City of God – Venerable Mary of Agreda (1602-1665)
MYSTICAL
CITY OF GOD
THE MIRACLE OF HIS OMNIPOTENCE
AND THE ABYSS OF HIS GRACE
THE DIVINE HISTORY AND LIFE OF THE VIRGIN
MOTHER OF GOD
OUR QUEEN AND OUR LADY, MOST HOLY MARY
EXPIATRIX OF THE FAULT OF EVE
AND MEDIATRIX OF GRACE
Manifested in these later ages by that Lady to her handmaid
SISTER MARY OF JESUS
Superioress of the convent of the Immaculate Conception of the town
of Agreda, of the province of Burgos in Spain, under
obedience to the regular observance
of the seraphic father
SAINT FRANCIS
For new enlightenment of the world, for rejoicing
of the Catholic Church, and encouragement of men.
___________
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 laws. 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 . . .
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. . . . This is held to be the first
council of the Apostles . . .
Translation from the Original Authorized Spanish Edition
BY
FISCAR MARISON
Begun on the Feast of the Assumption
1902
IMPRIMATUR
Santa Fe, New Mexico, February 9, 1949/
I gladly give my “Imprimatur” as of today, to
the new edition of the work, “The City of God,”
by Sister Mary of Jesus, to be reprinted from the
original authorized Spanish Edition of the year
1902 without change, and already bearing the
Imprimatur of His Excellency, Most Reverend
H. J. Alerding, Bishop of Fort Wayne.
EDWIN V. BYRNE, D.D.,
Archbishop of Santa Fe.