Venerable Mary of Agreda was born on April 2, 1602, in Agreda, Spain. Christened Maria Fernandez Coronel, she took the blue habit and made her vows as a nun in the Franciscan order, and in 1627 she became abbess of the Agreda Franciscan monastery until her death on May 24, 1665. The process to declare her a saint began almost immediately after her death, in 1672, as she had lived a life of evident holiness in the eyes of her contemporaries. During her life, she had experienced mystical phenomena including private revelations.
The most famous of these writings is the Mystical City of God: Divine History of the Virgin, Mother of God, which had been dictated by the Virgin Mary Herself. Even after death, Sister Agreda continues to defy the rationalists and non-believers: her body, kept in her convent, is incorrupt. Like a small number of deceased mystics and Catholic saints, the nun's body refuses to naturally decay, even after 344 long years.
Our Lady said to Venerable Mary of Agreda:"More to be blamed are the unworthy and wicked priests; for by the irreverence with which they treat the Blessed Sacrament, the other Catholics have been drawn to undervalue it. If the people see that their priests approach the divine mysteries with holy fear and trembling, they too treat and receive their God in like manner. Those that so honor Him shall shine in heaven like the sun among the stars, for the glory of my Divine Son's humanity will rebound in a special measure in those who have behaved well toward Him in the Blessed Sacrament. The devout will bear on their breast, where they have so often harbored the Holy Eucharist, most beautiful and resplendent inscriptions, showing that they were most worthy tabernacles of the Holy Sacrament. They will also enjoy the special favor of being able to penetrate deeper into the mystery of the presence of the Lord in the sacrament, and to understand all the rest of the wonders hidden therein. This will be such a privilege that IT ALONE would suffice for their eternal happiness, even if there were no other enjoyment in heaven. Moreover, the essential glory of those who have worthily and devoutly received the Holy Eucharist will in several respects exceed the glory of the many martyrs who have not received the Body and Blood of the Lord."
The most famous of these writings is the Mystical City of God: Divine History of the Virgin, Mother of God, which had been dictated by the Virgin Mary Herself. Even after death, Sister Agreda continues to defy the rationalists and non-believers: her body, kept in her convent, is incorrupt. Like a small number of deceased mystics and Catholic saints, the nun's body refuses to naturally decay, even after 344 long years.
Our Lady said to Venerable Mary of Agreda:"More to be blamed are the unworthy and wicked priests; for by the irreverence with which they treat the Blessed Sacrament, the other Catholics have been drawn to undervalue it. If the people see that their priests approach the divine mysteries with holy fear and trembling, they too treat and receive their God in like manner. Those that so honor Him shall shine in heaven like the sun among the stars, for the glory of my Divine Son's humanity will rebound in a special measure in those who have behaved well toward Him in the Blessed Sacrament. The devout will bear on their breast, where they have so often harbored the Holy Eucharist, most beautiful and resplendent inscriptions, showing that they were most worthy tabernacles of the Holy Sacrament. They will also enjoy the special favor of being able to penetrate deeper into the mystery of the presence of the Lord in the sacrament, and to understand all the rest of the wonders hidden therein. This will be such a privilege that IT ALONE would suffice for their eternal happiness, even if there were no other enjoyment in heaven. Moreover, the essential glory of those who have worthily and devoutly received the Holy Eucharist will in several respects exceed the glory of the many martyrs who have not received the Body and Blood of the Lord."
And if we cannot show reverence for God, we will certainly not reverence our neighbor:
ReplyDeletehttp://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/091008/national/bishop_porn
Right Ellen. Sadly, certain parts of the Church have fallen into scandal and disgrace:
ReplyDeletehttp://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotian/1147119.html
The Diocese of Worcester and the Archdiocese of Boston have also struggled with sexual abuse and dissent.
Without reverence for God, many of the other virtues disappear as well. Some clerics began to believe that children were created for their own use, to satisfy their sexual appetites.
Truly we are in the thick of the apostasy. We need help. Lord Jesus, come soon!
"Those who challenge this new paganism are faced with a difficult option. Either they conform to this philosophy or they are faced with the prospect of martyrdom." —Fr. John Hardon (1914-2000), How to Be a Loyal Catholic Today? By Being Loyal to the Bishop of Rome; www.therealpresence.org
ReplyDeleteThat's why Paul is so hated. HE SPEAKS THE TRUTH!
After reading this post Paul, I went straight to Amazon and ordered the book from which you quoted. May God bless you.
ReplyDeleteSanctus, you will not be able to put it down. I first read La Ciudad de Dios back in 1991. The insights about Our Lady are incredible.
ReplyDeleteGod love you.
The full title is actually La Mistica Ciudad de Dios.
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