
629. With these heavenly
princes the most blessed Mary celebrated the memory of God's blessings and
gifts. She invited them to accompany Her in rendering proper thanks, not only
because of her most ardent and fervent love, which, on account of the insatiable
thirst caused by the fire of her charity, demanded such a return as of justice;
but also because of her profound humility, which caused Her to acknowledge her
obligations beyond all other creatures. Hence She asked all creation to help
Her in paying her debt, although no one but She could ever pay it worthily.
Filled with this wisdom, She drew down to her oratory on earth the court of the
supreme King and changed the world into a new heaven.
630. On the anniversary of
her Presentation in the temple in commemorating this benefit, She commenced the
evening before and spent the whole night in exercises of thanksgiving as
described for the feast of her Conception and Nativity. She acknowledged the
blessing of having been called to his temple by the Lord, and to the house of
prayer at such an early age, and of having received so many favors while
residing there. But the most remarkable feature of her celebration was, that
the great Mistress of virtue, full of divine wisdom, renewed in her memory the
teachings and instructions given to Her in the temple by the priest and her
teacher at that early age. With the same loving solicitude She preserved in her
memory the teachings of her holy parents Joachim and Anne, and those of the
Apostles. All of them She rehearsed and practiced with greater and greater
perfection according as the advancing years of her life demanded. Although the
teaching of her divine Son were eminently sufficient for all her doings; yet
She recalled those received from all the others; She permitted Herself no
cessation in the practice of humility and obedience, nor ever overlooked the
least point or permitted any of the ingenious secrets of these virtues to be
obscured and remain idle. 0 how highly did She esteem the sayings of the wise!
"Lean not upon thy own prudence; be not wise in thy own conceit" (Prov. 3, 5, 7). "Despise not the discourse and the
teaching of the presbyters, and live always according to their sayings"
(Ecc1i. 8,9). "Do not enter into high speculation with yourselves, but
conform to the lowly" (Rom. 12, 16).
631. In celebrating this
feast the great Lady felt some certain natural regret for the quiet retirement
of the temple in her youth, notwithstanding that She had so promptly obeyed the
Lord in forsaking it and in resigning Herself to the exalted ends for which He
had withdrawn Her. But He did not fail to requite Her by some special favors on
this feast. On this day the Lord descended from heaven in great magnificence
and in the company of the angels as on other occasions, and addressing his most
blessed Mother in her oratory, He said: "My Mother and Dove, come to Me,
thy God and thy Son. I wish to afford thee a temple and a habitation more
exalted, more secure and godlike, one that is within my own being: come, my
most Beloved, to thy legitimate dwelling." At these most sweet words the
seraphim raised their Queen from the ground, where She always lay prostrate at
his visits until He bade Her rise, and with heavenly music placed Her at the
right hand of the Lord. She perceived or felt Herself at once filled with the
Divinity as a temple with his glory, and bathed, surrounded and contained as a
fish is in the sea, experiencing by this union or contact with the Divinity new
and unspeakable effects. For She thereby attained a possession of the Divinity,
which I cannot describe and which afforded the heavenly Mother a great delight
and joy, additional to that of seeing God face to face.
632. This great favor the
prudent Mother called "My exalted refuge and dwelling," and the feast
itself She called "The feast of the Being of God"; and She composed
wonderful canticles to express its significance and give thanks. At the end of
this day She thanked the Almighty for having created the ancient Patriarchs and
Prophets, including all from Adam to her natural parents in whom her lineage
ended. She thankfully rehearsed all the gifts of grace and nature conferred
upon them by the divine power, and for all their prophecies, and for what is
recorded of them in the holy Scriptures. Then She turned to her parents Joachim
and Anne, and thanked them for having presented Her so young to God in the
temple. At the same time, as they were now enjoying the beatific vision in the
heavenly Jerusalem, She besought them to thank God in her stead and to ask Him
to teach Her how to be thankful and to be governed by Him in all her doings.
Above all, She besought them to give thanks to the omnipotent Lord for having
exempted Her from original sin and chosen Her as his Mother. These two
blessings She always considered inseparable.
633. The feast days of saint
Joachim and saint Anne She celebrated almost with the same ceremonies as that
of her Presentation. Both of those saints descended with the Lord to her
oratory with an innumerable multitude of angels; with them She gave thanks to
God for having provided Her with parents so holy and conformable to the divine
will, and for the glory which He had conferred upon them. In acknowledgment of
all these works of the Lord She composed new hymns with the angels, which they
sang to sweet and harmonious music. Besides this, another marvel took place on
these festal days of her parents: the angels of the Queen and others who came
from on high, divided into choirs, some explaining to the Queen the attributes
or perfections of the Divinity and others those of the incarnate Word This
colloquy afforded Her incomparable joy and new incentive to her loving and
inflamed affections. Saint Joachim and Anne derived therefrom
also a great additional delight. Before they returned to heaven the great Lady
asked their blessing and then remained prostrate upon the ground in
thanksgiving for these favors.
634. On the feast of her most
chaste and holy spouse Joseph She celebrated her espousal, in which the Lord
had given her a most faithful companion to conceal the mysteries of the
Incarnation of the Word and to execute with such high wisdom the secret works
of the Redemption of man. As all these dealings and eternal counsels of the
Most High were recorded in the purest heart of Mary, and as She held them in so
worthy contemplation, She commemorated them with ineffable joy and
thanksgiving. On this feast, saint Joseph came in the splendor of glory and
with myriads of angels, in order to solemnize the feast with joyful music and
to sing the new hymns and canticles, which the heavenly Mother composed in
thanksgiving for the blessings received by her holy spouse and Herself at the
hands of the Most High.
635. After having consumed
many hours in this celebration She spent others of that day in conversing with
her glorious spouse about the perfection and attributes of God; for in the
absence of her Lord the most loving Mother delighted most in such discourses
and conferences. On taking leave from her holy spouse, She begged him to pray
for Her in the presence of the Divinity and to praise Him in her name. She
recommended to his prayers also the necessities of the holy Church and of the
Apostles. Then, after asking his blessing, She continued her acts of humility
and thanksgiving as usual, while the glorious saint Joseph returned to heaven.
But I wish here to mention two things: first, that on these festivals, while
her Son lived upon earth and happened to be present, He was accustomed to show
Himself transfigured as He was on Tabor. This favor He showed Her many times,
and mostly on these occasions; for by them He repaid Her in a measure for Her
devotion and humility and renewed the divine effects consequent upon these
marvels. Secondly, that in order to celebrate these favors and blessings, the
great Queen, besides what has already been mentioned, added other observances
worthy of her piety and of our attention. Namely, on the days spoken of and on
others of which I shall speak directly, She gave food to many of the poor,
preparing the victuals Herself and serving them with her own hands and on her
own knees. For this purpose She directed the Evangelist to gather the most
needy and destitute, which he faithfully did according to her orders. Moreover
She had more costly food prepared to be sent to the poor sick in the
infirmaries whom She could not gather around Her, and afterwards She went in
person to console and heal them by her presence. This was the manner in which
the most blessed Mary celebrated the festivals and which She taught the
faithful to imitate, showing them how to be thankful for all things as far as
possible, both by making sacrifices and by good works. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF THE
ANGELS, MOST BLESSED MARY, GAVE ME.
636. My daughter, the sin of
ingratitude is one of the most heinous committed by men against God and by it
they make themselves most unworthy and abominable in the sight of God and the
saints. For both God and the saints have a kind of horror of this vile conduct
in men. Yet in spite of its pernicious effects, there is none which men, each
one in particular, commit more frequently and thoughtlessly. It is true that in
order to lessen the debt accumulating by their most ungrateful and universal
forgetfulness of his benefits, God requires from his Church a certain recompense
for this want of thankfulness in her children and in mankind. For in
recognition of his blessings, the Church as such offers up so many prayers and
sacrifices of praise and glory as we see ordained in her. But as the favors and
graces of his liberal and watchful Providence are not only for the common good
of the faithful, but to the advantage of each mortal in particular, the debt of
gratitude is not paid by this general thanksgiving of the Church; each one for
himself owes thanks for what he receives from the divine liberality.
637. How many are there among
the mortals, who during the whole course of their lives have not excited one
sincere act of thanksgiving for the gift of life, for its preservation, for
health, food, honors, possessions and all the other temporal and natural goods!
Others there are, who, if at any time they give thanks for these benefits, do
it not because they truly love God, the Giver, but because they love themselves
and delight in these temporal and earthly blessings and in the possession of
them. This kind of vain deceit discovers itself in two ways: first, in seeking
these earthly and transitory goods, men are full of dissatisfaction, haste and
discomfort, and they scarcely can think of, ask for, or desire other more
spiritual things, loving only what is apparent and passing. Although many times
their being deprived of health, honor, possessions and other things is a
blessing of God, which prevents in them a blind and disorderly attachment to
such matters; yet they think it a misfortune and, as it were, an injury, and
they allow their heart continually to verge on destruction by trespassing upon
what is finite and perishable.
638. Secondly, this deceit is
known by the forgetfulness of spiritual benefits in the blind pursuit of what
is transitory, so that men neither recognize or acknowledge what is beyond.
This fault among the children of the Church is most vile and dreadful, since,
without any obligation on the part of God and without any of their merit, the
divine mercy seeks to draw them to the secure path of eternal life, signally
applying to them the merits of the passion and death of my divine Son. Everyone
who is now in a state of holiness in the Church, could have been born in other
times and ages, before God came into the world; moreover he could have been
born among pagans, idolaters, heretics or other infidels, where his eternal
damnation would be unavoidable. Without their merit God called such persons to
his holy faith, giving them knowledge of the certain truth; justifying them in
Baptism, putting at their disposal the Sacraments, the ministers, the teachings
and enlightenments of eternal life. He placed them upon the sure path, granted
them his assistance, pardoned them their sins, raised them from their falls,
waited for their repentance, invited them by his mercy, and rewarded them with
a liberal hand. He defended them through his holy angels, gave them Himself as
a pledge and as a nourishment of eternal life ; and thus He accumulated so many
blessings upon them, that they are without measure or number, and that not a
day nor an hour passes without increasing their indebtedness.
639. Tell me then, daughter,
what thanks are due to his so liberal and fatherly kindness? And how many men
deserve to experience it? The greatest blessing of all is that in punishment
for this ingratitude the portals of his mercy have not been closed, and the
fountains of his goodness have not dried up; for it is infinite. The root of
this most dreadful ingratitude in men is the boundless desire and covetousness
for the temporal, apparent and transitory goods. From this insatiable thirst
grows their unthankfulness; for as they hanker so
much after the temporal goods, they undervalue what they receive and give
thanks neither for them nor for the spiritual goods; and thus they are most
ungrateful as well for the ones as the others. In addition to this unbearable
foolishness they are guilty of a still greater one, namely, they ask God not
for what is necessary to them, but for things which are injurious and will
bring about their eternal perdition. Among men it is considered mean to ask a
favor from the one they have offended; and still more outrageous to ask a favor
for the purpose of committing a still greater offense. What must we then say of
a vile earthly being, an enemy of God, when he petitions his Creator for life,
health, honor, possessions and other things.. for which he will never give
thanks, and which he does not intend to use for any other purpose than to
offend the divine Giver?
640. If, in addition to this,
such men never thank God for having created them, redeemed them, called them,
borne them with patience and justified them, prepared for them the same glory
which He enjoys: and if, while expecting this glory, they do not even ask for
the grace of acknowledging and repenting of their sins, they certainly show
nothing but the utmost temerity and presumption. I assure thee, my dearest,
that this so frequent ingratitude toward God is one of the most certain signs
of reprobation in those who are guilty of such forgetfulness and carelessness.
It is also a bad sign, when the just Judge confers temporal blessings upon
those who ask for them in forgetfulness of the blessings of the Redemption and
Justification; for all such, oblivious of the means of their eternal salvation,
demand but the instruments of their death, and to yield to their demands is no
blessing, but a chastisement of their blindness.
641. All these evils I
manifest to thee in order that thou mayest fear them
and avoid their causes. But remember that thy gratitude must not be of the
ordinary or common kind; for the blessings thou hast received go far beyond thy
knowledge and power of appreciation. Do not allow thyself to be deceived into
shrinking from proper acknowledgment of graces on the plea of humility. Thou
knowest the efforts of the demon to make thee forget the works and the favors
of the Lord by drawing thy attention toward thy faults and miseries and making
thee believe that the blessings of truth, which thou hast received, are
incompatible with these thy shortcomings. Begin in earnest to cast off this
deception and know, that the more thou ascribest the
goods thou receivest from his bounty to Him alone,
the more dost thou annihilate and humiliate thyself; and that the more thou owest to Him, the less able thou art to pay thy debts,
since thou canst not pay even for the least of his favors. To be convinced of
this truth is not presumption, but prudence; and not to acknowledge this
indebtedness is not humility, but most reprehensible foolishness; for thou
canst not be thankful for what thou dost not know; nor will thy love be stirred
to action readily without being incited by the blessings and favors of God.
Thou art full of fear of losing the grace and friendship of the Lord; and with good reason dost thou fear, if thou dost not
make them fruitful; for He has done as much for thee, as would suffice to
justify many souls. But to have a prudent fear of losing his grace is quite a
different thing from doubting it for the purpose of escaping acknowledgment for
it; and this is the kind of doubt into which the enemy labors to cast thee,
seeking to substitute a stubborn incredulity for holy fear of God, by clothing
it in the mantle of a good intention and humility. Thy fear must exert itself
in watching over thy treasure and in striving to imitate me with the purity of
an angel and practicing all the teachings which I give thee in this history for
this very purpose. THE WONDERFUL MANNER IN WHICH THE MOST
BLESSED MARY CELEBRATED THE MYSTERIES OF THE INCARNATION AND NATIVITY OF THE
GODMAN, AND HOW SHE GAVE THANKS FOR THESE IMMENSE BLESSINGS.
642. As the most holy Mary
was so faithful in smaller things, there can be no doubt that She was faithful
in the greater. If She was solicitous and diligent in giving thanks for the
minor blessings, certainly She would render the full measure of thanks for the
more important benefits conferred by the Most High upon Her and all the human
race. Among these the Incarnation of the eternal Word in the womb of the most
blessed and pure Mother takes the first place; for this was the most excellent
work and the greatest grace possible to God's infinite power and wisdom in his
dealings with men. The joining of the divine essence with the human being in
the person of the Word through hypostatic union was the beginning of all the
gifts and blessings of the Omnipotent conferred upon the human as well as upon
the angelic nature. This truth is more intelligible, when we take into
consideration what faith teaches: that the divine Wisdom foresaw in eternity
the ingratitude of the reprobate and their abuse and waste of the wonderful
blessing of the Incarnation of the true God, by which He became the Teacher,
Redeemer and model of all the mortals.
643. Hence the infinite
Wisdom marvelously provided, that among men there should be some One, who could
compensate this injustice and, by worthy thanksgiving, be the means of
placating and satisfying Him as far as is possible on the part of human nature.
This was done in the first place by the sacred humanity of our Redeemer and
Master, Jesus, who is our Mediator with the eternal Father, reconciling to Him
the whole human race (I Tim. 2, 5), satisfying for its shortcomings and paying
its debts by the superabundance of his merits. However, as this Lord was true
God and man, human nature apparently remained a debtor to Him, unless some one
among mere creatures could repay the Redeemer in as far as with the divine
grace it was possible to man. This return was made by his own Mother and our
Queen; since She alone was the secretary of the great counsel and the archive
of his mysteries and sacraments. She was the only one who knew, weighed and
thankfully acknowledged it in the measure to be expected from a human being not
united personally with the Divinity. She alone supplied a recompense for all
the shortcomings and imperfections, and for the total want of gratitude in the
children of Adam. She alone knew how and was able to appease and satisfy her
divine Son for the unjust behavior of all the mortals in not having received
Him as their Redeemer and Master, as the true God made man for the salvation of
all.
644. The incomprehensible and
sacred mystery of the Incarnation the great Queen kept so constantly present in
her memory, that She never forgot it even for one instant. At the same time She
was ever conscious of the ignorance of this blessing in so many of the children
of Adam; and in order to give thanks for it in her own name and in the name of
all, She practiced many genuflections, prostrations and other acts of
adoration, repeating continually in diverse variations the following prayer:
"My Lord and highest God, in thy royal presence I prostrate myself and
present myself before Thee in my own name and in that of the human race, I
bless and magnify Thee, I confess and adore Thee in the mystery of the
hypostatic union of the human and divine nature of the eternal Word. If the
unfortunate children of Adam are ignorant of this blessing, and if those that
know of it fail in giving worthy thanks for it, remember, our kindest Lord and
Father, that they live in the weak flesh, so full of darkness and passions, and
that they cannot come to Thee, if Thou in thy loving condescension dost not
draw them on (John 6, 44). Pardon, my God, the shortcomings of their weak
nature and condition. I, thy slave and vile wormlet
of the earth, with all the courtiers of thy glory, give Thee thanks for myself
and for each one of the mortals in acknowledgment of this blessing. And I
beseech Thee, O my Son and Lord, from the bottom of my soul, to take up this
cause of thy brethren and obtain for them the forgiveness of thy eternal
Father. Favor with thy immense clemency these unfortunates conceived in sin,
who do not recognize their own misfortune, and do not know what they are doing
nor what they should do. I beg for thy people and for my own; for as far as
Thou art man we are all of thy nature, which do not Thou despise; and in as far
as Thou art God, Thou givest infinite value to thy
works. Let them be the worthy return and thanksgiving for satisfying our debt,
since Thou alone canst pay what we have received and what we owe to the eternal
Father for sending Thee from heaven to earth as the Savior of the poor and
Rescuer of the captives (Luke 4, 18). Give life to the dead, enrich the poor,
enlighten the blind (Matth. 11, 5) ; Thou art our
salvation, our happiness and our restoration."
645. This prayer and others
like it were of ordinary occurrence in the life of the great Queen of the
world. But to her continuous and daily thanksgiving She added other exercises
to celebrate the exalted mystery of the Incarnation, especially on the
anniversaries of the days in which the divine Word assumed flesh in her purest
womb; and on these days She was more favored by the Lord than on others. This
feast for Her lasted not only for one day, but for nine, comprising the nine
days before the feast of the Annunciation, or the twenty-fifth of March, during
which She had prepared Herself for this sacrament, as described in the
beginning of the second part of this history. I have there recorded in nine
chapters the marvels which preceded the Incarnation and by which the heavenly
Mother was to be worthily prepared for the conception of the incarnate Word in
her sacred and virginal womb. It is necessary here to refer to them and recall
them briefly in order to describe the manner in which She celebrated and
renewed her thanksgiving for this highest of marvels and blessings.
646. She commenced the
solemnity on the sixteenth of March in the evening and during the next nine
days until the twenty-fifth of March, She remained in retirement without.
eating or sleeping. Saint John the evangelist was the only one who came to Her,
and only in order to minister to Her holy Communion during the nine days. The
Almighty renewed all the favors and blessings which He had conferred upon Mary
during those days immediately preceding the Incarnation; with this difference
however, that her Son and our Redeemer now added new ones; for as He was
already born of Her, He took it upon Himself to assist, regale and favor his
most loving and worthy Mother in this feast. On the first six days of this
novena, after the blessed Mother had passed some hours of the night in her
accustomed exercises, the incarnate Word descended from heaven refulgent in
glory and majesty and accompanied by myriads of angels; with them He entered
the oratory and showed Himself to his most blessed Mother.
647. The most pious and
prudent Mother adored her Son and true God with the humility, veneration and
worship, such as She alone in her wisdom knew how to render. Then by the
ministry of the holy angels She was raised from the earth and placed on the
throne at the right hand of her Son the Lord. There She felt within Herself an
intimate and ineffable union with the humanity and Divinity, by which She was
transformed and filled with glory and new divine influences unspeakable to man.
In this condition and state the Lord renewed in Her the marvels of the nine
days before the Incarnation in the order in which they had then occurred. And
to these He added other favors and admirable effects, conformable to the state
attained since then both by Himself and his blessed Mother. Although the
habitual science of all things was always preserved in Her, yet on such
occasions Her knowledge was enhanced by a new intelligence and divine light,
which enabled Her to apply and exercise her knowledge with greater insight and
with more powerful effect.
648. On the first of these
nine days were shown Her all the works performed by God on the first day of the
creation of the world; the order and mode of their creation; the heaven, the
earth and the abysses, with their length, breadth and depth; the light and the
darkness, their separation and all the conditions, changes and qualities of
these material and visible things. Of the invisible things She saw the creation
of the angels, all their species and perfections, their perseverance in grace,
the strife between the obedient and the disobedient, the fall of the apostates
and the confirmation of the others in grace, and all the other mysteries, which
Moses includes in the works of the first day (Gen. 1, 1). She recognized
likewise the intentions of the Almighty in the creation of these and other things:
namely to communicate and manifest his Divinity, so that all the angels and
men, according to their faculties, might know and praise Him in them. And lest
the renewal of this knowledge be fruitless in the most prudent Mother, Her
divine Son said to Her: "My Mother and my Dove! I gave thee knowledge of
all these works of my infinite power, in order to manifest to thee my greatness
before assuming flesh in thy virginal womb, and I renew it in thee now, in
order to confirm in thee thy possession and dominion over the angels, the
heavens, the earth, the light, and the darkness, all of which shall serve and
obey thee as my Mother; and in order to afford thee an occasion worthily to
thank and praise the eternal Father for the blessings of creation, which men do
not know how to appreciate."
649. The great Queen
faithfully responded to this will of the Lord and satisfied for the
indebtedness of mankind in its entirety, giving thanks in her own name and in
that of all men for these incomparable blessings. In these exercises, and in
other mysterious ones, She passed the day until the Lord returned to heaven. On
the second day at midnight the Lord again descended in the same manner and
recalled in the heavenly Mother the knowledge of the works of the second day of
the creation: how in the midst of the waters was formed the firmament, dividing
the one from the other, the number of the heavens, their harmonious
arrangement, nature and qualities, their greatness and beauty. All this She
knew with infallible certainty, just as they came into being, without admixture
of mere opinions; She knew also what were the views of the learned and of
authors. On the third day was refreshed in Her the knowledge of what is
indicated in the Scriptures for the third day of creation; that the Lord
congregated the waters upon the earth and formed the sea and the dry land; and
how the dry land, upon the command of its Creator, immediately produced plants,
herbs, trees and other things for its beauty and adornment. She knew the nature
and qualities of all these plants and the manner in which they are useful or
hurtful to man. On the fourth day She recognized particularly the formation of
the sun, the moon and the stars of heaven, their material, their form,
properties, influences and all their movements, dividing the time into seasons,
days and years (Gen. 1, 14). On the fifth day was manifested to Her the
creation and generation of the birds of the air, of the fishes of the sea, how
in the beginning they were formed of the waters, and how these animals
afterwards are reproduced and propagated; how many were the species, the
conditions and faculties of the animals of the land and the sea. On the sixth
day She received new enlightenment and insight into the creation of man, as the
terminus of all the material creatures; and in understanding his exquisite and
harmonious nature as a recapitulation of all the rest of the world of
creatures, She comprehended also the mystery of the Incarnation, which was the
end and purpose of his creation, and She possessed the other secrets of the
divine Wisdom hidden in this and the other works, testifying to his infinite
greatness and majesty.
650. On each of these days
the great Queen composed a special hymn of praise to the Creator for the works
performed on the corresponding day of creation and for the mysteries made known
to Her. Then She prayed for all men, especially for the faithful, asking for
their reconciliation to God and their enlightenment concerning the Divinity and
his works, in order that they might thereby be helped to know, love and praise
the Almighty. And as She was aware of the ignorance of so many unbelievers, who
would not come to the knowledge and belief of the true faith, and as She
considered the ingratitude and sluggishness of so many believers, who know of
these works of the Most High, the most blessed Mother performed heroic and
admirable works in compensation for these defects of the children of Adam.
Because She so faithfully responded, her divine Son raised Her to a new participation
in the gifts of his Divinity and attributes, accumulating upon Her all that the
rest of mortals lost by their most ungrateful forgetfulness. Over all the works
of that day He confirmed upon Her anew full possession and dominion, in order
that all might acknowledge Her and serve Her as the Mother of their Creator,
and as the supreme Queen over all creatures in heaven and earth.
651. On the seventh day these
divine favors were still further increased and enhanced, although her divine
Son did not descend from heaven in the last three days; but instead She herself
was raised up to Him, in correspondence with what had happened on the three
days before the Incarnation. Accordingly at midnight, at the command of the
most high Lord, the angels carried Her up to the empyrean heaven, where, while
She was adoring the immutable being of God, the supreme seraphim clothed Her in
a vestment more pure and white than the snow and more refulgent than the sun.
They girded Her with a girdle of jewels so rich and beautiful that there are
none in nature for comparison; each one shone more brilliantly than the globe
of the sun, yea of many suns combined. Then they added bracelets and necklaces,
and other adornments befitting Her whom they adorned; and all these adornments
the seraphim brought from the throne of the most blessed Trinity, each of them
in its own way signifying a new participation and communication of the
Divinity. And not only these adornments signified a new participation and
communication of the divine perfections in their Queen, but also the seraphim,
those six that adorned Her, likewise represented mysteries contained in their
ministry.
652. To these succeeded six
other seraphim who, in another manner, adorned the Queen, as it were,
retouching her faculties and giving them subtlety, beauty and grace unspeakable
in human words. And still other six seraphim furnished the celestial light by
which her understanding and will was made capable of the beatific vision and
fruition. Having thus adorned and beautified the great Queen, all of the
eighteen seraphim raised Her to the throne of the most blessed Trinity and
placed Her at the right hand of the Onlybegotten, our Savior. There She was
asked what was her petition and desire. And the true Esther answered: "I
ask mercy for my people, 0 Lord (Esther 7, 3); and in their name and mine I
desire and long to thank thy almighty clemency for giving human form to the
eternal Word in my womb for their salvation." To these petitions and
prayers She added others of incomparable love and wisdom, supplicating for the
whole human race and especially for the holy Church.
653. Then her divine Son
spoke to the eternal Father and said: "I confess and praise Thee, my
Father, and I offer to Thee this creature, the daughter of Adam, pleasing in
thy eyes as the one chosen for my Mother from all the creatures and as a
testimony to our infinite attributes. She alone knows worthily and fully to
estimate and thankfully to acknowledge the favor I have shown to men in vesting
Myself in their nature for the purpose of teaching them the way of eternal life
and saving them from death. We have chosen Her in order that She might appease
our indignation at the ingratitude and small return We receive from mortals.
She makes up for what the others are either unable or unwilling to give; and We
cannot despise the prayers which our Beloved offers for them in the plenitude
of her holiness and entirely to our pleasure."
654. All these marvels were
repeated on each of the last three days of the novena; and on the last, which
was the twenty-fifth of March, at the hour of the Incarnation, the Divinity
manifested Itself to Her intuitively and with a greater glory than to all the
blessed. The saints received an addition to their accidental joy on all those
days; but the last was one of greater festivity and of extraordinary jubilee
for the whole of Jerusalem triumphant. The favors received by the most blessed
Mother on that day far exceed all human thought; for all her privileges, graces
and gifts were on that day ratified and increased by the Almighty in an
ineffable manner. As She was still a Pilgrim and knew all the conditions of the
holy Church in the present and the future ages, She asked and merited great
blessings for all times; to say it more briefly, She obtained all the blessings
which the divine power wrought for men from the beginning and shall work unto
the end of the world.
655. On all these feasts
celebrated by the great Queen, She obtained the conversion of innumerable
souls, which at that time and at succeeding times were to come to the Catholic
faith. On this feast of the Incarnation, however, this privilege was made still
more extensive; for on these days She merited for many kingdoms, provinces and
nations the blessings and favors they have received in being called to the holy
Church. Those that have persevered more faithfully in the Church are so much
the greater debtors to the petitions and merits of the heavenly Mother. But it
has especially been shown me, that on the day on which She celebrated the
Incarnation, She liberated all the souls from purgatory; and that from heaven,
where this favor was granted to the Queen of all creation and the Mother of the
Redeemer, She sent the angels to bring them to Her in order that She might
offer them as the fruit of the Incarnation to the eternal Father. For in that
mystery He had sent his Onlybegotten Son to regain for Him the souls from the
tyranny of their enemies. For all these souls Mary composed new canticles of
praise, and in the jubilee of having thus augmented the heavenly court of
heaven She returned to the earth, where She continued her thanksgiving with her
accustomed humility. This miracle is not at all incredible, for it is not
strange that on the day on which the most holy Mary was raised to the immense
dignity of Mother of God and Mistress of all creation, all the treasures of the
Divinity should be opened to the children of Adam, her brethren and her
children; for on that same day the Divinity itself was poured out on Her,
entering her womb and uniting Itself hypostatically with the substance derived
from Her. She alone in her wisdom could worthily appreciate this blessing
special to Her and for the common good of all.
656. The solemnity of the
birth of Christ her Son She celebrated in still another manner. On the evening
before She commenced with the exercises, hymns and other devotions as for the
other feasts; and at the hour of the Birth, her divine Son descended with
myriads of angels and in glorious majesty as on other occasions. He was accompanied
also by the patriarchs saint Joachim, saint Anne, saint Joseph and saint
Elisabeth, the mother of the Baptist, as well as other saints. Then the angel
at the command of the Lord raised Her from the ground and placed Her at his
divine right hand amid celestial harmony, rehearsing the hymn of glory as on
the day of Nativity and other canticles, which the Lady herself had composed in
honor of this mystery and in praise of God's infinite perfections. After having
united with them in these praises for a long time, the heavenly Mother, with
the permission of her Son, descended from the throne and prostrated Herself
anew at his feet. In this posture She adored Him in the name of all the human
race and thanked Him for his having been born into the world for their
salvation. In addition to this thanksgiving She prayed most fervently for all
men, especially for the children of the Church, urging the weakness of human
nature, its need of grace and divine help for raising itself and for meriting
eternal life. As an argument She alleged the mercy of the Lord in being born
for their salvation, the poverty of his Birth, the labors and hardships it
entailed, how He was nursed at her breast and cherished by Her as his Mother,
and how many were the other works connected with these mysteries. This prayer
was accepted by her Son, our Savior; and in the presence of all the angels and
saints that accompanied Him, He acknowledged his obligation to listen to the
charitable pleadings of his most blessed Mother for her people. Again He
confirmed Her as Mistress and Dispenser of all his treasures of grace and
commissioned Her to apply and distribute them to men according to her pleasure.
This the most prudent Lady proceeded to do with admirable wisdom and to the
immense benefit of the Church. At the close of this solemnity of the birth of
Christ She begged all the saints to praise the Lord for the mystery of His
birth in her name and for all the other mortals. She then asked the blessing of
her divine Son, who in giving it, returned to heaven. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE GREAT LADY OF THE
ANGELS, MOST HOLY MARY, GAVE ME.
657. My daughter and
disciple, I desire that thy admiration in writing of the mysteries of my life
and holiness induce thee to praise the Omnipotent for his liberality toward Me;
and thy confidence in my powerful intercession and protection should raise thee
above thyself. But if thou art astonished that my divine Son should thus add
grace upon grace and gifts upon gifts, and that He should visit me so
frequently and raise me to his presence in heaven, remember what thou hast
already recorded concerning my depriving myself of the beatific vision for the
sake of governing the Church. And even if this charity had not merited this
recompense during my mortal life, He was ready, on account of my being his
Mother and He my Son, to work such wonders with me as are beyond created
thought and were due to no other creature. The dignity of Mother of God so far
exceeds the sphere of all the other creatures, that it would be base ignorance
on the part of men to deny me favors greater than those bestowed upon other
saints. Taking human flesh of my substance carried with it such an obligation
in the eternal Word, that (according to thy mode of understanding) God himself
could not meet it, without a return adequate to his Omnipotence and
corresponding fully to my capacity of receiving. This power of God is infinite
and inexhaustible, and will always remain so; but that which God communicates,
is finite and limited. I, too, am a mere created being, and in comparison with
the being of God, all created beings are nothing.
658. In addition to this, on
my part, I placed no obstacle, but deserved the unlimited and unrestrained
liberality of the Omnipotent in all his gifts, graces and favors as far as they
could be communicated to a creature. As these, notwithstanding their wonderful
greatness, were always finite and the power and essence of God is always
infinite and without limit, it can easily be understood how I could accumulate
grace upon grace and blessings upon blessings. And not only was I capable of
thus receiving, but it was equitable that I should thus receive, in order that
I might correspond with entire perfection to his marvelous work of making me
the Mother of God; for none of his works remain imperfect or defective. Since
this dignity of being made the Mother of God contains all graces as in their
origin and fount, therefore, as soon as men know me to be Mother of God, they
implicitly also know, as in their cause, the perfections due to such excellence
in dignity. It was left to the devotion, piety and good will of the faithful to
earn the regard of my divine Son and my protection, by searching properly into
my holiness and gifts and by recording and confessing them in evidence of their
devotion and my dignity. For this purpose, special knowledge and enlightenment
has been given to many saints, to authors and writers, besides special
revelations to others concerning some favors and privileges conceded to me by
the Almighty.
659. As nevertheless many of
the mortals, even the zealous ones, have been timid in this matter, and others,
in their want of piety, unduly sluggish, my divine Son has, in his fatherly
condescension and at the time most opportune for his holy Church, manifested to
them these hidden mysteries, without depending upon human insight and
knowledge, but upon the enlightenment of his own truth, in order that they
might gather new joy and hope from the knowledge of my privileges, and give to
the Almighty new glory and praise for the blessings coming from me and from the
works of the Redemption.
660. I wish, my daughter,
that thou consider thyself more under this obligation than all the rest of men,
since I have chosen thee for my special disciple and daughter, in order that,
by the writing of my life, thy heart may be raised to a more ardent and anxious
desire to imitate and follow me. The lesson of this chapter for thee should be,
that thou follow me in the ineffable thanksgiving for the blessed Mystery of
the Incarnation of the Word in my womb. Write in thy heart this marvel of the
Omnipotent, in order never to forget it, and signalize especially the days
corresponding to the mysteries which thou hast there described. In them and in
my name I desire that thou celebrate this festivity with great fervor and joy
of thy soul, thanking God in the name of all mortals for his having become
incarnate in me for their salvation; and also praising Him for having raised me
to the dignity of being his Mother. And remember that nothing ever caused so
much astonishment in the saints and angels, who have a knowledge of the
infinite essence of God, than to see Him united to the human nature; and,
although they continue to understand more and more of this mystery, there will
always remain more to find out through all the ages.
661. In order that thou mayest properly renew and celebrate these benefits of the
Incarnation and Nativity of my divine Son, thou must try to acquire humility
and purity as of an angel; for by these virtues thy thanksgiving will be
pleasing to the Lord and by them thou wilt in a measure give some return for
his having made Himself of thy nature. Ponder deeply how heavy are the sins of
men who, while having Christ as their Brother, fall from such excellence and
neglect their obligations. Consider thyself as a portrait or image of the Godman, and that any kind of sin is equivalent to thy
despising it and blotting it out of thy soul. This new dignity to which human
nature was raised is much forgotten by the children of Adam and they refuse to
forsake their old habits and miseries in order to put on Christ (Rom. 13, 14).
But thou, my daughter, forget the house of thy father and thy people (Ps. 44,
11), and seek to renew thyself with the beauty of thy Savior, in order that thou
mayest be pleasing in the eyes of the supreme King. OTHER FEAST DAYS CELEBRATED BY THE MOST
BLESSED MARY IN MEMORY OF THE CIRCUMCISION, THE ADORATION OF THE KINGS, HER
PURIFICATION, THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD, HIS FAST, THE INSTITUTION OF BLESSED
SACRAMENT, HIS PASSION AND RESURRECTION.
662. In renewing the memory
of the mysteries of the life and death of Christ the Savior, our great Queen
sought not only to give worthy thanks for Herself and for the whole of the
human race, in order, as the Teacher of all holiness and wisdom, to lead the
Church to this holy science of gratitude; but besides fulfilling this debt of
thanks, She also sought to draw down God's infinite bounty and merciful
clemency to meet the weakness and misery of the human kind. The most prudent
Mother knew that her divine Son and the eternal Father were much repelled by
the sins of mortals, and that at the tribunal of his mercy they had no other
claim than the infinite charity by which God had lovingly reconciled them to
Him though they were sinners and his enemies (Rom. 5, 8). As Christ our Savior
had accomplished this reconciliation by his works and the mysteries of his life
and death, the heavenly Lady thought these very days, on which the works of
Christ had been performed, most convenient and proper for multiplying her
prayers to the Omnipotent, beseeching Him to show his love for love's sake to
call them to his faith and friendship, and to justify them for no other reason
than because He had himself merited and gained for them justification and life
everlasting. 663. Never will either men or angels fully know what a debt the world owes to the maternal piety of this great Lady and Queen. The many favors which She received at the hands of the Almighty each time She was admitted to beatific vision in her mortal flesh, were blessings not only for Her, but also for us; for on those occasions her divine knowledge and charity reached the highest possible degree in a created being and in the same degree did She desire the glory of the Most High in the salvation of the rational creatures. As She was yet in the state of a pilgrim and thus could merit and gain their salvation, her loving anxieties lest souls lose the enjoyment of God overflowed all bounds in her purest heart. Hence She suffered a martyrdom prolonged through her whole life and it would have consumed her vital forces each hour and each instant, if the power of God had not prevented it; for the thought that so many souls should damn themselves and be eternally deprived of the vision and enjoyment of God, and, in addition to this, that they should suffer the eternal torments of hell, without further hope of the remedy which they had despised, was really a martyrdom to Her.
664. This lamentable
misfortune caused an immense sorrow to the sweetest Mother, because She alone
recognized and weighed it fully in her wisdom. She was filled with a
corresponding charity, and would have suffered without any relief, if She had
been left only to the influences of her love and merely to the consideration of
what the Lord had done and suffered for rescuing men from eternal damnation.
But the Lord foresaw and provided against this deadly sorrow in his most
faithful Mother; therefore He at times miraculously preserved her life; at
others He withdrew her mind from it by diverse enlightenments; at others again
He revealed to Her the secrets of the eternal predestination, in order that her
heart might be quieted by seeing into the equity of his divine Justice. All
these and other measures were applied by Christ the Savior in order that his
most blessed Mother might not die at the sight of the sins and the eternal
damnation of the reprobate. And if this unhappy and calamitous fate of sinners
as foreseen by the heavenly Lady, could so afflict her purest heart, and if it
could so move her divine Son, that He subjected Himself for their salvation to
the sufferings and death of the Cross, what words can describe the blind
foolishness of those men, who so senselessly rush upon their irreparable and
never sufficiently to be dreaded ruin of their souls?
665. But the manner in which
our Savior and Master Jesus alleviated the sorrows of his beloved Mother, was
by listening to her petitions and prayers for mortals, by showing his
appreciation of her love, by offering Her his treasures and infinite merits, by
constituting Her his principal almoner, and by consigning into Her hands the
free and loving distribution of all the treasures of his mercy and grace, and
thus bring succor to the souls whom in her deep science She knew to be in
greatest need thereof. These promises of the Lord to his most blessed Mother,
as well as the solicitude and prayers of the loving Queen, were of ordinary and
constant occurrence; and they were still more notable on the festivals commemorating
the mysteries of her divine Son. For the day of the Circumcision She commenced
her exercises at the same hour as at the other feasts; and the incarnate Word
descended to her oratory with the same majesty and accompanied by the angels
and the saints. As this mystery consisted in his beginning to shed his blood
for men and in his subjecting Himself to the law of sinners as if He were one
of them, the acts of his most pure Mother in commemoration of that great
condescension and clemency were ineffable.
666. The great Mother
humiliated Herself to the lowest depths; She lovingly compassioned the
sufferings of the Child-God in such a tender age; She thanked Him for this
blessing conferred upon all the children of Adam; She bewailed the universal
forgetfulness and want of appreciation of the blood shed for the rescue of all.
And, as if ashamed in the presence of her divine Son for not having paid her
debts, She offered her own life and her own blood in satisfaction and in
imitation of her Master's example. She spent that whole day in sweet converse
and colloquy reiterating her desires and petitions. Yet, though the Lord
accepted her offerings, it was not befitting to let Her actually pay all the
sacrifices of her inflamed love. Therefore She added other inventions of her
charity toward the mortals. She besought her divine Son to divide his gifts,
caresses and favors among all the children of men; She begged that She alone be
singled out to suffer for his love; that all should share in the reward, all
should taste the sweetness of the divine Spirit, that all might be induced to
enter the path of eternal life, and none be lost in eternal death, since their
God himself became man and suffered for the very purpose of drawing all men to
Himself (John 12, 32). Then She offered to the eternal Father the blood, which
his Son shed in the Circumcision and his humility in allowing Himself to be
circumcised in his sinlessness. After She had thus
exercised acts of incomparable perfection and adored Him as true God and man,
her divine Son gave Her his blessing and returned to the right hand of the
eternal Father in heaven.
667. To prepare for the feast
of the Magi She began her devotions some days before, in order as it were to
get ready some presents to offer to the incarnate Word. The principal offering
of the Queen were the souls brought to a state of grace and called by Her the
gold. For this purpose to obtain this gift of gold She availed Herself of the
services of the holy angels, ordering them to lead numerous souls to the
knowledge and belief of the true God by special and powerful inspirations. This
result was brought about by their ministry and much more by her own prayers and
petitions, so that She drew many from sin, brought others to the faith and to
Baptism, and snatched others from the talons of the infernal dragon at the hour
of death. To this gift She then added the gift of myrrh, which were her
prostrations in the form of a cross, her humiliations, and other exercises of
penance, by which She prepared Herself so as to present her own Self as myrrh
before her God. Her third offering was the incense of her inflamed and soaring
love, her words and ejaculations, and other promptings of her affection, so
full of wisdom and sweetness.
668. In order to receive these
offerings, her divine Son, on the day and hour of the mystery, descended with
innumerable angels and saints. In their presence, and inviting all the
courtiers of heaven to assist, She made her offering accompanying it with
wonderful adoration, worship and love; and with the offering She combined a
fervent prayer for all the mortals. Then She was taken up to the throne of her
Son and true God and made to share the glory of his sacred humanity in an
ineffable manner. She was divinely united with it and as it were transfigured
by its splendors and translucency. A few times, in order to moderate the
conflagration of her love, the Lord himself embraced Her and permitted Her to
recline upon his arms. These favors are such as cannot be described in words;
for the Omnipotent sought each day to exhaust upon Her the treasures of his
blessings, old and new (Matth. 13, 52).
669. After receiving these
favors, She descended from the throne and supplicated the Lord for mercy upon
mankind. She concluded her petitions by a canticle of praise in the name of all
and She asked the saints to accompany Her in all this. On this day also a
wonderful thing happened; namely, at the end of this feast She asked all the
Patriarchs and Saints present to intercede for Her with the Almighty, that He
might assist and govern Her in all his works. For this purpose She went from
one to the other repeating her request and as if humbly kissing their hands.
Her divine Son, ineffably pleased, permitted Her to exercise her humility also
before her parents, and before the Patriarchs and Prophets related to Her. But
this demonstration of her humility was not extended to the angels, because they
were her ministers and not in the same relations with Her as her holy
forebears. These heavenly spirits attended upon Her in another way, namely
serving Her in these exercises.
670. Then the Queen
celebrated the Baptism of Christ our Lord with magnificent thanksgiving for his
submitting to be baptized Himself and thus establishing this Sacrament. After
offering her prayers for the Church She withdrew to fast for the forty
following days in order to commemorate the fast of the Lord and of Herself
after his Baptism, as I have recorded in its place. During these forty days She
did not sleep, or eat, or leave her retreat, unless some great necessity of the
Church demanded her presence. Her only intercourse was with saint John when
receiving holy Communion, or when She was obliged to despatch
some business for the government of the Church. The beloved disciple was also
more solicitous in his attendance upon Her, absenting himself rarely from the
Cenacle. He relieved the numerous persons who sought help in their necessities,
and he cured the sick by applying some article, which had been used by the
powerful Queen. Many possessed by demons also came, and some of them were freed
before arriving; for the demons dared" not linger within the bodies of
those that approached the dwelling of most holy Mary. Others of the demons cast
themselves into the abyss as soon as the possessed were touched by the cloak,
or the veil, or some other article belonging to the Queen. If any of the demons
still resisted, the Evangelist called the blessed Lady, at whose presence they
fled without waiting for further commands.
671. It would be necessary to
write many books, if all the miracles and works of the great Queen during these
forty days were to be recorded: for, if She did not sleep, or eat, or rest, who
can estimate what She in her great solicitude and activity accomplished during
so long a time? It is enough to know, that She applied and offered up all for
the increase of the Church, the justification of souls, the conversion of the
world, and to assist the Apostles and disciples preaching the Gospel throughout
the earth. At the end of this Lent her divine Son regaled Her with a banquet
similar to the one brought by the angels to Him at the end of his fast, as I
have described in its place. Only this one was more splendid, since at it was
present the glorified Savior, full of majesty and accompanied by myriads of
angels, some of them serving, others singing in divine and celestial harmonies;
and the Lord himself furnished what was eaten by his most blessed Mother. This
day was very delightful to Her, more on account of the presence of her divine
Son and his tokens of love, than on account of the exquisite nectars and mannas of heaven. In thanksgiving She prostrated Herself
and asked his benediction, adoring the Lord; and He, having given it to Her,
returned to the celestial regions. During all these apparitions of the Lord
Christ, the pious Mother performed great and heroic acts of humility,
submission and veneration, kissing the feet of her Son, acknowledging Herself
unworthy of those favors, and asking for new graces in order to serve Him
better in the future.
672. Possibly there may be
those, who in their human prudence, will consider as rather frequent these
apparitions of the Lord, which I have described for so many occasions. But
those who think so, will have to show what is the measure of the holiness of
the Mistress of grace and virtue and the reciprocal love of such a Mother and
Son, and they will be obliged to tell us how far these favors exceed the
measure due tc the circumstances. They forget, that
both faith and reason convince us, that this measure goes far beyond all human
estimate. As for myself, the light in which I see these things excludes all
doubt, and moreover it should suffice for anyone to consider, that each day,
each hour and moment, Christ our Savior descends from heaven, wherever in all
the world a priest legitimately consecrates the sacred Host in the Mass. I say,
that He descends not only by a bodily motion, but by the change of bread and
wine into his sacred body and blood. Though this descent happens in a different
manner, which I will not gainsay or dispute; yet the holy Catholic faith
teaches me, that the same Christ is actually present and remains in the
consecrated host. This wonder the Lord performs thus frequently for men and for
their welfare, notwithstanding that there are so many unworthy ones, and some
even among those who consecrate. If anyone can induce Him to continue this
favor, it is no one else than the most blessed Mary, for whom He will do it and
for whom He has principally begun to do it, as I have explained elsewhere.
Hence it is not astonishing that He should have visited Her personally so many
times; since She alone was able and knew how to merit it not only for Herself,
but for all the rest of us.
673. After the fast the great
Lady celebrated the feast of her Purification and the Presentation of the
infant God in the temple. In order that She might make this offering and that
God might accept it, the most blessed Trinity appeared in her oratory with his
heavenly court. To prepare Her for offering up the incarnate Word, the angels
vested and adorned Her with the same garments and jewels, as I have described
for the feast of the Incarnation. Then she offered up a comprehensive prayer,
in which She supplicated for the whole human race and especially for the
Church. The reward for this prayer and for the humility, with which She
subjected Herself to the law of the purification as well as for her other
exercises, was a new increase of grace, new gifts and favors for Herself, and
for others great helps and blessings.
674. The memory of the
Passion, the institution of the blessed Sacrament, and of the Resurrection She
celebrated not only every week, as described above, but also on the
anniversaries of their happening. Each year She observed their commemoration in
the manner as is now done in the Church in the Holy Week. Besides the exercises
of each week She added many others; and on Good Friday, at the hour in which
Christ was crucified, She placed Herself upon a cross and there remained for
three hours. She renewed all the prayers of the Lord, with all the sorrows and
mysteries of that day. But on the following Sunday, which corresponds to the
Resurrection, She was raised by the holy angels to the empyrean heavens where
during that day She enjoyed the beatific vision, while on the ordinary Sundays
her vision of the Godhead was abstractive. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF THE
ANGELS GAVE ME.
675. My daughter, the divine
Spirit, whose wisdom and prudence governs the holy Church, through my
intercession has ordained, that in it so many different feasts should be
celebrated, not only in order that proper thanks should be given to the Creator
and Redeemer for the works of the Redemption, of my life, and of the saints,
and that the blessings, which never can be properly repaid, may not be
forgotten by mankind; but also in order that these solemnities might afford men
an opportunity of attending to holy exercises and of recollecting themselves
interiorly by withdrawing from the solicitudes of temporal affairs; and in
order that they might, by the exercise of virtue and the good use of the
Sacraments, repair the losses sustained by their distractions, imitate the
virtues and the lives of the saints, solicit my intercession, merit the
forgiveness of their sins and gain the graces and favors held in readiness by
the divine mercy in these mysteries.
676. This is the spirit of
the holy Church, by which She desires to govern and nourish her children as a
devoted mother. And I, who am Mother of them all, sought to attract and bind
them to the secure path of their salvation. But the insinuations of the
infernal serpent have always (and especially in the unhappy times in which thou
livest) tended to pervert these holy ends of the Lord
and mine, and when he cannot pervert the order of the holy Church, he exerts
himself to prevent the greater part of the faithful from being benefited by her
institutions and strives to induce many to convert them into greater guilt for
their condemnation. And the same demon will stand as their accuser at the
tribunal of the divine justice; for on the days of greatest solemnity and
festivity men not only fail to enter into the spirit of the Church by employing
them in works of virtue and in worship of their God; but just on those days
they commit the most grievous sins, as is ordinarily the case with carnal and
worldly men. Certainly most outrageous and reprehensible is the common
forgetfulness and contempt of this duty in the children of the Church, when
they profane the sacred and holy days by spending them in diversion and play,
in excessive and disorderly eating and drinking, irritating the justice of the
Almighty instead of appeasing Him, in succumbing to their invisible enemies
instead of vanquishing them, and in permitting them to triumph in their pride
and malice.
677. Do thou, my daughter,
bewail this damage, since I cannot bewail it now in the same way as I have done
it in mortal life; and exert thyself to assist thy brethren in overcoming this
widespread carelessness. And although the life of the religious should differ
from that of seculars so as to have no distinction of days and to apply every
day for the divine worship, for prayer and holy exercises, as thou shouldst teach thy subjects; yet I desire thee to celebrate
with them the feasts of the Lord and mine by a more careful preparation and
purity of conscience. I wish thee to fill all thy days and thy nights with
works holy and pleasing in the sight of the Lord; but on the festivals thou shouldst add other interior and exterior exercises. Excite
the fervor of thy heart, recollect thyself, and if it seems to thee that thou
art doing much, labor still more earnestly to make certain thy vocation and
election (II Pet. 1, 10), nor ever omit any exercise out of negligence.
Consider that the days are evil (Ephes. 5, 6), and
that life disappears like a dream (Ps. 143, 4). Live very carefully in order
that thou mayest not be found without merit, holy
deeds and perfect works. To each hour assign its legitimate occupation, as thou
hast seen me do it, and as I have many times admonished and taught thee.
678. For this purpose I
exhort thee to live attentive to the divine inspirations and amid all the other
blessings not to forget those contained in such enlightenments. Let thy care be
such, that no virtuous act or greater perfection, which is possible to thee and
comes to thy notice, remain unexecuted. I assure thee, my dearest, that through
their negligence and forgetfulness mortals lose immense treasures of grace and
glory. All the perfection that I knew of my divine Son when I lived with Him, I
imitated, and whatever the Holy Ghost pointed out to me as being most perfect,
I executed as thou hast seen. This anxious solicitude was as natural to me as
to breathe; and through it I induced my divine Son to show me so many favors
and visit me so often during my mortal life.
679. I desire likewise that,
in order that thou and thy religious may imitate me in my retirement and
solicitude, thou establish the manner in which the customary retreat is to be
conducted; and that those who make it should live retired during the days
appointed for it in holy obedience. Thou knowest from experience, what fruit is
gathered in these retreats, since in it thou hast written nearly the whole of
my life; and in this solitude the Lord visited thee with greater blessings and
favors for the betterment of thy own life and the conquering of thy enemies. In
order that thy religious may understand how they must conduct themselves in the
exercises of the retreat for their greater profit and advancement, I wish that
thou write for them a special treatise, in which thou wilt assign all their
occupations to certain hours and times. These should be arranged in such a way,
that the one who is in retreat does not miss the community exercises; for
conformity to them is an obligation superseding all the particular ones. As for
the rest, those in retreat should observe perfect silence and go about veiled,
in order that they may be known as making the retreat and not spoken to by any
of the others. Let none be deprived of this benefit on account of their office
and let their duties be assigned to others in obedience. Ask enlightenment of
the Lord for writing this treatise, and I shall assist thee to understand more
thoroughly my practices in retirement, in order that thou mayest
teach it to the others. HOW THE MOST BLESSED MARY CELEBRATED THE
FEASTS OF THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST OUR SAVIOR, THE COMING OF THE HOLY GHOST, THE
FEAST OF THE HOLY ANGELS AND SAINTS AND OTHER ANNIVERSARIES OF FAVORS RECEIVED
BY HER.
680. In each one of the works
and mysteries of our great Queen and Lady are found new secrets to penetrate
and new reasons for wonder and praise; but I am running short of new words to
make known what I see. From what I have been made to understand concerning the
love of Christ our Lord for his purest Mother and most worthy Spouse, it seems
to me, that for the sake of this love, the Lord would have resigned his throne
of glory and the company of the saints to be with his most beloved Mother, if
other reasons had not demanded his presence in heaven and that of the Virgin
upon earth during the time of her separation and bodily absence. But let no one
say that this high opinion of the excellence of the Queen derogates from that
of her divine Son or the saints; for the Divinity of the Father and the Holy
Ghost was in Christ in its highest individual unity; the three Persons exist in
each one in an inseparable manner, and the Person of the Word cannot exist
without the Father and the Holy Ghost. It is certain, that the company of the
angels was less than that of his most holy Mother in the eyes of her divine
Son; that is, considering the force of reciprocal love between Christ and his
purest Mother. But for other reasons it was befitting, that the Lord, after
accomplishing the Redemption of man, should return to the right hand of the
Father, and that his most blessed Mother should remain in the Church, so that,
through her industry and merits, the efficacy of the Redemption should be
proved and that She should bring forth to light the fruit of the passion and
death of her divine Son.
681. With ineffable and
mysterious providence Christ our Savior arranged his works, showing in them his
divine wisdom, magnificence and glory, confiding entirely in this strong Woman,
as described by Solomon (Prov. 31, 11). And his
confidence was not frustrated, since the most prudent Mother, by uniting her
own solicitude and merits with his passion and blood, purchased for her Son the
field in which She planted the vines of the Church. These were the souls of the
faithful, propagated in the Church on earth, and of the predestined, in whom
the Church was to be transplanted to the triumphant Jerusalem forever and
forever. If it was befitting the glory of the Most High, that all this great
work should be entrusted to Mary, in order that our Savior Jesus might enter
into the glory of his Father after his glorious Resurrection, then it was also
no more than just that, as far as was possible, He should keep up his
intercourse with his most blessed Mother, whom He had left in the world and
whom He loved without measure. To this He was held not only by his own love
toward his Mother, but by her state and the task imposed upon Her during her
sojourn on earth, where the grace, the means, the favors and blessings must
necessarily be in proportion with the origin and the end of those hidden
mysteries. All these requirements were gloriously fulfilled by the frequent
visits of the Son to his Mother and by her being raised to the throne of his
glory. Thus, neither would the invincible Queen be totally deprived of her
court, nor would the courtiers for so many years be deprived of the delightful
sight of their Queen and Lady. Hence as this delight was possible, it was proper
that all those concerned should also enjoy it.
682. One of the days (in
addition to those already mentioned) on which the celestial wonders were
renewed, was that on which She celebrated each year the Ascension of her divine
Son. This day was a great festival for Her and for all heaven. She prepared for
it during forty days from the day on which She solemnized the Resurrection of
her Son. During all this time She renewed the memory of the favors and
blessings She had received from her divine Son, and of the glorious company of
the ancient Patriarchs and Saints delivered from limbo; and of all that had
transpired day after day during those forty days, giving thanks in new hymns
and devotions, as if they were again transpiring before Her; for all these events
were indelibly impressed upon her memory. I will not enter upon the particulars
of what She did during those times, because I have written about them
sufficiently in the last chapters of the second part. I will say only, that
during this preparation our great Queen received incomparable favors and
experienced new influences of the Divinity, by which She was made ever more and
more godlike and prepared for the extraordinary favors She was to receive on
the feast itself.
683. On the mysterious day on
which our Savior Jesus ascended into heaven, He came down in person to the
oratory of his most blessed Mother, accompanied by innumerable angels and by
the Patriarchs and Saints He had taken up with Him to heaven. The great Lady
awaited his visit, prostrate upon the ground as usual and annihilated in the
utmost self-debasement of her ineffable humility; yet, at the same time, being
elevated above all human and angelic thought to the highest pinnacle of love
possible to a mere creature. Then her divine Son manifested Himself amidst the
choirs of saints, and renewing in Her the sweetness of his blessings, He
commanded the angels to raise Her from the dust and place Her at his right
hand. Executing this command, the seraphim placed Her, who had given Him human
existence, on the throne of the Lord. Thereupon He asked Her, what was her
request and her desire. To this the most blessed Mary answered: "My Son
and eternal God, I desire the glory and exaltation of thy holy name; in it I
wish to render Thee thanks for the whole human race, and acknowledge the
blessings of having on this day, through thy almighty power, raised our nature
to eternal glory and felicity. I beg that all men may know, praise and magnify
thy Divinity and most sacred humanity."
684. The Lord answered:
"My Mother and Dove, chosen from amongst all creatures for my habitation,
come with Me to my celestial country, where thy desires shall be fulfilled, thy
petitions granted, and where Thou mayest enjoy the
solemnity of this day, not among the mortal children of Adam, but among my
courtiers and among my inhabitants of heaven." Immediately that whole
celestial procession traversed the regions of the air, as had happened on the
day of the Ascension, and, the Virgin Mother always remaining at the right hand
of her Son, reached the empyrean heavens. But on arriving at the highest place,
the whole celestial company arranged themselves in choirs, and not only they
and all heaven, but the Holy of the holy Himself, were so to say, wrapped in a
new kind of silence and attention. Then the Queen asked Permission of the Lord
to descend from the throne and, prostrate before the footstool of the most
blessed Trinity, sang an admirable song of praise, in which She included the
mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption with all the triumphs and victories
of her divine Son up to his glorious Ascension to the right hand of his eternal
Father.
685. The Most High manifested
his pleasure and complacence at this hymn of praise and all the saints
responded with songs of glory, extolling the Omnipotent in this wonderful
Creature and being filled with new joy by the presence and exaltation of their
Queen. Then, at the command of the Most High, the angels again placed Her at
the right hand of her divine Son, and having as on other occasions, been
illumined and adorned for the purpose, She looked upon the Divinity in glorious
and intuitive vision. In this beatific vision the Queen spent part of the day
and during it, the Lord again confirmed upon Her the possession of that place, which
from all eternity He had destined for Her and which was mentioned on the day of
the Ascension. For our greater admiration and obligation I advert, that each
year on that day the Lord himself asked Her, whether She would prefer to remain
in that eternal joy forever, or return again to the earth for the benefit of
the Church. The decision being thus left entirely in her hands, She answered:
that if it was the will of the Almighty, She would return to labor for men, who
were the fruit of the Redemption and of the death of the Son of God.
686. This answer so full of
resignation, repeated each year, was just as often
accepted by the most holy Trinity to the wonder of all the blessed. Thus, not
only once, but many times, did the heavenly Mother deprive Herself of the
beatific vision, descending for a new period of time to the world in order to
direct the Church and enrich it with her incomparable merits. And since the
proper appreciation of these merits can never be reached by our curtailed
faculties, it will be no blemish in this history not to attempt an estimate of
them and defer it until we shall reach the vision of God. But the rewards
corresponding to these sacrifices were reserved for Her according to the divine
pleasure, in order that afterwards, in the possession of the beatific vision,
She might as much as possible be like to the most sacred humanity of her Son
and worthily take her place on the throne at his right hand. As a sequence to
these happenings in heaven, the great Queen added her prayers for the
exaltation of God's name, for the propagation of the Church, for the conversion
of the world and the victories over the devil; and all her petitions were
granted, and successively executed in their time and will be executed in all
the ages of the Church. These favors would be greater, if the sinners of the
world would not hinder them and make mortals unworthy of receiving them.
Thereupon the angels brought back their Queen to her oratory in the Cenacle
amid celestial music and harmony, and She prostrated Herself in deepest
humility to give thanks for these new favors. I wish to mention, that the
evangelist saint John had some knowledge of these mysteries and participated in
some of their effects; for he usually saw the Queen so refulgent with heavenly light,
that he could not look upon her face. As the great Mistress of humility always
humbled Herself to the very ground and often asked his consent kneeling at his
feet, he was often seized by a reverential fear and disquiet in the presence of
the Lady, though it was always mixed with a wonderful joy and incitement to
holiness.
687. The great Queen availed
Herself of the effects and blessings of the festivity of the Ascension in order
to celebrate more solemnly the coming of the Holy Ghost, and by means of them
She prepared Herself for it during the nine days that intervene. She continued
without intermission her holy exercises, exciting the most ardent desires for
the renewal of the gifts of the divine Spirit in Her. When the day arrived
these desires were fulfilled with manifestations of an almighty power; for at
the same hour in which He had descended the first time upon the apostolic
college in the Cenacle, He descended each year upon the Mother of Jesus, the
Spouse and the temple of the Holy Ghost; and although this coming was not less
solemn than the first, for He came in the form of visible fire of a wonderful
brightness and with a mysterious noise, yet these signs were not manifest to
all, as had happened at the first coming. At that first time this was
necessary, but afterwards it was not proper that anyone except the most blessed
Mary, and to a certain extent, saint John, should know of this miracle. Myriads
of angels attended upon Her at such times singing the canticles of the Lord in
sweetest harmony; and the Holy Ghost entirely inflamed and renewed Her with
superabundant gifts and increase of the blessings She already possessed. Then
the great Lady gave humble thanks not only for this favor, but because He had
filled the Apostles with wisdom and charismatic gifts, to make them worthy
ministers of the Lord and founders of his holy Church, and because through his
coming He had sealed the works of the human Redemption. In a prolonged prayer
She then asked the divine Spirit to continue the influences of his grace and
wisdom through the present and the future ages, and not to suspend it on
account of the sins and unworthiness of men at any time. All these petitions
the Holy Ghost granted to his only Spouse, and the holy Church is now reaping
the fruit of them and shall enjoy them until the end of the world.
688. To these mysterious
celebrations of the feast of the Lord and of Herself, the great Queen, in the
course of the year, added others for her especial jubilee and devotion: namely,
one in honor of the holy angels, and one in that of the saints. In order to
celebrate the excellences and holiness of the angelic nature She prepared
herself for some days by exercises such as mentioned for some of the other
feasts, adding new songs of glory and praise and retracing in them the work of
the creation of the angels, and especially their justification and
glorification with all the mysteries and secrets known to Her of all of them
and of each one in particular. When the day She had assigned for this feast arrived,
She invited them all. Many thousands of the celestial choirs and orders
descended and manifested themselves in wonderful beauty and glory in her
oratory. Then, forming two choirs, one of which was our Queen and the other all
the supernal spirits, the Lady and the angels sang songs of celestial harmony
in alternate verses during that entire day. If it were possible to make known
to the world the mysterious canticles composed on those days by the most
blessed Lady and the angels, they would no doubt be reckoned among the great
miracles of the Lord and astonish all the mortals. I cannot find words nor time
to describe what I have come to know concerning this mystery; for they began by
praising the essence of God in Himself, and in all his perfections and attributes
known to them. Then the Queen proceeded to bless and magnify Him for having
manifested his Majesty, Wisdom and Omnipotence in the creation of so many and
beautiful spiritual beings; for having favored them with so many gifts of
nature and grace, and appointed them as ministers and executors of his will in
the government of men and of all the lower and visible creation. The angels on
their part responded by due and thankful acknowledgment of their obligation,
and all of them sang to the Almighty wonderful songs of praise for having
created and chosen for his Mother a Virgin so pure, so holy, so worthy of his
greatest gifts and given Her command and dominion over all, in order that they
might proclaim and honor Her as the worthy Mother of God and Restoratrix of the human race.
689. In this manner the
supernal spirits rehearsed the great prerogatives of their Queen and blessed
God in Her; while She recounted those of the angels for the same purpose.
Hence, this day was one of admirable joy and jubilee to the Queen, and of
accidental joy to the angels, especially to the thousand of her ordinary guard;
for they participated in the glory given to their Lady and Queen. As neither on
the one side, nor on the other, there was the obstacle of ignorance, nor any
want of the appreciation of the mysteries rehearsed, this interchange of
heavenly songs was full of incomparable reverence. And such it shall also be
for us, when we shall experience it in the Lord.
690. The other festival in
the course of the year was that of the Saints. For this also She prepared
Herself with many prayers and exercises of devotion as on other festivals. All
the Patriarchs, Prophets and the rest of the Saints, also those who had died
after the Resurrection, came from heaven in order to celebrate with their Reparatrix this joyful day. She composed new canticles of
thanksgiving for the glory of the saints and efficacy of the death of her
divine Son. Great was the jubilee of the Queen on this occasion, because She
knew the secret of their predestination, and because, in spite of the dangers
of mortal life, they had now attained secure and eternal felicity. For this
blessing She extolled the Lord and Father of mercies and rehearsed in her
thanksgiving the favors, graces and benefits, which each of the saints had
received at his hands. She asked them to intercede for the holy Church, and for
all those who were fighting its battles and were still encountering the danger
of losing the crown. After this She remembered also and gave thanks for the
victories and triumphs She herself had attained through the divine power over
the demons. Finally She added new canticles of humble and fervent thanksgiving
for Herself, and for all the souls to be snatched from the powers of darkness.
691. It is a subject of
astonishment to men, as it was to the angels, that a mere Creature in mortal
flesh should accomplish so many incessant wonders, which would have appeared
impossible to multitudes of souls united together, even if they had been as
ardent as the highest seraphim; but our great Queen certainly participated in
something of the omnipotence of God, which made easy for Her what for other
creatures would have been impossible. In these last years of her most holy life
her activity increased to such an extent, that there was no cessation or
relaxation in her operations so as to exceed all our powers of comprehension;
for She was not any more hindered by the mortality and weight of human nature,
but operated like the indefatigable spirits, and more than all of them
together; and She had become one devouring flame and conflagration of immense
activity. To her divine virtues all her days seemed short, all occasions few,
and all her exercises limited; since her divine love continually tended to
exceed all bounds of what She was doing, though that was without limit. In
comparison with what her activity was in reality, all I have
said is little or nothing: I am bound to confess and assert my deficiency in
this regard, because I see an abyss or distance as it were infinite between
what has been shown to me and what I am capable of understanding in this life.
And if I cannot form an idea of what has been manifested to me, how shall I
speak of that which I saw not, since I have no gage except my own ignorance?
Let us beware lest we make ourselves unworthy of the light, which awaits us in
heaven for seeing all in God; for this reward and joy by themselves, even if we
receive no other, should make us willing to endure all the labor, pains and
torments of the martyrs to the end of the world. We would be richly repaid by
the delight of understanding the dignity and excellence of most holy Mary,
seated at the right hand of her Son and true God and raised above all the
angels and saints of heaven. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE GREAT QUEEN OF THE
ANGELS GAVE ME.
692. My daughter, in the
measure as thou advancest in the history of my works
and life, I desire that thou also advance in the perfect following and
imitation of me. This desire increases in me in proportion to the growth of thy
enlightenment and admiration of what thou seest and writest. It is now time that thou make up for what thou
hast so far missed and that thou wing the flight of thy spirit to the heights,
to which the Almighty calls thee and to which I invite thee. Fill thy works
with all perfection and sanctity; remember that the opposition of thy enemies,
the devil, the world and the flesh is most hateful and cruel; and that thou
canst not overcome so many difficulties and temptations, if thou do not
enkindle thy heart with the most ardent fervor and the emulation invincibly to
repel and crush the poisonous serpent, which, with diabolical astuteness,
avails itself of many deceits, either to cause thy fall or to detain thee in
thy course, prevent thee from gaining thy end, and make thee unfit for the
state chosen for thee by the Lord.
693. Thou must not ignore, my
daughter, that the demon keeps a constant minute watch over the least
carelessness, forgetfulness or inadvertence of souls, and that he is constantly
prowling around and lying in ambush to avail himself of every negligence for
tempting the incautious to sin and misleading them by means of their passions
before they have a chance to know the full extent of the wound he tries to
inflict. When afterwards they come to know it and desire to rise from their
fall, they feel still greater difficulty and need much more abundant graces and
efforts to resist the evil than before they fell. In guilt the soul weakens in
virtue, the enemy acquires more influence, and the passions tend to become
indomitable and invincible; hence many fall, but not so many rise from their
sins. The remedy against these dangers is to live in continual and unremitting
anxiousness to merit the divine grace, in ceaseless striving to do the more
perfect, not giving the enemy any chance to find the soul off its guard or
unoccupied with some exercise or work of virtue. Thereby the weight of the
lower human nature will be lightened, the passions and bad inclinations will be
crushed, the demon intimidated, the soul will be raised up and will gain
strength against the flesh and dominion over the inferior and sensitive
faculties, subjecting them to the divine will.
694. In all this thou wilt
have a living example in my works, of which thou now writest
and which thou hast seen manifested in such great light in order that thou mayest not forget them. Attend then, my dearest, to all
that thou seest in this clear mirror; and if thou
knowest and confessest me as thy Teacher and thy
Mother and as the Mistress of all holiness and true perfection, do not delay in
imitating me and following me. It is not possible that either thou or any other
creature arrive at the perfection and excellence of my works, nor does the Lord
bind anyone to that; but with his divine grace thou canst fill thy life with
works of virtue and holiness, and spend in them all thy time and all thy
faculties; so that, adding exercise to exercise, prayer to prayer, petition to
petition, virtue to virtue, thou let no time, no day, no hour of thy life be bare
of good works learned of me. For this purpose I joined other works with those
necessary for the government of the Church, and celebrated the festivals in the
manner and with the preparations thou hast come to know and describe. As soon
as one was solemnized, I began to prepare me for another, so that not for one
moment was my life void of works holy and pleasing in the sight of the Lord.
All the children of the Church, if they wish, can imitate me and thou shouldst do it more zealously than the others. This is the
purpose for which the Holy Ghost ordained the solemnities and commemorations of
my divine Son and of myself and of the saints recurring in the holy Church.
695. As I have exhorted thee
many times, I wish that thou distinguish thyself by their devout celebration,
especially by the celebration of the mysteries of the Divinity and humanity of
my divine Son, those of my life and of my glory. Then I desire in thee a
special devotion to the angels, as well on account of their great excellence,
holiness, beauty and ministry, as also on account of the great favors and
blessings thou hast received through these celestial spirits. I desire that
thou assimilate thyself to them in purity of thy soul, in the exaltedness of
thy thought, in the fervor of thy love, and in living as if thou hadst neither an earthly body nor its passions. They are to
be thy friends and companions in thy pilgrimage, In order that they may be such
also in the Fatherland. With them thou shouldst now
maintain conversation and familiar intercourse, in which they will show thee
the attributes and the tokens of thy Spouse, give thee certain knowledge of his
perfections, lead thee to the straight ways of justice and of peace, defend
thee from the demon, warn thee of his deceits. In the continued teaching of
these spirits and ministers of the Most High thou shalt hear the laws of divine
love. Hear and obey them exactly. THE ANGEL GABRIEL SENT AS AMBASSADOR TO
THE MOST BLESSED MARY TO INFORM HER. THAT SHE STILL HAD THREE YEARS OF LIFE,
AND WHAT HAPPENED TO SAINT JOHN AND TO ALL NATURE AT THIS NEWS.
696. In writing of what still
remains of the history of our Lady, of our only and heavenly Phoenix, the most
blessed Mary, it is no more than right that our hearts be filled with tenderness
and our eyes with tears at the sweet and touching marvels of the last years of
her life. I should wish to exhort the devout faithful not to read of them nor
consider them as past and absent, since the powerful virtue of faith can make
these truths present to the mind; and if we look upon
them with the proper piety and Christian devotion, without a doubt we shall
gather the sweetest fruit, and our hearts shall feel the effects and rejoice in
the good, which our eyes cannot see.
697. The most holy Mary had
arrived at the age of sixty-seven years without having tarried in her career,
ceased in her flight, mitigated the flame of her love, or lessened the increase
of her merits from the first instant of her Conception. As all this had
continued to grow in each moment of her life, the ineffable gifts, benefits and
favors of the Lord had made Her entirely godlike and spiritual; the
affectionate ardors and desires of her most chaste heart did not allow Her any
rest outside the centre of her love; the bounds of the flesh were most
violently irksome; the overwhelming attraction of the Divinity to unite Itself
with Her with eternal and most close bonds, (according to our mode of speaking)
had attained the summit of power in Her; and the earth itself, made unworthy by
the sins of mortals to contain the Treasure of heaven, could no longer bear the
strain of withholding Her from her true Lord. The eternal Father desired his
only and true Daughter; the Son his beloved and most loving Mother; and the
Holy Ghost the embraces of his most beautiful Spouse. The angels longed for
their Queen, the saints for their great Lady; and all the heavens mutely
awaited the presence of their Empress who should fill them with glory, with her
beauty and delight. All that could be alleged in favor of Her still remaining
in the world and in the Church, was the need of such a Mother and Mistress, and
the love, which God himself had for the miserable children of Adam.
698. But as some term and end
was to be placed to the earthly career of our Queen, the divine consistory
(according to our mode of understanding), conferred upon the manner of
glorifying the most blessed Mother and established the kind of loving reward
due to Her for having so copiously fulfilled all the designs of the divine mercy
among the children of Adam during the many years in which She had been the Foundress and Teacher of his holy Church. The Almighty
therefore resolved to delight and console Her by giving Her definite notice of
the term still remaining of her life and revealing to Her the day and hour of
the longed for end of her earthly banishment. For this purpose the most blessed
Trinity dispatched the archangel Gabriel with many others of the celestial
hierarchies, who should announce to the Queen when and how her mortal life
should come to an end and pass over into the eternal.
699. The holy prince
descended with the rest to the Cenacle in Jerusalem and entered the oratory of
the great Lady, where they found Her prostrate on the ground in the form of a
cross, asking mercy for sinners. But hearing the sound of their music and
perceiving them present, She rose to her knees in order to hear the message and
show respect to the ambassador of heaven and his companions, who in white and
refulgent garments surrounded Her with wonderful delight and reverence. All of
them had come with crowns and palms in their hands, each one with a different
one; but all of them represented the diverse premiums and rewards of
inestimable beauty and value to be conferred upon their great Queen and Lady.
Gabriel saluted Her with the Ave Maria, and added thereto: "Our Empress
and Lady, the Omnipotent and the Holy of the holy sends us from his heavenly
court to announce to Thee in his name the most happy end of thy pilgrimage and
banishment upon earth in mortal life. Soon, 0 Lady, is that day and hour
approaching, in which, according to thy longing desires, Thou shalt pass
through natural death to the possession of the eternal and immortal life, which
awaits Thee in the glory and at the right hand of thy divine Son, our God.
Exactly three years from today Thou shalt be taken up and received into the
everlasting joy of the Lord, where all its inhabitants await Thee, longing for
thy presence."
700. The most holy Mary heard
this message with ineffable jubilee of her purest and most loving spirit, and,
prostrating Herself again upon the earth, She answered in the same words as at
the incarnation of the Word: "Ecce ancilla
Domini, fiat mihi secundum
verbum tuum." "Behold the handmaid of the
Lord, be it done according to thy word" '(Luke 1, 38). Then She asked the
holy angels and ministers of the Most High to help Her give thanks for this
welcome and joyful news. The blessed Mother alternately with the seraphim and
other angels, sang the responses of a canticle that lasted for two hours.
Although by their nature and supernatural gifts the angelic spirits are so
subtle, wise and excellent, they were nevertheless excelled in all this by
their Queen and Lady, as vassals are by their sovereign; for in Her, grace and
wisdom abounded as in a Teacher, in them, only as in disciples. Having finished
this canticle and humiliating Herself anew, She charged the supernal spirits to
beseech the Lord to prepare Her for her passage from mortal to eternal life,
and to ask all the other angels and saints in heaven to pray for the same
favor. They offered to obey Her in all things, and therewith saint Gabriel took
leave and returned with all his company to the empyrean heaven.
701. The great Queen and Lady
of all the universe remained alone in her oratory, and amid tears of humble joy
prostrated Herself upon the earth, embraced it as the common mother of us all,
saying: "Earth, I give thee thanks as I ought, because without my merit
thou hast sustained me sixty-seven years. Thou art a creature of the Most High
and by his will thou hast sustained me until now. I ask thee now to help me
during the rest of my dwelling upon thee, so that, just as I have been created
of thee and upon thee, I may through thee and from thee be raised to the
blessed vision of my Maker." She addressed also other creatures, saying:
"Ye heavens, planets, stars and elements, created by the powerful hands of
my Beloved, faithful witnesses and proclaimers of his
greatness and beauty, you also I thank for the preservation of my life; help me
then from today on, that, with the divine favor, I may begin anew to perfect my
life during the time left of my career, in order that I may show myself
thankful to my and your Creator."
702. The third anniversary of
the day following this message, according to the prediction of the archangel
was to be the day of the glorious Transition of the most blessed Mary. But from
the very hour in which She received the announcement, She became so inflamed
with the fires of divine love and so multiplied her exercises of devotion, that
it seemed as if She wished to make up for any relaxation or negligence in her
fervor up to that time. The traveler hastens his footsteps when a great part of
his way is still before him as the day declines; the laborer or the merchant
redoubles his exertions, when evening overtakes him before the completion of
his task. But our great Queen hastened on in her heroic efforts, not for fear
of the approaching night or the risks of journeying in the dark, but urged on
by the loving desires of the eternal light and in order to enter more rich and
prosperous into everlasting joys of the Lord. She immediately wrote to the
Apostles and disciples to encourage them in their labors for the conversion of
the world, and thereafter, during those three years, more frequently than
before, repeated her injunctions. She used still greater diligence in exhorting
and confirming the faithful living near Her by her personal intercourse.
Although She kept her own secret, yet her behavior was that of one who begins
to take her departure and desires to leave her friends rich and prosperous,
filled with celestial benedictions.
703. But in regard to the
evangelist saint John She had reason to take a different course; for She
regarded him as her son, who attended upon Her and assisted Her in a special
manner. Hence it seemed good to the most blessed Lady to inform him of the
message regarding her death. After some days therefore and after having asked
his permission and blessing, She said to him: "Thou dost already know, my
son and master, that among the creatures of the Most High, I am the most
indebted of all and under the greatest obligations to submit to his holy will.
If all other creatures are subject to Him, certainly in me ought to be
fulfilled entirely all his pleasure for time and eternity; and thou, my son, shouldst help me in this fulfillment, as one who knows by
how many titles I belong body and soul to my God and Lord. In his condescending
mercy He has revealed to me, that the end of my mortal life is near; and that
from the day on which I have been thus informed, there remain only three more
years of banishment until my passage into eternal life. I beseech thee, my son,
to aid me during this short space of time, in order that I labor in giving
thanks to the Most High and render Him some return for the immense blessings I
have received of his most liberal love. I beseech thee from the bottom of my
heart, pray for me."
704. These words of the most
blessed Mother tore the heart of saint John, and, unable to restrain his sorrow
and his tears, he answered: "My Mother and my Lady, thy will and that of
the Most High I am bound to obey in whatever Thou commandest,
although my merits are far below what they ought to be and what I desired. But
do Thou, most loving Lady and Mother, help thy poor child, who is to be left an
orphan, deprived of thy most desirable company." Saint John could add no
more, because of the sighs and tears pressed from him by his sorrow. Although
the loving Queen encouraged and consoled him by sweet and efficacious words;
yet on that day the heart of the Apostle was as pierced by a dart of pain and
sorrow, which struck him down and caused him to wither, like the flowers in
their bloom, which, when at evening they are about to be deprived of the sun
and, after having followed and been rejoiced in its light in its course during
the day, sadden and close up at evening. Lest he should lose his life in this affliction, the most blessed Mother came to the
relief of saint John by her loving promises, assuring him, that She would be
his Mother and Advocate with her divine Son. He informed saint James the less,
who, as bishop of Jerusalem and according to the orders of saint Peter
mentioned above, assisted saint John in the service of the Empress of the
world. From that time on the two Apostles, mindful of what was coming, were
still more solicitous in their attendance upon their Queen and Lady. This was
especially true of the Evangelist, who would not leave her presence.
705. During the course of
these three last years of the life of our Queen and Lady the divine power
permitted a certain hidden and sweet force to throw all nature into mourning
and sorrow at the prospective death of Her, who by her life beautified and perfected
all creation. The holy Apostles, although they were scattered over the earth,
began to feel new anxiety and misgivings regarding the time when they should be
deprived of their Mistress and her help; for already the divine light intimated
to them, that this event could not be far off. The others of the faithful
living in Jerusalem and in the country around, began secretly to feel that
their treasure and joy should not be theirs much longer. The heavens, the stars
and planets lost much of their brightness and beauty, like the day at the
approach of night. The birds of the air fell into singular demonstrations of
sorrow during these last years. A great multitude of them ordinarily gathered
where the most blessed Mary happened to be. Surrounding her oratory in unusual
flight and motions, they uttered, instead of their natural songs, sorrowful
notes, as if they were lamenting and groaning in their grief, until the Lady
herself ordered them again to praise their Creator in their natural and musical
tones. Of this miracle saint John was often a witness, joining them in their
lamentations. A few days before the Transition of the heavenly Mother
innumerable hosts of the little birds gathered, laying their heads and beaks
upon the ground, picking at their breasts in groans, like some one taking
farewell forever and asking the last benediction.
706. Not only the birds of
the air indulged in this sorrow, but also the brute beasts of the earth; for
when one day, according to her custom, the Queen of heaven went to visit the
holy places of the Redemption and arrived on mount Calvary many wild beasts
came from the surrounding mountains to wait for Her. Some of them prostrated
themselves upon the ground, others bowed their necks, and all of them uttered
sorrowful sounds and thus for some hours manifested their grief at the
impending departure of Her, whom they recognized as the Lady and the honor of
all creation. The most wonderful sign of this general mourning among the
creatures was that the light of the sun, the moon and the stars was diminished
and on the day of her Transition they were eclipsed as at the death of the
Redeemer of the world. Although many of the wise and thoughtful men noticed
these unwonted changes in the celestial orbs, all were ignorant of the cause,
and could only express their astonishment. But the Apostles and disciples, who,
as I shall relate further on, were present at her most sweet and happy death,
knew then that all these signs were tokens of sorrow in insensible nature. The
unintelligent things of creation justly anticipated their mourning for the loss
of their Queen, while intelligent human nature failed to weep over the
departure of its Sovereign, its legitimate Mistress, its true beauty and
adorning glory. In the former alone seemed to be fulfilled the prophecy of
Zacharias: that in that day the earth shall weep, and the families of the house
of God, each one for itself, and that this mourning shall be as for the death
of the firstborn, over which all are accustomed to weep. This mourning which
the prophet predicts for the Onlybegotten of the eternal Father, was due in
proportion also to the death of the most pure Lady, as the first-born Daughter
of grace and of life. And just as the faithful vassals and servants clothe
themselves in mourning not only at the death of their prince or their Queen,
but also at the prospect of their danger or of their loss; so the irrational
creatures anticipated the feeling and the tokens of their sorrow, at the
approach of the Transition of the most holy Mary.
707. The Evangelist before
all others shared in their sorrow and in a special manner and more deeply than
all the rest felt this impending loss, without being able to conceal it or
dissemble it from the more familiar inmates of the house. Two daughters of the
master of the house, who were much in attendance upon the Queen of the world,
and some other very devout persons, chanced to see him shedding many tears in
his sorrow. As they knew the peaceful and tranquil disposition of the saint,
they conjectured that this unusual emotion was caused by some very weighty
event; and in their kind solicitude they a few times urged him to tell them the
cause of this unusual sorrow in order to relieve him if possible. The holy
Apostle suppressed his grief and for a long time concealed its cause. But not
without divine dispensation he finally yielded to their importunities and told
them that the happy Transition of their Mother and Lady was approaching, for
these were the titles the Evangelist applied to the most blessed Mary in her
absence. Hence, some time before it really took place, this impending loss of
the Church became known to some of the more familiar acquaintances of the
Queen; for none of those that came to know of it, could restrain their tears
and sorrow at this irreparable loss. Thenceforward they multiplied their
intercourse and their petitions with the blessed Mother, throwing themselves at
her feet, kissing the spots where her sacred feet had trod, asking Her to bless
them and take them with Her, and not to forget them in the glory of the Lord,
whither She was about to carry away with Her the hearts of all her servants.
708. It was a great mercy and
providence of the Lord, that many faithful of the primitive Church were thus
timely forewarned of the death of their Queen; for He does not send labors and
evils to his people without first manifesting them to his servants, as is said
by the prophet Amos (Amos 3, 7). Although this loss could not be spared to the
faithful of that age, the divine clemency ordained, that in as far as was
possible the primitive Church should find a compensation for the loss of its
Mother and Mistress, and that its tears and sorrow should be the means of
obliging Her, during the space of time which still remained of her life, to favor
and enrich them with the treasures of divine grace, which as the Mistress of
them all She could confer upon them in her departure, as for their consolation
She really did. For the maternal bosom of the blessed Lady in this extremity
was moved by the tears of the faithful, and during those last days of her life,
She obtained from her divine Son for them and for all the Church new mercies
and blessings of the Divinity. In order not to deprive the Church of these new
favors, the Lord did not wish to take away from them unwarned his blessed
Mother, in whom they trusted for help, consolation, joy, relief in necessities,
lightening of their labors, counsel in their doubts, succor in their
afflictions and all kinds of blessings.
709. At no time and on no
occasion were those ever disappointed who trusted in the great Mother. She
relieved and helped all that did not resist her loving and clement advances.
But during the last two years of her life, no one could count or estimate the
wonders of beneficence She wrought upon the mortals of all classes that flocked
in multitudes around Her. All the sick that presented themselves before Her She
healed in body and soul; She converted many to the evangelical truth; She drew
innumerable souls from sin to the state of grace. She relieved the great
miseries of the poor, dispensing what She possessed or what was offered to Her
as gifts, and succoring
many others by miraculous means. She confirmed all in the fear of God, in faith
and obedience to the Church; and, as Mistress and only Treasurer of the riches
of the Divinity, of the life and death of her divine Son, She wished to throw
open all her riches of liberal mercy before her death, in order to enrich all
her children in the holy Church; and above all She consoled them and encouraged
them by her promise, that She would continue to this day to favor us at the
right hand of her divine Son. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE GREAT QUEEN OF THE
ANGELS GAVE ME.
710. My daughter, in order to
understand the jubilee caused in me by the announcement of the end of my
mortal life men must consider the desire and force of the love that urged me on
to reach and see God in the glory He had prepared for me from all eternity.
This mystery entirely exceeds human capacity; and what the children of the Church
are able to understand of it for their consolation, they do not seek to merit
or make themselves capable of; for they do not apply the interior light, or
purify their consciences for its proper reception. On thee my divine Son and I
have liberally conferred this and other mercies; and I assure thee, my dearest,
that happy are the eyes which see what thou hast seen, and the ears which hear
what thou hast heard. Guard thy treasure, and do not lose it. Labor with all
thy power to gain the fruit of this knowledge and of my teaching. I desire of
thee that part of this fruit shall be to dispose thyself from this hour for thy
death in imitation of me; since, having the certainty of its coming, any space
of time should seem short to thee for completing this business of eternal loss
or gain. No rational creature was so certain of eternal reward as I; yet,
notwithstanding this certainty, I received notice of my death three years in
advance, and thou hast seen, how nevertheless I disposed myself and prepared
myself for the hour of death with the holy fear proper to a mortal and
earth-born creature. In this I acted as a creature subject to death and as the
Teacher of the Church, giving an example to the rest of the faithful of what
they are to do as mortals and as more in want of such preparation for avoiding
eternal damnation.
711. Among the absurd
fallacies introduced by the demon into the world none is greater or more
pernicious than the forgetfulness of the hour of death and of what is to happen
at the court of the rigorous Judge. Consider, my daughter, that through this
portal sin entered into the world; for the serpent sought to convince the first
woman principally, that she would not die and need not think of that matter
(Gen. 3, 4). Thus continually deceived, there are uncountable fools who live
without thought of death and who die forgetful of the unhappy lot that awaits
them. In order that thou mayest not be seized by this
human perversity, begin to convince thyself now that thou must die irrevocably;
that thou hast received much and paid little; that the account shall be so much
the more rigorous, as the Judge has been more liberal in the gifts and talents
lavished upon thee in thy sphere. I do not ask of thee more, and also not less,
than what thou owest to thy Spouse and to thy Lord,
which is always to operate the best in all places, times and occasions, without
permitting any forgetfulness, intermission or carelessness.
712. If in thy weakness thou incurrest the guilt of some omission or negligence, let not
the sun go down or the day pass without having sorrowed for it, or confessed
it, if thou canst, as if it were for the last account. Proposing amendment,
even of the slightest fault, commence to work with new fervor and solicitude,
like one from whom the time is slipping away for accomplishing such an arduous
and laborious task as the gaining of the eternal glory and felicity and the
avoiding of everlasting death and punishment. This is to be the continual
occupation of all thy spiritual and sensitive faculties, in order that thou
make thy hope certain and joyful (II Cor. 1, 7) ; in
order that thou mayest not labor in vain (Phil. 2,
16), nor run on into the uncertain (I Cor. 9, 26),
like those who content themselves with some good works which they mix up with
many reprehensible and detestable crimes. These cannot walk in security and joy
of interior hope; since their own conscience assails them and saddens them,
unless they are lost in forgetfulness and in the foolish delights of the flesh.
In order to fill all thy works with perfection continue the exercises I have
shown thee, and also those thou art accustomed to in preparation for death, and
all the prayers, prostrations and aspirations thou usually practicest.
Then receive the spiritual Viaticum as if for departure from the earth to the
other life, taking leave and forgetting all that thou hast in this life.
Enkindle thy heart with the desire of seeing thy God, and rise up to his
presence, where is to be thy future habitation and thy present conversation (Phil.
3,20). HOW THE DESIRES AND LONGINGS OF MOST
HOLY MARY TO SEE GOD INCREASED DURING HER LAST DAYS; SHE TAKES LEAVE OF THE
SACRED PLACES AND OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH; SHE MAKES HER TESTAMENT IN THE
PRESENCE OF THE MOST BLESSED TRINITY.
713. I find myself indeed
poor in words now, when I am to speak of the activity of the most blessed
Mary's love during the last days of her life, of the impetuous flights of her
spirit, of her desires and incomparable yearnings to reach the close embraces of
the Divinity. I find no similitude in all nature; and if anything could serve
for a comparison, it might perhaps be the element of fire, on account of its
correspondence with love. Admirable is the activity and the force of that
element above all others, none is more impatient of bounds; for it will either
die in confinement, or burst its bonds in order to rise up unconstrained to its
proper sphere. If it finds itself imprisoned in the earth, it will tear up the
surface, break in two the mountains and shatter the rocks, hurling them with
irresistible violence aside until its fury is spent. And, as experience
teaches, though its prison be of bronze as in the cannon, if it does not burst
it, it at least forces an opening for itself with terrific violence and sends
forth the metal ball on its course of destruction. Such is the activity of this
insensible creature.
714. But if in the heart of
the most holy Mary the fire of divine love was concentrated to one point (I
cannot explain myself by other words), then clearly the effects corresponded to
their cause; and the effects of fire are not more wonderful in the order of
nature, than the effects of her love in the order of grace, and of such immense
grace. Our great Queen was always a pilgrim in the world and the only Phoenix
upon earth; but when She was ready to depart for heaven and assured of the
happy end of her pilgrimage, although her blessed body still lingered upon
earth, the flame of her most pure love, with irresistible flight, pressed
upward to her proper sphere, that is, the Divinity. She could not withhold or
constrain the impetus of her heart, nor seemed to be master of her interior
activities, or hold dominion over them; for She had yielded all her liberty to
the sway of love and to her desire of possessing the highest Good, in whom She
lived transformed and forgetful of earthly mortality. Her love did not burst
the narrow prison walls of natural life because it was preserved more by a
miracle than by natural forces; nor did it bear up with it her mortal body,
because it had not yet arrived at its destined ending, although the activity of
her spirit and of her love was sufficient to ravish it from earth. But in this
sweet and unquenchable contest of love the operations of nature were suspended,
so that this godlike soul seemed to receive its life only from the divine love;
and in order to preserve the natural life, a continuous miracle was necessary, requiring the intervention of some
supernatural activity for encountering death at each instant and sustaining her
natural existence.
715. It happened many times
during these last days, that in order to abate somewhat the excesses of her
love and in order to prevent her bosom from being forced asunder, She broke the
silence of her retreat and spoke to the Lord: "My sweetest Love, highest
Good and Treasure of my soul, draw me now after the sweetness of thy ointments,
which Thou hast permitted thy handmaid and mother to taste in this world (Cant.
1, 3). My will always found its rest entirely in Thee, the highest Truth and my
true Good; never have I known any other love than the love of Thee! 0 my only
hope and glory! Let not my course be prolonged, let not the beginning of that
much desired freedom be postponed! (Ps. 141, 8). Solve now the chains of that mortal
existence, which still detains me! Let the term of my life be fulfilled, let
that end come toward which I tended from the first instant in which I received
my being from Thee. My dwelling among the inhabitants of Cedar has been
prolonged (Ps. 119, 5) ; but all the powers of my soul and all its faculties
look toward the Sun which gives it life, follow the fixed North-star that leads
them on, and faint away in longing for the Good they are awaiting. 0 ye
supernal spirits, by the most exalted condition of your spiritual and angelic
nature, by the happiness, which you enjoy in the never-failing beauty of my
Beloved, I beseech you to have pity on me, my friends. Do ye pity this stranger
among the children of Adam, captive in the bonds of mortal flesh. Present to my
and your Lord the cause of my sorrow, of which He is not ignorant (Cant. 5,8);
tell Him that for his sake I embrace suffering in my banishment, and that I so
desire it; but I cannot desire to live in my own self; and if I am to live in
Him in order to preserve my life, how can I live in the absence of this, my
life? Love it is, which gives my life and at the same time deprives me of it.
Life cannot live without love; hence, how can I live without the Life, which
alone I love? In this sweet violence I am perishing; tell me if possible of the
qualities of my Beloved, for amid such aromatic flowers the swoonings
of my impatient love shall find recovery!" (Cant. 2, 5).
716. With such and other
still more fervent aspirations the most blessed Mother assuaged the fires of
her spirit, that She excited the wonder of the holy angels who attended upon
Her and served Her. And as they, by means of their high intelligence and
heavenly science, were able to understand these excesses, they on one occasion
answered Her as follows: "Our Queen and Lady, if Thou wishest
again to hear us speak of the tokens of thy Beloved that we know of, consider
that He is beauty itself and that He contains within Himself all the
perfections beyond all desire. He is amiable without defect, delightful beyond
comparison, pleasing without the least flaw. In wisdom He is inestimable, in
goodness without measure, in power boundless, in greatness immeasurable, in
essence infinite, in majesty inaccessible, and all his perfections are
infinite. In his judgments He is terrible (Ps. 65, 5), his counsels inscrutable
(Rom. 11,33), in his justice most equitable (Ps. 118, 137), in his thoughts
unsearchable, in his words most true, in his works holy (Ps. 144, 13), rich in
mercies (Ephes. 2, 4). Space cannot overreach Him,
narrowness cannot confine Him, sorrow cannot disturb Him, joy cannot cause any
change in Him; nor does He ever fail in his wisdom, or change in his will (Jas.
1, 17); abundance cannot overwhelm, or want come near Him, memory adds nothing,
forgetfulness takes away nothing from his knowledge; what was, is not past for
Him, and what is to come, never happens to Him; the beginning gave no origin to
his being, and time will bring to Him no end. Without being caused, He causes
all things (Ecc1i. 18, 1), and He has not need of anything, but all things need
participation in Him; He preserves them without labor, He governs them without
confusion. Those who follow Him walk not in darkness (John 8, 12), those who
know Him are happy, who love and extol Him, are blessed; for He exalts his
friends, and at last glorifies them by his eternal vision and intercourse (John
17, 3). This, o Lady, is the Good which Thou lovest
and whose embraces Thou shalt shortly enjoy without intermission through all
his eternities." Thus spoke the holy angels.
717. Such colloquies took
place frequently between the great Queen and her ministers. But just as the
thirst of one laboring under a burning fever is not allayed by small drops of
water, but rather increased, so also these incitements of love did not quench
the divine flame in that loving Mother, because they rather opened up new
sources of loving anguish. During the last days of her life She not only
enjoyed the favors mentioned above, namely those of the feast days and the
Sundays, and many other favors impossible to enumerate, but in order to sustain
and nourish Her in her anguishes of love, her divine Son visited Her more
frequently than before. During these visits He recreated Her and comforted Her
with wonderful favors and caresses, assuring Her again and again that her
banishment would now be short, that He would bear Her up to his right hand,
where She would be placed on her royal throne by the Father and the Holy Ghost
and be absorbed in the abyss of the Divinity. Thus was She to be the source of
new joy to the saints, all of whom were awaiting and desiring to see Her. On
these occasions the loving Mother multiplied her petitions and prayers for the
holy Church, for the Apostles and disciples, and all the ministers, who in
coming ages were to serve in the preaching of the Gospel and the conversion of
the world, and for all the mortals who were to accept its teachings and to come
to the knowledge of the divine truth.
718. Among the wonders which
the Lord wrought with the most blessed Mother during these last years, there
was one, which was manifest not only to the Evangelist, but to many of the
faithful. This was, that when the blessed Lady received holy Communion, She
shone for some hours with a clearness so wonderful, that She seemed
transfigured and gifted with glory. This was caused by the sacred body of her
Son, who, as I have before stated, showed Himself to Her in a transfigured and
more glorious state than on mount Tabor. All that then beheld Her were filled
with a joy and with effects so divine that they could be indeed felt but not
described.
719. The devout Queen
resolved to take leave of the holy places before her departure into heaven, and
having obtained the consent of saint John She left the house with him and with
the thousand angels of her guard. Although these sovereign princes had always
served and accompanied Her in all her errands, occupations and journeys,
without having absented themselves for one moment since the instant of her
birth; yet on this occasion they manifested themselves to Her with greater
beauty and refulgence, as if they felt special joy in seeing themselves already
at the beginning of her last journey into heaven. The heavenly Princess,
setting aside human occupations in order to enter upon her journey to the real
and true fatherland, visited all the memorable places of our Redemption,
marking each with the sweet abundance of her tears, recalling the sorrowful
memories of what her Son there suffered, and fervently renewing its effects by
most fervent acts of love, clamors and petitions for all the faithful, who
should devoutly and reverently visit these holy places during the future ages
of the Church. On Calvary She remained a longer time, asking of her divine Son
the full effects of his redeeming Death for all the multitudes of souls there
snatched from destruction. The ardor of her ineffable charity during this
prayer rose to such a pitch, that it would have destroyed her life, if it had
not been sustained by divine power.
720. Thereupon her divine Son
descended in person from heaven and appeared to her on this place of his death.
Answering her petitions He said: "My Mother and my Dove, Coadjutrix in the work of human Redemption, thy petitions
have come to my hearing and have touched my heart. I promise Thee that I shall
be most liberal with men, and I shall dispense to them continually the helps of
my graces and favors, in order that with their own free will they may merit the
glory earned for them by my blood, if they do not of their own accord despise
this happiness. In heaven thou shalt be their Mediatrix
and Advocate; and all those that shall obtain thy intercession I shall fill
with my treasures and infinite mercies." This promise therefore was
renewed by the Lord on the very place on which He had redeemed us. The most
blessed Virgin, prostrate at his feet, gave Him thanks and there begged Him by
his precious and bloody Death, to give Her his last benediction. The Lord gave
it, ratified all his royal promises, and then returned to the right hand of his
eternal Father. Comforted in her loving anguish, the most blessed Mary pursued
her devotions, kissed and worshipped the ground on Calvary, saying: "Holy
earth and consecrated spot, from heaven shall I look upon thee with reverence,
bathed in that light, which manifests all in its fount and origin and from
whence came forth the divine Word to enrich thee in his immortal flesh."
Then She again charged the holy angels to assist Her in the custody of
those sacred places, to inspire with holy thoughts all the faithful who
should visit them with devotion, so that they might know and esteem properly
the admirable blessing of the Redemption wrought thereon. She charged them also
with the defense of those sanctuaries; and if the temerity and the crimes of
men had not demerited this favor, without a doubt the
holy angels would have warded off the profanations of the heathens and the
infidels. Even as it is, they defend them in many ways to the present day.
721. The Queen asked also the
angels of the sanctuaries and the Evangelist to give Her their blessing in this
last leave-taking; and therewith She returned to her oratory shedding tears of tenderest affection for what She loved so much upon earth.
There She prostrated Herself with her face upon the earth and poured forth
another long and most fervent prayer for the Church; and She persevered in it,
until in an abstractive vision of the Divinity, the Lord had given Her
assurance that He had heard and conceded her petitions at the throne of his
mercy. In order to give the last touch of holiness to her works, She asked
permission of the Lord to take leave of the holy Church, saying: "Exalted
and most high God, Redeemer of the world, head of the saints and the
predestined, Justifier and Glorifier of souls, I am a child of the holy Church,
planted and acquired by thy blood. Give me, 0 Lord, permission to take leave of
such a loving Mother, and of all my brethren, thy children, belonging to
it." She was made aware of the consent of the Lord and therefore turned to
the mystical body of the Church, addressing it in sweet tears as follows:
722. "Holy Catholic
Church, which in the coming ages shall be called the Roman, my mother and
Mistress, true treasure of my soul, thou hast been the only consolation of my
banishment; the refuge and ease of my labors; my recreation, my joy and my
hope; thou hast sustained me in my course; in thee have I lived as a pilgrim to
the Fatherland; and thou hast nourished me after I had received in thee my
existence in grace through thy head, Christ Jesus, my Son and my Lord. In thee
are the treasures and the riches of his infinite merits; thou shalt be for his
faithful children the secure way to the promised land, and thou shalt safeguard
them on their dangerous and difficult pilgrimage. Thou shalt be the mistress of
the nations to whom all owe reverence; in thee are the rich and inestimable
jewels of the anxieties, labors, affronts, hardships, torments, of the cross
and of death, which are all consecrated by those of my Lord, thy Progenitor,
thy Master, thy Chief, and are reserved for his more distinguished servants and
his dearest friends. Thou hast adorned and enriched me with thy jewels in order
that I might enter in the nuptials of the Spouse; thou hast made me wealthy,
prosperous and happy, and thou containest within thee
thy Author in the most holy Sacrament. My happy Mother, Church militant, rich
art thou and abundant in treasures! For thee have I always reserved my heart
and my solicitude; but now is the time come to part from thee and leave thy
sweet companionship, in order to reach the end of my course. Make me partaker
of thy great goods; bathe me copiously in the sacred liquor of the blood of the
Lamb, preserved in thee as a powerful means of sanctifying many worlds. At the
cost of my life a thousand times would I bring to thee all the nations and
tribes of mortals, that they might enjoy thy treasures. My beloved Church, my
honor and my glory, I am about to leave thee in mortal life; but in the eternal
life I will find thee joyful in an existence which includes all good. From that
place I shall look upon thee with love, and pray always for thy increase, thy
prosperity and thy progress."
723. This was the parting of
the most blessed Mary from the mystical body of the holy Roman Catholic Church,
the mother of the faithful, in order that all who should hear of Her, might
know by her sweet tears and endearments, in what veneration, love and esteem
She held that holy Church. After thus taking leave, the great Mistress, as the
Mother of Wisdom, prepared to make her testament and last Will. When She
manifested this most prudent wish to the Lord, He deigned to approve of it by
his own royal presence. For this purpose, with myriads of attending angels, the
three Persons of the most blessed Trinity descended to the oratory of their
Daughter and Spouse, and when the Queen had adored the infinite Being of God,
She heard a voice speaking to Her: "Our chosen Spouse, make thy last will
as thou desirest, for We shall confirm it and execute
it entirely by our infinite power." The most prudent Mother remained for
some time lost in the profoundness of her humility, seeking to know first the
will of the Most High before She should manifest her own. The Lord responded to
her modest desires and the person of the Father said to Her: "My Daughter,
thy will shall be pleasing and acceptable to Me; for thou art not wanting in
the merits of good works in parting from this mortal life, that I should not
satisfy thy desires." The same encouragement was given to Her by the Son
and the Holy Ghost. Therewith the most blessed Mary made her will in this form:
724. "Highest Lord and
eternal God, I, a vile wormlet of the earth, confess
and adore Thee with all the reverence of my inmost soul as the Father, the Son
and the Holy Ghost, three Persons distinct in one undivided and eternal
essence, one substance, one in infinite majesty of attributes and perfection. I
confess Thee as the one true Creator and Preserver of all that has being. In
thy kingly presence I declare and say, that my last will is this: Of the goods
of mortal life and of the world in which I live, I possess none that I can
leave; for never have I possessed or loved anything beside Thee, who art my
good and all my possession. To the heavens, the stars and planets, to the
elements and all creatures in them I give thanks, because according to thy will
they have sustained me without my merit, and lovingly I desire and ask them to
serve and praise Thee in the offices and ministries assigned to them, and that
they continue to sustain and benefit my brethren and fellowmen. In order that
they may do it so much the better, I renounce and assign to mankind the
possession, and as far as possible, the dominion of them, which thy Majesty has
given me over these irrational creatures, so that they may now serve and
sustain my fellowmen. Two tunics and a cloak, which served to cover me, I leave
to John for his disposal, since I hold him as a son. My body I ask the earth to
receive again for thy service, since it is the common mother and serves Thee as
thy creature; my soul, despoiled of its body and of all visible things, o my
God, I resign into thy hands, in order that it may love and magnify Thee
through all thy eternities. My merits and all the treasures, which with thy
grace through my works and exertions I have acquired, I leave to the holy
Church, my mother and my mistress, as my residuary heiress, and with thy
permission I there deposit them, wishing them to be much greater. And I desire
that before all else they redound to the exaltation of thy holy name and
procure the fulfillment of thy will on earth as it is done in heaven, and that
all the nations come to the knowledge, love and veneration of Thee, the true
God."
725. "In the second
place I offer these merits for my masters the Apostles and priests, of the
present and of the future ages, so that in view of them thy ineffable clemency
may make them apt ministers, worthy of their office and state, filled with
wisdom, virtue and holiness, by which they may edify and sanctify the souls
redeemed by thy blood. In the third place I offer them for the spiritual good
of my devoted servants, who invoke and call upon me, in order that they may
receive thy protection and grace, and afterwards eternal life. In the fourth
place I desire that my services and labors may move Thee to mercy toward all
the sinning children of Adam, in order that they may withdraw from their sinful
state. From this hour on I propose and desire to continue my prayers for them
in thy divine presence, as long as the world shall last. This, Lord and my God,
is my last will, always subject to thy own." At the conclusion of this
testament of the Queen, the most blessed Trinity approved and confirmed it; and
Christ the Redeemer, as if authorizing it all, witnessed it by writing in the
heart of his Mother these words: "Let it be done as thou wishest and ordainest."
726. If all we children of
Adam, and especially we who are born in the law of grace, had no other
obligation toward the most blessed Mary than this of having been constituted
heirs of her immense merits and of all that is mentioned in this short and
mysterious testament, we could never repay our debt, even if in return we
should offer our lives and endure all the sufferings of the most courageous
martyrs and saints. I do not compare them with the infinite merits and
treasures left by Christ our Savior in the Church, because that is not
possible. But what excuse or pretense have the reprobate, who avail themselves
neither of the one nor the other? All of them they despise, forget and
squander. What torment and despair will be theirs, when they unavailingly come
to know that they have lost forever such great blessings and treasures for a
momentary delight? Let them confess the justice and equity with which they are
chastised and cast off by the Lord and his loving Mother, whom they despised in
such foolish temerity.
727. When the great Queen had
made her testament, She gave thanks to the Almighty and asked permission to add
another petition, saying: "Most clement Lord and Father of mercies, if it
is according to thy pleasure, my soul desires that at its departure be present
the Apostles, my masters and thy anointed, together with the other disciples,
in order that they pray for me and bless me at my transition from this to the
eternal life." To this her divine Son answered: "My most beloved
Mother, the Apostles are already on the way to come to thee, and those that are
near shall shortly arrive, while those that are far off shall be carried by my
angels; because, for my and thy greater glory it is my will that all assist at
thy glorious departure for the eternal mansions, so that thou and they may be
consoled." For this new favor the most blessed Mary gave thanks prostrate
upon the ground, and therewith the three divine Persons returned to the
empyrean heavens. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF THE
ANGELS, MOST HOLY MARY, GAVE ME.
728. My daughter, since thou admirest my esteem and love for the holy Church, I wish to
assist thy affection in conceiving new appreciation and love for it. Thou canst
not in thy mortal flesh understand what passed in my soul in contemplating the
holy Church. In addition to what thou hast understood already, thou wilt see
more, if thou consider what moved my heart; namely, the loving works of my
divine Son in the interest of the holy Church; they should be thy meditation
day and night; for in what He did for the Church, thou wilt be able to estimate
his love toward it. In order to be its Head and the Chief of the predestined in
this world and forever (Col. 1, 18; Rom. 8, 29), He descended from the bosom of
the eternal Father and assumed flesh in my womb. In order to regain his
children (Luke 19, 10), lost through the first sin of Adam, He took passible and mortal flesh. In order to leave the example of
his unblemished life and his true and salutary doctrine (I Pet. 2, 21), He
lived and conversed with men thirty-three years (Baruch 3, 38). In order to
redeem them effectually and merit for them infinite blessings of grace and
glory, which they themselves could not merit, He suffered most cruelly, shed
his blood accepting a most painful and frightful death on the Cross (Phil. 2,
8). In order that from his sacred body after its death might spring
mysteriously his Church, He permitted it to be torn by the lance (John 19, 34).
729. Since the eternal Father
was so well pleased with his Life, Passion and Death, the Redeemer instituted
in his Church the sacrifice of his body and blood (Luke 22, 19), in which his
memory should live and which the faithful might offer as a satisfaction and
peace-offering to the divine Justice. At the same time through it He wished to
remain perpetually present in his Church as a Sacrament for the spiritual
nourishment of its children and as a fountain of grace, a viaticum and certain
pledge of eternal life. In addition to this He sent upon his holy Church the
Holy Ghost, to fill it with his gifts and his wisdom, promising that He should
guide and govern it always without error free from uncertainty and danger (John
15, 26). He enriched it with all the merits of his Life, Passion and Death,
applying them by means of the Sacraments, furnishing all that was necessary for
men from their birth to their death for cleansing them from their sins, for
persevering in grace, for defending themselves against the demons and
vanquishing them by the arms of his Church, for crushing their own natural
passions; and at the same time He instituted fit and apt ministers for securing
to his faithful all these blessings. In the Church militant He communicates
familiarly with all the holy souls; He makes them participants in his hidden
and secret favors; He works wonders and miracles for them, and when it is for
his glory, assumes their works; He hears their prayers for themselves or for
others, thus maintaining the communion of saints.
730. He left in it also other
fountains of light and truth, the holy Gospels and writings dictated by the
Holy Ghost, the decisions of the sacred councils, the assured and ancient
traditions. He sends at opportune times holy doctors full of wisdom; He
furnishes teachers and learned men, preachers and ministers in abundance. He
spreads the renown of the Church through his wonderful saints; beautifies it
with a variety of religious orders, wherein the perfect and apostolic life is
professed and preserved; He governs it by many prelates and dignitaries. In
order that all may proceed in harmony, He placed over it a supreme head, the
Roman Pontiff, his vicar, with the plenitude of highest and divine authority,
as the head of this mystical and most beautiful body. He defends and protects
him to the end of the world against all the powers of the earth and the
infernal abysses (Matth. 16, 18). Among all these
blessings bestowed and still to be bestowed upon his beloved Church, not the
least one was, that he left me in it after his wonderful Ascension in order
that it might be spread and governed by my merits and my presence. From that
time on and forever I hold this Church as my possession; for the Most High has
consigned it to me as a gift and has commanded me to take care of it as its
Mother and Mistress.
731. These, my dearest, are
the greatest reasons and motives for my past and present love of the holy
Church, here made known to thee; and I desire that they rouse and enkindle thy
heart to an ardent performance of all that pertains to thee as my disciple, as
my daughter and that of the holy Church. Love it, respect and esteem it from
thy whole heart, enjoy its treasures, gather in the riches of heaven, deposited
together with its Author, in his Church. Seek to unite it with thee and to
unite thyself with it; for in it thou findest thy
refuge and thy salvation, consolement in thy labors,
hope in thy banishment, light and truth to guide thee in the darkness of this
world. For this holy Church I desire thee to labor during all the rest of thy
life; since this is the purpose for which thou hast been called into existence;
thus shalt thou imitate and follow me in my tireless solicitude for the Church
on earth; this is thy greatest good fortune, for which thou owest
eternal gratitude. I wish thee, my daughter, to be mindful of the fact, that
with this desire and intent I have applied to thee a great portion of the
treasures of the Church for the writing of my life; and the Lord has chosen
thee as an instrument and as secretary of its mysteries and hidden sacraments
for purposes of his greater glory. Do not conceive, that by having labored
somewhat in this work, that thou hast made even a partial return, absolving thee
of thy obligations; but rather feel thyself more deeply pledged and obliged to
put in practice the doctrine thou hast recorded; and as long as thou refusest to do so, thou wilt remain poor, unrelieved of thy
indebtedness, and subject to a rigorous account for all thou hast received. Now
is the time to work, so that thou mayest find thyself
prepared, at leisure, and disengaged to receive the Spouse at the hour of
death. Look upon my freedom and detachment from all earthly things: govern
thyself by it, and let not the oil of light and of love fail thee (Matth. 25, 3), in order that thou mayest
enter the nuptials of the Spouse through the open gates of his infinite mercy
and clemency.
THE GLORIOUS AND HAPPY
TRANSITION OF THE MOST HOLY MARY. HOW THE APOSTLES AND DISCIPLES ARRIVED
PREVIOUSLY IN JERUSALEM AND WERE PRESENT AT HER DEATH.
732. And now, according to
the decree of the divine will, the day was approaching in which the true and
living Ark of the covenant was to be placed in the temple of the celestial
Jerusalem, with a greater glory and higher jubilee than its prophetic figure
was installed by Solomon in the sanctuary beneath the wings of the cherubim
(III King 8, 8). Three days before the most happy Transition of the great Lady
the Apostles and disciples were gathered in Jerusalem and in the Cenacle. The
first one to arrive was saint Peter, who was transported from Rome by the hands
of an angel. At that place the angel appeared to him and told him that the
passing away of the most blessed Mary was imminent and that the Lord commanded
him to go to Jerusalem in order to be present at that event. Thereupon the
angel took him up and brought him from Italy to the Cenacle. Thither the Queen
of the world had retired, somewhat weakened in body by the force of her divine
love; for since She was so near to her end, She was subjected more completely
to love's effects.
733. The great Lady came to
the entrance of her oratory in order to receive the vicar of Christ our Savior.
Kneeling at his feet She asked his blessing and said: "I give thanks and
praise to the Almighty, that He has brought to me the holy Father for assisting
me in the hour of my death." Then came saint Paul, to whom the Queen
showed the same reverence with similar tokens of her pleasure at seeing him.
The Apostles saluted Her as the Mother of God, as their Queen and as Mistress
of all creation; but with a sorrow equal to their reverence, because they knew
that they had come to witness her passing away. After these Apostles came the
others and the disciples still living. Three days after, they were all
assembled in the Cenacle. The heavenly Mother received them all with profound
humility, reverence and love, asking each one to bless Her. All of them
complied, and saluted Her with admirable reverence. By orders of the Lady given
to saint John, and with the assistance of saint James the less, they were all
hospitably entertained and accommodated.
734. Some of the Apostles who
had been transported by the angels and informed by them of the purpose of their
coming, were seized with tenderest grief and shed
abundant tears at the thought of losing their only protection and consolation.
Others were as yet ignorant of their approaching loss, especially the
disciples, who had not been positively informed by the angels, but were moved
by interior inspirations and a sweet and forcible intimation of God's will to
come to Jerusalem. They immediately conferred with saint Peter, desirous of
knowing the occasion of their meeting; for all of them were convinced, that if
there had been no special occasion, the Lord would not have urged them so
strongly to come. The apostle saint Peter, as the head of the Church, called
them all together in order to tell them of the cause of their coming, and spoke
to the assembly: "My dearest children and
brethren, the Lord has called and brought us to Jerusalem from remote regions
not without a cause most urgent and sorrowful to us. The Most High wishes now
to raise up to the throne of eternal glory his most blessed Mother, our
Mistress, our consolation and protection. His divine decree is that we all be
present at her most happy and glorious Transition. When our Master and Redeemer
ascended to the right hand of his Father, although He left us orphaned of his
most delightful presence, we still retained his most blessed Mother. As our
light now leaves us, what shall we do? What help or hope have we to encourage
us on our pilgrimage? I find none except the hope that we all shall follow Her
in due time."
735. Saint Peter could speak
no farther, because uncontrollable tears and sighs interrupted him. Neither
could the rest of the Apostles answer for a long time, during which, amid
copious and tenderest tears, they gave vent to the
groans of their inmost heart. After some time the vicar of Christ recovered
himself and added: "My children, let us seek the presence of our Mother
and Lady. Let us spend the time left of her life in her company and ask Her to
bless us." They all betook themselves to the oratory of the great Queen and
found Her kneeling upon a couch, on which She was wont to recline for a short
rest. They saw Her full of beauty and celestial light, surrounded by the
thousand angels of her guard.
736. The natural condition
and appearance of her sacred and virginal body were the same as at her
thirty-third year; for, as I have already stated, from that age onward it
experienced no change. It was not affected by the passing years, showing no
signs of age, no wrinkles in her face or body, nor giving signs of weakening or
fading, as in other children of Adam, who gradually fall away and drop from the
natural perfection of early man or womanhood. This unchangeableness was the
privilege of the most blessed Mary alone, as well because it consorted with the
stability of her purest soul, as because it was the natural consequence of her
immunity from the sin of Adam, the effects of which in this regard touched
neither her sacred body nor her purest soul. The Apostles and disciples, and
some of the other faithful, occupied her chamber, all of them preserving the
utmost order in her presence. Saint Peter and saint John placed themselves at
the head of the couch. The great Lady looked upon them all with her accustomed
modesty and reverence and spoke to them as follows: "My dearest children,
give permission to your servant to speak in your presence and to disclose my
humble desires." Saint Peter answered that all listened with attention and
would obey Her in all things; and he begged Her to seat Herself upon the couch,
while speaking to them. It seemed to saint Peter that She was exhausted from
kneeling so long and that She had taken that position in order to pray to the
Lord, and that in speaking to them, it was proper She should be seated as their
Queen.
737. But She, who was the Teacher
of humility and obedience unto death, practiced both these virtues in that
hour. She answered that She would obey in asking of them their blessing, and
besought them to afford Her this consolation. With the permission of saint
Peter She left the couch and, kneeling before the Apostle, said to him:
"My lord, I beseech thee, as the universal pastor and head of the holy
Church, to give me thy blessing in thy own and in its name. Pardon me thy
handmaid for the smallness of the service I have rendered in my life. Grant
that John dispose of my vestments, the two tunics, giving them to the two poor
maidens, who have always obliged me by their charity." She then prostrated
Herself and kissed the feet of saint Peter as the vicar of Christ, by her
abundant tears eliciting not less the admiration than the tears of the Apostle
and of all the bystanders. From saint Peter She went to saint John, and
kneeling likewise at his feet, said: "Pardon, my son and my master, my not
having fulfilled toward thee the duties of a Mother as I ought and as the Lord
had commanded me, when from the Cross He appointed thee as my son and me as thy
mother (John 19,27). I humbly and from my heart thank thee for the kindness
which thou hast shown me as a son. Give me thy benediction for entering into
the vision and company of Him who created me."
738. The sweetest Mother
proceeded in her leave-taking, speaking to each of the Apostles in particular
and to some of the disciples; and then to all the assembly together; for there
were a great number. She rose to her feet and addressed them all, saying:
"Dearest children and my masters, always have I kept you in my soul and
written in my heart. I have loved you with that tender love and charity, which
was given to me by my divine Son, whom I have seen in you, his chosen friends.
In obedience to his holy and eternal will, I now go to the eternal mansions,
where I promise you as a Mother I will look upon you by the clearest light of
the Divinity, the vision of which my soul hopes and desires in security. I
commend unto you my mother, the Church, the exaltation of the name of the Most
High, the spread of the evangelical law, the honor and veneration for the words
of my divine Son, the memory of his Passion and Death, the practice of his
doctrine. My children, love the Church, and love one another with that bond of
charity, which your Master has always inculcated upon you (John 13,34). To
thee, Peter, holy Pontiff, I commend my son John and all the rest."
739. The words of the most
blessed Mary, like arrows of a divine fire, penetrated the hearts of all the
Apostles and hearers, and as She ceased speaking, all of them were dissolved in
streams of tears and, seized with irreparable sorrow, cast themselves upon the
ground with sighs and groans sufficient to move to compassion the very earth.
All of them wept, and with them wept also the sweetest Mary, who could not
resist this bitter and well-founded sorrow of her children. After some time She
spoke to them again, and asked them to pray with Her and for Her in silence,
which they did. During this quietness the incarnate Word descended from heaven
on a throne of ineffable glory, accompanied by all the saints and innumerable
angels, and the house of the Cenacle was filled with glory. The most blessed
Mary adored the Lord and kissed his feet. Prostrate before Him She made the
last and most profound act of faith and humility in her mortal life. On this
occasion the most pure Creature, the Queen of the heavens, shrank within
Herself and lowered Herself to the earth more profoundly than all men together
ever have or ever will humiliate themselves for all their sins. Her divine Son
gave Her his blessing and in the presence of the courtiers of heaven spoke to
Her these words: "My dearest Mother, whom I have chosen for my dwelling
place, the hour is come in which thou art to pass from the life of this death
and of the world into the glory of my Father and mine, where thou shalt possess
the throne prepared for thee at my right hand and enjoy it through all
eternity. And since, by my power and as my Mother, I have caused thee to enter
the world free and exempt from sin, therefore also death shall have no tight or
permission to touch thee at thy exit from this world. If thou wishest not to pass through it, come with Me now to partake
of my glory, which thou hast merited."
740. The most prudent Mother
prostrated Herself at the feet of her Son and with a joyous countenance
answered: "My Son and my Lord, I beseech Thee let thy mother and thy
servant enter into eternal life by the common portal of natural death, like the
other children of Adam. Thou, who art my true God, hast suffered death without
being obliged to do so; it is proper that, as I have followed Thee in life, so
I follow Thee also in death." Christ the Savior approved of the decision
and the sacrifice of his most blessed Mother, and consented to its fulfillment. Then all the angels began to
sing in celestial harmony some of the verses of the Canticles of Solomon and
other new ones. Although only saint John and some of the Apostles were
enlightened as to the presence of Christ the Savior, yet the others felt in
their interior its divine and powerful effects; but the music was heard as well
by the Apostles and disciples, as by many others of the faithful there present.
A divine fragrance also spread about, which penetrated even to the street. The
house of the Cenacle was filled with a wonderful effulgence, visible to all,
and the Lord ordained that multitudes of the people of Jerusalem gathered in
the streets as witnesses to this new miracle.
741. When the angels began
their music, the most blessed Mary reclined back upon her couch or bed. Her
tunic was folded about her sacred body, her hands were joined and her eyes
fixed upon her divine Son, and She was entirely inflamed with the fire of
divine love. And as the angels intoned those verses of the second chapter of
the Canticles: "Surge, propera, arnica
mea," that is to say: "Arise, haste, my beloved, my dove, my
beautiful one, and come, the winter has passed," etc., She pronounced
those words of her Son on the Cross: "Into thy hands, 0 Lord, I commend my
spirit." Then She closed her virginal eyes and expired. The sickness which
took away her life was love, without any other weakness or accidental intervention
of whatever kind. She died at the moment when the divine power suspended the
assistance, which until then had counteracted the sensible ardors of her
burning love of God. As soon as this miraculous assistance was withdrawn, the
fire of her love consumed the life-humors of her heart and thus caused the
cessation of her earthly existence.
742. Then this most pure Soul
passed from her virginal body to be placed in boundless glory, on the throne at
the right hand of her divine Son. Immediately the music of the angels seemed to
withdraw to the upper air; for that whole procession of angels and saints
accompanied the King and Queen to the empyrean heavens. The sacred body of the
most blessed Mary, which had been the temple and sanctuary of God in life,
continued to shine with an effulgent light and breathed forth such a wonderful
and unheard of fragrance, that all the bystanders were filled with interior and
exterior sweetness. The thousand angels of her guard remained to watch over the
inestimable treasure of her virginal body. The Apostles and disciples, amid the
tears and the joy of the wonders they had seen, were absorbed in admiration for
some time, and then sang many hymns and psalms in honor of the most blessed
Mary now departed. This glorious Transition of the great Queen took place in
the hour in which her divine Son had died, at three o'clock on a Friday, the
thirteenth day of August, she being seventy years of age, less the twenty-six
days intervening between the thirteenth of August, on which She died, and the eighth
of September, the day of her birth. The heavenly Mother had survived the death
of Christ the Savior twenty-one years, four months and nineteen days; and his
virginal birth, fifty-five years. This reckoning can be easily made in the
following manner: when Christ our Savior was born, his virginal Mother was
fifteen years, three months and seventeen days of age. The Lord lived
thirty-three years and three months; so that at the time of his sacred Passion
the most blessed Lady was forty-eight years, six months and seventeen days old;
adding to these another twenty-one years, four months and nineteen days, we
ascertain her age as seventy years, less twenty-five or twenty-six days. *
743. Great wonders and
prodigies happened at the precious death of the Queen; for the sun was eclipsed
(as I said above in No. 706) and its light was hidden in sorrow for some hours.
Many birds of different kinds gathered around the Cenacle, and by their
sorrowful clamors and groans for a while caused the bystanders themselves to
weep. All Jerusalem was in commotion, and many of the inhabitants collected in
astonished crowds, confessing loudly the power of God and the greatness of his
works. Others were astounded and as if beside themselves. The Apostles and
disciples with others of the faithful broke forth in tears and sighs. Many sick
persons came who all were cured. The souls in purgatory were released. But the
greatest miracle was that three persons, a man in Jerusalem and two women
living in the immediate neighborhood of the Cenacle, died in sin and impenitent
in that same hour, subject to eternal damnation; but In figures as follows:
Birth of Christ, 15 years, 3 months, 17 days. Death of Christ, 33 years, 3
months, .. days. 48 years, 6 months, 17 days. Death of Mary, 21 years, 4
months, 19 days. Age at death. 69 years, 11 months, 5 or 6 days when their
cause came before the tribunal of Christ, his sweetest Mother interceded for
them and they were restored to life. They so mended their conduct, that
afterwards they died in grace and were saved. This privilege was not extended
to others that died on that day in the world, but was restricted to those three
who happened to die in that hour in Jerusalem. What festivities were celebrated
on that occasion in heaven I will describe in another chapter, lest heavenly
things be mixed up with the sacred things of earth. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE GREAT QUEEN OF
HEAVEN, MOST HOLY MARY, GAVE ME.
744. My daughter, besides
what thou hast understood and written of my glorious Transition, I wish to
inform thee of another privilege, which was conceded to me by my divine Son in
that hour. Thou hast already recorded, that the Lord offered me the choice of
entering into beatific vision either with or without passing through the
portals of death. If I had preferred not to die, the Most High would have
conceded this favor, because sin had no part in me, and hence also not its
punishment, which is death. Thus it would also have been with my divine Son,
and with a greater right, if He had not taken upon Himself the satisfaction of
the divine justice for men through his Passion and Death. Hence I chose death
freely in order to imitate and follow Him, as also I did during his grievous
passion. Since I had seen my Son and true God die, I would not have satisfied
the love Him, if I had refused death, and I would have left a great gap in my
conformity to and my imitation of my Lord the Godman,
whereas He wished me to bear a great likeness to Him in his most sacred
humanity. As I would thereafter never be able to make up for such a defect, my
soul would not enjoy the plenitude of the delight of having died as did my Lord
and God.
745. Hence my choosing to die
was so pleasing to Him, and my prudent love therein obliged Him to such an
extent, that in return He immediately conceded to me a singular favor for the
benefit of the children of the Church and conformable to my wishes. It was
this, that all those devoted to me, who should call upon me at the hour of
death, constituting me as their Advocate in memory of my happy Transition and
of my desiring to imitate Him in death, shall be under my special protection in
that hour, shall have me as a defense against the demons, as a help and
protection, and shall be presented by me before the tribunal of his mercy and
there experience my intercession. In consequence the Lord gave me a new power
and commission and He promised to confer great helps of his grace for a good
death and for a purer life on all those who in veneration of this mystery of my
precious death, should invoke my aid. Hence I desire thee, my beloved daughter,
from this day on to keep in thy inmost heart a devout and loving memory of this
mystery, and to bless, praise, and magnify the Omnipotent, because He wrought
such sacred miracles for me and for the mortals. By this solicitude thou wilt
oblige the Lord and me to come to thy aid in that last hour.
746. And since death follows
upon life and ordinarily corresponds with it, therefore the surest pledge of a
good death is a good life; a life in which the heart is freed and detached from
earthly love. For this it is, which in that last hour afflicts and oppresses
the soul and which is like a heavy chain restraining its liberty and preventing
it from rising above the things loved in this world. O my daughter! How greatly
do mortals misunderstand this truth, and how far they err from it in their
actions! The Lord gives them life in order that they may free themselves from
the effects of original sin, so as to be unhampered by them at the hour of
their death; and the ignorant and miserable children of Adam spend all their
life in loading upon themselves new burdens and fetters, so that they die
captives of their passions and in the tyranny of their hellish foes. I had no
share in original sin and none of its effects had any power over my faculties;
nevertheless I lived in the greatest constraint, in poverty and detached from
earthly things, most perfect and holy; and this holy freedom I did indeed
experience at the hour of my death. Consider then, my daughter, and be mindful
of this living example; free thy heart more and more each day, so that with
advancing years thou mayest find thyself more free,
more detached and averted from visible things, and so that when the Spouse
shall call thee to his nuptials, thou wilt not need to seek in vain the
required freedom and prudence. THE BURIAL OF THE SACRED BODY OF THE
MOST BLESSED MARY, AND WHAT HAPPENED THEREAT.
747. In order that the
Apostles, the disciples, and many others of the faithful might not be too deeply
oppressed by sorrow, and in order that some of them might not die of grief
caused by the passing away of the most blessed Mary, it was necessary that the
divine power, by an especial providence, furnish them with consolation and
dilate their heart for new influences in their incomparable affliction. For the
feeling, that their loss was irretrievable in the present life, could not be
repressed; the privation of such a Treasure could never find a recompense; and
as the most sweet, loving and amiable intercourse and conversation of their
great Queen had ravished the heart of each one, the ceasing of her protection
and company left them as it were without the breath of life. But the Lord, who
well knew how to estimate the just cause of their sorrow, secretly upheld them
by his encouragements and so they set about the fitting burial of the sacred
body and whatever the occasion demanded.
748. Accordingly the holy
Apostles, on whom this duty specially devolved, held a conference concerning
the burial of the most sacred body of their Queen and Lady. They selected for
that purpose a new sepulchre, which had been prepared
mysteriously by the providence of her divine Son. As they remembered, that,
according to the custom of the Jews at burial, the deified body of their Master
had been anointed with precious ointments and spices and wrapped in the sacred
burial cloths; they thought not of doing otherwise with the virginal body of
his most holy Mother. Accordingly they called the two maidens, who had assisted
the Queen during her life and who had been designated as the heiresses of her
tunics, and instructed them to anoint the body of the Mother of God with
highest reverence and modesty and wrap it in the winding-sheets before it
should be placed in the casket. With great reverence and fear the two maidens
entered the room, where the body of the blessed Lady lay upon its couch; but
the refulgence issuing from it barred and blinded them in such a manner that
they could neither see nor touch the body, nor even ascertain in what
particular place it rested.
749. In fear and reverence
still greater than on their entrance, the maidens left the room; and in great
excitement and wonder they told the Apostles what had happened. They, not
without divine inspiration, came to the conclusion, that this sacred Ark of the
covenant was not to be touched or handled in the common way. Then saint Peter
and saint John entered the oratory and perceived the effulgence, and at the
same time they heard the celestial music of the angels, who were singing:
"Hail Mary, full of
grace, the Lord is with thee." Others responded: "A Virgin before
childbirth, in childbirth and after childbirth." From that time on many of
the faithful expressed their devotion toward the most blessed Mary in these
words of praise; and from them they were handed down to be repeated by us with
the approbation of the holy Church. The two holy Apostles, saint Peter and
saint John, were for a time lost in admiration at what they saw and heard of
their Queen; and in order to decide what to do, they sank on their knees,
beseeching the Lord to make it known. Then they heard a voice saying: "Let
not the sacred body be either uncovered or touched."
750. Having thus been
informed of the will of God, they brought a bier, and, the effulgence having
diminished somewhat, they approached the couch and with their own hands
reverently took hold of the tunic at the two ends. Thus, without changing its
posture, they raised the sacred and virginal Treasure and placed it on the bier
in the same position as it had occupied on the couch. They could easily do
this, because they felt no more weight than that of the tunic. On this bier the
former effulgence of the body moderated still more, and all of them, by
disposition of the Lord and for the consolation of all those present, could now
perceive and study the beauty of that virginal countenance and of her hands. As
for the rest, the omnipotence of God protected this his heavenly dwelling, so
that neither in life nor in death anyone should behold any other part except
what is common in ordinary conversation, namely, her most inspiring
countenance, by which She had been known, and her hands, by which She had
labored.
751. So great was the care
and solicitude for his most blessed Mother, that in this particular He used not
so much precaution in regard to his own body, as that of the most pure Virgin.
In her Immaculate Conception He made Her like to Himself; likewise at her
birth, in as far as it did not take place in the common and natural manner of other
men. He preserved Her also from impure temptations and thoughts. But, as He was
man and the Redeemer of the world through his Passion and Death, He permitted
with his own body, what He would not allow with Hers, as that of a woman, and
therefore He kept her virginal body entirely concealed; in fact the most pure
Lady during her life had Herself asked that no one should be permitted to look
upon it in death; which petition He fulfilled. Then the Apostles consulted
further about her burial. Their decision becoming known among the multitudes of
the faithful in Jerusalem, they brought many candles to be lighted at the bier,
and it happened that all the lights burned through that day and the two
following days without any of the candles being consumed or wasted in any shape
or manner.
752. In order that this and
many other miracles wrought by the power of God on this occasion might become
better known to the world, the Lord himself inspired all the inhabitants of
Jerusalem to be present at the burial of his most blessed Mother, so that there
was scarcely any person in Jerusalem, even of the Jews or the gentiles, who
were not attracted by the novelty of this spectacle. The Apostles took upon
their shoulders the sacred body and the tabernacle of God and, as priests of
the evangelical law, bore the Propitiatory of the divine oracles and blessings
in orderly procession from the Cenacle in the city to the valley of Josaphat. This was the visible accompaniment of the dwellers
of Jerusalem. But besides this there was another invisible multitude, that of
the courtiers of heaven. It was composed of the thousand angels of the Queen,
continuing their celestial songs, which were heard by the Apostles and
disciples and many others, and which sweetly continued for three days. In
addition to these many other spirits had descended from heaven, namely, many
thousands or legions of angels with the ancient Patriarchs and Prophets, among
whom were saint Joachim, saint Anne, saint Joseph, saint Elisabeth and the
Baptist and numerous other saints, who were sent by our Savior Jesus to assist
at the exequies and burial of his most blessed
Mother.
753. In the midst of this
celestial and earthly accompaniment, visible and invisible, the Apostles bore
along the sacred body, and on the way happened great miracles, which would take
much time to relate. In particular all the sick, of which there were many of
the different kinds, were entirely cured. Many of the possessed were freed from
the demons; for the evil spirits did not dare to wait until the sacred body
came near the persons thus afflicted. Greater still were the miracles of
conversions wrought among many Jews and gentiles, for on this occasion were
opened up the treasures of divine mercy, so that many souls came to the
knowledge of Christ our Savior and loudly confessed Him as the true God and
Redeemer, demanding Baptism. Many days thereafter the Apostles and disciples
labored hard in catechizing and baptising those, who
on that day had been converted to the holy faith. The Apostles in carrying the
sacred body felt wonderful effects of divine light and consolation, in which
the disciples shared according to their measure. All the multitudes of the
people were seized with astonishment at the fragrance diffused about, the sweet
music and the other prodigies. They proclaimed God great and powerful in this
Creature and in testimony of their acknowledgment, they struck their breasts in
sorrow and compunction.
754. When the procession came
to the holy sepulchre in the valley of Josaphat, the same two Apostles, saint Peter and saint
John, who had laid the celestial Treasure from the couch onto the bier, with
joyful reverence placed it in the sepulchre and
covered it with a linen cloth, the hands of the angels performing more of these
last rites than the hands of the Apostles. They closed up the sepulchre with a large stone, according to custom at other
burials. The celestial courtiers returned to heaven, while the thousand angels
of the Queen continued their watch, guarding the sacred body and keeping up the
music as at her burial. The concourse of the people lessened and the holy
Apostles and disciples, dissolved in tender tears, returned to the Cenacle.
During a whole year the exquisite fragrance exhaled by the body of the Queen
was noticeable throughout the Cenacle, and in her oratory, for many years. This
sanctuary remained a place of refuge for all those that were burdened with
labor and difficulties; all found miraculous assistance, as well in sickness as
in hardships and necessities of other kind. After these miracles had continued
for some years in Jerusalem, the sins of Jerusalem and of its inhabitants drew
upon this city, among other punishments, that of being deprived of this
inestimable blessing.
755. Having again gathered in
the Cenacle, the Apostles came to the conclusion that some of them and of the
disciples should watch at the sepulchre of their
Queen as long as they should hear the celestial music, for all of them were
wondering when the end of that miracle should be. Accordingly some of them
attended to the affairs of the Church in catechizing and baptizing the new
converts; and others immediately returned to the sepulchre,
while all of them paid frequent visits to it during the next three days. Saint
Peter and saint John, however, were more zealous in their attendance, coming
only a few times to the Cenacle and immediately returning to where was laid the
treasure of their heart. Nor were the irrational creatures missing at the exequies of the Mistress of the universe; for as the sacred
body arrived near the grave, innumerable large and small birds gathered in the
air, and many animals and wild beasts rushed from the mountains toward the sepulchre, the ones singing sorrowfully the others emitting
groans and doleful sounds and all of them showing grief in their movements as
if mourning over the common loss. Only a few unbelieving Jews, more hardened
than the rocks and more impious than the wild beasts failed to show sorrow at
the death of their Restoratrix, as they had failed to
do also at the death of their Redeemer and Master. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN,
MOST HOLY MARY, GAVE ME.
756. My daughter, in
commemorating my natural death and my burial, I wish that thou also die and be
buried to all worldly things, and this is to be the fruit and the principal
result of thy having known and written my life. Many times in the course of thy
writing have I manifested to thee this as my desire and intimated it to thee as
my will, lest thou waste this singular favor shown to thee by the Lord and by
me. It is a foul offense in any Christian, if, after dying to sin and after
being reborn in Christ by Baptism, knowing that the Lord died for him, he
returns again to the same faults; and this will be a still greater wickedness
in those souls, who are called by special grace to be the most dear friends of
the Lord, as is the case with those, who for that very purpose dedicate and
consecrate themselves to his closer service in religion, each one according to
his condition and state.
757. In these souls the vices
of the world cause horror in heaven itself, because the pride, the presumption,
the haughtiness, the want of mortification, the anger, the covetousness, the
conscious impurities and other wickedness in such souls force the Lord and the
saints to withdraw from the sight of their monstrous distortion and rouse them
to greater wrath and offense than the same sins in other souls. Therefore the
Lord repudiates many who un-righteously bear the name of being his spouses and
leaves them to their own bad counsels, because they have so disloyally broken
the fidelity promised to God and to me in their vocation and profession. But if
all souls must fear this terrible infidelity, consider well, my daughter, what
abhorrence especially thou wouldst deserve in the sight of God, if thou wert
guilty of such disloyalty. It is time that thou die to the visible things, and
that thy body be buried in thy self-knowledge and self-abasement, while thy
soul sink into the being of God. The days of thy life in this world are coming
to a close; and I shall be the judge to execute the sentence of thy separation
from life and from the world: thou needst not any
more be seen with those who live in it, nor they with thee. The writing of my
life should be for thee the seal of thy death to the world, as I have so often
exhorted thee and as thou hast repeatedly and expressly promised me, with
heartfelt tears.
758. I wish this to be the
proof of my doctrine and of its efficacy; do not permit it to be discredited in
thee to my dishonor, but let heaven and earth perceive the force of its truth
and of my example in thy works. For this thou must depend neither upon thy
understanding nor upon thy will, and still less upon thy inclinations and
passions, because all this for thee has come to a finish. Thy law must be the
will of the Lord and my own, and the dictates of obedience. And in order that
thou mayest never mistake what is in them the most
holy, the most perfect and God-pleasing, the Lord has provided for thy
direction in all things, lavishing upon thee his own care, mine, and that of
the holy angels. Do not allege ignorance, pusillanimity, or weakness, nor much
less, fear. Weigh thy obligation, estimate thy indebtedness, attend to the
continual light; operate with the grace thou receivest,
so that amid all these benefits there be no cross so heavy, no death so bitter,
as shall not be deemed by thee very light and acceptable. In this consists all
thy good, and in it is to be thy delight; since, if thou dost not succeed in
dying to all things, besides that thy path will be sown with thorns, thou shalt
not reach the perfection thou desirest, nor the state
to which the Lord calls thee.
759. If the world will not
forget thee, do thou forget it; if it will not leave thee alone, remember that
thou hast forsaken it, and that I have separated thee from it. If it follow
thee, fly; if it flatter thee, despise it; if it contemn thee, suffer it; and
if it seek thee, let it not find thee except in so far as will be to the glory
of the Most High. But as regards all the rest, thou must not any more bear it
in mind, than the living remember the dead. Forget it just as the dead forget
the living, and I desire that thou have no more intercourse with this world,
than the dead have with the living. It will not seem extraordinary to thee,
that in the beginning, in the middle and at the end of this history I repeat so
often this doctrine, if thou ponder what depends upon thy practicing it.
Consider, my dearest, what persecutions the devil has roused against thee in
secret through the world and its inhabitants under different pretexts and
appearances. If God has permitted them for the purpose of trying thee and for
the exercise of his grace, it is proper, that, as far as thou are concerned,
thou take it as a lesson and a warning. Remember that great is the treasure
which thou carriest in a fragile vessel (II Cor. 2,7), and that all hell conspires and rises up against
thee. Thou livest in mortal flesh, surrounded and
assailed by astute enemies. Be a Spouse of Christ my divine Son, and I shall be
thy Mother and Instructress. Recognize, then, thy need and thy weakness, and
correspond with me as a dearest daughter, as an obedient and perfect disciple
in all things. THE SOUL OF THE MOST HOLY MARY ENTERS
THE EMPRYEAN HEAVEN AND, IN IMITATION OF CHRIST OUR REDEEMER, RETURNS TO
RESUSCITATE HER SACRED BODY; IN IT SHE AGAIN ASCENDS TO THE RIGHT HAND OF THE
LORD ON THE THIRD DAY.
760. Of the glory and
felicity of the saints in the beatific vision saint Paul says with Isaias (I Cor. 2, 9; Is. 64, 4),
that neither have mortal eyes seen, nor ears heard, nor can it enter into the
heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him and who hope in Him.
In accordance with this Catholic truth, we should not wonder at what is related
of saint Augustine, the great light of the Church, that, in setting out to
write a book on the glory of the blessed, he was visited by his friend, saint
Jerome, who had just died and entered into the glory of the Lord, and was
admonished by his visitor, that he would not be able to compass his design;
since no tongue or pen of man could describe the least part of the blessings
enjoyed by the saints in the beatific vision. Such is the testimony of saint
Jerome; and if through holy Scriptures we had no other information than that
this glory is eternal, it would be beyond all our comprehension. For, however
much of our intellect may expand, it will never comprehend eternity; and as
this is infinite and boundless, it is inexhaustible and incomprehensible, how
much soever it may be known and loved. Just as God,
the Infinite and the Almighty, created all things, without being thereby
exhausted, and even if He had created endless worlds ever anew, would remain
still infinite and immutable; so also, although seen and enjoyed by countless
saints, He will remain an infinite source of new knowledge and love; for in
creation and in glory all creatures participate in Him only to a limited
extent, each according to its condition, while He in Himself is without
limitation or end.
761. If on this account the
glory even of the least of the saints is ineffable, what shall we say of the
glory of the most blessed Mary, since among the saints She is the most holy and
She by Herself is more like to her Son than all the saints together, and since
her grace and glory exceed those of all the rest, as those of an empress or
sovereign over her vassals? This truth can and should be believed; but in
mortal life it cannot be understood, or the least part of it be explained; for
the inadequacy and deficiency of our words and expressions rather tend to
obscure than to set forth its greatness. Let us in this life apply our labor,
not in seeking to comprehend it, but in seeking to merit its manifestation in
glory, where we shall experience more or less of this happiness according to
our works.
762. Our Redeemer Jesus
entered heaven conducting the purest soul of his Mother at his right hand. She
alone of all the mortals deserved exemption from particular judgment; hence for
Her there was none; no account was asked or demanded of Her for what She had
received; for such was the promise that had been given to Her, when She was
exempted from the common guilt and chosen as the Queen privileged above the
laws of the children of Adam. For the same reason, instead of being judged with
the rest, She shall be seated at the right hand of the Judge to judge with Him
all the creatures. If in the first instant of her Conception She was the
brightest Aurora, effulgent with the rays of the sun of the Divinity beyond all
the brightness of the most exalted seraphim, and if afterwards She was still
further illumined by the contact of the hypostatic Word, who derived his
humanity from her purest substance, it necessarily follows that She should be
his Companion for all eternity, possessing such a likeness to Him, that none
greater can be possible between a Godman and a
creature. In this light the Redeemer himself presented Her before the throne of
the Divinity; and speaking to the eternal Father in the presence of all the
blessed, who were ravished at this wonder, the most sacred humanity uttered
these words: "Eternal Father, my most beloved Mother, thy beloved Daughter
and the cherished Spouse of the Holy Ghost, now comes to take possession of the
crown and glory, which We have prepared as a reward for her merit. She is the
one who was born as the rose among thorns, untouched, pure and beautiful,
worthy of being embraced by Us and of being placed upon a throne to which none
of our creatures can ever attain, and to which those conceived in sin cannot
aspire. This is our chosen and our only One, distinguished above all else, to
whom We communicated our grace and our perfections beyond the measure accorded
to other creatures; in whom We have deposited the treasure of our
incomprehensible Divinity and its gifts; who most faithfully preserved and made
fruitful the talents, which We gave Her; who never swerved from our will, and
who found grace and pleasure in our eyes. My Father, most equitous
is the tribunal of our justice and mercy, and in it the services of our friends
are repaid in the most superabundant manner. It is right that to my Mother be
given the reward of a Mother; and if during her whole life and in all her works
She was as like to Me as is possible for a creature to be, let Her also be as
like to Me in glory and on the throne of our Majesty, so that where holiness is
in essence, there it may also be found in its highest participation."
763. This decree of the
incarnate Word was approved by the Father and the Holy Ghost. The most holy
soul of Mary was immediately raised to the right hand of her Son and true God,
and placed on the royal throne of the most holy Trinity, which neither men, nor
angels nor the seraphim themselves attain, and will not attain for all
eternity. This is the most exalted and supereminent
privilege of our Queen and Lady, that She is seated on the throne with the
three divine Persons and holds her place as Empress, while all the rest are set
as servants and ministers to the highest King. To the eminence and majesty of
that position, inaccessible to all other creatures, correspond her gifts of
glory, comprehension, vision and fruition; because She enjoys, above all and
more than all, that infinite Object, which the other blessed enjoy in an
endless variety of degrees. She knows, penetrates and understands much deeper
the eternal Being and its infinite attributes; She lovingly delights in its
mysteries and most hidden secrets, more than all the rest of the blessed. Although
between the glory of the divine Persons and that of the most holy Mary there is
an infinite distance; for the light of the Divinity, as says the Apostle (I
Tim. 6, 16), is inaccessible and in it alone dwells immortality and glory by
essence; and though also the most holy soul of Christ without measure exceeds
in its gifts those of his Mother; yet the great Queen surpasses inaccessibly
all the saints in glory and has a likeness to that of Christ, which cannot be
understood in this life, nor ever described.
764. Just as little can be
explained the extra joy, which the blessed experienced on that day in singing
the new songs of praise to the Omnipotent and in celebrating the glory of his
Daughter, Mother and Spouse; for in Her He had exalted all the works of his
right hand. Although to the Lord himself could come no new or essential glory,
because He possessed and possesses it immutably infinite through all eternity;
yet the exterior manifestations of his pleasure and satisfaction at the
fulfillment of his eternal decrees were greater on that day, and from the
throne a voice, as if of the eternal Father resounded, saying: "In the
glory of our beloved and most loving Daughter all the pleasure of our holy will
is fulfilled to our entire satisfaction. To all the creatures We have given
existence, creating them out of nothing, in order that they may participate in
our infinite goods and treasures according to the inclination and pleasure of
our immense bounty. The very ones who were made capable of our grace and glory,
have abused this blessing. Our cherished Daughter alone had no part in the
disobedience and prevarication of the rest, and She has earned what the
unworthy children of perdition have despised; and our heart has not been
disappointed in Her at any time or moment. To Her belong the rewards, which
according to our conditional decree We had prepared for the disobedient angels
and for their followers among men, if they had been faithful to their grace and
vocation. She has recompensed Us for their falling away by her subjection and
obedience; She has pleased Us in all her operations and has merited a seat on
the throne of our Majesty."
765. On the third day after
the most pure soul of Mary had taken possession of this glory never to leave
it, the Lord manifested to the saints his divine will, that She should return
to the world, resuscitate her sacred body and unite Herself with it, so that
She might in body and soul be again raised to the right hand of her divine Son
without waiting for the general resurrection of the dead. The appropriateness
of this favor, its accordance with the others received by the most blessed
Queen and with her supereminent dignity, the saints
could not but see; since even to mortals it is so credible, that even if the
Church had not certified it, we would judge those impious and foolish, who
would dare deny it. But the blessed saw it with greater clearness, together
with the determined time and hour as manifested to them in God himself. When
the time for this wonder had arrived, Christ our Savior himself descended from
heaven bringing with Him at his right hand the soul of his most blessed Mother
and accompanied by many legions of the Angels, the Patriarchs and ancient
Prophets. They came to the sepulchre in the valley of
Josaphat, and all being gathered in sight of the
virginal temple, the Lord spoke the following words to the saints.
766. "My Mother was
conceived without stain of sin, in order that from Her virginal substance I
might stainlessly clothe Myself in the humanity in
which I came to the world and redeemed it from sin. My flesh is her flesh; She
co-operated with Me in the works of the Redemption; hence I must raise Her,
just as I rose from the dead, and this shall be at the same time and hour. For
I wish to make Her like Me in all things." All the ancient saints of the
human race then gave thanks for this new favor in songs of praise and glory to
the Lord. Those that especially distinguished themselves in their thanksgiving
were our first parents Adam and Eve, saint Anne, saint Joachim and saint Joseph,
as being the more close partakers in this miracle of his Omnipotence. Then the
purest soul of the Queen, at the command of the Lord, entered the virginal
body, reanimated it and raised it up, giving it a new life of immortality and
glory and communicating to it the four gifts of clearness, impassibility,
agility and subtlety, corresponding to those of the soul and overflowing from
it into the body.
767. Endowed with these gifts
the most blessed Mary issued from the tomb in body and soul, without raising
the stone cover and without disturbing the position of the tunic and the mantle
that had enveloped her sacred body. Since it is impossible to describe her
beauty and refulgent glory, I will not make the attempt. It is sufficient to
say, that just as the heavenly Mother had given to her divine Son in her womb
the form of man, pure, unstained and sinless, for the Redemption of the world,
so in return the Lord, in this resurrection and new regeneration, gave to Her a
glory and beauty similar to his own. In this mysterious and divine interchange
each One did what was possible: most holy Mary engendered Christ, assimilating
Him as much as possible to Herself, and Christ resuscitated Her, communicating
to Her of his glory as far as She was capable as a creature.
768. Then from the sepulchre was started a most solemn procession, moving with
celestial music through the regions of the air and toward the empyrean heaven.
This happened in the hour immediately after midnight, in which also the Lord
had risen from the grave; and therefore not all of the Apostles were witness of
this prodigy, but only some of them, who were present and watching at the sepulchre. The saints and angels entered heaven in the
order in which they had started; and in the last place came Christ our Savior
and at his right hand the Queen, clothed in the gold of variety (as David says
Ps, 44, 10), and so beautiful that She was the admiration of the heavenly
court. All of them turned toward Her to look upon Her and bless Her with new
jubilee and songs of praise. Thus were heard those mysterious eulogies recorded
by Solomon: Come, daughters of Sion, to see your
Queen, who is praised by the morning stars and celebrated by the sons of the
Most High. Who is She that comes from the desert, like a column of all the
aromatic perfumes? Who is She, that rises like the aurora, more beautiful than
the moon, elect as the sun, terrible as many serried armies? 'Who is She that
comes up from the desert resting upon her Beloved and spreading forth abundant
delights? (Cant. 3, 6-9; 8,5). Who is She in whom the Deity itself finds so
much pleasure and delight above all other creatures and whom He exalts above
them all in the heavens! O novelty worthy of the infinite Wisdom! 0 prodigy of
his Omnipotence, which so magnifies and exalts Her!
769. Amid this glory the most
blessed Mary arrived body and soul at the throne of the most blessed Trinity.
And the three divine Persons received Her on it with an embrace eternally undissoluble. The eternal Father said to Her: "Ascend
higher, my Daughter and my Dove." The incarnate Word spoke: "My
Mother, of whom I have received human being and full return of my work in thy
perfect imitation, receive now from my hand the reward thou hast merited."
The Holy Ghost said: "My most beloved Spouse, enter into the eternal joy,
which corresponds to the most faithful love ; do Thou now enjoy thy love
without solicitude; for past is the winter of suffering for Thou hast arrived
at our eternal embraces." There the most blessed Mary was absorbed in the
contemplation of the three divine Persons and as it were overwhelmed in the
boundless ocean and abyss of the Divinity, while the saints were filled with
wonder and new accidental delight. Since, at the occasion of this work of the
Omnipotent happened other wonders, I shall speak of them as far as possible in the
following chapter. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN,
MOST HOLY MARY, GAVE ME.
770. My daughter, lamentable
and inexcusable is the ignorance of men in so knowingly forgetting the eternal
glory, which God has prepared for those who dispose themselves to merit it. I
wish that thou bitterly bewail and deplore this pernicious forgetfulness; for
there is no doubt, that whoever willfully forgets the eternal glory and
happiness is in evident danger of losing it. No one is free from this guilt,
not only because men do not apply much labor or effort in seeking and retaining
the remembrance of this happiness; but they labor with all their powers in
things that make them forget the end for which they were created. Undoubtedly
this forgetfulness arises from their entangling themselves in the pride of
life, the covetousness of the eyes, and the desires of the flesh (John 2, 16);
for employing therein all the forces and faculties of their soul during the
whole time of their life, they have no leisure, care or attention for the
thoughts of eternal felicity. Let men acknowledge and confess, whether this
recollection costs them more labor than to follow their blind passions, seeking
after honors, possessions or the transitory pleasures, all of which have an end
with this life, and which, after much striving and labor, many men do not, and
can never attain.
771. How much easier is it
for mortals to avoid such perversity, especially for the children of the
Church, since they have at hand the easy means of faith and hope for attaining
the truth! Even if to gain eternal happiness were as difficult to obtain as
honors and riches and other apparent advantages, it would be very foolish to
labor as much for the false as for the true advantages for eternal punishment
as for eternal glory. This abominable foolishness thou wilt perceive and bewail
with tears, my daughter, if thou wilt consider the world in which thou livest: how it is disturbed by wars and discords; how many
unhappy ones it contains, who seek death in exchange for a short and vain
honor, vengeance and other most vile advantages, while they do not think or
care for eternal life than irrational animals. It would be a blessing for them
if like animals they could end altogether with the temporal death; but as the
most of them act against justice, and others, who still seek to be just, live
in forgetfulness of their end, the ones as well as the others incur the eternal
death.
772. This is a sorrow beyond
all sorrows, and a misfortune without equal and without remedy. Afflict
thyself, lament and grieve without consolation over this ruin of so many souls
bought by the blood of my divine Son. I assure thee, my dearest, that, if men
would not make themselves so unworthy of it, my charity would urge me, in the
celestial glory where thou knowest me to be, to send forth a voice through the
whole world exclaiming: "Mortal and deceived
men, what are you doing? For what purpose are you living? Do you realize what
it is to see God face to face, and to participate in his eternal glory and
share his company? Of what are you thinking? Who has thus disturbed and
fascinated your judgment? What will you seek, if once you have lost this true
blessing and happiness, since there is no other? The labor is short, the reward
is infinite glory, and the punishment is eternal."
773. In connection with this
sorrow, which I am trying to excite in thee, seek to labor assiduously in order
to evade the danger. A living example thou hast in my life, which was a
continual suffering such as thou hast known; but when I came to my reward all
of it seemed as nothing, and I forgot it as if it had
not occurred. Resolve, my dear, to follow me in my labor; and though thy labor
seem to exceed that of all the mortals, look upon it as most insignificant; let
nothing seem to thee difficult or hard, or bitter, even to passing through fire
and sword. Extend thy hand to great things, and shield thy domestics, the
senses, with double vestments (Prov. 31, 19, 21 ),
against hardships and sufferings to the utmost of their powers. At the same
time I wish thee to be free from another error, that of men who say: let us
secure salvation: greater or less glory does not matter; we shall all be
together in that life. By this false principle, my daughter, eternal life is
not made secure, but rather put at hazard; since it arises from great
foolishness and want of divine love. Who seeks to make such a bargain with God,
offends Him, and tempts Him to permit such souls to live in continued danger of
perdition. Human weakness always tends to do less good than it desires to do;
and when this desire is small, then it will execute very little, and hence
risks losing all.
774. He who contents himself
with the mediocre or lowest in virtue, always leaves in his will and in his
inclinations an opening for earthly affections and love of the passing things.
Such an opening is contrary to divine love and therefore unavoidably causes the
loss of the latter and the ascendency of the former.
When the creature resolves to love God from all its heart and with all its
powers, as He commands, God overlooks its human defects and shortcomings, and
is pleased with their resolve to reap the highest rewards. But to despise them
or wilfully undervalue them shows not the love of
children or of true friends, but the base fear of slaves, who are content to
live and be let alone. If the saints could return to merit some additional
degree of glory by suffering all torments to the day of judgment, they would
doubtlessly return; because they have a true and perfect knowledge of the value
of the reward and they love God with a perfect charity. It is not proper that
this privilege be granted to the saints; but it was conceded to me, as thou
hast recorded in this history; and my example confirms this truth. It also
reproves the foolishness of those, who, in order to avoid suffering and the
cross of Christ, are looking for a curtailed reward, one which is contrary to
the inclination of God's goodness and contrary to his desire of seeing souls
multiply their merits and gain copious rewards in the eternal felicity. MOST HOLY MARY IS CROWNED AS QUEEN OF
HEAVEN AND OF ALL CREATURES; ALL HER GREAT PRIVILEGES IN FAVOR OF MANKIND ARE
AGAIN CONFIRMED UPON HER.
775. When Christ Jesus the
Savior took leave of his disciples in order to enter upon his suffering, He
told them not to be disturbed in their hearts on account of the things He had
told them; because in the house of his Father, which is eternal happiness,
there are many mansions. He further assured them, that there was room and
reward for all, although the merits and their good works be diverse and that no
one should be disturbed in his peace and hope, though he should see others more
favored or advanced; because in the house of God there are many grades and many
dwellings, in which each one shall be content with what shall belong to him
without envy; for this is one of the great blessings of that eternal felicity.
I have said that most blessed Mary was assigned to the supreme position and
state on the throne of the most blessed Trinity. Many times have I expressed
myself in these terms in order to point out great sacraments and similar terms
are used by the saints and by the sacred scriptures themselves (Apoc. 1, 4; 3, 21). Although no other argument is really
necessary, nevertheless, for those who have not such a deep insight, I will say
that God, as He is the purest Spirit and at the same time infinite, immense,
incomprehensible, has no need of a material throne or seat; for He fills all
creation and is present in all creatures; He is comprehended or circumscribed
by none, but He himself comprehends and encompasses all things. The saints do
not see God with corporal eyes, but with those of the soul; but as they see Him
in some certain location (in order to adapt ourselves to our terrestrial and
material ways of thinking and speaking) we say that He is upon the royal throne
of the most blessed Trinity, though in reality He has his glory within Himself
and communicates it to his saints. But I do not wish to deny, that the most
sacred humanity of Christ our Savior and of his most blessed Mother holds a
place supereminent over all the saints; and that
among the blessed, who are in heaven with body and soul, there will be some
kind of order in their relative position nearer or farther from Christ our Lord
and the Queen; but here is not the place to inquire into the manner into which
this arrangement shall be made in heaven.
776. We call that the throne
of the Divinity, from which God manifests Himself to the saints as the
principal cause of their glory and as the infinite, eternal God, independent of
all things and on whose will all creatures depend, from which He manifests Himself
as the Lord, as the King, as the Judge and Master of all that is in existence.
This dignity Christ the Redeemer possesses, in as far as He is God,
essentially, and as far as He is man, through the hypostatic union, by which He
communicates his Godhead to the humanity. Hence in heaven He is the King, the
Lord and supreme Judge; and the saints, though their glory exceeds all human
calculation, are as servants and inferiors of this inaccessible Majesty. In
this the most holy Mary participates in a degree next inferior and in a manner
otherwise ineffable and proportionate to a mere creature so closely related to
the Godman; and therefore She assists forever at the
right hand of her Son as Queen (Ps. 44, 10), Lady and Mistress of all creation,
her dominion extending as far as that of her divine Son, although in a
different manner.
777. After placing the most
blessed Mary on this exalted and supereminent throne,
the Lord declared to the courtiers of heaven all the privileges She should
enjoy in virtue of this participation in his majesty. The Person of the eternal
Father, as the first principle of all things, speaking to the angels and
saints, said to them: "Our Daughter Mary was chosen according to our
pleasure from amongst all creatures, the first one to delight Us, and who never
fell from the title and position of a true Daughter, such as We had given Her
in our divine mind; She has a claim on our dominion, which We shall recognize
by crowning Her as the legitimate and peerless Lady and Sovereign." The
incarnate Word said: "To my true and natural Mother belong all the
creatures which were created and redeemed my Me; and of all things over which I
am King, She too shall be the legitimate and supreme Queen." The Holy
Ghost said: "Since She is called my beloved and chosen Spouse, She
deserves to be crowned as Queen for all eternity."
778. Having thus spoken the
three divine Persons placed upon the head of the most blessed Mary a crown of
such new splendor and value, that the like has been seen neither before nor
after by any mere creature. At the same time a voice sounded from the throne
saying: "My Beloved, chosen
among the creatures, our kingdom is Thine; Thou shalt
be the Lady and the Sovereign of the seraphim, of all the ministering spirits,
the angels and of the entire universe of creatures. Attend, proceed and govern
prosperously over them, for in our supreme consistory We give Thee power,
majesty and sovereignty. Being filled with grace beyond all the rest, Thou hast
humiliated Thyself in thy own estimation to the lowest place; receive now the
supreme dignity deserved by Thee and, as a participation in our Divinity, the
dominion over all the creatures of our Omnipotence. From thy royal throne to
the centre of the earth Thou shalt reign; and by the power We now give Thee
Thou shalt subject hell with all its demons and inhabitants. Let all of them
fear Thee as the supreme Empress and Mistress of those caverns and
dwelling-places of our enemies. In thy hands and at thy pleasure We place the
influences and forces of the heavens, the moisture of the clouds, the growths
of the earth; and of all of them do Thou distribute according to thy will, and
our own will shall be at thy disposal for the execution of thy wishes. Thou
shalt be the Empress and Mistress of the militant Church, its Protectress, its Advocate, its Mother and Teacher. Thou
shalt be the special Patroness of the Catholic countries; and whenever they, or
the faithful, or any of the children of Adam call upon Thee from their heart,
serve or oblige Thee, Thou shalt relieve and help them in their labors and
necessities. Thou shalt be the Friend, the Defender and the Chieftainess
of all the just and of our friends; all of them Thou shalt comfort, console and
fill with blessings according to their devotion to Thee. In view of all this We
make Thee the Depositary of our riches, the Treasurer of our goods; we place
into thy hands the helps and blessings of our grace for distribution; nothing
do We wish to be given to the world, which does not pass through thy hands;
and nothing do We deny, which Thou wishest to concede
to men. Grace shall be diffused in thy lips for obtaining all that Thou wishest and ordainest in heaven
and on earth, and everywhere shall angels and men obey Thee; because whatever
is ours shall be thine, just as Thou hast always been
ours; and Thou shalt reign with Us forever."
779. In the execution of this
decree and privilege conceded to the Mistress of the world, the Almighty
commanded all the courtiers of heaven, angels and men, to show Her obedience
and recognize Her as their Queen and Lady. There was another mystery concealed
in this wonder, namely, it was a recompense for the worship and veneration,
which, as is clear from this history, the most blessed Mary, notwithstanding
that She was the Mother of God, full of grace and holiness above the angels and
saints, had bestowed upon the saints during her mortal pilgrimage. Although
during the time when they were comprehensors and She
yet a pilgrim, it was for her greater merit, that She should humble Herself
beneath them all according to the ordainment of the Lord; yet now, when She was
in possession of the kingdom, it was just, that She should be venerated,
worshipped and extolled by them as her inferiors and vassals. This they also
did in that most blessed state, in which all things are reduced to their proper
proportion and order. Both the angelic spirits and the blessed souls, while
rendering their adoration to the Lord with fear and worshipful reverence,
rendered a like homage in its proportion to his most blessed Mother; and the
saints who were there in their bodies prostrated themselves and gave bodily
signs of their worship. All these demonstrations at the coronation of the
Empress of heaven redounded wonderfully to her glory, to the new joy and
jubilee of the saints and to the pleasure of the most blessed Trinity.
Altogether festive was this day, and it produced new accidental glory in all
the heavens. Those that partook more especially therein were her most fortunate
spouse saint Joseph, saint Joachim and Anne and all the other relatives of the
Queen, together with the thousand angels of her guard.
780. Within the glorious body
of the Queen, over her heart, was visible to the saints a small globe or
monstrance of singular beauty and splendor, which particularly roused and
rouses their admiration and joy. It was there in testimony and reward of her
having afforded to the sacramental Word an acceptable resting place and
sanctuary, and of her having received holy Communion so worthily, purely and
holily, without any defect or imperfection, and with a devotion, love and
reverence attained by none other of the saints. In regard to the other rewards
and crowns corresponding to her peerless works and virtues, nothing that can be
said could give any idea; and therefore I refer it to the beatific vision,
where each one shall perceive them in proportion as his doings and his devotion
shall have merited. In the foregoing chapter I mentioned that the Transition of
our Queen happened on the thirteenth of August, while her Resurrection,
Assumption and Coronation happened on Sunday the fifteenth, on the day in
which it is celebrated in the Church. Her sacred body remained in the sepulchre thirty-six hours, just as the body of her divine
Son; for her Transition and her Resurrection took place in the same hours of
the day. According to the computation given above, I advert that this miracle
happened in the year of our Lord fifty-five, which had advanced as many days as
intervene between the Nativity of the Lord and the fifteenth of August.
781. We have left the great
Lady at the right hand of her divine Son, reigning through all the ages of
eternity. We now return to the Apostles and disciples, who in flowing tears
surrounded the sepulchre of Mary in the valley of Josaphat. Saint Peter and saint John, who had been the most
constant in their attendance, noticed that the celestial music had ceased; for
they failed to hear it on the third day. Partly enlightened by the Holy Ghost,
they conjectured that the most pure Mother had arisen and had entered heaven,
body and soul, like her divine Son. They conferred about this matter and came
to the conclusion that so it must be; and saint Peter, as the head of the
Church, decided that such a wonderful fact should be ascertained as far as
possible and made known to those who had witnessed her death and burial. For
this purpose, on the same day, he called together the Apostles, disciples and
the other faithful at the sepulchre. He told them of
his reasons for the conjecture now in the mind of all and the reasons for
manifesting the truth of this wonder to the Church, namely, that it should be
reverenced in the coming ages and would redound to the glory of the Lord and of
his most blessed Mother. All approved of the decision of the vicar of Christ
and at his order immediately removed the stone, which closed the sepulchre. This being done, they saw the grave despoiled of
the sacred body of the Queen of heaven and the tunic in the same position as
when it had covered her, showing that it must have passed through the tunic and
the stone of the sepulchre without disturbing any
part of them. Saint Peter took out the tunic and the mantle and, with all the
others, venerated it, as they were now certain of the Resurrection and Assumption
of the blessed Mother into heaven. In mixed joy and sorrow they wept sweet
tears at this prodigy and sang psalms and hymns of praise and glory to the Lord
and his most blessed Mother.
782. In their affectionate
wonder all of them remained looking at the sepulchre,
spellbound, until the angel of the Lord descended and manifested himself to
them, saying: "Ye men of Galilee, why are you astounded and tarry here ?
Your and our Queen now lives body and soul in heaven and reigns in it forever
with Christ. She sends me to confirm you in this truth, and in her name I tell
you that She recommends to you anew the Church, the conversion of souls, and
the spread of the Gospel. She desires to tell you that you now return to your
ministry, with which you were charged, and that from her throne She will take
care of you." At this message the Apostles were consoled; they experienced
her protection in their wanderings, and much more in the hour of their
martyrdom; for to each of them did She appear in that hour to present their
souls to the Lord. Other particulars concerning the Transition and Resurrection
of the most blessed Mary were not made known to me for record here; nor have I
during the whole course of this heavenly history had any choice of saying
except what was made known to me and what I was commanded to write. INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN,
MOST HOLY MARY. GAVE ME.
783. My daughter, if anything
could lessen the enjoyment of the highest felicity and glory which I possess,
and if, in it, I could be capable of any sorrow, without a doubt I would be
grieved to see the holy Church and the rest of the world in its present state
of labor, notwithstanding that men know me to be their Mother, Advocate and Protectress in heaven, ready to guide and assist them to
eternal life. In this state of affairs, when the Almighty has granted me so
many privileges as his Mother and when there are so many sources of help placed
in my hands solely for the benefit of mortals and belonging to me as the Mother
of clemency, it is a great cause of sorrow to me to see mortals force me to
remain idle, and that, for want of calling upon me, so many souls should be
lost. But if I cannot experience grief now, I may justly complain of men, that
they load themselves with eternal damnation and refuse me the glory of saving
their souls.
784. How much my intercession
and the power I have in heaven is worth has never been hidden in the Church,
for I have demonstrated my ability to save all by so many thousands of
miracles, prodigies and favors operated in behalf of those devoted to me. With
those who have called upon me in their needs I have always shown myself
liberal, and the Lord has shown himself liberal to them on my account. Yet,
though many are the souls whom I have helped, they are few in comparison with
those, whom I could and am willing to help. The world and the centuries are far
advanced; while mortals are tardy in turning toward the knowledge of God; the
children of the Church are involving themselves in the snares of satan; sinners multiply and crimes increase, because
charity is getting cold even after God became incarnate and has taught the
world by his life and doctrine, redeemed it by his Passion and Death,
established his evangelical law for the guidance of his creatures, illustrated
them by so many miracles, enlightenments, blessings, favors in the Church and
in its saints. In addition to all this God has in his goodness opened up his
mercies through me and my intercession, constituting me as Mother, Advocate, Protectress and Helper of all men, and, though I am most
punctual and liberal in fulfilling all these offices, the result is inadequate.
After all, since the crimes of men merit the chastisements, which threaten them
and which they begin to feel, and since, under these circumstances, the malice
of men has already reached the highest possible point, what wonder is it that
divine Justice be irritated?
785. All this, my daughter,
is true; but my kind and clement love exceeds all this malice, detains justice
and still inclines the infinite Goodness toward men. The Most High still wishes
to give liberally of his infinite treasures and resolves to favor those who
know how to gain my intercession before God. This is the secure way and the
powerful means of advancing the Church, of improving the Catholic reigns, of
spreading the faith, of furthering the welfare of families and of states, of
bringing the souls to grace and to the friendship of God. In this work, my
daughter, I have desired thee to labor and assist according to thy power with
the divine grace. Thy labor shall consist not only in having written my life,
but in imitating it by following the counsels and salutary teachings, which
thou hast so abundantly received, both in what thou hast written and in other
favors and blessings of the Almighty. Consider well, my dearest, thy strict
obligation of serving me as thy only Mother, as thy legitimate and true Teacher
and Superior, who favors thee with all these and many other condescensions.
Thou hast likewise often renewed and ratified the vows of thy profession into
my hands, and hast therein promised me especial obedience. Remember the
promises thou hast so often given to the Lord and his angels. Many times We
have manifested to thee our will, that thou live and act as one of them, and
that thou, in carnal flesh, participate in the condition and activity of an
angel; that thy conversation and intercourse be with those purest spirits; and
just as they converse with each other, and just as the higher enlighten and
illumine the lower, so they will enlighten and instruct thee in the perfections
of thy Beloved and in the exercise of all virtues, especially of the mistress
of all of them, charity, by which thou mayest be
inflamed in the love of thy sweet Master and of thy fellowmen. To this state
thou must aspire with all thy powers, in order that the Most High may find thee
apt for the fulfillment of his most holy will and of all his wishes. May his
powerful right hand give thee his eternal benediction, show thee the joy of his
countenance and grant thee peace; see that thou do not make thyself unworthy. AN OFFERING OF PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING
MADE BY ME, SISTER MARY OF JESUS, THE LEAST OF THE MORTALS, TO THE LORD AND TO
HIS MOST HOLY MOTHER, FOR HAVING BEEN CHOSEN TO WRITE THIS HEAVENLY HISTORY
UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE QUEEN AND MISTRESS OF HEAVEN.
786. I confess Thee, God
eternal, Lord of heaven, earth, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, the one and true
God, one substance and majesty in the Trinity of Persons; since, not having
received aught from anybody that Thou shouldst repay
him (Rom. 11, 35), solely through thy ineffable condescension and clemency,
Thou revealest thy mysteries and sacraments to thy
little ones (Matth. 11, 25) ; and since Thou dost it
in immense bounty and infinite wisdom, pleasing Thyself and doing all things
aright. In thy works Thou magnifiest thy holy name, exaltest thy Omnipotence, showest
thy greatness, scatterest thy mercies and establishest thy glory, which is due to Thee as the holy,
the wise, the powerful, the kind, the liberal God, the sole beginning and
Author of all that is good. None is so holy as Thou, none so powerful, none so
exalted, who raisest the poor from the dust and from
nothingness, and enrichest the needy (Ps. 112, 7). Thine are, 0 Most high God, the ends and the poles of the
earth; Thou givest life and givest
death; Thou humblest and castest down to the abyss
the proud; Thou raisest up the humble according to
thy pleasure; Thou enrichest and impoverishest,
in order that in thy presence no flesh may boast, nor the strongest presume
upon his strength, nor the weakest fear or distrust his weakness and his
lowliness.
787. I confess Thee, true
Lord, as the King and Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. I confess and praise
thy holy name, and give glory to Thee, who conferrest
wisdom. I confess Thee, Queen of heaven, most holy Mary, worthy Mother of my
Lord Jesus Christ, beginning of our salvation, Depositary of the treasures of
his grace, living temple of the Divinity, Restoratrix
of the general ruin of the human race, new joy of the saints, glory of the
works of the Almighty and singular instrument of his omnipotence. I confess
Thee as the sweetest Mother of mercy, refuge of the unfortunate, Protectress of the poor and of the afflicted. All that the
angelic spirits and the saints proclaim of Thee and in Thee and through Thee, I
also confess, and I join them in whatever glory and praise they render in Thee
and through Thee to the Divinity, blessing, magnifying and confessing and
believing with them all things concerning Thee. 0 sovereign Mistress of all
creation, through thy powerful intercession alone and because Thou hast looked
upon me with eyes of mercy, thy divine Son has turned toward me in his clemency
and as a Father, not disdaining for thy sake to choose me, the vile wormlet of the earth and the least of his creatures, to
manifest his venerable secrets and mysteries. The multitudinous waters of my
faults, ingratitudes, and miseries could not
extinguish his immense charity; and my torpidity and sluggishness could not dry
up or choke the flow of his divine light and wisdom.
788. I confess, O kindest
Mother, before heaven and earth, that I have striven with myself and with thy
enemies, and that my interior was sadly troubled in hesitating between my
unworthiness and my desire of wisdom. I stretched forth my hands and bewailed
my insipidity; I led on my heart and I encountered knowledge, and with
knowledge I came into the possession of peace; and when I encountered and loved
it, I found it a goodly possession and I was not confounded. The sweet and
strong force of wisdom wrought within me; it manifested to me the most hidden
things and the knowledge most uncertain. I placed before my eyes Thee, the
beautiful image of the Divinity and Mystical City of his habitation, in order
that through the darksome night of this mortal life Thou mightest
be my guiding star, and light me as the Moon of the immense Light, in order
that I might follow Thee as my Leader, love Thee as a Mother, obey Thee as a
Mistress, hear Thee as my Teacher, and that I might see myself as in an
immaculate mirror and reach highest perfection by having before me thy
ineffable example, virtues and works.
789. But who could ever have
bent the divine Majesty to so vile a slave, if not Thou, 0 powerful Queen, who
art the greatness of love, the vastness of clemency, the source of mercy, the
prodigy of grace, and who has filled up the abysses of the guilt of all the
children of Adam? Thine, 0 lady, is the credit and
the glory for all that I have written, not only because it records thy most
holy and admirable life, but because Thou hast given it a beginning, hast
furthered it, and brought it to a close; and if Thou hadst
not been its Author and Controller, it could never have entered into the
thoughts of man. Let then all thanks and credit be thine;
because Thou alone canst give a worthy return to thy divine Son and our
Redeemer for this new and peerless blessing. That Thou make such a return, I
can only ask Thee in the name of the whole Church and in my own name. And this
I desire now to do, 0 Mother and Queen of the virtues. Humbled in thy presence
deeper than to the dust, I confess that I have received this and other
blessings as favors, which I could never merit. Only what Thou hast taught and
commanded, have I written; I was but the mute instrument of thy tongue, moved
and governed by thy wisdom. Perfect Thou this work of thy hands, not only for
the appropriate glory and praise of the Most High, but add to it what is
wanting, in order that I may practice thy doctrine, follow thy footsteps, obey
thy commands, and run after the odor of thy ointment, which is the sweetness
and fragrance of thy virtues diffused with ineffable kindness through this
history.
790. I acknowledge myself, O
Empress of heaven, as the most unworthy, the most indebted of all the children
of the holy Church. In order that the monstrosity of my ingratitude may not
become apparent in the Church, before the Almighty and before Thee, I propose,
offer, and seek to make known my renunciation of all that is visible and
earthly; I again subject my liberty to the divine will and to thy own, engaging
myself not to use my free will, except for God's glory and pleasure. I beseech
Thee, the Blessed among all creatures, that, just as by the clemency of the
Lord and thy own I hold the title of his spouse, and of thy daughter and
disciple, and as thy Son, my Lord, has so often deigned to confirm these
titles, Thou permit me not, O purest Lady, to fall short of these titles. Thy
protection and assistance failed me not in the writing of thy wonderful life;
help me now to put in practice thy teachings, wherein eternal life consists.
Thou wishest and commandest
me to imitate Thee; stamp and engrave upon my soul thy living image. Thou hast
sown in my earthly heart the holy seed: guard it, cherish it. O Mother sweet
Mistress, that it may bring forth fruit a hundredfold; that it may not be
snatched away by the birds of prey, the dragon and his demons; for of their
wrath I have been warned in every word I have written of Thee, my Lady. Guide
me unto the end, command me as my Queen, instruct me as my Teacher, correct me
as my Mother. Receive as thanksgiving for all this thy own life and the high
pleasure which Thou hast afforded to the most blessed Trinity, as the
perfection of his marvels. Let the angels and saints praise Thee, let all
nations and generations know Thee; let all creatures, in Thee and through Thee,
eternally bless their Creator and let my soul and all my faculties magnify Thee.
791. This heavenly history
(as I have adverted throughout the course of it) I have written in obedience to
the commands of my superiors and confessors, who have had the guidance of my
soul. They have assured me that I would fulfill the will of God through
obedience in writing it, and that I should obey the most blessed Mother, who
for many years has commanded me to write it; and although I have always subjected all of it to the
criticism and to the will of my superiors, withholding not a single word from
their scrutiny: I nevertheless submit it again to their better judgment. Above
all do I submit it to the amendment and correction of the holy Roman Catholic
Church, to whose censure and teaching, as her daughter, I protest I will be
subject, ready to believe and hold all that this same holy Church, our Mother,
approves and believes, and ready to reject all that she rejects; for in
obedience to her I wish to live and to die. Amen.
THE END.
|