Untitled - The Most Holy Rosary

V ARY

MTCH OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE CITYOF GOD CAME TO MARY OF AGREDA DIRECTLY FROM THEQUEEN OF HEAVEN, SOME OF IT FROM THE HOLY ANGELS,AND PART OF IT IMMEDIATELY FROM GOD. ALL OF ITPARTAKES OF THAT INTELLECTUAL AND ABSTRACTIVECHARACTER, WHICH ABSOLUTELY EXCLUDES IMAGINARYAND VISIONARY ILLUSIONS.

MYSTICALCITY OF GODTHE MIRACLE OF HIS OMNIPOTENCEAND THE ABYSS OF HIS GRACETHE DIVINE HISTORY AND LIFE OF THE VIRGINMOTHER OF GODOUR QUEEN AND OUR LADY, MOST HOLY MARYEXPIATRIX OF THE FAULT OF EVEAND MEDIATRIX OF GRACEManifested in these later ages by that Lady to her handmaidSISTER MARY OF JESUSSuperioress of the convent of the Immaculate Conception of the townof Agreda, of the province of Burgos in Spain, underobedience to the regular observanceof the seraphic fatherSAINT FRANCISFor new enlightenment of the world, for rejoicingof the Catholic Church, and encouragement of men.Translation from theOriginal Authorised Spanish EditionBYFISCAR MARISONBegun on the Feast of the Assumption1902

MdV

CONTENTSBOOK ONECHAPTER I.THE MOST HIGH BEGINS TO PREPARE IN MOST HOLY MARY THEMYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION; THE EVENTS OF THE NINEDAYS PRECEDING THIS MYSTERY, ESPECIALLY THE HAPPENINGSOF THE FIRST DAY 23CHAPTER II.THE LORD ON THE SECOND DAY CONTINUES HIS FAVORS IN PREPARATION FOR THE INCARNATION OF THE WORD IN THE MOSTHOLY MARY 33CHAPTER III.WHAT FAVORS THE MOST HIGH CONFERRED ON MOST HOLY MARYON THE THIRD DAY OF THE NOVENA BEFORE THE INCARNATION 40CHAPTER IV.THE MOST HIGH CONTINUES HIS FAVORS TO MOST HOLY MARY ONTHE FOURTH DAY 47CHAPTER V.HIS MAJESTY MANIFESTS NEW MYSTERIES AND SACRAMENTS TOGETHER WITH THE WORKS OF THE FIFTH DAY OF THE CREATIONTO MOST HOLY MARY, AND HER HIGHNESS CONTINUES TO PRAYFOR THE INCARNATION OF THE WORD 53CHAPTER VI.THE MOST HIGH MANIFESTS TO MARY, OUR MISTRESS, ADDITIONALMYSTERIES AND SHOWS HER THE WORKS OF THE SIXTH DAYOF CREATION 61vii

xiiCONTENTSCHAPTER XIII.THE MOST HOLY MARY IS INFORMED OF THE WILL OF THE LORD,THAT HIS ONLYBEGOTTEN SON BE CIRCUMCISED, AND SHECONFERS ABOUT IT WITH SAINT JOSEPH THE MOST HOLY NAME:OF JESUS IS BROUGHT FROM HEAVEN 432CHAPTER XIV.THE DIVINE INFANT IS CIRCUMCISED AND RECEIVES THE NAMEJESUS 446CHAPTER XV.THE MOST HOLY MARY REMAINS IN THE PORTAL OF THE NATIVITYUNTIL THE COMING OF THE MAGI KINGS 455CHAPTER XVI.THE THREE KINGS OF THE ORIENT COME TO ADORE THE WORD MADEMAN IN BETHLEHEM 467CHAPTER XVII.THE MAGI KINGS RETURN ONCE MORE TO SEE AND ADORE THE INFANTJESUS THEY OFFER THEIR GIFTS ON TAKING ILEAVE, AND RETURNBY A DIFFERENT ROUTE TO THEIR HOMES 478CHAPTER XVIII.MOST HOLY MARY AND JOSEPH DISTRIBUTE THE GIFTS RECEIVEDFROM THE MAGI; AND THEY REMAIN IN BETHLEHEM UNTILTHEIR DEPARTURE FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE INFANTJESUS IN THE TEMPLE 485CHAPTER XIX.MOST HOLY MARY AND JOSEPH DEPART WITH THE INFANT JESUS,IN ORDER TO FULFILL THE LAW, BY PRESENTING HIM IN THETEMPLE OF JERUSALEM 496CHAPTER XX.THE PRESENTATION OF THE INFANT JESUS IN THE TEMPLE ANDWHAT HAPPENED ON THAT OCCASION . . 506

CONTENTSxiiiCHAPTER XXLTHE LORD PREPARES THE MOST HOLY MARY FOR THE FLIGHT INTOEGYPT ;THE ANGEL SPEAKS TO SAINT JOSEPH AND OTHER;MATTERS CONNECTED THEREWITH 516CHAPTER XXII.JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH BEGIN THE JOURNEY TO EGYPT; ACCOMPANIED BY THE ANGELIC SPIRITS, THEY ARRIVE AT THE CITYOF GAZA 529CHAPTER XXIII.JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH PURSUE THEIR JOURNEY FROM THE CITYOF GAZA TO HELIOPOLIS IN EGYPT 539CHAPTER XXIV.THE HOLY TRAVELERS, JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH, ARRIVE IN EGYPT,AND AFTER SOME WANDERINGS THEY COME TO HELIOPOLIS,WHERE GREAT MIRACLES ARE WROUGHT 549CHAPTER XXV.IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DIVINE WILL, JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPHSETTLE DOWN TO DWELL NEAR THE CITY OF HELIOPOLIS ANDTHEY REGULATE THEIR DAILY LIFE DURING THEIR BANISHMENT 558CHAPTER XXVI.OF THE WONDERS WHICH THE INFANT JESUS, MOST HOLY MARYAND JOSEPH WROUGHT AT HELIOPOLIS IN EGYPT 568CHAPTER XXVII.HEROD RESOLVES TO MURDER THE INNOCENTS : MOST HOLY MARYIS AWARE OF THIS. SAINT JOHN IS CONCEALED BY HISRELATIVES 575CHAPTER XXVIII.AT THE AGE OF ONE YEAR THE INFANT JESUS SPEAKS TO SAINTJOSEPH AND REQUESTS HIS MOTHER TO CLOTHE HIM ANDALLOW HIM TO WALK. HE COMMENCES TO CELEBRATE THEDAY OF HIS INCARNATION AND OF HIS BIRTH 583

xivCONTENTSCHAPTER XXIX.THE MOST HOLY MOTHER CLOTHES THE INFANT JESUS IN THESEAMLESS TUNIC) SHE PUTS SHOES ON HIS FEET. THE DOINGSAND OBSERVANCES OF THE LORD 591CHAPTER XXX.JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH RETURN TO NAZARETH AT THE COMMANDOF THE LORD 601

What the Universities of Europe, the ReligiousOrders and Learned Men Say of the"Ciudad de Dios."FORTY years after the first appearance of the"Ciudad de Dios" the great universities of Europewere called upon to give their opinion about thisgreat work. All the faculties, except the Jansenisticmembers of the Sorbonne at Paris, published highestrecommendations. At the same time the learned menand teachers of each religious order that maintainedinstitutions of learning in Europe, were asked to contribute their opinions. The following religious orderscomplied: The Augustinians, Benedictines, Carmelites,Dominicans, Jesuits, Cistercians, Basilians, Trinitarians,Mercedarians, Minims, Hieronymites, Premonstratensians,Reformed Augustinians, Theatines, Minors of theRegular Clergy, all unanimously endorsing the favorabledecision previously published by the University of Salamanca. To the approbation of nearly all the Universities and Religious Orders, were then added the higheulogiums of other learned men, great divines, bishopsand princes of the Church and of the Popes and theRoman Congregations. As a sample of what these witDios,"nesses said concerning the wonderful "Ciudad dewe here select the official approbation of the Universityof Lou vain, one of the great Universities of Europe,xv

TESTIMONIESxviiletter, but are laid open in these writings and broughtto the light. In short, the whole work is a beautifulweb of scripture passages which, though spun from itsdifferent books, are directly and specially woven into awhole for the purpose intended by the Venerable Mother/"In addition thereto the instructions given by the mostholy Virgin at the end of each chapter contain the purestmorality, instruct, entertain, and at the same time sweetlyinculcate the love of virtue and abhorrence of vice, painting them in the most vivid and natural colours. Theydo not only convince the intellect, but they contain sucha special unction, that they enkindle a sacred ardor in thesoul. In meditating upon them one certainly will experience a delight not met with in ordinary writings; andthe more they are read the greater is the delight experienced. Finally, the whole work contains something sounwonted and attractive that, once begun, the reading ofitcan scarcely be relinquished.""Thenovelty and variety found in these writingsdelight and recreate the reader beyond all that is pleasantin the world, at the same time instructing him and inspiring him with new fervor. All can easily persuadethemselves that, if the interior life of Christ our Lordand of the most holy Virgin was not just as described inthese books, it could certainly have been like it ;and thatit would have been well worthy of Them, if it was as itis there depicted. All that is there said is befitting themajesty and humility of Christ, and in correspondencewith the holiness of the Virgin and the dignity of theMother; since there is found nothing in the whole workwhich was not worthy of both one and the other."Notwithstanding all this, we should not at all won-

xviiiTESTIMONIESder if the book met with men who are disposed to becritical ;for what book is there which can hope to escapethe opposition of the people of our times? God has noteven provided that the sacred Scriptures should be freefrom such attack among the greater part of the learnedof this world. The whole philosophy of the paganscauses them to join the number of those who are opposedto the cross of Christ crucified ;and among that numberare also the libertines of our day.""Of course there are certain points in this work whichmight give rise to apparent difficulties, and some of themoccurred, and do occur, to us. But, in accordance withwhat we have said of the excellence and usefulness ofthis work, we have come to the conclusion that these fewpassages must not hinder us from itgiving the commendation already given; besides, we must confess thatwe might possibly be ourselves mistaken in making theseobjections."This seemed to us the most reasonable course, sincein this book there issomething more than human. Anything so excellent and sublime cannot be ascribed to anover-excited imagination, since the whole work is consistent throughout. Nor can it be believed to be thework of a perverted mind, for, with a constant equanimity, it treats of the most deeply hidden and abstrusematters without involving itself in any contradictions;though often also it descends to innumerable minute andparticular circumstances.""There are contained in this work such noble, suchdevout circumstantial and pertinent discourses, as cannotbe the result of mere discursive thought. Nor can it beattributed to the demon; for,from beginning to end, it

TESTIMONIESxixsuggests and breathes nothing but humility, patience andendurance of hardships."as Ciudad must without a doubt be"Therefore, justattributed to the venerable Mother of Agreda, who isclaimed as its author, so she cannot have composed itwithout particular help from on high. Our conclusiveopinion is, that the City of God, for the good of thepublic, and for the advantages to be derived therefrom,should be brought forth to the light. This is our judgment, which we submit entirely to the supreme decisionof the Holy See, to whom alone belongs the right offinally judging such writings."Louvain, 20th of July 1715.(Signed)HERMANN DAMEN,Doctor, Professor Ordinary ar.dRegent of the TheologicalFaculty, Don of Saint Peter,President of the College ofArras, Censor of Books, etc.ANTON PARMENTIER,Doctor, Professor Ordinary,Regent of the TheologicalFaculty, President of the GreatCollege of Theologians, etc.

THEAPPROBATIONSfirst Pope officially to take notice of "Ciudadde Dios" was Pope Innocent XI, who, on July 3,1686, in response to a series of virulent attacksand machinations of some members of the Sorbonne,known to be Jansenists, issued a breve permitting- thepublication and reading of the "Ciudad de Dios." Similardecrees were afterward issued by Popes Alexander VIII,Clement IX and Benedict XIII. These decrees werefollowed by two decrees of the Congregation of Rites,approved by Benedict XIV and Clement XIV, in whichthe authenticity of "Ciudad de Dios" as extant and written by the Venerable Servant of God, Mary of Jesus, isofficially established. The great pope Benedict XIII,when he was archbishop of Benevent, used these revelations as material for a series of sermons on the BlessedVirgin. On Sept. 26, 1713, the bishop of Ceneda, Italy,objecting to the publication of the of"City God," wasperemptorily ordered by the Holy Office to withdraw hisobjections as interfering with the decree of popeInnocent XI for the universal Church.The process of canonization of Mary of Agreda waspromoted by the Spanish bishops and other eminent menof the Church soon after her death in 1666. It has resulted so far in securing her the title of Venerabilis, thusclearing the way to her beatification, for which, let ushope, God will soon raise a promoter among the manypious and eminent men who hold in esteem her writingsxxi

xxiiAPPROBATIONSand have learned of her holy life and of the miracleswrought at her tomb.The Redemptorist Fathers published a new Germantranslation in 1885, which was approved and highlyrecommended by the Bishop of Ratisbon in the following terms:"We take pleasure in giving our episcopal approbation to the annotated translation of the Spanish original"Ciudad de Dios" of Mary of Jesus and recommend thisbook, which will surely edify all readers and be the occasion of great spiritual blessings."Ratisbon, September 29, 1885.iji IGNATIUS, Bishopof Ratisbon.Notable is the high recommendation of the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, Apost. Legate, Primate of Germany, etc."According to the decrees of Pope Innocent XI andClement XI the book known as Ciudad de Dios writtenby the Venerable Servant of God, Maria de Jesus, maybe read by all the faithful.""A number of episcopal approbations, the recommendations of four renowned universities, namely, of Toulouse, Salamanca, Alcala and Louvain, and of prominentmembers of different orders, coincide in extolling theabove-named work. The learned and pious CardinalD Aguirre says that he considers all the studies of fiftyyears of his previous life as of small consequence in comparison with the doctrines he found in this book, which inall things are in harmony with the Holy Scriptures, theHoly Fathers and Councils of the Church. The Venerable Superior-General of St. Sulpice, Abbe Emery,adds:"Onlysince I read the revelations of Mary ofAgreda do I properly know Jesus and his Holy Mother."

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INTRODUCTION1. When I was ready to presentbefore the throne ofGod the insignificant results of my labors in writing thefirst part of the most holy life of Mary, the Mother ofGod, I wished to subject it to the scrutiny and correctionof the divine light, by which I had been guided in myshortcomings. I was very anxious to be consoled by therenewed assurance, and benign approval of the MostHigh, and to know, whether He wished me to continueor to abandon this work, which is so far above my lowliness. The Lord responded saying:"Thou hast writtenwell, and according to our pleasure ;but We desire theeto understand, that in order to manifest the mysteriesand most high sacraments of the rest of the life of ouronly and chosen Spouse, Mother of our Onlybegotten,thou hast need of a new and more exalted preparation.It is our wish that thou die to all that isimperfect andvisible, and that thou live according to the spirit; thatthou renounce all the occupations and habits of an earthlycreature and assume instead those of an angel, striving toattain in them a stillgreater purity and an entire conformity with what thou art to understand and write."2. In this answer of the Most High I understood, thatsuch a high perfection of life and habits and such anunwonted exercise of virtues was proposed and requiredof me, that, full of diffidence, I became disturbed andfearfulof undertaking a work so arduous and difficultfor an earthly creature. I felt within myself great repugnance rising up in the flesh against the spirit.The3

4 INTRODUCTIONspirit called me with interior force, urging me to striveafter the disposition, which was required of me, andadvancing as argument the pleasure of the Lord and thebenefits accruing to myself. On the other hand the lawof sin (Rom. 7, 23), which I felt in my members,opposed the divine promptings and discouraged me bythe fear of my own inconstancy. I felt a great distaste,which deterred me and a great pusillanimity which filledme with fear. In this excitement I began to believe, thatI was not capable of treating about such high things,especially as they were so foreign to the condition andestate of a woman.3. Overcome by fears and difficulties, I resolved notto continue this work, and to use all possible means toadhere to this determination. The common enemy knewmy fear and cowardice, and, as his utmost cruelty ismore aroused against the weak and disheartened, he madeuse of thisvery dispositionto attack me with incrediblefury. It seemed to him, that I was left without help inhis hands. In order to conceal his malice, he sought totransform himself into an angel of light, pretending tobe very solicitous for my soul and for my welfare.Under this false pretext he perfidiously deluged me withhis suggestions and doubts; he represented to me thedanger of damnation and frightened me with punishments similar to those of the chief of the angels(Is. 14, 12), since I had sought in my pride to comprehend, what was above my powers and in opposition toGod himself.4. He pointed out to me many souls, who, professingvirtue, were deceived by some secret presumption and byand he made meyielding to the insinuations of the devil ;believe, that in so far as I sought to scrutinize the secretsof the divine Majesty (Prov. 25, 27), I could not but be

INTRODUCTION 5guilty of pride and presumption, thus being alreadyjudged. He urged very strongly, that the present timeswere ill suited for such matters and sought to confirmhis assertion by what happened to some well known persons, who were found to labor under deceit and error.He reminded me of the dread of the spiritual life inothers; how great would be the discredit, which wouldarise by any mistake of mine and what evil effect it wouldhave on those of little piety; all this I would know byexperience and to my regret, if I persisted in writingabout this matter. And as it is true evidently, that allthe opposition to the spiritual life and the small esteemin which the mystic virtues are held, is caused by thatmortal enemy, so,for the purpose of doing away withhe succeedsChristian devotion and piety in many souls,in deceiving some and in sowing the cockle among thegood seed of the Lord (Matth. 13, 25). Thus he causesconfusion and obscures the true sentiment concerning it,making it more difficult to distinguish the darkness fromthe light. I am not surprised to see him succeed therein,as the true discernment is the special work of God and ofthose, who participate in his true wisdom, and do notgovern themselves only by earthly insight.5. It is not easy during this mortal life to discern trueprudence from the false; for often also the good intention and zeal warp the human judgment, when counseland light from on high are wanting. I had occasion tolearn this in the execution of that which I am about toundertake :for some persons, well known as devout, notonly those who loved me on account of their piety anddesired my welfare, but also those who were less lovingand considerate : all alike at one time wished to deter mefrom this undertaking, and also from the path, which Iwas going, as if I was proceeding uponitby my own

6 INTRODUCTIONchoice. Their fear of drawing discredit or confusionupon those who were striving after piety with me, orupon religion or my neighbors, and especially upon theconvent in which I lived, caused them anxiety and to me,affliction. I was much enamoured by the security, whichthe ordinary paths of the other nuns seemed to offer; Iacknowledge, that this suited more my own insight andmy inclination and desires, and was urged upon me stillmore by my timidity and my great fears.6. Cast about upon these impetuous waves, my heartsought to reach the port of obedience in order to reassure me in the bitter sea of my confusion. To add tomy tribulation, itbegan to be rumored about in ourorder, that my spiritual father and superior, who had formany years directed my soul and who well understoodmy interior trials, who moreover had commanded me towrite the preceding part of this history, who would mostlikely encourage, quiet, and console me, was suggestedfor removal to a higher office. The suggestion was notacted upon, but it occasioned his absence for many days,and the dragon took advantage of all this in order topour out against me the furious river of his wrath(Apoc. 13, 15). Thus, though in vain, he exerted allhis malice, on this occasion and others, to entice me fromobedience and deprive me of the guidance of my superiorand master.7. In addition to all the contradictions and temptationsalready mentioned, and many others not possible to describe, the demon sought to deprive me of my health,causing many aches, indispositions and disorders of thewhole body. He harassed me with insurmountable sadness and conflicting thoughts ;he seemed to confuse myunderstanding, hinder correct thinking, weaken my willpower, and sift me in body and soul. And it happened

INTRODUCTION 7that in the midst of this confusion I committed somefaults, which were serious enough in me, although theywere committed not so much in malice as from humanfraility. Nevertheless the serpent sought to use themfor my destruction more than any other means for thus;having interrupted the flow of good works, his fury waslet loose to cause still greater faults in this embarrassTo thisment by inveigling me to exaggerate my guilt.he drove me by impious and most insidious suggestions,seeking to persuade me, that all that I had experienced inthe path which I had trodden, was false and erroneous.8. As these insinuations, on account of the faults committed and on account of my continual consternation andfears, began to appear plausible, I resisted them less thanothers ;and it was only through the special mercies of theLord, that I did not fall entirely from all belief and hopein a remedy. But I found myself so entangledin difficulties and surrounded by darkness, that I may say, thegroanings of death encompassed me and the sorrows ofhell engulfed me (Ps. 17, 5) inspiring me with dread ofextreme peril.I resolved to burn the manuscripts of thefirst part of this divine history and to desist from writingthe second. The angel of satan, who inspired me withthis resolution, induced me also to withdraw myself fromthe whole undertaking: to put an end to the pursuit ofthe spiritual life, to neglect my interior life, and not tocommunicate about it with any one. Thus would I beable to do penance for my sins, appease the Lord, propitiate Him, and retain his friendship. In order to makesure of the effects of his concealed malice he proposed,that I make a vow not to write any more on account ofthe danger of being deceived and of deceiving;but thatinstead, I amend my life, retrench my imperfections andembrace penance.

8 INTRODUCTION9. With this masque of seeming virtue the dragonpretended to establish his damnable counsels and coverhimself with the skin of a sheep, while in reality he actedas a bloodthirsty and devouring wolf. He perseveredfor some time in this attack and all alone I remained forfifteen days in a night of darkness, without relief or consolation either human or divine : without the former,because I was without the help and the counsel of obedience, and without the latter, because the Lord had interrupted the flow of his favors, his enlightenments andcontinual inspiration. Above all was I distressed bydespair of salvation and in it, the persuasion, that deathand the danger of my eternal damnation was approaching; all this was instigated and fostered in me by theenemy.10. But as the aftertastes of his temptations are sobitter and end but in despair, the very disturbance, bywhich he upset the whole republic of my powers andacquired habits, made me more wary of fulfilling anything which he urged on me and proposed to me. Heavailed himself of the continual fear, which tormentedme with the dread of offending God and of losing* hisfriendship and when, in my doubts, I applied myself toworks of piety, he sought to draw me away. This veryfear however made me hesitate at what the astute dragonhad tried to convince me of and in this uncertainty Ideferred giving assent to it.My high regard for obedience also, by which I had been ordered to write, and thecontrariness of that which I felt in my interior, helpedme to resist and to recoil at his suggestions. Above allthe assistance of the Most High defended me andpermitted not the beasts to snatch my soul, which amidsighs and groans confessed Him. I cannot describe inwords the temptations, combats, troubles, dismays and

INTRODUCTION 9afflictions, which I suffered in this battle: for I sawmyself placed in such a state, that in my judgment therewas really no greater difference between my conditionand that of the damned, except that in hell there is no redemption, while in mine it was still possible.11. One day, in order to get some respite, I cried outfrom the bottom of my heart saying : "O woe is me, thatI have come to such a state! and woe to my soul, whichfinds itself therein! Whither shall I turn, since all theportals of my salvation are closed?" Immediately astrong and sweet voice gave answer within myself:"Whither dost thou wish to go outside of God himself?"By this answer I perceived that my cure was at hand inthe Lord, and at the breaking of this dawn I began toraise myself from the depth of the confusion, into whichI was cast, and I felt a powerful increase in the fervor ofmy desires and in the acts of faith, hope and charity. Idebased myself in the presence of the Most High and, infirm confidence in his goodness, I wept over my faultswith bitter sorrow. I confessed them many times andsighing from the depth of heart, I began to seek again theformer light and truth. And as the divine Wisdomcomes forth to meet those by whom it is invoked(Wis. 6, 17), it advanced toward me in delight andcleared away the night of my confusion and tormentingafflictions.12. Presently that bright day broke, which I had desired so much; the quiet possession of peace returned;I enjoyed the sweet love and vision of my Lord andMaster, and with it I again perceived, why I shouldbelieve, accept and esteem the benefits and favors, whichhis mighty arm wrought in me. I gave Him thanks asfar as was in my power and I saw, who I was and who;Cod is; that a creature by itself can do nothing, that it

10 INTRODUCTIONis nothing, because sin is nothing. I saw also what mancan do when raised up and assisted up by the divine righthand, being much more than can be imagined by ourearthly faculites. Humbled in the perception of thesetruths and in the presence of the inaccessible light,(which is vast and strong, without deceit or falsehood),my heart flowed over in sweet affections of love, praiseand thanksgiving. For now I understood, that He hadguarded and defended me, so that in the confused nightof temptations my lamp might not be extinguished(Prov. 31, 18) ; and in the depth of my gratitude Iannihilated myself to the dust and humiliated myselfas a worm of the earth.13. To make this benefit more certain, I immediatelyheard an interior exhortation, without knowing clearlyfrom whence itproceeded while it; severely reprehendedme for my disloyalty and my wrongful ways, it at thesame time admonished and enlightened, instructed andcorrected me. It furnished me with a deep understanding of good and evil, of virtue and vice, of what wassecure, useful and beneficial, as well as their contraries;itlaid open to me the way of eternity, gave me a knowledge of the means and of the end, of the value of lifeeverlasting, and of the miserable unhappiness and the solittle considered ruin of endless perdition.14. In the profound knowledge of these two extremes,I confess that I was dumbfounded and cast about between the fear of my dreadful infirmity and the desireof reaching the happiness, of which I was unworthy onaccount of my demerits. I was full of the thought ofand the fearthe kindness and mercy of the Most High ;of losing Him : I beheld the two different ends awaitingthe creatures: eternal glory and eternal misery; and itseemed a small matter to me to suffer all the pains and the

INTRODUCTION 11torments of the world, of purgatory and hell itself, inorder to attain to the one and to avoid the other.Andalthough I perceived, that the divine help is assuredto those who seek to make use of it, yet as I also sawby this light, that life and death are in our hands(Eccli. 15, 18), and that our weakness or malice mayprevent the proper use of grace, and that the tree willlie for all eternity as it once has fallen (Eccles. 11, 3),on this account I was overcome by the deepest sorrow,which penetrated my heart.15. This sorrow was increased by a most severeanswer or inquiry, which came from the Lord. Forwhile I found myself thus annihilated in the consciousness of my weakness and danger and by the thought ofhaving offended his justice, so that I dared not raise myeyes toward Him, He met my speechless sorrow by theadvances of his mercy, saying to me in answer to them :"Which dost thou wish, my soul? Which dost thouseek? Which of these ways wilt thou choose? What isthy resolve ?" This question was an arrow to my heart :for although I knew for certain, that the Lord knew mydesires better than I myself, the delay between the ques :tion and the answer was incredibly painful to me; Iwished, if possible, that the Lord should anticipate myanswer and should not show Himself ignorant of theresponse, which I would give. But, impelled by greatemotion, I made response in words coming from the innermost of soul, and said; "Lord and omnipotent God!The path of virtue, the way of eternal life do I chose,this do I desire, and in this do Thou place me ;and as Ido not merit it in thy justice, I appeal to they mercy, andI offer for myself the infinite merits of thy most holySon and my Redeemer, Jesus Christ."16. I was made aware, that this highest Judge re-

12 INTRODUCTIONmembered the promise, which isgiven to the Church,that He would grant all that is asked in the name of histhat in Him and on hisOnlybegotten (John 16, 23),account my petition was granted and its fulfillmenthastened according to my poor wishes. Certain conditionswere made and proposed to me by an intellectual voice,saying to me interiorly: "Soul, created by the hand ofthe Almighty, if thou wishest, as one of the elect, tofollow in the path of the true light and attain the positionof a most chaste spouse of the Lord, who calls thee, itis befitting, that thou observe the laws and precepts oflove. The first thing required of thee is, that thou rejectentirely all earthly inclinations, renouncing all and everyaffection toward the transient things, so that thou haveno love or affection toward any created being, no matterhow useful, beautiful or agreeableitmay appear to thee.Cherish no created image, harbor no earthly affection;let thy will rest in no created object,exceptin so far asthy Lord and Spouse shall command thee for the wellorderingof thy love, or in so far as thou canst be aidedthereby to love Him alone/17. "And when, after thus reaching this perfect abnegation and renunciation of thyself, thou shalt have freedand disentangled thyself from all earthly things, seekthe Lord, raising thyself with the swift wings of thedove toward the high habitation, in which He, in hiscondescension, wishes to place thy spirit; so that therethou mayest live in his presence and have a secure dwelling-place. This great Lord is a most jealous Spouse andhis love and emulation are strong as death (Cant. 8, 6).He wishes to adorn thee and set thee in a secure place,in order that thou mayest not issue from it, or leave hispresence for another, where thou findst Him not or enjoyestnot his caresses. He, with whom thou art to con-

INTRODUCTION 13verse without mistrust, wishes to signthee with his ownhand, and this is a most equitable law, which the spousesof the great King must observe; for even those in theworld observe it, in order to show their faithfulness. Itis due to the nobility of thy Spouse, that thou observea behavior corresponding to the dignity and positionconferred by Him, wtihout descending to anything notbefitting this estate or making thee unworthy of theadornment lavished upon thee for entrance into his bridalchamber."18. "Next I require of thee, that thou despoil thyselfwith diligence of the vestments torn by thy faults andimperfections, soiled by the effects of sin, and madeodious by the inclinations of nature. His Majesty wishesand renew thee with histo wash off the stains, to purifybeauty, but under condition, that thou never lose sightof the poor and despicable vestments of which thou hastbeen divested, so that in the memory and knowledge ofthis benefit, thou mayest spread the odor of sweetnessfor this great King by the nard of thy humility(Cant 1, 11), and so that thou mayest never forget thereturn, which thou owest to the Author of thy salvation.Thus will He, by the precious balsam of his blood, purifythee, heal thy wounds and enlighten thee copiously."19. "In addition to all this"(this voice continued tosay) order that thus "in forgetting all earthly thingsthou mayest be coveted by the highest King, seek toadorn thyself with the jewels, which He in his pleasurehas prepared for thee. The vestments, which shall coverthee, are to be whiter than the snow, more brilliant thanthe diamond, more resplendent than the sun and yet theywill be at the same time so delicate, that they will easilybe spoiled by any negligence, making thee abominable inthe sight of thy Spouse. But if thou preserve them in2-3

14 INTRODUCTIONthe purity which He desires, thy steps will be beautifulas the Prince s daughter (Cant. 7, 1), and his Majestywill be pleased with thy sentiments and thy words. As acincture of thy vestment He will give thee the knowledgeof his divine power and his holy fear, in order that, having bound thy inclinations, thou mayest direct thyself byhis pleasure. The jewels of thy necklace, which adornthy neck, signifying thy humble submission, shall be thecostly stones of faith, hope and charity. As a clasp forthy hair (which are the high and exalted thoughts andthou wilt have from Him thethy heavenly intelligences),infused science and wisdom, and the embroideries of thyvestments shall be all the beauty and richness of the virtues. Thy diligence in performing what is most perfectshall serve thee as sandals, and they laces shall be theavoidance and restraints, that thou wilt use in order tokeep from evil. The rings, which will beautify thyfingers, shall be the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost; andthe beauty of thy face shall be the participation of theDivinity, which on account of his holy love, shall shinetherefrom. Thereto thou shalt add the coloring of confusion for having offended Him, in order that it maymake thee ashamed of offending Him in the future, comparing at the same time the coarse and sordid habits ofthe past with those that now adorn thee."20. "And because thy own merits would make but apoor and miserable return for such a high espousal, theMost High wishes to ratify this contract by singling out,as if for thee alone, the infinite merits of thy SpouseJesus Christ, and He makes thee a partaker of all hispossessions and treasures in the heavens and upon earth.For all belongs to this supreme Lord (Esther 13, 11),and of all this thou shalt be mistress as his spouse forthy own use and for the greater love of Him. But

INTRODUCTION 15remember, soul, that in order to obtain such a gift, thoumust hide all this within thyself, without ever losing thysecret; for I warn thee of the danger of soiling thybeauty with the least imperfection; but if at any timethou committest such an imperfection out of weakness,rise from it at once, like a strong one, and acknowledging it, weep over the small fault as if it had been, the mostgrievous."21. "And in order that thou mayest have a dwellingplaceand habitation befitting such a great estate, thySpouse does not wish to set thee any limit, but it is hispleasure, that thou dwell in the infinite regionsof hisDivinity and that thou roam about and disport thyselfthrough the illimitable fields of his attributes and perfections.where the view of the intellect is without restraint, where the will is delighted without shadow ofmisgiving, and where the inclinations are satiated withoutbitterness. This is the paradise always delightful, wherethe most beloved brides of Christ find their recreation,where they gather the fragrant flowers and myrrh, andwhere the infinite is found for those that have renouncedthe imperfect nothing. There will thy habitation besecure ;and in order that thy intercourse and companionship may be in correspondence with it, I desire that thouconverse with the angels, holding them as friends andcompanions, and copying from them, during their frequent conversations and intercourse with thee, their virtues by faithful imitation."22. "Take notice"(continued the "Ovoice) soul ofthe greatness of this benefit; for the Mother of thySpouse and the Queen of heaven adopts thee anew for herdaughter, receives thee as her disciple, and assumes theplace of a Mother and of a Teacher toward thee. Throughher intercession dost thou receive those special favors and

16 INTRODUCTIONthey are all granted to thee that thou mayest write hermost holylife. On this account thou hast been pardonedwithout thy merit, and that, which otherwise thouwouldst not have reached, has been conceded to thee.What would become of thee, O soul, if it were not forthe Mother of mercy? Thou wouldst already haveperished, if her intercession had failed thee; poor anduseless would have been thy works, if, by divine condescension, thou hadst not been selected to write thishistory, but the eternal Father chose thee for his daughter, in view of this work, and for a spouse of his OnlybegottenSon ;and the Son received thee to his close embraces, and the Holy Spirit selected thee for his enlightenments. The document of this contract and espousal iswritten and imprinted on the white parchment of thepurity of most holy Mary there the :finger and the powerof the Most High have written it ;the ink is the blood ofthe Lamb; the executor is the eternal Father; the tiewhich binds thee to Christ is the Holy Spirit the bonds;men are the merits of the same Jesus Christ and of hisMother; for thou art but a vile worm, having nothing tooffer and being expected to give merely thy free consent."23. So far the admonishing voice, which I heard. Although I judged it to be that of an angel, yet whethersuch it was, I could not ascertain clearly, for I did notperceive it in the same way as at other times. Such manifestations and disclosures accommodate themselves tothe dispositions of the soul at the time of their reception,as for instance ithappened to the disciples at Emmaus(Luke 24, 16). Many other experiences I had in orderto overcome the opposition of the serpent against thewriting of this history, but it would draw out this introduction too much to mention them now . I continued myprayers for some days, asking the Lord to govern and

INTRODUCTION 17direct me in order not to make a mistake, and representing to Him my incapacity and timidity. His Majestypersisted in exhorting me to ordain my life toward alland in urging me topurity and the greatest perfection,continue in it after having begun. And especially theQueen of the angels intimated to me her will many times,and with great sweetness and tenderness commanded meto obey Her as her daughter and write her most holylife, which I had commenced.24. To all this I wished to add the security of obedience. Without saying anything of that, which I hadheard from the Lord and from his most holy Mother, Iasked my confessor and superior what he would directme to do in this matter. He answered by commandingme under obedience to continue and to write the secondpart of this history. Finding myself thus compelled bothby the Lord and by obedience, I returned again to thepresence of the Most High, where I found myself oneday in prayer, and, renouncing my whole self and recognizing my insignificance and liability to err, I prostratedmyself before his Majesty and said :"My Lord, my Lord,what wishest Thou to do with me?"Whereupon I received the following intelligence.25. It seemed to me, that the divine light of the blessedTrinity showed me my own self full of poverty anddefects, and severely reprehending me for them, furnished me at the same time with the highest doctrine andsalutary directions for a perfect life, and for this purposeGod purified and enlightened me anew. I became awarethat the Mother of grace, most holy Mary, standingbefore the throne of the Divinity, was interceding andpleading for me. With such assistance my confidencetook new life and profiting by the clemency of such aMother, I addressed myself to Her and spoke to Her only

18 INTRODUCTIONthese words :"MyLady and my Refuge, consider, as atrue Mother, the poverty of thy slave." It seemed to meas if She heard my prayer and speaking with the MostHigh, She said: "My Lord, I wish to receive this useless and poor creature anew as a daughter and adopt heras my own." (Truly this was the act of a most liberaland mighty Queen!) But the Most High answered:"My Spouse, for such a great favor as this, what doesthis soul bring in return ? She does not deserve it, beinga useless and destitute worm, and thankless for ourgifts."26. O wonderful power of the divine word! Howshall I describe the effects produced in me by this answerof the Allpowerful?I humbled myself to the depth ofmy nothingness and I was filled with the knowledge ofthe misery of creatures and of my own ingratitudetoward God. My heart sank within me in sorrow for mysins and in the desire of obtaining the unmerited happiness of being the child of that Sovereign. I raised my eyesfull of dread to the throne of the Most High and myvisage was transported in fear and hopeI turned toward;my Advocate, and desiring to be admitted as her slave,since I did not merit the title of daughter, I spoke fromthe bottom of my heart without forming any words and;I heard the great Lady say to the Lord :27. "Divine Lord and my God, it is true, this poorcreature has nothing to offer to thy justice, but I offerfor her the merits and the blood, which my most holySon poured out for her and with it I present also thedignity of Mother of thy onlybegotten Son, which I received from thy ineffable kindness, all the works, whichI performed in thy service in having borne Him in mywomb, and nourished Him with the milk of my breast,and above all I offer Thee thy own bounty and Divinity ;

INTRODUCTION 19I earnestly entreat Thee to consider this creature as myadopted daughter and disciple for whom I will standsecurity. Under my guidance She will amend her faultsand perform her works according to thy pleasure."28. The Most High, (may He be eternally praised forof the great Queen interceding forhearing the petitionthe least of his creatures), yielded to these prayers, andimmediately in the joy of my soul I felt immense effects,such as are impossible to describe ;with my whole heart Iturned toward all the creatures of heaven and earth, and,not being able to contain my exultation, I invited them toexalt for me and with me the Author of grace. It seemedto me that I addressed them in the following words :ye inhabitants and courtiers of heaven and allye livingcreatures, formed by the hand of the Most High, beholdand bless andthis marvel of his liberality and mercysince He has raised from theexalt Him for all eternity,dust the most vile of the universe and has enriched themost destitute; He has honored the most unworthy,though He is the highest God and the powerful King.And since you, sons of Adam, here see the poorest orphansuccored, the greatest sinner pardoned issue;forth fromyour ignorance, raise yourself from your listlessness andrenew your hope; for if his powerful arm has assisted me,if He has called and forgiven me, all of you can hope foryour salvation ;and ifyou wish to assure yourselves ofit, seek, seek the protection of the most holy Mary, askHer for her intercession, and you will find Her to be theMother of ineffable mercy and clemency."29. I turned also to this most exalted Queen and saidto Her :"Aye,"OO my Lady, now I do not call myself anorphan, since I have a Mother, and a Mother, who is theQueen of all creation I shall not ;any more be ignorant,since I have as Teacher the Mistress of divine wisdom,

20 INTRODUCTIONnot poor, since I have as Lord Him, who is Master ofall the treasures of heaven and earth; I have a Mother,who protects me; an Instructress, who teaches and corrects me; a Mistress, who commands and governs me.Blessed art Thou amongst all women, wonderful amongall creatures, admirable in heaven and on earth, and letall confess thy greatness with eternal praises. Since it isnot easy or possible for the least among creatures, thelowest worm of the earth to give Thee any return :ceive it then from the divine right hand and in the divinevision, where Thou standest in the presence of God enjoying Thyself through all eternity I shall remain thy:acknowledged and bounden slave, praising the Almightyas long as my life shall last, since his liberal mercy hasso favored me, as to give me my Queen as my Motherand Teacher. Let my loving muteness praise Thee, sincemy tongue has not words or terms adequate for doingfor all of them are strained and limited."it;30. It is not possible to describe what the soul feelsduring such mysterious favors. They were the sourceof great good to my soul, for immediately I was madeaware of a perfection of life, and of works for which Ifail to find terms. But all this, the Most High told me,was given to me on account of the most holy Mary and inorder to write her life. It was intimated to me, that byratifying this blessing, the eternal Father chose me tomanifest the sacraments of his Daughter; that the HolySpirit poured out his light and inspirations that 1 mightdeclare the hidden gifts of his Spouse and that the most;holy Son appointed me to manifest the mysteriesmost pure Mother Mary. And in order that I might bereof hiscome capable of this work, the Holy Trinity enlightenedand bathed my soul in a special light of the Divinity andthe divine power touched up my faculties as with a

INTRODUCTION 21pencil, furnishing them with new habits for the perfectexecution of this work.31. The Most Highalso commanded me to strive toimitate with all my heart, according to my weak powers,all that I should understand and write about the heroicvirtues and the most holy operations of the heavenlyQueen, guiding my life according to her example.Knowing how unfit I am for the fulfillment of this obligation, the same most kind Queen offered to me anewher favor, help and instruction for all that the Lordcommanded and pointed out to me. Then I asked forthe blessing of the most holy Trinity inorder to beginthe second part of this heavenly history. I felt that allthree persons of the Godhead conferred their blessingupon me. Issuing from the trance, I sought to washmy soul in the Sacraments and, full of contrition formy sins, in the name of the Lord and of obedience, Iset myself about this work for the glory of the MostHigh and for his most holy Mother, the ever immaculateVirgin Mary.32. This second part comprises the life of the Queenof the angels from the mystery of the Incarnation tothe Ascension of Christ our Lord into heaven, which isthe principal and the most important part of this history,for it includes the whole life and mysteries of the Lordhimself with his Passion and most holy Death. I wishonly to remark here, that the graces and blessingsconceded to most holy Mary in preparation for theto flow from the moment of herIncarnation, beganImmaculate Conception; already at that time, in theintention and the decree of God, She was the Mother ofthe Word. But in the measure as the realization of theIncarnation drew nigh, the favors and gifts of grace continued to increase. Although they seemed to be all of

22 INTRODUCTIONthe same kind and nature from the beginning, yet theycontinued to augment and increase; and there are notterms new and varied enough to equal in their significance these increases and advances in the blessings conferred. Thus it becomes necessary in this narrative tomeasure all by the infinite power of the Lord, who,giving* much, retains enough to give infinitely more,while the capacity of each soul, and especially the soulof the Queen of heaven, is in its way infinite, beingable to receive ever more and more. And this happenedwith the soul of holy Mary, until She arrived at a summitof holiness and participation of the Divinity, to which noother creature has attained nor will ever attain in alleternity. May the Lord himself enlighten me, that Imay follow up this work according to his divine pleasure.Amen.

BOOK ONEBOOK III,I OF II PARTContains the most Exquisite Preparations of the Almighty for the Incarnation of the Word in Mary most Holy; the Circumstances Accompanying this Mystery; the Exalted State, in which the BlessedMother was placed; her Visit to Saint Elisabeth and theSanctificationof the Baptist: Her Return to Nazarethand a Memorable Battle of the Virgin with LuciferCHAPTER I.THE MOST HIGH BEGINS TO PREPARE IN MOST HOLY MARYTHE MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION ; THE EVENTS OFTHE NINE DAYS PRECEDING THIS MYSTERY, ESPECIALLY THE HAPPENINGS OF THE FIRST DAY.1. In order that her most faultless life might be to allan example of the highest holiness, the Most High hadplaced upon our Queen and Mistress the duties of a spouseof saint Joseph which was a position requiring more intercourse with her neighbors. The heavenly Mistress,finding Herself in this new estate, was filled with suchexalted thoughts and sentiments in the fulfillment of herduties, and ordered all the activities of her life with suchwisdom, that She was an object of admirable emulationto the angelic spirits and an unparalleled example formen. Few knew Her and still fewer had intercourse withHer : but these happy ones were so filled with that celestialinfluence of Mary, that with a wonderful joy and withunwonted flights of spirit they sought to express and23

24 CITY OF GODmanifest the light, which illumined their hearts andwhich they knew came from Her. The most prudentQueen was not unaware of these operations of the MostHigh; but neither was it yet time, nor would her mostprofound humility as yet consent to their becomingknown to the world. She continually besought the Lordto hide them from men, to make all the favors of his righthand redound solely to his praise, and to permit Her tobe ignored and despised by all the mortals, in as far ashis infinite goodness would not be offended thereby.2. These prayers were accepted by her divine Spousewith great benignity and his providence arranged allthings in such a manner, that the very light, whichincited men to proclaim her greatness, at the same timecaused them to be mute. Moved by divine power, theyrefrained from expressing their thoughts, inwardly praising the Lord for the light, which they felt within themselves. Filled with marvel they suspended their judgment, and leaving behind the creatures, they sought theirCreator. Many turned from sin at the mere sight ofHer; others amended their lives; all were affected atseeing Her and experienced heavenly influences in theirsouls. But immediately they forgot the source of theseinfluences; for if they could have remained in her presence, or could have retained the memory of her image,and if God had not preventeditby a mystery, nothingwould have been able to divert their attention from Herand all would have sought Her without wavering.3. In such fruitful occupations and in augmenting thegifts and graces from which all this good proceeded, ourQueen, the Spouse of Joseph, busied Herself during thesix months and seventeen days, which intervened betweenher espousal and the Incarnation of the Word. I cannotpretend to refer even briefly to her great heroic acts of

THE INCARNATION 25all the virtues, interior and exterior, to all her deeds ofcharity, humility, religion, and all her works of mercy,the alms and benefactions ;for this exceeds the power ofthe pen. The best I can do is to sum up and say: thatthe Most High found in most holy Mary the fulfillmentof all his pleasure and of his wishes, as far as is possiblein the correspondence of a creature with its Creator. Byher sanctity and merits God felt Himself as it wereobliged, and, (according to our way of speaking), compelled, to hasten his steps and extend the arms of hisOmnipotence to bring about the greatest of wonders conceivable in the world before or after: namely the Incarnation of the Onlybegotten of the Father in the virginalwomb of this Lady.4. In order to proceed with a dignity befitting Himself,God prepared most holy Mary in a singular mannerduring the nine days immediately preceding this mystery,and allowed the river of his Divinity to rush impetuouslyforth (Psalm 45, 5) to inundate this City of God withits floods. He communicated such great graces andgifts and favors, that I am struck dumb by the perceptionof what has been made known to me concerning thismiracle, and my lowliness is filled with dread at even themention of what I understood. For the tongue, the pen,and all the faculties of a creature fall far below any possibility of revealing such incomprehensible sacraments.Therefore I wish it to be understood, that all I say hereis only an insignificant shadow of the smallest part ofthese wonders and ineffable prodigies, which are not atall to be encompassed by our limited words, but only bythe power divine, which I5. On the firstdaydo not possess.of this most blessed novena theheavenly Princess Mary, after a slight rest,according tothe example of her father David and according to the

26 CITY OF GODdiurnal order and arrangement laid out for Her by theLord, left her couch at midnight (Psalm 118, 62), and,prostrate in the presence of the Most High, commencedher accustomed prayer and holy exercises. The angels,who attended upon Her, spoke to Her and said :"Spouseof our King and Lord, arise, for his Majesty calls Thee."She raised Herself with fervent affection and answered :The Lord commands the dust to raise itself from thedust." And turning toward the countenance of theLord, who called Her, She added: "Mosthigh andpowerful Master, what wishest Thou to do with me?"At these words her most holy soul was raised in spiritto a new and higher habitation, closer to the same Lordand more remote from all earthly and passing things.6. She felt at once, that She was being prepared bythose illuminations and purifications, which at other timesShe had experienced in some of the most exalted visionsof the Divinity. I do not dwell on them, since I havedescribed them in the first part (Part I, 620-629). TheDivinity manifested Itself not by an intuitive, but by anabstractive vision; however so clearly, that byit Sheunderstood more of this incomprehensible Object, thanwhat the blessed see and enjoy by intuition. For thisvision was more exalted and more profound than theothers of that kind ;since this heavenly Lady made Herself more capable day by day and, because She made suchperfect use of graces, She disposed Herself for evergreater ones. Moreover, the repeated enlightenmentsand visions of the Divinity continually enabled Herto respond more and more befittingly to its infiniteoperations.7. In this vision our Princess Mary learned most highsecrets of the Divinity and of its perfections, and especially of God s communications ad extra in the work of

%THE INCARNATION 27creation. She saw that itoriginated in the goodness andliberalityof God, that creatures were not necessary forsupplementing his Divine existence, nor for his infiniteglory, since without them He was glorious through theinterminable eternities before the creation of the world.Many sacraments and secrets were manifested to ourQueen, which neither can nor should be made known toall; for She alone was the only One (Cant. 6, 8; 7, 6),the chosen One, selected by the highest King and Lordof creation for these delights. But as her Highness inthis vision perceived this impulse and inclination of theDivinity to communicate Itself ad extra with a forcegreater than that which makes all the elements tendtoward their center, and as She was drawn within thesphere of this divine love, She besought the eternalFather with heart aflame, that He send his Onlybegotteninto the world and give salvation to men, since in thismanner He should satisfy, and, (speaking humanly),execute the promptings of his Divinity and its perfections.8. These petitions of his Spouse were very sweet tothe Lord, they were the scarlet lace, with which Shebound and secured his love. And in order to put hisdesires into execution He sought first to prepare thetabernacle or temple, whither He was to descend fromthe bosom of the eternal Father. He resolved to furnishhis beloved and chosen Mother with a clear knowledgeof all his works ad extra, just as his Omnipotence hadmade them. On the first day therefore, and in this samevision, He manifested to Her all that He had made onthe first day of the creation of the world, as it is recordedin Genesis, and She perceived all with greater clearnessand comprehension, than if She had been an eye-witness ;for She knew them firstthey are in themselves.as they are in God, and then as

28 CITY OF GOD9. She perceived and understood, how the Lord inthe beginning (Gen. 1; 1, 5), created heaven and earth;in how far and in what way it was void, and how thedarkness was over the face of the abyss; how the spiritof the Lord hovered over the waters and how, at thedivine command, light was made, and what was itsnature; how, after the darkness was divided, it wascalled night and the light day, and how thus the firstday was made. She knew the size of the earth, itslongitude, latitude and depth, its caverns, hell, limbo andpurgatory with their inhabitants; the countries, climes,the meridians and divisions of the world, and all itsinhabitants and occupants. With the same clearness Sheknew the inferior orbs and the empyrean heaven; howthe angels were made on the first day ;She was informedof their nature, conditions, diversity, hierarchies, offices,grades and virtues. The rebellion of the bad angels wasrevealed to Her, their fall and the occasion and the causeof that fall, though the Lord always concealed from Herthat which concerned Herself. She understood the punishment and the effects of sin in the demons, beholdingthem as they are in themselves and at the conclusion of;the first day, the Lord showed to Her, how She too wasformed of this lowly earthly material and endowed withthe same nature as all those, who return to the dust;He did not however say, that She would again return toof theit; yet He gave Her such a profound knowledgeearthly existence, that the great Queen humiliated Herself to the abyss of nothingness being without fault, She;debased Herself more than all the children of Adam withall their miseries.10. This whole vision and all its effects the Most Higharranged in such a way as to open up in the heart of Marythe deep trenches that were required for the foundations

THE INCARNATION 29of the edifice, which He wished to erect in Her: namelyso high a one, that it would reach up to the substantialand hypostatic union of the human and divine nature.And as the dignity of Mother of God was without limitsand to a certain extent infinite, it was becoming that Sheshould be grounded in a proportionate humility, such aswould be without limits thoughstill within the boundsof reason itself. Attaining the summit of virtue, thisblessed One among women humiliated Herself to suchan extent, that the most holy Trinity was, as it were, fullypaid and satisfied, and (according to our mode of understanding) constrained to raise Her to the highest positioncreatures and nearest to theand dignity possible amongDivinity itself.spoke and said to Her :In this highest benevolence his Majesty11. "My Spouse and Dove, great is mydesire ofredeeming man from sin and my immense kindness isas it were strained in waiting for the time, in which Ishall descend in order to repair the world ;ask Me continually during these days and with great affection forthe fulfillment of this desire. Prostrate in my royalpresence let not thy petitions and clamors cease, askingMe that the Onlybegotten of the Father descend into unite Himself with the human nature." Whererealityupon the heavenly Princess responded and said :"Lordand God eternal, whose is all the power and wisdom,whose wish none can resist (Esther 13, 9), who shallhinder thy Omnipotence? Who shall detain the impetuous current of thy Divinity, so that thy pleasurein conferring this benefit upon the whole human raceremain unfulfilled? If perhaps, O my Beloved, I am ahindrance to such an immeasurable benefit, let me perishbefore I impede thy pleasure this ; blessing cannot dependupon the merits of any creature ; therefore, my Lord and2-4

30 CITY OF GODMaster, do not wait, as we might later on merit it somuch the" less. The sins of men increase and the offensesagainst Thee are multiplied how shall;we merit the veryblessing, of which we become daily more unworthy? InThee thyself, my Lord, exists the last cause and motiveof our salvation; thy infinite bounty, thy numberlessmercies inciteThee, the groans of thy Prophets and ofthe Fathers of thy people solicit Thee, the saints sighafter Thee, the sinners look for Thee and all of themtogether call out to Thee and if; I, insignificant wormlet,on account of my ingratitude, am not unworthy of thymerciful condescension, I venture to beseech Thee, fromthe bottom of my heart, to speed thy coming and tohasten thy Redemption for thy greater glory."12. When the Princess of heaven had finished thisprayer, She returned to her ordinary and more naturalstate ;but anxious to fulfill the mandate of the Lord, Shecontinued during that whole day her petitionsfor theIncarnation of the Word and with the deepest humilityShe repeated the exercises of prostrating Herself to theground and praying in the form of a cross. For theHoly Ghost,, who governed Her, had taught Her thisposture, by which She so highly pleased the most blessedTrinity. God saw, in the body of the future Mother ofthe Word, as it were the crucified person of Christ andtherefore He received this morning sacrifice of the mostpure Virgin as an advance offering of that of his mostholy Son.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN GAVE ME.13. My daughter, the mortals are not capable of understanding the ineffable operations of the arm of theOmnipotent in preparing me for the Incarnation of theeternal Word. Especially during the nine days, which

THE INCARNATION 31preceded this exalted sacrament was my spirit elevatedand united with the immutable being of the Divinity. Iwas submerged in the ocean of his infinite perfections,participating in all those eminent and divine effect, whichare beyond all presentiment of the human hearts. Theknowledge of creatures communicated to me penetratedinto their very essence, so that it was more profound andpiercing than that of all the angelic spirits, though theirknowledge of creation, on account of the beatificis altogether admirable. Moreover the imagesvision,of themall were impressed upon my mind to be used by meaccording as I desired.14. What I wish of thee todayis to take notice howI used this knowledge and to imitate me according tothy power with the help of the infused light, which thouhast received for this purpose. Profit by the knowledgeof creatures by making of them a ladder to ascend untoGod thy Creator ;so that thou mayest seek in all of themtheir first beginning and their last end. Let them servethee as a mirror from which the Godhead is reflected,reminding thee of his Omnipotence and inciting thee tothe love, which He seeks in thee. Be thou filled withwonder and praise at the greatness and magnificence ofthe Creator and in his presence humiliate thyself to thedust. Shun no difficulty or suffering in order to becomemeek and humble of heart. Take notice, my dearest,that this virtue of humility was the firm foundation ofall the wonders, which the Most High wrought in me;and in order that thou mayest esteem this virtue so muchthe more, remember that of all others, it is at the sametime the most precious, the most delicate and perishable;for if thou lose it in any respect, and if thou be nothumble in allthings without exception, thou wilt notbe humble in anything. Remember thy earthly and cor-

32 CITY OF GODruptible nature, and be not ignorant of the fact,that theMost High has providentially formed man in such a waythat his own existence and formation intimate and rehearse the important lesson of humility never allowinghim to be without this salutary teaching. On thisaccount He has not formed him of the most excellentmaterial, and has concealed the noblest part of his beingin the sanctuary of his interior (Exod. 30, 24), teachinghim to weigh as in a balance on the one side, the infiniteand eternal existence of the Lord, and on the other, hisown ignoble material existence. Thus he is to give untoGod what belongs to Him, and to himself what belongsto his own self (Matth. 22, 21).15. Most zealously I attended to this adjustment, becoming an example and guide therein to all the mortals.I wish that thou also do it in imitation of me, and thatthou zealously study to acquire the humility, whichpleases the Most High and myself, who desire thy trueadvancement. I wish that thy perfection be built up inthe deep trenches of thy own self-knowledge; in orderthat the deeper its foundations are laid, to so much thethe edificehigher and more exalted perfection may riseof thy virtue. Thus thy will shall find a most intimateconformity with that of the Lord, who looks down fromthe eminence of his throne upon the humble of the earth.

CHAPTER II.THE LORD ON THE SECOND DAY CONTINUES HIS FAVORSIN PREPARATION FOR THE INCARNATION OF THEWORD IN THE MOST HOLY MARY.16. In the first part of this history (Part I, 219), Imentioned, that the most pure body of Mary was conceived and perfectly formed within the space of sevendays. The Most High wished to work this miracle, inorder that this most holy soul might not have to wait solong as the souls of ordinary mortals. He wished it tobe created and infused before the usual time, (as it alsoreally happened), in order that this beginning of thereparation of the world might have some similarity tothe beginning of its creation. This correspondence againtook place at the coming of the Redeemer so that, havingformed the new Adam, Christ, God might rest as onewho had strained all the powers of his Omnipotence inthe greatest of his works; and that He might enjoy themost delicious Sabbath of all his delights. And as thesewonders necessitated the intervention of the Mother ofthe divine Word, who was to give Him a visible form,and as She was to unite the two extremes, man and God,it was proper that She should bear relation to both.Her dignity was inferior only to that of God and superior to all that was not God ;to this dignity belonged alsoa proportionate knowledge and understanding, as well ofthe highest essence of the Divinity, as also of all theinferior creatures.17. Following up his intention, the supreme Lord con-33

34 CITY OF GODtinued the favors, by which He wished to dispose mostholy Mary for the Incarnation during nine days, as I havebegun to explain. On the second day, at the same hourof midnight, the Virgin Mary was visited in the same wayas described in the last chapter. The divine power raisedHer up by the same elevations and illuminings to prepareHer for the visions of the Divinity. He manifestedHimself again in an abstractive manner as on the firstday, and She was shown the works performed on thesecond day of the creation. She learnt how and whenGod divided the waters (Gen. 1, 6), some above andothers below, establishing the firmament, and above itthe crystal, known also as the wateryheaven. Her insight penetrated into the greatness, order, conditions,movements and all the other qualities and conditions ofthe heavens.18. And in the most prudent Virgin this knowledgedid not lay idle, nor remain sterile for ; immediately themost clear light of the Divinity overflowed in Her, andinflamed and emblazoned Her with admiration, praise andlove of the goodness and power of God. Being transformed as it were with a godlike excellence, She producedheroic acts of all the virtues, entirely pleasing to hisdivine Majesty. And as in the preceding first day Godhad made Her a participant of his wisdom, so on thissecond day, He made Her in corresponding measure aparticipant in the divine Omnipotence, and gave Herpower over the influences of the heavens, of the planetsand elements, commanding them all to obey Her. Thuswas this great Queen raised to Sovereignty over the sea,the earth, the elements and the celestial orbs, with all thecreatures, which are contained therein.19. This sovereignty and supreme power belonged tothe dignity of most holy Mary on account of the reason

THE INCARNATION 35mentioned above ;and besides for two other special ones ;the first: because this Lady was the privileged Queen,exempt from the common law of sin and its consequences: therefore She was not to be put in the samegeneral class with the insensate sons of Adam, againstwhom the Omnipotent armed the creatures (Wisd. 5, 18)for vengeance of his injuries and for the punishment oftheir frenzy. For ifthey had not in their disobedienceturned against their Creator, neither would the elementsnor their dependencies have been disobedient towardthem, nor would they have molested them, nor turnedagainst them the rigor and inclemency of their activity.And if this rebellion of the creatures is a punishment ofsin, it could not justly extend itself to the most holyMary, who was immaculate and without fault. Nor wasitjust, that She should be less privileged than the angels,who were not subject to these consequences of sin, ordeprived of the dominion over the elementary powers.Although most holy Mary was of corporeal and terrestrial substance, yet She raised Herself above all corporealand spiritual creatures, and made Herself Queen andMistress of all creation. In this, therefore, She deservedso much the higher credit, as it was the rarer and themore precious. More must be conceded to the Queenthan to her vassals, more to the Mistress than to theservants.20. The second reason is, because her most holy Sonwas Himself to obey this heavenly Queen and his Mother.Since He was the Creator of the elements and of allthings, itfollows naturally that they should obey Her, towhom the Creator subjected Himself, and that theyshould be commanded by Her. Was not the person ofChrist himself, in so far as his human nature was concerned, to be governed by his Mother according to the

36 CITY OF GODconstitution and law of nature? This privilege of sovereignty tended also greatly to enhance the virtues andmerits of most holy Mary, for thereby that which inourselves is usually done under constraint and againstour will, was performed by Her freely and meritoriously.This most prudent Queen did not use her sovereigntyover the elements and the creatures indiscriminately andfor her own alleviation and comfort ;but She commandedthe creatures not to suspend their activities and influencesin as far as they would naturally be painful and inconvenient to Her. For in these things She was to be likeher most holy Son and suffer conjointly with Him. Herlove and humility did not permit Her to withhold andsuspend the inclemencies of the creatures in her regard,since She knew how valuable suffering is and howestimable in the eyes of the Lbrd.21. Only on some occasions, when She knew that itwas not for her benefit but necessary for her Son andCreator, the sweet Mother restrained the force of theelements and their influences, as we shall see farther onduring her journey to Egypt and on other occasions,where She most prudently judgeditproper, that thecreatures recognize their Creator and reverence Him,or protect and serve Him in some necessity (Infr. 543,590, 633). What mortal will not marvel at the knowledge of such a new miracle? To see a mere earthlycreature, yet One clothed with the sovereignty anddominion of the whole creation, esteem Herself in herown eyes as the most unworthy and insignificant of thecreatures, and, in these humble sentiments, command thewrath of the winds and all the rigors of the naturalelements to turn against Her and under obedience fulfillher command ! In obeying Her, however, these elements,full of reverence and courtesy toward such a Mistress,

THE INCARNATION 37yielded to her wishes, not in vengeance of the wrongs oftheir Creator, as they do in regard to the rest of thechildren of Adam, but in order to respect her commands.22. In the presence of this humilityof our invincibleQueen, we mortals cannot deny our most arrogant vanityand presumption, or rather our audacity, since, seeingthat on account of our insane outrages we merit thefurious rebellion of the elements and of all the harmfulforces of the universe against us, we complain of theirrigor, as if their molestations were an injury. We deprecate the rigor of the cold, we complain of the exhaustionof heat; all painful things we abhor, and we condemnwith all energy these ministers of divine justice and seekour own comforts and delights, as if they were to lastforever and as if it were not certain that we are onlydrawing therefrom a heavier punishment of our faults.23. But returning to the consideration of the knowledge and power givento the Princess of heaven and theother gifts preparing Her worthily for the position ofMother of God, we can understand their excellence, forwe see in them a certain infinity or boundlessness, participating of the Divinity, and similar to that which wasafterwards possessed by the most holy soul of Christ.For She not only knew all creatures in God, but comprehended them in such a way as to master them and atthe same time reserve capacity for knowing many others,if there had existed more to be known. I call this knowledge an infinity, because it seems to partake of the qualities of infinite knowledge and because, in one and thesame action of her mind and without successive advertence, She saw and perceived the number of theheavens, their latitude and profundity, their order,motions, qualities, their matter and form; the elementswith all their changes and accidents : all of these She

38 CITY OF GODknew at the same time. The only thing the most wiseVirgin did not know was the immediate end of thisknowledge until the moment of her consent and the fulfillment of the ineffable mercy of the Most High. Shecontinued during these days her most fervent prayers forthe coming of the Messias, accordingthe Lord. And He had given Her to understand thatHe would not tarry, as the time destined for his arrivalwas at hand.to the command ofINSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVENGAVE ME.24. My daughter, from what thou art goingto learnof the favors and blessings conferred upon me in preparation for the dignity of Mother of God, I wish thee toperceive the admirable order of his wisdom in the creation of man. Take notice, therefore, that his Creatormade him out of nothing, not in order to be a slave, butin order to be the king and the master of all creation(Gen. 1, 26), and in order that he make use of creaturesat the samein sovereignty, command and mastery; yettime man was to recognize himself as the imageMaker and the work of his hand, remaining more deof hisvoted to God and more submissive to his will than thecreatures to man; for all this was demanded by justiceand reason. And in order that man might not be without information and knowledge of the Creator and ofthe means of perceiving and executing his will, He addedto his natural light a greater one, more penetrating, morelimpid, more certain, more free and extensive, namelythelight of divine faith, by which man might know theexistence of God and of his perfections, and conjointly

THE INCARNATION 39with these, his works. Furnished with this knowledgeand dominion man was established in good standing,honored and enriched, having no excuse for not devotinghimself entirely to the fulfillment of the divine will.25. But the foolishness of man disturbs this order anddestroys this harmony, when, being created as the lordand king of creatures, he enslaves himself, subjectinghimself to them, and degrading his dignity in using visible things not as a prudent master, but as an unworthyvassal. For he debases himself beneath the lowest ofcreatures, by losing sight of the fact that he is theirsuperior. All this perversity arises from the use of creatures not for the service of the Creator through wellordered faith, but for the indulgence of the passions andthe delights of the senses. Hence also arises man s greatabhorrence of those things which are not pleasing to thesenses.26. Thou, my dearest, look faithfully toward thy Creator and Lord and in thy soul seek to copy the image ofhis divine perfections: lose not the mastery and dominionover creatures, let none of them infringe upon thyliberty; but seek to triumph over all of them, allowingnothing to interpose itself between thee and thy Creator.Subject thyself gladly, not to the pleasurable in creatures,since that will obscure thy understanding and weaken thywill, but to the adverse and the painful resulting fromtheir activity. Suffer this with joyous willingness, forI have done the same in imitation of my Son, althoughI had the power to neutralize their molestations and hadno sins to atone for.

CHAPTER III.WHAT FAVORS THE MOST HIGH CONFERRED ON MOSTHOIvY MARY ON THE THIRD DAY OF THE NOVENABEFORE THE INCARNATION.27. The right arm of the Most High, which threwopen the doors of the Divinity to most holy Mary, continued to enrich and adorn at the expense of his infiniteattributes this most pure spirit and virginal body whichHe had chosen as his tabernacle, as his temple, and asthe holy city of his habitation. And the heavenly Lady,engulfed in this vastness of the Divinity, winged herflight day by day farther away from earthly things, andtransformed Herself more and more into a heavenlybeing, discovering ever new sacraments in the Most High.For as He is the infinite Object of desire, although theappetite is satiated with that which is received, alwaysmore remains to be desired and understood. Not all thehierarchies of the angels, nor all men together, haveattained such preferment in blessings, mysteries andsacraments as this Princess attained, especially as regardsthose due to Her as Mother of the Creator28. On the third day of preparation at which I havenow arrived, having again been prepared as on the firstday, the Divinity manifested Itself anew in abstractivevision. Too slow and inadequate are our powers forunderstanding the increase of the gifts and graces, whichthe Most High then lavished on heavenly Mary; and atthis juncture I am at a loss for words to explain eventhe least portion of what I pêeiyed.I can only express

THE INCARNATION 41myself by saying, that the divine wisdom and power proceeded in a manner worthy of Her, who was to be theMother of the Word, so as to ensure, as far as is possiblefor a creature, that likeness and proportion, which wasdue to the divine Persons. Whoever has even a faintunderstanding of the distance which lies between the twoextremes, the infinite God and the limited human creature, can comprehend so much the better, what is necessary to bring them together and establish a proportion.29. More and more the Queen of heaven reflected hisinfinite attributes and virtues; more and more brilliantlyshone forth her beauty under the touch of the pencil ofthe divine Wisdom and under the colors and lights addedto it from on high. On this day She was informed ofthe works of creation as they happened on the third day.She learned when and how the waters, which were beneath the firmament, flowed together in one place(Gen. 1, 9), disclosing the dry land, which the Lordcalled earth, while He called the waters the sea. Shelearned in what way the earth brought forth the freshherbs, and all plants and fructiferous trees with theirseeds, each one according to its kind. She was taughtand She comprehended the greatness of the sea, itsdepthand its divisions, itscorrespondence with the streamsand the fountains, that take their rise from it and flowback into it; the different plants and herbs, the flowers,trees, roots, fruits and seeds ;She perceived how all andeach one of them serve for the use of man. All this ourQueen understood and penetrated with the keenest insightmore clearly, distinctly and comprehensibly than Adamor Solomon. In comparison with Her all those skilledin medicine in the world would appear but ignorant evenafter the most thorough studies and largest experience.The most holy Mary knew all that was hidden from

42 CITY OF GODsight, as Wisdom says (Wis. 7, 21); and just as Shelearned it without any fiction, She also communicates itwithout envy. Whatever Solomon says there in thebook of Wisdom was realized in Her with incomparableand eminent perfection.30. On some occasions our Queen made use of thisscience in order to exercise her charity toward the poorand needy, as will be related in the sequence of this history (No. 668, 867, 868, 1048; III. 159, 423): She hadit under perfect control, and it was as familiar to Her asthe well-trained musician is with his instrument. Thesame was true of all the rest of the sciences, wheneverShe found it desirable or necessary to make use of themin the service of the Most High. For She was Mistressof all of them more perfectly than any of the mortals whoever did excel in any art or science. She was versed inthe virtuous qualities and activities of the stones, herbsand plants, and in Her was true what Christ our Lordpromised to the Apostles and first Christians, thatpoisonous draughts would not hurt them. This privilege belonged to the Queen as a sovereign, so that neitherpoison or any other thing could ever injure Her orcause Her any harm except with her permission.31. These privileges and favors the most prudentPrincess and Lady always kept concealed, and She madeno use of them for Herself, as I have said, desiring notto be deprived of a share in the suffering, which had beenchosen by her most holy Son. Before conceiving Himand becoming his Mother, She was inspired with divineknowledge and science concerning the passibility of theWord made flesh. And when She became Mother Shesaw and experienced this truth in her Son and Lord himself and therefore She gave a greater license, or rathera more strict command, to creatures to afflictHer, since

THE INCARNATION 43She saw the results of this activity in their own Creator.Hence, as the Most High did not wish his only andchosen Spoue to be continually molested by the creatures, even though She herself desired it, He oftenrestrained them and neutralized their operations, so thatunhindered by them, might occathe heavenly Princess,sionally enjoy the delights of the most high King.32. There is another special favor, which the mostholy Mary received for the benefit of the mortals on thethird day and in that vision of the Divinity; for duringthis vision God manifested to Her in a special way thedesire of his divine love to come to the aid of men andto raise them up from all their miseries. In accordancewith the knowledge of his infinite mercy and the objectfor which it was conceded, the Most High gave to Marya certain kind of participation of his own attributes, inorder that afterwards, as the Mother and Advocate ofsinners, She might intercede for them. This participation of the most holy Mary in the love of God and inhis inclination to help Her, was so heavenly and powerfulthat if from that time on the strength of the Lord hadnot come to her aid, She would not have been able tobear the impetuosity of her desire to assist and save mankind. Filled with this love and charity, She would, ifnecessary or feasible, have delivered Herself an infinitenumber of times to the flames, to the sword and to themost exquisite torments of death for their salvation. Allthe torments, sorrows, tribulations, pains, infirmities Shewould have accepted and suffered; and She would haveconsidered them a great delight for the salvation ofsinners. Whatever all men have suffered from the beginning of the world till this hour, and whatever theywill suffer till the end, would have been a small matterfor the love of this most merciful Mother.Let therefore

44 CITY OF GODmortals and sinners understand what they owe tomostholy Mary.33. From that day on, we can say, the heavenly Ladycontinued to be the Mother of kindness and great mercy,and for two reasons :first, because from that moment Shesought with an especial and anxious desire to communicate without envy the treasures of grace, which She hadcomprehended and received; and therefore such an admirable sweetness grew up in her heart, that She wasready to communicate it to all men and to shelter themin her heart in order to make them participants of thedivine love, which there was enkindled. Secondly, because this love of most holy Mary for the salvation ofmen was one of the principal dispositions required forconceiving the eternal Word in her virginal womb. Itwas eminently befitting that She should be all mercy,kindness, piety and clemency, who was Herself to conceive and give birth to the Word made man, since Hein his mercy, clemency and love desired to humiliate Himself to the lowliness of our nature, and wished to be bornof Her in order to suffer for men. It is said like :begetslike: just as the water partakes of the qualities of theminerals through which it flows ;and although the birthof Christ originated in the Divinity, yetit also partookof the conditions of the Mother as far as was possible.She therefore would not have been suitable for concurrence with the Holy Ghost in this conception, in whichonly the activity of the man was wanting, if She had notbeen endowed with perfections corresponding to those ofthe humanity of Christ.34. The most holy Mary issued from this vision withever increasing fervor, and during all the rest of the dayShe occupied Herself in the prayers and petitions commanded Her by the Lord. The heart of her Spouse was

THE INCARNATION 45wounded with love, so that (according to our mode ofthinking")He already longed for the day and the hourwhen He should rest in the arms and recline at the breastof his Beloved.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE MOST HOLY QUEEN GAVE ME.35. My dearest daughter, great were the favors whichthe hand of the Most High showered upon me in thevisions of the Divinity, vouchsafed me during the ninedays before his conception in my womb. And althoughHe did not manifest Himself intuitively and altogetherunveiled, yet He did it in an exalted manner and withsuch effects as are reserved to his wisdom. In the remembrance of what I perceived in this vision, I rose tothe true perception of the position which God held incomparison to men and men in comparison to God; myheart was inflamed with love and was torn with sorrow ;for I realized the immensity of his love towards mortals,and their most ungrateful oblivion of his incomprehensiblegoodness. Many times would I have died at the thoughtof these extremes, if God himself had not comforted andpreserved me. This sacrifice of his servant was mostpleasing to his Majesty and He acceptedit with greatercomplacency than all the holocausts of the old Law; forHe beheld my humility and delighted in it very much.Whenever Iperformed these exercises, He showed greatmercy to me and to my people.36. These sacraments, my dearest, I manifest to theein order to encourage thee to imitate me, as far as ispossible will thy weak forces aided by grace. Lookupon the works, which thou hast learnt of, as a patternand example to be closely followed. Meditate much, andweigh over and over again as well in the light of grace2-5

46 CITY OF GODas in that of reason, how exactly mortals ought to correspond to this immense kindness of God and to hiseagerness to assist them. Compare at the same time theheartless obduracy of the children of Adam. I wishthat thy heart be softened in affectionate thankfulnesstoward the Lord and melted in sorrow at these unhappyproceedings of men. I assure thee, my daughter, thaton the day of the general adjustment, the cause of thegreatest wrath of the just Judge shall be man s mostungrateful forgetfulness of this truth and the confusion;of men on account of this wrath shall be such, that onthat day they would of their own accord cast themselvesinto the abyss of pain, if there were no ministers of divinejustice to visit this retribution upon them.37. In order to avoid such an abominable fault andin order to forestall such a horrible chastisement, renewin thyself the memory of the blessings, which thou hastreceived at the hands of his love and infinite clemency;and remember that God has distinguished thee in preference to the souls of many generations.Do not make themistake of considering these great favors and specialgifts as conferred on thee for thyself alone: they wereconferred also for the sake of thy brethren : for the divinemercy is extended to all men. Therefore the return,which thou owest to the Lord, must be made first forAnd because thou artthyself and then for thy brethren.poor, offer up the life and merits of my most holy Son,and with them, all that I have suffered by the forces ofmy love. Thus wilt thou make thyself pleasing to Godand tender some recompense for the ingratitude ofmortals. In all these things exercise thyself repeatedlymany times, remembering in the meanwhile what Ithought and felt in similar acts and exercises.

CHAPTER IV.THE MOST HIGH CONTINUES HIS FAVORS TO MOST HOLYMARY ON THE FOURTH DAY.38. Still the favors and most exalted mysteries of theMost High toward our Queen and Lady in preparing Herfor approaching dignity of Motherhood continued. Thefourth day of this preparation had arrived and at thesame hour She was again raised to the abstractive visionof the Divinity. But this vision was accompanied bynew effects of exalted enlightenments in this most pureSoul. The divine power and wisdom has no bounds orlimits; to his operations only our will, or the limitationof our created nature, offers resistance. But in the willof most holy Mary the divine power found no hindrance,for allher works were executed with plenitude of holiness and entirely according to the pleasure of the Lord,drawing Him on, as He himself said, and wounding hisheart with love (Cant. 4, 9). Only in so far as mostholy Mary was a mere creature was the power of thedivine arm limited; but within these limits it could actwithout bound or restriction, and without measure, offering Her the waters of wisdom from the purest and mostcrystalline founts of the Divinity.39. The Most High manifested to Her in this vision,by most special enlightenments, the new Law of gracewhich the Redeemer of the world was to establish, theSacraments contained in it, the end for which He wouldleave them in his new Church of the Gospel, the giftsand blessings prepared for men, and his desire, that all47

48 CITY OF GODshould be saved and that all should reap the fruit of theRedemption. And so great was the wisdom, which themost holy Mary drew from these visions, wherein Shewas taught by the highest Teacher and the Corrector ofthe wise (Wis. 7, 15), that, if by any means man or angelcould describe it, more books would have to be writtenof this science of our Lady than all those which havebeen composed in this world concerning all the arts andsciences, and all the inventions of men. And no wonderher science was greater than that of all other men : forinto the heart and mind of our Princess was emptied andexhausted the ocean of the Divinity, which the sins andthe evil disposition of the creatures had confined, repressedand circumscribed. It was concealed within its ownsource until the proper time, which was no other thanthe hour in which She was chosen as Mother of theOnlybegotten of the Father.40. Joined with the sweetness of this divine science,our Queen felt a loving, yet piercing sorrow, which thisvery science continued to renew. She perceived in theMost High the ineffable treasures of grace and blessings,which He had prepared for mortals and She saw theweight of the Divinityas it were inclined toward thedesire of seeing all men enjoy them eternally. At thesame time She saw and considered the wicked dispositionof the world, and how blindly mortals impeded the flowof these treasures and deprived themselves of participation of the Divinity. From this resulted a new kind ofmartyrdom full of grief for the perdition of men and ofthe desire of remedying such lamentable loss. Thiscaused Her to offer up the most exalted prayers, petitions, sacrifices, humiliations and heroic acts of love ofGod and of men, in order that no one, if possible, shouldhenceforth damn himself, and that all should recognize

THE INCARNATION 49their Creator, and Redeemer, confess Him, adore andlove Him. All this took place in this very vision; butas these petitions were of the same kind as those alreadydescribed, I do not expatiate on them here.41. In conjunction therewith the Lord showed Heralso the works of creation performed on the fourth day(Gen. 1, 14-17). The heavenly Princess Mary learnedhow and when the luminaries of heaven were formed inthe firmament for dividing day and night and for indicating the seasons, the days and the years; how for thispurpose was created the great light of heaven, the sun,presiding as the lord of the day, and joined with it, themoon, the lesser light, which reigns over the darknessof the night. In like manner were formed the stars ofthe eighth heaven, in order that they might gladden thenight with their brilliance and preside with their variousinfluences over both the day and the night. She understood what was the material substance of these luminousorbs, their form, their size, their properties, their variousmovements and the uniformity as well as the inequalityof the planets. She knew the number of the stars, andall their influences exerted upon the earth, both in regardto the living and the lifeless creatures; the effects andchanges, which they cause in them by these influences.42. This is not in conflict with what the Prophet says,(Psalm 146, 4), that God knows the number of the starsand has called them by their names; for David does notthereby deny to his Majesty the liberty of conceding toa creature that as a privilege which He possesses bynature. It is plain, that since this knowledgeis communicable and since it would contribute to Mary s excellence, it should not be denied to Her. Has He not conferred upon Her greater favors, and has He not madeHer the Queen of the stars and of all other creatures?

50 CITY OF GODAnd this knowledge was as it were only a sequel of herdominion and sovereignty over the powers, influencesand movements of all the celestial orbs, since they werecommanded to obey Her as their Queen and Lady.43. In consequence of this command, which the Lordgave to the celestial orbs and in accordance with thedominion which most holy Mary obtained over them, Shepossessed such power, that if She commanded the starsto leave their positions in heaven, they would obey Herinstantly and would hasten to the regions which Shechose to designate. The same is true of the sun andthe planets: all would pause in their course and suspendtheir operations to execute the command of Mary. Ihave already said above (No. 21) that sometimes herHighness made use of this sovereignty; for, as we shallsee farther on, ithappened a few times in Egypt, wherethe rays of the sun are exceedingly strong, that She commanded the sun to moderate its heat and not to molestor fatigue the infant God, its Master. And the sunobeyed Her therein, causing inconvenience and sufferingto Her, because She wished it, and yet respecting thetender years of the Sun of justice, whom She held in herarms. The same happened also with other stars, and ona few occasions She detained the sun in its course, as Iwill mention later.44. Many other hidden sacraments the Most High manifested to our great Queen in this vision, and what I havesaid and will say of all these mysteries,isfied and with a heart as it were torn asunder :leaves me dissatfor I see,that I can saylittle of that which I understand and, inproportion, I understand still less of what really didhappen to the heavenly Lady. Many of the mysteriesconcerning Her are reserved for the last day, when hermost holy Son shall proclaim them, since now we are not

THE INCARNATION 51capable of receiving their revelation. The most holyMary issued from this vision still more inflamed andfilled with the Divinity, entirely transformed by theknowledge of God s attributes and perfections; and heradvance in virtues kept pace with her progress in divinefavors. She multiplied her requests, her fervent sighs,and her meritorious works, in order to hasten the Incarnation of the Word and our salvation.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE HEAVENLY QUEEN GAVE ME.45. My dearest daughter, I wish that thou busy thyselfmuch in meditating and pondering upon that which thouhast understood of my doings and sufferings at the time,when the Most High gave me such a deep insight intohis goodness, which drew Him as with an infiniteforceto enrich men, and when He showed me the want of correspondence and the dark ingratitude of the mortals.When I turned from the consideration of this mostliberal condescension of the Most High, to the perceptionand understanding of the foolish hard-heartedness of thesinners, my soul was piercedwith an arrow of mortalanguish, which remained for life. And I wish to tellthee of another mystery: many times the Most High inorder to heal the affliction and consternation of my heartin this sorrow, sought to console me by saying :"AcceptThou, my Spouse, the gifts, which the blind and ignorantworld in its unworthiness despises and is incapable ofreceiving and understanding." With these words theMost High was accustomed to set free the currents ofhis divine bounty, which rejoiced my soul more thanhuman powers can comprehend, or tongue explain.46. I desire, therefore, that thou, my friend, be nowmy companion in the sorrow which I suffered and which

52 CITY OF GODis so little noticed by the living. In order to imitate metherein and in the effects of this most just grief, thoumust deny thyself, forget thyself entirely, and crownthy heart with the thorns of sorrow at the behavior ofmortals. Weep thou in seeing them laugh at theireternal damnation, for such weeping is the most legitimate occupation of the true spouses of my most holy Son.Let them seek their delight only in the tears, which theypour out on account of their sins and those of the ignorant world. Thus prepare thy heart in order that theLord may make thee a participant of his treasures; notin order to become rich, but in order that his Majestymay fulfill his most generous love toward thee and inorder that souls may find justification. Imitate me in allthat I teach thee, since thou knowest that this is mydesire in favoring thee.

CHAPTER V.HIS MAJESTY MANIFESTS NEW MYSTERIES AND SACRAMENTS TOGETHER WITH THE WORKS OF THE FIFTHDAY OF THE CREATION TO MOST HOLY MARY, ANDHER HIGHNESS CONTINUES TO PRAY FOR THE INCARNATION OF THE WORD.47. The fifth day of the novena, which the most blessedTrinity celebratedin the temple of most holy Mary, inorder that the eternal Word might assume human shapein Her, had arrived. Just as in the preceding days Shewas elevated to an abstractive vision of the Divinity,and, as the veil fell more and more from the secrets ofthe infinite wisdom, She discovered new mysteries alsoduring this day. For the preparations and enlightenments emitted ever stronger rays of light and divinegraces, which flashed into her most holy soul and emptiedthe treasures of infinity into her faculties, assimilatingand transforming the heavenly Lady more and more toa likeness of her God inorder to make Her worthy ofbeing his Mother.48. In this vision, showing Himself to Her with ineffable signs of affection, the Most High spoke to theheavenly Queen and manifested to Her additional secrets,saying : "My Spouse and my Dove, in the secret of mybosom thou hast perceived the immense bounty, to whichmy love for the human race inclines Me, and the treasures, which are secretly prepared for their happiness so:powerful is this love in Me, that I wish to give themmy Onlybegotten for their instruction and salvation.53

54 CITY OF GODThou hast also seen something of the small returns, oftheir most listless ingratitude and contempt, in whichmen hold my clemency and love. Yet, although I haveshown thee part of their malice, I wish, my friend, thatthou shouldst once more know in Me, how small is thenumber of those who are to know and love me as mychosen ones; and how great and extended is the numberThe innumerableof the ungrateful and the reprobate.sins and abominations of these impure and defiled men,whom I have foreseen in my infinite knowledge, retardmy bounteous mercy and have locked up the treasurehouseof my Divinity, making the world entirely unworthy ofreceiving my gifts/49. The Princess Mary, through these words of theMost High, was instructed in the great mysteries regarding the number of the predestined and the reprobate ;and also regarding the hindrances and impediments bywhich sinful men delayed the coming of the eternal Wordas man into the world. Having present before Herselfthe vision both of the infinite bounty and equity of theCreator and of the measureless iniquity and malice ofmen, the most prudent Mistress, inflamed by the fire ofdivine love, spoke to his Majesty and said :50. "My Lord and infinite God of wisdom and incomprehensible sanctity, what mysteryis this, which Thouhast manifested to me? Without measure are the misdeeds of men, so that only thy wisdom can comprehendthem. But can all these and many more, perhaps, extinguish thy bounty and love, or vie with them? No, myLord and Master, it must not be so; the malice of menmust not detain thy mercy. I am the most useless ofall the human race; yet on its behalf I remind Thee ofthy fidelity. Infallibly true it is, that heaven and earthwill come to naught, before thy word can fail (Is. 51, 6),

THE INCARNATION 55and it is also true, that Thou hast many times given thyword through the holy Prophets; and Thou hast promised them by word of mouth, a Redeemer and our salvation.How then, my God, can these promisesfail of fulfillment without conflicting with thy infinite wisdom; orhow can man be deceived without conflicting with thygoodness ? In order to induce Thee to fulfill thy promiseand to secure them eternal felicity through thy incarnateWord, I have nothing to offer on the part of mortals norcan any creature oblige Thee; and if this blessing couldbe merited, then thy infinite and bounteous clemencywould not thereby be glorified. Only through thy ownSelf can this obligation be imposed upon Thee, for onlyin God can a sufficient reason be found for his becomingman: in Thee alone was the reason and the motive forour creation, and therefore in Thee alone also the reasonfor our reparation after our fall. Do not seek, my Godand most high King, for merits, nor for a greater motive,than thy own mercy and the exaltation of thy holyname."51. "It is true, my Spouse," answered the Most High,"that on account of my goodness I bound Myself to thepromise of vesting Myself in human nature and of dwelling among them, and that no one could merit in my sightsuch a promise; but the ungrateful behavior of men, soabominable in my sight and in my justice, does not meritthe execution of this promise. For though I seek onlytheir eternal happiness as a return of my love, Iperceiveand find only obduracy, by which they are certain towaste and despise the treasures of my grace and blessing.They will yield thorns instead of fruit, great insults forbenefits, and base ingratitude for my unbounded and generous mercy; and the end of all these evils will be forthem the privation of my vision in eternal torments.

56 CITY OF GODTake notice of these truths recorded in the secrets of mywisdom, my Friend, and weigh these great sacraments;for to thee my heart is laid open, so that thou canst seethe justice of my proceeding."52. It is impossible to describe the hidden secrets,which most holy Mary then saw in the Lord; for Sheperceived in Him all the creatures of the past, presentand the future, and the position of each one in creation,the good and bad actions and the final ending of each one.If She had not been strengthened, She could not havepreserved her life under the effects and feelings causedby the knowledge and insight into these hidden sacraments and mysteries. But as his Majesty, in these newmiracles and blessings had such high ends in view, Hewas not sparing but most liberal with the beloved One,whom He had chosen as his Mother. And as our Queenderived this science from the bosom of God itself, Sheparticipated also in the fire of his eternal Charity, whichinflamed Her with the love of God and the neighbor.Therefore, continuing her intercession, She said :53. "Lord and eternal God, invisible and immortal, Iconfess thy justice, I magnify thy works, I adore thyinfinite Essence and hold in reverence thy judgments.My heart melts within me with tenderest affection, whenI perceive thy unlimited bounty toward men and theirdark ingratitude and grossness toward Thee. For all ofthem, O my God, Thou seekest eternal life; but there arefew who are thankful for this inestimable benefit, andmany who will perish by their malice. If on this account, O my eternal Good, Thou relinquishest thy undertaking, we mortals are lost; but while Thou, in thydivine fore-knowledge, perceivest the sins and the maliceof men who offend Thee so much, Thou also foreseest thyOnlybegotten made man and his works of infinite price

THE INCARNATION 57and value in thy sight and these will counterbalance and;exceed the malice of sin beyond all comparison. Throughthis Godman let thy equity be conquered and on hisaccount give us Him now ! and in order to urge mypetitions upon Thee once more in the name of the humanrace, I unite myself with the spirit of this Word, alreadymade man in thy mind, and pray for his coming in factand for the eternal life of men through his hands."54. At this prayer of most pure Mary, the eternalFather (in our way of speaking) represented to Himselfhis Onlybegotten as borne in the virginal womb of thisgreat Queen; and He was moved by her humble andloving petitions. His apparent hesitation was merely adevice of his tender love in order to enjoy so much thelonger the voice of his Beloved, causing her sweet lipsto distil most sweet honey (Cant. 4, 11) and heremissions to be like those of paradise (Cant. 4, 13).And to draw out still more this loving contention, theLord answered Her: sweetest "My Spouse and chosenDove, great is that which thou askest of Me and little isthat which obliges Me on the part of men how then shall;such a singular blessing be conferred on those unworthyones? Leave Me, my friend, to treat them according totheir evil deserts." Our powerful and kind Advocate responded : "No, my Master, I will not desist from myimportunity; if much I ask, I ask it of Thee, who arerich in mercies, powerful in action, true in thy words.My father David said of Thee and of the eternal Word :"The Lord hath sworn, and He will not repent: Thouart a priest forever accordingto the order of Melchisedech"(Ps. 109, 4). Let then that Priest come, who isat the same time to be the sacrifice for our rescue; letHim come, since Thou canst not repent of thy promise ;for Thou dost not promise in ignorance. Let me be

58 CITY OF GODclothed, O my sweet love, with the strength of this ManGod, which will not allow me to put a stop to my importunity, until Thou give me thy blessing as to my fatherJacob" (Gen. 32,26).55. In this contest (just as it once happened to Jacob)our Lady and Queen was asked, what was her name;and She said: "I am a daughter of Adam, formed bythy hands from the insignificantdust." And the MostHigh answered : "Henceforth Thou shalt be called :Chosen for the Mother of the Onlybegotten." But thethe courtierslatter part of this name was heard only byof heaven, while to Her it was as yet hidden until theproper time. She therefore heard only the word"Chosen."Having thus protracted this amorous contention according to the disposition of his divine wisdomand as far as served to inflame the heart of this electedOne, the whole blessed Trinity gave to Mary, our mostpure Queen, the explicit promise, that They would nowsend into the world the eternal Word made man. Filledwith incomparable joy and exultation by this fiat, Sheasked and received the benediction of the Most High.Thus this strong Woman issued forth from the contestwith God more victorious than Jacob for She came out;rich, strong and laden with spoils, and the One that waswounded and weakened (to speak in our way) was Godhimself; for He was drawn by the love of this Lady toclothe Himself in that sacred bridal chamber of herwomb with the weakness of our passible nature. Hedisguised and enveloped the strength of his Divinity, soas to conquer in allowing Himself to be conquered, andin order to give us life by his death. Let the mortals seeand acknowledge, how most holy Mary, next to her mostblessed Son, is the cause of their salvation.56. During this vision were also revealed to this great

THE INCARNATION 59Queen the works of the fifth daymanner in which they happened; She saw how, by theof the creation in theforce of the divine command, were engendered and produced in the waters beneath the firmament, the imperfectwhich creep upon the earth, the winged animalsreptiles,that course through the air, and the finny tribes that glidethrough the watery regions. Of all these creatures Sheknew the beginnings, the substance, the form and figureaccording to their kinds; She knew all the species of theanimals that inhabit the fields and woods, their conditions, peculiarities, their uses and connections ; She knewthe birds of heaven (for so we call the atmosphere),with the varied forms of each kind, their ornaments,feathers, their lightness; the innumerable fishes of theseas and the rivers, the differences between the whales,their forms, composition and qualities, their caverns andthe foods furnished them by the sea, the ends which theyserve, the use to which they can be put in the world.And his Majesty especially commanded all these hosts ofcreatures to recognize and obey most holy Mary, givingHer the power to command all of them, as ithappenedon many occasions to be mentioned later on (No. 185,431, 636). Therewith She issued from the trance ofthis day and She occupied Herself during the rest of itin the exercises and petitions, which the Most High hadpointed out to Her.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE HEAVENLY LADY GAVE ME.57. My daughter, the more complete knowledge of thewonderful operations of the arm of the Almighty inraising me during the abstractive visions of the Divinityto the dignity of Mother, is reserved for the predestinedwhen they shall come to know them in the heavenly

60 CITY OF GODJerusalem. There they shall understand and see themin the Lord Himself and with that special delight andastonishment, which the angels experienced, when theMost High revealed these things to them for his exaltation and praise. And since his Majesty has shownHimself so lovingly generous toward thee, giving theein preference to all the generations of men, such greatknowledge and light concerning these so hidden sacraments, I desire, my friend, that thou signalize thyselfabove all creatures in praising and magnifying his holyname for the works of his powerful arm in my regard.58. At the same time thou must strive, with all thypower, to imitate me in the works, which I performed bythe aid of these great and wonderful blessings. Prayand sigh for the eternal salvation of thy brethren, andthat the name of my Son may be extolled byknown to the whole world. Thou must establish the habitof this kind of prayer, by a constant resolve, foundedall andupon firm faith and unshaken confidence, and by neverlosing sight of thy misery in profound humility and selfabasement.Thus prepared, thou must battle withthe divine love for the good of thy people, firmly convinced, that the most glorious triumphs of divine lovemay especially be looked for in its dealings with thehumble, who love God in uprightness. Raise thyselfabove thyself and give Him thanks for the special blessings conferred upon thee and for those conferred uponthe human race. Transformed by this divine love, thouwilt merit other gifts, both for thyself and for thybrethren ;and whenever thou findest thyself in his divinepresence, do thou ask for his benediction.

CHAPTER VI.THE MOST HIGH MANIFESTS TO MARY, OUR MISTRESS,ADDITIONAL MYSTERIES AND SHOWS HER THE WORKSOF THE SIXTH DAY OF CREATION.59. While the Most High continued the proximatepreparation of our heavenly Princess for the reception ofthe eternal Word in her virginal womb, She, on her part,persevered without intermission in her fervent sighs andprayers to hasten his coming into the world. When thenight of the sixth of these days, which I have begun todescribe, had arrived, and when She had previously beenelevated by still more profound illuminations, She wasagain called and invited in spirit to the abstractive visionof the Divinity. Although this happened in the samemanner as at other times, yetit was accompanied by moreheavenly effects and by a more profound insight into theattributes of the Most High. She remained nine hoursin this trance and issued from it at the third hour. Yet,although the high vision of the essence of God ceased atthat hour, the most holy Mary continued to enjoy anotherkind of vision and prayer. This was indeed inferior tothe first, but in itself was most exalted and more excellent than that experienced by any of the saints or thejust. The gifts and favors so far described partook moreand more of the divine during the last days preceding theIncarnation, without at the same time being a hindranceto the active occupations of her married state, for hereMartha had no right to complain, that Mary forsook herin her ministrations (Luc. 10, 40).60. Having seen God in this vision She was immediately shown the works on the sixth day of the creation of2-6 61

62 CITY OF GODthe world. She witnessed, as if She Herself had beenpresent, how at the command of the Lord the earthbrought forth the living beings according to their kinds,as Moses says (Gen. 1, 24). Holy Scripture here refersto the terrestrial animals, which being more perfect thanthe fishes and birds in life and activity, are called by aname signifying the more important part of their nature.She saw and understood all the kinds and species ofanimals, which were created on this sixth day, and bywhat name they were called: some, beasts of burden,because they serve and assist man, others, wild beasts,as being more fierce and untamed; others, reptiles, because they do not raise themselves or verylittle from theearth. She knew and comprehended the qualities of allof them : their fury, their strength, the useful purposeswhich they serve, and all their distinctions and singularities. Over all these She was invested with dominion andthey were commanded to obey Her. She could withoutopposition on their part have trodden upon asps andbasilisks, for all would have meekly borne her heel. Manytimes did some of these animals show their subjection toher commands, as when, at the birth of her most HolySon, the ox and the ass prostrated themselves and bytheir breaths warmed the infant God at the command ofhis blessed Mother.61. In this plenitude of knowledge and science ourheavenly Queen understood perfectly the secret ways ofGod in making all creation serve for the benefit of man,and how much man owes to his Creator on this account.And it was most proper that She should possess thisknowledge and understanding, so that with it She mightbe able to give fitting thanks for these blessings. Neithermen nor angels have done so, failing to correspond andfalling short of their duty in this regard. All these voids

THE INCARNATION 63were filledby the Queen of all, and She satisfied for thedebt of gratitude, which we could not or would not pay.Through Her, divine equity was duly satisfied, considering Her as a medium between itself and the creatures.By her innocence and gratitude She became more pleasingto his Majesty than all the rest of the creatures. Themysterious advent of God into the world was thus beingprepared: for the last hindrance was removed by thesanctification of Her, who was to be his Mother.62. After seeing the creation of all the irrationalcreatures, She became aware, how the most blessed Trinity, in order to complete and perfect the world, said :"Let us make man to our image(Gen. 1,26), and how byand likeness"virtue of this divine decree theof allfirst man was formed of the earth as the first parentthe rest. She had a profound insight into the harmoniouscomposition of the human body and soul and of theirfaculties, of the creation and infusion of the soul intothe body and of its intimate union with the body. Of thestructure of the human body and all its parts, Sheobtained a deep knowledge: She was informed of thenumber of the bones, veins, arteries, nerves and ligatures ;of the concourse of humors to compose the befittingtemperaments, the faculties of nutrition, growth and locomotion ;She learned in what manner the disturbances orchanges in this harmony caused the sicknesses, and howthese can be cured. All this the most prudent Virginunderstood and comprehended without the least error,better than all the wise men of the world and better thaneven the angels.63. The Lord manifested to Her also the happy stateof original justice, in which He placed the first parentsAdam and Eve; She understood their condition, beautyand perfection of innocence and grace, and for how short

64 CITY OF GODa time they persevered in it. She perceived how theywere tempted and overcome by the astuteness of theserpent (Gen. 2, 51), and what were the consequencesof their sin ; and how great were the fury and hate of thedemon against the human race. At the vision of allthese things our Queen made great and heroic acts ofvirtue, highly pleasing to God. She understood, thatShe was a daughter of these first parents and that Shedescended from a nature so thankless to its Creator. Inthe remembrance of this She humiliated Herself in hisdivine presence, thereby wounding the heart of God andobliging Him to raise Her above all that is created. Shetook itupon Herself to weep for the first sin and for allthe rest, that followed from it, as if She Herself had beenguilty of them all. Hence, even at that time, that firstsin might have been called a fortunate fault, which causedtears so precious in the eyes of the Lord, and whichearned us such sureties and pledges of our Redemption.64. Rendering worthy thanks to the Creator for themagnificent work of the creation of man, She reflecteddeeply on his disobedience, the seduction and deceptionof Eve, and She inwardly resolved to yield that perpetualobedience, which these first parents had refused to theirCreator. So acceptable in his eyes was this subjection,that his Majesty in the presence of the heavenly courtiersdecreed the immediate fulfillment and execution of that,which was prefigured in the history of the king Assuerus,by whom the queen Vashti was repudiated and deprivedof royal dignity on account of disobedience, while thehumble and gracious Esther was raised to her place(Esther?, 2).65. There was an admirable similarity between thatevent and these mysteries for the exalted and true King,;in order to show the greatness of his powers and the

THE INCARNATION 65treasures of his Divinity, had prepared the great banquetof his creation, and having spread the liberal repast forall the creatures, invited the guests, that is the humanrace, by the creation of its first parents. Vashti, ourmother Eve, disobeyed, failing to submit herself to thedivine command, and now amid the wonderful acclamation and jubilee of the angels, the true Assuerus orderedthe most humble Esther to be on that day elevated toSovereignty over all creation, this Esther being noneother than the most holy Mary, full of grace and beauty,chosen among all the daughters of men as their Restoratrixand the Mother of his Christ.66. In the plenitude of this mystery the Most Highinfused into the heart of our Queen a new abhorrenceof the demon, such as filled Esther toward Aman(Esther 7, 10) ; and thus ithappened,that She thrusthim from his position of superiority and command overthe world. She crushed the head of his pride, hanginghim on the gallows of the Cross, where he had hoped todestroy and conquer the Godman, but was himself chastised and overcome by Toward it.all this the most holyMary was instrumental, as we shall relate in its place(Vol. Ill, 653). Just as the envy of the dragon againstthe Woman, that is this heavenly Lady, commenced inheaven, when he saw Her clothed with the sun(Apoc. 12, 4, Part I, 95) so this strife continued until;he was deprived of his tyrannous dominion. Just as themost faithful Mardocheus was given the position of theproud Aman (Esther 6, 10) ;so also was honored themost chaste and faithful Joseph, who continually urgedHer to pray for the liberty of her people. This was theconstant subject of conversation between Joseph and hismost pure Spouse; for this very purpose was he raisedto the summit of sanctity,and to the exalted dignity of

66 CITY OF GODholding the sealing ring of the highest King(Esther 8, 2), whereby he received authority to command the Godman himself, as is related in the Gospel.Having experienced all these mysteries, our Queen issuedfrom her vision.INSTRUCTION, WHICH THE HEAVENLY QuEEN GAVE ME-67. Wonderful, my daughter, was the gift of humility, which the Most High conferred upon me in the eventdescribed by thee. And since his Majesty does not rejectthe prayers of those, that dispose themselves to receiveit, I desire that thou imitate me and be my companion inthe exercise of this virtue. I had no part in the sin ofAdam, for I was exempted from his disobedience; butbecause I partook of his nature and by it was his daughter, I humiliated myself in my estimation to nothingness.In the light of this example then, how far must thosehumiliate themselves, who not only have had a part inthe first sin, but also have committed other sins withoutnumber? The aim and motive of this humiliation moreover, should not be to remove the punishments of thosesins, but to make restoration and recompense for thediminution and loss of honor, which was thereby occasioned to the Creator and Lord.68. If a brother of thine should grievously offend thynatural father, thou wouldst not be a loving and loyaldaughter of thy father, nor a true sister to thy brother,if thou wouldst not grieve for the offense and weep notover his ruin as over thy own ;for to the father is duereverence and to thy brother thou owest love as to thyself. Consider then, dearest, and examine in the properlight, how much difference there is between thy Fatherwho is in heaven and thy natural father, and how all ofyou are his children, bound together by the strictest

THE INCARNATION 67obligation of brethren and of servants of one true Master.Just as thou wouldst shed tears of humiliation and confusion at some ignominious fault of thy natural brother;so I wish that thou do it for the sins, which the mortalscommit against God, sorrowing for them in confusionas if thou wert responsible for them thyself. That iswhat I did at the thought of the disobedience of Adamand Eve and of all the evils, which ensued therefrom tothe human race. And the Most High was pleased with mycharitable interest ;for most agreeable in his sight are thetears shed for the sins, which are forgotten by those, thathave committed them.69. At the same time see thou bear ever in mind, that,no matter how great and rare are the favors receivedfrom the Most High, thou do not despise the danger ofsin nor contemn the solicitous and humble performanceof the ordinary duties of precept and charity. For thesedo not oblige thee to leave the presence of God: faithteaches thee, and inspiration should govern thee, to bearHim with thee in all occupations and places, quitting thyself and thy inclinations, but fulfilling in all things thewill of thy Lord and Spouse. Do not allow thyself to beled in these sentiments by the trend of thy own inclinations, nor by that which seems to agree with thy owninterior liking and taste; for many times the greatestdanger is hidden beneath this cloak. In such doubts andhesitations let holy obedience be thy umpire and master ;through it thou canst decide securely, and thou wilt needno other criterion for thy actions. Great victories andadvances in merit are connected with the true submissionof self and subjection of our own judgments to those ofothers. Thou shouldst never wish to retain for thyselfthe power to will or not to will : then thou shalt sing ofvictories and overcome thy enemies.

CHAPTER VII.THE MOST HIGH CELEBRATES A NEW ESPOUSAL WITHTHE PRINCESS OF HEAVEN IN ORDER TO INAUGURATETHE NUPTIALS OF THE INCARNATION. HE ADORNSHER FOR IT.70. Great are the works of the Most High, for all ofthem were and are executed with the plenitude of knowledge and goodness, ordained in equity and number(Wis. 11, 21). None of them is faulty, useless or ineffectual, superfluous or vain all are; exquisite and magnificent, finished and executed according to the full measure of his holy will. Such He desired them to be, inorder that He might be known and magnified in them.But in comparison to the mystery of the Incarnation, allthe works of God ad extra, although they are in themselves great, stupendous and marvelous, more to be admired than comprehended, are only a small spark, issuingfrom the unfathomable abyss of the Divinity. This greatsacrament of vesting Himself in a passible and mortalnature ispre-eminently the great work of his infinitepower and wisdom and the one which immeasurably excels all the other works and wonders of his powerfularm. For in this mystery, not merely a spark of theDivinity, but that whole vast volcano of the infinite Godhead, broke forth and communicated itself to men, uniting Itself by an indissoluble and eternal union to ourterrestrial human nature.71. If this wonderful sacrament of the Kingmeasured only by his own vastness, it follows that theWoman, in whose womb He was to become man, deserved to be so perfectly adorned with the plenitude of68is to be

THE INCARNATION 69his treasures, that no gift or grace within the range ofpossibility be omitted, and all these gifts be so consummate, that nothing is wanting to them. As all this wasreasonable and altogether befitting the greatness ofthe Omnipotent, He certainly fulfilled it in the most holyMary, much better than king Assuerus did with thegracious Esther (Esther 2, 9), when he raised her to hismagnificent throne. The Most High visited our QueenMary with such great favors, privileges and gifts, thatthe like was never even conceived in the mind of creatures,and, when She issued forth in the presence of the courtiers of this great King of the eternal ages (I Tim. 1, 17),they recognized and exalted in Her the power of God,at the same time understanding, that He, who chose toselect a woman for his Mother, knew also how to makeher worthy of assuming that position.72. The seventh day of this mysterious preparationfor the approaching sacrament arrived, and in the samehour as already mentioned, the heavenly Lady was calledand elevated in spirit, but with this difference, that Shewas bodily raised by her holy angels to the empyreanheaven, while in her stead one of them remained to represent Her in corporeal appearance. Placed into thishighest heaven, She saw the Divinity by abstract visionas in other days; but always with new and more penetrating light, piercing to new and more profound mysteries, which God according to his free will can conceal orreveal. Presently She heard a voice proceeding fromthe royal throne, which said : "OurSpouse and chosenDove, our gracious Friend, who hast been found pleasingWein our eyes and hast been chosen among thousands :wish to accept thee anew as our Bride, and therefore Wewish to adorn and beautify thee in a manner worthy ofour design."

70 CITY OF GOD73. On hearing these words the most Humble amongthe humble abased and annihilated Herself in the presence of the Most High more than can be comprehendedby human power. Entirely submissive to the divine pleasure and with entrancing modesty, She responded:"Atthy feet, O Lord, lies the dust and abject worm, readyis thy poor slave for the fulfillment of allthy pleasure inher. Make use, O eternal Good, of this thy insignificantinstrument according to thy desire, and dispose of it withthy right hand." Presently the Most High commandedtwo seraphim, of those nearest to his throne and highestin dignity to attend on this heavenly Virgin. Accompanied by others, they presented themselves in visibleform before the throne, and there surrounded the mostholy Mary, who was more inflamed with divine love thanthey.74. It was a spectacle worthy of new wonder andjubilee for all the angelic spirits to see in this heavenlyplace, never touched by other feet, an humble Maidenconsecrated as their Queen and raised to the closestproximity to God of all the created beings; to see thatWoman, whom the world ignored and held in oblivious contempt, so highly esteemed and appreciated(Prov. 31, 10) to see our human nature in its first fruits;receiving the pledge of superiority over the celestialchoirs and already assuming its place among them. Owhat a holy and just envy must such a strange wonderhave caused in the ancient courtiers of that heavenlyJerusalem What !thoughts rose up within them in praiseof its Author! What sentiments of humility did it awakenin them, subjecting all their high understandings to thedecrees of the divine Will! They saw that He was holyand just, who exalted the humble, who favored humanlowliness and raised it above the angelic choirs.

THE INCARNATION 7175. While the inhabitants of heaven were lost in theirpraiseworthy admiration, the most blessed Trinity,(according to our imperfect mode of understanding andspeaking), conferred within Itself, how pleasing in itssight was the Princess Mary, how perfectly and completely She had corresponded with the blessings andgifts confided to Her, how adequately She had augmentedthe glory of the Lord; and how free She was of anyfault, defect or hindrance, that might compromise thedignity of her predestined Motherhood of the Word.Accordingly the three Persons of the Trinity resolved toraise this Creature to the highest position of grace andfriendship of God, such as no creature had ever or wouldever attain; and then and there They gave to Her morethan to all the rest of creatures together. The mostblessed Trinity was pleased and rejoiced in seeing thatthe supreme holiness of Mary was such as had been conceived and determined for Her in the divine intellect.76. In correspondence with this holiness, and as acompletion of it, and as a testimony of the benevolencewith which the Lord wished to communicate to Her evernew influences of his Divinity, He ordained and commanded, that most holy Mary be visibly clothed andadorned with mysterious vestments and jewels, whichshould symbolize the interior graces and privileges of aQueen and of a heavenly Spouse. Although such bridaladornment had already been conferred upon Her beforethat time, when She was presented in the temple(Part I, 436) ; yet now this was done under new andwonderful conditions; for it was to serve as the immediate preparation for the miracle of the Incarnation.77. Presently therefore, uponthe command of theLord the two seraphim clothed most holy Mary with atunic or ample robe, which, as a symbol of her purity and

72 CITY OF GODgrace, was so exquisitely white and resplendent, that ifone single ray of the light so profusely emitted by itwould flash into the world, it would by itself give morerefulgence than all the stars combined, even if they wereall suns; and in comparison with it, all the light, whichis known to us, would appear as darkness. While theseraphim vested Her, the Most High gave Her a profound understanding of the obligation entailed thereby :return to hisnamely, that She must make a befittingMajesty, by proportioning her faithful love and the exalted perfection of her actions to that, which She hadnow learnt. Nevertheless, the purpose, for which theLord intended these blessings, that is his Incarnationthrough Her, continued to be hidden to her mind. Allthe rest of the mysteries our Lady understood and forall of them She humiliated Herself with ineffable pruence,and She asked the divine assistance for corresponding to these favors and blessings.78. Over this robe the same seraphim placed a girdle,as a symbol of the holy fear, which was infused into Her.It was very rich, with jewels of extreme refulgence andbeauty. At the same time the fountain of light burstingforth from the Divinity enlightened and illumined theheavenly Princess, so that She understood the exaltedreasons, why God should be feared by allthe creatures.With this gift of fear of the Lord She was appropriatelygirded, as befitted a Creature, who was to treat and converse so familiarly with her Creator as his Mother.79. Presently She perceived, that the seraphimadorned Her with most beautiful and abundant hair,held together by a rich clasp, more brilliant than pureand polished gold. She understood, that in this embellishment was conceded to Her the privilege ofspending her whole life in exalted and divine thoughts,

THE INCARNATION 73inflamed by the subtlest charity as signified by the gold.In connection with this privilege She was establishedanew in the habits of unclouded wisdom and science,exquisitely binding up the hair of exalted thoughts by anineffable participation in the wisdom and science of Godhimself. Sandals or shoes were also given to Her, toindicate, that all her steps and movements would be mostbeauteous (Cant. 7, 1), tending always to the high andholy aim of the greater glory of the Most High. Andthese shoes were laced with the especial grace of anxiousdiligence in doing good both before God and man(Luke 1, 39), as it happened when She hastened tovisit saint Elisabeth and saint John; and thus thisDaughterof the Prince issued most beautiful in herfootsteps (Cant. 7, 1).80. Her arms were adorned with bracelets, fillingHerwith magnanimity for undertaking great works in participation of the divine magnificence ;and thus Shealways extended them toward courageous deeds(Prov. 31, 19). Her fingers were embellished by rings,in order that in smaller or more inferior matters Shemight act in a superior manner, exalted in aim and purpose and in all respect making her doings grand andadmirable. To this they added a necklace, set with inestimable and brilliant jewels and containing symbolsof the three most excellent virtues of faith, hope andcharity in correspondence with the three divine Persons.Conjointly with this gift they renewed in Her the habitsof these most noble virtues, which She would especiallyneed in the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption.81. In her ears they hung earrings of gold, filigreedwith silver (Cant. 1, 10), thus preparing her ears forthe message, which She was shortly to hear from the archangel Gabriel, and at the same time they furnished Her

74 CITY OF GODwith knowledge in order that She might listen attentivelyand give discreet and acceptable answers to the divineproposals. Thus would the pure silver of her innocenceresound in the ears of the Lord and re-echo, in the bosomof the Divinity, those charming and sacred words :mihi secundum verbum tuum." "Be it done to me ac"Fiatcording to thy word" (Luke 1, 38).82. Then they spread over her garment inscriptions,which at the same time served as embroidery or bordersof the finest colors mixed with gold.Some of them borethe legend.: "Mary,Mother of God;" others:"Mary,Virgin and Mother." But these inscriptions were notintelligible to Her, nor were they explained to Her, buttheir meaning was known to the holy angels. The different colors symbolized the habits of all the virtues in themost excellent degree and their active exercise, surpassingall that was ever practiced by the rest of the intellectualcreatures. And as a complement of all this beauty, theyfurnished Her as if with lotions for her face, by illuminating Her with the light drawn from the proximity andparticipation of the inexhaustible Being and perfectionof God himself. For as She was destined actually andtruly to shelter within Her virginal womb the infiniteperfection of God, it was befitting, that She should havereceived it beforehand by grace in the highest measurepossible to a mere creature.83. In this adornment and beauty our Princess Marystood before the Lord so beautiful and charming, thateven the supreme King could desire Her as Spouse( Ps. 44, 12). I do not detain myself here in repeatingwhat I have already said, what I will yet say in thishistory about her virtues I; only say that this adornmentwas accompanied by new features and effects altogetherdivine. All this was proper to the infinite power and to

THE INCARNATION 75its immense perfection and sanctity, which offer to ourcomprehension ever new fields of speculation. And whenthere is question of this ocean of perfection in most holyMary, we certainly can hope only to skirt its shores. Myunderstanding of that which I perceive, is always pregnant with vast fields of thought, on which I cannotexpatiate.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE MOST HOLY QUEEN MARYGAVE ME.84. My daughter, the work-shops and treasure-roomsof the Most High are those of a divine Lord and omnipotent King, and therefore without number or limit arethe riches and treasures which they contain for the endowment of his chosen brides. He can enrich innumerable others just as He has enriched my soul, and yetinfinitely more will remain. Although He will give to nocreature as much as He has conferred upon me, it is notbecause He is not able or does not wish, but because noone will dispose himself for his grace as I did. But theAlmightyis most liberal with some souls and enrichesthem so munificently, because they impede his gifts less,and dispose themselves better than others.85. I desire, my most beloved, that thou place no obstacle to the love of thy Lord; but I wish, that thoudispose thyself for the jewels and gifts, intended for theein order to make thee worthy of his bridal chamber.Remember that all the just souls receive this adornmentfrom his hands, though each one according to the degreeof the friendship and grace, which makes them capable ofreceiving them. If thou wishest to attain the highestpurity of that perfection and become worthy of standingin the presence of thy Lord and Spouse, strive to be

76 CITY OF GODrobust and strong in love ;and thou knowest, that this isaugmented in the same degree, as mortification and selfabnegationare practiced. Thou must deny thyself andforget all earthly things; thou must expel all thy meanings toward thyself and toward visible things, in thedivine love solely thou must increase and advance. Washand purify thyself in the blood of thy Redeemer, Christ,and apply this cleansing many times by renewing thyloving sorrow for thy sins. Thereby wilt thou find gracein his eyes and thy beauty will be desired by Him, and allthy adornments will be full of the greatest perfection andpurity.86. And as thou hast been so highly favored and distinguished by the blessings of the Lord, it is just thatthou, more than many generations of men, give thanksand with incessant praises magnify Him for what, Hehas condescended to do for thee.If this vice of ingratitude is so vile and reprehensible in the creatures, who oweHim little and in their earthliness and coarseness, forgetthe benefits of the Lord ;greater will thy guilt be in fallAnd do not deceive thyselfing short of thy obligations.with the pretext of being humble; for there is a greatdifference between thankful humility and humble thanklessness.Remember that the Lord very often showsgreat favors to the unworthy, in order to manifest hisgoodness and munificence. On the contrarylet no onebecome inflated, but let every one acknowledge so muchthe more his unworthiness, usingit as a medicine andtreacle against the poison of presumption. But gratitudewill agree with this humble opinion of self, since we mustacknowledge, that every good gift comes from the Fatherof lights and cannot ever be merited by creatures(James 1, 17). All have their source only in his goodness, binding us and obliging us to grateful recognition.

CHAPTER VIII.OUR GREAT QUEEN, IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD,PIÊADS FOR THE HASTENING OF THE INCARNATIONAND OF THE REDEMPTION OF MAN, AND HIS MAJESTYYIEU)S TO HER PRAYER.87. The heavenly Princess, most holy Mary, had nowattained such fullness of grace and beauty and the heartof God was so wounded by her tender affections anddesires (Cant. 4, 9), that He was so to say irresistiblydrawn to begin his flight from the bosom of the eternalFather to the bridal-chamber of her virginal womb andend the long delay of more than five thousand years.Nevertheless, since this new wonder was to be executed inthe plenitude of his wisdom and equity, the Lord arrangedthis event in such a way, that the Princess of the heavensHerself, being the worthy Mother of the incarnate Word,should at the same time be also the most powerful Mediatrix of his coming and the Redeemer of his people muchmore than Esther was of Israel (Esther ch. 7 and 8).In the heart of most holy Mary burned the flame, whichGod himself had enkindled, and without intermission Sheprayed for the salvation of the human race. However,as yet the most humble Lady restrained Herself inmodesty, knowing that on account of the sin of Adam,the sentence of death and of eternal privation from thevision of God had been promulgated (Gen. 3, 19).88. A heavenly strife thus arose in the most pure heartof Mary between her love and her humility, and, lost inthese sentiments, She repeated many times: "Oh whoshall be able to secure the salvation of my brethren Oh!who shall be able to draw from the bosom of the eternal2-7 77

78 CITY OF GODFather his Onlybegotten and make Him a partaker of ourmortality! Oh who shall oblige Him to give to ourhuman nature the kiss of his mouth, for which the brideasks Him! (Cant. 1,1). But how can we, the childrenand descendants of the malefactor, who committed thecrime, ask for this favor? How can we draw Himtoward us, whom our fathers repelled? Oh my Love, ifI could but see Thee at the breasts of thy Mother, thehuman nature! (Cant 8, 1). Oh Light of lights, Godof the true God, would that Thou descend, bending downthy heavens (Ps. 143, 5) and shedding thy light uponthose that live sitting in darkness !( Is. 9, 2 ). Would thatThou pacify thy Father, and, by thy right hand that isby his Onlybegotten, hurl the proud Aman, thy enemy,the devil, from his height Who shall be the Mediatrix,!who shall draw from the celestial altar, as with tongsof gold (Is. 6, 6), that ember of the Divinity, for thepurification of the world, as once did the seraphim, according to the word of the prophet Isaias!"89. This prayer most holy Mary repeated during theeighth day of her preparation, and at midnight, beingwrapped and entranced in the Lord, She heard hisMajesty responding to Her :"My Spouse and my Dove,come, my Chosen one, for the common law does notapply to thee (Esther 15, 13). Thou art exempt fromsin and thou art free from its effects since the momentof thy Conception. When I gave being to thee, I turnedaway from thee the sceptre of my justice and laid uponthy neck that of my great clemency, in order that thegeneral edict of sin might not touch thee. Come to Me,and be not dismayed in the consciousness of thy humannature; I am He, that raises the humble, and fills withriches those that are poor. Thou hast Me for thy Friendand my liberal mercies shall be at thy disposal."

THE INCARNATION 7990. These words our Queen heard intellectually and,as in the preceding night, She presently felt Herselfraised by the holy angels bodily to heaven, while in herstead remained one of the angels of her guard. AgainShe ascended to the presence of the Most High, so enriched by the treasures of his graces and gifts, so fortunate and beautiful, that She singularly excited the wonderof the supernal spirits. They broke out in praise of theAlmighty, saying:"Who is this, that ascends from thedesert, overflowing with delights? (Cant. 8, 5). Who isShe, that so attracts and compels her Beloved as to bearHim with Her to the earthly habitation? Who is She,that rises as the dawn, more beautiful than the moon,chosen as the sun? (Cant. 6, 9). How refulgent dothShe rise from the darkness of the earth? How is Sheso courageous and strong, being clothed in such fragilenature? How does She in her strength overcome theAlmighty? And how comes it that the heavens, whichare closed against the children of Adam, are thus thrownopen to this singular Woman, sprung from the samerace?"91. The Most High received his holy and chosenBride, most holy Mary, into his presence. Although thishappened not in an intuitive, but in an abstractivevision of the Divinity;it was accompanied with incomparable favors of light and purification proceeding fromthe Lord himself, such as were specially reserved for thisday. For they were so divine, that, in our way of speaking, God himself who wrought them, was astonished andwas charmed with the work of his hand. As if entrancedwith love, He spoke to Her and said: "Revertere,revertere, Sulamitis, ut intueamur te"(Return, return, OSulamitess, that We may behold thee). "My Spouse, mymost perfect and beloved Dove, pleasing in my sight.

80 CITY OF GODturn and advance toward Us, that We may behold theeand be charmed by thy beauty.I do not regret to havecreated man and I delight in his formation, since thouhast been born of him. Let my celestial spirits see howjustly I have desired and do desire to choose thee as mySpouse and the Queen of all the creatures. Let themsee what good reason I have to rejoice in this my bridalchamber, from whence my Onlybegotten, next to that ofmy own bosom, shall derive the greatest glory. Let allunderstand, that if I justly repudiated Eve, the first queenof the earth, on account of her disobedience, I now placethee and establish thee in the highest dignity, showing mymagnificence and power in dealing with thy puresthumility and self-abasement."92. This day was for the angels a day of jubilationand rejoicing greater than any since their creation. Andwhen the most blessed Trinity thus chose and appointedhis Spouse and Mother of the Word for the Queen andLady of the creatures, the holy angels and allthe celestial court of Spirits acknowledged and received Her astheir Mistress and Superior, and they sung sweet hymnsof glory in her honor and in praise of her Author. During these hidden and admirable mysteries the heavenlyQueen Mary was absorbed in the abyss of the Divinityand in the light of his infinite perfections: and therebythe Lord prevented Her from attending to all that happened. Thus the sacrament of her Mothership of theOnlybegottenstill remained hidden to Her until theproper time. Never did the Lord deal in such a mannerwith any nation (Ps. 147, 20), nor did He ever showHimself so great and powerful in any creature, as onthis day in most holy Mary.93. The Most High added yet other favors, saying toHer with extreme condescension : chosen"MySpouse,

THE INCARNATION 81since Thou hast found grace in my eyes, ask of Me without restraint, what thou desirest, and I assure thee, asthe most faithful God and powerful King, that I shallnot reject thy petitions nor deny thee what thou askest."Our great Princess humiliated Herself profoundly andrelying on the promise and royal word of the Lord, andinspired with highest confidence, She answered saying:Lord and highest God, if I have found grace in thy"Myeyes (Gen. 18, 3, 27), although I am dust and ashes, Iwill speak in thy divine presence and pour out to Theemy heart" (Ps. 61, 9). Again his Majesty assured Herand commanded Her to ask in the presence of all theheavenly court, for whatever She desired, even if it werea part of his kingdom (Esther 5, 3)."I do not ask, OLord, for a part of thy kingdom in my own behalf,"answered most holy Mary,"but I ask for the whole ofit for all the race of men, who are my brothers. I beseech Thee, highest and powerful King, thataccordingto thy immense kindness Thou send us thy Onlybegottenour Redeemer, in order that He may satisfy for the sinsof allthe freedomthe world, that thy people may gainso much desired, and that, through the satisfaction thusrendered to thy justice, peace may be declared amongmen upon (Ezech. 34, 25) earth, and that the portals ofheaven, closed by sin, may be thrown open for its inhabitants. Let all flesh see thy salvation (Is. 52, 10) ;let peace and justice give each other that close embraceand the kiss, which David asked for (Ps. 84, 11) ;let usmortals possess a Teacher, a Guide and a Savior(Is. 30, 20), a Chief, who shall live and dwell with us.(Baruch. 3, 38) Let the day of thy promises dawn uponus, O my God, let thy words be fulfilled, and let theMessias, expected for so many ages,arrive. These aremy anxious desires, and for this do I breathe forth my

82 CITY OF GODsighs, since Thou showest to me the condescension of thyinfinite clemency."94. The highest Lord, who wished to bind Himselfby her prayer, disposed and incited the petitions of hisbeloved Spouse ; benignly He inclined toward Her andanswered Her with singular clemency:"Pleasingto myWill are thy requests, and acceptable are thy petitions:it shall be done as thou askest. I desire, my Daughterand Spouse, what thorn seekest ;and as a pledge of this,Igive thee my word and promise thee, that very shortlymy Onlybegotten shall descend to the earth and shall vestHimself and unite Himself with the human nature. Thusthy acceptable wishes shall be executed and fulfilled."95. With this assurance and divine promise our greatQueen Princess felt new enlightenment and security inher spirit, convincing Her, that the end of that long protracted and prolix night of sin and of the ancient Lawwas approaching and that the brightness of human Redemption was about to dawn. And because the rays ofthe Sun of Justice, whose dawn was soon to arise fromHer, so closely and so intensely enveloped Her about,She became Herself the most beautiful aurora, inflamedand refulgent as it were with the fiery clouds of theDivinity, which transformed all things within Her. Allafire with love and gratitude for the approaching Redemption, She gave unceasing praise to the Lord bothin her own name and in that of all the mortals. In thisoccupation She passed that day, after the angels had againrestored Her to the earth. 1 must grieve at my ignorance and shortcomings in explaining these so exaltedmysteries; and if learned men and great students cannot give an adequate explanation of these things, howshall it be given by a poor and lowly woman? May myignorance be supplemented by the lightof Christian

THE INCARNATION 83charity and my presumption be atoned for by myobedience.INSTRUCTION WHICH MOST HOLY MARY, THE QUEEN,GAVE ME.96. My dearest daughter, how far removed isworldlywisdom from the admirable operations of the divinepowerin these sacraments of the Incarnation of thedivine Word in my womb !Flesh and blood cannot reachthem, and not the angels and seraphim, though they beof the highest; nor can they know mysteries so deeplyhidden and so far above the ordinary course of grace.Praise thou, my beloved, the Lord for them with incessant love and thankfulness. Be thou not any longerslow in understanding the greatness of his divine loveand his readiness to benefit his friends and dear ones,whom He desires to elevate from the dust and enrichin diverse manners. As soon as thou hast penetratedinto this truth, it will oblige thee to thank Him and incitethee to undertake the great things, that become a mostfaithful daughter and spouse.97. And in order that thou mayest dispose thyself andbe inspired so much the more, I remind thee, that theLord often says these same words to his chosen ones:"Revertere, revertere, ut intueamur te." For He derives just as great pleasure from their deeds, as whena father rejoices in his beloved and well-behaved son,whom he looks upon many times with great affection;or as an artist, when he beholds with pride the perfectworks of his hands; or as a king, who inspects the richcity, which he has added to his dominions; or as one,who is pleased with his much beloved friend. There isonly this difference: the Most High finds incomparablymore delight than all these in the souls, which He has

84 CITY OF GODchosen for his blessings; and in proportion as they dispose themselves and advance in virtue, the Lord alsomultiplies his favors and benefits. If the mortals, thatattain to the light of faith, would enter into this truth,they would, merely on account of this complacence ofthe Almighty in their good deeds, not only preservethemselves from sin, but they would zealously engagein great works until death and eagerly show their lovingservitude to Him, who is so liberal in rewarding, andso generous in his favors.98. When, on this eighth daywhich thou hast described, the Lord in heaven spoke to me these words :"Revertere, revertere," asking me to turn toward Himand allow the celestial spirits to look upon me; I wasmade aware, that the pleasure, which his divine Majestyderived in beholding me, by itself exceeded all the delight and complacency, which He ever derived from allthe most saintly souls in the height of their sanctity. Inhis gracious condescension He was more pleased in methan in all the Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Virginsand all the rest of the saints. And this pleasure andcomplacency of the Most Highoverflowed and enrichedmy spirit with such an influx of grace and participationof the Divinity, that thou canst neither understand norexplain it as long as thou art in the mortal flesh. ButI tell thee of this hidden mystery, in order that thoumayest bless its Author, and that, while yet thy exile fromthe fatherland continues, thou dispose and exert thyselfin my place and name to extend and reach out thy handsto great things (Prov. 31, 19). Give to the Lord thesatisfaction expected of thee, and strive after it, thusearning his blessings and soliciting them for thyself andthy neighbor with perfect charity.

CHAPTER IX.THE MOST HIGH RENEWS ALL HIS FAVORS AND BENEFITSIN THE MOST HOLY MARY AND, AS THE ULTIMATEPREPARATION FOR THE INCARNATION, MAKES HERSOVEREIGN AND QUEEN OF ALL THE UNIVERSE.99. On the last day of the novena of immediatepreparation of the tabernacle (Ps. 45, 5), which He wasto sanctify by his coming, the Most High resolved torenew his wonders and multiply his tokens of love, repeating the favors and benefits which up to this day Hehad conferred upon the Princess Mary. But the Almighty chose to work in such a way, that in drawingforth from his infinite treasures his gifts of old, He always added thereto such as were new. All of these different kinds of wonders were appropriate to the end Hehad in view :lowering his Divinity to the human natureand raising a woman to the dignity of Mother of God.In descending to the lowliness of man s estate, Godneither could, nor needed to change his essence: for,remaining immutable in Himself, He could unite hisPerson to our nature; but an earthly woman, in ascending to such an excellence that God should unite withHer and become man of her substance, apparently musttraverse an infinite space and be raised so far above othercreatures, as to approach God s infinite being itself.100. The day had then arrived, in which most holyMary was to reach the last stage and be placed so closeto God, as to become his Mother. In that night, at thehour of greatest silence, She was again called by the85

86 CITY OF GODsame Lord as it had happened on the other days. Thehumble and prudent Queen responded: "Myheart isprepared (Ps. 107, 2), my Lord and exalted Sovereign:let thy divine pleasure be fulfilled in me." ImmediatelyShe was, as on the preceding day, borne body and soulby the hands of her angels to the empyrean and placedin the presence of the royal throne of the Most High;and his divine Majesty raised Her up and seated Herat his side, assigning to Her the position and throne,which She was to occupy forever in his presence. Nextto the one reserved for the incarnate Word, it was thehighest and the most proximate to God himself; for itexcelled incomparably that of any of the other blessed,and that of all of them together.101. From this position She saw the Divinity by anabstractive vision, as at other times, and his Majesty,hiding from Her the dignity of Mother of God, manifested to Her such unusual and such high sacraments,that on account of theirsublimity and my insignificantcapacities, I cannot describe them. Again She saw inthe Divinity all things created and many other possibleand future ones. The corporeal things God manifestedand made known to Her by corporeal and sensible images,as if they had been presented to her ocular vision. Thefabric of the universe, which before thisShe had knownin parts, now appeared to Her in its entirety, distinctlypictured as upon canvas, with all the creatures containedtherein. She saw the harmony, order, connection anddependence of each toward each, and of the divine will,which had created them, governs and preserves them,each in its place and mode of existence. Again Shesaw all the heavens and the stars, the elements, andthose that lived in them, purgatory, limbo, hell and allthe occupants of these caverns. Just as the position of

THE INCARNATION 87the Queen of creation was above all creatures and inferior only to that of God, so also the knowledge givento Her was superior to that of all created things beinginferior only to that of the Lord.102. While thus the heavenly Lady was lost in admiration of what the Almighty showed to Her, and waswrapped in praise and exaltation of the Lord, his Maall thejesty spoke to Her and said chosen : "My Dove,visible creatures, which thou beholdest, I have createdand preserved in all their variety and beauty by myProvidence, solely for the love of men. And from allthe souls, which I have until now created and whichare predestined to be created unto the end, I shall chooseand select the congregation of the faithful, who shall beset apart and washed in the blood of the Lamb in theRedemption of the world. They shall be the special fruitof his Redemption, and they shall enjoy its blessingsthrough the new law of grace and the sacraments to beinstituted by the Redeemer; and afterwards those thatpersevere shall partake of my eternal glory and friendship. For these chosen ones I have primarily createdthese wonderful works! and if all of them would striveto serve Me, adore and acknowledge my holy name; asfar as I am concerned, I would for each and every one ofthem create these great treasures and assignall over tothem as their possession.103. "And if I had created only one being capable ofmy grace and glory, I would have made it the lord andmaster of all creation ;for this would be a much smallerfavor than to make itpartaker of my friendship and ofeternal happiness. Thou, my Spouse, shalt be my chosenOne and thou hast found grace in my sight; and therefore I make thee Mistress of all these goods and I givethee dominion and possession of them all, so that, if

88 CITY OF GODthem art a faithful spouse according to my wishes, thoumayest distribute and dispose of them according as thoudesirest and according as thy intercession shall direct;for this is the purpose, for which they are given into thypossession."Therewith the most blessed Trinity placeda crown on the head of our Princess Mary, consecrating Her as the sovereign Queen of all creation. Upon itwas spread and enameled the inscription: Mother ofGod; but its meaning was not known to Her at thistime. The heavenly spirits, however, knew it and theywere filled with admiration at the magnificence of theLord toward this Maiden, most fortunate and blessedamong womankind. They revered and honored Her astheir legitimate Queen and as Sovereign of all creation.104. All these portents of love the right hand of theMost High wrought according tothe order most befitting his infinite wisdom; for before coming down toassume flesh in the virginal womb of this Lady, it wasproper that all his courtiers should acknowledge hisMother as their Queen and Mistress, and give Her duehonor as such. It was certainly proper and just that Godshould first make Her Queen before making HerMother of the Prince of eternities ;for She that was tobear a Prince, must necessarily first be a Queen and beacknowledged as Queen by her vassals. That the angelsshould know Her as Mother, was not improper, nor wasthere any necessity of itconcealing from them. But onthe other hand it seemed due to the majesty of the Divinity, that the tabernacle chosen for his indwellingshould appear before them prepared and adorned withall that was highest in dignity and perfection, in nobilityand magnificence to the full extent, in which it was possible. Thus then, was She presented to the holy angels,

THE INCARNATION 89and recognized by them, as their honored Queen andLady.105. In order to put the last touch to this prodigiouswork of preparing the most holy Mary, the Lord extended his powerful arm and expressly renewed thespirit and the faculties of the great Lady, giving Hernew inclinations, habits and qualities, the greatness andexcellence of which are inexpressible in terrestrial terms.It was the finishing act and the final retouchingof theliving image of God, in order to form, in it and of it,the very shape, into which the eternal Word, the essentialimage of the eternal Father (II Cor. 4, 4) and thefigure of his substance (Heb. 1, 3), was to be cast. Thusthe whole temple of most holy Mary, more so than thatof Solomon, was covered with the purest gold of theDivinity inside and out, (III Kings, 6, 30), so that nowhere could be seen inHer any grossness of an earthlydaughter of Adam. Her entire being was made toshine forth the Divinity; for since the divine Word wasto issue from the bosom of the eternal Father to descendto that of Mary, He provided for the greatest possiblesimilarity between the Mother and the Father.could ever suffice to106. No words at my disposaldescribe as I would wish, the effects of these favors inthe heart of our great Queen and Mistress. Humanthought cannot conceive them, how then can humanwords express them? But what has caused the greatestwonder in me, when I considered these things in theligfat given to me, is the humility of this heavenlyWoman and the mutual contest between her humility andthe divine power.Rare and astonishing prodigy of humility, to see this Maiden, most holy Mary, thoughraised to the supremest dignity and holiness next to God,yet humiliating Herself and debasing Herself below the

90 CITY OF GODmeanest of the creatures; so that, by the force of thishumility, no thought of her being destined for the Mothershipof the Messias could find entrance into her mind !And not only this: She did not even have a suspicion ofanything great or admirable in Herself (Ps. 130, 1).Her eyes and heart were not elated ; on the contrary thehigher She ascended by the operation of the right handof her God, so much the more lowly were her thoughtsconcerning Herself. It was therefore just, that the Almighty should look upon her humility (Luke 1, 48), andthat therefore all generations should call her fortunateand blessed.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN AND MISTRESS OFHEAVEN GAVE ME.107. My daughter, the soul that has only a selfish andservile love is not a worthy spouse of the Most High,for she must not love or fear like a slave, nor is she supposed to serve for her daily wages. Yet although herheart must be a filial and generous love on account ofthe excellence and immense goodness of her Spouse, shemust nevertheless also feel herself much bounden toHim, when she considers how rich and liberal He is;how, on account of his love for souls. He has createdsuch a variety of visible goods in order that they mightserve those who serve Him; and especially, when sheconsiders how manyhidden treasures He has in readiness in the abundance of his sweetness (Ps. 30, 20) forthose that fear Him as his true children. I wish thatthou feel deeply obliged to thy Lord and Father, thySpouse and Friend, at the thought of the riches givento those souls, who become his dearest children. For,as a powerful Father, He holds in readiness these great

THE INCARNATION 91and manifold gifts for his children, and if necessary, allof his gifts for each one of them in particular. In themidst of such motives and incentives of love the disaffection of men is inexcusable, and at the sight of somany blessings, given without measure, their ingratitudeisunpardonable.108. Remember, also, my dearest, that thou wast noforeigner, or stranger in this house of the Lord, hisholy Church (Ephes. 2, 19) but thou wast made a do;mestic and a spouse of Christ among the saints, favoredby his gifts and by the dowry of a bride. Since all thetreasures and riches of the bridegroom belong to thelegitimate spouse, consider of how great possessions Hemakes thee participant and mistress. Enjoy them all,then, as his domestic, and be zealous for his honor as amuch-favored daughter and spouse; thank Him for allthese works and benefits, as if they had all been prepared for thee alone by the Lord. Love and reverenceHim for thyself and for all thy neighbors, to whom Godhas been so liberal. In all this imitate, with thy weakfaculties, that which thou hast understood of what Ihave done. I assure thee also, daughter, that it will bethe Omvery pleasing to me, if thou magnify and praisefor the favors and richesnipotent with fervent affection,which, beyond all human conception, the divine righthand showered upon me.

CHAPTER X.THE BLESSED TRINITY SENDS THE ARCHANGEL GABRIELAS A MESSENGER TO ANNOUNCE TO MOST HOLY MARYTHAT SHE IS CHOSEN AS THE MOTHER OF GOD.109. For infinite ages had been appointed the convenient hour and time, in which the great mystery ofpiety (I Tim. 3, 16), which was approved by the Spirit,prophesied to men, foretold to the angels, and expectedin the world, was to be drawn from the hidden recesses ofthe divine wisdom in order to be appropriately manifested in the flesh. The plenitude of time (Gal. 4, 4)had arrived, that time which until then, although filledwith prophecies and promises, was nevertheless void andempty. For it wanted the fullness of the most holyMary, by whose will and consent all the ages were toreceive their complement, namely the eternal Wordmade flesh, capable of suffering and redeeming man.Before all ages this mystery was prearranged in such away, that it should be fulfilled through the mediationof this heavenly Maiden. Since now She existed in theworld the Redemption of man and the coming of theOnlybegotten of the Father was not longer to be delayed. For now He would not need to come and liveas ifby sufferance merely in tents (II Kings 7, 6) orin a strange house; but He could enjoy a free welcomeas in His temple and as in his own house, one that hadbeen built and enriched at his own preordained expense,more so than the temple of Solomon at the expense ofhis father David (I Par. 22, 5).92

THE INCARNATION 93110. In this predetermined time then the Most Highresolved to send his onlybegotten Son into the world.And comparing, (according to our way of understanding and speaking), the decrees of his eternity with theprophecies and testimonies made to man from the beginning of the world, and allthis together with the position of sanctity to which He had raised most holy Mary,He judged that all the circumstances were favorable forthe exaltation of his holy name, and that the executionof his eternal will and decree should be made manifest tothe angels and be commenced by them. His Majestyspoke to the archangel Gabriel in such words or language as He was accustomed to use in intimating hiswill to the holy angels. Although God usually illuminesthe holy spirits by commencing with the higher angels,who in turn purify and illumine the others in their orderdown to the least among them, thus making known therevelations of the Divinity; yet on this occasion thisusage was not maintained, for the holy archangel received his message immediately from the mouth of God.111. At the bidding of the divine will the holy Gabriel presented himself at the foot of the throne intentupon the immutable essence of the Most High. His Majesty then expressly charged him with the message,which he was to bring to the most holy Mary and instructed him in the very words with which he was tosalute and address Her. Thus the first Author of themessage was God himself, who formed the exact words inhis divine mind, and revealed them to the holy archangelfor transmission to the most pure Mary. At the sametime the Lord revealed to the holy prince Gabriel manyhidden sacraments concerning the Incarnation. Theblessed Trinity commanded him to betake himself to theheavenly Maiden and announce to Her, that the Lord2-8

94 CITY OK GODhad chosen Her among women to be the Mother of theeternal Word, that She should conceive Him inher virginal womb through operation of the Holy Ghost without injury to her virginity. In this and in all the restof the message, which he was to declare and manifest tothis great Queen and Mistress, the archangel was instructed by the blessed Trinity itself.112. Thereupon his Majesty announced to all theother angels that the time of the Redemption had comeand that He had commanded it to be brought to theworld without delay; for already, in their own presence,the most holy Maty had been prepared and adorned tobe his Mother, and had been exalted to the supreme digThe heavenly spirits heard the voice of their Creanity.tor, and with incomparable joy and thanksgiving for thefulfillment of his eternal and perfect will, they intonednew canticles of praise, repeating therein that hymn ofSion :"Holy,holy, holy art thou, God and Lord Sabaoth(Is. 6, 3). Just and powerful art Thou, Lord our God,who livest in the highest (Ps. 112, 5) and lookest uponthe lowly of the earth. Admirable are all thy works,most high and exalted in thy designs."113. The supernal prince Gabriel, obeying with singular delight the divine command and accompanied bymany thousands of most beautiful angels in visible forms,descended from the highest heaven. The appearance ofthe great prince and legate was that of a most handsome youth of rarest beauty; his face emitted resplendent rays of light, his bearing was grave and majestic,his advance measured, his motions composed, his wordsweighty and powerful, his whole presence displayed apleasing, kindly gravity and more of godlike qualitiesthan all the other angels until then seen in visible formHe wore a diadem of exqui-by the heavenly Mistress.

THE INCARNATION 95site splendor and his vestments glowed in various colorsfull of refulgent beauty. Enchased on his breast, hebore a most beautiful cross, disclosing the mystery ofthe Incarnation, which He had come to announce. Allthese circumstances were calculated to rivet the affectionate attention of the most prudent Queen.114. The whole of this celestial armywith theirto Nazprincely leader holy Gabriel directed their flightareth, a town of the province of Galilee, to the dwellingplace of most holy Mary. This was an humble cottageand her chamber was a narrow room, bare of all thosefurnishings which are wont to be used by the world inorder to hide its own meanness and want of all highergoods. The heavenly Mistress was at this time fourteenyears, six months and seventeen days of age; for herbirthday anniversary fell on the eighth of September andsix months seventeen days had passed since that date,when this greatest of all mysteries ever performedby God in this world, was enacted in Her.115. The bodily shape of the heavenly Queen waswell proportioned and taller than is usual with othermaidens of her age ; yet extremely elegant and perfect inall its parts. Her face was rather more oblong thanround, gracious and beautiful, without leanness or grossness;its complexion clear, yet of a slightly brownishhue; her forehead spacious yet symmetrical; her eyebrows perfectly arched; her eyes large and serious, ofincredible and ineffable beauty and dovelike sweetness,dark in color with a mixture tending toward green; hernose straight and well shaped; her mouth small, withred-colored lips, neither too thin nor too thick. All thegifts of nature in Her were so symmetrical and beautiful,that no other human being ever had the like. To lookupon Her caused feelings at the same time of joy and

96 CITY OF GODseriousness, love and reverential fear. She attracted theheart and yet restrained it in sweet reverence ;her beautyimpelled the tongue to sound her praise, and yet hergrandeur and her overwhelming perfections and graceshushed it to silence. In all that approached Her, Shecaused divine effects not easily explained; She filled theheart with heavenly influences and divine operations,tending toward the Divinity.116. Her garments were humble and poor, yet clean,of a dark silvery hue, somewhat like the color of ashes,and they were arranged and worn without pretense, butwith the greatest modesty and propriety. At the timewhen, without her noticing it, the embassy of heavendrew nigh unto Her, She was engaged in the highestcontemplation concerning the mysteries which the Lordhad renewed in Her by so many favors during the ninepreceding days. And since, as we have said above, theLord himself had assured Her that his Onlybegottenwould soon descend to assume human form, this greatQueen was full of fervent and joyful affection in the expectation of its execution and inflamed with humble love,that the blessedShe spoke in her heart : "Is it possibletime has arrived, in which the Word of the eternalFather is to be born and to converse with men? (Baruch10, 38) . That the world should possess Him ? That menare to see Him in the flesh ? ( Is. 40. 5 ). That his inaccessible light is to shine forth to illumine those who sit indarkness? (Is. 9, 2). O, who shall be worthy to see andknow Him! O, who shall be allowed to kiss the earthtouched by his feet!"117. "Rejoice, ye heavens, and console thyself, Oearth (Ps. 95, 11) ;let all things bless and extol Him,since already his eternal happiness is nigh O children of!Adam, afflicted with sin, and yet creatures of my Be-

THE INCARNATION 97loved, now shall you raise your heads and throw off theyoke of your ancient servitude! (Is. 14, 25). O, ye ancient Forefathers and Prophets, and all ye just, that aredetained in limbo and are waiting in the bosom of Abraham, now shall you be consoled and your much desiredand long promised Redeemer shall tarry no longer !( Agg.2, 8). Let us all magnify Him and sing to Him hymnsof praise! O who shall be the slave of Her, whomIsaias points out as his Mother (Is. 7, 4) ;O Emmanuel,true God and Man ! O key of David, who art to unlockheaven !( Is. 22, 22 ). O eternal Wisdom ! OLawgiverof the new Church !Come, come to us, O Lord, and endthe captivity of thy people; let all flesh see thy salvation!"(Is. 40, 5).118. In these petitions and aspirations, and in manymore too deep for my tongue to explain, the most holyMary was engaged at the hour, when the holy angelGabriel arrived. She was most pure in soul, most perfect in body, most noble in her sentiments, most exaltedin sanctity, full of grace and so deified and pleasing inthe sight of God, that She was fit to be his Mother andan instrument adapted for drawing Him from the bosomof the Father to her virginal womb. She was the powerful means of our Redemption and to Her we owe it onmany accounts. And therefore it is just, that all generations and nations shall bless and forever extol Her(Luke 1, 48). What happened at the entrance of theheavenly embassy, I will relate in the following chapter.119. I wish only to state here a fact worthy of admiration, that for the reception of the message of the archangel and for the execution of the exalted mystery,which was to be wrought in the heavenly Lady by herconsent, his Majesty left Her without any other aid thanthe resources of her common human nature and those

98 CITY OF GODfurnished Her by the faculties and virtues of her ordinary condition, such as have been described in the firstpart of this history (Part I, 674-714). The Most Highdisposed it thus, because this mystery was to be enactedas a sacrament of faith conjointly with hope and charity. And therefore the Lord provided Her with no special aid, leaving Her to her belief and hope in his divinepromises. Thus prepared She experienced what I shalltry to relate in my inadequate and limited terms. Thegreatness of these sacraments makes my ability to explain them appear so much the more insufficientINSTRUCTION OF THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN.120. My daughter, with specialaffection I manifestto thee now my will and desire that thou make thyselfworthy of the intimate and familiar converse with God,and that for this purpose thou dispose thyself with greatzeal and solicitude, weeping over thy sins, and forgettingand rejecting all the visible things, so that thou have nothought henceforth for any other thing outside of God.Therefore thou must begin to practice all that I havetaught thee until now, and whatever I will yet teachthee in the balance of this history. I will accompanythee and guide thee on the course with which thou mustmaintain in this familiar intercourse and in regard tothe favors, which thou receivest through his condescension, entertaining Him in thy heart by means of thefaith, light and grace given to thee. If thou dost notfirst conform to this my admonition, and prepare thyself accordingly, thou wilt not reach the fulfillment ofthy desires, nor shall I reap the fruit of my instructions, which I give to thee as thy Teacher.121. Since thou has found, without any merit of

THE INCARNATION 99thine, the hidden treasure and the precious pearl of myteachings and instruction (Matth. 13, 44), despise allother things, in order to possess and secure for thyselfthis prize of inestimable value; for with it thou shaltreceive all other goods and thou wilt make thyselfworthy of the intimate friendship of the Lord and ofhis perpetual indwelling in your heart. In exchange forthis great blessing, I desire that thou die to all earthlythings and that thou offer the thankful love of an entirely purified will. In imitation of me be thou sohumble, that as far as thou art concerned, thou be persuaded and convinced of thy entire worthlessness and incapability, not meriting to be considered even as a slaveof the servants of Christ.122. Remember, I was far from imagining, that theMost High had designed me for the dignity of Motherof God; and this was my state of mind although Hehad already promised hisspeedy cominginto the worldand although He had commanded me to desire afterHim with such great affection, that on the day beforethe execution of this mystery I thought I would die andmy heart would burst with loving sighs, if the divineProvidence had not comforted me. He dilated my spiritwith the firm hope, that the Onlybegotten of the eternalFather would descend from heaven without delay; yeton the other hand, my humility inclined me to fear, lestmy presence in the world might perhapsretard his coming. Contemplate then, my beloved, this secret of mybreast, and what an exampleit is for thee and for all themortals. And since it is difficult for thee to understandand describe such high wisdom, look upon me in theLord, in order that by his divine light, thou mayestmediate and comprehend the perfection of my actions;follow me by imitating me, and walk in my footsteps.

CHAPTER XLMARY LISTENS TO THE MESSAGE OF THE HOLY ANGEL;THE MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION IS ENACTED BYTHE CONCEPTION OF THE ETERNAL WORD IN HERWOMB.its123. I wish to confess before heaven and earth andinhabitants, and in the presence of the Creator of theuniverse and the eternal God, that in setting myself towrite of the profound mystery of the Incarnation, myfeeble strength deserts me, my tongue is struck mute,my discourse is silenced, my faculties are benumbed, myunderstanding iseclipsed and overwhelmed by the divinelight, which guides and instructs me. In it all is perceived without error and without any deviousness ;I seemy insignificance and I am made aware of the emptiness of words and the insufficiency of human terms fordoing justice to my concepts of this sacrament, whichcomprehends at one and the same time God himself andthe greatest and most wonderful work of his Omnipotence. I see in this mystery the divine and admirableharmony of his infinite providence and wisdom, withwhich from all eternity He has ordained and prearrangedit, and by which He directed all creation toward its fulfillment. All his works and all his creatures were onlywell adjusted means of advancing toward this apex ofhis aims, the condescension of a God in assuming humannature.124. I saw that the eternal Word had awaited andchosen, as the most opportune time and hour for his100

THE INCARNATION 101descent from the bosom of the Father, the midnight ofmortal perversion (Wis. 18, 14), when the whole posterity of Adam was buried and absorbed in the sleep offorgetfulness and ignorance of their true God, and whenthere was no one to open his mouth in confessing andblessing Him, except some chosen souls among hispeople. All the rest of the world was lost in silent darkness, having passed a protracted night of five thousandand about two hundred years. Age had succeeded age,and generations followed upon generations, each one inthe time predestined and decreed by the eternal Wisdom,each also having an opportunity to know and find Him,its Creator; for all had Him so nigh to them, that Hegave them life, movement and existence within their ownselves (Acts 17, 28). But as the clear day of his inaccessible light had not arrived, though some of the mortals, like the blind, came nigh to Him and touched Himin his creatures, yet they did not attain to the Divinity(Rom. 1, 23) and in failing to recognize Him, they castthemselves upon the sensible and most vile things of theearth.125. The day then had arrived in which the MostHigh, setting aside the long ages of this dark ignorance,resolved to manifest Himself to men and begin the Redemption of the human race by assumingintheir naturethe womb of most holy Mary, now prepared for thisevent. In order to be able to describe what was revealedconcerning this event to me, it is necessary to make mention of some hidden sacraments connected with the descent of the Onlybegotten from the bosom of the Father. I assume as firmly established what the holy faithteaches in regard to the divine Persons, that althoughthere is a real personal distinction between the three Persons, yet there is no inequality in wisdom, omnipotence or

102 CITY OF GODother attributes, just as little as there is in the divineand innature; and just as They are equal in dignityfinite perfection, so They are also equal in these operations ad extra, which proceed from God himself for theproduction of some creature or temporal object. Theseoperations are indivisibly wrought by three divine Persons; for not one Person alone produces them, but allThree in so far as They are one and the same God, possessing one and the same wisdom, one and the sameunderstanding and will. Thus what the Son knows andwishes, that also the Father knows and wishes; and soalso the Holy Ghost knows and wishes whatever isknown and willed by the Father and the Son.126. In this indivisibility of action the three Personswrought and executed, by one and the same act, the mystery of the Incarnation, although only the person of theSon accepted for Himself the nature of man, unitingitto Himself hypostatically. Therefore we say that theSon was sent by the eternal Father, from whose intelligence He proceeds, and that the Father sent Him by theintervening operations of the Holy Ghost As it wasthe Person of the Son which came to be made man, thissame Person before descending from the heavens andthe bosom of the Father, in the name of that same humanity to be received by Him, made a conditional request, that, on account of his foreseen merits, his salvation and satisfaction of the divine justice for sins be extended to the whole human race. He desired the fiat orratification of the most blessed will of the Father, whosent Him, for the acceptance of this Redemption bymeans of his most holy works and his passion, andthrough the mysteries, which He was to enact in thenew Church and in the law of grace.127. The eternal Father accepted this petition and the

THE INCARNATION 103foreseen merits of the Word; He conceded all that wasproposed and asked for the mortals, and He himselfconfirmed the elect and predestined souls as the inheritance and possession of Christ forever. Hence, Christhimself, our Lord, through saint John says that He hasnot lost nor has allowed to perish, those whom theFather had given him (John 18, 9). In another placeitis said : that no one shall snatch his sheep from his handsnor from those of his Father (John 17, 12). The samewould hold good of all those that are born, if they wouldavail themselves of the Redemption, which, as itis sufficient, should also be efficacious for all and in all; sincehis divine mercy desired to exclude no one, if onlythem would make themselves capable of receiving itsbenefits through the Redeemer.all of128. All this, according to our way of understanding,happened in heaven at the throne of the most blessedTrinity as a prelude to the fiat of the most holy Mary, ofwhich I will presently speak. At the moment, in whichthe Onlybegotten of the Father descended to her virginalwomb, all the heavens and the creatures were set in commotion. On account of the inseparable union of the divine Persons, the Three of Them descended with theWord, though the Word alone was to become incarnate.And with the Lord their God, all the hosts of the celestial army, issued from heaven, full of invincible strengthand splendor. Althoughit was not necessary to prepare the way, since the Divinity fills the universe, ispresent in all places and cannot be impeded by anything;nevertheless all the eleven material heavens showeddeference to their Creator, and, together with the inferior elements, opened up and parted as it were,for hispassage; the stars shone with greater brilliancy, themoon and sun with the planets hastened their course in

104 CITY OF GODthe service of their Maker, anxious to witness the greatest of his wonderful works.129. Mortals did not perceive this commotion and renewal of all the creatures ;both because ithappened during the night, as well as because the Lord wished it tobe known only to the angels. These with new wonderpraised Him, knowing these profound and venerablemysteries to be hidden from men. For they knew thatmen were far removed from understanding thesewonderful benefits, so admirable even in the eyes of angelicspirits. To these angelic spirits alone was at that timeassigned the duty of giving glory, praise and reverencefor these benefits to their Maker. However, in thehearts of some of the just the Most High infused at thathour a new feeling and affection of extraordinary joyof which they became conscious. They conceived newand grand ideas concerning the Lord; some of themwere inspired and began to confer within themselves,whether this new sensation, which they felt, was not theeffect of the coming of the Messias in order to redeemthe world ;but all this remained concealed, for each onethought, that he alone had experienced this renewal ofhis interior.130. In the other creatures there was a like renovationand change. The birds moved about with new songsand joyousness; the plants and trees gave forth morefruit and fragrance; and in like proportionall the restof the creatures received and felt some kind of vivifyingchange. But among those that received the greatestshare, were the Fathers and Saints in limbo, whither thearchangel Michael was sent with the glad message, inorder to console them and cause in them the fullnessof jubilee and praise. Only for hell it was a cause ofnew consternation and grief; for at the descent of the

THE INCARNATION 105eternal Word from on high, the demons felt an impetuous force of the divine power, which came upon themlike the waves of the sea and buried all of them in thedeepest caverns of their darkness without leaving themany strength of resistance or recovery. When by divinepermission they were again able to rise, they pouredforth upon the world and hastened about to discoverwhat strange happening had thus undone them. However, although they held several conferences among themselves, they were unable to find the cause.The divine Power concealed from them the sacrament of the Incarnation and the manner in which mostholy Mary conceived the incarnate Word (No. 326).Not until the death of Christ on the cross did they arriveat the certainty, that He was God and true man, as weshall there relate.131. In order that the mystery of the Most Highmight be fulfilled, the holy archangel Gabriel, in theshape described in the preceding chapter and accompanied by innumerable angels in visible human formsand resplendent with incomparable beauty, entered intothe chamber, where most holy Mary was praying. Itwas on a Thursday at six o clock in the evening and atthe approach of night. The great modesty and restraintof the Princess of heaven did not permit Her to look athim more than was necessary to recognize him as anangel of the Lord. Recognizing him as such, She, inher usual humility, wished to do him reverence; the holyprince would not allow it; on the contrary he himselfbowed profoundly as before his Queen and Mistress, inwhom. he adored the heavenly mysteries of his Creator.At the same time he understood that from that day onthe ancient times and the custom of old whereby menshould worship angels, as Abraham had done (Gen. 28,

106 CITY OF GOD2), were changed. For as human nature was raised tothe dignity of God himself in the person of the Word,men now held the position of adopted children, of companions and brethren of the angels, as the angel said toEvangelist Saint John, when he refused to be worshipped (Apoc. 19, 10).132. The holy archangel saluted our and his Queenand said: "Avegratia plena, Dominus tecum, benedictatu in mulieribus" (Luke 1, 28). Hearing this new salutation of the angel, this most humble of all creatureswas disturbed, but not confused in mind (Luke 1, 29).This disturbance arose from two causes :first, from herhumility, for She thought Herself the lowest of the creatures and thus in her humility, was taken unawares athearing Herself saluted and called the "Blessed amongwomen;" secondly, when She heard this salute and began to consider within Herself how She should receiveit, She was interiorly made to understand by the Lord,that He chose Her for his Mother, and this caused a stillgreater perturbance, having such an humble opinion ofHerself. On account of this perturbance the angel proceeded to explain to Her the decree of the Lord, saying :"Do not fear, Mary, for thou hast found grace beforethe Lord (Luke 1, 30) ; behold thou shalt conceive aSon in thy womb, and thou shalt give birth to Him, andthou shalt name Him Jesus; He shall be great, and Heshall be called Son of the Most High,"and the rest asrecorded of the holy archangel.133. Our most prudent and humble Queen alone,among all the creatures, was sufficiently intelligent andmagnanimous to estimate at its true value such a newand unheard of sacrament; and in proportion as Sherealized its greatness, so She was also moved with admiration. But She raised her humble heart to the Lord,

THE INCARNATION 107who could not refuse Her any petition,and in the secretof her spirit She asked new light and assistance by whichto govern Herself in such an arduous transaction; for,as we have said in the preceding chapter, the Most High,in order to permit Her to act in this mystery solely infaith, hope and charity,and suspendedallleft Her in the common stateother kinds of favors and interior elevations, which She so frequently or continually enjoyed.In this disposition She replied and said to holy Gabriel,what is written in saint Luke: "How shall this happen,that I conceive and bear; since I know not, nor canknow, man ?" At the same time She interiorly representedto the Lord the vow of chastity, which She had madeand the espousal, which his Majesty had celebrated withHer.134. The holy prince Gabriel replied (Luke 1, 24) :"Lady,it is easy for the divine power to make Thee aMother without the co-operation of man ;the Holy Spiritshall remain with Thee by a new presence and the virtueof the Most High shall overshadow Thee, so that theHoly of holies can be born of Thee, who shall himselfbe called the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth has likewise conceived a son in her sterile yearsand this is the sixth month of her conception for noth;ing is impossible with God. He that can make her conceive, who was sterile, can bringit about, that Thou,Lady, be his Mother, stillpreserving thy virginity andenhancing thy purity. To the Son whom Thou shaltbear, God will give the throne of his father David andhis reign shall be everlasting in the house of Jacob. Thouart not ignorant, O Lady, of the prophecy of Isaias (Is.7, 14), that a Virgin shall conceive and shall bear a son,whose name shall be Emmanuel, God with us. Thisprophecy is infallible and it shall be fulfilled in thy per-

108 CITY OF GODSOIL Thou knowest also of the great mystery of thebush, which Moses saw burning without its being consumed by the fire (Exod. 3, 2). This signified that thetwo natures, divine and human, are to be united in sucha manner, that the latter is not consumed by the divine,and that the Mother of the Messias shall conceive andgive birth without violation of her virginal purity. Remember also, Lady, the promise of the eternal God tothe Patriarch Abraham, that, after the captivity of hisposterity for four generations, they should return tothis land; the mysterious signification of which was, thatin this, the fourth generation,* the incarnate God is torescue the whole race of Adam through thy co-operationfrom the oppression of the devil (Gen. 15, 16). Andthe ladder, which Jacob saw in his sleep (Gen. 28, 12),was an express figure of the royal way, which the eternalwhich the mortals are toWord was to open up and byascend to heaven and the angels to descend to earth.To this earth the Onlybegotten of the Father shall lowerHimself in order to converse with men and communicateto them the treasures of his Divinity, imparting to themhis virtues and his immutable and eternal perfections."135. With these and many other words the ambassador of heaven instructed the most holy Mary, in orderthat, by the remembrance of the ancient promises andprophecies of holy Writ, by the reliance and trust inthem and in the infinite power of the Most High, Shemight overcome her hesitancy at the heavenly message.But as the Lady herself exceeded the angels in wisdom,prudence and in all sanctity, She withheld her answer,*In the autograph manuscript Mary of Agreda explains this fourth generation as follows:"The mystery of this fourth generation is that there are four generations:ist, that of Adam without a father or mother; 2nd, that of Eve without a mother;3rd, of our own, from a father and mother; 4th, that of our Lord Jesus Christ,from a Mother without a father."

in order to be able to giveTHE INCARNATION 109it in accordance with thedivine will and that itmight be worthy of the greatestof all the mysteries and sacraments of the divine power.She reflectedthat upon her answer depended the pledgeof the most blessed Trinity, the fulfillment of his promises and prophecies, the most pleasing and acceptable ofall sacrifices, the opening of the gates of paradise, thevictory and triumph over hell, the Redemption of all thehuman race, the satisfaction of the divine justice, thefoundation of the new law of grace, the glorification ofmen, the rejoicing of the angels, and whatever was connected with the Incarnation of the Onlybegotten of theFather and his assuming the form of servant in hervirginal womb (Philip 2, 7).136. A great wonder, indeed, and worthy of our admiration, that all these mysteries and whatever othersthey included, should be intrusted by the Almighty toan humble Maiden and made dependent upon her fiat.But befittingly and securely He left them to the wise andstrong decision of this courageous Woman (Prov. 31,11), since She would consider them with such magnanimity and nobility, that perforce his confidence in Herwas not misplaced. The operations, which proceedwithin the divine Essence, depend not on the co-operation of creatures, for they have no part in them and Godcould not expect such co-operations for executing theworks ad intra; but in the works ad extra and such aswere contingent, among which that of becoming manwas the most exalted, He could not proceed without theco-operation of most holy Mary and without her freeconsent. For He wished to reach this acme of all theworks outside Himself in Her and through Her and Hewished that we should owe this benefit to this Mother ofwisdom and our Reparatrix.2-9

110 CITY OF GOD137. Therefore this great Lady considered and inspected profoundly this spacious field of the dignity ofMother of God (Prov. 21, 11) in order to purchase itby her fiat; She clothed Herself in fortitude more thanhuman, and She tasted and saw how profitable was thisenterprise and commerce with the Divinity. She comprehended the ways of his hidden benevolence andadorned Herself with fortitude and beauty. And having conferred with Herself and with the heavenly messenger Gabriel about the grandeur of these high anddivine sacraments, and finding Herself in excellent condition to receive the message sent to Her, her purestsoul was absorbed and elevated in admiration, reverenceand highest intensity of divine love. By the intensity ofthese movements and supernal affections, her most pureheart, as it were by natural consequence, was contractedand compressed with such force, that it distilled threedrops of her most pure blood, and these, finding theirway to the natural place for the act of conception, wereformed by the power of the divine and holy Spirit, intothe body of Christ our Lord. Thus the matter, fromwhich the most holy humanity of the Word for our Redemption is composed, was furnished and administeredby the most pure heart of Mary and through the sheerforce of her true love. At the same moment, with ahumility never sufficiently to be extolled, incliningslightly her head and joining her hands, She pronounced these words, which were the beginning of oursalvation: "Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum"(Luke1,31).138. At the pronouncing of this "fiat,"so sweet tothe hearing of God and so fortunate for us, in one instant, four things happened. First, the most holy bodyof Christ our Lord was formed from the three drops of

THE INCARNATION 111blood furnished by the heart of most holy Mary.Secondly, the most holy soul of the same Lord was created,just as the other souls. Thirdly, the soul and the bodyunited in order to compose his perfect humanity.Fourthly, the Divinity united Itself in the Person of theWord with the humanity, which together became onecomposite being in hypostatical union and thus was;formed Christ true God and Man, our Lord and Redeemer. This happened in springtime on the twentyfifthof March, at break or dawning of the day, in thesame hour, in which our first father Adam was madeand in the year of the creation of the world 5199,which agrees also with the count of the Roman Churchin her Martyrology under the guidance of the HolyGhost. This reckoningis the true and certain one, aswas told me, when I inquired at command of my superiors. Conformable to this the world was created in themonth of March, which corresponds to the beginning ofcreation. And as the works of the Most High are perfect and complete (Deut. 32, 4), the plants and treescome forth from the hands of his Majesty bearing fruit,and they would have borne them continually without intermission, if sin had not changed the whole nature, asI will expressly relate in another treatise,if it is the willof the Lord; now however I will not detain myselftherewith, since it does not pertain to our subject.139. In the same instant, in which the Almighty celebrated the nuptials of the hypostatic union in the wombof most holy Mary, the heavenly Lady was elevated tothe beatific vision and the Divinity manifested Itself toHer clearly and intuitively. She saw most high sacraments, of which I will speak in the next chapter. Themysteries of the inscriptions, with which She wasadorned and which the angels exhibited as related in the

112 CITY OF GODseventh chapter (No. 82, also Part I, 207, 363-4), weremade clear to Her each in particular. The divine Childbegan to growin the natural manner in the recess ofthe womb, being nourished by the substance and theblood of its most holy Mother, just as other men; yetit was more free and exempt from the imperfections, towhich other children of Adam are subject in that placeFor from some of these, namely those thatand period.are accidental and unnecessary to the substance of the actof generation, being merely effects of sin, the Empress ofheaven was free. She was also free from the superfluities caused by sin, which in other women are common andhappen naturally in the formation, sustenance andgrowth of their children. For the necessary matter,which is proper to the infected nature of the descendants of Eve and which was wanting in Her, was supplied and administered in Her by the exercise of heroicacts of virtue and especially by charity. By the fervorof her soul and her loving affections the blood and humors of her body were changed and thereby divineProvidence provided for the sustenance of the divineof ourChild. Thus in a natural manner the humanityRedeemer was nourished, while his Divinity was recreated and pleased with her heroic virtues. Most holyMary furnished to the Holy Ghost, for the formation ofthis body, pure and limpid blood, free from sin and allits tendencies. And whatever impure and imperfectmatter is supplied by other mothers for the growth oftheir children was administered by the Queen of heavenmost pure and delicate in substance. For it was builtup and supplied by the power of her loving affectionsand her other virtues. In a like manner was purifiedwhatever served as food for the heavenly Queen. For,as She knew that her nourishment was at the same time

THE INCARNATION 113to sustain and nourish the Son of God, She partook of itwith such heroic acts of virtue, that the angelic spiritswondered how such common human actions could beconnected with such supernal heights of merit and perfection in the sight of God.140. The heavenly Lady was thus established in suchhigh privileges in her position as Mother of God, thatthose which I have already mentioned and which I shallyet mention, convey not even the smallest idea of herexcellence, and my tongue cannot describe it. For,neither is it possible to conceive it by the understanding,nor can the most learned, nor the most wise of menfind adequate terms to express The it. humble, who areproficient in the art of divine love, become aware of itby infused light and by the interior taste and feeling, bywhich such sacraments are perceived. Not only wasmost holy Mary become a heaven, a temple and dwellingplace of the most holy Trinity, transformed thereto, elevated and made godlike by the special and unheard ofoperation of the Divinity in her most pure womb; buther humble cottage and her poor little oratory was consecrated by the Divinity as a new sanctuary of God. Theheavenly spirits, who as witnesses of this marveloustransformation were present to contemplate it, magnified the Almighty with ineffable praise and jubilee; inunion with this most happy Mother, they blessed Him inhis name and in the name of the human race, which wasignorant of this the greatestof his benefits and mercies.INSTRUCTION OF THE MOST HOLY QUEEN MARY.141. My daughter, thou art filled with astonishmentat seeing, by means of new light, the mystery of thehumiliation of the Divinity in uniting Himself with the

114 CITY OF GODhuman nature inthe womb of a poormaiden such as Iwas. I wish, however, my dearest, that thou turn thyattention toward thyself and consider, how God humiliated Himself, and came into my womb, not only for myself alone, but for thee as well. The Lord is infinite inhis mercy and his love has no limit, and thus He attends and esteems and assists everysoul who receivesHim, and He rejoices in it, as if He had created it alone,and as if He had been made man for it alone. Therefore with all the affection of thy soul thou must, as itwere, consider thyself as being thyself in person boundto render the full measure of thanks of all the worldfor his coming; and for his coming to redeem Andall.if,with a lively faith thou art convinced and confessest,that the same God who, infinite in his attributes andeternal in his majesty, lowered Himself to assumehuman flesh in my womb, seeks also thee, calls thee, rejoices thee, caresses thee, and thinks of thee alone, as ifthou wert his only creature (Gal. 2, 20) think well and;reflect to what his admirable condescension obliges thee.Convert this admiration into living acts of faith andlove; for, that He condescends to come to thee, thouowest entirely to the goodness of the King and Savior,since thou thyself couldst never find Him nor attainHim.142. Considering merely that which this Lord cangive thee outside of Himself, it will appear to theegrand, even when thou perceivestitonly by a merehuman intelligence and affection. It is certainly true thatany gift from such an eminent and supreme King isworthy of all estimation. But when thou beginst toconsider and know by divine light, that this gift is GodHimself and that He makes Thee partaker of his Divinity, when thou wilt understand, that without thy God

THE INCARNATION 115and without his coming,ing and despicable in thy sight; thou wouldst want toenjoy thyself and find rest only in the consciousness ofall creation would be as nothpossessing such a God, so loving, so amiable, so powerful, sweet and affluent ; who, being such a great and infinite God, humiliates Himself to thy lowliness in orderto raise thee from the dust and enrich thy poverty, performing toward thee the duties of a Shepherd, of aFather, a Spouse and most faithful Friend.143. Attend, therefore, my daughter, in the secret ofthy heart to all the consequences of these truths. Ponderand confer within thyself about this sweetest love of thein his gifts andgreat King for thee; how faithful He iscaresses, in his favors, in the works confided to thee, inthe enlightenment of thy interior, instructing thee bydivine science in the infinite greatness of his Being, inhis admirable works and most hidden mysteries, in universal truth and in the nothingness of visible existence.This science is the first beginning and principle, thebasis and foundation of the knowledge which I havegiven thee in order that thou mayest attain to the decorum and magnanimity, with which thou art to treatthe favors and benefits of this thy Lord and God, thytrue blessedness, thy treasure, thy light and thy Guide.Look upon Him as upon the infinite God, loving, yetterrible.Listen, my dearest, to my words, to my teachings and discipline, for therein are contained the peace andthe enlightenment of thy soul.

CHAPTER XII.OF THE FIRST ACTS OF THE MOST HOLY SOUL OF CHRISTOUR LORD IN THE FIRST INSTANT OF HIS CONCEPTIONAND OF THE CORRESPONDING ACTS OF HIS MOST PUREMOTHER.144. In order to understand what were the first actsof the most holy Soul of Christ our Lord, we must referto that which has been said in the preceding chapter(No. 138), namely, that all that substantially belongedto this divine mystery, the formation of the body, thecreation and the infusion of the soul, and the union ofthe individual humanity with the person of the Word,happened and was completed in one act or instant; sothat we cannot say that in any moment of time Christour highest Good was only man. For from the first instant He was man and true God ;as soon as his humanity arrived at being man, He was also God; thereforeHe could not at any time be called a mere man, not forone instant; but from the very beginning He was Godmanor Mangod. And as the active exercise of thefaculties is co-existent with operative essences, thereforethe most holy soul of Christ our Lord, in the same instant in which the Incarnation took place, was beatifiedby intuitive vision and love. According to our way ofspeaking, the powers of his intellect and will immediatelyunited with the Divinity itself. For his human essencejoined the Divinity in one instant by hypostatic union,and thus his human faculties in their most perfect activity were united with the essence of God himself, so116

THE INCARNATION 117that both in essence and in operation He was entirelydeified.145. The wonder about this sacrament is that somuch glory, yea, the greatness of the immense Divinity,was enclosed within such a small compass, not largerthan the body of a bee, or not greater than a small almond. For the dimension of the most holy body ofChrist was not any greater than that at the instant whenthe conception and hypostatic union took place.Moreover in this small compass was included the highestglory as well as the capability for suffering; for the humanity was at the same time glorified and also passible,it was both a Comprehensor and a Viator, possessingheaven though yet on his pilgrimage to heaven. God, however, in his infinite power and wisdom, could thus contractHimself and enclose his infinite Deity within the sphereof a body thus minute by a new and admirable mode ofexistence, without in the least ceasing to be God. By thesame Omnipotence He provided that this most holy soulof Christ, in its superiorfaculties and in its most nobleoperations, should be in the state of glory and enjoyingbeatitude; while all this immense glory was at the sametime compressed, as it were, into the superior parts ofhis soul, suspending the effects and gifts of glory, thatwould otherwise naturally have communicated themselves to his body. On this account He could be at thesame time a viator, subject to suffering, enabling Him toprocure our salvation by means of his Cross, Passionand Death.146. In order to be fully equipped for these and forwhatever the most holy humanity was to perform, allthe habits, natural to his faculties and necessary for theiractivity and operation both as Comprehensor and asViator, were infused into it at the moment of his con-

118 CITY OF GODception. Thus He was furnished with the infusedscience of the blessed; with the sanctifying grace andthe gifts of the Holy Ghost, which according to Isaiasrested upon the Christ (Is. 11, 2). He possessedall thevirtues, except faith and hope; for these are incompatible with the beatific vision and possession, and werewanting in Him; likewise were wanting in the Holy ofthe holy ones, all other virtues, which presuppose anyimperfection; since He could not sin, nor was deceitfound in his mouth (I Pet. 2, 22). The dignity and excellence of his science and grace, the virtues and perfections of Christ our Lord need not be mentioned here,for that is taught by the sacred doctors and masters oftheology in a profuse manner. For me it is sufficient tostate that all this was as perfect as was possible to thedivine power and that it cannot be encompassed by human understanding. For the most holy soul of Christdrank from the very fountain of the Divinity (Ps.35, 10) and could do so without limit or retrenchment,as David says (Ps. 109, 7). Therefore He must havebeen possessed of the plenitude of all virtues and perfections.and its147. Thus adorned and deified by the Divinitythe most holy soul of Christ our Lord proceededgifts,in its operations in the following order: immediately itbegan to see and know the Divinity intuitively as It isin Itself and as It is united to his most holy humanity,loving It with the highest beatific love and perceivingthe inferiority of the human nature in comparison withthe essence of God. The soul of Christ humiliated itself profoundly, and in this humility it gave thanks tothe immutable being of God for having created it andfor the benefit of the hypostatic union, by which, thoughremaining human, it was raised to the essence of God.

THE INCARNATION 119It also recognized that his most holy humanity wasmade capable of suffering, and was adapted for attainingthe end of the Redemption. In this knowledgeit offered itself as the Redeemer in sacrifice for the humanrace (Ps. 39, 8), accepting the state of suffering andgiving thanks in his own name and in the name of mankind to the eternal Father. He recognized the composition of his most holy humanity, the substance of whichit was made, and how most holy Mary by the force ofher charity and of her heroic virtues, furnished its substance. He took possession of this holy tabernacle anddwelling; rejoicing in its most exquisite beauty, and,well pleased, reserved as his own property the soul ofthis most perfect and most pure Creature for all eternity.He praised the eternal Father for having created Herand endowed Her with such vast graces and gifts; forhaving exempted Her and freed Her from the commonlaw of sin, as his Daughter, while all the other descendants of Adam have incurred its guilt (Rom. 5, 18).He prayed for the most pure Lady and for saint Joseph,asking eternal salvation for them. All these acts, andmany others, were most exalted and proceeded fromHim as true God and Man. Not taking into accountthose that pertain to the beatific vision and love, theseacts and each one by itself, were of such merit that theyalone would have sufficed to redeem infinite worlds, ifsuch could exist.148. Even the act of obedience alone, by which themost holy humanity of the Word subjected itself to suffering and prevented the glory of his soul from beingcommunicated to his body, was abundantly sufficient forour salvation. But although this sufficed for our salvation, nothing would satisfy his immense love for menexcept the full limit of effective love (John 13, 1) ;for

120 CITY OF GODthis was the purpose of his life,that He should consumeit in demonstrations and tokens of such intense love,that neither the understanding of men nor of angels wasable to comprehendentrance into the world He enriched it so immeasurably, what treasures, what riches of merits must Hehave stored up for it, when He left itby his Passion andDeath on the cross after thirty-three years of labor andit. And if in the first instant of hisactivity all divine! O immense love! O charity withoutlimit ! O mercy without measure ! O most generous kindness! and, on the other hand, O ingratitude and baseforgetfulness of mortals in the face of such unheard ofand such vast benefaction! What would have becomeof us without Him? How much less could we do for thisour Redeemer and Lord, even if He had conferred onus but small favors, while now we are scarcely movedand obliged by his doing for us all that He could? Ifwe do not wish to treat as a Redeemer Him, who hasgiven us eternal life and liberty, let us at least hear Himas our Teacher, let us follow Him as our Leader, as ourguiding light, which shows us the way to our true happiness.149. This Lord and Master did not work for Himself,nor did He preempt his soul, nor gain this augmentationof grace, for Himself, but entirely for us. He had noneed of all this, nor could He receive an increase ofgrace or glory, since He was filled with them (John 1,14), as saint John says; for He was the Onlybegottenof the Father at the same time that He was man. Inthis He had no equal, nor could He have an imitator.All the saints and mere creatures gainedmerits forthemselves and labored for reward; the love of Christalone was without self interest and altogether for us.And if He wished to enter and go through the school

THE INCARNATION 121of bodily experience of this life (Luke 2, 52),it wasin order to teach us and enrich us by his obedience (Heb.5, 8), while He turned over to us his infinite merits andhis example, in order that we might be wisely instructed1in the art of loving. For this is not learned perfectly byaffection and desire, unless it is truly and effectivelypracticed in deeds. I do not enlarge upon the mysteriesof the most holy life of Christ our Lord, on account ofmy incapacity, and I refer to the Gospels, selecting onlythat which will seem necessary for the heavenly historyof his Mother, our Lady. For the lives of this Son andhis most holy Mother are so intimately connected andintertwined with each other, that Icannot avoid makingreferences to the Gospels and besides add other facts,which are not mentioned by them concerning the Lordand which were not necessary in their narratives forages of the Catholic Church.150. These operations of Christ our Lord in the firstthe firstinstant of his conception were followed, in another essential instant, by the beatific vision of the Divinity,which we have mentioned in the preceding chapter (No.139) for in;one instant of time many instants of essencecan take place. In this vision the heavenly Lady perceived with clearness and distinction the mystery of thehypostatic union of the divine and the human natures inthe person of the eternal Word, and the most holyTrinity confirmed Her in the title and the rights ofMother of God. This in all rigor of truth She was,since She was the natural Mother of a Son, who waseternal God with the same certainty and truth as He wasman. Although this great Lady did not directly cooperate in the union of the Divinity with the humanity,She did not on this account lose her right to be calledthe Mother of the true God; for She concurred bv ad-

122 CITY OF GODministering the material and by exerting her faculties,as far as itpertained to a true Mother and to a ; greaterextent than to ordinary mothers, since in Her the conception and the generation took place without the aidof a man. Just as in other generations the agents,which bring them about in the natural course, are calledfather and mother, each furnishing that which isnecessary, without however concurring directly in the creation of the soul, nor in its infusion into the body of thechild; so also, and with greater reason, most holy Marymust be called, and did call Herself, Mother of God;for She alone concurred in the generation of Christ,true God and Man, as a Mother, to the exclusion of anyother natural cause; and only through this concurrenceof Mary in the generation, Christ, the Man-God, wasborn.151. The Virgin Mother of Christ also understood inthis. vision the future mysteries of the life and death ofher sweetest Son and of the Redemption of the humanrace, together with those of the new law of the Gospel,which was to be established in connection therewith.Her were also manifested other great and profoundsecrets, which were made known to none other of thesaints. The most prudent Queen, seeing Herself thusin the immediate presence of the Deity and furnishedwith the plenitude of divine gifts and science as becamethe Mother of the Word, lost in humility and love,adored the Lord in his infinite essence, and without delay also in its union with the most holy humanity. Shegave Him thanks for having favored Her with the dignity of Mother of God and for the favors done to thewhole human race. She gave thanks and glory also forall the mortals. She offered Herself as an acceptablesacrifice in his service, in the rearing up and nourishingTo

THE INCARNATION 123of her sweetest Son, ready to assist and co-operate(as far as on her part it would be possible), in the workof the Redemption; and the holy Trinity accepted andappointed Her as the Coadjutrix in this sacrament. Sheasked for new graces and divine light for this purposeand for directing Herself in the worthy ministration ofHer office as Mother of the incarnate Word, that Shemight treat Him with the veneration and magnanimitydue to God himself. She offered to her holiest Son allthe children of Adam yet to be born and the saints oflimbo; and in the name of all and of Herself She performed many acts of heroic virtue and asked for greatfavors, which however I will not stop to mention, as Ihave already done in regard to others on different occasions. For from these it can easily be conjectured whatpetitions this heavenly Queen made on this occasion,which so far excelled all the other fortunate and happydays of her previous life.152. But She was especially persistent and ferventin her prayer to obtain guidance of the Almighty forthe worthy fulfillment of her office as Mother of theOnlybegotten of the Father. For this, before all othergraces, Her humble heart urged Her to desire, and thiswas especially the subject of her solicitude, that Shemight be guided in all her actions as becomes the Motherof God. The Almighty answered Her :"My Dove, donot fear, for I will assist thee and guide thee, directingthee in all things necessary for the service of my onlybegottenWith Son." this promise She came to Herselfand issued from her ecstasy, in which all that I havesaid had happened, and which was the most wonderfulShe ever had. Restored to her faculties, her first actionwas to prostrate Herself on the earth and adore herholiest Son, God and Man, conceived in her virginal

124 CITY OF GODwomb; for this She had not yet done with her externaland bodily senses and faculties. Nothing that She coulddo in the service of her Creator, did this most prudentMother leave undone. From that time on She was conscious of feeling new and divine effects in her holiestsoul and in her exterior and interior faculties. Andalthough the whole tenor of her life had been mostnoble both as regards her body as her soul; yet on thisday of the incarnation of the Word it rose to still greaternobility of spirit and was made more godlike by stillhigher reaches of grace and indescribable gifts.153. But let no one think that the purest Mother wasthus favored and so closely united with the humanityand Divinity of her holiest Son, only in order to continue to enjoy spiritual delights and pleasures, free fromsuffering and pain. Not so, for in closest possible imitation of her sweetest Son, this Lady lived to shareboth joy and sorrow with Him; the memory of -whatShe had so vividly been taught concerning the laborsand the death of her holiest Son, was like a swordpiercing her heart. This sorrow was proportionate tothe knowledge and love, which such a Mother had ofsuch a Son, and which his presence and intercourse socontinually recalled to her mind. Although the wholelife of Christ and of his most holy Mother was a continued martyrdom and suffering like that of the cross,and was filled with incessant pain and labors; yet inthe most pure and loving heart of theheavenly Queenthere was also this special feature of suffering, that toher inward sight as a most loving Mother, the passion,torments, ignominies and death of her Son were forever present. And by this continued sorrow of thirty-of ourthree years She took upon Herself the long vigilRedemption and during all this time this sacrament was

THE INCARNATION 125concealed in her bosom without companionshipation from any creatures.or allevi154. With this loving sorrow, full of the sweetest anguish, She often looked upon her holiest Son both before and after his birth, and speaking to Him from herinnermost heart, She would repeat these words: "Lordand God of my soul, most sweet Son of my womb, whyhast Thou given me the position as Mother and yetconnected with it the sorrowful thought of losing Thee,leaving me an orphan, bereft of thy desirable company?Scarcely art Thou put in possession of a body for thyearthly life, when Thou art notified of the sentence ofa sorrowful death for the rescue of men. The first ofthy actions is one of superabundant merit in satisfactionfor his sins. O would that the justice of the eternalFather were thereby satisfied and thy sufferings anddeath fallupon me! From my body and blood Thouhast composed thine own, without which it would notbe possible for Thee to suffer, since Thou art the immutable and immortal God. If therefore I have furnished Thee the instrument or the matter of thy sufferlet me too suffer with Thee the same death. Oings,inhuman sin, how, being so cruel and the cause of somuch evil, couldst thou nevertheless be so fortunate,that thy Repairer should be One, who on account of hisinfinite Goodness, can make thee a "happyfault!" Omy sweetest Son and my love, who shall be thy guard,who shall defend Thee from thy enemies? O wouldthat it were the will of the Father, that Iguard Theeand save Thee from death, or die in thy company, andthat Thou never leave mine! But that which happenedto the patriarch Abraham, shall not now take place(Gen. 22, 11) ;for the predestined decree shall be executed. Let the will of the Lord be fulfilled." These2-10

126 CITY OF GODloving sighs were many times repeated by our Queen, asI shall say farther on, and the eternal Father acceptedthem as an agreeable sacrifice, while they were the sweetest diversion of her most holy Son.INSTRUCTION WHICH OUR QUEEN AND LADY GAVE ME.155. My daughter, since thou hast, by faith and divinelight, arrived at a knowledge of the grandeur of Godand of his ineffable condescension in coming down fromheaven for thee and for all the mortals, let not thisbenefit be for the idle and fruitless. Adore the essenceof God with profound reverence, and praise Him forwhat thou knowest of his goodness. Receive not lightand grace in vain (II Cor. 6, 1) ;and study the encouraging example given by my most holy Son and myselfin imitation of Him, as thou hast come to be instructedin it; for as He was the true God, and I his Mother(for in so far as He was man his most holy humanitywas created), let us humiliate ourselves in the remembrance of our lowly human nature and confess the greatness of the Divinity, greater than any creature can comprehend. Do this especially when thou receivest thesame Lord in the holy Sacrament. In this admirableSacrament my most holy Son with Divinity and humanitycomes to thee and remains with thee in a new and incomprehensible way. His great condescension is manifest,though it is little taken notice of and respected bymortals, nor does it find the return due to such love.156. Let then thy acknowledgment be accompaniedwith as much humility, reverence and worship as ispossible to thy combined powers and faculties for ; thoughthey be exerted to the utmost limit, they will alwaysfall short of what thou owest to God and of what He

THE INCARNATION 127deserves. And in order that thou mayest as far aspossible make up for thy deficiencies, offer up that, whichmy most holy Son and I have done; unite thy spirit andthy affections in union with the Church triumphant andlife as a sacrificemilitant, offering at the same time thyand praying that all nations may know, confess and adoretheir true God who became man for all. Thank Him forthe benefits, which He has conferred and confers on all,whether they know Him or not, whether they confessor repudiate Him. Above all I ask of thee, my dearest,to do that which is most acceptable to the Lord and mostpleasing to me that thou; grieve, and in sweet affectionmourn over the gross ignorance and dangerous tardinessof the sons of men; over the ingratitude also of thechildren of the Church, who, having received the lightof the divine faith, yet live in such interior forgetfulnessof the works and benefits of the Incarnation, yea, of Godhimself, and so much so, that they seem to differ frominfidels only in some ceremonies and exterior worship.They perform these without spirit or heartiness, manytimes offending and provoking the divine justice whichthey should placate.157. Through this ignorance and torpidityithappensthat they are not prepared to receive and acquire thetrue science of the Most High. They bring upon themselves the loss of the divine light and they deserve tobe left in the heavy darkness, making themselves moreunworthy than the infidels themselves and entailing uponthemselves an incomparably greater chastisement. Mourn,over such great damage of thy neighbors and pray forhelp from the bottom of thy heart. And in order thatthou mayest put away from thy own self such formidabledangers, do not undervalue the favors and benefits,which thou receivest, nor, even under pretense of humil-

128 CITY OF GODRemember and consider howof the MostHigh has made in order to call thee (Ps. 18, 7). Ponder in thy mind, how it has waited upon thee and conity, belittle or forget them.distant was the journey, which the gracesoled thee, assured thee in thy doubts, quietedthee inthy fears, ignored and pardoned thy faults, multipliedfavors, caresses and blessings. I assure thee, my daughter, that thou must confess in thy heart, that the MostHigh has not done such things with any other generation; thou of thyself canst do nothing; thou art poorand more useless than others. Let then thy thanks begreaterthan that of allthe creatures.

CHAPTER XIII.AN EXPLANATION OF THE STATE IN WHICH MOST HOLYMARY FOUND HERSELF AFTER THE INCARNATION OFTHE DIVINE WORD IN HER VIRGINAL WOMB.158. The deeper I beginto understand the divine effects and conditions which were caused by the conception of the eternal Word in the Queen of heaven, themore am I involved in the difficulties of describing thisevent. For I find myself immersed in exalted and complicated mysteries, while my intellect and my power ofexpression are entirely insufficient for encompassing whatis presented to me. Nevertheless my soul experiencessuch great sweetness and such delight in spite of thisdeficiency, that I cannot bring myself to repent entirelyof my undertaking at the same time obedience animatesme ;and also compels me to overcome the hardships,which in a weak and womanly mind would be insuperable, if the assurance and encouragement coming fromthis source would not assist me. This is true especiallyof this chapter, in which I am to treat of the gifts ofglory enjoyed by the blessed in heaven. Taking theirprerogatives as models I will try to describe the state ofthe heavenly Empress Mary after becoming the Motherof God.159. For this purpose I will speak of the blessed fromtwo points of view :of their own perfection and of theirrelation to God. As regards the latter, the Divinity ismade clear and manifest to them with all its perfectionsand attributes. This is called the object of their beati-129

130 CITY OF GODtude, their glory, the substantial joy, the ultimateend, wherein the whole creature finds its adequate endand rest. On the part of the saints there are the beatificoperations of vision and love, and of others necessarilyconnected with that most happy state, which neither thenor ears have heard, nor can enter intoeyes have seen,the thoughts of men (Is. 64, 4; I Cor. 2, 29). Amongthe gifts and prerogatives of this glory of the saints,some are calledendowments freely given as to a spouseentering upon the spiritual matrimony, which is consummated in the joys of the eternal felicity. Just asthe earthly spouse acquires possession and dominion ofher endowments and enjoys in common with her husband the use of them, so also in glory these gifts aremade to the saints as their own, while their use is common both to them, in as far as they themselves rejoicein them, and to God,in as far as He is glorifiedin themby the saints. And these ineffable gifts are more orless excellent according to the merits and the dignities ofeach. But they are not given to those, who are not of thesame nature as the Spouse, namely Christ our Lord;hence only to men, not to angels. For the incarnateWord has not entered into any espousals with the angels,(Heb. 2,16) as He has done with men, by uniting Himself with them in that great sacrament mentioned by theApostle, (Eph. 5, 32), in Christ and in the Church. Since,however, the Bridegroom Christ, as man, is composedof body and soul, just like the rest of men, thereforeboth body and soul are to be glorifiedin his presenceand the gifts of glory are both for the body and thesoul. Three of these gifts pertain to the soul and theyare called vision, comprehension and fruition; and fourpertain to the body: clearness, impassibility, subtility

THE INCARNATION 131and agility, and these are properly the effects of intuitivevision overflowing from the glory of the soul.160. In all these gifts our Queen Mary participatedto a certain extent already in this life; especially afterthe Incarnation of the Word in her virginal womb. Itis true that these gifts are given to the saints as comprehensors,being pledges and dowries of the eternal andimperishable felicity, and as it were securities forthe unchangeableness of their state. On that accountthey are not conferred upon those still on the way toheaven. But upon holy Mary these gifts were conferredas a viator; hence not as on a comprehensor, not permanently, but from time to time and step by step, andwith a certain difference, as we shall explain. In orderthat the appropriateness of this rare blessing in thesovereign Queen may be the better understood, let that,which I have said in the seventh and following chaptersbefore the Incarnation, be remembered; for there thepreparation and espousal with which the Most Highfavored his most blessed Mother in accordance withher dignity, are explained. On the day in which thedivine Lord assumed human nature in her virginal womb,this spiritual marriage, as far as the heavenly Lady isconcerned, was consummated by that most exalted andexquisite beatific vision, which, as we have said, wasthen vouchsafed to Her. But for the other faithful theIncarnation was as it were an espousal, which is to beconsummated in their heavenly fatherland (Osea 2, 19).161. Our great Queen possessed another prerequisitefor these privileges: She was exempt from all stain oforiginal and actual sin and was confirmed in grace byactual impeccability. Thus She was capable of celebrating this marriage in the name of the Church militantand to make promises in the name of all its members

132 CITY OF GOD(Eph. 5, 32) ; for in this matter, as She was the Motherof the Savior, his foreseen merits found their application through Her. By her transient vision of the gloryof the Divinity, She became the accepted surety for allthe children of Adam, that this same reward will notbe denied to any of those, who shall use the grace oftheir Redeemer to merit it. The divine incarnate Wordthat his most burncertainly was highly pleased to find,ing love and his infinite merits should immediately bearfruit in Her, who at the same time was his Mother, hisfirstSpouse and the bridal chamber of his Divinity;and that his rewards should fallupon One, in whomthere was no hindrance. By conferring these privilegesand favors upon his most holy Mother, Christ our Salvation, indulged and partly satiated his love for Her andin Her, for all the mortals too ; long a delay did it seemto the divine love, to wait thirty-three years until Heshould manifest his Divinitythough He had shown Her this favor at other times,as related in the first part (No. 382, 429), yet on thisto his own Mother. Aloccasion of his Incarnation He did it in a more excellent manner; one which corresponded with the glory,of his most holy soul. However, all this in Her wasnot permanent, but renewed from moment to momentwith the flow of time, in as far as was compatible withthe ordinary state of pilgrimage.162. Conformably to this, God, on the day in whichmost holy Mary assumed the position of Mother of theeternal Word by conceiving Him in Her womb, investedus with a right to our Redemption, founded upon theespousal of the human nature with Himself. In theconsummation of this spiritual marriage by the beatification of the most holy Mary and the conferring uponHer the gifts of glory, the same reward was also prom-

THE INCARNATION 133of itised to us, if we should make ourselves worthythrough the merits of his most holy Son, our Redeemer.But so far did the Lord raise his Mother above all theglory of the saints in the blessings of this day, that allthe angels and men, even in their highest reaches ofbeatific vision and love, cannot attain to that which theheavenly Queen then attained; the same must also besaid of the gifts of glory, which overflowed from thesoul to her body ; for all of them corresponded with herinnocence, holiness and merits, and these again correspond with that highest of all dignities possible to a creature: that of being the Mother of her Creator.163. Coming now to these gifts in particular, the firstgift to her soul was the clear and beatific vision, whichcorresponds to the obscure knowledge of faith in theviators. This vision was given to the most holy Maryat the times and in the manner already explained andto be explained later. Besides these intuitive visions,She had many other abstractive ones of the Divinity,of the kind mentioned above. Althoughall these weretransient, yet they left in her mind most exquisite andvarious images furnishing Her with such a clear andthat no words canexalted knowledge of the Divinity,be found to express it.In this our Lady was singularlyprivileged before all other creatures, and thus She possessed the permanent effects of the gifts of glory as faras compatible with her position as viator. When attimes the Lord hid himself from Her, suspending theuse of these images for certain high ends, She made useof infused faith, which in Her was superexcellent andmost efficacious. In such manner, one way or the other,her soul never lost sight of that divine Object, nor wandered from It even for a moment. However, duringthe nine months in which She bore in her -womb the

134 CITY OF GODincarnate Word, She enjoyed even greater visions aridgifts of the Divinity.164. The second of these gifts iscomprehension, possession or apprehension. This consists in the attainmentof the end, corresponding to the virtue of hope, wherebywe seek after the final Object in order to possess Itwithout danger of ever losing It. This possession andcomprehension in most holy Mary corresponded to thevisions mentioned ;because seeing the Divinity, She possessed It. Whenever She depended on faith alone, hopewas in Her more firm and secure than in any othercreature ;and more than this ; for, as the security ofpossession in the creature is founded to a great extentupon sanctity and impeccability, our heavenly Lady onthis account was so privileged, that the firmness andsecurity of her possession of God, although She was apilgrim, equaled in certain respects the firmness andsecurity of the blessed. For on account of her stainlessand unimpeachable sanctity She was assured of neverlosing God; although the cause of this security in Heras Viatrix was not the same as in the glorified saints.During the months of her pregnancy She enjoyed thispossession of God in various ways by special and wonderful graces, through which the Most High manifestedHimself and united Himself to her most pure Soul.165. The third gift is fruition, which corresponds tocharity, since charity does not cease but is perfected inglory (I Cor. 13, 8) ;for fruition consists in loving thehighest Good possessed by us. This is the charity ofheaven, that, just as God is known and possessed as Heisin Himself, so also He is loved for his own sake. True,even now, while we are yet viators, we love Him for hisown sake ;but there is a great difference. Now we lovehim in desire and we know Him not as He is in Himself,

THE INCARNATION 135but as He is represented to us by incongruous imagesor by enigmas (I Cor. 13, 12; John 3, 2) ; therefore ourlove is not perfected, nor do we rest in it, or find theplenitude of delight therein, though there is much to incite us. But in the clear vision and possession we shallsee Him as He is in Himself and we shall see Himthrough Himself, not through enigmas thus we shall;love Him as He should be loved and as far as we canlove Him respectively; our love will be perfected andthe fruition of Him will be satiated, without leaving anythingto be desired.166. Most holy Mary participated in this fruition moreabundantly than in any other; for even though her mostardent love might, in a certain respect, have been inferiorto that of the blessed whenever She was without theclear vision of the Divinity, yetit was superior in manyother points of excellence, even while remaining in thelower state. No one ever possessed the divine sciencein the same degree as this Lady, and byit She understood how God is to be loved for Himself. This sciencewas perfected by the memory of what She had seen andenjoyed higher in degree than the angels. And as herlove was nourished by this knowledge of God, it necessarilyexceeded that of the blessed in all that did notpertain to immediate fruition and unchangeableness asto increase or augmentation. On account of her profound humility the Lord condescended to an arrangement, whereby She could act as a Viatrix remainingin a holy fear of displeasing her Beloved. This burninglove was of the most perfect kind and tended entirely toward God himself; it caused in Her ineffable joy anddelight, proportioned to the excellence of her love.167. In regard to the gifts of the body, redoundingfrom the gifts of glory, and other gifts of the soul con-

136 CITY OF GODstituting the accidental part of the glory of the blessed,I will say, that they serve for the perfection of theglorious bodies in the activity of their senses and motivepowers. By them the bodies are assimilated to the souland throw off the impediments of their earthly grossness,enabling them to obey the wishes of the souls,which in that most happy state cannot be imperfect oropposed to the will of God. The senses require two gifts:one to refine the reception of sensible images, and thisis perfected by the gift of clearness the; other, to repelall activity or passivity hurtful and destructive of thebody, and this is done by the gift of impassibility. Twoother gifts are required in order to perfect the powerof motion: one, in order to overcome the resistance orimpediment of gravity, furnished by the gift of agility;the other, in order to overcome the resistance of otherbodies, furnished by the gift of subtlety. With thesegifts the body becomes glorious, clear, incorruptible,agile and subtle.168. In all these privileges our great Queen and Ladyparticipated during her mortal life. The gift of clearness disposes the body to receive the light and at thesame time to give it forth, doing away with earthlyopaqueness and obscurity and making it more transparentthan clearest crystal. Whenever most holy Mary enjoyedthe clear and beatific vision, her virginal body participated in this privilege in a measure beyondall humancalculation. The after-effects of this purity and clearness would have been most wonderful and astounding,if they could have been made perceptible to the senses.Sometimes they were noticeable in her most beautiful face,as I will say later on, especially in the third part; yetthey were not known or perceived by all who conversedwith Her, for the Lord interposed a curtain or veil, in

THE INCARNATION 137order that they might not always or indiscriminately bemanifested. But in many respects She herself enjoyedthe advantages of this gift, though it was disguised, suspended or hidden to the gaze of others ;She for instancewas not inconvenienced by earthly opaqueness, as therest of men.169. Saint Elisabeth perceived something of this clearness, when at the sight of Mary she exclaimed: "Andwhence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord shouldcome to me ?"(Luke 1, 43) The world was not . capableof perceiving this sacrament of the King (Tob. 12, 7),nor was itopportune to manifest it at that time. Yet toa certain extent her face was always more bright andlustrous than that of other creatures. Also in other respects it exhibited qualities altogether above the naturalorder of other bodies, which produced in Her a mostdelicate and spiritualized complexion, like that of ananimated crystal. This presented to the touch not theasperity natural to the flesh, but the softness as it wereof the purest and the finest silk, so that I cannot findany other comparison to make myself understood. Yetall this should not appear strange in the Mother of God;for She bore Him in her womb and She had seen Himoften, even face to face. For the Israelites could not lookupon Moses face to face, nor bear the splendor, whichshone forth from him after his communication with theLord upon the mountain (Exod. 34, 29), thoughit wasmuch inferior to that vouchsafed to most holy Mary.There is no doubt, that if God had not by a special providence withheld and hidden the splendor in reality due tothe countenance and the body of his most pure Mother,it would have brightened the world more than a thousandsuns combined. None of the mortals could, by naturalpower, have sustained its brilliancy; since, even thus

138 CITY OF GODrestrained and concealed,them the same effects, which saint Dionysius the Areopagiteexperienced in looking upon Her and which hedescribes in his letter to Paul.it was sufficient to cause in170. Impassibility produces in the glorified body sucha condition, that no agent, except God himself, can byany activity or influence, change or disturb it, no matterhow powerful this activity may be. Our Queen participated in this gift in two ways : first, in regard to thetemperament and humors of the body. She possessedthese in such a delicate measure and proportion, that Shecould not contract or suffer any infirmities, nor wasShe subject to .any other human hardships which arisefrom the inequality of the four humors, being in thisregard as it were almost impassible. Secondly, in regard to the dominion and commanding power, whichShe had over all the creatures, as mentioned above,(No. 13, 18, 43, 56, 60) for none of them had; power toact contrary to her will and consent. We can add stillanother participation of impassibility: the assistance ofthe divine power in proportionto her innocence. For,it is said, that the first parents in paradiseifcould notsuffer a violent death as long as they persevered in original justice, it must not be understood to mean that theyenjoyed this privilege by intrinsic or inherent powers(for if a lance would have wounded them they coulddie), but they enjoyed itthrough the assistance ofthe Lord, who would always prevent them from beingwounded. If then the first parents possessed this privilege and could transmit it to their descendants as theirservants and vassals, it was due, by a much better title,to the innocence of the sovereign Mary; and so in truthwas She endowed with it.171. Our most humble Queenmade no use of these

THE INCARNATION 139for She renounced them in imitation of herprivileges,most holy Son and in order to labor and gain meritsfor our benefit; in spite of them She wished to sufferand She really suffered more than the martyrs. Humanintellect cannot weigh correctly the greatness of theselabors. We shall speak of them throughout this heavenlyhistory, leaving much more untold, for common languageand words cannot encompass them. But I must advertto two things:first, that the sufferings of our Queenbore no relation to any sins of her own, for She hadnone to atone for; and therefore She suffered none ofthe bitterness, which is mixed with pains endured inthe memory and consciousness of our own guilt of sinscommitted. Secondly that in her sufferings She was:sustained in accordance with the ardors of herdivinelylove, for She could not naturally endure so much sufferings, as her love called for, or as much as, on account of this very love, the Lord allowed Her to endure.172. Subtility is a gift, which takes away from theglorified body the density or grossness natural to quantitative matter and which enables it to penetrate otherbodies and to occupy the same place with them. Thesubtilized bodies of the blessed therefore are endowedwith qualities peculiar to the spirit and can withoutdifficulty penetrate the quantitative matter of otherbodies. Without dividing or separating them it canoccupy the same place. Thus our Lord s body, comingforth from the grave (Matth. 28, 2) and entering theclosed doors (John 20, 19), penetrated the material enclosing these places. Most holy Mary participated inthis gift not only while She enjoyed the beatific visions,but also otherwise according to her will and desire, ashappened many times in her life in her bodily appearances to some persons, of which we shall yet relate;

140 CITY OF GODfor in all these She made use of her gift of subtletypenetrating other bodies.173. The last gift of the body enables the glorifiedand withoutbody to move from place to place instantly the impediment of terrene gravity, in the manner of purespirits, which move by their own volition. Mary mostholy possessed a continual and wonderful participationin this agility, especially as a direct result of the divinevisions. She did not feel in her body the force of weightand gravity; therefore She could walk without feelingthe inconvenience usual to that kind of exercise ; She couldmove about with instantaneous speed, without feeling anyshock or fatigue as we would feel. All this belongednaturally to the quality and condition of her body, sospiritualized and well-formed. During the time of herpregnancy She felt even less the weight of her body;although, in order to bear her share of labors, She allowed hardships to produce their effect. She was so admirable and perfect in the possession and use of theseprivileges, that I find myself wanting in words to express all that has been made manifest to me concerningthem; for it exceeds all that I have said or am able tosay.174. Queen of heaven and my Mistress, since Thouhast condescended to adopt me as thy daughter, thyword will remain a pledge, that Thou wilt be my Guideand Teacher. Relying on this promise I presume topropose a difficulty, in which I find myself How does : itcome, my Mother and Lady, that thy most blessed soul,after it had enjoyed the clear intuition of God according to the disposition of his Majesty,did not remain inthe state of blessedness? And why can we not say,thnt Thou didst remain in this state of beatitude, sincethere was no sin nor anyother obstacle to this state

THE INCARNATION 141in Thee, according- to the dignity and sanctity revealedto me by the supernatural light?ANSWER AND EXPLANATION OF OUR QUEEN AND LADY.175. My dearest daughter, thou doubtest as one thatloves me and askest as one not knowing. Consider then,that the perpetuity and durability of blessedness andfelicity is destined for the saints, since their happiness isto be entirely perfect; if it would last only for sometime, it would be wanting in the completeness and adequacy necessary for constituting it as the highest andmost perfect happiness. At the same time it is incompatible with the common law and ordinary course, thatthe creature be glorified and at the same time be subjectto sufferings, even thoughit be without sin. If this lawdid not hold good with my most holy Son (John 1, 18),it was became He was at the same time God and manand it was not befitting that his most holy soul, beinghypostatically united with the Divinity, should be without the beatific vision ;and as He was at the same timeRedeemer of the human race, He could not suffer norpay the debt of sin, that is pain, if He had not possesseda body capable of suffering. But I was a mere creature,and therefore I could have no claim to the vision, whichto Him was due as a God. Moreover I could not besaid to have permanently enjoyed the state of blessedness,because it was conceded to me from one time to another.Under these conditions I was capable of suffering at onetime and enjoying blessedness at another; moreover itwas more usual for me to suffer and to gain merits, thanto be blessed, since I belonged to the viators and not tothe comprehensors.176. Justly the Most High has ordained, that the2-11

142 CITY OF GODblessedness of eternal life should not be enjoyed in thismortal existence (Exod. 33, 20), and that immortalityshould be reached by passing through existence in a mortal body and by gaining merits in a state of suffering,such as is the present life of men (Rom. 6, 23). Although death in all the sons of Adam was the stipendand punishment of sin (Rom. 6, 23), and thereforedeath and allthe other effects and chastisements had norights in me, who had not sinned; yet the Most Highordained, that I also, in imitation of my most holySon, should enter into felicity and eternal life by the deathof the body (Luke 24, 26). There was nothing incongruous in this for me, but it afforded me many advantages, allowing me to follow the royal way of allmen and gain many merits and great glory by sufferingand dying. Another advantage resulted therefrom formen, for they saw that my most holy Son and I myself,who was his Mother, were truly human as they themselves, since we proved to them our mortality. Therebythe example, which we left them became much moreefficacious and they would be induced to imitate thelife,which we led and which redounded so much to theand exaltation of my Son and Lord, andgreater gloryof myself. All this would have come to nought,if thevisions of the Divinity had been continuous in me. However, after I conceived the eternal Word, the benefitsand favors were more frequent and greater, since I wasthen brought into close connection with Him. This ismy answer to thy questions. No matter how much thouhast meditated and labored in manifesting the privilegesand their effects enjoyed by me in mortal life, thouwilt never be able to comprehend all that the powerfularm of the Omnipotent wrought in me. And much less

THE INCARNATION 143canst thou describe in human words what thou hast understood.177. Now attend to the instruction, which I will givethee regarding the preceding chapters. If I was themodel to be imitated in the way I responded to thecoming of God into the soul and into the world by showing due reverence, worship, humility, and thankful love,it follows, that if thou, (and in the same way the restof the souls), art solicitous in imitating me, the MostHigh will come and produce the same effects in theeas in myself; though they may be not so great andefficacious. For if the creature, as soon as it obtains theuse of reason, begins to advance toward the Lord as itshould, directing its footsteps in the pathof life and salvation, his Most High Majesty will issue forth to meet it,(Wis. 6, 15), being beforehand with his favors andcommunications; for to Him it seems a long time towait for the end of the pilgrimage in order to manifestHimself to his friends.178. Thus ithappens, that by means of faith, hopeand charity, and by the worthy reception of the Sacraments, many divine effects, wrought by his condescension, are communicated to the souls. Some are communicated according to the ordinary course of grace andothers according to a more supernatural and wonderfulorder; and each one will be more or less conformableto the disposition of the soul and to the ends intendedby the Lord, which are not known at present. And ifthe souls do not place any obstacle on their part, Hewill be just as liberal with them as with those who dispose themselves, giving them greater light and knowledgeof his immutable being, and by a divine and exceedinglysweet infusion of grace, transforming them into a likeness of Himself and communicating to them many of

144 CITY OF GODthe privileges of the beatified. For after He is foundHe allows Himself to be taken possession of and enjoyedby that hidden embrace, which the Spouse felt, whenShe said: "I will hold Him and not dismiss Him"(Cant. 3, 4). Of this possession and of his presence theLord himself will give many token and pledges, in orderthat the soul may possess Him in peace likethe blessed,although always only for a limited time. So liberal asthis will God, our Master and Lord, be in rewarding theobjects of his love for the labors accepted by them forhis sake and fearlessly undertaken to gain possession ofHim.179. In this sweet violence of love the creature beginsto withdraw from and die to all earthly things; andthat is why love is called strong as death. From thisdeath arises a new spiritual life, which makes the soulcapable of receiving new participations of the blessedand their gifts ;for itenjoys more frequently the overshadowing of the Most High and the fruits of the highest Good, which it loves. These mysterious influencescause a sort of overflow into the interior and animalparts of the creature, producing a certain transparencyand purifyingit from the effects of the spiritual darknesses; it makes it courageous and as it were indifferentto suffering, ready to meet and endure all that is adverseto the inclinations of the flesh. With a certain subtlethirst itbegins to seek after all the difficulty and violenceof heavenincident to the attainment of the kingdom(Matth. 11, 12); it becomes alert and unhindered byearthly grossness, so that many times the body itself begins to feel this lightness in regard to its own self; thelabors, which before seemed burdensome, become easy.Of all these effects thou hast knowledge and experience,

THE INCARNATION 145my daughter, and I have described and rehearsed themfor thee, in order that thou mayest dispose thyself andlabor so much the more earnestly; so that the divineactivity and power of the Most High, in working outhis pleasure in thee, may find thee well disposed and freefrom resistance and hindrance.

CHAPTER XIV.OF THE ATTENTION AND CARE, WHICH THE MOST HOLYMARY BESTOWED UPON THE FRUIT OF HER WOMB ANDSOME HAPPENINGS IN REGARD TO IT.180. As soon as our Lady and Queen issued from thein which She had conceived the eternal incarnatetrance,Word, She prostrated Herself upon the earth and adoredhave already said in the twelfthHim in her womb, as Ichapter (No. 152). This adoration She continued allher life, commencing it at midnight every day and repeating these genuflexions three hundred times, until thesame hour of the following night, and oftener, wheneverShe had opportunity in this;She was even more diligentduring the nine months of her divine pregnancy. Inorder to comply entirely with the new duties consequentupon the guarding of this Treasure of the eternal Fatherin the virginal bridal chamber, She directed all her attention toward frequent and fervent prayer. She wassolicitous in sending up many and reiterated petitions tobe able worthily to preserve the heavenly Treasure confided to Her. Accordingly She dedicated anew to theLord her soul and all her faculties, practicing all virtuesin a heroic and supreme degree, so that She caused newastonishment in the angels. She also consecrated andoffered up all the motions of her body to the worshipand service of the infant Godman within Her. WhetherShe ate, slept, labored or rested, She did it all for thenourishment and conservation of her sweetest Son, and146

THE INCARNATION 147in all these actions She was inflamed more and morewith divine love.181. On the day following the Incarnation, the thousand guardian angels which attended upon most holyMary, appeared in corporeal form and with profoundhumility adored their incarnate King in the womb ofthe Mother. Her also they acknowledged anew as theirQueen and Mistress and rendered Her due homage andreverence, saying: "Now, O Lady, Thou art the trueArk of the testament (Deut. 10, 5), since Thou containestthe Lawgiver himself and preservest the Manna ofheaven (Heg. 9, 4), which is our true bread. Receive,O Queen, our congratulations on account of thy dignityand happiness, for which we also thank the Most High;since He has befittingly chosen Thee for his Mother andhis tabernacle. We offer anew to Thee our homageand service, and wish to obey Thee as vassals and servants of the supreme and omnipotent King, whose MotherThou art." These protestations and homages of theexcited in the Mother of wisdom incomholy angelsparable sentiments of humility, gratitude and love ofGod. For in this most prudent heart, where all thingswere weighed with the scales of the sanctuary according to their true value and weight, this reverence andacknowledgment of the angelic spirits proclaiming Heras their Queen, was held in high esteem. Although itwas a greater thing to see Herself the Mother of theKing and Lord of all creation, yet all her blessings anddignities were made more evident by these demonstrations and homages of the holy angels.182. The angels rendered this homage as executorsand ministers of the will of the Most High. When theirQueen and our Lady was alone, all of them attendedupon Her in corporeal fprm, and they assisted Her in

148 CITY OF GODher outward actions and occupations; and when Shewas engaged in manual labor, they administered to Herwhat was needed. Whenever She happened to eat alonein the absence of saint Joseph, they waited upon Herat her poor table and at her humble meals. Everywherethey followed Her and formed an escort, and helpedHer in the services rendered to saint Joseph. Amid allthese favors and obsequious attendance the heavenlyLady did not forget to ask permission from the Masterof masters for all her operations and undertakings andto implore his direction and assistance. So exact and sowell governed were all her exercises according to theplenitude of perfection, that the Lord alone could comprehend and properly weigh them.183. Besides the ordinary guidance during the timein which She carried in her most holy womb the incarnate Word, She felt his divine presenceways,all admirable and most sweet. Sometimes Heshowed Himself to Her by abstractive vision, as mentioned above. At other times She saw and beheld Himin diverseas He was now present in the virginal temple, unitedwith the human nature. At other timeshypostaticallythe most holy humanity was manifested to Her, as if ina crystalline monstrance, composed of her own maternalwomb and purest body; this kind of vision affordedspecial consolation and delight to the great Queen. Atother times She perceived how the glory of his most holysoul overflowed into the body of the divine Child, communicating to It some of the effects of its own blessedness and glory and how the clarity and light of the naturalbody of her Son passed over in a wonderfully sweetineffable and divine manner into Herself as Mother. Thisfavor transformed Her entirely into another kind ofbeing, inflaming her heart and causingin Her such

THE INCARNATION 149effects as no created capacity can explain. Let the intellect of the highest seraphim extend and dilate as muchas itmay,it would nevertheless find itself overwhelmedby this glory (Prov. 25, 27) for the entire ;being of theheavenly Queen was an intellectual and animated heaven,and in Her was summarized the divine glory and greatness, in a measure that even the vast confines of theheavens themselves could not encompass.184. These and other prerogatives alternated and succeeded each other in accordance with the exercises of thedivine Mother, and such variety as suited the differentkinds of work which She performed. All her doings,whether spiritual or manual or otherwise of the body,served her God or benefited her neighbors, being undertaken and accomplished by this prudent Maiden to produce a harmony admirable and most sweet before theLord, and wonderful to the angelic spirits. And when,by the disposition of the Most High, the Mistress of theworld returned to a more natural state, She sufferedmortal agony, caused by the force and violence of herlove ;for to Her could in truth be applied what Solomonsays in the name of the Spouse : "Stayme with flowers,compass me about with apples" (Cant. 2, 5) and thus;it would happen, that by the piercing wounds of thesesweet arrows of love She was brought near to the ending of her life. But in this necessity the powerful armof the Most High was wont to strengthen Her in a supernatural manner.185. Sometimes, in order to afford Her sensible relief,innumerable birds would come to visit Her by the comwere endowed with inmand of the Lord. As if theytellect, they would salute Her by their lively movements,and dividing into harmonious choirs, would furnish Herwith sweetest music, and they would wait for her bless-

150 CITY OF GODing before again dispersing. This happened in a specialmanner soon after She had conceived the divine Word,as if they wished to congratulate Her on her dignity inimitation of the angels. The Mistress of all creatureson that day spoke to the different kinds of birds andcommanded them to remain and praise with Her theCreator, in thanksgiving for the creation, and for theexistence and beauty given to them and to sing hispraises for their conservation. Immediately they obeyedHer as their Mistress and anew they began to formchoirs, singing in sweetest harmony and bowed low tothe ground to worship their Creator and honor theMother, who bore Him in her womb. They were accustomed to bring flowers to Her in their beaks and placethem into her hands, waiting until She should commandthem to sing or to be silent according to her wishes. Italso happened that in bad weather some birds wouldcome and seek the protection of the heavenly Lady, andShe took them in and nourished them, in her admirableinnocence glorifying the Creator of all things.186. And our weak ignorance must not be estrangedat these wonders, for, though the incidents might becalled small, the purposes of the Most High are greatand venerable in all his works; and also the works ofour most prudent Queen were great, no matter of whatkind they might have been. And who is so presumptuous as to ignore the importance of knowing how muchof God s essence and perfections are manifest in theexistence of all the creatures? How importantit is toseek Him and find Him, to bless Him and magnify Himin allhis creatures, as admirable, powerful, generous andholy? Why should it not be our duty to imitate Mary,who overlooked no time, place or occasion, to attain thisobject ? And how also shall our ungrateful forget fulness

THE INCARNATION 151not be confounded, and our hardness of heart not besoftened? How can our listless heart fail to be aroused,when we see ourselves reprehended and urged for veryshame to thankfulness by the irrational creatures ? Merelyfor the slight participation of the Divinity that consistsin bare existence, they proclaim his praises without inwhereas we men, who are made to the imageof knowtermission ;and likeness of God, furnished with the powersing*Him and enjoying Him eternally, forget Him sofar as not even to know Him, and instead of serving Him,offend Him! Thus it comes that in no wise can men bepreferred to the brute animals, since theyworse than the brutes (Ps. 48, 13).have becomeINSTRUCTION GIVEN BY OUR MOST HOLY QUEENAND LADY.187. My daughter, thou hast received my instructionuntil now in order to desire and strive after the heavenlyscience, which I wish thee so earnestly to acquire andwhich shall teach thee to understand profoundly, whatdecorous reverence is due to God. I remind thee oncemore, that this science isvery hard to learn and littlecoveted by men on account of their ignorance for; thence,to their great loss, it arises that, in conversing with theMost High or rendering Him service or worship, theyfail to form a worthy concept of his infinite greatness,and to free themselves from the darksome images oftheir earthly occupations, which make them torpid andcarnal, unworthy and unfit for the magnificent intercourse with the supernal Deity. And this ill-bredcoarseness entails another disorder: namely, that whenever they converse with their neighbors, they do it without order, measure or discretion, become entangled in

152 CITY OF GODtheir outward actions,and losing the memory and presence of their Creator in the excitement of their passions,are completely entangled in what is earthly.188. I desire therefore, my dearest, that thou fly fromthis danger and learn the science, of the immutable beingand infinite attributes of God. In such a way must thoustudy Him and unite thyself to Him, that no created beingwill come between thy soul and the true and highestGood. At all times and in all places, occupations andoperations thou must keep Him in sight, without releasing Him from the intimate embrace of thy heart(Cant. 3, 4). Therefore I command thee to treat Himwith a magnanimous heart, with decorum and reverence,with deepfelt fear of the soul. And whatever pertainsto his divine worship, I desire that thou handle withall attention and care. Above all in order to enter intohis presence by prayer and petitions, free thyself fromall sensible and earthly images. And since human frailtycannot always remain constant in the force of love, northe sweet violence of its movementsalways experienceon account of its earthly nature, thou shouldst seek otherassistance, such as will help thee toward the same endof finding thy God. Such help, for instance, is affordedby his praise in the beauty of the heavens and of thestars, in the variety of the plants, in the pleasant vistaof the fields, in the forces of the elements, and especiallyin the exalted nature of the angels and in the glory of hissaints.189. But bear continually in mind especially this particular caution, not to seek any earthly alleviation in anyevent or in any labor which thou art to undergo, nor toindulge in any diversion coming from human creatures;and especially not in those coming from men, for an account of thy naturally weak and yielding character, so

THE INCARNATION 153much adverse to giving pain, thou placest thyself in danger of exceeding and overstepping the limit of what isallowed or just, following, more than isproper for thereligious spouses of my most holy Son, thy sensible likings. The risks of this negligence all the human creatures incur; for if full reins are given to frail humannature, it will not give heed to reason, not to the truelight of the Spirit; but, forgetting them entirely, it willblindly follow the impulse of itspassions and pleasures.Against this general danger is provided the enclosure andretirement of the souls consecrated to my Son and Lord,and disin order to cut off the root of those unhappygraceful occasions for those religious, who would willingly seek them and entangle themselves in them. Thyrecreations, my dearest, and those of thy sister religious,must be free from such danger and deadly poison. Seekalways those, which thou shalt find in the secret of thybreast and in the chamber of thy Beloved, who is faithful in consoling the sorrowful and in assistingflicted.the af

CHAPTER XV.MOST HOLY MARY IS INFORMED OF THE WILL OF THELORD, THAT SHE VISIT HOLY ELISABETH ;SHE ASKSSAINT JOSEPH FOR PERMISSION TO GO, REMAININGSILENT ABOUT ALL THAT HAD HAPPENED TO HER.190. By the words of the heavenly messenger, thearchangel Gabriel, most holy Mary had been informed,that her cousin Elisabeth (who was held to be sterile)had conceived a son and that She was already in thesixth month of her pregnancy. Afterwards, in one ofthe intellectual visions, the Most High revealed to Her,that in a miraculous birth, Elisabeth would bring fortha son, who would be great before the Lord (Luke 1, 15) ;a Prophet and the Forerunner of the incarnate Word;also other great mysteries of the holiness and of the personality of saint John were revealed to Her. On thissame occasion and on others the heavenly Queen was informed, that it would be agreeable and pleasing to theLord, if She would visit her cousin, in order that aswell Elisabeth as also the child in her womb might besanctified by the presence of their Redeemer; for hisMajesty was anxious to communicate the benefits of hiscoming into the world and his merits to his Precursor,in order to make of him as it were the well seasonedfirst fruit of his Redemption.191. At the news of this sacramental mystery themost prudent Virgin, with admirable jubilee of spirit,rendered thanks to the Lord for such great condescensionand favor vouchsafed to the soul of the Precursor and154

THE INCARNATION 155Prophet and to his mother Elisabeth. Signifying herreadiness to fulfill the divine pleasure, She spoke to hisMajesty and said: "Most high Lord, beginning andcause of all good, let thy name be eternally glorified,acknowledged and praised byall the nations. I, theleast of thy creatures, give thee humble thanks for theliberal kindness, which thou wishest to show to thy servant Elisabeth and to the son of her womb. If it isaccording to the promptings of thy condescension, that Iserve thee in this work, I stand prepared, my Lord, toobey eagerly thy divine mandates." The Most Highanswered Her: "MyDove and my Beloved, elect amongcreatures, truly I say to thee, that on account of thy intercession and thy love I will, as a Father and mostliberalGod, take care of thy cousin Elisabeth and of theson, who is to be born of her: I will choose him as myProphet and as the Precursor of the Word, which ismade man in thee ;I will look upon them as belonging tothee and intimately connected with thyself. ThereforeI wish, that my and thy Onlybegotten go to see themother, in order to free the son from the chains of thefirst sin and in order that, before the common and ordinary time decreed for other men, his voice and praisemay sound up to my ears (Cant. 2, 14), and that themysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption may berevealed to his sanctified soul. Therefore I wish theeto visit Elisabeth; for We three Persons of the blessedTrinity have chosen her son for great deeds conformableto our pleasure."192. To this command of the Lord the most obedientMother responded: "Thou knowest, my Lord and God,that all the desires of my heart seek but thy divine pleasure and that I wish to fulfill diligently whatever Thoucommandest to thy humble servant. Allow me, my God,

156 CITY OF GODto ask permission from my husband Joseph and that Imake this journey according to his will and direction.And in order that I may not diverge from what is thypleasure, do Thou govern me during that journey in allmy actions, direct my footsteps to the greater glory ofthy name (Ps. 118, 113). Accept therefore the sacrifice, which I bring in going out in public and in leavingmy cherished retirement. I wish to offer more than mydesires, God and King of my soul, I hope to be made ableto suffer all that will conduce to thy greater service andpleasure purely for thy love, so that the longings of mysoul may not remain entirely unfulfilled."193. When our great Queen came out of this vision,She called upon the thousand angels of her guard, whoappeared to Her in bodily forms, and told them of thecommand of the Most High. She asked them to assistHer with careful solicitude in this journey, to teach Herhow to fulfill all the commands according to the greaterpleasure of the Lord, to defend Her and guard Herfrom dangers so that She might conduct Herself in allthings during that journey in the most perfect manner.The holy princes, with wonderful devotion, offered toobey and serve Her. In the same manner the Mistressof all prudence and humility was wont to act also onother occasions. For though She was Herself more wiseand more perfect in her deeds than the angels, yet because She was yet in the state of pilgrimage and endowedwith a nature lower than that of the angels, She wasalways solicitous to attain the plenitude of perfection byconsulting and asking for the aid of her guardian angels,though they were her inferiors in sanctity. Under theirdirection, as also by the promptings of the holy Spirit,all her human actions were well disposedand well ordered. The heavenly spirits obeyed Her with alacrity

THE INCARNATION 157and punctuality,due to their Queen and Lady. They held sweet intercourse and delightful colloquy with Her, and alternatelywith Her they sang highest songs of praise and adoration of the Most High. At other times they conversedsuch as was proper to their nature andabout the supernal mysteries of the incarnate Word, thehypostatic union, the sacrament of the Redemption, thetriumphs to be celebrated by Him, the fruits and blessingsacruing therefrom to mortals. It would necessitatelengthening out this work too much, if I were to writeall that has been revealed to me about these conversations.194. The humble Spouse proceeded immediately toask the consent of saint Joseph for executing the mandate of the Most High, and, in her consummate prudence,She said nothing of these happenings, but simply spoketo him these words : lord and spouse, by the divine"Mylight it was made known to me, that through condescension of the Most High the prayer of my cousin Elisabeth,the wife of Zacharias, has been heard ;she has conceiveda son, though she was sterile. Since she has obtainedthis singular blessing, I hope that through God s infinitebounty, her Son will greatly please and glorify the Lord.I think that on this occasion I am under obligation tovisit her and converse with her on certain things for herconsolation and spiritual encouragement. If this is according to thy liking, my master, I will performit withthy permission, for I am entirely subject to thy will andpleasure. Consider then what is best for me and command what I am to do."195. This prudent silence of the most holy Mary, sofull of humble subjection, was very agreeable to theLord; for She showed Herself thereby worthy and capable of receiving the deposit of the great sacraments2-12

158 CITY OF GODof the King (Tob. 12, 7). Therefore, and on accountof the confidence in his fidelity with which She proceeded,his Majesty disposed the most pure heart of saint Joseph,giving him his divine light to act conformably to his will.This is the reward of the humble, who ask for counsel :that they will find it with certainty and security (Eccli.32, 29). It is also the peculiar prerogative of a holyand discreet zeal to be able to give prudent advice tothose that ask. Full of this holy counsel saint Josephanswered our Queen : "Thou knowest already, my Ladyand Spouse, that my utmost desires are to serve Theewith all diligence and attention; for I am bound tohave this confidence in thy great virtue, that Thou wiltnot incline toward anything, which is not according tothe greater pleasure and glory of the Most High; andthis is my belief also in regard to this journey. Lestthy making this journey alone and without the companyof thy husband cause surprise I will gladly go with Theeand attend to thy wants on the way. Do Thou appointthe day on which we shall depart together."196. The most holy Mary thanked her prudent spouseJoseph for his loving solicitude and for his attentive cooperation with the will of God in whatever he knew tobe for his service and honor. They both concluded todepart immediately on their visit to the house of saintElisabeth (Luke 1, 39), and prepared without delaythe provisions, which consisted merely in a little fruit,bread and a few fishes, procured by saint Joseph. Inaddition to these he borrowed an humble beast of burden,in order to carry their provisions and his Spouse, theQueen of all creation. Forthwith they departed fromNazareth for Judea the journey itself I will describe in;the following chapter. On leaving their poor dwellingthe great Mistress of the world knelt at the feet of her

THE INCARNATION 159spouse Joseph and asked his blessing in order to beginthe journey in the name of the Lord. The saint wasabashed at the rare humility of his Spouse, with whichHe had already been impressed by experience on so manyother occasions. He hesitated giving Her his benediction ;but the meek and sweet persistence of the most holyMary overcame his objections and he blessed Her in thename of the Most High. The heavenly Lady raisedher eyes and her heart to God, in order to direct herfirst steps toward the fulfillment of the divine pleasureand willingly bearing along in her womb the Onlybegottenof the Father and her own, for the sanctificationof John in that of his mother Elisabeth.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE HEAVENLY QUEEN ANDLADY GAVE ME.times I have confidedand manifested to thee the love burning within mybosom : for I wish that it should be ardently re-enkindled197. My dearest daughter, manywithin thy own, and that thou profit from the instruction,which I give thee. Happy is the soul, to which the MostHigh manifests his holy and perfect will but more;happyand blessed is he, who puts into execution, what he haslearned. In many ways God shows to mortals the highways and pathways of eternal life: by the Gospels andthe holy Scriptures, by the Sacraments and the laws ofthe holy Church, by the writings and examples of thesaints, and especially, by the obedience due to the guidingsof its ministers, of whom his Majesty said : "Whoever hears you, hears for Me;" obeying them is thesame as obeying the Lord himself. Whenever by anyof these means thou hast come to the knowledge of thewill of God, I desire thee to assume the wings of humility

160 CITY OF GODand obedience, and, as if in ethereal flight or like thequickest sunbeam, hasten to execute it and thereby fulfill the divine pleasure.198. Besides these means of instruction, the MostHigh has still others in order to direct the soul ; namely,He intimates his perfect will to them in a supernaturalmanner, and reveals to them many sacraments. Thiskind of instruction is of many and different degrees ;notall of them are common or ordinary to all souls ;for theLord dispenses his light in measure and weight (Wis.11, 21). Sometimes He speaks to the heart and theinterior feelings in commands; at others, in correction,advising or instructing sometimes He moves the heart to:ask Him; at other times He proposes clearly what Hebe moved to fulfilldesires, in order that the soul mayit; again He manifests, as in a clear mirror, great mysteries, in order that they may be seen and recognized bythe intellect and loved by the will. But this great andinfinite Good is always sweet in commanding, powerfulin giving the necessary help for obedience, just in hiscommands, quick in disposing circumstances so that Hecan be obeyed, notwithstandingall the impedimentswhich hinder the fulfillment of his most holy will.199. In receiving this divine light, my daughter, Iwish to see thee very attentive, and very quick and diligent in following it up in deed. In order to hear thismost delicate and spiritual voice of the Lord it is necessary, that the faculties of the soul be purged from earthlygrossness and that the creature live entirely according tothe spirit ;for the animal man does not perceive the elevated things of the Divinity (I Cor. 2, 14). Be attentive then to his secrets (Is. 24, 16) and forget all thatis of the outside; listen, my daughter, and incline thyear; free thyself from all visible things (Ps. 44, 11).

THE INCARNATION 161And in order that thou mayest be diligent, cultivate love ;for love is a fire, which does not have its effect untilthe material isprepared; therefore let thy heart alwaysbe disposed and prepared. Whenever the Most High bidsthee or communicates to thee anything for the welfareof souls, or especially for their eternal salvation, devotethyself to it entirely; for they are boughtat the inestimable price of the blood of the Lamb and of divinelove.Do not allow thyself to be hindered in this matterby thy own lowliness and bashfulness; but overcome thefear which restrains thee, for if thou thyself art of smallvalue and usefulness, the Most High is rich (I Pet. 1,18), powerful, great, and by Himself performs all things(Rom. 10, 12). Thy promptness and affection will notgo without its reward, although I wish thee rather to bemoved entirely by the pleasure of thy Lord.

CHAPTER XVI.THE JOURNEY OF THE MOST HOLY MARY ON HER VISITTO SAINT ELISABETH AND HER ENTRANCE INTO THEHOUSE OF ZACHARIAS.200. "AndMary rising up in those days," says thesacred text, "went into the hill country with haste, intoa city of Judea" (Luke 1, 39). This rising up of ourheavenly Queen signified not only her exterior preparations and setting out from Nazareth on her journey, butit referred to the movement of her spirit and to the divineimpulse and command which directed Her to arise interiorly from the humble retirement, which She hadchosen in her humility. She arose as it were from thefeet of the Most High, whose will and pleasure Sheeagerly sought to fulfill, like the lowliest handmaid, whoaccording to the word of David (Ps. 122, 2) keeps hereyes fixed upon the hands of her Mistress, awaiting hercommands. Arising at the bidding of the Lord Shelovingly hastened to accomplish his most holy will, inprocuring without delay the sanctification of the Precursor of the incarnate Word, who was yet held prisonerin the womb of Elisabeth by the bonds of original sin.This was the purpose and object of this journey. Therefore the Princess of heaven arose and proceeded indiligent haste, as mentioned by the Evangelist saint Luke.201. Leaving behind then the house of her father andforgetting her people (Ps. 44, 11), the most chastespouses, Mary and Joseph, pursued their way to thehouse of Zacharias in mountainous Judea. It was twenty-162

THE INCARNATION 163six leagues distant from Nazareth, and the greater partof the way was very rough and broken, unfit for sucha delicate and tender Maiden. All the convenience atfor the arduous undertaking was an humtheir disposalble beast, on which She began and pursued her journey.Although it was intended solely for her comfort andservice, yet Mary, the most humble and unpretentious ofall creatures, many times dismounted and asked herspouse saint Joseph to share with Her this commodityof the way by making useand to lighten the difficultiesof the beast. Her discreet spouse never accepted thisoffer ;and in order to yield somewhat to the solicitationsof the heavenly Lady, he permitted her now and then towalk with him part of the way, whenever it seemed tohim that her delicate strength could sustain the exertionwithout too great fatigue. But soon he would again askHer, with great modesty and reverence, to accept of thisslight alleviation and the celestial Queen would then obeyand again proceed on her way seated in the saddle.202. Thus alleviating their fatigue by humble andcourteous contentions, the most holy Mary and saintJoseph continued on their journey, making good use ofeach single moment. They proceeded alone, without accompaniment of any human creatures; but all the thousand angels, which were set to guard the couch of Solomon, the most holy Mary, attended upon them (Cant.3, 7). Although the angels accompanied them in corporeal form, serving their great Queen and her mostholy Son in her womb, they were visible only to Mary.In the company of the angels and of saint Joseph, theMother of grace journeyed along, filling the fields andthe mountains with the sweetest fragrance of her presence and with the divine praises, in which She unceasingly occupied Herself. Sometimes She conversed with

164 CITY OF GODthe angels and, alternately with them, sang divine canticlesconcerning the different mysteries of the Divinity andthe works of Creation and of the Incarnation. Thusever anew the pure heart of the immaculate Lady wasinflamed by the ardors of divine love. In all this herspouse saint Joseph contributed his share by maintaininga discreet silence, and by allowing his beloved Spouse topursue the flights of her spirit; for, lost in highest contemplation, he was favored with some understanding ofwhat was passing within her soul.203. At other times the two would converse witheach other and speak about the salvation of souls andthe mercies of the Lord, of the coming of the Redeemer,of the prophecies given to the ancient Fathers concerningHim, and of other mysteries and sacraments of the MostHigh. Something happened on the way, which causedgreat wonder in her holy spouse Joseph: he loved hisSpouse most tenderly with a chaste and holy love, suchas had been ordained in Him by the special grace anddispensation of the divine love itself (Cant. 2, 4) ;inaddition to this privilege (which was certainly not a smallone) the saint was naturally of a most noble and courteous disposition, and his manners were most pleasingand charming; all this produced in him a most discreetand loving solicitude, which was yet increased by thegreat holiness, which he had seen from the beginningin his Spouse and which was ordained by heaven asthe immediate object of all his privileges. Thereforethe saintanxiously attended upon most holy Mary aridasked her many times, whether She was tired or fatigued,and in what he could serve Her on the journey. Butas the Queen of heaven already carried within thevirginal chamber the divine fire of the incarnate Word,holy Joseph, without fathoming the real cause, expe-

THE INCARNATION 165rienced in his soul new reactions, proceeding from thewords and conversations of his beloved Spouse. He felthimself so inflamed by divine love and imbued withsuch exalted knowledge of the mysteries touched uponin their conversations, that he was entirely renewed andspiritualized by this burning interior light. The fartherthey proceeded and the more they conversed about theseheavenly things, so much the stronger these affectionsgrew, and he became aware, that it was the words of hisSpouse, which thus filled his heart with love and inflamedhis will with divine ardor.204. So great were these new sensations, that theprudent Joseph could not help but pay the greatest attention to them. Although he knew that all this cameto him through the mediation of most holy Mary, andalthough it was a wonderful consolation to him, thatShe was the cause, he meditated upon it without curiosity,and, on account of his great modesty, he did not dare toask Her any questions. The Lord having ordained it thus,was not yet time, that he should know the sacrafor itment of the King, which was already completed in hervirginal womb. The heavenly Princess beheld the interior of her spouse, knowingall that passed withinhis soul ;and in her prudence She reflected how it wouldnaturally be unavoidable, that he should come to knowof her pregnancy; for there would be no possibility ofconcealing it from her most beloved and chaste spouse.The great Lady did not know at the time, how God wouldarrange this matter; yet, although She had not receivedany intimation or command to conceal this mystery, herheavenly prudence and discretion taught Her that itwould be proper to conceal it as a great sacrament, greaterthan all other mysteries. Therefore She keptit secret,saying not a word about it to her husband, neither after

166 CITY OF GODthe message of the angel, nor during this journey, norlater on,during the anxieties occasioned to saint Josephat becoming aware of her pregnancy.205. O admirable discretion and prudence more thanhuman! The great Queen resigned Herself entirely tothe divine Providence, hoping that God would arrangeall things; yet She felt anxiety and pain, at the thoughtof what her husband might think, and of her inabilityto do anything in order to dissipate his anxiety. Thisthe attentive careand service,anxiety was increased by lavished by him upon Her with so much love and affection;since his faithful services certainly deserved a corresponding return on her part as far as was prudentlypossible. Therefore, in loving solicitude and in pursuanceof her desires to solve this coming difficulty, She prayedto the Lord, asking Him to grant his divine assistanceand guidance to saint Joseph, when it should arrive. Inthis state of suspense, in which She found Herself, herHighness performed great and heroic acts of faith, hopeand charity, of prudence, humility, patience and fortitude,imbuing all her activity with the plenitude of holinessand reaching in all things the summit of perfection.206. This journey was the first pilgrimage begun bythe divine Word, four days after He had entered theworld; for his most ardent love would not suffer anylonger delay or procrastination in enkindling the fire,which He came to scatter in the world (Luke 12, 49),and in beginning his justification of mortals with hisPrecursor. This haste He communicated also to hisholy Mother, in order that She might arise without delay and fly on her visit to Elisabeth (Luke 1, 39). Themost heavenly Lady on this occasion served as the coachof the true Solomon ;but much more richly adorned andmore elegant, as Solomon himself infers in the canticles

THE INCARNATION 167(Cant. 3, 9). Therefore this journey was glorious andoccasioned great joy to the Onlybegotten of the Father.For He traveled at his ease in the virginal chamber of hisMother, enjoying the sweet tokens of her love. At thetime She alone was the archive of this Treasure, thesecretary of so great a sacrament, and She adored Him,blessed and admired Him, spoke and listened to Him,and answered Him; She reverenced Him and thankedHim for Herself and for all the human race, much morethan all the men and the angels together.207. In the course of the journey, which lasted fourdays, the two holy pilgrims, Mary and Joseph, exercisednot only the virtues which were interior and had Godother outwardfor their immediate object, but also manyacts of charity toward their neighbors for; Mary couldnot remain idle at the sight of want.Theydid not findthe same hospitable treatment at all the inns of the road ;for some of the innkeepers, being more rude, treated themwith slight consideration in accordance with their naturaldisposition; others received them with true love inspiredby divine grace. But the Mother of mercy denied to noone such help as She could administer; and therefore,whenever She could decently do so, She hastened to visitand hunt up the poor, infirm and afflicted, helping themand consoling them, and curing their sicknesses. I willnot stop to relate allthat happened on the way,but willwhomonly mention the good fortune of a poor sick girl,our great Queen found in passing through a town on thefirst day of her journey. She was moved to tenderestcompassion at the sight of her grievous illness ; and, making use of her power as Mistress of the creatures, Shecommanded the fever to leave the maiden and thehumors to recompose and reduce themselves to theirnatural state and condition. At this command and at

168 CITY OF GODthe sweet presence of the purest Mother, the sick maidenwas suddenly freed and healed from her pains of bodyand benefited in soul ;so that afterwards She lived moreand more perfectly and attained the state of sanctity;for the image of the Authoress of her happiness remained stamped within her memory and her heart wasenkindled with a great love toward the heavenly Lady,although She never again saw Her, nor was the miracleever made public.208. Having pursued their journey four days, themost holy Mary and her spouse arrived at the town ofJuda, where Zachary and Elisabeth then lived. Thiswas the special and proper name of the place, wherethe parents of saint John lived for a while, and therefore the Evangelist saint Luke specifies it, calling itJuda, although the commentators have commonly believed that this was not the name of the town in whichElisabeth and Zacharias lived, but simply the name ofthe province, which was called Juda or Judea; just asfor the same reason the mountains south of Jerusalemwere called the mountains of Judea. But it was expressly revealed to me that the town was called Judaand that the Evangelist calls it by its proper name; although the learned expositors have understood by thisname of Juda the province, in which that town was situated. This confusion arose from the fact that someyears after the death of Christ the town Juda was destroyed, and, as the commentators found no trace ofsuch a town, they inferred that saint Luke meant theprovince and not a town; thus the great differences ofopinion in regard to the place, where most holy Maryvisited Elisabeth, are easily explained.209. As holy obedience has enjoined upon me theduty of clearing up these doubts, on account of the

THE INCARNATION 169strange inconsistency in the sayings of learned men, Iwill also add to what I have already said, that the housein which the visitation took place was built upon thevery spot on which now the faithful pilgrims, whotravel to or live in the holy Land, venerate the divinemysteries transacted during the visit. Although thetown of Juda itself, where the house of Zacharias stoodis ruined, the Lord did not permit the memory of thevenerable locality in which those great mysteries transpired, and which were hallowed by the footsteps ofmost holy Mary, of Christ our Lord, and of the Baptistas well as of his holy parents, to be blotted out and effaced from the memory of men. Therefore it was bydivine influence, that the ancient Christians built upthose churches and restored the holy places, in order topreserve by the agency of divine light the traditionalof the admirable sacratruth and to renew the memoryments. Thus we ourselves, the faithful of our times,can enjoy the blessing of venerating and 1worshippingthe sacred localities, proclaiming and confessing ourCatholic faith in the works of our Redemption.210. For the better understanding of these thingslet it be remembered that after the demon had becomeaware on Calvary that Christ our Lord was God andthe Redeemer of men, he sought with incredible furyto blot out the remembrance of Him from the land ofthe living, as Jeremias says (Jer. 11, 19) ;and the sameis to be said of the memory of his most holy Mother.Thus he managed to have the most holy Cross hiddenand buried under ground and to have it delivered asspoil of war to the Persians; and in the same way heprocured the ruin and obliteration of many holy places.On this account the holy angels carried back and forthso many times the venerable and holy house of Loretto;

170 CITY OF GODfor the same dragon who pursued the heavenly Lady(Apoc. 12, 13), had already excited the minds of theinhabitants of that land to tear down and raze to theground that most sacred oratory, which had been theworkshop of the Most High in the mystery of the Incarnation. The same astute hatred of the enemy urgedhim to blot out the town of Juda, aided partly by thenegligence of the inhabitants, who gradually died off,partly also by untoward events and happenings. Yet theLord did not allow all traces of the house of Zachary tobe effaced or obliterated, on account of the sacraments,which were there enacted.211. This town was distant from Nazareth, as I havesaid, twenty-six leagues, and about two leagues fromJerusalem, and it was situated in that part of the Judeanmountains, where the stream Sorec takes its rise. Afterthe birth of saint John and the return of the most holyMary and her spouse Joseph to Nazareth, saint Elisabeth received a divine revelation that a great calamityand slaughter impended over the infants of Bethlehemand its vicinity. And though this revelation was indeterminate and unclear, it nevertheless induced the motherof saint John to betake herself with Zacharias, her husband, to Hebron, which was eight leagues more or lessfrom Jerusalem; for they were rich and noble, and theyhad dwellings not only in Juda and Hebron, but theyhad houses and possessions also in other places. Whenthe most holy Mary and Joseph were on their way flyingfrom Herod to Egypt (Matth, 2, 14) after the birth ofthe Word and some months after the birth of saint John,saint Elisabeth and Zacharias were in Hebron. Zachariasdied four months after our Lord was born, which wasten months after the birth of his son John. It seems tome I have now sufficiently solved this doubt, and it

THE INCARNATION 171ought to be evident that the house of the Visitation wasneither in Jerusalem, nor in Bethlehem, nor in Hebron,but in the town called Juda. I saw that this is the trueexplanation, which was made known to me by divinelight together with the other mysteries of this heavenlyhistory; afterwards, when I was constrained by obedience to ask about this matter, a holy angel again madethe same declaration to me.212. It was at this city of Juda and at the house ofZacharias that most holy Mary and Joseph arrived. Inorder to announce their visit, saint Joseph hastenedahead of Mary and calling out saluted the inmates ofthe house, saying: Lord "The be with you and fillyoursouls with divine grace."Elisabeth was already forewarned, for the Lord himself had informed her in avision that Mary of Nazareth had departed to visit her.She had also in this vision been made aware that theheavenly Lady was most pleasing in the eyes of the MostHigh; while the mystery of her being the Mother ofGod was not revealed to her until the moment, whenthey both saluted each other in private. But saint Elisabeth immediately issued forth with a few of her family,in order to welcome most holy Mary, who, as the morehumble and younger in years, hastened to salute hercousin, saying: "The Lord be with you, my dearestcousin," and Elisabeth answered : "The same Lord reward you for having come in order to afford me thispleasure."With these words they entered the house ofZacharias and what happenedI will relate in the following chapter.INSTRUCTION WHICH OUR QUEEN AND LADY GAVE ME.213. My daughter, whenever the creature holds inproper esteem the good works and the services, which

172 CITY OF GODthe Lord commands for his glory,it will feel withinitself great facility of operation, great sweetness in undertaking them, and a readiness and alacrity in continuing and pursuing them. These different feelings thengive testimony of their being truly useful and commanded by God. But the soul cannot experience theseaffections, if it is not altogether devoted to the Lord,keeping its gaze fixed upon his divine pleasure, hearingof it with joy, executingit with alacrity and forgettingits own inclination and conveniences. The soul mustbe like the faithful servant, who seeks to do only thewill of his master and not his own. This is the mannerof obeying, which is fruitful and which is due from allthe creatures to their God and much more from allreligious, who explicitly promise this kind of obedience.In order that thou, my dearest, mayest attain to it perfectly, remember with what esteem David in many placesspeaks of the precepts (Ps. 118), of the sayings and ofthe justifications of the Lord ;and remember the effects,which they caused in that Prophet and even now in thesouls. He says that they make the infants wise (Ps.18, 8), rejoice the heart of men (Ps. 18, 9), that theyenlighten the eyes of the soul, so that they become amost brilliant light for its footsteps (Ps. 118, 105), thatthey are more sweet than honey (Ps. 18, 11), more desirable and more estimable than the most precious stones.This promptitude and subjection to the divine will andto his laws made David so conformable to the heart ofGod. These are the kind of souls his Majesty seeks forhis servants and friends (I Kings 13, 14, Acts 13, 22).thewith all solici214. Attend therefore, my daughter,tude to the works of virtue and perfection, which thouknowest to be desirable in the eyes of the Lord. Despise none of them nor withdraw from any of them and

THE INCARNATION 173cease not to exercise them, no matter how violently thyinclinations and thy weakness should oppose their exercise. Trust in the Lord and proceed to put them intoexecution, and soon his power will overcome all difficulties. Soon thou wilt also know by happy experiencehow light is the burden and how sweet is the yoke of theLord (Matth. 11, 13). He did not deceive us when Hespoke those words, as might be argued by the tepidand the negligent, who in their torpidity and distrust,tacitly repudiate the truth of this statement. I wish alsothat thou, in order to imitate me in this perfection, takenotice of the favor, which the divine condescensionvouchsafed me in furnishing me with a most sweet loveand affection for the creatures as participators in thedivine goodness and existence. In this love I soughtto console, alleviate and enliven all the souls; and by anatural compassion I procured all spiritual and corporeal goods for them to none of;them, no matter howgreat sinners they might have been, did I wish anyevil; on the contrary I was urged by the great compassion of my tender heart to procure for them eternal salvation. From this also arose my anxiety concerningthe grief, which was to grow out of my pregnancy tomy spouse saint Joseph; for to him I owed more thanto all other creatures. Tender compassion filled myheart, especially for the suffering and the infirm, and Itried to obtain some relief for all.In these virtues thenI wish that thou, making use of the knowledge of themmost prudently imitate me.given to thee,2-13

CHAPTER XVII.THE SALUTATION GIVEN TO SAINT ELISABETH BY THEQUEEN OF HEAVEN, AND THE SANCTIFICATION OFJOHN.215. When the most holy Mother Mary arrived at thehouse of Zacharias, the Precursor of Christ had completed the sixth month of his conception in the wombof saint Elisabeth. The body of the child John hadalready attained a state of great natural perfection ;much greater than that of other children, on account ofthe miracle of his conception by a sterile mother andon account of the intention of the Most High to makehim the depositary of greater sanctity than other men(Matth. 11, 11). Yet at that time his soul was yet filledwith the darkness of sin, which he had contracted inthe same way as the other children of Adam, the firstand common father of the human race; and as, according to the universal and general law, mortals cannotreceive the light of grace before they have issued forthto the light of the sun (Rom. 5, 7) so, after the first,;the original sin contracted by our nature, the womb ofthe mother must serve as a dungeon or prison for all ofus, who have laden upon ourselves this guilt of ourfather and head, Adam. Christ our Lord resolved toanticipate this great blessing in his Prophet and Precursor by conferring the light of his grace and justification upon him six months after his conception bysaintElisabeth, in order that he might be distinguished174

THE INCARNATION 175as well in holiness, as he was in his office of Precursorand Baptist.216. After the first salutation of Elisabeth by themost holy Mary, the two cousins retired, as I have saidat the end of the preceding chapter. And immediatelythe Mother of grace saluted anew her cousin saying:"MayGod save thee, my dearest cousin, and may hisdivine light communicate to thee grace and life"(Luke1, 40). At the sound of most holy Mary s voice, saintElisabeth was filled by the Holy Ghost and so enlightened interiorly, that in one instant she perceived themost exalted mysteries and sacraments. These emotions, and those that at the same time were felt by thechild John in the womb of his mother, were caused bythe presence of the Word made flesh in the bridal chamber of Mary s womb, for, making use of the voice ofMary as his instrument, He, as Redeemer, began fromthe eternalthat place to use the power given to Him byFather for the salvation and justification of the souls.And since He now operated as man, though as yet ofthe diminutive size of one conceived eight days before,He assumed, in admirable humility, the form and posture of one praying and beseeching the Father. Heasked in earnest prayer for the justification of his futurePrecursor and obtained it at the hands of the blessedTrinity.217. Saint John was the third one for whom ourRedeemer made special petition since his presence inthe womb of his mother. His Mother was the firstfor whom He gave thanks and prayed to the Father;for whom thenext in order was her spouse, saint Joseph,incarnate Word offered up his prayers,in the twelfth chapter; and the third one was the Preas we have saidcursor saint John, whom the Lord mentioned by name in

176 CITY OF GODhis prayers to the Father. Such was the great good fortune and privilege of saint John, that Christ our Lordpresented to the eternal Father the merits of his Passionand Death to be endured for men; and in view thereofHe requested the sanctification of this soul. He appointed and set apart this child as one who is to be bornholy as his Precursor and as a witness of his coming intothe world (John 1, 7) as one who was to prepare the;hearts of his people in order that they might recognizeand receive Him as the Messias. He ordained that forsuch an exalted ministry the Precursor should receiveall the graces, gifts and favors which are befitting andproportionate to his office. All this the Father grantedjust as the Onlybegotten had requestedit of Him.218. This happened before the most holy Mary hadput her salutation into words. At the pronunciation ofthe words mentioned above, God looked upon the childin the womb of saint Elisabeth, and gave it perfect useof reason, enlighteningit with his divine light, in orderthat he might prepare himself by foreknowledge for theblessings which he was to receive. Together with thispreparation he was sanctified from original sin, made anadopted son of God, and filled with the most abundantgraces of the Holy Ghost and with the plenitude of allhis gifts; his faculties were sanctified, subjected and subordinated to reason, thus verifying in himself what thearchangel Gabriel had said to Zacharias; that His sonwould be filled with the Holy Ghost from the womb ofhis mother (Luke 1, 17). At the same time the fortunate child, looking through the walls of the maternalwomb as through clear glass upon the incarnate Word,and assuming a kneeling posture, adored his Redeemerand Creator, whom he beheld in most holy Mary as ifenclosed in a chamber made of the purest crystal. This

THE INCARNATION 177was the movement of jubilation, which was felt by hismother Elisabeth as coming from the infant in herwomb (Luke 1, 44). Many other acts of virtue thechild John performed during this interview, exercisingfaith, hope, charity, worship, gratitude, humility, devotion and all the other virtues possible to him there.Fromthat moment he began to merit and grow in sanctity,without ever losingit and without ever ceasing to exercise it with all the vigor of grace.219. Saint Elisabeth was instructed at the same timein the mystery of the Incarnation, the sanctification ofher own son and the sacramental purpose of this newwonder. She also became aware of the virginal purityand of the dignity of the most holy Mary. On this occasion, the heavenly Queen, being absorbed in the visionof the Divinity and of the mysteries operated byitthrough her most holy Son, became entirely godlike,filled with the clear light of the divine gifts which Sheparticipated; and thus filled with majesty saint Elisabethsaw Her. She saw the Word made man as through amost pure and clear glass in the virginal chamber, lyingas it were on a couch of burning and enlivened crystal.The efficacious instrument of all these wonderful effects was the voice of most holy Mary, as powerful asit was sweet in the hearing of the Lord. All this forcewas as it were only an outflow of that which was contained in those powerful words: "Fiat mihi secundumverbum tuum," by which She had drawn the eternalWord from the bosom of the Father down to her souland into her womb.220. Filled with admiration at what She saw andheard in regard to these divine mysteries, saint Elisabeth was wrapt in the joy of the Holy Ghost; and,looking upon the Queen of the world and what was

178 CITY OF GODcontained in Her, she burst forth in loud voice of praise,saint L,uke :pronouncing the words reported to us by"Blessed are Thou among women and blessed is thefruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that theMother of my Lord should come to me? For beholdas soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mythe infant in my womb leaped for joy, and blessedears,art Thou, that has believed, because those things shallbe accomplished, that were spoken to Thee by the Lord."In these prophetic words saint Elisabeth rehearsed thenoble privileges of most holy Mary, perceiving by thedivine light what the power of the Lord had done inHer, what He now performed, and what He was to accomplish through Her in time to come. All this alsothe child John perceived and understood, while listening to the words of his mother; for she was enlightened for the purpose of his sanctification, and since hecould not from his place in the womb bless and thankher by word of mouth, she, both for herself and forher son, extolled the most holy Mary as beingstrument of their good fortune.the in221. These words of praise, pronounced by saintElisabeth were referred by the Mother of wisdom andhumility to the Creator; and in the sweetest and softestvoice She intoned the Magnificat as recorded by saintLuke (Ch. 1, 46-55).46. My soul doth magnify the Lord;47. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.48. Because He hath regarded the humility of hishandmaid ;for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.49. Because He that ismighty hath done greatthings to me; and holyis his name.

THE INCARNATION 17950. And his mercy is from generation unto generation to them that fear Him.51. He hath shewed might in his arm; He hathscattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.52. He hath put down the mighty from their seatand hath exalted the humble.53. He hath filled the hungry with good things;and the rich He hath sent empty away.54. He hath received Israel, his servant, beingmindful of his mercy;55. As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham andhis seed forever/222. Just as saint Elisabeth was the first one whoheard this sweet canticle from the mouth of most holyMary, so she was also the first one who understood itand, by means of her infused knowledge, commentedupon it. She penetrated some of the great mysteries,which its Authoress expressed therein in so few sentences. The soul of most holy Mary magnified theLord for the excellence of his infinite Essence; to HimShe referred and yielded all glory and praise (I Tim. 1,17), both for the beginning and the accomplishment ofher works. She knew and confessed that in God aloneevery creature should glory and rejoice,since He aloneis their entire happiness and salvation (II Cor. 10, 17).She confessed also the equity and magnificence of theMost High in attending to the humble and in conferring upon them his abundant spirit of divine love (Ps.137, 6). She saw how worthy of mortals it is to perceive, understand and ponder the gifts that were conferred on the humility of Her, whom all nations wereto call blessed, and how all the humble ones, each oneaccording to his degree, could share the same good fortune. By one word also She expressed all the mercies,

180 CITY OF GODbenefits and blessings, which the Almighty showeredupon Her in his holy and wonderful name for; She callsthem altogether "great things"since there was nothingsmall about anything that referred to this great Queenand Lady.223. And as the mercies of the Most High overflowed from Mary s plenitude to the whole human race,and as She was the portal of heaven, through which theyand through which we areissued and continue to issue,to enter into the participation of the Divinity; thereforeShe confessed, that the mercy of the Lord in regard toHer isspread out over all the generations, communicating itself to them that fear Him. And just as the infinite mercies raise up the humble and seek out thosethat fear God; so also the powerful arm of divine justice scatters and destroys those who are proud in themind of their heart, and hurls them from their thronesin order to set in their place the poor and lowly. Thisjustice of the Lord was exercised in wonderful splendorand glory upon the chief of all the proud, Lucifer andhis followers, when the almighty arm of God scatteredand hurled them (because they themselves precipitatedthemselves) from their exalted seats which befitted theirangelic natures and their graces, and which they occupied according to the original (Isaias 14; Apoc. 12)decree of the divine love. For byit He intended thatall should be blessed (I Tim. 2, 4) while they, in tryingto ascend in their vain pride to positions, which theyneither could attain nor should aspire to, on the contrary cast themselves from those which they occupied(Isaias 14, 13). In their arrogance they were foundopposed to the just and inscrutable judgments of theLprd, which scattered and cast down the proud angeland all his followers (Apoc. 12, 8). In their place were

THE INCARNATION 181installed the humble of heart through the mediation ofmost holy Mary, the Mother and the treasure house ofhisancient mercies.224. For the same reason this divine Lady says andproclaims that God enriches the needy, filling them withthe abundance of his treasures of grace and glory; andthose that are rich in their own estimation and presumptuous arrogance, and those who satisfy their heartwith the false goods, which the world esteems as richesand happiness, the Most High has banished and doesbanish from his presence, because they are void of thetruth, which cannot enter into hearts filled and occupiedwith falsehood and deceit. He received his servants andhis children, the people of Israel, remembering his mercies in order to teach them, wherein prudence, truth andunderstanding (Bar. 3, 14), wherein free and abundantlife and nourishment, wherein the light of the eyes andpeace consists. He taught them the way of prudenceand the hidden paths of wisdom and discipline, whichis concealed from the princes of the gentiles, and is notknown to the powerful, who dominate over the beastsof the earth and entertain themselves and play with thebirds of the air and heap up treasures of gold and silver.Nor can the sons of Agar and the inhabitants of Teman,who are the wise and the proudly prudent of this world,ever attain this wisdom. But to those that are sons ofthe light (Galat. 3, 7), and who are sons of Abraham byfaith, hope and obedience, the Most High distributes it;for in this manner has it been promised to his posterityand his spiritual children, made secure by the blessedand happy Fruit of the virginal womb of the most holyMary.225. Saint Elisabeth looking upon Mary the Queenof creation understood these hidden mysteries and not;

182 CITY OF GODonly those, which I am able to express here, did this fortunate matron understand, but many more and greatersacraments, which my understanding cannot comprehend ;nor do I wish to dilate upon all that have beenshown to me, lest I unduly extend this history. But thesweet discourses and conversations, which these two holyand discreet ladies held with each other, reminded me ofthe two seraphim, which Isaias saw above the throne ofthe Most High, repeating the divine and always newcanticle: Holy, holy, etc., while they covered their headwith one pair of wings, their feet with another, flewwith the third pair (Isaias 6, 2). It is certain that theinflamed love of these two holy women exceeded thatof all the seraphim, and Mary by Herself loved morethan they all together. They were consumed in the flameof divine love, extending the two wings of their heartsin order to manifest to each other their love and in orderto soar into the most exalted intelligence of the mysteries of the Most High. With two more wings ofrarest knowledge they covered their faces; because bothof them discussed and contemplated the sacrament ofthe King (Tob. 12, 7), guardingits secrets withinthemselves all their lives; also because they restrainedtheir discourse and subjectedit to their devoted faith,without giving scope to proud inquisitiveness.They alsocovered the feet of the Lord and their own with thethird pair of seraphic wings, because they were loweredand annihilated in their own humble estimation of themselves at the sight of such great Majesty. Moreoversince most holy Mary enclosed within her virginal wombthe God of majesty himself, we can with reason andwith literal truth say, that She covered the seat wherethe Lord sat enthroned.226. When it was time to come forth from their re-

THE INCARNATION 183tirement, saint Elisabeth offered herself and her wholefamily and all her house for the service of the Queenof heaven. She asked Her to accept, as a quiet retreat,the room which she herself was accustomed to use forher prayers, and which was much retired and accommodated to that purpose. The heavenly Princess accepted the chamber with humble thanks, and made useof it for recollecting Herself and sleeping therein, andno one ever entered it, except the two cousins. As forthe rest She offered to serve and assist Elisabeth as ahandmaid, for She said, that this was the purpose ofvisiting her and consoling her. O what friendship isso true, so sweet and inseparable, as that which isformed by the great bond of the divine love! How admirable is the Lord in manifesting this great sacramentof the Incarnation to three women before He wouldmake it known to any one else in the human race! Forthe first was saint Anne, as I have said in its place; thesecond one was her Daughter and the Mother of theWord, most holy Mary; the third one was saint Elisabeth, and conjointly with Her, her son,for he being yetin the womb of his mother, cannot be considered as distinct from her. Thus "the foolishness of God is wiserthan men,"as saint Paul says.227. The most holy Mary and Elisabeth came forthfrom their retirement at nightfall, having passed a longtime together; and the Queen saw Zacharias standingbefore Her in his muteness, and She asked him for hisblessing as from a priest of the Lord, which the saintalso gave to Her. Yet, although She tenderly pitiedhim for his affliction, She did not exert her power tocure him, because She knew the mysterious occasion ofhis dumbness; yet She offered a prayer for him. SaintElisabeth, who already knew the good fortune of the

184 CITY OF GODmost chaste spouse Joseph, although he himself as yetwas not aware of it, entertained and served him withgreat reverence and highest esteem. After staying threedays in the house of Zacharias, however, he asked permission of his heavenly Spouse Mary to return to Nazareth and leave Her in the company of saint Elisabethin order to assist her in her pregnancy. The holy husband left them with the understanding that he was toreturn in order to accompany the Queen home as soonas they should give him notice; saint Elisabeth offeredhim some presents to take home with him ;but he wouldtake only a small part of them, yielding only to theirearnest solicitations,for this man of God was not only alover of poverty, but was possessed of a magnanimousand noble heart. Therewith he pursued his way back toNazareth, taking along with him the little beast of burden, which they had brought with them. At home, inthe absence of his Spouse, he was served by a neighboring woman and cousin of his, who, also when mostholy Mary was at home, was wont to come and go onthe necessary errands outside of the house.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN AND LADY GAVE ME.228. My daughter, in order that thy heart may beever more and more inflamed with the desire of gainingthe grace and friendship of God, I wish very muchthat thou grow in the knowledge of the dignity, excellence and happiness of a soul, that has been endowedwith this privilege; however, remember that it is so admirable and of so great a value that thou canst not comprehend it, even if I would explainit to thee ;and muchless canst thou expressit in words. Look upon theLord and contemplate Him by means of the divine light,

THE INCARNATION 185which thou receivest, and then thou wilt understand thatthe Lord performs a greater work in justifying a soulthan in having created all the orbs of heaven and thewhole earth with all the beauty and perfection containedwithin them. And if on account of the wonders whichcreatures are able in part to perceive in these works bythe senses, they are impressed with the greatness andpower of God, what would they say and think if theycould see with the eyes of their soul the preciousness andbeauty of grace in so many creatures, who are capableof receiving them?229. There are no terms of human language equal tothe task of expressing what participations and perfections of God are contained in sanctifying grace. It islittle to say that it is more pure and spotless than thesnow; more refulgent than the sun; more precious thangold or precious stones, more charming, more amiableand pleasing than all the most delightful feasts and entertainments, and more beautiful than all that in its entirety can be imagined or desired by the creatures. Takenotice also of the ugliness of sin, in order that by theopposite thou mayest come to so much the better understanding of the beauty of grace; for neither darknesses,nor rottenness, nor the most horrible, the most dreadful,nor the foulest of creatures can ever be compared to sinand to its ugliness. The martyrs and saints understoodmuch of this mystery (Heb. 11, 36), who in order tosecure the beauty of grace and preserve themselvesfrom the ruin of sin, did not fear fire, nor wild beasts,nor the sword, nor torments, nor prisons, ignominies,pains, afflictions, nor death itself, nor prolonged and perpetual suffering; for to escape all these must be countedfor little or nothing, and must scarcely be thoughtof in comparison with one degree of grace, which souls

186 CITY OF GODmay attain, even though they be the most abject of thewhole world. All this the men, who esteem and seekafter the fugitive and apparent beauty of creatures, areignorant of; and whatever does not present to themthis deceitful beauty, is for them vile and contemptible.230. Thou perceivest therefore somethingof thegreatness of the blessing, which the incarnate Word conferred upon his Precursor in the womb of his mother;and because saint John recognized it, he leaped for joyand exultation in the womb of his mother. Thou wiltalso see what thou thyself must do and suffer in orderto attain this happiness, and in order not to lose, or inthe least impair this most precious beauty by any fault,nor retard its consummation by any imperfection, nomatter how small. I wish that in imitation of my cousinElisabeth, thou do not enter into any friendship withany human creatures, except those, with whom thoucanst and shouldst converse about the works of the MostHigh and of his mysteries, and with whom thou canstlearn to pursue the true path of his divine pleasure. Although thou art engaged in important undertakings andworks, do not forget or omit thy spiritual exercises andthe strictness of a perfect life; for this must not only bepreserved and watched over, when all things gosmoothly, but also under the greatest adversity, difficulty and labor; for imperfect human nature takes occasion of the slightest circumstance to relax its vigilance.

CHAPTER XVIII.MOST HOLY MARY ARRANGES THE ORDER OF HER DAILYEXERCISES IN THE HOUSE OF ZACH ARIAS; SOME INCIDENTS IN HER INTERCOURSE WITH SAINT ELISABETH.proceeded to arrange her daily231. When the Precursor John had been sanctifiedand saint Elisabeth, his mother, had been endowed withsuch great gifts and blessings, and when thus the principal object of Mary s visit was fulfilled, the great Queenlife in the house of Zacharias;for her occupations could not be uniformly thesame as those She was accustomed to in her own house.In order to direct her desire by the guidance of the HolyGhost She retired and placed Herself in the presence ofthe Most High, asking Him as usual to guide Her anddirect Her in that which She was to do during her stayin the house of his servants Elisabeth and Zacharias; sothat She might in all things be pleasing to Him andfulfill entirely his pleasure. The Lord heard Her petition and answered Her saying: "My Spouse and myDove, I will direct all thy actions and I will direct thyfootsteps in the fulfillment of my service and pleasure,and I will make known to thee the day on which I wishthee to return to thy home. In the meanwhile remainin the house of my servant Elisabeth and converse withher. As for the rest, continue thy exercises and prayers,especially for the salvation of men, and pray also, that Iwithhold my justice in dealing with their incessant offenses against my bounty.Conjointly with thy prayersthou shalt offer to Me the Lamb without spot (I Pet. 1,187

188 CITY OF GOD19) which thou bearest in thy womb and which takesaway the sins of the world (John 1, 291). Let thesenow be thy occupations."232. In conformity with this instruction and newmandate of the Most High, the Princess of heaven ordered all her occupations in the house of her cousinElisabeth. She rose up at midnight in accordance withher former custom, spending the hours in the continuedcontemplation of the divine mysteries and giving to waking and sleep the time, which most perfectly and exactlyagreed with the natural state and conditions of herbody. In labor and repose She continued to receive newfavors, illuminations, exaltation and caresses of theLord. During these three months She had many visionsof the Divinity, mostly abstractive in kind. More frequent still were the visions of the most holy humanityof the Word in its hypostatic union; for her virginalwomb, in which She bore Him, served Her as her continual altar and sanctuary. She beheld the daily growthof that sacred body. By this experience and by thesacraments, which every day were made manifest to Herin the boundless fields of the divine power and essence,the spirit of this exalted Lady expanded to vast proportions. Many times would She have been consumed andhave died by the violence of her affections, if She hadnot been strengthened by the power of the Lord. Tothese occupations, which were concealed from all, Sheadded those, which the service and consolation of hercousin Elisabeth demanded, although She did not applyone moment more to them, than charity required. Thesefulfilled, She turned immediatelyto her solitude andrecollection, where she could pour out the more freelyher spirit before the Lord.233. Not less solicitous was She to occupy Herself in-

THE INCARNATION 189teriorly, while She was engaged for many hours in manual occupations. And in all this the Precursor was sofortunate that the great Queen, with her own hands,sewed and prepared the swaddling clothes and coverletsin which he was to be wrapped and reared; for hismother Elisabeth, in her maternal solicitude and attention, had secured for saint John this good fortune, humbly asking this favor of the heavenly Queen. Mary withincredible love and subjection complied with her requestin order to exercise Herself in obedience to her cousin,whom She wished to serve as the lowest handmaid; forin humility and obedience most holy Mary always surpassed all men. Although saint Elisabeth sought toanticipate Her in much that belonged to her service,yet, in her rare prudence and wisdom, Mary knew howto forestall her cousin, always gaining the triumph ofhumility.234. In this regard a great and sweet competitionarose between the two cousins, which was very pleasingto the Most High and wonderful in the sight of theangels; for saint Elisabeth was very solicitous and attentive in serving our Lady and great Queen, and incommanding also the same service to be rendered Herby all the inmates of the house. But She, who was theTeacher of virtues, most holy Mary, beingstill moreattentive and eager to serve, met and diverted the anxieties of her cousin, saying: "Mydear cousin, I find myconsolation in being commanded and in obeying duringall my life; it is not good that thy love should depriveme of the comfort I feel therein ;since I am the youngerone, it is proper that I serve not only thee, as my mother,but all in thy house deal with me as with; thy servant aslong as I am in thy company/ Saint Elisabeth answered: beloved "My Lady,it beseems much more that2-14

190 CITY OF GODIobey Thee and that Thou command and direct me inall things; and this I ask of thee with greater justice.For if Thou, the Mistress, wishest to exercise humility,Ion my part owe worship and reverence to my God andLord, whom Thou bearest in thy virginal womb, and Iknow that thy dignity is worthy of all honor and reverence." And the most prudent Virgin rejoined: "MySon and Lord did not choose me for his Mother, inorder that I receive reverence as mistress; for his kingdom is not of this world (Joan 18, 36), nor did Hecome into it in order to be served; but to serve (Matth.20, 28), and to suffer, and to teach obedience and humility to mortals (Matth. 11, 29), condemning fastidiousness and pride. Since therefore his Majesty teachesme this and the Highest calls Himself the ignominy ofmen (Ps. 21, 22), how can I, who am his slave and donot merit the company of creatures, consent that thouserve me, who art formed according to his image andlikeness?"(Gen. 1, 27)."MyMistrue for those, who do not235. Saint Elisabeth still insisted and said :tress and Protectress, this isknow the sacrament which is enclosed in Thee. But I,who have without merit been informed by the Lord, willbe very blamable in his eyes, if I do not give Him inThee the veneration which is due to Him as God, andto Thee as his Mother; for it is just that I serve Both,as a slave serves his masters." To this the most holyMary answered :"Mydear sister, this reverence whichthou owest and desirest to give, is due to the Lord,whom I bear within my womb, for He is the true andhighest Good and our Redeemer. But as far as I amconcerned, who am a mere creature and among creaturesonly a poor worm, look upon me as I am in myself, although thou shouldst adore the Creator, who chose my

THE INCARNATION 191poor self as his dwelling. By his divine enlightenmentthou shalt give unto God, what is due to Him, and allowme to perform that which pertains to me, namely toserve and to be below all. This I ask of Thee for myconsolation and in the name of the Lord, whom I bearwithin me."236. In such blessed and happy contentions most holyMary and her cousin Elisabeth passed some of theirtime. But the divine prudence of our Queen caused inHer such an alertness and ingenuity in matters concerning humility and obedience, that She never failed to findmeans and ways of obeying and of being commanded.However, during all the time in which She stayed withsaint Elisabeth, all this was done in such a way thatboth according to their condition treated with the highest respect the sacrament of the King which had beenentrusted to their knowledge, and which was depositedin the most holy Mary. This high respect in Mary wassuch as befitted the Mother and the Mistress of alltue and grace, and in Elisabeth, such as was worthy ofthe prudent matron, so highly enlightened by the holySpirit. By this light she wisely directed her behaviorin regard to the Mother of God, yielding to her wishesand obeying Her in whatever she could, and at the sametime reverencing her dignity, and in it, her Creator. Inher inmost heart she made the intention that if shewere obliged to give any command to the Mother ofGod, she would do itonly in order to obey and satisfyher wishes; and whenever she did it, she asked permission and pardon of the Lord, at the same time neverordering anything by direct command, but always byrequest; and she would use greater earnestness only insuch things as were conducive to Mary s convenience, asfor instance, that She take some sleep or nourishment.vir

192 CITY OF GODShe also asked Mary to make a few articles for her withher own hands; Mary complied, but saint Elisabethnever made use of them, except to preserve them withthe greatest veneration.237. In this way most holy Mary put into practicethe doctrine of the eternal Word who humiliated Himself so far, that, being the form of the eternal Father,the figure of his substance, true God of the true God, Henevertheless assumed the form and condition of a servant (Heb. 1, 3, Philip 2, 6, 7). This Lady was theMother of God, Queen of all creation, superior in excellence and dignity to all creatures, and yet She remained the humble servant of the least of them; andnever would She accept homage and service as if due toHer, nor did She ever exalt Herself, or fail to judge ofHerself in the most humble manner. What shall wenow say of our most execrable presumption and pride?Since, full of the abomination of sin, we are so senseless as to claim for ourselves with dreadful insanitythe homage and veneration of all the world? And ifthis is denied us, we quickly lose the little sense whichour passions have left us. This whole heavenly historybears the stamp of humility, and is a condemnation ofour pride. And since it is not my office to teach or correct, but to be taught and to be corrected, I beseech andpray all the faithful children of light to place this example before their eyes for our humiliation.238. It would not have been difficult for the Lord topreserve his most holy Mother from such extreme lowliness and from the occasions in which She embraced it ;He could have exalted Her before creatures, ordainingthat She be renowned, honored and respected by all;just as He knew how to procure homage and renownfor others as Assuerus did for Mardocheus. Perhaps,

THE INCARNATION 193if this had been left to the judgment of men, they wouldhave so managed that a Woman more holy than allthehierarchies of heaven, and who bore in her womb theCreator of the angels and of the heavens, should be surrounded by a continual guard of honor, withdrawnfrom the gaze of men and receiving the homage of allthe world; it would have seemed to them unworthy ofHer to engage in humble and servile occupations, ornot to have all things done only at her command, or torefuse homage, or not to exercise fullest authority. Sonarrow is human wisdom, if that can be called wisdom,which is so limited. But such fallacy cannot creep intothe true science of the saints, which is communicated tothem by the infinite wisdom of the Creator, and whichesteems at their just weight and price these honors without confounding the values of the creatures. The MostHigh would have denied his beloved Mother much andbenefited Her little, if He had deprived and withdrawnfrom Her the occasion of exercising the profoundesthumility and had instead exposed Her to the exteriorapplause of men. It would also be a great loss to theworld to be without this school of humility and this example for the humiliation and confusion of its pride.239. From the time of her receiving the Lord as herGuest in her house, though yet in the womb of the Virgin Mother, the holy Elisabeth was much favored byGod. By the continued conversation and the familiarintercourse with the heavenly Queen in proportion asshe grew in the knowledge and understanding of themysteries of the Incarnation, this great matron advancedin all manner of sanctity, as one who draws it from itsvery fountain. A few times She merited to see mostholy Mary during her prayers, ravished and raised fromthe ground and altogether filled with divine splendor and

194 CITY OF GODbeauty, so that she could not have looked upon her face,nor remain alive in her presence, if she had not beenstrengthened by divine power. On these occasions, andat others whenever she could be witness of them withoutattracting the attention of most holy Mary, she prostrated herself and knelt in her presence, and adored theincarnate Word in the virginal temple of the most holyMother. All the mysteries which became known to herby the divine light and by the intercourse with the greatQueen, saint Elisabeth sealed up in her bosom, being amost faithful depositary and prudent secretary of thatwhich was confided to her. Only with her son Johnand with Zacharias, during the short time in which helived after the birth of his son, saint Elisabeth conversed to some extent concerning those sacramentswhich had become known to all. But in all this she actedas a courageous, wise and very holy woman.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN MOST HOLY MARYGAVE ME.240. My daughter, the favors of the Most High andthe knowledge of his divine mysteries,in the attentivesouls, engender a kind of love and esteem of humility,which raises them up with a strong and sweet force, likethat which causes fire to ascend, like the gravity whichcauses a stone to fall,each of them striving to reach itsown and natural sphere. This is done by the true light,which places the creature in the possession of a clearknowledge of its own self and attributes the graces tothe proper source, whence all perfect things come (James1, 17) and thus it; brings all things into correct balance. And this is the most proper order of right reasonwhich overthrows and as it were exerts violence against

THE INCARNATION 195the false presumption of mortals. On account of thispresumption of pride the heart, wherein it lives, cannotstrive after contempt, nor bear it, nor can it suffer a superior over itself, and is offended even at equals; itviolently opposes all in order to place itself alone aboveall fellow creatures. But the humble heart is abasedin proportion to the benefits it received, and in its interior quietly grows a desire or an ardent hunger forself-abasement and for the last place ; it is violently disturbed in not finding itself esteemed as the inferior ofall and in being deprived of humiliation.241. In me, my dearest, thou wilt find exhibited thepractical application of this doctrine since none of the;favors and blessings, which the right hand of the MostHigh lavished upon me, were insignificant. Yet neverwas my heart inflated with presumption above itself(Ps. 110, 1), nor did it ever know anything else than todesire to be abased and occupy the last place among allcreatures. The imitation of this I desire especially ofthee; let thy ambition be to take the last place,to livein subjection to all others; abased and considered asuseless, in the presence of the Lord and of men, thoumust judge thyself as less than the dust of the earthitself. Thou canst not deny, that in no generation hasany one been more favored than thou, and no one hasmerited these favors less than thou. How then wilt thoumake any return for this great debt of gratitude if thoudost not humiliate thyself below all others and morethan all the sons of Adam; and if thou dost not awakenwithin thyself exalted and loving sentiments concerninghumility? It is good to obey the prelates and instructors, therefore do italways. But I desire that thougo much farther, and that thou obey the most insignificant of thy fellow beings in all that is not sinful, and in

196 CITY OF GODsuch a way, as if thou wert obeying the highest of thysuperiors; and I desire that in this matter thou be veryearnest, as I was during my earthly life.242. Thou must, however, be circumspect in regardto the obedience to thy inferiors, so that they may not,knowing of thy anxiousness to obey in all things, seekto induce thee to obey in things unseemly and unbecoming. Thou canst do much good by giving them thegood and orderly example of obedience, without causing them to lose any of their subjection and withoutderogating from thy authority as their superioress. Ifany disagreeable accident or injury should happen,which affects thee alone, acceptitgladly, without somuch as moving thy lips in self-defense, or makingany complaints. Whatever is an injury to God do thoureprehend without mixing up any of thy own grievanceswith those of his Majesty; for thou shouldst never findany cause for self defense, but always be ready to defendthe honor of God. But neither in the one nor the other,allow thyself tobe moved by disorderly anger and passion. I wish also, that thou use great prudence in hiding and concealing the favors of the Lord, for the sacrament of the King is not to be lightly manifested (Tob.12, 7), nor are carnal men capable or worthy of themysteries of the Holy Ghost (I Cor. 2, 14). In allthings imitate and follow me, since thou wishest to bemy beloved daughter; this thou wilt attain by obeyingme and thou wilt induce the Almighty to strengthenand direct thy footsteps to that which I desire to accomplish in thee. Do not resist Him, but dispose andprepare thy heart sweetly and quickly to obey his lightand grace. Let grace not be void in thee (II Cor. 6,1), but labor diligently and let thy actions be performedin all perfection.

CHAPTER XIX.OF SOME CONVERSATIONS, WHICH MOST HOLY MARYHELD WITH HER ANGELS IN THE HOUSE OF SAINTELISABETH, AND OF OTHERS, WHICH SHE HELD WITHHER COUSIN.243. The plenitude of the wisdom and grace of mostholy1Mary, being of such immense capacity, could notremain idle at any point of time, nor in any place oroccasion. For itgave forth the plenitude of all perfection, active at all times and seasons to the fullest extent ofduty and possibility, without ever falling short of theholiest and the most excellent in virtue. And as in allplaces She acted the part of a pilgrim on earth and ofan inhabitant of heaven, and as She herself was the intellectual and most glorious heaven, the living temple, inwhich God himself had made his habitation ;so She alsocarried with Her her own oratory and sanctuary and inthis respect there was for Her no difference between herown house and that of her cousin saint Elisabeth, norcould any other place, time or occupation be a hindranceto Her in this regard. She was placed above all thingsand without any outside claim She incessantly devotedHerself to the influence of the love, which was continually in her sight. Yet at the same time She conversedwith the creatures at opportune times and treated withthem according as occasion required, giving as much attention to them, as the most prudent Mistress could fittingly spare for each in particular. And as her mostfrequent conversings during the three months, in which197

198 CITY OF GODShe remained in the house of Zacharias, were with saintElisabeth and with the holy angels of her guard, I shallrelate in this chapter something of that which formedthe subject of her conferences with them, and also mention other things, which happened in her intercoursewith the saint.244. When She was left alone and free to Herselfour heavenly Princess passed many hours ravished andelevated in divine contemplations and visions. Sometimes during these trances, sometimes outside of them,She was accustomed to converse with her angels aboutOnesoon after She had arrived at the house of Zachathe sacraments and mysteries of her interior love.day,rias, She spoke to them in the following manner : "Heavenly spirits, my guardians and companions, ambassadorsof the Most High and luminaries of his Divinity, comeand strengthen my heart, which iscaptured and woundedby his divine love; for it is afflicted with its own limitations in that it cannot properly respond to the obligations which are known to it and which dictate its desires. Come, ye supernal princes, and praise with me theadmirable name of the Lord and let us magnify his holyjudgments and operations. Help this poorlittle wormto praise its Maker, who condescends kindly to lookupon its insignificance. Let us talk of the wonders ofmy Spouse; let us discuss the beauty of my Lord, ofmy beloved Son! letmy heart find relief in uniting itsinmost aspirations to your own, my friends and companions; for you do know the secrets of my Treasure,which the Lord has deposited within me in the narrowness of so fragile and constrained a vase. Great arethese sacraments and admirable these mysteries; and Icontemplate them with sweet affection, but their supernal greatness overwhelms me, the profundity and the

THE INCARNATION 199greatness of my love overpowers me even while theyinflame my heart. In the ardor of my soul I cannot restsatisfied and I find no repose for; my desires surpass allthat I can accomplish and my obligations are greaterthan my desires ;I am dissatisfied with myself, becauseI do not exert myself as much as I desire, because I donot desire to accomplish as much as I should, and because I find myself continually falling short and vanquished by the greatness of the returns which are due.Ye heavenly seraphim, listen to my loving anxieties; Iam fallen sick with love (Cant. 2, 5). Open to meyour bosoms, whence the beauty of my God is flashedforth, in order that the splendors of his light and thevisions of his loveliness may replenish the life, whichwastes away in his love."245. "Mother of our Creator and our Mistress," answered the holy angels, "Thou possessest truly the Almighty and our highest Good. Since Thou hast Him soclosely bound to Thee and art his true Spouse andMother, rejoice in Him and keep Him with Thee forall eternity. Thou art the Spouse and the Mother ofthe God of love, and as in Thee is the only cause andfountain of life, no one shall live with Him as Thou,our Queen and Mistress. But do not seek to find repose in a love so inflamed; for thy state and conditionof a pilgrim do not permit thy love to attain the reposeof perfect consummation, nor will it cease to aspire tonew and greater increase of merit and triumph. Thyobligations surpass without comparison those of all thenations; but they are to increase and grow continually;never will thy so vastly inflamed love equal its Object,since It is eternal and infinite and without measure inits perfection; Thou shalt always be happily vanquishedby its greatness for no one can comprehend It ; ; only He

200 CITY OF GODhimself comprehends Himself and loves Himself in themeasure, in which He deserves to be loved. Eternally,O Lady, shalt Thou find in Him more to desire andmore to love, since that is required bygreatness and of our beatitude."246. In these colloquies and conferences the fire of dithe essence of hisvine love was more and more enkindled in the heart ofmost holy Mary; in Her was exactly fulfilled the command of the Lord (Levit. 6, 12), that in his tabernacleand on his altar should burn continually the fire of theholocaust and that the priest of the ancient law shouldsee to its perpetual nourishment and maintenance. Thisprecept was executed to the letter in the most holy Mary,for in Her were jointly contained the altar and the newHighpriest, Christ our Lord, who nourished and augmented its flame day by day, by administering new maand communicationsterial in favors, blessings, gracesof his Divinity; while the exalted Lady on her part,contributed her ceaselessexertions, which were ineffablyenhanced in value by the continual flow of the gracesand sanctity of the Lord. From the moment in whichthis Lady entered into the world, this conflagration ofhis divine love took its rise, in order never to be extinguished on this altar throughall the eternities of Godhimself. For as lasting as this eternity and as continuous was and will be the fire of this living sanctuary.247. At other times She spoke and conversed with theholy angels, when they appeared to Her in human forms,as I have said in several places. Most frequently this conversation turned about the mystery of the incarnateWord and in;this She manifested so profound a knowledge in citing the holy Scriptures and the Prophetsthat She caused wonder even in the angels. On one occasion in speaking to them of these venerable sacra-

#THE INCARNATION 201ments, She said :"My lords, servants of the Most Highand his friends, my heart is pierced and torn by arrowsof grief, when I meditate on what the sacred Scripturessay of my most holy Son or what Isaias and Jeremiaswrote (Gen. 22, 2; Isai. 33, 2; Jerem. 11, 18) concerning the most bitter pains and torments in store for Him.Solomon says (Wis. 2, 20), that they shall condemnHim to a most ignominous death and the Prophets always speak in weighty and superlative terms of his Passion and Death, which all are to be fulfilled in Him. Owere it the will of his Majesty that I live at that time inorder to offer myself to die instead of the Author of mylife! My soul is sorely afflicted in the consideration ofthese infallible truths and that my God and my Lordshould come forth from my womb only in order to suffer. O who will guard Him and defend Him againsthis enemies! O tell me, ye heavenly princes, by whatservices or by what means can I induce the eternal Father to divert the rigor of his justice upon me, in orderthat the Innocent, who cannot have any guilt upon Him,may be freed from punishment? Well do I know thatin order to satisfy the infinite God for the offenses ofmen, the satisfaction of the incarnate God is required;but by his first act my most holy Son has merited morethan all the human race can lose or demerit byits offenses. Since this is sufficient, tell me, is it not possiblethat I die in order to relieve Him from his death andtorments? My humble desires will not be annoying tomy God, and my anxieties will not be displeasing toHim. Yet, what am I saying? and to what lengths dosorrow and love drive me, since I must be subject inall things to the divine will and its perfect fulfillment?"248. Such and like colloquy the most holy Mary heldwith her angels, especially during the time of her preg-

202 CITY OF GODnancy. The holy spirits met all her anxieties and comforted her with great reverence, consoling Her by renewing the memory of the very sacraments, which Shealready knew and by reminding Her of the reasonableness and propriety of the death of Christ for the salvafor the conquest of the demonstion of the human race,and spoliation of their power, for the glory of theeternal Father and the exaltation of the most holy andhighest Lord his Son (Tim. 2, 14). So great and exalted were the mysteries touched upon in these discourses of the Queen with the holy angels, that neithercan the human tongue describe, nor our capacity comprehend them in this life. When we shall enjoy the Lordwe shall see what we cannot at present conceive. Fromthis little which I have said, our piety can help us todraw conclusions in regard to others much greater.249. Saint Elisabeth was likewise much versed andand much more soenlightened in the divine Scriptures,since the Visitation; and therefore our Queen conversedwith Her concerning these heavenly mysteries, whichwere known and understood by the matron, instructingand enlightening her by heavenly teachings; for throughher intercession Elisabeth was enriched with many blessings and gifts of heaven. Many times she wonderedat the profound wisdom of the Mother of God, andblessed Her over and over again, saying:"Blessed artThou, my Mistress and Mother of my Lord, among allwomankind (Luke 1, 42) and; may the nations knowand magnify thy dignity. Most fortunate art Thou onaccount of the rich Treasure, which Thou bearest inthy virginal womb. I tender to Thee my humble andmost affectionate congratulations for the joy with whichthy spirit shall be filled, when Thou shalt hold in thyarms the Son of justice and nurse Him at thy virginal

THE INCARNATION 203breasts. Remember me thy servant, O Lady, in thathour and offer my heart in sacrifice to thy most holySon, my true and incarnate God. O who shall merit toserve Thee from now on and attend upon Thee! But ifI am unworthy of this good fortune, may I enjoy thatof being borne in thy heart; for I fear (not withoutcause) that mine will be torn asunder, when I must partfrom Thee."Many other sentiments of sweetest andmost tender love saint Elisabeth uttered in her personalintercourse with the most holy Mary ;and the most prudent Lady consoled her, strengthened and enlivened herby her divinely efficacious reasonings. These so exaltedand heavenly dealings of Mary were diversified by manyother acts of humility and self-abasement in serving notonly her cousin Elisabeth, but also the servants of herhouse. Whenever She could find an occasion, Sheswept the house of her relative, and always her oratoryat regular times; and with the servants She washed thedishes, and performed other acts of profound humility.Let no one think itstrange that I particularize in thesesmall matters; for the greatness of our Queen has madethem of importance for our instruction and in order thatknowing of them, our pride may vanish and our vilenessmay come to shame. When saint Elisabeth learntof the humble services, performed by the Mother ofpiety, She was deeply moved and tried to prevent them;and therefore the heavenly Lady concealed them fromher cousin wherever it was possible.250. O Queen and Mistress of heaven and earth, myProtectress and Advocate, although Thou art theTeacher of all sanctity and perfection, lost in astonishment at thy humility, I dare, O my Mother, to ask Thee :how was it possible that, knowing of the Onlybegottenof the Father within thy virginal womb, and wishing in

204 CITY OF GODall things to conduct Thyself as his Mother, thy greatness should abase itself to such lowliness, as sweepingthe floor and similar occupations ; since, according to ournotions, Thou couldst, on account of the reverence dueco thy most holy Son, easily have excused Thyself without failing against the duties of thy most perfect Motherhood. My desire is, O Lady, to understand how thyMajesty was governed in this matter.ANSWER AND INSTRUCTION OF THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN.251. My daughter, in order to solve thy difficultymore explicitly than as already noted down in the foregoing chapter, thou must remember that no occupationor exterior act pertaining to virtue, no matter how lowlyit may be, can, if it is well-ordered, impede the worship,reverence and exaltation of the Creator of all things ;forthese acts of ^virtue do not exclude one another ;but theyare all compatible with one another in the creature, andmuch more in me, who lived in the continual presence ofthe highest Good without ever losing Itout of sight byexterior activity. I adored and remembered God in allmy actions, referring them all to his greater glory; andthe Lord himself, who orders and creates all things, despises none of them, nor is He offended, or irritated bytheir smallness. The soul that loves Him, is not disconcerted by anyof these little thingsin his divine presence; for it seeks and finds Him as the beginning andthe end of all creatures. And because terrestrial creatures cannot exist without these humble performancesand without others that are inseparablefrom our lowlycondition and the preservation of our nature, it is necessary to understand this doctrine well, in order that wemay be governed by For it. if we engage in these

THE INCARNATION 205thoughts and occupations without reference to their Creator, they will cause many and great interruptions in thepractice of virtue and in our merits, as well as in theright use of interior advantages. Our whole life will beblameworthy and full of reprehensible defects, little removed from the earthliness of creatures.252. According to this doctrine thou must so regulate thy terrestrial occupations, whatever they may be,that thou do not lose thy -time, which can never be recovered. Whether thou eat, labor, rest, sleep, or watch,in all times and places, and in all occupations, adore,reverence and look upon thy great and powerful Lord,who fills all things and conserves all things (I Cor. 10,3; Matth. 11, 29). I wish also that thou pay specialattention to that which moved and incited me most toperform all acts of humility; namely, the thought thatmy divine Son came in the guise of humility in orderto teach the world this virtue in word and example, toinculcate the hate of vanity and pride and rooting outits seed sown by Lucifer among mortals in the first sin.His Majesty gave me such a deep knowledge of howmuch He is pleased with this virtue, that in order to beallowed to perform only one of the acts mentioned bythee, such as sweeping the floor or kissing the feet ofthe poor, I would have been ready to suffer the greatesttorments of the world. Thou wilt never find words toexpress the love for humility which I had, nor to describe its excellence and nobility. In the Lord thouwilt know and understand what thou canst not describeinwords.253. But write this doctrine in thyheart and observeit as the rule of thy life; continue to exercise thyself inthe contempt of all things belonging to human vanity,and esteem them as odious and execrable in the eyes of2-15

JOc CITY OF GODthe Most High. But in connection with this humility ofthy life, let thy thoughts always be of the noblest andthy conversation in heaven and with the angelic spirits(Philip 3, 20); deal with them and converse with themin order to obtain new light concerning the Divinity andthe mysteries of Christ my most holy Son.With creatures let thy intercourse be such as will continually increase thy fervor and serve thee as means of advancingand profiting by means of humility and divine love. Inthy own mind assume the lowest place beneath all creatures, so that when the occasion and the time of exercising the acts of humility arrive, thou mayest be foundprompt and willing to exercise them. Only then wiltthou be the mistress of the passions, if first thou hastacknowledged thyself in thy heart as the least and weakest and most useless of all the creatures.

CHAPTER XX.SOME SPECIAL FAVORS WHICH MOST HOLY MARY CONFERRED UPON SEVERAL PERSONS IN THE HOUSE OFZACH ARIAS,254. It is a well known quality of love to be active asthe fire in works of kindness, wherever it finds occasion ;and this is especially true of the fire of spiritual love;for it will reach out in search of material, as soon as thisfalls short The Master has taught lovers of God somany ways and methods of pursuing virtue, that thereis no need of remaining idle. And as love is not blindnor insane, it knows well the qualities of the noble object it aims at. Its only concern is that not all men loveitproperly; and thus it seeks to communicate this lovewithout strife or envy. We know that the love of allthe other saints, though most fervent and holy, appearslimited in comparison with that of most holy Man*.Yet if their love is admirable and powerful, inciting themto vast works of zeal for souls, what immense worksthen must not the love this great Queen have accomplished for the benefit of her fellowmen, since She wasthe Mother of the divine love (Eccli. 24, 24), and sinceShe carried with her the true and living fire that was toenkindle the world ? (Luke 12, 49). Let all the mortalslearn from this heavenly history how much they owe tothe love of this Lady. Although it will be impossible tonotice all the particular instances of the benefits conferred on the souls by Her, nevertheless, in order thatfrom some of them, many more may be inferred, I will207

208 CITY OF GODrelate a few that our Queenhouse of her cousin Elisabeth.conferred while in the255. One of the servants in that house was of perverse inclination, restless, subject to anger,and accustomed to swear and curse. With all these vices and disorders, she still knew how to make herself agreeable toher masters, but at the same time she was so given overto the power of the demon that this tyrant could easilyinduce her to throw herself into all sorts of miseriesand mistakes. For fourteen years manydevils surrounded and accompanied her without intermission inorder to make certain the capture of her soul. Onlywhen this woman came into the presence of the Mistress of heaven, most holy Mary, these enemies withdrew; for, as Ihave said in other places, the virtue issuing from our Queen tormented them, and especially during that time when She carried within her virginal repository the powerful God and Lord of all virtues. Ason the one hand this woman was freed from her cruelexactors, being released from the evil influences of theircompany, and as on the other hand she experiencedwithin her the beneficial effects of the sweet vision andintercourse of the Queen, she began to be much attracted and moved toward Mary and she sought to bein her presence and offered to serve Her with much affection, striving to pass all the time possible with Herand watching Her with reverence; for among herdistorted inclinations she had also a good one, whichwas a natural kindness and compassion for the needyand the humble, so that she was naturally drawn toward them and ready to do them good.256. The heavenly Princess, who saw and knew allthe inclinations of this woman, the state of her conscience, the danger of her soul and the malice of the

THE INCARNATION 209demons against her, turned upon her an eye of mercyand watched her with the love of a mother. Althoughher Majesty knew that the company and the interferenceof the demons was a just punishment for the sins of thiswoman, yet She interceded for her and obtained for herpardon, remedy and salvation. She commanded the demons, in virtue of the authority conceded to Her, toleave this creature and not dare to disturb her or molesther thenceforth. As they could not resist the sway of ourgreat Queen, they yielded and fled in highest consternation, not knowing how to account for such power ofthe most holy Mary. They conferred about it in astonishment and indignation, saying:"Who is thisWoman, that exerts such dominion over us? Whencedoes such strange power come, which enables Her toperform all that She wishes?" The demons thereforeconceived new wrath and indignation against Her, whohad crushed their heads (Gen. 3, 15). The happywoman, however, was snatched from their claws. Maryadmonished her, corrected her, and taught her the wayof salvation, and changed her into a woman of kindand meek disposition. She persevered therein during allher life, being well aware, that all this had come toher through the hands of our Queen ; although she didnot know nor penetrate into the mystery of her dignity,she remained humbly thankful and lived a holy life.257. Not in a better state than this servant was another woman living in the neighborhood of the houseof Zacharias, who as a neighbor was wont to come andlisten to the conversation of the family of saint Elisabeth. She lived a licentious life, far from honorable,and when she heard of the arrival of our great Queenin that town, of her modesty and retirement, she spokeof Her lightly and with some curiosity: "Who is

210 CITY OF GODStranger, that has come as a guest of our neighbors,and who gives Herself such holy and recollected airs?"In the vain and inquisitive desire of spying out novelty,as iscustomary with such kind of people, she managedto get sight of the heavenly Lady and scrutinized herdress and her countenance. Her intention was impertinent and presumptuous ;but far different the effect : forhaving succeeded in scrutinizing most holy Mary, sheteft with a wounded heart the :presence and the sightof the Queen transformed her into a new woman. Herinclinations were altogether changed, and without knowing by what efficacious influence the change came about,she felt its power and began to shed abundant floodsof tears in deepfelt sorrow for her sins. Merely on account of having fixed her attentive gaze in . curiosityupon the Mother of virginal purity, this happy womanreceived in return the love of chastity and was freedfrom the sensual habits and inclinations of her formerlife. In that very hour she sorrowfully retired to weepover her wicked life. Whenever later on she desiredto converse with the Mother of grace, her Highness,For as Mary knewin order to confirm her, permittedit.what had happened and as She bore within Her theorigin of grace, the Sanctifier and Justifier by whosepower She fulfilled her office of Advocate of sinnersShe received her with maternal kindness, admonishedand instructed her in virtue, dismissing her strengthenedand confirmed for perseverence in her new life.258. In this manner our great Lady performed manyworks and caused many admirable conversions in a greatnumber of souls; althoughit was done in silence andhidden to all. The whole family of saint Elisabeth andZacharias were sanctified by her intercourse and conver-

THE INCARNATION 211sation. Those who were just, experienced new increaseof gifts and favors; those that were not, She justifiedand enlightened by her intercession; all of them werecaptured by reverential love of Her so completely, thateach one strove to obey Her and acknowledge Her asmother, as protectress and as a consolation in all theirnecessities. The mere privilege of seeing Her, withoutany words, was sufficient to produce all these effects;yet She was careful not to omit whatever seemed necessary to obtain this end. As She penetrated the secretsof all hearts and knew the state of each one s conscience,She knew how to apply the opportune medicine. Sometimes, not always, the Lord manifested to Her the finalend of those She met :informing Her, which werechosen and which were reprobate, predestined for happiness or foreknown as damned. At sight of both oneand the other her heart broke forth in admirable flashesof most perfect virtue : for when She knew of any thatwere just and predestined, She bestowed upon themmany blessings, which She also does now in heaven,and the Lord looked with favor upon her beneficence.Exerting incredible and prayerful diligence She askedHim to preserve them in his grace and friendship. Whenever She saw any one in sin, She asked from the bottom of her heart for his justification and ordinarilyShe also obtained it. But if ithappened to be one ofthe reprobate, She wept bitterly and humiliated Herselfin the presence of the Most High for the loss of thatimage and work of the Divinity She redoubled her heart;felt prayers, offerings and humiliations in order that noothers might damn themselves, and her whole being wasone flame of divine love, which never rested nor reposed in accomplishing great things.

212 CITY OF GODINSTRUCTIONWHICH THE HEAVENLY QUEEN ANDLADY GAVE ME.259. My dearest daughter, within two limits, as ifwithin two extremes, allthe harmony of thy powers andwishes must move. They are to preserve : thyself in thegrace and friendship of God, and to seek the same goodfortune for others. In this let all thy life and activity beconsumed. For such high purpose I wish that thou spareno labor, beseeching the Lord and offering thyself insacrifice unto death, accepting actually all that is opportune and possible. Although, in order to solicit thegood of souls, thou need not make any great ado beforecreatures, since that is not appropriate to thy sex; yetthou must seek and prudently apply all the hidden means,that are most efficacious within thy knowledge. If thouwilt be my daughter and a spouse of my most holySon, consider that the possessions of our house are therational creatures, which He acquired as a rich prize atthe cost of his life (I Cor. 6, 20) and of his blood; forthrough their own disobedience they were lost to Himafter He had created and selected them(Gen. 3, 6),for Himself.260. Hence whenever the Lord sends to thee, orthrows in thy way, a needy soul and makes thee awareof its state, labor faithfully to assist it.Pray and weepwith heartfelt and fervent love, that God may furnishthe remedy for such great and dangerous evil, and donot neglect any means, divine or human, as far as thouart concerned, in order to obtain the salvation of eternalmeans of thelife for the soul entrusted to thee. Byprudence and moderation which I have taught thee, thoumust not grow weary in admonishing, nor in prayingfor that which will benefit that soul; and in all secrecy

THE INCARNATION 213continue thy labor in its behalf. Likewise I wish, thatwhenever it is necessary, thou command the demons inthe powerful name of the Almighty and my own, todepart and leave in peace the souls oppressed by them;and as all this is to be done in secret, thou canst in allpropriety animate and encourage thyself to this kind ofwork. Remember that the Lord has placed thee, andwill place thee in a position to exercise this doctrine. Donot forget it, nor fail in understanding, how much thouart bounden to his Majesty to use care and solicitude inextending the possessions of thy Father s house. Do notrest until thou accustom thyself to do this with all diligence (Phil. 4, 13). Fear not, for thou canst do all inHim that strengthens thee ;and his power will strengthenthy arm to do great things (Prov. 31, 27).

CHAPTER XXI.SAINT ELISABETH ASKS THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN TO ASSIST AT HER CONFINEMENT AND IS ENLIGHTENED CONCERNING THE BIRTH OF JOHN.261. Already two months had passed since the comingof the Princess of heaven into the house of holy Elisabeth ;and the discreet matron was even now filled withgrief at the thought of the departure and of the absenceof the Mistress of the world. She dreaded the loss ofso great a blessing as her presence was, and with reason,since she knew, that it could not come within the rangeof human merits; in her holy humility she scrutinizedher heart, fearing lest any fault of hers might be thecause of the setting of that beautiful moon and of theSun of justice within the virginal Womb. SometimesShe wept and sighed in private, because she could findno means of prolonging their stay, which had shed muchclear light of grace in her soul. She asked the Lordwith many tears to inspire her Cousin, the most holyLady Mary, not to forsake her ;at least, not to withdrawso soon her sweet company. She served Her with greatreverence and solicitude and studied to oblige Her. It isno wonder, that so saintly, attentive and prudent a womanshould ask for that which even the angels coveted. Forin addition to the divine light, which she had receivedfrom the Holy Ghost concerning the supreme dignityand sanctity of the Virgin Mother, she had the personalexperience of her most sweet intercourse and conversation, and all this combined had ravished her heart, so that214

THE INCARNATION 215without divine aid, she could not have survived the parting, after once having known and conversed with theblessed Lady.262. In order to find some consolation, saint Elisabeth resolved to open her heart to the heavenly Lady,who was, however, not ignorant of her sorrow; and shesaid to Her in great submission and humility :"Cousin,dear Lady, on account of the respect and consideration,with which I am bound to serve Thee, I have not untildesire and of the sorrow innow dared to speak of mymy heart; give me now the permission to relieve it bymaking them known. The Lord has condescended inhis mercy to send Thee hither, in order that I might havethewith Thee and ofunmerited blessing of conversingknowing the mysteries, which his divine Providence hasentrusted to Thee, my Mistress. Unworthy I am topraise Him eternally for this favor (Dan. 3, 53). Thouart the living temple of his glory, the ark of the Testament, containing the Manna, which is the food of theangels (Heb. 9, 4). Thou art the tablet of the truelaw, written in his own Being (Ps. 77, 25).I appreciatein my lowliness how rich his Majesty has made me, thatwithout my merit I should entertain in my own housethe Treasure of heaven and Her, whom He has chosenas his Mother among all women. I justly fear that Idisplease Thee and the Fruit of thy womb by my sins,and that therefore thou wilt forsake thy slave, withdrawing the great blessing, which I now enjoy. Possibly, if it be thy pleasure, I might have the happinessof serving Thee and remaining with Thee all the restof my life. If it is a hardship for Thee to return to thydwelling, it will be most convenient for Thee to stay inmy house. If Thou wilt call thy holy spouse Joseph andlive with him here as my masters, I will serve you with

216 CITY OF GODaffectionate readiness of heart. Although I do not meritwhat I ask, I beseech Thee not to despise my humblepetition, since the Lord can surpass by his mercies allmerits and desires."my263. The most holy Mary heard with sweetest complacency the petition of her cousin Elisabeth and answered her : "Dearest friend of my soul, thy holy wishesare acceptable in the eyes of the Most High. I alsothank thee from my heart; but in all our undertakingsand resolves it is necessary that we conform to the divinewill and entirely subject ourselves to it.Although thisis the duty of all creatures, thou knowest, that it is myduty before all others, since by the power of his arm Hehas raised me from the dust and in boundless love haslooked upon me (Luke 1, 53). All my words and movements must be guided by the divine will of my Lord andSon and I must not desire anything except what is according to his pleasure. Let us present to his Majestythy desires, and whatever He in his goodness shall ordain, that let us execute. I must also obey my spouseJoseph, for without his order and consent, I can neitheris just, my dearest, that we obey our superiors."decide upon my occupations, nor upon my dwellingplace;it264. Saint Elisabeth yielded to the persuasive wordsof the Princess of heaven and answered with humblesubmission :"My Lady, I am ready to obey thy willand revere thy teaching. I wish only once more to commend to Thee my sincere affection and heartfelt devotion to thy service. If my wishes cannot be fulfilled andare contrary to the will of God, I desire at least, if possible, that Thou, my Queen, do not forsake me until myson shall come forth to the light; in order that, just aswithin my womb he has adored and recognized his Redeemer in thy own, so he may enjoy his divine presence

THE INCARNATION 217and enlightenment before any other creature; and thathe may receive thy blessing for the first advances in life(Prov. 16, 9) by the presence of Him, who is to directhis footsteps. And do Thou, the Mother of grace, present Him to the Creator and obtain from his goodnessthe perseverance in that grace, which he received atthe sound of thy sweetest voice, when it came to myunworthy ears. Let me behold my child in thy arms,where the God, who made and preserves heaven andearth, is likewise to rest (Is. 42, 5). Let not thy maternal kindness be strained or diminished by my sins ; denynot this consolation to me, nor to my son this great happiness, which as a mother I ask and unworthily desirefor him."265. Most holy Mary did not wish to refuse and Shepromised to pray the Lord for the fulfillment of thisrequest of her cousin, asking her at the same time tounite her prayers with hers in order to knov Ms mostholy will. Accordingly the two mothers of the two mostholy Sons born into the world betook themselves to theoratory of the heavenly Princess and presented their petitions to the Most High. Most pure Mary fell into anecstasy, wherein She was enlightened anew concerningthe mysterious life and the dignity of the Precursor andconcerning his work in preparing the hearts of men forthe reception of their Redeemer and Teacher, and Shemade known to saint Elisabeth these sacraments in asfar as it was proper. She was informed of the greatsanctity of her saintly cousin, also, that she had onlya short while to live and that Zacharias would die beforeher. The kind Mother lovingly besought -the Lord toassist her at her death and to fulfill her wishes in regardto her son. In regard to the other fond desires, the mostprudent Virgin made no request, for in her heavenly wis-

218 CITY OF GODdorn She immediately saw, that to live always in thehouse of her cousin was not advisable, nor according tothe will of the Most High.266. To these petitions his Majesty answered: "MySpouse and my Dove, it is my pleasurethat thou assistand console my servant Elisabeth at her childbirth, whichis to be very soon; for there are only eight days leftbefore that event. After her son shall be circumcised,thou shalt return to thy home with thy spouse Joseph.After his birth thou shalt offer to Me my servant Johnin pleasing sacrifice; and continue, my Beloved, to prayto Me for the salvation of souls." Saint Elisabeth unitedher prayers with those of the Queen of heaven and earth,beseeching the Lord to command his Mother and Spousenot to forsake her during her confinement. During thisprayer the Lord revealed to her, that her confinementwas close at hand, and informed her also of many otherthings for her relief and consolation in her anxiety.267. Most holy Mary issued from her trance and, having finished their prayer, the two mothers conferred uponthe nearness of the confinement of saint Elisabeth as madeknown to them by the Lord; and anxious to make sureof her good fortune, the holy matron asked our Queen:"My Lady, pray tell me, whether I shall have the happiness of thy assistance at my impending confinement?"Her majesty answered: "Mybeloved cousin, the MostHigh has heard our prayers and deigned to commandme to assist on that occasion. This I will do, not onlyremaining tillthen, but also until the circumcision of thychild, which will take place in fifteen days."At thisresolve of the most holy Mary the joy of her cousinwas renewed; she acknowledged this great favor inhumble thankfulness to the Lord and to the holy Queen.

THE INCARNATION 219Thus rejoiced and enlivened by mutual conferences, theholy matron began to prepare for the birth of her sonand for the departure of her exalted Cousin.INSTRUCTION GIVEN TO ME BY THE HEAVENLY QUEENAND LADY MARY.268. My daughter, whenever our desires arise fromloving affection and are accompanied by a good intention, the Most High is not offended at our making themknown, as long as it is done with submission and resignation to the dispositions of his divine Providence.the soul presents itselfWhenbefore the Lord with such sentito itments, He looks upon it as a Father and grantswhat is proper, withholds what is improper or does notconduce to its true welfare. The desire of my cousinto remain with me all her life arose from a pious andpraiseworthy zeal; but it was not in harmony with theplans of the Most High, by which He had already arranged the conduct, travels and events of my life. Thoughthe Lord denied her this request He was not displeased,but granted her whatever would not hinder the decreesof his infinite wisdom and whatever would benefit heror her son John. On account of the love shown towardme by the mother and son, and on account of my intercession, the Almighty enriched them with many blessingsand favors. For to ask Him with upright intentionand through my mediation, is always the most efficaciousmeans of moving his Majesty.269. I wish that thou offer up all thy petitions andprayers in the name of my most holy Son and my own ;and be assured without doubt, that they will be heard, ifthey are joined with the upright intention of pleasingGod. Look upon me with loving affection as thy Mother,

220 CITY OF GODthy refuge and thy help; trust thyself to my devotedlove, and remember, my dearest, that my desire for thygreater good urges me to teach thee the means of obtaining great blessings and favors of divine grace atthe most liberal hands of God. Do not make thyselfunfit for them, nor hinder them by thy timidity. Andif thou wishest to induce me to love thee as my muchbeloveddaughter, rouse thyself to a fulfillment of whatI tell thee and manifest to thee. Toward this direct thycareful efforts, resting satisfied only when thou hastlabored hard to put my teachings into practice.

CHAPTER XXII.BIRTH OF THE PRECURSOR OF CHRIST AND WHAT THELADY MARY DID ON THIS OCCASION.270. The hour for the rising of the morning star,which was to precede the clear Sun of justice and announce the wished-for day of the law of grace, had arrived (John 5, 35). The time was suitable to the MostHigh for the appearance of his Prophet in the world;and greater than a prophet was John, who pointing outwith his finger the Lamb (John 1, 29), was to preparemankind for the salvation and sanctification of the world.Before issuing from the maternal womb the Lord revealed to the blessed child the hour in which he was tocommence his mortal career among men. The child hadthe perfect use of his reason, and of the divine scienceinfused by the presence of the incarnate Word. Hetherefore knew that he was to arrive at the port ofa cursed and dangerous land, and to walk upon a worldfull of evils and snares, where many are overtaken byruin and perdition.271. On this account the great child was as it werein a state of suspense and doubt: for on the one hand,nature having nourished his body to that state of perfection, which isproper to birth, he recognized and felt, inaddition to the express will of God, the compelling forcesof nature which urged him to leave the retreat of thematernal womb. On the other hand he contemplatedthe dangerous risks of mortal life. Thus he hesitatedbetween the fear of danger and the desire to obey. And2-16 221

222 CITY OF GODhe debated within himself : "If I meet this danger oflosing God, whither shall it lead me? How can I safelyconverse with men, of whom so many are enveloped indarkness and wander from the path of life ? I am in theobscurity of my mother s womb, but I must leave it fora more dangerous darkness. I was imprisoned here,since I received the light of reason; but more must Idread the unrestrained freedom of mortals. But let me,O Lord, fulfillthy will and enter the world; for to execute it isalways best. To know that my life and myfaculties shall be consumed in thy service, highest King,will make itbegin life.into the world."easier for me to come forth to the light andBestow, O Lord, thy blessing for my passage272. By this prayer the Precursor of Christ meritednew graces and blessings at his birth. The fortunatechild knew by the indwelling of God in his mind, thathe was sent to perform great things and was assured ofthe necessary help. Before describing this most happybirth, I will try to explain the scriptural dates concerningit. It must be remembered, that the miraculous pregnancy of saint Elisabeth lasted nine days less than ninemonths. For on account of the fecundity miraculouslyrestored to a barren woman, the fruit conceived maturedfor parturition in this shorter time. When the angelGabriel announced to most holy Mary, that her cousinwas in the sixth month of her pregnancy,it must be understood to mean, that eight or nine days were stillwanting for the completion of the sixth month. I havealso said in chapter sixteen that the heavenly Lady departed on the fourth day after the incarnation of theWord for her visit to saint Elisabeth. Saint Luke doesnot say, that most holy Mary departed immediately, but"in those days,"and though She went "inhaste,"yet

THE INCARNATION 223she consumed four days on her journey, as said in thesame chapter (No. 207).273. I likewise reminded the reader, that when theEvangelist says, that holy Mary remained about threemonths in the house of saint Elisabeth, there were onlyfor in all respects the Evantwo or three days missing;gelist was exact in his words. Accordingly most holyMary, our Lady, was present not only at the confinement of saint Elisabeth and at the birth of John, butalso at the naming and circumcision of saint John, as Iwill now show. Counting eight days after the incarnation of the Word, our Lady arrived at the house ofElisabeth on the evening of the second of April, if wereckon according to our solar months; adding theretothree months less two days, we have the first of July, theeighth day of the birth of saint John, and early nextday most holy Mary departed on her return to Nazareth.Saint Luke mentions the return of our Queen before hespeaks of the birth of saint John, although this happenedbefore She returned. The sacred text anticipates themention of the journey, in order to have done with it,and not to interrupt the thread of the narrative of thePrecursor s birth. This is what I was told to write downin explanation of the text.274. Her time approaching, saint Elisabeth felt thechild in motion as ifhe wanted to place himself on hisfeet; but he was merely following the ordinary courseof nature and the dictates of obedience. Some moderatepains overtook the mother and she informed the PrincessMary. But she did not call Her to be present at thebirth, because reverence for the dignity of Mary and forthe Fruit within her womb, prudently withheld her fromasking, what might not seem befitting. Nor was thegreat Mistress in the same room, but She sent her the

224 CITY OF GODcoverings and swaddling-clothes, which She had madefor the fortunate child. Presently thereafter he wasborn, very perfect and complete in shape, and by thefreedom from impure matter showed signs of the purityof his soul. He was wrapped in the coverings sent byMary, which therefore had already been great and venerable relics.Shortly after, when saint Elisabeth hadcomposed herself, most holy Mary, at the command ofthe Lord, issued from her oratory, in order to pay hervisit to the mother and child and give them her blessing.275. At the request of his mother the Queen receivedin her arms the new-born child and offered him as a newoblation to the eternal Father, and his Majesty, wellpleased, acceptedit as the first-fruits of the Incarnationand of the divine decrees. The most blessed child, fullof theHoly Ghost, acknowledged his sovereign Queen,showing Her not only interior, but outward reverenceby a secret inclination of his head, and again he adoredthe divine Word, which was manifested to him in herwomb by an especial light. And as he also was aware,that he was privileged before allmen, the grateful childperformed acts of fervent thanksgiving, humility, loveand reverence of God and of his Virgin Mother. Theheavenly Queen, in offering him to the eternal Father,pronounced this prayer for him: "Highest Lord andFather, all holy and powerful, accept in thy honor thisoffering and seasonable fruit of thy most holy Son andmy Lord. He is sanctified by the Onlybegotten andrescued from the effects of sin and from the power ofthy ancient enemies. Receive this morning s sacrifice,and infuse into this child the blessings of thy holy Spirit,in order that he may be a faithful minister to Thee andto thy Onlybegotten." This prayer of our Queen was

THE INCARNATION 225efficacious in all respects, and She perceived how theLord enriched this child, chosen as his Precursor; andShe also felt within Herself the effects of these admirableblessings.276. While the Queen of the Universe held the infant in her arms, She was for a short time secretlywrapt in sweetest ecstasy; during it She offered up thisprayer for the child, holdingit close to the same breastwhere the Onlybegotten of the Eternal and her own wassoon to rest. This was the singular prerogative of thethe saints.Therefore it is not surprising, that the angel called himgreat in the eyes of the Lord; for before he was born,the Lord visited and sanctified him, and being born,great Precursor, granted to none amonghe was placed on the throne of grace; he was embracedby the arms, which were to enfold the incarnate WordGod, and thereby excited in the sweetest Mother of Godthe entrancing desire of holding within them the Sonof the Most High, filling Her with delightful affectionsfor his Precursor, the new-born child. Saint Elisabeth,being divinely informed of these sacraments, beheld herwonderful child in the arms of Her, who was his Motherin a more exalted sense than she herself, she being hismother only, as to his natural being, while most holyMary held that position as to his existence in the orderof grace. All this caused a most sweet tie of affectionbetween the most blessed women and in the child, wholikewise was enlightened in regard to these mysteries.By the motions of his tender body he manifested thejoy of his spirit, clinging to the heavenly Lady and seeking to attract her caresses and to remain with Her. Thesweetest Lady fondled him, but with such majestic moderation, that She did not kiss him, as his age would havepermitted; for She preserved her most chaste lips intact

226 CITY OF GODfor her most holy Son.Nor did She look intently intohis face, directing all her intention to the holiness of hissoul. So great was the prudence and modesty of thegreat Queen of heaven in the use of her eyes, that Shewould scarcely have known him by sight.277. When the birth of John become known, all therelations and acquaintances, as saint Luke says, gatheredto congratulate saint Zacharias and Elisabeth, for hishouse was rich, noble and honored in the whole provinceand their piety attracted the hearts of all that knew them.Having known them so many years without childrenand being aware of the sterility and advanced age ofElisabeth, all were stirred to amazement and joyfulwonder, and they looked upon the birth of the childrather as a miracle than as a natural event. The holypriest Zacharias remained mute and unable to manifesthis joy by word of mouth ;for the hour of his miraculouscure had not arrived. But, freed of his incredulity, heshowed his joy in other ways and he was full of affectionate gratitude and praise for the rare blessing, whichhe had now witnessed with his own eyes. His behaviorwe shall describe in the next chapter.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN GAVE ME.278. My dearest daughter, do not be surprised, thatmy servant John feared and hesitated to come into theworld. Life can never be loved by the ignorant devoteeof the world in the same degree, as the wise, in divinescience, abhor and fear its dangers. This science waseminently possessed by the Precursor of my most holySon; hence knowing of the loss which threatened, hefeared the risk. But, since he that knows and dreadsthe treacherous seas of this world, sails so much the

THE INCARNATION 227more securely over their unfathomed depths,it servedhim in good stead for entering securely into the world.The fortunate child began his career with such disgustand abhorrence of all earthly things, that his horror neverabated. He made no peace with the flesh (Mark 6, 17),nor partook of its poison, nor allowed vanity to enter hissenses nor obstruct his eyes; in abhorrence of the worldand of worldly things, he gave his life for justice. Thecitizen of the true Jerusalem cannot be in peace or inalliance with Babylon; nor is it possible to enjoy atthe same time the grace of the Most High and thefriendship of his declared enemies; for no one can servetwo hostile masters, nor can light and darkness, Christand Beliel, harmonize (Matth. 4, 4).279. Guard thyself, my dearest, against those living indarkness and the lovers of the world more than againstfire ;for the wisdom of the sons of this world is carnaland diabolical, and their ways lead to death. In orderto walk the way of truth, even at the cost of the naturallife, it is necessary to preserve the peace of the soul.Three dwelling-places I point out for thee to live in,from which thou must never intentionally come forth.If at any time the Lord should bid thee to relieve thenecessities of thy fellow creatures, I desire that thou donot lose this refuge. Act as one who lives in a castlesurrounded by enemies, and who perchance must go tothe gate to transact necessary business. He acts withsuch wariness, that he will pay more attention to safeguard his retreat and shield himself, than to transactbusiness with others, being always on the watch andon guard against danger. So must thou live, if thouwishest to live securely for doubt not, that enemies more;cruel and poisonous than asps and basilisks surroundthee.

228 CITY OF GOD280. Thy habitations shall be the Divinity of the MostHigh, the humanity of my most holy Son, and thy owninterior. In the Divinity thou must live like the pearlin its shell, or like the fish in the sea, allowing thydesires and affections to roam in its infinite spaces. Themost holy humanity shall be the wall, which defends thee;and his bosom shall be the place of thy rest, and underhis wings shalt thou find refreshment (Ps. 16, 8). Thyown interior shall afford thee peaceful delight throughthe testimony of a good conscience (Cor. 2, 12), andit will, if thou keep it pure, familiarize thee with thesweet and friendly intercourse of thy Spouse. In orderthat thou mayest be aided therein by retirement of thebody, I desire that thou remain secluded in thy choiror in thy cell, leaving it only, when obedience or charitymake it inevitable. I will tell thee a secret: there aredemons, whom Lucifer has expressly ordered to watchfor the religious, who come forth from their retirement, in order to beset them and engage them in battleand cause their fall. The demons do not easily go intothe cells, because there they do not find the occasionsafforded by conversations and the use of the senses,wherein they ordinarily capture and devour their preylike ravenous wolves. They are tormented by the retirement and recollection of religious, knowing that theyare foiled in their attempts, as long as they cannot enticethem into human discourse.281. It is also certain that ordinarily the demons haveno power over souls, unless they gain entrance by somevenial or mortal fault. Mortal sin gives them a sort ofdirect right over those who commit it; while venial sinweakens the strength of the soul and invites their attacks.Imperfections diminish the merit and the progress ofvirtue, and encourage the enemy. Whenever the astute

THE INCARNATION 229serpent notices that the soul bears with its own levityand forgets about itsdanger,it blinds it and seeks toinstill its deadly poison. The enemy then entices thesoul like a little heedless bird, until it falls into oneof the many snares from which there seems to be noescape.282. Admire then, my daughter, what thou hastlearned by divine enlightenment and weep in deepestsorrow over the ruin of so many souls absorbed in suchdangerous tepidity. They live in the obscurity of theirpassions and depraved inclinations, forgetful of thedanger, unmoved by their losses, and heedless of theirdealings. Instead of fearing and avoiding the occasions of evil, they encounter and seek for them inblind ignorance. In senseless fury theyfollow theirpleasures, place no restraint on their passionate desires,and care not where they walk, even if to the most dangerous precipices. They are surrounded by innumerableenemies, who pursue them with diabolical treachery, unceasing vigilance, unquenchable wrath and restless diligence. What wonder then, that from such extremes,or rather from such unequal combat, irreparable defeatsshould arise among the mortals? And that, since thenumber of fools is infinite, the number of the reprobateshould also be uncountable, and that the demon shouldbe inflated by his triumphs in the perdition of so manymen? May the eternal God preserve thee from such amisfortune; and do thou weep and deplore that of thybrethren, continually asking for their salvation as faras is possible.

CHAPTER XXIII.THE GOOD COUNCIL AND INSTRUCTION, WHICH MOSTHOLY MARY GAVE TO SAINT EUSABETH AT HER REQUEST; SAINT JOHN IS CIRCUMCISED AND RECEIVESHIS NAME; ZACHARIAS PROPHESIES.283. After the birth of the Precursor of Christ theand althoughreturn of most holy Mary was unavoidable ;the prudent Elisabeth had found consolation in resigning herself to the divine will, she could not restrainher desire of securing for herself the good counsel andinstruction of the Mother of wisdom. Therefore Shespoke to Her and said Mistress and Mother of the: "MyCreator, I know, that Thou art preparing to leave meand that I am to be deprived of thy loving intercourse,help and protection. I beseech Thee, my Cousin, furnishme with some good counsel, which will help me to conform all my actions to the greater pleasure of the MostHigh. In thy virginal womb Thou bearest Him, who isthe Corrector of the wise and the fountain of light(Wis. 7, 15) ; through Him Thou canst communicate itto all. Let some of the rays, which illumine thy purestsoul fallupon thy servant, in order that I may be enlightened in the paths of justice, until I arrive at thevision of the God of gods in Sion." (Ps. 22, 3.)284. These words of saint Elisabeth moved the mostholy Mary to tender compassion and She spoke wordsthat served her cousin as celestial guidancefor the restof her life. This, She said, would be of short duration ;but the Most High would take care of her child, and She230

THE INCARNATION 231herself had prayed for him to the Almighty.Althoughit is not possible to record all the sweet words of counsel,which the heavenly Lady spoke to saint Elisabeth beforeher departure, I will write down some of them, as faras I have understood them and as far as they can bereproduced by our insufficient language. Most holy Marysaid :"Mybeloved cousin, the Lord has selected Thee forthe fulfillment of most exalted mysteries. He has condescended to enlighten thee concerning them and wishes,that I should open to thee my heart. Thy name iswritten within it for remembrance before his Majesty.I will not forget the devoted kindness with which thouhast treated me, the most useless of creatures ;and frommy most holy Son and Lord I hope thou shalt receive aplentiful reward/*285. "Keep thy mind and spirit fixed on high and bythe light of divine grace preserve the vision of the unchangeable and infinite being of God and the remembrance of his immense goodness, which moved Him tocreate out of nothingall the intellectual creatures in orderto bestow upon them his glory and his gifts of grace.The extreme mercy of the Most High, in favoring usmore than all other creatures with his knowledge andlight,ought to incite us to make up by our thankfulnessfor the blind ingratitude of mortals, who are so far removed from acknowledging and praising their Creator.This shall be our task, that we keep our hearts free andunhindered in our advance toward the last end. Therefore, my beloved, I charge thee to keep it unhamperedand unburdened of all earthly things, free from evensuch as pertain to thy possessions, in order that, voidof earthly hindrances, it may attend to the divine calls.Hope in the coming of the Lord (Luke 12, 36), sothat when He arrives, thou mayest answer his call joy-

232 CITY OF GODfully and not with convulsive violence at the thoughtof leaving thy body and all earthly things. Now, whileit is time to suffer and earn the crown, let us gain meritand hasten to be united intimately with our true andhighestGod."286. "Aslong as thy husband Zacharias lives, seekto love, serve and obey him with especial earnestness.Look upon thy miraculous child as a continual sacrifice tohis Creator; in God and for God thou canst love him asa mother; for he shall be a great Prophet, and in thespirit of Elias he shall defend the honor of the MostHigh and exalt his name. My most holy Son, who haschosen him for his Precursor and for the harbinger ofhis coming, will favor him with the special giftsof hisright hand (Matth. 11, 9) and make him great and wonderful among the nations, manifesting to the worldhis great sanctity."287. "See that the holy name of thy God and the Lordof Abraham, Isaac and Jacob be honored and reverencedby all thy house and family (Tob. 4). Above all beanxiously careful to relieve the needs of the poor, as faras is possible; enrich them with the temporal goods solavishly given to thee by thy God ;show a like generosityto the needy, knowing that these earthly goods are moretheirs than yours, since we are the children of the heavenly Father to whom all things belong. It is not proper,that the child of a rich father should live in superfluity,while his brethren live in poverty and need. In this thoucanst make thyself especially pleasing to the Good ofundying mercy. Continue in thy former practices andfollow out thy plans of stillgreater charity, since Zacharias has given this work into thy hands. With his permission thou canst be generous. Confirm thy hopes inall the tasks imposed upon thee by the Lord, and with

THE INCARNATION 233thy fellow beings practice kindness, humility and patiencein the joy of thy soul, although some of them will givethee occasion to increase thy crown of merit. BlessGod eternally for having manifested to thee his exaltedmysteries and pray for the salvation of souls with unabated love and zeal. Pray also for me, that his Majestymay govern and guide me worthily to preserve the sacrament confided by his goodness to so lowly and poor aservant as I am. Send for my husband in order thatI may have his company while returning to Nazareth.In the meanwhile prepare for the circumcision of thychild and call him John ;for this name was given to himaccording to an unchangeable decree of the Most High."288. These counsels of most holy Mary together withother words of eternal life produced in the heart of saintElisabeth such divine affections, that for a time, she waslost in the exalted teachings and sentiments of theseheavenly doctrines and made mute by the force of thespiritual light infused into her. For the Lord, by meansof the living words of his most pure Mother, enlivenedand renewed the heart of his servant. When the flow ofher tears had moderated, she answered: Mistress"Myand Queen of the universe, speech fails me in alternatesorrow and consolation. Hear Thou the words of myinmost heart, which my tongue cannot express. Myaffections shall witness, what my lips leave unspoken.May the Lord, who is the enricher of our poverty,return to Thee the favor Thou showest me. I beseechThee, who art the fountain of all my help and the sourceof all my blessings, to obtain for me the grace to fulfillthy counsels and to bear the great sorrow of losing thycompany."289. Then they bespoke the arrangements for the circumcision of the child, for the time appointed by the

234 CITY OF GODlaw was approaching. Complying with the custom observed among the Jews, especially among the more distinguished, many relatives and other acquaintances of thehouse of Zacharias began to gather, in order to resolveupon the name to be given to the child; for, in additionto the ordinary preparations and consultations concerningthe name to be given to a son, the high position ofZacharias and Elisabeth and the news of the miraculousfecundity of the mother naturally suggested the existenceof some great mystery to the minds of all their relations.Zacharias was still dumb, and therefore it was necessarythat saint Elisableth should preside at this meeting.Over and above the high esteem which she inspired, shenow exhibited such evident signs of the exalted renewaland sanctification of her soul, which resulted from theknowledge of the mysteries and from the intercoursewith the Queen of heaven, that all her relatives andfriends noticed the change. For even in her countenance she exhibited a kind of effulgence which made hermysteriously attractive and was the reflection of theDivinity, in whose presence she lived.290. At this meeting was present also the heavenlyLady Mary, for Elisabeth had earnestly besought Her,and had even compelled Her by a sort of reverent andhumble command. The great Lady obeyed, but Shebegged the Most High not to make known any of hergreat privileges, lest She draw upon Herself the applauseor veneration of others. The desire of the most HumAnd as the worldble among the humble was granted.persists in ignoring those who fail to use ostentation,nobody took particular notice of Her except saint Elisabeth,who looked upon Her with outward and inwardreverence and who knew, that on Her depended thesuccess of this consultation. As is recorded in the

THE INCARNATION 235Gospel of saint Luke, some of those present in the meeting suggested that the infant be named after his father:but the prudent mother, seconded by the most holy Mary,said:"Myson must be named John."Her relativesobjected, that none of their family bore that name; forthe names of illustrious forefathers were always held ingreat esteem, and were preferred in order to incite theirbearers to the imitation of ancestral virtues. Saint Elisabeth again expressed herself to the effect,that the childshould be called John.291. The relatives then appealed by signs to Zacharias,who, being unable to speak, asked for a pen anddeclared his will by writing upon the tablet :"Johannesest nomen ejus." "Johnis his name." At the sametime most holy Mary, making use of her power over allnature, commanded the dumbness to leave him, histongue to be loosened, as the moment had arrived whenit should bless the Lord. At this heavenly command hefound himself freed from his affliction, and, to the astonishment and fear of all present, he began to speak,here is notas narrated by the Evangelist. What I sayadverse to the Gospel narrative; for, althoughit is thererelated, that the angel foretold Zacharias that he shouldremain mute until his message should be fulfilled, yetGod, when He reveals any decree of his will, absolutelyunfailing as they are, does not always reveal the meansor the manner of their fulfillment, foreseen by Him inhis infinite foreknowledge. Thus the archangel announced to Zacharias the punishment of his unbelief, buthe did not tell him that he should be freed from itby theintercession of most holy Mary, although this also hadbeen foreseen and decreed.292. Therefore, just as the voice of our Lady Marywas the instrument for the sanctification of the child

236 CITY OF GODJohn and his mother, so her secret mandate and her intercession had the effect of loosening the tongue of Zacharias,filling him with the holy Spirit and the gift ofprophecy. Hence he broke forth in the words (Luke 1,68-79) :68. "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; becauseHe hath visited and wrought the redemption of hispeople :69. And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us,in the house of David his servant :70. And he hath spoken by the mouth of his holyprophets, who are from the beginning;71. Salvation from our enemies, and from the handsof all that hate us :72. To perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy testament,73. The oath, which he swore to Abraham ourfather, that he would grant to us,74. That being delivered from the hand of ourenemies, we may serve him without fear,75. In holiness and justice before him, all our days.76. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet ofthe Highest for thou shalt go before the face of the:Lord to prepare his ways :77. To give knowledge of salvation to his people:unto the remission of their sins :78. Through the bowels of the mercy of our God,in which the Orient from on high hath visited us:79. To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and inthe shadow of death: to direct our feet into the wayof peace."293. In the divine canticle of the Benedictus Zachariasembodied all of the highest mysteries, which the ancientprophets had foretold in a more profuse manner con-

earning the Divinity,THE INCARNATION 237Humanity and the Redemption ofChrist, and in these few words he embraces many greatsacraments. He also understood them by the grace andlight, which rilled his spirit, and which raised him up inthe sight of all that had come to attend the circumcisionof his son ;for all of them were witnesses to the solvingof- his tongue and to his divine prophecies. I will hardlybe able to give an explanation of the deep meaning ofthese prophecies, such as they had in the mind of thatholy priest.294. "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel," he says,knowing that the Most High could have saved his peopleand given them eternal salvation merely by desiring itor speaking one word, but He exerted not only his power,but showed also his immense goodness and mercy, theSon of the eternal Father himself coming down to visitand to become their Brother in the humanhis peoplenature ;their Teacher by his example and doctrine, theirRedeemer by his life, passion and death of the Cross.At these words Zacharias understood the union of thetwo natures in the person of the Word and in heavenlyclearness he saw this mystery realized in the virginalbridal-chamber of the most holy Mary. He understoodalso the exaltation of the Humanity by the triumph ofthe Godman, in earning the salvation of the human raceaccording to the promises made to David and his ancestors (II Kings 7, 12; Ps. 131, 11). He understoodthat the same promise had been made to the whole worldby the prophecies of the Saints and Patriarchs from thebeginning. For from the first creation God commencedto direct the course of nature and grace toward hiscoming into the world, and to ordain all his works sincethe time of Adam toward this same blessed end.295. He understood that the Most High in this man-2-17

238 CITY OF GODner provided for us the means of obtaining grace andeternal life lost by our enemies in their pride and stubborn disobedience, which hurled them into hell ;and theseats which would have been theirs, if they had beenobedient, were reserved for the obedient among themortals. He saw how ever since then the enmity whichthe serpent had conceived against God was now turnedagainst men, because we were decreed and enshrined inthe eternal mind according to his divine will (ApocaAdam and Eve, our first parents,lypse 12, 17) how ;having fallen from his friendship and grace,were notgiven over to chastisement, like the rebellious angels, butwere raised to a state of hope (Wisdom 10, 2) ;andthat, in order to assure their descendants of his mercy,God provided the prophecies and figures of the old Testament, which were to be fulfilled in the coming of theRedeemer and Savior. To make this promisestill morecertain it was made to Abraham under an oath, affirming that he would be the father of all his people and ofall the children of the faith (Gen. 22, 16). Assured ofthis stupendous and vast blessing, namely that of receiving his own Son made man, we may serve God free fromthe fear of our enemies ;for by our adoption and regeneration they are already overcome and subdued throughour Redeemer (Gal. 4, 5).296. In order that we may understand what the Wordhas earned for us in restoring to us this liberty in theservice of God, he says: that He has renewed the worldin sanctity and justice, and founded the new law ofgrace for all the days of this world, and for the time oflife given to each of the children of the Church. In itthey not only can, but they should live in holiness andjustice. And as Zacharias saw in his son John the beof all these sacraments, he turns to him and con-ginning

THE INCARNATION 239gratulates him, because of the dignity and sancity of hisoffice, saying And thou, : child, shalt be called a prophetof the Most High; for thou shalt go before his face,namely his Divinity, and prepare his ways by spreadingthe light of his coming, and giving notice to the peopleof the Jews concerning eternal life, which is Christ ourLord, the promised Messias (Mark 1, 41). Thus mightthey dispose themselves by the baptism of penance forthe remission of their sins and become convinced thatthe Messias has come to take away not only theirsins,but those of the whole world (John 1, 29) ; since itisthrough his mercy and on account of his merits(Tit 3, 5) that He visits us, by descending from thebosom of the eternal Father and by being born as man.He it was that brought light to those who had lost thetruth for so many ages, who were sitting in darkness andin the shadows of death. He it was who by his owntoward the trueexample taught us to direct our stepspeace, which we were awaiting.297. Much more clearly than I can explain, Zachariasperceived these mysteries in their plenitude and depth,and expressed them in his prophecies. Some of thosepresent were likewise enlightened, becoming aware thatthe time of the Messias and of the fulfillment of theancient prophecies was at hand.Full of astonishment atthese unexpected wonders and prodigies, they exclaimed :"Who shall this child be, since the hand of the MostHigh is in him so marvelous and powerful?" In accordance with the letter of the law, and with the concurrence of his father and mother, the child was then circumcised and named John and the;report of these wonders spread through all the mountains of Judea.298. Queen of the universe, I admire the wonderfulworks wrought through thy intervention bythe arm of

240 CITY OF GODthe Lord in his servants Elisabeth, John and Zacharias.At the same time I reflect on the different courses pursued by divine Providence and on thy rare discretion.most sweet voice served the son and the mother asThyan instrument of sanctification, filling them with the HolyGhost, and thisremained hidden; then again thy secretprayer and command solved the tongue of Zacharias, andthis was manifested to all the bystanders, revealing theeffects of God s grace in the holy priest. I cannot findthe reason for this diversity, and therefore I make knowninstruct meto Thee my ignorance, so that Thou mayestas my Teacher.ANSWER AND INSTRUCTION OF THE QUEEN OF THEWORLD.299. For two reasons, my daughter,wrought through me by my Son in saint John and Elisabeth were concealed, while those in Zacharias were manifest.the divine effectsFirst, because Elisabeth spoke out clearly in praiseat the time it wasof the incarnate Word and of me; yetnot proper that either this mystery or my dignity shouldbe openly known; the coming of the Messias was to bemanifested by other more appropriate means. Secondly,not all hearts were so well prepared as that of Elisabethfor receiving such precious and unprecedented seed ofdivine knowledge, nor would they have welcomed suchsacramental revelation with due reverence. On the otherhand it was more becoming that Zacharias in his priestlydignity should proclaim what was then to be madeknown; for the beginnings of the heavenly light wouldbe accepted more readily from him than from saintElisabeth, especially while he was present. That whichshe said, was reserved to bring forth its effects in due

THE INCARNATION 241time. Although the words of God have their owninherent force; yet the more sweet and acceptable manner of communicating with the ignorant and the unskilled in divine mysteries isby means of the priest.300. Likewise it was proper that the dignity andhonor of the priesthood should receive itsdue; for theMost High holds the priests in such esteem, that if Hefinds them in the right disposition, He exalts them andfills them with his Spirit in order that the world mayvenerate them as his chosen and anointed ones. Moreover the wonders of the Lord run less risk in priests,even when they are more openly revealed to them. Ifthey live up to their dignity, their works in comparisonwith those of the other creatures, are like those of theangels and of the seraphim. Their countenance shouldbe resplendent, like that of Moses, when he came forthfrom converse with the Lord (Exod. 34, 29). At leastthey should deal with the rest of men in such a mannerthat they be honored and revered as next to God. Idesire that thou understand, my dearest, that the MostHigh is greatly incensed against the world in thismatter: as well against the priests as against laymen.Against the priests because, forgetting their exalted dignity, they debase themselves by a contemptible, degradedand scandalous life, giving bad example to the world bymixing up with it to the neglect of their sanctification.And against the laymen, because they act with a foolhardy presumption toward the anointed of the Lord,whom, though of imperfect and blameworthy lives,they ought to honor and revere as taking the place ofChrist, my most holy Son, on earth.301. On account of this reverence due to the priesthood my behavior toward saint Zacharias was differentfrom that toward Elisabeth. For, although the Lord

242 CITY OP GODwished, that I should be the instrument, by which thegifts of the holy Spirit should be communicated to both;yet I saluted Elisabeth in such a manner, that I at thesame time showed a certain authority, exerting my powerover the original sin of her son; for at my words thissin was forgiven him, and both mother and son wererilled with the Holy Ghost. As I had not contractedoriginal sin and was exempt from it, I possessed dominion over it on this occasion: I commanded as theMistress, who had triumphed over itby the helpof theLord (Gen. 3, 5), and who was no slave of it, as allthe sons of Adam, who sinned in him (Rom. 5, 12).Therefore the Lord desired that, in order to free Johnfrom the slavery and chains of sin, I should commandover it as one who never was subject to itsbondage. Idid not salute Zacharias in this authoritative way, but Iprayed for him, observing the reverence and decorumdue to his dignity and my modesty.I would not havecommanded the tongue of the priest to be loosened, noteven mentally and secretly, if the Most High had notenjoined it upon me, intimating at the same time, that thedefect of speech hardly suited his office, for a priestshould stand ready to serve and praise the Almighty withall his powers. In regard to the respect due to priests Iwill tell thee more on another occasion ;let this suffice atpresent for the solution of thy doubt.302. But from my instruction today learn especiallyto seek direction in the way of virtue and of eternal lifein all thy intercourse with men, be they above or belowthee in dignity. Imitate therein me and my cousin Elisabeth, with due discretion asking all to direct thee andguide thee; for in return for such humility the Lord willprovide thee with secure counsel and divine light forexercising thydiscreet and sincere love of virtue. Drive

THE INCARNATION 243away, or do not allow thyself to be influenced by eventhe least breath of flattery and avoid the conversationswhich expose thee to it; for such deceitful pleasuredarkens the light and perverts the unsuspecting- mind.The Lord is so jealous of the souls especially beloved byHim, that He will immediately turn away from them ifthey find pleasure in the praises of men and seek torecompense themselves by their flatteries; since by thislevity they become unworthy of his favors. It is notpossible to unite in a soul the adulations of the worldand the caresses of the Most High. For these latterare sincere, holy, pure, and lasting: they humiliate,cleanse, pacify and illumine the heart ;while on the otherhand the flatteries of creatures are vain, fleeting, deceitful, impure and false, issuing from the mouths of thosewho are all liars (Ps. 115, 11) and whatever is deceitful;is a work of the enemy.303. Thy Spouse, my dearest daughter, does not wishthy ears to be enthralled by deceitful earthly talk, norcontaminated by the flatteries of the world. ThereforeI desire that thou keep them closed and well guardedagainst all these poisonous influences. If thy Lord ispleased to speak to thy heart the words of eternal life, itis proper that thou thyself be deaf and lifeless to all thatis earthly. All else should be to thee a deadly tormentin comparison with the caresses of his love.Rememberthat thou owest Him the perfection of thy love, and thatall hell will combine against thee, in order to ensnarethee by thy natural tenderness to be sweet and lovingtoward creatures, and less grateful to the eternal God.Watch over thyself, and see that thou resist this unfaithfulness, trusting in thy beloved Master and Spouse.

CHAPTER XXIV.MOST HOIvY MARY LEAVES THE HOUSE OF ZACHARIASAND RETURNS TO HER HOME IN NAZARETH.304. At the call of Elisabeth, the most fortunate ofhusbands, saint Joseph, had come in order to attendmost holy Mary on her return to her home in Nazareth.On arriving at the house of Zacharias he had been welcomed with indescribable reverence and devotion by saintElisabeth and Zacharias; for now also the holy priestknew that he was the guardian of the sacramental treasures of heaven, though this was yet unknown to thegreat patriarch saint Joseph himself. His heavenlySpouse received him in modest and discreet jubilation,and, kneeling before him, She, as usual, besought hisblessing, and also his pardon, for having failed to servehim for nearly three months during her attendance uponher cousin Elisabeth. Though She had been guilty ofno fault, not even of an imperfection in thus devotedlyfulfilling the will of God in conformity with the wishesof her spouse, yet, by this courteous and endearing actof humility, She wanted to repay her husband for thewant of her consoling companionship. The holy Josephanswered that as he now again saw Her, and again enjoyed her delightful presence, he was relieved of the paincaused by her absence. In the course of a few daysthey announced the day of their departure.305. Thereupon the princess Mary took leave of thepriest Zacharias. As he had already been enlightenedby the Lord concerning her dignity, he addressed244

THE INCARNATION 245Her with the greatest reverence as the living sanctuaryof the Divinity and humanity of the eternal Word."MyMistress," he said, "praiseand bless eternally thy Maker,who in his infinite mercy has chosen Thee among all hiscreatures as his Mother, as the sole Keeper of all hisgreat blessings and sacraments. Be mindful of me, thyservant, before thy Lord and God, that He may leadme in peace through this exile to the security of theeternal peace which we hope for, and that through theeI may merit the vision of his Divinity, which is theglory of the saints. Remember also, O Lady, my houseand family, and especially my Son John, and pray to theMost High for thy people."306. The great Lady knelt before him and in profound humility asked him to bless Her. This Zachariashesitated to do and instead asked Her to give him herblessing. But nothing could overcome the humility ofHer who was the Teacher of that virtue and of all holiness; and therefore She importuned the priestfor hisblessing until he yielded to the impulse of the divine light.In the words of holy Scripture, he said to Her : "Theright arm of the almighty and true God assist Theealways, and deliver Thee from all evil (Ps. 120, 7).Possess thou the grace of His unfailing protection, and befilled with the dew of heaven and with the fruits ofthe earth, and let Him give Thee abundance of breadand wine (Gen. 27, 28) ; let the nations serve Thee andlet the generations worship Thee, since Thou art thetabernacle of God (Eccl. 24, 12) ;be Thou the Mistressof thy brethren, and letthe sons of thy mother kneel inthy presence. Those that praise and bless Thee shallbe honored and blessed; and those that bless and extolThee not shall be cursed. In Thee let all nations know

246 CITY OF GODtheir God (Judith 13, 31), and throughThee let thename of the most high God of Jacob be glorified."307. In return for this prophetic blessing, most holyMary kissed the hand of the priest and asked him to forgive Her the faults committed in his house. The saintlyold man was much moved by these parting words of themost pure and amiable of creatures, and ever thereafterbore hidden within him the memory of the mysteriesrevealed to him concerning the most holy Mary. Onlyonce, when he was present at a meeting of the priestsin the temple, who were congratulating him on accountof the birth of his son and the restoration of his speech,and he answeredhe was moved by the excess of his joythem believe : "Ifirmly that the Most Highhas visitedus and has already sent us the promised Messias, whowill redeem his people."But he spoke no further ofwhat he really knew of the mystery. The holy priestSimeon, however, who was present and heard thesewords, was seized with great joy of spirit and by divineimpulse exclaimed: "Let not, O Lord God of Israel,thy servant depart from this valley of misery before hehas seen thy salvation and the Redeemer of his people."To this prayer he afterwards alluded when, at the presentation of infant God in the temple, He received Himinto his arms, as we shall see later on.Until that eventtook place he desired more and more ardently to see theincarnate Word.308. Leaving Zacharias in tears, Mary betook Herselfto her cousin Elisabeth. As She was a cousin of Mary,of a tender heart, and as She had enjoyed so many daysof sweet intercourse, and had received so many favorsof the Mother of grace, she was almost overcome withgrief at the mere thought of now losing the sourcewhence so many blessings had flown and were yet to

THE INCARNATION 247flow, if she could only retain it. Hence, when the timefor taking leave of the Mistress of heaven and eartharrived her heart was torn with sorrow, and shefinallycould say only a few words amid her copious tears andsighs revealing her inmost soul. The serene Queen, being superiorto all inordinate movements of the naturalpassions, in affable modesty spoke to Elisabeth: "Mybeloved cousin, do not grieve so much over my departure, since the charity of the Most High,in whom Itruly love thee, knows no distance of time or place. InHim I behold thee, and I keep thee in my mind; andthou also wilt find me in that same presence. Short isthe time of our bodily separation, since all the days ofhuman life are so fleeting (Job 14, 5), and if we gainthe victory over our enemies we shall very soon see ourselves and enjoy ourselves in the celestial Jerusalem,where there is no sorrow, no weeping, no separation(Apoc. 21, 4). In the meanwhile thou wilt find allblessings in the Lord and also me thou wilt find andpossess in Him. He will remain in thy heart and console thee." Our most prudent Queen said no more toallay the grief of saint Elisabeth instead; She knelt downat her feet and asked her blessing, and her pardon forwhat might have been disagreeable in her intercoursewith her; nor would Mary yield to the protests of Elisabeth until her petition was granted. Elisabeth then insisted on her part and asked the blessing of the heavenlyLady in return, and not wishing to deny her this consolation, most holy Mary complied.309. The Queen visited also the child John, receivedhim in her arms and bestowed upon him many mysterious blessings. The wonderful infant by divine dispensation spoke to the Virgin, although in a low and infantile voice: "Thou art the Mother of God himself,

248 CITY OF GODthe Queen of all creation, the Keeper of the ineffableTreasure of heaven, my help and protection: grant me,thy servant, thy blessing, and may thy intercession andfavor never fail me." Three times he kissed the hand ofthe Queen of heaven; likewise he adored theincarnateWord in her virginal Womb, and asked Him for hisbenediction and grace. The infant God manifested hispleasure and benevolence toward his Precursor, while themost happy Mother Mary beheld and understood all thatwas passing. In all things She acted with the plenitudeof divine science, venerating all these mysteries according to their proper import; for She responded with amagnanimous heart to all the works of his divine wisdom(II Mach. 2, 9).310. The whole household of Zacharias had been sanctified by the presence of most holy Mary and of theincarnate Word in her womb; all its inmates had beenedified by her example, instructed by her conversationsand teachings, and sweetly affected by her intercourseand modest behavior. While She had drawn towardHerself all the hearts of that happy family, She alsomerited and obtained for them from her most holy Sonthe plenitude of celestial gifts. Holy Joseph was heldin high veneration by Zacharias, Elisabeth and John for;they had come to know his high dignity before he himself was yet aware of it. The blessed Patriarch, happyin his Treasure, the full value of which as yet he did notknow, took leave of all and departed for Nazareth : whathappened on the way I will narrate in the followingchapter. But before they began their journey most holyMary, on bended knees, besought saint Joseph to blessHer, as She was accustomed to do on such occasions, andafter She had received his blessing, they betook themselves on their journey.

THE INCARNATION 249INSTRUCTION BY THE MOST HOLY QUEEN MARY.311. My daughter, the happy souls which God haschosen for his intimate friendship and perfection mustkeep themselves in continual readiness and peace, in orderto perform all that his Majesty may ordain without hesitation or delay. That is what I did when the Most Highcommanded me to leave the beloved retreat of my houseand betake myself to Elisabeth; likewise, when he ordered me to return. I obeyed in all these things withjoyful alacrity; and although I had received so manybenefits from Elisabeth and her family and so manytokens of love and friendship, as thou hast seen, yet,knowing the will of the Lord, I set aside all obligationand my own inclination and followed them only so faras was strictly demanded by charity and compassion, andin so far as the promptest obedience to the divine command permitted.312. My dearest daughter, how wilt thou not hastento obtain this true and perfect resignation as soon as thouknowest its vast value! How pleasingit is in the eyesof the Lord, and how profitable for thy soul! Laborthen to attain it in imitation of me, as I have alreadyso often invited thee and urged thee. The greatest hindrances toward its attainment are the leanings and speciallikings to earthly things; for these make the soul unworthy of the caresses of the Lord and of knowingfully his will. And even if the soul knows his will, thebase love of unworthy things will keep the soul fromfulfilling it; for on account of its inclinations, it will bewanting in the ready and joyful obedience required bythe Lord. Take notice of this danger, my daughter, anddo not allow any particular affection to enter into thyheart, for I wish that thou be well versed and perfect in

250 CITY OF GODthis art of divine love, and that thy obedience be that ofan angel, and thy love that of a seraphim. Thus showthyself in all thy actions, for to this my love urges thee,and thus art thou taught by the knowledge and lightimparted to thee.313. I do not say that thou must do away with allsensible feeling, for that is not naturally possible to thecreature; but whenever thou meetest adverse happenings,or when thou art deprived of what is useful, necessaryor agreeable thou must bear it with joyful resignationand give praise to the Lord, because his will is beingfulfilled in thy regard. By seeking only his pleasure,and consideringall else as of passing moment, thou wiltgain a quick and easy victory over thyself, and thou wiltseek all occasions to humiliate thyself under the mightyhand of the Lord (I Pet. 5, 6). I also exhort thee toimitate me in my esteem and veneration of the priests,and that thou always ask their blessing before speakingto them and in leaving them. Do this also in regard tothe Most High before beginning any work. Toward thysuperiors always show thyself devoted and submissive.If any married women come to seek thy advice, exhortthem to be obedient to their husbands (Tit. 5, 2), peacefully subjecting themselves, living retired in their housesand carefully fulfilling their obligations toward theirfamilies. Tell them not to give themselves up entirelyto their occupations, nor to lose themselves in their dailycares on pretext of necessity; for much more must betrusted to the goodness and liberality of God than toone s own immoderate bustle and activity. In whateverhappened to me in my condition, thou wilt find trueinstruction and example and; mywhole life will be anexample of perfection for the guidance of souls, andtherefore I will not need to give thee further direction.

CHAPTER XXV.THE JOURNEY OF MOST HOLY MARY FROM THE HOUSEOF ZACHARIAS TO HER HOME IN NAZARETH.314. Returning from the town of Juda to Nazareththe most holy Mary, the living tabernacle of God, pursued her way through the mountains of Judea in thecompany of her most faithful spouse saint Joseph. Although the Evangelists do not make mention of any hastein this journey homeward, such as is recorded by saintLuke and occasioned by the special mystery connectedwith it, yet the great Princess made also this returnjourney with great expediency, on account of the eventswhich awaited Her at home. All the journeys of thisheavenly Lady were a mystical counterpart of her spiritual and interior advances. For She was the truetabernacle of the Lord, which was to find no definiteresting-place in this mortal pilgrimage (I Par. 17, 5) ;on the contrary, progressing daily from one stage toanother and to higher condition of wisdom and grace,She continually pushed forward on her pilgrimage to thepromised land (Numb. 7, 89) ;and She bore continuallywith Her on her journey the true propitiatory, whenceShe drew ceaseless increase of her gifts and acquired forus eternal salvation.315. The great Queen and saint Joseph again consumedfour days in their return journey, as they had done ontheir coming. On the way they maintained the samedivine conversations, and they experienced events similarto those already mentioned in chapter sixteenth.251In the

252 CITY OF GODordinary practices of humility,in which theyvied witheach other, our Queen always came out victorious, exceptwhen saint Joseph called obedience to his aid; becauseShe considered obedience the greater humility. As Shewas already in her third month of pregnancy, She wasmore attentive and careful in her journey; not that herpregnancy caused her any difficulties, for it was on thecontrary a most sweet alleviation of any hardships. Butthis careful and prudent Mother was filled with the consciousness of her Treasure; for She beheld day by daythe natural growth of the body of her most holy Son inher virginal womb. Notwithstanding the ease and lightness of her pregnancy, She nevertheless was subject tothe exertion and the fatigue of the journey; for the sovereign Lady made no use of her privileges to diminishher sufferings, but She gave free scope to the fatiguesand inconveniences of travel in order to be in all thingsour teacher and the faithful image of her most holy Son.316. As the divine Fruit of her womb was naturallyShe was Herself ofof the most perfect growth, and asthe most comely and well-proportioned shape withoutany defect whatever, it was natural that her conditionshould become noticeable, and She knew that it wouldbe impossible to conceal it much longer from her husband. Already She began to look upon him with greatertenderness and compassion in view of the shock whichhis love would feel on noticing her condition. Gladlywould She have turned it aside if She had known thatsuch was the will of God. But the Lord gave Her nointimation of his will inthese anxious thoughts; for Hehad ordained that the event should come about in such away as to increase his glory and the merits both of saintJoseph and of the Virgin Mother. Nevertheless thegreat Lady besought his Majesty to fill the heart of her

THE INCARNATION 253spouse with patience and wisdom, and to assist him withgrace, that he might act in this conjuncture according tothe divine pleasure. For She was convinced that itwould occasion him great grief to see her pregnant.317. In the course of the journey the Mistress of theworld performed some wonderful works, although alwaysin secret. It happened that when they arrived at a placenot far from Jerusalem some people from another towncame to the same hostelry. They brought with them ayoung woman seeking a cure for her sickness in the largerand more populous city. She was known to be very sick,but no one knew what was her sickness or the cause ofit. This woman had lived a very virtuous life. On thisaccount the enemy, who knew her character and her advanced virtues, began to direct his attacks especiallyagainst her, as he always does against the friends of God,since he considers them his own enemies. He causedher to commit some sins and, in order to force her fromone abyss into another, he tempted her with despondentthoughts and disorderly grief at her fall.Having thusupset her judgment this dragon found entrance intoher body, and now he, with many other demons, had possession of her. I have already said in the first part thatthe infernal dragon, when he saw in heaven the womanclothed with the sun (Apoc. 12, 1), conceived a greatwrath against all virtuous women. Of her progeny areall those that follow Mary, as may be judged from thatsame chapter of the Apocalypse. On this account heexerted all his arrogance and tyranny in the possessionof the body and soul of this afflicted woman.318. The heavenly Princess saw her in the tavern andknew of her affliction, which was unknown to the others.Moved by her motherly pity, She begged her most holySon to give health of body and soul to the unfortunate2-18

254 CITY OF GODwoman. Perceiving that the divine will was inclined tomercy, She used her power as Queen and commanded thedemons instantly to leave this creature never to return.Moreover, She banished them to the infernal depths, theirlawful and appropriate dwelling. This command of ourgreat Queen and Lady was not given vocally, but mentally, in such a way as to be perceptible to the impurespirits.It was so powerful that Lucifer and his companions hastened to leave that body and hurl themselvesinto the infernal darkness. The fortunate woman wasfreed and seized with wonder at the unhoped-for delivery; and in her inmost heart she was drawn towardthe most pure and holy Lady. She looked upon Herwith an especial veneration and love, thereby deservingtwo other favors. One was that she was filled with amost sincere sorrow for her sins ;the other, that the evileffects or traces of the demoniacal possession underwhich she had suffered were effaced. She was aware thatthe mysterious Stranger, whom she had so fortunatelymet on her way was concerned in the heavenly blessing.She therefore spoke to Her, and our Queen answeredwith words that went straight to the heart ;She exhortedher to perseverance and also merited it for her duringthe rest of her life. Her companions likewise recognizedthe miracle; but they attributed it to their promise ofbringing her to the temple of Jerusalem and of offeringsome gift for her. This promise they fulfilled, praisingGod, but remaining ignorant of the source of their goodfortune.319. Vast and furious was the wrath of Lucifer whenhe found himself and hisdemons dispossessed and castout from their abode by the mere word of this womanMary. Full of wrathful astonishment, he exclaimed:"Who is this weak Woman, that commands us and op-

THE INCARNATION 255presses us with so much power? What new surprise isthis, and how can my pride stand it? We must hold acouncil and see how we can unite to destroy Her." SinceI will say more of their doings in the next chapter, Ileave them to their wrathful designs. Our pilgrims inthe meanwhile came to another tavern, the master ofwhich was a man of bad habits and character; and as abeginning of his happiness, God ordained that he shouldreceive most holy Mary and Joseph with a good will andmarks of kindness. He showed them more courtesy andgood services than he was accustomed to show to others.In order to return his hospitality with still greater kindness the great Queen, who knew the sad state of hisinterior, prayed for him, justifying his soul and causinghim to change his life. Her prayers had also the effectof adding to his worldly possession, for on account ofthe small favor done to his heavenly guests, God increased them from that time on. Many more miraclesthe Mother of grace wrought in this journey, for all herdoings were divine (Cant. 4, 13), and all who were ofproper disposition were sanctified by meeting Her. Theyfinished their journey at Nazareth, where the Princessof heaven set her house in order and cleaned itwith theassistance of her holy angels, for they vied with Her inhumility and were anxious to serve and honor Her bytaking part in these humble occupations. The holyJoseph applied himself to his ordinary daily work, providing for the sustenance of the Queen and his trusting;heart was not deceived in Her (Prov. 31, 11). Shegirded Herself with new strength for the mysterieswhich She awaited, and She put forth her hands tovaliant deeds,enjoyingin her soul the undimmed visionof the Treasure of her womb and, connected with it,

256 CITY OF GODincomparable delights and blessings. Thus She continued to gain vast merits and made Herself unspeakably pleasing to God.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN GAVE ME.320. My daughter,the faithful souls and children ofthe Church, who know God, must make no distinction oftime, place or occasions in the practiceof faith and theother virtues connected with it. For God is present inall things and fills them with his infinite being (Jer. 23,24), and in all places and circumstances faith will enablethem to see and adore Him in spirit and in truth(John 4, 22). Just as preservation follows upon creation, and as breathing follows upon life, and just asthere is no intermission in the breathing, nourishmentand growth of man until the end is reached : so therational creature,after having been regenerated by faithof grace, must never interrupt the course of the spirituallife, continually pursuing works of life by faith, hope andcharity in all places and at all time (James 2, 26). Onaccount of their forgetfulness and carelessness, the children of men, and especially the members of the Church,possess the life of faith as if they had lost it, allowing itto die for want of charity. These are the ones whohave received in vain this their new soul, as David says,because they neglectit as if they had never obtained it(Psalm 23, 4).321. I desire, my dearest, that thy spiritual life be justas continual as thy natural life. Thou must continue tolead a life such as is required by the grace and gifts ofthe Most High, believing and hoping in the Lord, loving,praising and adoring Him in spirit and in truth, no

THE INCARNATION 257matter what changes there may be in time, occupationor place, He is in all things and He wishes to be lovedand served by all rational creatures. I therefore chargethee that whenever souls come to thee full of this forgetfulnessof their faults, and harassed by the demons, thoupray for them with lively faith and confidence. If theLord does not always fulfill what thou desirest and whatthey ask, He will follow his own secret counsel, and thouwilt have pleased Him by having acted as a true spouseand daughter. If thou faithfully followest my instructions, I assure thee that He will confer upon thee manyspecial privileges for the benefit of souls. Consider whatI did at the sight of souls displeasing to the Lord, andhow zealously I worked for all, and for some in particular. To imitate and oblige me, do thou likewise workand pray for those whose interior becomes known to theethrough the Lord or through other means; admonishthem with prudence, humility and resignation; for theAlmighty does not desire thee to proceed noisily, northat the results of thy labors be always manifest, but thatthey remain hidden. In this He conforms Himself tothy naturally retiring disposition and to thy desires, andHe seeks what is most secure for thee. And, althoughthou must pray for all souls, yet thou must pray moreearnestly for those whom the divine will points out tothee.

CHAPTER XXVI.THE DEMONS HOLD A MEETING IN HELL IN ORDER TOTAKE COUNSEL AGAINST MOST HOLY MARY.322. At the instant of the incarnation of the Word, asI said in chapter eleventh (140), Lucifer and all hellfelt the power of the right arm of the Almighty whichhurled them to the deepest of the infernal caverns.There they remained overwhelmed for some days, untilthe Lord in his admirable providence allowed them tocome forth from this captivity, the cause of which theydid not know. The great dragon then arose and scouredthe earth, spying- everywhere for new developments towhich he might attribute the rout which he and all hissatellites had experienced. This search the proud princeof darkness would not trust entirely to his companions,but he himself issued forth in their company to courseabout upon the globe, seeking with the most cunningmalice to find what he wanted. He spent in this searchthree months and finally returned to hell just as ignorantof the true cause as when he had come forth. For thegreat mysteries of heaven were not intelligible to himat that time, because the darkness of his malice did notpermit him either to rejoice in their wonderful effects orto glorify and bless their Author. This was reserved tous men, for whom Redemption was inaugurated.323. The enemy of God was very much confused andaggrieved, without knowing how to account for it. Inorder to discuss the matter, he called together all theinfernal hosts, without excusing or permitting a single258

THE INCARNATION 259one of the demons to be absent. In this convention,from a place of vantage, he addressed the meeting in thismanner : "You well know, my subjects, with what greatanxiety I, ever since God has cast us out from his dwelling and deprived us of our might, have sought to avengemyself and tried to destroy the power of the Almighty.Although I cannot do anything to injure Him, I havespared no time or exertion in extending my dominionover men whom He loves. By my own strength I havepeopled my reign (Job 41, 25) and many nations andtribes obey and follow me (Luke 4, 6). Day by day Idraw toward myself innumerable souls, depriving themof the knowledge and possession of God, in order thatthey may not enjoy the happiness which we have lost.I ensnare them to these eternal pains which we suffer,since they will follow my teachings and guidance: onthem I will wreak the vengeance which I have conceivedagainst their Creator. But all this appears of small consequence to me in the face of the sudden overthrow whichwe have experienced; for an attack so powerful andruinous has not happened to us since we were hurled fromheaven. I must acknowledge that as well your as mypower has met a serious shock. This new and extraordinary defeat must have some new cause, and our weakness, I fear, is the beginning of our ruin."324. "This matter will require renewed diligence, formy fury is unquenchable and my vengeance remains insatiable. I have scoured the whole earth, observed all itsinhabitants with great care, and yet I have found nothingnotable. I have watched and persecuted all the virtuousand perfect women who are of the race of Her whomwe saw in heaven, and whom I expected to meet amongthem. But I find no sign of her having as yet beendo not find one who possesses the marks ofborn; for I

260 CITY OF GODHer who is to be the Mother of the Messias.A Maidenwhom I feared on account of her great virtues, andwhom I persecuted in the temple, is already married;and therefore She can not be the one we look for, sinceIsaiah says She is to be a Virgin (Is. 7, 14). Nevertheless I fear and detest this Maiden, since such a virtuous Woman might give birth to the Mother of theMessias or to some great prophet. To this hour I havenot been able to overcome Her in anything, and of Herlife I understand less than of that of others. She hasalways valiantly resisted me, as She eludes my memory;or remembering Her, I cannot approach Her. I havenot yet been able to decide whether these difficulties inregard to Her are miraculous, or arise from my forgetfulness,or whether they are simply the consequences ofthe contempt in which I hold such an insignificantMaiden. But I will consider this matter; for recentlywe could not resist the power of her command, by whichwe were dispossessed of our right to dwell in those persons from whom She drove us. This certainly requiressatisfaction, and She merits my wrath solely on accountof what She has shown Herself to be on these occasions.I resolve to persecute Her and overcome Her, and doyou yourselves assist me in this enterprise with allyourstrength and malice; and those who will distinguishthemselves in this conquest shall receive great rewardsat my hands."325. The whole infernal rabble, which had listenedattentively to Lucifer, praised and approved his intentions, and they told him not to worry over this Woman,for She would easily be overcome and he should not bewithout his triumphs over Her, since his power was sogreat and ruled all the world (John 14, 30). Then theyset about discussing the means of entrapping most holy

THE INCARNATION 261Mary, supposing Her to be a woman of distinguishedand remarkable virtue and holiness, but not the Motherof the incarnate Word ;for at that time, as I have said,the demons were ignorant of the hidden sacrament connected with Her. Accordingly Lucifer and his companions in malice immediately entered upon a mightyconflict with the heavenly Princess, thus making it possible for Her to crush the head of the infernal dragonmany times (Gen. 3, 15). Yet, though this was agreat battle, and one of the most remarkable conflicts ofher life, She fought another one later on after theAscension of her most holy Son into heaven. Of this Iwill speak in the third part of this history. It was veryremarkable, because Lucifer at that time already knewHer as the Mother of God. Saint John speaks of it inthe twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse, as I will explainin its place.326. In dispensing the mysteries of the Incarnation theprovidence of the Most High was most admirable, andso it is even yet in the government of the CatholicChurch. There is no doubt that it is befitting the strongand sweet providence of God to hide many things fromthe demons, which are better unknown to them; as wellbecause they are unworthy of knowing the sacred mysteries (for the reason given above in number 318), asalso because the divine power becomes more manifest inkeeping the demons in subjection. But it is especiallynecessary that they remain in ignorance in order thatthe works of God in the Church and his sacraments maytake their course in greater peace also in order that the;unmeasured wrath of the demons may be more effectivelycurbed by not allowing them to proceed according to theirmalice. Although the Almighty could always repressand restrain the devils by force, yet He proceeds in this

262 CITY OF GODmatter according to what is most appropriate to his infinite goodness. On this account the Lord concealed fromthese enemies the dignity of the most holy Mary and thewonderful manner of her pregnancy, as well as herand He convirginal integrity before and after the birth ;cealed it still more effectively by giving her a husband.Likewise they were uncertain of the Divinity of Christour Lord until the moment of his Death ; only then theysaw that they had been deceived and misled in regard tomany mysteries of the Redemption. Instead of incitingthe Jews to inflict upon Him the most cruel death, theywould have sought to prevent it, and they would havetried to retard our Redemption by making known to theworld that Christ is the true God. Therefore, whensaint Peter confessed Him as such, Christ forbade himand the rest of the Apostles to make it known to anybody (Matth. 16, 20). Although, on account of themiracles He wrought and the exorcisms which He performed (Luke 8, 28), they almost began to suspect Himto be the Messias, and called Him Son of God; yet hisMajesty would not allow them to publishit about. Nordid they call Him so with certain conviction. For theirsuspicions subsided when they saw our Lord despised andfatigued they could never penetrate the mystery of the:Savior s humility and their inflated pride kept them indarkness.327. Since Lucifer then did not kno*v the dignityof Mary the Mother of God at the time of this persecuit was not so terrible as the one Shetion, fierce as it was,suffered later on, when He knew who She was. If inthis present occasion he had known that She was theOne whom he had seen in heaven clothed with the sunand (Apoc. 12, 1) that She was to crush his head(Gen. 3, 15), he would have been lashed into devouring

THE INCARNATION 263fury and consumed in fiery wrath. If they were sofearfully enraged at the mere thought of her sanctity andperfection, it is certain, that, had they known her greatness, they would, as far as would be allowed them, havedisturbed the whole universe, in order to make an end ofHer. However, since they on the one hand were ignorant of the mysteries of the heavenly Lady and otherhand felt the effects of her extreme virtue and sanctity,they were on this occasion thrown into confusion anddoubt, asking each other : who this Woman could be,against whom they saw their power dwindle into insignificance? And whether perhaps She was not the onewho was to hold first place among creatures ?328. Others judged that She could not possibly be theMother of the Messias, for whom men were waiting;for besides having a husband, She with her husbandbelonged to the poorest, humblest, and the most insignificant people in this world :they had wrought no publicmiracles or prodigies, nor had they attracted the esteemor reverence of any of their fellowmen. As Lucifer andhis associates are so proud, they could not persuadethemselves that such extreme humility and self-debasement can consort with the dignity of Mother of God.Lucifer thought that God in his power would not choosefor Himself what the devil had considered unworthy ofhis own dignity, which he knew was beneath that of theAlmighty. In short, he was deceived by his own arrogance and giddy pride, for these are the vices which aremost apt to darken the intellect and to drag the will toruin. On this account Solomon says, that their ownmalice has made them blind (Sap. 2, 21), in order thatthey might not know that the eternal Word was tomake use of such means in order to destroy the arrogance and haughtiness of the dragon. For his thoughts

264 CITY OF GODwere distant from those of the Almighty farther thanthe earth is distant from heaven (Is. 55, 9). Hethought that God would come from heaven into theworld with great show of strength and opposition, humiliating by his power the proud princes and monarchs,which the demon had filled with his own arrogance and;so well had he succeeded, that many, who reigned beforethe time of Christ, were inflated with such pride and preas to have lost their common sense and tosumption,have forgotten that they were mortal and earthly.Luciferjudged of all these things according to his own vanityand according to his own method of proceeding againstthe works of the Lord.329. But the infinite Wisdom took measures beyondall the calculations of Lucifer: for He came to conquerhim not only by his Omnipotence, but by humility, meekness, obedience and poverty, which are the weapons ofhis warfare (II Cor. 10, 4) ;far from Him are theempty show and vanity maintained by the riches of theworld. He came disguised and hidden in the outwardappearance of lowliness; He chose a poor Mother. Allthat the world values, He came to despise, teaching thetrue science of life in word and example. Thus thedevil found himself deceived and overcome by the verythings that were most repugnant and unbearable to him.330. In ignorance of all these mysteries Lucifer spentsome days in spying out and reconnoitering the naturalcondition of most holy Mary, her character, temperament,inclinations, the tranquillity, evenness and consideratenessof her conduct; but the enemy could discover no flaw.Seeing the perfection and sweetness of all that concernedHer, and that She was like an impregnable wall, he returned to his demons and laid before them the greatdifficulty of tempting Her. All of them projected mighty

THE INCARNATION 265plans of attack, encouraging each other in trying to solvethe difficulties. Of the execution of these designs, of theglorious triumphs of the heavenly Princess over all herenemies, and of the foiling of all their damned and malicious counsels, I will speak in the following chapter.INSTRUCTION VOUCHSAFED ME BY THE QUEEN OFHEAVEN, THE MOST HOLY MARY.331. My daughter, I wish that thou be very cautiousand watchful in regard to the ignorance and darkness,by which the demon commonly ensnares mortals andmakes them forget their eternal salvation and the continual danger of its loss through his persecutions. Menare lost in forgetful rest and sleep, as if there were novigilant and powerful enemies. This dreadful carelessness arises from two causes: on the one hand men areso taken up with their earthly and sensible being(I Cor. 2, 14), that they do not feel any other evils except those concerning the animal nature in them; allthat is interior is harmless in their estimation. On theother hand, since the princes of darkness are invisible andunperceived by any of the senses (Ephes. 6, 12) andsince carnal men neither touch, nor feel, nor see them,they forget the fear of them. Yetfor this very reasonthey ought to be more attentive and careful, since invisible enemies are more cunning and adroit in injuring usby their treachery. So much the more certain is thedanger, the more concealed it is, and so much the moredeadly are the wounds, the less they are felt and recognized.332. Listen, my daughter, to most important truthsconcerning eternal life. Attend to my counsels, followmy instructions and receive my warnings; for if thou

266 CITY OF GODpass them by unheeded, I will cease to speakto thee.Hear what thou hast not until now known of the disposition of these enemies.that no intellect, nor any tongue of man or angels canI wish to make known to theedescribe the wrath and fury which Lucifer and hisdemons entertain against mortals just because they areimages of God and because they are capable of enjoyingHim for all eternity. The Lord alone can comprehendthe wicked malice of these proud and rebellious spiritsagainst his holy name and against his worship. If thesefoes were not restrained by his almighty arm they wouldin one moment destroy the world; they would like famishing lions, like wild beasts and fierce dragons, despatchall mankind and tear them to pieces. Now howeverthe most kind Father of all mercies wards off and curbstheir wrath and He bears his little children in his armsin order that they may not fall a preywolves.to these hellish333. Consider then, as seriously as thou canst,whether anything deserves greater pity, than to see somany men misled into danger and made forgetful of it;how some of them cast themselves into it on account oftheir lightheartedness, some of them for trivial reasons,others for a short and instantaneous pleasure, othersthrough negligence, and yet others on account of their inordinate appetites, tearing themselves away from theplaces of refuge, in which the Almighty has placed them,to fall into the hands of such cruel and furious enemies ;and not only to feel their fury for an hour, a day, a month,or a year, but to suffer indescribable and unmeasured torments for all eternity. Thou shouldst be rilled with fearand wonder, my daughter, to see such horrible and dreadful foolishness among the impenitent mortals and to seeeven the faithful, who have come to know and confess

THE INCARNATION 267all this by faith, so far lose their understanding and allowthemselves to be so insanely blinded bythe devil thatthey neither regard nor avoid this danger.334. In order that thou mayest fear it and preservethyself the better, remember that this dragon knows theeand lurks about thee ever since the hour of thy creationand entrance into this world. Night and day he restlessly prowls about seeking some chance of capturingthee as a prize. He observes thy natural inclinationsand also the gifts of the Lord, in order to combat theewith thy own weapons. He charges other demons withthy ruin and promises reward to those that are morediligent in securing it. They weigh thy actions carefully,watch thy footsteps, and work zealously to lay snares forthee in all thy undertakings. I desire thee to meditateon these truths in the Lord, who will show thee whitherthey lead; compare them afterwards with thy own experience and thou wilt understand, whether thou hastany occasion for sleep in the midst for such dangers.Although this watchfulness is important for all thewoman-born, it is more necessary to thee than to othersfor especial reasons : and if I do not mention them all,tothee now, do not doubt, that thou must live with greatvigilance and caution. It suffices to remind thee of thysoft and yielding nature, which thy enemies will striveto make use of for thy destruction.

CHAPTER XXVII.THE LORD PREPARES MOST HOLY MARY TO MEET LUCIFERIN BATTLE AND THE DRAGON BEGINS TO PERSECUTEHER.335. The eternal Word, already made man in thewomb of Mary the Virgin, and possessing Her as hisMother, was aware of the designs of Lucifer, not onlythrough the uncreated knowledge of his Godhead, butalso by the created knowledge of his humanity. He prepared the defense of his tabernacle, which was moreestimable in his sight than all the rest of the creatures.In order to clothe the invincible Lady with new strengthagainst the foolhardy daring of the treacherous dragonand his hosts, the most holy humanity of Christ, rose upas it were in an attitude of defense in the virginalchamber of Mary in order to meet and offer battle tothe princes of darkness. In this position He prayed tothe Father and asked Him to renew his favors and gracesin Mary, in order that She might with added strengthcrush the head of the ancient serpent, that this Womanmight humiliate and overcome him, frustrate his designsand all his powers, and that She come forth triumphantand victorious over hell to the glory and praise of God andof his virginal Mother.336. The prayer of Christ our Lord was punctuallyfulfilled in the most blessed Trinity. Then, in an indescribable manner, her most holy Son was shown to Maryin her virginal womb. In this vision the plenitude ofgraces and unspeakable gifts were vouchsafed to Her.268

THE INCARNATION 269Illumined anew with additional light of wisdom Sherecognized the highest and most hidden mysteries impossible to describe. She understood especially thatLucifer had prepared vast designs of pride against theglory of the Lord; and that his arrogance rose up todrink the pure waters of Jordan (Job 40, 18). TheMost High, informing Her of these things, said to Her :"My Spouse and my Dove, the infernal dragon thirstswith such wrath against my holy name and all those thatadore it, that he wishes to drag toward him all withoutexception and with daring presumption he tries to blot-out my name from the land of the living. I wish thee,cause and ofmy Beloved, to come to the defense of mymy holy name, by giving battle to the cruel enemy; andI will be with thee in battle, since I am in thy virginalwomb. I wish that thou confound and destroy theenemies before I appear in the world for ; they are convinced that the Redemption of the world is nigh andtherefore they desire to gain over and ruin all soulswithout exception, before the world is redeemed. I trustthis victory to thy fidelity and love. Do thou battle inmy name, just as I in thee, against this dragon andancient serpent" (Apoc. 12, 9).337. These words of the Lord and the knowledge ofthese secrets so moved the heart of the heavenly Mother,that I cannot find expression for that which then happened. When She understood, that her most holy Sonwished Her to defend the honor of the Most High, Shewas so inflamed with divine love and filledwith such invincible fortitude, that, if each one of the demons wouldhave been an entire hell and filled with the fury of all itsinmates, they altogether would have been only like afew weak ants, compared to the incomparable strengthof this our valiant Leader. All of them She would have2-19

270 CITY OF GODvanquished and destroyed by the smallest part of hervirtues and of her zeal for the honor and glory of theLord. And her divine Protector and Helper ordainedthis glorious triumph of his most holy Mother over hell,in order that the arrogance of his enemies might nolonger lord it over us nor rest assured of being able todestroy the world. But He wished to hasten its Redemption and put us mortals under obligation not only to theinestimable love of his most holy Son, but also to Mary,our heavenly Defender and Reparatrix. She was toissue forth to battle, stop his progress, vanquish andsuppress him, placing mankind on a proper footing forthe reception of their Redeemer.338. O sons of men, dull and slow of heart ! How isit that you do not heed such admirable Whoblessings ?isman, that Thou shouldst honor and favor Him thus(Ps. 8, 5), O most high King! Thy own Mother andour Mistress Thou sendest out to labor and combat inour defense! Who ever heard of similar happenings?Who has ever shown such force and ingenuity of love?Where is our intellect ? Who has deprived us of the useof reason? What hardness of heart is this? What hasdrawn us into such vile ingratitude? What shamefulconduct of men, who, while they claim to love and honorHer so much, are guilty of such low and infamous ingratitude as to forget such an obligation? The truenobility and honor of the sons of Adam would ratherseem to consist in thanking Her incessantly and sacrificing their lives in gratitude !339. The obedient Mother, offeringHerself to battlewith Lucifer for the honor of her most holy Son, of theholy Trinity and our own, answered Him that had commanded Her, saying : "MyLord and highest Good, fromwhom I have received my being and all the grace and

THE INCARNATION 271light which I possess: to Thee I belong entirely, andThou, Lord, hast condescended to be my Son. Do withthy servant, what shall be to thy greater glory and pleasure. For if Thou art in me, and I in Thee, who shallbe powerful enough to resist thy will? I shall be theinstrument of thy almighty arm :give me thy strengthand come with me, and let us go forth to battle againstthe dragon with all his followers." In the meanwhileLucifer issued from the meeting, now rilled with suchhateful spite against Her, that he considered the perditionof all the other souls as of small consequence. If wecould know the fury of satan as it is in reality, we wouldunderstand better what God says to holy Job, that hecounts steel as straw and bronze as rotten wood(Job 41, 18). Such was the wrath of the dragon againstmost holy Mary; and such it is even now against thesouls; for if he esteemed the most holy, the invincibleand most strong Woman to be no more than a dried upleaf,what will he do to sinners, who like empty and decaying reeds do not withstand him? (Ephes. 6, 16).Living faith alone and humility of heart are the doublearmor which enable them to procure glorious victory.340. In order to begin his battle Lucifer brought withhim the seven legions with their seven principal leaders,whom after the fall from heaven he had appointed totempt men to the seven capital sins (Apoc. 12). Each ofthese seven squadrons he charged with the duty of exerting their utmost strength against the immaculatePrincess. The invincible Lady was occupied in prayer,when the Lord permitted the first legion of devils tobegin the battle by tempting Her to the sin of pride, towhich special work they had been appointed. Theysought to approach the heavenly Queen by trying to causechanges in her natural passions and inclinations, for this

272 CITY OF GODis the ordinary way in which the demons find access toother mortals ;and they thought that She was infected inthe same way as other men with passions disordered bycould not however come as close to Her assin. Theythey wished, for they were repelled by the fragrance ofher virtues and holiness, which tormented them morethan the fire which consumes them. In spite of thisobstacle and although the very sight of most holy Marypierced them with raging torments, they neverthelessignored their pains and lashed themselves into furiousand ungovernable wrath in their obstinate endeavors toapproach nearer to Her and exert upon Her their cursedand damnable influence.341. The most holy Mary, who was alone and leftonly to her natural forces, stood prepared for the assaultof those countless demons; yet She by Herself was asformidable and terrible (Cant. 6, 3) to them as manyarmies in battle array. They presented themselves beforeHer (Ps. 118, 85) in the most horrid masks and withwicked lies. But the sovereign Queen, teaching us howto conquer, did not change her position nor was movedinteriorly or exteriorly, nor did She show any emotionof fear in her countenance. She took no notice of them,nor attended to them any more than if they had beenthe weakest ants. She despised them with an invincibleand magnanimous heart for this kind of; battle, as it is abattle of virtues, is not accompanied by the extremes ofnoise and excitement, but is fought in all tranquillity, inoutward and inward peace and modesty. Just as littlecould She be moved by the passions and the appetites for;these were not in subservience to the devil in our Queen.In Her they were all swayed by reason, and this againwas subject to God, since none of her faculties had beencast into disorder by the first sin, as in the rest of the

THE INCARNATION 273children of Adam. Therefore the arrows of theseenemies, as David says, were like those of little children(Ps. 63, 8), and their armories were like those whichwere without ammunition. Only to themselves werethey harmful, for their weakness only brought uponthem confusion. Although they were not aware of theinnocence and the original justice of most holy Maryand therefore did not understand that She was not tobe injured by the common temptations; yet by theMajesty of her bearing and her constancy they couldconjecture their ill-success and how She despised them.Their efforts were not of the least avail ; for, as says theApostle in the Apocalypse (Apoc. 12, 18) and as I havementioned in the first part (1-129), the earth helped theWoman, who was clothed with the sun, when the dragonopened upon Her the flood of his impetuous temptations ;meaning thereby, that the earthly body of this Lady hadnot been vitiated in its faculties and passions, as those ofothers, who had been touched by sin.342. The demons then assumed corporeal shapes ofthe most horrible and dreadful kind; and they began toemit fearful howls, roaring with terrible voices, pretending to rush upon Her and threatening destruction;they shook the earth and the house, striving also by otherfurious assaults to frighten and disturb the Princess ofthe world; so that at least in this, or in making Herdesist from prayer, they might seem victorious. But theinvincible and magnanimous heart of most holy Marywas not disturbed, nor moved in the least. It must beremembered, that in order to enter upon this battle, theLord left Her entirely to the resources of her own faithand virtue. He suspended the effects of the other favorsand privileges, which She was wont to enjoy at othertimes. The Most High wished it so, in order that the

274 CITY OF GODtriumph of his Mother might be more glorious andhonorable; besides this there were the other reasons,which God has in allowing the souls to be tempted inthis manner. His judgments are unsearchable and unknowable (Rom. 11, 33). At times the great Ladywould repeat: "Who is like unto God, that lives in thehighest and looks upon the humble in heaven and onearth?"(Ps. 112, 5). By these words She routed thehosts that opposed Her.343. Then these hungry wolves laid aside their terrible shapes they assumed : sheeps clothing, transformingthemselves into angels of light, resplendent and beautiful.Approaching the heavenly Lady, they said: "Thou hastconquered, Thou hast conquered, we come to attend onThee and reward thy fortitude and invincible courage."Surrounding Her, they protested their friendship in flattering and deceitful terms. But the most prudent Ladywithdrew within Herself, suspended all the activityof her senses and, raising Herself above Herself(Thren. 3, 28) by means of the infused virtues, adoredthe Lord in spirit and in truth (Jno. 4, 23). Despising all the snares of these evil tongues and theirdeceitful lies, She spoke to her most holy Son : "My Lordand Master, Light of light and my Strength, in thy helpalone do I place all my confidence and the exaltation ofthy holy name. All those that speak otherwise I abjure,abhor and detest." But the doers of evil persevered intheir insane attempts against the Mother of knowledgeand continued to extol beyond the skies Her, who hadhumiliated Herself beneath the lowest of creatures. Theyprotested that they wished to exalt Her above all womenand confer upon Her an exquisite favor: they wouldselect Her in the name of the Lord for the Mother of the

THE INCARNATION 275Messias, and they assured Her that her holiness wouldbe greater than that of the Patriarchs and Prophets.344. Lucifer himself was the author of this new plotand his malice is here made known for a warning toother souls. But it was ridiculous to offer to Mary, theQueen of heaven, a dignity already her own. Theythemselves were ensnared and deceived, not only in offering what they neither knew nor were able to give, butalso in being ignorant of the sacrament of the King so intimately connected with the most blessed Woman, whomthey persecuted. Nevertheless the iniquity of the dragonwas great, because he knew that he could not fulfill whathe promised. He tried to spy out whether perhaps ouror whether She wouldblessed Lady held that dignity,give him some signs, by which he could conjecture it.Most holy Mary was aware of this double-dealing ofLucifer, and admirably met it with a quiet firmness. Sheanswered the deceitful flatteries by quietly continuingher prayer and adoring the Lord. Prostrated upon thefloor She humiliated Herself, confessing Herself as themost despicable of creatures, more despicable than thedust under her feet. By this humble prayer and prostration She cut off the presumptuous pride of Lucifer aslong as this temptation lasted. As for the rest whichhappened, the cunning of the demons, their cruelty andlying deceits on this occasion, it seemed to me, that Ishould not relate all, nor that I should expatiate on allthat has been shown to me let this much;suffice for ourinstruction; for not all can be trusted to the ignoranceof weak and earthly creatures.345. Dismayed and routed, the first host of enemiesretired and gave way to the second. These were totempt Her, who was the most poor of human kind,the sin of avarice. They offered to Her great riches,to

276 CITY OF GODgold, silver, and most precious gems and in order thatthese might not seem empty promises, thy placed beforeHer a great quantity of these riches, although they wereonly apparent; for they thought that they could exertgreater influence on her will by actually presenting theseobjects before Her. They accompanied this offer withmany deceitful words and told Her that God had sentHer all this for distribution among the poor. Whenthey saw that all this had no effect upon Her, theychanged their tactics and urged, that since She was soholy, it was a great wrong that She should remain sopoor. It was more reasonable that She possess theseriches, than that they remain in the hands of wickedsinners, for this would be an injustice and a disarrangement of the divine Providence that the just be visitedwith poverty, while God s wicked enemies abound inriches and affluence.346. In vain the net is spread before the eyes of thebird in its flight, says the wise man. This was true ofall the temptations of our sovereign Queen;but themalice of the serpent was much more preposterous inPhoenix ofregard to this temptation of avarice, for thispoverty was so far removed from the earth, and wingedher flight so far above that of even the seraphim, thatsuch a vile and contemptible snare was entirely in vain.The most prudent Lady, although She possessed divinewisdom, never undertook to argue with these enemies, asin truth nobody should for; they battle against the manifest truth and will not admit defeat, even when theymust acknowledgeits effects. The most holy Mary madeuse of some words of the holy Scriptures and repeatedthem with serene humility. On this occasion She selectedthe words of the 1 18th Psalm :"Haereditate acquisivi testimoniatua in aeternum." "I have acquired for my heri-

THE INCARNATION 277tage and for my riches the keeping of thy testimonies andthy laws, my Lord" (Ps. 118, 112). She made use ofmany other passages, gratefully praising and blessing theMost High, because He had created and preserved Herwithout her merits. In this most wise manner She rejected and overcame the second temptation, to the confusion and torment of these agents of iniquity.347. Then advanced the third legion, led on by theprince of impurity who assails the weakness of the flesh.These made so much the greater efforts, because theyforesaw more clearly the improbability of success ;and intruth they gained less than all the others, if one mayspeak of more or less in these different temptations of theVirgin Mary. They tried to suggest to Her vile imagesand to produce before her eyes unspeakable monstrosities.But all their efforts vanished in midair ;for the most pureVirgin, as soon as She had recognized the first signs ofthis vice, withdrew entirely within Herself and suspendedall the activity of her senses. Thus not even the shadowof a suggestion or indecent image could enter herthoughts, since none of her faculties were in action. Withthe most ardent longing She renewed many times hervow of chastity in the presence of the Lord, and Shemerited more on this occasion than all the virgins thatever existed or will exist in this world. The Almightyfurnished Her with such virtue, that in comparison thesudden expulsion of the cannon ball from the cannon, isbut a poor image of the force with which these enemieswere repelled from the presence of most holy Mary whenthey sought to touch her purity by their temptations.348. The fourth legion undertook to test her meekness and patience, seeking to move this mildest Dove toanger. This temptation was most annoying, for thedemons overturned the whole house: they broke and

278 CITY OF GODshattered everything contained therein, and in such amanner as to cause the greatest amount of annoyanceto the most meek Lady but her; holy angels soon repairedall the damage. Foiled in this attempt, the demons assumed the shapes of some women known to the serenestPrincess. They flew at Her with greater wrath and furythan if they had been real women ;they added outrageousinsults, dared to threaten Her, and took possession ofthings most necessary. But all these were only despicabletricks in the eyes of Her that knew them; for none oftheir pranks and assaults escaped the penetration of themost holy Mary. She disregarded them altogether anddespised them entirely, without giving any signs of beingmoved or influenced by them. The demons then chosea real woman of a disposition adapted to their purposes,whom they influenced by diabolical art against the Princess of heaven. For this purpose one of the demons assumed the shape of an acquaintance of this Woman andbegan to tell her that this Mary, the wife of Joseph, hadslandered her in her presence and had accused her ofmany gross faults, which this demon invented for theoccasion.349. The deceived woman, who was naturally verymuch inclined to anger, hastened furiously to our meekestLamb and hurled at Her the vilest accusations and insults.She, however, allowing the angry woman to pourto her in wordsout her wrath gradually began to speakso humble and sweet, that She changed her entirely,appeased and softened her heart. When She had thusbrought her about, She consoled and admonished herAs this woman was poor,Thusagainst the wiles of the devil.Mary added some alms and dismissed her in peace.also this attempt was foiled, just as were many others,our meekest Dove andby which Lucifer tried to irritate

THE INCARNATION 279bring her into discredit. The Most High always defendedthe honor of his most holy Mother, making use of herown perfection in virtue and of her prudence and humility, so that the devil could never succeed in harming hergood name in the least. She always acted so prudentlyand with so much meekness and wisdom, that the multitude of the hellish attempts were totally ineffectual. Thetranquillity and meekness of the sovereign Lady duringthese temptations of the dragon caused the admirationof the angels. Even the demons were full of astonishment, (though of a different kind), at seeingsuch behavior in a mere creature and that a woman; for neverhad they seen the like.350. The fifth legion followed with temptations togluttony. Although the ancient serpent did not bid ourQueen to turn stones into bread (Matth. 4, 3) as he afterwards presumed to do with her most holy Son (for hehad not seen Her do such great wonders, since they hadbeen withheld from his knowledge), yet he tempted Herlike the first woman with the pleasures of the taste(Gen. 1). They placed before Her a great feast, in orderto incite and mislead her appetite by outward allurance;they tried to influence the humors of her body, so as tocause in Her a counterfeit hunger and they used othermeans to attract her attention to what they were offering.But all their labor was in vain and without effect; forfrom all these material and earthly things the noble heartof our Princess was as far removed as heaven is fromearth. Just as little did She use her senses in order toenjoy the pleasures of taste, yea She never even tooknotice of them ;for in all things She had set Herself tocounteract what our first mother Eve had done. Eveincautiously and heedlessly had looked upon the beautyof the tree of knowledge and upon its sweet fruit,

280 CITY OF GODand then had reached out her hand to eat, thus beginningour woe. Not so most holy Mary, who withdrew andlocked up her senses, although She was in no such dangeras Eve. Our first mother was overcome for our perdition, while our Queen conquered for our rescue and salvation.351. Much dismayed by the discomfitures of the preceding hosts, the spirits of envy approached. Thoughthey could not estimate the full perfection of the deedsof the Mother of sanctity, they nevertheless felt her invincible strength. They had seen Her so unmovable thatthey almost despaired of enticing Her to any of theirwicked purposes. Nevertheless the insatiate hatred ofthe dragon and his inmeasurable pride would not yield;they laid new plots in order to provoke the Lady mostbeloved of the Lord and of men to envy in others whatShe Herself possessed and even what She abhorred asuseless and dangerous. They drew up a longnatural blessings possessed by others and denied to Her.And as they thought that supernatural gifts would moveHer more, they mentioned great spiritual favors andlist ofblessings, which the Almighty had conferred upon othersand not upon Her. But how could these lying representations move Her, who was the Mother of all thegraces and gifts of heaven? For the blessings of all thecreatures taken together were less than her single privilege of being the Mother of the Author of grace. Precisely because his Majesty had so favored Her and because the fire of his charity burned within Her, Sheardently desired, that the hand of the Most High enrichand favor her fellowmen so much the more. How thencould envy find room, where charity abounded?(I Cor. 13, 4). But the fierce enemies would not desist.They pictured to the Queen the apparent happiness of

THE INCARNATION 281those, who in their riches and good fortune, consideredthemselves happy and exalted in this world. They induced several persons to approach most holy Mary anddescribe to Her the consolation of being rich and well-todo.As if this deceitful happiness of mortals had notbeen condemned so often in holy Scriptures (Ps. 48),and as if contempt of riches had not been the very scienceand doctrine, which the Queen of heaven and her mostholy Son had come to exemplify in their lives for thebenefit of the whole world!352. Those persons, who came to our heavenly Mother,were exhorted by Her to use the temporal goods andriches well and to give thanks for them to the Author ofall good. She Herself fulfilled this duty, making up forthe habitual ingratitude of men. Although the mosthumble Lady judged Herself unworthy of the least ofblessings of the Most High; yet Her own sanctity andexalted dignity in point of fact gave witness to the wordsof holy Scriptures saying in her name : "With me areglorious riches and justice. For my fruit is better thangold and preciousstone"(Prov. 8, 18)."In me is allgrace of the way and the truth, in me is allhopeof lifeand of virtue"(Eccli. 24, 25). In this exalted excellence of virtue She conquered all her enemies, astonishingand confusing them by this new experience. For theywere made to feel that where they had exerted theirgreatest force and their deepest cunning, they gained leastand experienced the greatest repulse.353. Nevertheless the demons stubbornly persisted andproceeded with the seventh temptation, which was that ofidleness. They sought to cause in Her a corporeal indisposition, or a feeling of weakness and fatigue, accompanied by dejection of spirit. This is a trick of satanlittle known and under its cover the sin of laziness causes

282 CITY OF GODmuch ruin among souls and prevents much progress invirtue. They suggested moreover that She postponesome exercises on account of weariness in order to beable to perform them so much the better after havingrested. This too is one among many other tricks of satan,and we do not often discover it or know what to doagainst it. They also sought maliciously to hinder themost holy Lady in some exercises by means of humancreatures, whom they sent to visit Her at unseasonabletimes, trying to impede the performance of some of herholy exercises and occupations at the time and hour setfor them. But all these delusions were detected by themost prudent and alert Princess. She evaded them byher wise precautions, without permitting the enemy tosucceed in any of them and acting in all things up to thestandard of the most exquisite perfection. Her enemieswere obliged to desist, hopelessly foiled and repulsed.Lucifer was full of rage against his companions andagainst himself. But in their fury and insane pride, theyresolved to make one more general assault upon Mary,as I will relate in the following chapter.INSTRUCTION GIVEN TO ME BY THE MOST HOLYQUEEN MARY.354. My daughter, although thou hast only verybriefly summed up my lengthy battle against temptations,I wish that from what thou hast written and from whatthou knowest otherwise concerning these things, thoulearn the manner of resisting and overcoming the powersof hell. The surest way of fighting the demon is to despise him, looking upon him as the enemy of the MostHigh, who has lost all fear of God and allhope of good ;who in his stubbornness has deprived himself of all means

THE INCARNATION 283of recovery and is without sorrow for his wickedness.Relying on this indubitable truth thou shouldst show thyself far superior to him, exalted and unflinching in thythoughts, and treat him as a contemner of the honor andworship of his God. Knowing that thou art defendingso just a cause, do not let thy courage sink; but resistand counteract him with great strength and valor in allhis attempts, as if thou wert fighting at the side of theLord himself; for there is no doubt that his Majestyassists all those that enter loyally into his battles. Thouart truly in good hope and in the way of eternal lifeglory, as long as thou laborest faithfully for thy Lordand God.355. Remember then, that the demons detest andabominate that which thou desirest and lovest, namelythe honor of God and thy eternal felicity; and that theyare striving to deprive thee of that which they cannotrestore to themselves. God has reprobated the demon,while He offers to thee his grace,his virtues and hisand tostrength in order to overcome his and thy enemyprocure for thee the happy end of eternal peace; onlythou must work faithfully and keep the commandmentsof the Lord. The arrogance of the dragon is great(Is. 16, 6), yet his weakness is greater; and he does notrepresent more than a weak atom in the face of thedivine power. Yet as his cunning and malice far exceed that of mortals (Job 41, 21),it is not advisable toallow the soul to bandy words with him, whether he ispresent invisibly or visibly; for from his darksome mind,as from a smoking furnace, issue the shadows of confusion, obscuring the judgments of mortals; if theylisten to him, he will fill their minds with deceits anddarkness, so that they will neither recognize the truth andthe beauty of virtue, nor the vileness of his poisonous

284 CITY OF GODfalsehoods.Thus the souls will be made unable to distinguish the precious from the worthless, life from death,truth from error (Jer. 15, 19), and they easily fall intothe clutches of this fierce and wicked dragon.356. In temptationlet it be thy invariable course notto attend to anything which he proposes, not to listen,not to argue with him concerning aught. If thou canstwithdraw and place thyself at a distance, so as not toso much theperceive or recognize his wicked attempts,more secure thou wilt be for thus looking upon him onlyat a distance.The demon always seeks to prepare theway for his deceits, especially in souls which he fearswill resist his entrance unless he can thus facilitate hisapproach. He is accustomed to begin by causing sorrowor dejection of heart, or he makes use of other trickeryor snares, by which he diverts or withdraws the soul fromthe love of the Lord ;then he comes with his poison, concealed in the golden cup in order to diminish the horrorof the soul. As soon as thou noticest in thyself any ofthese signs, ( for thou hast thy experience, obedience andinstructions for a guide), I wish that with the wings ofthe dove thou direct thy flight to the high refuge of theAlmighty (Ps. 54, 7), calling upon Him for aid andTo me alsoproffering the merits of my most holy Son.shouldst thou fly for protection as I am thy Mother andTeacher, and to thy devoted angels, and to all the rest ofthy advocates in the Lord. Quickly close up thy sensesand consider thyself as dead to them, or as a soul alreadybelonging to the other life, whither the jurisdiction andthe exacting tyranny of the serpent does not reach.Occupy thyself so much the more earnestly inthe exercise of the virtue contrary to the vice to which he temptsthee, and especially in acts of faith, hope and love, which

THE INCARNATION 285dispel cowardice and doubt, and weaken the influence ofdiscouragement and fear in the human heart.357. The arguments for overcoming Lucifer thou mustseek in God alone; and do not disclose them to yourenemy, lest he meet thee with fallacies and confusing pretense. Besides knowing it to be dangerous, esteem it asunworthy of thee to argue with him openly, or to payparticular attention to him, who is not only the enemy ofthy Beloved but also of thee. Show thyself superiorto him and highmindedly apply thyself to the practice ofall virtues. Be content with this treasure and withdrawthyself; for the most skillful battle of the sons of Godconsists in flying farthest from evil. The devil isproudand is deeply hurt by contempt; in the presumption ofhis arrogance and vanity he desires above all the attentionof men. On this account he is so persistent in pursuingus step by step; for in his deceitfulness he cannot relyupon the force of truth, but on his persistent counterfeiting of the good and the true. As long as this slave ofwickedness is not despised, he never believes himself discovered and he continues, like an importunate fly, to buzzabout the spot tainted by the greatest corruption.358. Not less warily must thou conduct thyself, whenthy enemy makes use of other creatures for thy destruction. This he does in two ways : either leading them onto immoderate love, or to undue dislike or hatred. Assoon as thou noticest a disorderly affection in those withwhom thou conversest, observe the same precaution as inflying from the demon; yet with this difference, thatwhile thou hatest him as thy enemy, thou consider theothers as God s creatures to whom thou must not denythe consideration due to them on account of his Majesty.But in as far as withdrawing from them is concerned,act as if they were thy enemies; for in regard to the ser-2-20

286 CITY OF GODvice, which the Lord requires of thee and in regard tothy present condition, it is the devil who operates in thesepersons toward separating thee from thy God and fromthy duty. If on the other hand they hate and persecutethee, answer them with meekness and love, praying forthem with intimate affection of thy heart (Matth. 5, 44).If it should be necessary, soothe the wrath of thy persecutors with sweet words, and undeceive those who areled astray by false reports. Do this not in order to excuse thyself, but in order to pacify thy brothers and fortheir inward and outward peace; thus thou wilt at oneand the same time conquer thyself and those who hatethee. In order to be well practiced in this way of actingitis necessary to cut off the very roots of the capital sins,to tear them out, and to die to the movements of theappetites. For in these appetites the seven capital vicesto which the devil leads men, are rooted, and in these disorderly and undisciplined passions he sows the germs ofthe seven sins.

CHAPTER XXVIII.WITH AU, HIS SEVEN LEGIONS PERSISTS INTEMPTING MOST HOLY MARY; SHE CONQUERS THEDRAGON AND CRUSHES HIS HEAD.359. Even if the prince of darkness and wickednesshad now retreated, his exorbitant pride would have beensufficiently discomfited and humiliated by the victories,which had been gained by the Queen of heaven. But as,even ifvanquished, he continues to rise up against Godwith insatiate malice, he did not acknowledge his defeat(Ps. 73, 23). Finding himself conquered, and conqueredso completely by an apparently insignificant and weakWoman, though he and his hosts had overcome so manyvaliant men and high-minded women, his fury raged onward, though in smothered flames of wrath. God hadpermitted the enemies to become aware of the pregnancyof the most holy Mary, though leaving them under theimpression, that it was entirely a natural process ;for theDivinity of the Child and other mysteries connected withIt always remained hidden to these enemies. Hence theypersuaded themselves that this was not the promisedMessias, since they held this Child to be a man like therest of the human race. This error also confirmed themin the mistake that most holy Mary was not the Motherof the Word (Gen. 3, 15): Both of whom were to crushthe head of the dragon. Yet they were persuaded thatof a Woman so valiant and victorious, some man of distinguished sanctity would be born. The great dragon,convinced of this, conceived against the fruit of the most287

288 CITY OF GODholy Mary that vast fury mentioned in the twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse and referred to in this history, andhe awaited the birth of her Son in order to devour Him.360. Whenever Lucifer directed his looks toward thisChild enclosed inthe womb of the most holy Mary, hefelt a mysterious power oppressing him. Although hispresence seemed to cause only a certain weakening anddeadening of his strength; yet this was sufficient to enrage him and to make him seek byall means the destruction of this suspicious Child and of his victorious Mother.Assuming the most fearful shapes of fiercest bulls andterrible dragons or of other monsters, he sought to approach Her without ever being able to succeed. Herushed upon Her, but found himself repulsed, withoutknowing by whom or how. He struggled like a wildbeast in chains and gave forth awe-inspiring howls, which,if God had not prevented their being heard, would haveterrified the world and would have frightened many mento death. He shot forth from his mouth fire and fumesof sulphur mixed with poisonous spittle. All this theheavenly Princess Mary saw and heard, without beingmoved more than if She saw a gnat. He caused disturbances in the air, upon the earth, or in her house, disarranging and overthrowing it in all its parts; but mostholy Mary still remained unmoved, retaining her inwardand outward tranquillity and peace and showing Herselfinvincibly superior to all his attempts.361. Lucifer, finding himself thus vanquished, openedhis most impure mouth and set in motion his lying anddefiled tongue. He loosened the floodgates of his maliceand spouted forth in the presence of the heavenly Empressall the heresies and infernal falsehoods of the sects, whichhe and his associates spread through the world. Forafter they had been hurled from heaven and after they

THE INCARNATION 289were informed that the divine Word was to assumehuman flesh in order to be the Chief of a race, which Hewould replenish with graces and celestial teachings, thedragon resolved to concoct falsehoods and heresies, inopposition to all the truths concerning the knowledge,love and worship of the Most High. In this occupationthe demons consumed many years before the coming ofChrist, the Lord of the world; and all this poisonousdeceit Lucifer, the ancient serpent, had stored up withinhimself. Now he poured it out in the presence of theMother of truth and purity ; hoping to infect Her by allthe falsehoods, which He had conceived against the truthof God up to that day.362. They are not fit to be described here, even less sothan some of the temptations indicated in the last chapter; for it would be dangerous not only for the weaksouls, but even the strongest must fear the pestilentialbreath of Lucifer, who on this occasion exhaled all hisdeceitful malice. According to what I saw, I believedoubtlessly, that there was no error, idolatry or heresyknown to have existed in the world to this day, whichthis dragon did not vomit forth in the hearing of thesovereign Mary. Therefore the Church can truly conaffirming ofgratulate Mary on account of her victories,Her, that She by Herself has smothered and extinguishedall the heresies of the whole world (Office B. V. M.).Thus in truth our victorious Sulamite, armed with hervirtues advanced like an army in battle array (Cant. 7, 1)to confound, overwhelm and destroy the infernal hosts.All their falsehoods, and each one in particular, She refuted, contradicting, detesting and anathematizing allof them with invincible faith and sublime constancy. Sheproclaimed the various truths opposed to his falsehoods,magnifying the Lord by means of them as true, just and

290 CITY OF GODholy. She broke out into songs of praise, in which hisvirtues and doctrines were extolled as true, holy, immaculate and altogether praiseworthy. In fervent prayerShe besought the Lord to humiliate the arrogance of thedemons by preventing them from spreading so freelytheir poisonous errors through the world, and asking Himto diminish the influence of the false teachings, whichthey had already sowed and which they were yet allowedto sow among men.363. On account of this victory of the great Queenand on account of her prayers, I perceived that the MostHigh in justice set narrower bounds to the demons, sothat they would not be able to scatter the seeds of erroras much as they intended and as much as the sins of menwould merit. Although their sins are the cause of somany heresies and sects unto this day, yet they wouldhave caused many more, if most holy Mary had notcrushed the head of the dragon by such great victories,by her prayers and petitions. I have been informed of agreat mystery, which affords us consolation in this conflict of the holy Church against her wicked enemies.Namely, on account of this triumph of most holy Maryand on account of another, which She gained over thedemons after the Ascension of our Lord (Part III, 528),the Almighty, in reward of her battles, decreed, thatthrough her intercession and virtue all the heresies andsects of the world against the holy Church were to bedestroyed and extinguished. The time appointed for thisblessing was not made known to me; probably, the fulfillment of this decree isdependent upon some tacit andunknown condition . Yet I am sure, that if the Catholicprinces and their subjects would seek to please this greatQueen of heaven and betake themselves to her intercessionPatroness and Protectress, and ifas being their especial

THE INCARNATION 291they would direct all their influence and riches, all theirpower and sovereignty toward the exaltation of the faithand the honor of God and of purest Mary (for this mayperhaps be the condition imposed), they would be as itwere the instruments, by which the infidels would be refuted and vanquished, the sects and errors infesting theworld would be repressed, and splendid and magnificentvictories would be gained for the Catholic truth.364. Before the birth of Christ our Redeemer itseemed to Lucifer (as was intimated in the foregoingchapter) that his coming was retarded by the sins of theworld. In order to prevent his coming altogether hesought to increase this hindrance by multiplying theaberrations and crimes of mortals. This iniquitouspride of the devil the Lord confounded by the magnificent triumphs of his most holy Mother. After the Birthand the Death of the Redeemer, the malicious dragonsought to hinder and divert the fruits of his blood andredemption. For this purpose he began to sow andspread the errors, which after the times of the Apostleshave afflicted and do now afflict the Church. The victory over this infernal malice was likewise left by Christin the hands of his most holy Mother : for She alone couldmerit, and did merit, such a victory. Through Heridolatry was extinguished by the preaching of the Gospel; through Her were brought to naught the ancientsects of Arius, Nestorius and Pelagius and of others;She it was that instigated the zeal and solicitude ofkings, princes, fathers, and doctors of the holy Church.Hence, how can it be doubted, if the Catholic princes,both of the Church and of the state, would use the properdiligence, aiding as it were this heavenly Lady, that Sheon her part would not fail to help them, conferring uponthem happiness in this life and in the next, and cutting-

292 CITY OF GODdown all the heresies of the world? For this very purpose the Lord has so enriched so greatly as well theChurch as the Catholic reigns and monarchies. If itwere not for this purpose, it were better that they remainpoor. It was not proper that all the results of the Gospel should be obtained through miracles, but throughnatural means, obtainable by the proper application ofriches. But it is not for me to judge whether they fulfill this obligation or not. I have only to report whatthe Lord himself has made known to me : that thosewho hold the titles of honor and sovereignty conferredby the Church, without coming to her aid and defenseand without applying their riches toward preventing thewaste of the blood of Christ our Savior, are usurpersand unjust possessors of those titles: for in this verything should the difference between Christian and infidelprinces consist.365. Coming back to my subject, I say that the MostHigh, in his infinite foresight, well knew the iniquityof the dragon, and that in the pursuit of his wrathagainst the Church he would bring to disorder many ofthe faithful, striking down the stars of the heaven of themilitant church, namely the faithful, and thus seeking torouse still more the divine justice and diminish the fruitsof the Redemption. The highest Lord in immense kindness resolved to meet this danger that threatened theworld. In order that He might be moved in this by somuch the greater equity and for the greater glory of hisname, He arranged that the most holy Mary shouldoblige Him to give this help. She alone was worthy ofthe privileges, gifts and prerogatives by which She wasto overcome the world ;and this most eminent Lady alonewas capable of such an enterprise as to draw toward Herthe heart of God by her holiness, purity, merits and

THE INCARNATION 293prayers. For the greater exaltation of the divine powerHe wished it to be known through all the eternities thatHe had conquered Lucifer and all his followers throughmeans of a mere Creature and a Woman, just as thedevil had cast down the whole human race by anotherwoman, and that there was none other to whom thissalvation of the Church and whole world could beworthily credited. On account of these and other reasons apparent to us in faith, the Almighty gave into thehands of our victorious Chieftainess the sword for cutting off the head of the infernal dragon; a power neverto be diminished in Her, and with which She defendsand assists the militant Church according to the laborsand necessities of coming centuries.366. While Lucifer with his infernal legions in visible forms persisted in his unhappy attempts, the mostserene Mary never looked upon them nor paid any attention to them, although by the permission of God Sheheard the uproar. Since the hearing cannot be so easilystopped as the sight, She took precaution, lest what Sheheard should enter her imagination or interior faculties.Nor did She deign to speak to them otherwise than tocommand them to stop their blasphemies. And this command was so powerful that it forced the demons to presstheir mouths to the earth, while She in the meanwhilesang great canticles of praise and glory in honor of theMost High. This intercourse of her Majesty with Godand her profession of the divine truths, was likewise sooppressive and painful to them that they began to attackeach other like ravenous wolves, or like rabid dogs ; everyaction of the Empress Mary was for them a burningshaft, and every one of her words a flame of fire moredreadful than hell itself. This is not an exaggerationfor the dragon and his followers really strove to fly and

294 CITY OF GODescape from the presence of most holy Mary; while theLord, in order to enhance the triumph of his Mother andSpouse and confound entirely the pride of Lucifer, detained them by a secret force. His Majesty permittedand ordained that the demons themselves should humiliate themselves so far as to ask the heavenly Lady tocommand them to go and be driven from her presence,which they had sought. Accordingly She commandedthem to return to the infernal regions. There they layprostrate for a time, while the great Vanquisher Maryremained absorbed in divine praise and thanksgiving.367. When by the permission of the Lord Luciferrose from his defeat, he returned to the conflict, selectingfor his instrument some of the neighbors of the holyspouses, and sowing among them and their wives thehellish seed of discord concerning temporal interests.For this purpose the demon took the shape of a womanknown to them all and telling them that they should notdisagree among themselves, since the source of all theirdifferences was none other than Mary, the wife ofJoseph. The woman, whose shape the demon took, heldthe esteem and regard of all these persons, and therefore her words were so much the more weighty. Although the Lord did not allow the good name of hismost holy Mother to suffer in any important point, yetHe permitted, that for her greater glory and merit, allthese deceived persons should give Her an opportunityof exercising her patience on this occasion. They betookthemselves in a body to the house of saint Joseph and inhis presence they called forth most holy Mary and spokevery harshly to Her, accusing Her of disturbing theirhomes and their peace. This event was painful to themost innocent Lady, on account of the worry occasionedto saint Joseph, who had already noticed the increase of

THE INCARNATION 295her virginal womb, and who, as She had perceived, wasalready troubled by the thoughts beginning to arise inhis heart. Nevertheless, in her prudence and wisdom,She sought to meet this disturbance with humility, andovercome itby patience and lively faith. She did notdefend Herself, nor fall back on the faultlessness of herconduct; on the contrary, She humiliated Herself andbegged Her ill-informed neighbors to pardon Her, if inanything She had offended them. With sweet and wisewords She enlightened and pacified them, making themunderstand that none of them had committed any offenseagainst the others. Satisfied by her explanations andedified by the humility of her answer, they peacefullywithdrew to their houses, while the demon fled, not beingable to endure such great sanctity and heavenly wisdom.368. Saint Joseph remained somewhat pensive andsad, and he began to give way to conjecture, as I willrelate in the following chapters (Nos. 375 to 394). Thedemon, although he was ignorant of the chief cause ofthe troubled thoughts of saint Joseph, wished to profit bythe occasion (for he allows none to escape him), in orderto disquiet him still more. But doubting whether his dissatisfaction did not arise from a certain disgust at hispoverty and his lowly habitation, the demon hesitated between two different courses. On the one hand he suggested a feeling of restlessness to saint Joseph, irritatingand disgusting him against his poverty and on the other;hand he tried to persuade him that Mary, his Spouse,devoted too much time to her meditations and prayers,and led a too negligent and leisurely life, instead of exerting Herself to improve their poor circumstances. Butsaint Joseph, upright and magnanimous of heart, readilydespised and rejected such considerations. The solicitude with which he was secretly filled in regard to the

296 CITY OF GODpregnancy of his Spouse easily smothered all other anxieties. The Lord, leaving him in the beginning to theseanxious thoughts, freed him from the temptations of thedemon through the intercession of the most holy Mary.For She was very attentive to all that passed within theheart of her most faithful spouse. She therefore besought her most holy Son to relieve him of these assaults, and to be satisfied with the service which he rendered to God in enduring the sorrow of seeing Herpregnant.369. The Most High ordained that the Princess ofheaven should still farther prolong this great battle withLûcifer. He permitted him and all his legions in onegeneral assault to strain all their forces and exert alltheir malice, so that the demons might find themselvesentirely crushed and vanquished. The heavenly Ladywas to achieve the greatest triumph that ever was gained,or could be gained, over hell by a mere creature. Theselegions of wickedness arrived in all their hellish arrayto present themselves before the heavenly Queen, andwith indescribable fury. Unitingall the scheming plots,of which they had until now availed themselves separately, and adding what littlethey could, they advancedto make a universal onslaught. But I will not detainmyself in describing it specially, as nearly all can be understood from what has been described in the two preceding chapters. She met them all and awaited theirfearful onslaught with the same tranquillity, high-mindednessand serenity, as if She had been in the position ofthe highest choirs of the angels seated on their secureand unassailable thrones. No strange or improper emotion could disturb the serenity of her heavenly interior,although the menacing terrors, illusions and falsehoodsof all hell were poured forth in torrents by the dragon

THE INCARNATION 29/strong and unconquered Woman, most holyagainst thisMary.370. While She thus in the midst of this conflict exercised heroic acts of all the virtues against her enemies,She was made aware of the adorable decree of the MostHigh, that She should humiliate and crush the pride ofthe dragon by her great dignity as Mother of God.Rising up in ardent and invincible valor, She turnedtoward the demons and spoke to them: "Who is likeAnd repeating theseunto God, who dwells on high?"words, She added : "Prince of darkness, author of sinand death, in the name of the Most High I commandthee to become mute, and with thy legions to cast thyselfinto the infernal caverns, where thy place isappointed tothee, and whence thou shalt not come forth until thepromised Messias shall vanquish thee and crush thee,until He otherwise permit."The heavenly Empressshone forth in the light and splendor of heaven; and, asthe proud dragon made a pretence of resisting Her command, She directed upon him the full force of her power.His resistance drew upon him so much the greater pain,humiliation and torment, since such he thereby meritedbefore all the other demons. Together theyfell intothe abyss and remained fixed in its lowest caverns, ashad happened to them at the time of the Incarnation, andas I will describe further on at the temptation and at thedeath of Christ our Lord (No. 130, 999, 1421). Andwhen this dragon afterwards engaged in his last battlewith this Queen, which is described in the third part ofthis history (Part III, 452 seq.), this heavenly Lady vanquished him so completely that through Her and hermost holy Son his head was entirely crushed. In thatfinal battle his strength was so weakened and ruinedthat if human creatures do not deliver themselves intoor

298 CITY OF GODthe hands of his malice they can very easily resist andovercome him with the divine grace.371. Then the Lord himself appeared to his most holy-Mother, and in reward of her glorious victories He communicated to Her new gifts and privileges Her thou;sand guardian angels visibly presented themselves withinnumerable hosts of others, and sang to Her new canticles of praise in honor of the Most High and of Herself.And with celestial concord of sweet and audible voicesthey sang of Her, that which the holy Church figuratively sings of the triumph of :Judith"Thou art allbeautiful, Mary our Lady, and there is no stain of sinin Thee; Thou art the glory of the heavenly Jerusalem;Thou the honor of the people of God ;Thou art She, whomagnifiest his name, the Advocate of sinners, who defendestthem against their proud enemy! O Mary!Thou are full of grace and of all perfection."Theheavenly Lady was filled with glad jubilee, praising theAuthor of all good and acknowledging Him as the sourceof all She possessed. Whereupon She began to paymore particular attention to the well-being of her spouse,as I shall relate in the following chapter of the fourthbook.INSTRUCTION WHICH OUR QUEEN AND MISTRESS GAVE ME.372. My daughter, the silence which the soul shouldmaintain when the invisible enemies advance with theirspecious reasonings, should not prevent it from imposingsilence upon them in the name of the Most High, andfrom commanding them to leave its presence in confusion. Therefore I desire this to be thy prudent behaviorwhen they assault thee; for there is no other defense sopowerful against the dragon than to be conscious of the

THE INCARNATION 299power which we possess as children of God, and to usethe advantage which this confidence gives us by exercising our dominion and superiorityover the infernalspirits (Matth. 6, 9). For the whole aim of Lucifer,after he had fallen from heaven, consists in enticing soulsfrom their Creator and in sowing the seed of discord, bywhich he hopes to separate from the heavenly Father hisadopted children, and the spouses of Christ from theirBridegroom. Whenever he perceives that a soul isunited with his Creator and in living communion withits head Christ, he tries to surpass himself in his furiousattempts at persecuting it; his envy arouses the utmostexertion of his deceitfulness and malice for its destruction. But as soon as he sees that he cannot succeed inhis attempts, because the soul takes refuge in the unfailing and unassailable protection of the Most High, heweakens in his attempts and begins to writhe in exquisitetorments. If the soul, thus strengthened with the authority of God s truth, despises and casts him out, thereis no creeping worm or ant so weak as that giant ofiniquitous pride.373. By this most true doctrine thou must comfortand strengthen thyself, when, according to the decree ofthe Almighty, thou meetest tribulations and art surrounded by the sorrows of death in temptations such asI have suffered. For they afford thy Spouse the bestoccasion of verifying thy fidelity by experience. Therefore love must not be satisfied merely with mere protestations of affection without looking for more valuablefruit; for the desire which costs nothing is not a sufficient proof of love in a soul, nor of itsproper esteem ofthe good which itpretends to hold clear and love. Ifthou wishest to give a satisfactory proof of thy love tothy Spouse, show thyself invincible in thy trust in Him

300 CITY OF GODalso then when thou findest thyself most afflicted and forsaken by human aid; confide in the Lord thy God, andhope in Him, if necessary, against hope (Rom. 4, 18).For He does not slumber, nor does He sleep, who callsHimself the protection of Israel (Ps. 120, 4). In duetime He will command the waves and the wind, andrestore tranquillity (Matth. 8, 26).374. Thou must be much more wary, my daughter, inthe beginning of the temptations;for there is thengreater danger lest the soul, yielding to the concupiscentor the irascible passions, by which the light of reasonisobscured and darkened, allow itself to be thrown intoconfusion. As soon as the demon notices such a stateof mind he will raise a whirlwind of dust in the faculties.His fierceness is so immeasurable and implacable that itwill then increase in fury. He will add flame to flame,thinking that the soul has no one to defend and rescueit from his hands (Ps. 120, 11). With the force of histemptations increases also the danger of failingin thenecessary resistance, since the soul has commenced toyield in the very beginning. All this I make known tothee, in order that thou mayest fear the danger of beingremiss in guarding against the first approaches of thedemon. Do not incur it in what is so important. Thoushouldst continue in the even tenor of thy duties in everytemptation ; keeping up the sweet and devout union withthe Lord and preserving thy prudent and loving intercourse with thy neighbors, thou shouldst forestall byprayer and by restraint of thy feelings the disorder whichthe enemy seeks to bring about in thy soul.

BOOK TWOBOOK IV, II OF II PARTDescribing the Anxieties of Saint Joseph on Account of the Pregnancy ofMost Holy Mary, the Birth of Christ our Lord, His Circumcision, theAdoration of the Kings, the Presentation of the Infant JesusIn the Temple, the Fiight into Egypt, the Death of theHoly Innocents, and the Return to Nazareth.CHAPTER I.SAINT JOSEPH BECOMES AWARE OF THE PREGNANCY OFHIS SPOUSE, THE VIRGIN MARY, AND IS FILLED WITHANXIETY, AS HE KNOWS THAT HE HAD NO PART IN IT.375. The divine pregnancy of the Princess of heavenhad advanced to its fifth month when the most chasteJoseph, her husband, commenced to notice the conditionof the Virgin ;for on account of the natural elegance andperfection of her virginal body, as I have already remarked (No. 115), any change could not long remainconcealed and would so much the sooner be discovered.One day, when saint Joseph was full of anxious doubtsand saw Her coming out of her oratory, he noticed moreparticularly this evident change, without being able toexplain away what he saw so clearly with his eyes. Theman of God was wounded to his inmost heart by anarrow of grief, unable to ward off the force of evidence,which at the same time wounded his soul. The principalcause of his grief was the most chaste, and therefore themost intense love with which he cherished his most faith-2-21 301

302 CITY OF GODful Spouse, and in which he had from the beginninggiven over to Her his whole heart. Moreover, hercharming graces and incomparable holiness had capturedand bound to Her his inmost soul. As She was so perfect and accomplished in her modesty and humblereticence, saint Joseph, besides his anxious solicitude toserve Her, naturally entertained the loving desire ofmeeting a response of his love from his Spouse. Thiswas so ordained by the Lord, in order that by the desirefor this interchange of affection he might be incited tolove and serve Her more faithfully.376. Saint Joseph fulfilled triis obligation as a mostfaithful spouse and as the guardian of the sacrament,which as yet was concealed from him. In proportion ashe was solicitous in serving and venerating his Spouse,and loving Her with a most pure, chaste, holy and justlove, in so far also increased his desire of finding a response to his affection and service. He never manifestedor spoke of this desire, as well on account of the reverence elicited by the humble majesty of his Spouse as alsobecause the more than angelic purity, conversation andintercourse of the Virgin with him had given him noapprehension in this regard. But when he found himself thus unexpectedly in the face of this disclosure,where the clear evidence of his senses allowed no denial,his soul was torn asunder by sorrowful surprise. Yet,though overwhelmed by the evidence of this change inhis Spouse, he gave his thoughts no greater liberty thanto admit what his eyes could not fail to perceive. For,being a holy and just man (Matth. 1, 19), although hesaw the effect, he withheld his judgment as to the cause.Without doubt, if the saint had believed that his Spousehad any guilt in causing this condition, he would havedied of sorrow.

THE INCARNATION 303377. Besides all this was the certainty of his not havingany part in this pregnancy, the effects of which werebefore his eyes; and there was the inevitable dishonorwhich would follow as soon as it would become public.This thought caused so much the greater anxiety in him,as he was of a most noble and honorable disposition, andin his great foresight he knew how to weigh the disgrace and shame of himself and his Spouse in each circumstances. The third and most intimate cause of hissorrow, and which gave him the deepest pain, was thedread of being obliged to deliver over his Spouse to theauthorities to be stoned (Lev. 20, 10), for this was thepunishment of an adulteress convicted of the crime. Theheart of saint Joseph, filled with these painful considerations, found itself as it were exposed to the thrusts ofmany sharp-edged swords, without any other refuge thanthe full confidence which he had in his Spouse. But asall outward signs confirmed the correctness of his observations, there was no escape from these tormentingthoughts, and as he did not dare to communicate abouthis grievous affliction with anybody, he found himselfsurrounded by the sorrows of death (Ps. 17, 5), and heexperienced in himself the saying of the Scriptures, that :"Jealousy is hard as hell" (Cant. 8, 6).378. When he attempted to follow out these thoughtsin solitude, grief suspended his faculties. If his thoughtstouched upon the wrong, which his senses led him to suspect, they melted away as the ice before the sun, or vanished like the dust before the wind, as soon as he remembered the well-tried holiness of his modest and circumspect Spouse. If he tried to suspend the workings ofhis chaste love, he could not ;for She continued to presentHerself to his thoughts as the most worthy object of hislove, and the hidden truth of her fidelity had more power

304 CITY OF GODof attracting his love than the deceitful appearances ofinfidelity to destroy The it. strong and sure bond whichtruth, reason and justice had woven about her fidelitycould not be broken. He found no suitable occasion ofopening his mind to his heavenly Spouse, nor did herserene and heavenly equanimity seem to invite him tosuch an explanation. Although he could not but admitthe change in her shape, yet he could not conceive howher purity and holiness could be compatible with anyfailing such as this change might indicate. For it seemedto him to connect such a sin with One whoimpossiblemanifested such chastity, tranquillity and holy discretion,and such united harmony of allgraces and virtues in herdaily life.379. In the midst of these tormenting anxieties theholy Spouse Joseph appealed to the tribunal of the Lordin prayer and placing himself in his presence, he said:"Mosthigh Lord and God, my desires and sighs are notunknown to Thee. I find myself cast about by the violent waves of sorrow (Ps. 31. 10) which through mysenses have come to afflict my heart. I have given myself over with entire confidence to the Spouse whom thouhast given me. I have confided entirely in her holiness;and the signs of this unexpected change in Her aregiving rise to tormenting and fearful doubts lest my confidence be misplaced. Nothing have I until now seenin Her which could give occasion for any doubt in hermodesty and her extraordinary virtue; yet at the sametime I cannot deny that She is pregnant. To think thatShe has been unfaithful to me, and has offended Thee,would be temerity in view of such rare purity and holiness : to deny what my own eyes perceive is impossible.But it is not impossible that I die of grief, unless thereis some mystery hidden beneath it which I cannot yet

THE INCARNATION 305fathom. Reason proclaims Her as blameless, while thesenses accuse Her. She conceals from me the cause ofher pregnancy, while I have it before my eyes. Whatshall I do? We both have come to an agreement concerning our vows of chastity, and we have both promised to keep them for thy glory; if it could be possiblethat She has violated her fidelity toward Thee and towardme, I would defend thy honor and would forget mine forlove of Thee. Yet how could She preserve such purityand holiness in all other things if She had committed sograve a crime in this? And on the other hand, whydoes She, who is so holy and prudent, conceal this matterfrom me? I withhold and defer my judgment. Not being able to penetrate to the cause of what I see, I pourout in thy presence my afflicted soul (Ps. 141, 3), Godof Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Receive my tears as anacceptable sacrifice; and if my sins merit thy indignation, let thy own clemency and kindness move Theenot to despise my excruciating sorrow. I do not believethat Mary has offended Thee; yet much less can I presume that there is a mystery of which I, as her Spouse,am not to be informed. Govern Thou my mind andheart by thy divine light, in order that I may know andfulfill that which is most pleasing to Thee."380. Saint Joseph persevered in this kind of prayer,adding many more affectionate petitions ;for even thoughhe conjectured that there must be some mystery inthepregnancy of the most holy Mary hidden from him, hecould not find assurance therein. This thought had nogreater force to exculpate most holy Mary than the otherreasons founded upon her holiness ;and therefore theidea that the most holy Queen might be the Mother ofthe Messias did not come to his mind. If at times hedrove away his conjectures, they would return in greater

306 CITY OF GODThusnumber and with more urgent force of evidence.he was cast about on the turbulent waves of doubt.From sheer exhaustion he would at times fall into a condition of mind wherein he could find neither an anchorof certainty for his doubts, nor tranquillity for his heart,nor any standard by which he could direct his course.Yet his forebearance under this torment was so greatthat it is an evident proof of his great discretion andholiness, and that it made him worthy of the singularblessing which awaited him.381. All that passed in the heart of saint Joseph wasknown to the Princess of heaven, who penetrated into itsinterior by the light of her divine science. Although hersoul was full of tenderness and compassion for the sufferings of her spouse, She said not a word in the matter;but She continued to serve him with all devotion andsolicitude. The man of God watched Her without outward demonstration, yet with a greater anxiety than thatof any man that ever lived. The pregnancy of mostholy Mary was not burdensome or painful to Her; butas the great L-ady in serving him at table or any otherdomestic occupations, necessarily disclosed her state moreand more openly, saint Joseph noticed all these actionsand movements and with deep affliction of soul verifiedall his observations. Notwithstanding his being a holyand just man, he permitted himself to be respected andserved by the most holy Virgin after their espousal,claiming in all things the position of head and husbandof the family, though with rare humility and prudence.As long as he was ignorant of the mystery of his Spousehe judgedit right, within befitting limits, to show hisauthority in imitation of the ancient Fathers and Patriarchs. For he knew that they demanded subjection andprompt obedience of their wives, and he did not wish to

THE INCARNATION 307recede from their example. He would have been rightin this course if most holy Mary, our Lady, had beenno more than other women. Yet although there wassuch a great difference, no woman ever existed or willexist who was or will be so obedient, humble and devoted to her husband as the most exalted Queen wastoward her spouse. She served him with incomparablerespect and promptitude ; although She knew his troubledthoughts and observations concerning her pregnancy, Sheomitted no service due to him, nor did She try to concealor palliate her state. For such evasion or duplicity wouldnot have consorted with the angelic truthfulness andopenness, nor with the nobility and magnanimity of hergenerous heart.382. The grer.t Lady could easily have asserted herentire innocence and referred to the testimony of saintElisabeth and Zacharias; for, if saint Joseph had any suspicion of guilt in Her, he could naturally have supposedit to have been incurred during her stay with them.Hence, through them and by other references, She couldhave justified Herself and quieted the anxieties of saintThe Mistress ofJoseph without disclosing the mystery.prudence and humility did nothing of the kind ;for thesevirtues did not allow Her to think of Herself, nor totrust the justification of her mysterious condition to herown explanation. With great wisdom She resigned thewhole matter into the hands of divine Providence. Although her compassion for her spouse and her love forhim made Her anxious to console and comfort him, Shewould not do itby clearing Herself or by concealing herpregnancy, but rather by serving him with more devoteddemonstrations of love, and by trying to cheer him up,asking him what She could do for him and lovingly showing her devoted and submissive affection. Many times

308 CITY OF GODShe served him on her knees, and although this somewhatconsoled saint Joseph, yet on the other hand, it was alsoa cause for new grief. For thus he only saw the motivesof love and esteem multiplied and still remained uncertain whether She had been untrue or not. The heavenlyLady offered up continual prayers for him and besoughtthe Most High to look upon him and console him ;as forthe rest She submitted all to the will of his Majesty.383. Saint Joseph could not entirely conceal his cruelsorrow, and therefore he often appeared to be in doubtand sad suspense. Sometimes, carried away by his grief,he spoke to his heavenly Spouse with some degree ofseverity, such as he had not shown before. This wasthe natural effect of the affliction of his heart, not ofanger or vengeful feelings; for these never entered histhoughts, as we shall see later. The most prudent Lady,however, never lost the sweetness of her countenance, norshowed any feeling; but merely redoubled her efforts torelieve her husband. She served at table, offered hima seat, administered food and drink, and if, after all theseservices, which She performed with incomparable grace,saint Joseph urged Her to sit down, he could convincehimself more and more of her pregnancy. There is nodoubt that all this was one of the greatest trials not onlyof saint Joseph, but of the Princess of heaven, and thatitgreatly manifested the most profound humility andwisdom of her most holy soul. The Lord thereby gaveHer an opportunity of exercising and provingall Hervirtues; for He had not only not commanded Her toconceal the sacrament of her pregnancy, but contrary tohis usual manner of proceeding, He had not even manifested to Her his pleasure in any way. It seemed as ifGod had left this whole matter in her hands and entrusted it all to the wisdom and virtue of his chosen

THE INCARNATION 309Spouse, without giving Her special enlightenment ofhelp. The divine Providence afforded the most holyMary and her most faithful Spouse an opportunity toexercise in a heroic manner the gifts and graces whichHe had infused into them, and delighted, (according toour way of speaking), in the faith, hope and love, in thehumility, patience, peace and tranquillity of these twohearts in the midst of their grievous affliction. In orderto increase their glory and furnish to the world an example of holiness and prudence, and in order to hear thesweet cries of his most holy Mother and of her mostchaste spouse, He became as it were deaf to their prolonged invocations and delayed answering them until hisown opportune and fitting time.[NSTRUCTION OF OUR MOST HOLY QUEEN AND IÂDY.384. My dearest daughter, most exalted are thethoughts and intentions of the Lord ;his Providence withsouls is sweet and powerful and He is admirable in thegovernment of them all, especially of his friends andchosen ones. If mortals would strive to know the lovingcare for their direction and advancement, as shown by thisFather of mercies (Matth. 6, 5), they would be relievedand would not be involved in such irksome, useless anddangerous anxieties, living in perpetual toils and vaintrust in the help of creatures. For they would resign themselves without hesitation to the infinite wisdom and love,which, with paternal sweetness and gentleness wouldwatch over all their thoughts, words and actions and allthings necessaryignorant of this truth,for them. I do not wish thee to bebut to understand how the Lordfrom all eternity bears in his mind all the predestined of

310 CITY OF GODthe different times and ages; and that by the invincibleforce of his infinite wisdom and goodness He continuallydisposes and prepares all the blessings useful to them, sothat the end desired for them may be attained.385. Hence it isvery important for the rational creature to allow itself to be led by the hand of the Lord andleave all to the divine disposition; for mortal men areignorant of their ways and of the goal to which theylead. In their ignorance they should not presume tochose, lest they make themselves guilty of great temerityand incur the danger of damnation. But if they resignthemselves with all their heart to the divine Providenceof God, acknowledging him as their Father and themselves as his children and creatures, his Majesty will constitute Himself as their Protector, Helper and Director;and He will assume these offices with such love that Hewishes to call heaven and earth to witness how much Heconsiders it his affair to govern his own and direct thosewho trust and resign themselves into his hands. If Godwere capable of grief, or of jealousy like men, it wouldbe aroused in Him at seeing creatures claiming a part inthe providing for the welfare of souls and that soulsshould seek to supply their necessities from other quarters independently of Him (Wis. 12, 13). Mortalswould not be so ignorant of this truth if they would studywhat happens between a father and his children, a husband and his wife, one friend and another, a prince andhis well-loved and honored subject. All that these do isnothing in comparison with the love which God had forhis children, and that which He can do and will do forthem.386. Yet although men in general believe this truth,no one can fully estimate the love of God and its effectson those souls who resign themselves entirely to his will.

THE INCARNATION 311Nor canst thou, my daughter, manifest what thou know-but thou must not lose sight of itest, nor shouldst thou ;in the Lord. His Majesty says, that not a hair of hiselect shall perish, because He keeps account of them(Luke 21, 18). He directs their footsteps towardeternal life and keeps them from death. He observestheir labors, lovingly corrects their defects, favors theirdesires,forestalls their anxieties, defends them in anger,assistsrejoices them in peace, strengthens them in battle,them in tribulation. His wisdom is at their serviceagainst deceit, his goodnessfor their sanctification. AsHe is infinite, whom none can hinder or resist, He executes what He wishes, and He wishes to be entirely atthe service of the just, who are in his grace and trustthemselves wholly to Him. Who could ever measure thenumber and greatness of the blessings which He wouldshower upon a heart prepared to receive them !387. If thou, my dearest, wishest to attain to gain thisgood fortune,imitate me with true solicitude and applythyself from now on to establish in thee a true resignation in the divine Providence. If He sends thee tribulasorrows and labors, accept and embrace them withtions,tranquillity of soul, with patience, lively faith and hopein the goodness of the Most High, who always providesthat which is the most secure and profitable for thy salvation. Chose nothing for thyself, since God knows thyways; trust thyself to the heavenly Father and Spouse,who will shield and assist thee with most faithful love.Study also My works, since they are known to thee and;remember that, excepting the labors of my most holySon, the greatest suffering of mylife was to see the tribulations of my spouse saint Joseph, and his grief in thematter which thou hast described.

CHAPTER II.THE ANXIETIES OF SAINT JOSEPH INCREASE; HE RESOLVESTO LEAVE HIS SPOUSE, AND HE BETAKES HIMSELF TOPRAYER ON THIS ACCOUNT.388. In his tormenting- doubts the most upright heartof saint Joseph sometimes prudently tried to find reliefand ease for his sorrow by reasoning for himself and persuading himself that the pregnancy of his Spouse was asyet doubtful. But this self-deception vanished more andmore every day on account of the increasing evidence ofthat state in the most holy Virgin. As this vain andfleeting consolation failed him more and more and finallychanged into complete conviction as her pregnancy advanced, the glorious saint found no haven of refuge inhis anxieties. In the meanwhile the heavenly Princessgrew in loveliness and in perfect freedom from all bodilyfailings. Her charming beauty, healthfulness and gracefulness visibly increased before his eyes. All this onlynourished the anxieties and the torments of his mostchaste love, so that his interior was involved by the turbulent waves of his loving sorrow in unutterable confusionand he was finally stranded on the shores of a sea of griefby the overpowering evidence of his senses in regard tothe pregnancy of Mary. Although his spirit was alwaysconformed to the will of God, yet his flesh in his weakness felt the excess of his interior trouble, which at lastreached such a point that he knew not any more whichway to turn. The strength of his body was broken andvanished away, not by a definite disease, but in weakness312

THE INCARNATION 313and emaciation. These effects of his profound sorrowand melancholy became openly visible in his countenance.Moreover, as he suffered all this alone without seekingrelief or lessening his sorrow by communication withothers, as iscustomary with the afflicted, his sufferinggrew to be so much the more serious and incurable.389. In the meanwhile the sorrow which filled theheart of the most holy Mary was equally great. Yet,although her sorrow exceeded all bounds, the capacity ofher generous and magnanimous soul was much greaterand therefore She could conceal her grief more completely, and occupy her faculties in the loving care ofsaint Joseph, her spouse. Her sorrow therefore only incited Her to attend so much the more devotedly to hishealth and comfort. Nevertheless, as the inviolable ruleof the actions of the most prudent Queen was to performall in the fullness of wisdom and perfection, She continued to conceal the mystery about the disclosure ofwhich She had received no command. Though Shealone could relieve her spouse by an explanation, Shewithheld it in reverence and faithfulness due to the sacrament of the heavenly King (Tob. 12, 7). As far asShe herself was concerned, She exerted her utmostpowers; She spoke to him about his health, She askedwhat She could do to serve him and afford him help inthe weakness which so mastered him. She urged him totake some rest and recreation, since it was a duty to yieldto necessity and repair the weakened strength, in orderto be able to work for the Lord afterward. SaintJoseph observed all the actions of his heavenly Spouse,and, pondering over such virtue and discretion and feeling the effects of her intercourse and presence, he said:"Isit possible that a Woman of such habits, and in whomsuch graces of the Lord are manifest, can bring over

314 CITY OF GODme such affliction ? How can this prudence and holinessagree with these open signs of her infidelity to God andto me, who love Her so much? If I conclude to sendHer away, or to leave Her, I lose her most loving company, all my comfort, my home and my tranquillity. Whatblessing equal to Her can I find if I withdraw from Her?What consolation, if this one fails? But all this weighsless than the infamy connected with this sad misfortune,and that I should come to be looked upon as her accomplice in crime. That this event remain concealed is notpossible; since time will reveal all, even if I strive nowto hide it. To pass as the author of this pregnancy willbe a vile deceit and a blotch on my good name and conscience. I cannot recognizeit as caused by me, nor canI ascribe it to any other source known to me. Hence,what am I to do in this dire stress? The least evil willbe to absent myself and leave my house before her delivery comes upon Her; for then I would be still moreconfused and afflicted. I would then be obliged to livein my own house with a child not my own, without beingable to find any outlet or expedient."390. The Princess of heaven, becoming aware of theresolve of her spouse saint Joseph to leave Her and absent himself, turned in great sorrow to her holy angelsand said to them "Blessed :spirits and ministers of thehighest King, who raised you to felicity which you enjoy,and by his kind Providence accompany me as his faithful servants and as my guardians, I beseech you, myfriends, to present before God s clemencythe afflictionsof my spouse Joseph. Beseech the Lord to look uponhim and console him as a true Father. And you also,who so devotedly obey his words, hear likewise myin the name of Him who is infinite, and to whomprayers ;I am to give human shape in my womb, I pray, beseech

THE INCARNATION 315and supplicate you, that without delay you assist andrelieve my most faithful spouse in the affliction of hisheart and drive from his mind and heart his resolve of1me."leaving The angels which the Queen selected forthis purpose obeyed immediately and instilled into theheart of saint Joseph many holy thoughts, persuading himanew that his Spouse Mary was holy and most perfect,and that he could not believe anything wrong of Her;that God was incomprehensible in his works, and mosthidden in his judgments (Ps. 33, 19) ;that He was always most faithful to those who confide in Him, and thatHe would never despise or forsake them in tribulation.391. By these and other holy inspirations the troubledspirit of saint Joseph was somewhat quieted, although hedid not know whence they came ;but as the cause of hissorrow was not removed, he soon relapsed, not findinganything to assure and soothe his soul, and he returnedto his resolve of withdrawing and leaving his Spouse.The heavenly Queen was aware of this and She concluded that it was necessary to avert this danger and toinsist in earnest prayer on a remedy. She addressedHerself entirely to her most holy Son in her womb, andwith most ardent affection of her soul She prayed:"Lord and God of my soul, with thy permission, althoughI am but dust and ashes (Gen. 18, 27), I will speak inthy kingly presence and manifest to Thee my sighs, thatcannot be hidden from Thee (Ps. 37, 10). It is myduty not to be remiss in assisting the spouse whom Ihave received from thy hand. I see him overwhelmedby the tribulation, which Thou hast sent him, and itwould not be kind in me to forsake him therein. If Ihave found grace in thy eyes, I beseech Thee, Lord andeternal God, by the love which obliged Thee to enterinto the womb of thy servant for the salvation of man-

316 CITY OF GODkind, to be pleased to console thy servant Joseph and dispose him to assist me in the fulfillment of thy great works.It would not be well that I, thy servant, be left withouta husband for a protection and guardian. Do not permit, my Lord and God, that he execute his resolve andwithdraw from me."392. The Most High answered Her: dearest"MyDove, I shall presently visit my servant Joseph with consolation; and after I shall have manifested to him bymy angel the sacrament, which is unknown to him, thoumayest speak openly about all that I have done with thee,without the necessity of keeping silent thenceforward inthese matters. I will fill him with my spirit and makehim apt to perform his share in these mysteries. He willassist Thee in them and aid Thee in all that will hapWith this pen."promise of the Lord, most holy Marywas comforted and consoled, and She gave most ferventthanks to the same Lord, who disposes all things in admirable order, measure and weight. For besides the consolation, which the relief from this anxiety afforded Her,She also knew well how properit was that the spirit ofsaint Joseph be tried and dilated bythis tribulation before the great mysteries should be entrusted to his care.393. In the meanwhile saint Joseph was anxiously debating within himself concerning the proper course ofaction, for he had borne his tribulation already for twomonths; and now, overcome by the greatness of it, heargued with himself: I do not find a better way out ofthese difficulties than to absent myself. I confess thatmy Spouse is most perfect and exhibits nothing but whatshows Her a saint ;but after all She ispregnant and ofit I cannot fathom the mystery. I do not wish to injureHer reputation of holiness by involving Her in the punishment of the law ; yet at the same time I cannot stand

THE INCARNATION 317by and witness the consequences of her pregnancy.Iwill leave her now, and commit myself to the providenceof the Lord, who governsme." He then resolved to depart during that night, and in order to prepare for hisjourney he packed some clothes and other trifles into asmall bundle. Having also claimed some wages due tohim for his work, he retired to rest with the intention ofleaving at midnight. But on account of the strangenessof his undertaking, and because he was in the habit ofcommending his intentions to God in prayer, after he hadcome to this resolve he spoke to the Lord: "Highestand eternal God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac andJacob, Thou true and only refuge of the poor andafflicted, the grief and tribulation of my heart are wellknown to thy clemency. Thou knowest also, O Lord(although I am unworthy), that I am innocent of thatwhich causes my sorrow, and Thou likewise art awareof the infamy and danger consequent upon the conditionof my Spouse. I do not believe Her an adulteress, because I see in Her great virtue and perfection ; yet I certainly see Her pregnantI do not know by whom orhow it was caused ;and therefore I find no way to restoremy peace. In order to choose the least evil I will withdraw from Her and seek a place where no one knowsme and, resigning myself to thy Providence, I will passmy life in a desert. Do not forsake me, my Lord andeternal God, since I desire solely thy honor and service."394. Saint Joseph prostrated himself on the groundand made a vow to go to the temple of Jerusalem andoffer up a part of the small sum of money which hehad provided for his journey, in order that God mighthelp and protect Mary his Spouse from the calamitiesof men and free Her from all misfortune ;for great wasthe uprightness of that man of2-22God, and the esteem in

318 CITY OF GODwhich he held the heavenly Lady. After this prayer hecomposed himself for a short sleep with the intention of1departing in secret and at midnight from his Spouse.During this sleep, however, happened what I will relatein the next chapter. The great Princess of heaven,(assured by the divine promise), observed from her retirement all that saint Joseph was preparing to do ;for theAlmighty showed it to Her. And hearing the vow,which he made for her welfare, and seeing the smallbundle and the poor provision he prepared for his journey, She was rilled with tender compassion and prayedanew for him, giving praise and thanks to the Lord forhis Providence in guiding the actions of men beyond allhuman power of comprehension. His Majesty so ordained events, that both most holy Mary and saint Joseph should be brought to the utmost reach of interiorsorrow. For besides the merits of this prolongedmartyrdom they would gain the admirable and preciousblessing of the divine consolation deserved thereby. Although the great Lady persevered in the belief and hopeof a seasonable intervention of the Lord, and thereforeremained silent in order not to reveal the sacrament, concerning the disclosure of which the King had given Herno command; yet She was much afflicted by the resolveof saint Joseph to leave Her because;She reflected uponthe great inconvenience of being alone, without a companion and a protector, on whom She could rely for consolation and support in the natural order; for She wellknew that She could not expectall to proceed accordingto the supernatural and miraculous. Yet all her sighscould not prevent Her from exercising the most exaltedvirtues with a magnanimous spirit, such as patience inbearing her afflictions and the suspicions of saint Josephand its results; prudence, in withholding the disclosure

THE INCARNATION 319of the mystery on account of its greatness; silence, insignalizing Herself as a woman who knew how to refrain from speaking about that which so many humanreasons urged Her to make known ;forbearance and humility, in silently submitting to the suspicions of saintJoseph. Many other virtues did She exercise in thistrouble in a wonderful manner; by which She taught usto hope in the Almighty for our deliverance in thegreatest tribulations.INSTRUCTION WHICH MARY, THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN,GAVE ME.395. My daughter, the example of my silence, whichthou hast been writing about, should teach thee to use itas a guide in thy treatment of the favors and sacramentsof the Lord, namely that thou keep them concealedwithin thy heart. Although it might at times seem useful to reveal them for the consolation of some soul, thoumust not act upon this opinion without having first consulted God in prayer, and then thy superiors. For thesespiritual matters must not be made dependent uponhuman feeling, which are so much subject to the passionsand inclinations of nature. There isalways great danger of considering that to be an advantage which isharmful, and a service to God, what is injurious. It isnot given to eyes of the flesh and blood (I Cor. 2, 14) todiscern the interior movements, so as to decide which ofthem are divine and caused by grace, or which arehuman, engendered by the disorderly affections. Although there isgreat difference between these two kindsof affections and their causes, nevertheless, if the creatureis not highly enlightened and dead to its passions,it cannot recognize this difference, nor separate the precious

320 CITY OF GODfrom the vile (Jer. 15, 19). This danger is greaterwhen some temporal or human motive is mixed up withor underlies our actions ;for then our natural selflove iswont to creep in and take away discretion and supervision of heavenly and spiritual things, leading on to manysudden and dangerousfalls.396. Let it therefore be to thee as a rule always to befollowed that thou reveal nothing to any one except tothy spiritual guide, unless I command otherwise. SinceI have constituted myself thy Teacher, I will not fail togivethee advice and direction in this and in all otherthings, lest thou stray from the path appointed to thee bythe will of my most holy Son. Yet I admonish thee toappreciate highly all the favors and revelations of theMost High. Preserve them with a magnanimous heart ;esteem them, give thanks for them, and put them to practice in preference to anything else, especially in preference to anything originating from thy own inclinations.The reverential fear of God bound me to silence, having(as was proper) such a high regard for the Treasuredeposited in me. Notwithstanding the natural feelingof love and obligation toward my master and spousesaint Joseph, and in disregard of the sorrow and compassion for his afflictions, of which I so desired to free him,I hid the secret of my state in silence, preferring thepleasure of the Lord to all these, and leaving to Him thedefense of my cause. Learn also from this never to defend thyself against accusations, no matter how innocentthou mayest be. Oblige the Lord to do it by confiding inhis love. Charge thy reputation to his account; and inthe meanwhile overcome by patience and humility, bysweet and kind words, those who have offended thee.Above all things I admonish thee never to judge evil ofany one, even if thou seest with thy own eyes the out-

THE INCARNATION 321ward warrants of thy judgment; for perfect and sincerecharity will teach thee to find a prudent evasion and excuse for all faults of thy neighbor. God has placed myspouse, saint Joseph, as a shining example for such acourse of action, since no one had more evident proofsof evil, and no one was more discreet in deferring hisjudgment. For in the law of discreet and holy charityit must be held as prudence, not temerity, to suspecthigher causes, as yet unseen, rather than to judge andcondemn our neighbors for faults in which his guilt isnot clearly evident. I do not give thee special instructions for those that are in the state of matrimony, sincethey can derive them manifestly from the whole courseof my life. But from the above instruction all can profit,although just now I have in view thy own advancement,because I desire it with especial love. Hear me, daughter, and fulfill my counsels and follow these my words ofeternal life.

CHAPTER III.THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SPEAKS TO SAINT JOSEPH INHIS SLEEP AND MAKES KNOWN TO HIM THE MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION HIS BEHAVIOR THEREAFTER.397. The sorrow of jealousy keeps such vigilant watchin those that are beset by it, that very often it not onlyawakens them from sleep, but drives away altogether therefreshment of slumber. Nobody ever suffered this sorrow in the same degree as saint Joseph, although,if hehad known the truth, nobody ever had less occasion. Hewas endowed with exalted light and knowledge, so thathe could penetrate to the abyss of the incalculable sanctity and perfection of his heavenly Spouse. As the reasons which urged him to resign the possession of suchgreat blessing were inexorable, it naturally followed thatthe knowledge of what he was to lose should add to thesorrow of parting therefrom. Hence, what saint Josephsuffered in this regard exceeds all that ever was enduredby any man for no one ever;equalled him in the loss, andno one could so value and estimate it. Besides, there wasa great difference in the zeal and jealousy of this faithfulservant of God and the jealousies of others in like troubles. For jealousies create in the vehement and ardentlover a great anxiety to preserve and prevent loss of theloved object; and to this anxiety is naturally added thepain caused by the fear lest the loved one be alienated byothers. This kind of feeling or sorrow is commonlycalled jealousy. In those who have disorderly passions,322

THE INCARNATION 323and who, for want of prudence or other virtues, yield tothem, it usually causes the different feelings of wrath,fury,envy toward the person loved, or against the rivalwho impedes the return of love, be itor not.a well-ordered loveThen arise the storms of suspicion and conjecture in the imagination, engendered by these passions;the tempests of alternate desire and abhorrence; of loving affection and vain regret. Thus the irascible andconcupiscent faculties are in perpetual strife, without anyregard for the demands of reason or prudence; for thiskind of sorrow confounds the understanding, pervertsreason, and rejects prudence.398. In saint Joseph this disorder was not infectedwith all these faults, nor could they find room in him, onaccount both of his own exalted holiness and that of hisSpouse; for in Her he could find no fault to exasperatehim, nor had he any suspicion that her love had beencaptured by any one else, against whom or toward whomhis envy might be aroused in defense. The jealousy ofsaint Joseph was founded entirely in his own great lovefor Her, ina certain conditional doubt or suspicion lesthis Spouse had not entirely responded to his own love ;for he found no such strong reasons against,as he didfor his mistrust. A greater uncertainty was not necessary in his case in order to cause such vehement sorrows ;for in the possession of a spouse, no rival can be tolerated. Hence, the chaste marital love of our saint, whichfilled his whole heart, was sufficient to cause in him themost vehement grief at the least appearance of infidelity,or danger of losing this most perfect, most beautiful anddelightful object of all his desires and thoughts. For iflove is in possession of such just motives, strong andunbreakable are the bonds and chains with which itcaptivates the heart and most powerfulis the dominion which

324 CITY OF GODit exercises ; especially when there are no imperfections toweaken it. Our Queen exhibited nothing which eitheror in the natural order was calculated toin the spiritualdiminish or moderate this love in her holy spouse, butonly what tended to blow it into greater flame on manyoccasions and for many reasons.399. Full of this sorrow, which had now become anintolerable pain, saint Joseph, after saying the prayerabove mentioned, composed himself for a short sleep,assured that he would wake up at the right time to leavehis home at midnight, and, as he thought, without theknowledge of his Spouse. The heavenly Lady awaitedthe intervention of God, asking it of Him in most humbleprayer. For She knew that the tribulation of hertroubled spouse had reached such a high point, that thetime of God s merciful assistance must have arrived.The Most High sent his archangel Gabriel, in order toreveal to him during his sleep the mystery of the Incarnation and Redemption in the words recorded in the gospel.It might cause some wonder, (and such was caused inme), why the archangel spoke to saint Joseph in hissleep and not while awake; since the mystery was sohigh, and so difficult to comprehend, especially in thepresent afflicted and troubled state of his mind; whilethis same mystery was made known to others, not whilethey were asleep, but awake.400. In these operations of course, the last reason isalways the divine will itself, just, holy and perfect.However, as far as I have understood, I will partly mention some other reasons in explanation. The first reasonis, that saint Joseph was so prudent, filled with suchheavenly light, and had such high conception of ourmost holy Lady, the blessed Mary, that it was not necessary to convince him by strong evidence, in order to

THE INCARNATION 325assure him of her dignity and of the mysteries of theIncarnation; for in hearts well-disposed the divine inspirations find easy entrance. The second reason is,because his trouble had itsbeginning in the senses, namelyin seeing with his eyes the pregnancy of his Spouse hence;it was a just retribution, that they, having given occasion for deception or suspicion, should as it were be deadened or repressed by the privation of the angelic vision.The third reason is as it were a sequence of this lastone: saint Joseph, although he was guilty of no fault,was under the influence of his affliction and his senseswere so to say deadened and incapacitated for the sensible perception and intercourse of the angel. Thereforeit was befitting, that the angel deliver this message tohim at a time, when the senses, which had been scandalized, were inactive and suspended in their operations.Thus the holy man might afterwards, regaining their fullacts of virtuefor entertaining the operation of the holy Spirit, whichhad been entirely interrupted by his troubles.use, purify and dispose himself by many401. Hence will be also understood, why God spoketo the ancient Fathers oftener during sleep than happensto the faithful ones of the evangelical law; for in thenew law revelation in sleep is less frequent than directintercourse with angels, which affords a more efficientmode of communication. The explanation of this factis this: since accordingto the divine ordainment thegreatest impediment and obstacle of a more familiar intercourse and converse of the souls with God and hisangels is the commission of sins, even venial sins or evenonly imperfections, it follows, that, after the divine Wordbecame man and conversed with mortals, the senses andall our faculties are purified day by day by the sanctifying use of sensible Sacraments, by which men in some

326 CITY OF GODdegree are spiritualized and elevated, their torpid faculties aroused and made apt for participation in the divineinfluences.This blessing we owe in a greater degree tothe blood of Christ our Lord than the ancients;for byits efficiency we are made partakers of his holinessthrough the Sacraments, wherein we receive the effectsof special graces, and in some of them even a spiritualcharacter, which destines and prepares us for Most Highends. But whenever the Lord in our times spoke orspeaks in sleep, He excludes the operations of the senses,as being unfit and unprepared to enter into the spiritualnuptials of his communications and divine influences.402. It will also appear from this doctrine, that, inorder to receive the hidden favor of the Lord, men mustnot only be free from guilt and possess merits and grace,but that they be also in peace and tranquillity of spirit ;for if the republic of the faculties is in disturbance (asit was in saint Joseph), the soul is not in a fit conditionto receive such exalted and delicate influences as are implied bythe visits and the caresses of the Lord. It isnot at all uncommon, that, no matter how much tribulations and afflictions increase the merits of the soul (aswere those of saint Joseph, the spouse of the Queen),they nevertheless hinder the divine operations. For insuffering them the soul is involved in a conflict with thepowers of darkness, while this kind of blessing consistsin the possession of light; and therefore the vision ofdarkness, even ifonly in order to ward it off, is not inharmony with the vision of God or the angels. But inthe midst of the conflict and the battle of temptations,which may be compared to a dream in the night, thevoice of the Lord is nevertheless wont to be heard andas itperceived through the ministry of the angels, justhappened to saint Joseph. He heard and understood all

THE INCARNATION 327that saint Gabriel said: that he should not be afraid toremain with his Spouse Mary (Matth. 1, 20, 21), becausewhat She bore in her womb, was the work of the holythat She would give birth to a Son, who shouldSpirit;be called Jesus and who was to be the Savior of hispeople that in all this should be fulfilled the prophecy of;Isaias, who said (Is. 7, 14): A Virgin shall conceive andshall bring forth a Son, who was to be called Emmanuel,God with us. Saint Joseph did not see the angel byimaginary image, he heard only the interior voice and heunderstood the mystery. The words of the angel imply,that saint Joseph had in his mind already resolved tosever his connection with most holy Mary; for he wastold to receive Her again without fear.403. Saint Joseph awoke with the full consciousness,that his Spouse was the true Mother of God. Full ofjoy on account of his good fortune and of his inconceivable happiness, and at the same time deeply moved by sudden sorrow for what he had done, he prostrated himselfto the earth and with many other humble, reverentialand joyful tokens of his feelings, he performed heroicacts of humiliation and of thanksgiving. He gave thanksto the Lord for having revealed to him this mysteryand for having made him the husband of Her, whom Godhad chosen for his Mother, notwithstanding that he wasnot worthy to be even her slave. Amid these recognitions and these acts of virtue, the spirit of saint Josephremained tranquil and apt for the reception of new influences of the holy Spirit. His doubts and anxieties ofthe past few months had laid in him those deep foundations of humility, which were necessary for one whoshould be entrusted with the highest mysteries of theLord; and the remembrance of his experiences was tohim a lesson which lasted all his life. The holy man

328 CITY OF GODbegan to blame himself alone for all that had happenedand broke forth in the "Ofollowing prayer: myheavenly Spouse and meekest Dove, chosen by the MostHigh for his dwelling-place and for his Mother: howcould thy unworthy slave have dared to doubt thyfidelity? How could dust and ashes ever permit itselfto be served by Her, who is the Queen of heaven andearth and the Mistress of the universe ? How is it, thatI have not kissed the ground which was touched bythy feet? Why have I not made it my most solicitouscare to serve Thee on my knees? How will I ever raisemy eyes in thy presence and dare to remain in thy company or open my lips to speak to Thee? O my Lord andGod, give me grace and strength to ask her forgiveness;and move her heart to mercy, that She do not despiseher sorrowful servant according to his guilt. Ah woeis me! since She is full of light and grace and She bearswithin Herself the Author of light, all my thoughts wereopen to her sight, also that I had in my mind actually toleave Her ;hence it will be temerity on my part to appearin her presence. I now recognize my rude behavior andmy gross error; since even with such great holiness before my eyes I gave way to unworthy thoughts anddoubts concerning her fidelity, which I did not deserve.And if in punishment thy justice had permitted me toexecute my presumptuous resolve, what would now beEternally be thanked, Most High Lordmy misfortune?for such great blessing! Assist me, most powerful King,to make some kind of reparation. I will go to my Spouseand Lady, confiding in her sweetness and clemency;prostrate at her feet I will ask her pardon, so that forher sake, Thou, my eternal Lord and God, mayest lookupon me with the eyes of a Father and mayest pardon mygross error."

THE INCARNATION 329404. The holy spouse now left his little room, findinghimself so happily changed in sentiments since the timehe had composed himself for sleep. As the Queen ofheaven always had kept Herself in retirement, he did notwish to disturb her sweet contemplation, until She herself desired. In the meantime the man of God unwrapped the small bundle, which he had prepared, shedding many tears with feelings quite different from thosewith which he had made it up. Weeping, he began toshow his reverence for his heavenly Spouse, by settingthe rooms in order, scrubbing the floors, which were tobe touched by the sacred feet of most holy Mary. Healso performed other chores which he had been accustomed to leave to the heavenly Lady before he knew herdignity. He resolved to change entirely his relationtoward Her, assume for himself the position of servantand leave to Her the dignity of Mistress. From thatday on arose a wonderful contention between the two,which of them should be allowed to show most eagernessto serve and most humility. All that happened withsaint Joseph the Queen of heaven saw, and not a thoughtor movement escaped her attention. When the timearrived, the saint approached the oratory of her Highand She awaited him with sweetest kindness andness,mildness, as Iwill describe in the following chapter.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE HEAVENLY LADY, MOST HOLYMARY, GAVE ME.405. My daughter, in what thou hast understood ofthis chapter, thou hast a sweet motive for praising thewonderful ways of God s wisdom in afflicting and againconsoling his servants and chosen ones; from both theone and the other, He most wisely and kindly draws for

330 CITY OF GODthem increase of merit and glory. Besides this doctrine,I wish that thou receive another one, most important forthy direction, and for the narrow pathway, which theMost High has assigned to thee. It is this, that thoustrive with all thy might to preserve thyself in tranquillity and interior peace, without allowing thyself to bedeprived of itby any troublesome event of this life whatever, and by always keeping in mind the example andinstruction contained in this part of the life of my spousesaint Joseph. The Most High does not wish to see thecreatures disturbed by afflictions, but that they gainmerit; not that they lose courage, but that they testtheir own power when aided by grace. Although themore violent temptations are wont to close the haven ofexalted peace and knowledge of God, and although theyground the creature more firmly in the knowledge of itsown lowliness; yet if the soul loses its interior tranquillity and equilibrium,it will make itself unfit for thevisit of the Lord, for hearing his voice, and for beingraised up to his embraces. The Majesty of God does notcome in a stormcloud (III. Reg. 19, 12), nor will the raysof this supreme Sun of justice shine, when calm is notreigning in the soul.406. If then the want of this tranquillity so hinders thepure intercourse of the Most High,it is clear that sinsare a stillgreater hindrance to this great blessing. Idesire that thou be very attentive to this doctrine and thatthou do not presume to allow any disregard of it in anyoperation of thy faculties. Since thou hast so oftenoffended the Lord, call upon his mercy, weep and washthyself from thy sins with copious tears; remember that,under pain of being condemned as unfaithful, thou artobliged to watch over thy soul and preserveit for aneternal resting-place of the Almighty, pure, clean and

THE INCARNATION 331undisturbed; so that thy God may possessin it a worthy habitation (I Cor. 2, 16). The harmonyit and findof thy faculties and feelings is to be like that of themusic of soft and delicate instruments ;in which the moredelicate the harmony, so much the greater is the dangerof discord and so much the greater must be the care topreserve the instruments from all gross contact. Foreven the atmosphere infected by earthly tendencies issufficient to disturb and spoil the powers of the soul thusconsecrated to God. Labor therefore to live a careful lifeand to keep full command over thy faculties and operations. If at any time thou art disturbed or disconcertedin maintaining this order, strive to attend the divinelight, making use of it without fear or hesitation andworking with it whatever is most perfect and pure. Inthis I point out to thee the example of my spouse saintJoseph, who believed the angel without a moment s hesitation and immediately with prompt obedience executed hiscommands ;and thereby he merited to be raised to greatreward and dignity. If he humiliated himself so deeplyafter having had such great, though only apparent reasons for anxiety and without even having sinned in whathe did, how must thou, a mere worm of the earth,acknowledge thy littleness and humble thyself to the dust,weeping over thy negligences and sins, in order that theMost High may look upon thee as a Father and as aSpouse.

CHAPTER IV.SAINT JOSEPH ASKS PARDON OF THE MOST HOLY MARY,HIS SPOUSE, AND THE HEAVENLY LADY CONSOLES HIMWITH GREAT PRUDENCE.407. The husband of Mary, saint Joseph, now betterinformed, waited until his most holy Spouse had finishedher contemplation, and at the hour known to him heopened the door of the humble apartment which theMother of the heavenly King occupied. Immediately uponentering the holy man threw himself on his knees, saying with the deepest reverence and veneration : "MyMistress and Spouse, true Mother of the eternal Word,here am I thy servant prostrate at the feet of thyclemency. For the sake of thy God and Lord, whomThou bearest in thy virginal womb, I beseech Thee toI am certain, O Lady, that none ofpardon my audacity.my thoughts is hidden to thy wisdom and to thy heavenlyinsight. Great was my presumption in resolving to leaveThee and not less great was my rudeness in treatingThee until now as my inferior, instead of serving Theeas the Mother of my Lord and God. But Thou alsoknowest that I have done all in ignorance, because I knewnot the sacrament of the heavenly King and the greatness of thy dignity, althoughI revered in Thee othergifts of the Most High. Do not reflect, my Mistress,upon the ignorance of such a lowly creature, who, nowbetter instructed, consecrates his heart and his whole lifeto thy service and attendance. I will not rise from my332

THE INCARNATION 333knees, before being assured of thy favor, nor until I haveobtained thy pardon, thy good will and thy blessing."408. The most holy Mary, hearing the humble wordsof saint Joseph, experienced diverse feelings. For withtender joy in the Lord She saw how apt he was to beentrusted with the sacraments of the Lord, since heacknowledged and venerated them with such deep faithand humility. But She was somewhat troubled by hisresolve of treating Her henceforth with the respect andself abasement alluded to in his words; for the humbleLady feared by this innovation to lose the occasions ofobeying and humiliating Herself as a servant of herspouse. Like one, who suddenly finds herself in dangerof being deprived of some jewel or treasure highlyvalued, most holy Mary was saddened by the thoughtthat saint Joseph would no longer treat Her as an inferiorand as subject to him in all things, having now recognized in Her the Mother of the Lord. She raised herholy spouse from his knees and threw Herself at hisfeet (although he tried to hinder it), and said: "Imyself, my master and spouse, should ask thee to forgive meand thou art the one who must pardon me thesorrowsand the bitterness, which I have caused thee ;and therefore I ask thisforgiveness of thee on my knees, and thatthou forget thy anxieties, since the Most High has lookedupon my desires and afflictions in divine pleasure."409. It seemed good to the heavenly Lady to consoleher spouse, and therefore, not in order to excuse Herself,She added : "As much as I desired, I could not on myown account give thee any information regarding thesacrament hidden within me by the power of theAlmighty; since, as his slave, it was my duty to awaitthe manifestation of his holy and perfect will. Not because I failed to esteem thee as my lord and spouse did2-23

334 CITY OF GODI remain silent: for I was and always will be thy faithful servant, eager to correspond to thy holy wishes andaffection.inmost heart and in the name of theFrom myLord, whom I bear within me, I beseech thee not tochange the manner of thy conversation and intercoursewith me. The Lord has not made me his Mother inorder to be served and to command in this life, but inorder to be the servant of all and thy slave, obeying thywill in all things. This is my duty, my master, and outside of it I would lead a life without joy and full ofsorrow. It is just that thou afford me the opportunityof fulfilling it, since so it was ordained by the Most High.He has furnished me with thy protection and devotedassistance, in order that Imay live securely in the shadeof thy provident solicitude and with thy aid rear theFruit of my womb, my God and my With Lord."thesewords and others most sweet and persuasive most holyMary consoled and quieted saint Joseph, and he raisedHer from her knees in order to confer with Her upon allthat would be necessary for this purpose. Since on thisoccasion the heavenly Lady was full of the Holy Ghostand moreover bore within Her, as his Mother, the divineWord, who proceeds from the Father and the HolyGhost, saint Joseph received special enlightenment andthe plenitude of divine graces. Altogether renewed infervor of spirit he said :410. "Blessed art Thou, Lady, among all women,fortunate and preferred before all nations and generations. the Creator of heaven and earth be extolledMaywith eternal praise, since from his exalted kingly throneHe has looked upon Thee and chosen Thee for his dwelling-place and in Thee alone has fulfilled the ancientpromises made to the Patriarchs and Prophets. Let allgenerations :bless Him for in no one has He magnified

THE INCARNATION 335his name as He has done in thy humility; and me, themost insignificant of the living, He has in his divine condescension selected for thy servant." In these words ofpraise and benediction saint Joseph was enlightened bythe Holy Ghost, in the same manner as saint Elisabeth,when she responded to the salutation of our Queen andMistress. The light and inspiration, received by the mostholy spouse was wonderfully adapted to his dignity andoffice. The heavenly Lady, upon hearing the words ofthe holy man, answered in the words of the Magnificat,as She had done on her visit to saint Elisabeth, and Sheadded other canticles. She was all aflame in ecstasy andwas raised from the earth in a globe of light, which surrounded Her and transfigured Her with the gifts of glory.411. At this heavenly vision saint Joseph was filledwith admiration and unspeakable delight ;for never hadhe seen his most blessed Spouse in such eminence ofglory and perfection. Now he beheld Her with a fulland clear understanding, since all the integrity and purityof the Princess of heaven and mystery of her dignitymanifested themselves to him. He saw and recognizedin her virginal womb the humanity of the infant God andthe union of the two natures of the Word. With profound humility and reverence he adored Him and recognized Him as his Redeemer, offering himself to hisMajesty. The Lord looked upon him in benevolence andkindness as upon no other man, for He accepted him ashis foster-father and conferred upon him that title. Inaccordance with this dignity, He gifted him with thatplenitude of science and heavenly gifts which Christianpiety can and must acknowledge. I do not dilate uponthis vast excellence of saint Joseph made known to me,because I would extend this history beyond the prescribed bounds.

336 CITY OF GOD412. However, if it was a proof of the magnanimityof the glorious saint Joseph and a clear evidence of hisgreat sanctity, that he did not wear away and die of thegrief sustained at the thought of the loss of his belovedSpouse, it is yet more astonishing, that he was not overwhelmed by the unexpected joy of this revelation of thetrue mystery connected with his Spouse. In the formerhe proved his high sanctity; but in the latter he showedhimself worthy of gifts, such which, if the Lord had notexpanded his heart, he could neither have been capable ofreceiving nor could he have outlived to bear in the joyof his spirit.In all things he was renewed and elevated,so as to be able to treat worthily Her, who was theMother of God himself and his Spouse, and to co-operatewith Her in the mystery of the Incarnation and in taking care of the Word made man, as I shall relate fartheron.In order that he might be still more apt and so muchthe more recognize his obligation to serve his heavenlySpouse, it was also made known to him, that all the giftsand blessings came to him because of Her: those beforehis espousal, because he had been selected for her husband, and those afterward, because he had won andmerited this distinction. He also perceived with whatprudence the great Lady had acted toward him, not onlyin serving him with such inviolate obedience and profound humility, but also in consoling him in his affliction,soliciting for him the grace and assistance of the HolyGhost, hiding her feelings with such discretion, tranquilizingand soothing his sorrow, thus fittingly disposing him for the influence of the divine Spirit. Just as thePrincess of heaven had been the instrument for the sanctificationof saint John the Baptist and his mother, so Shealso was instrumental in procuring for saint Joseph theplenitude of graces in still greater abundance. All this

THE INCARNATION 337the most faithful and fortunate man understood and foras a most faithful servant, was proportionately thankit,ful.413. These great sacraments and manyothers connected with our Queen and her spouse saint Joseph, thesacred Evangelists passed over in silence, not only becausethey wished to treasure them in their hearts, but also because neither the humble Lady nor saint Joseph hadspoken of them to any one. Nor was it necessary to mention these wonders in the life of Christ our Lord, whichthey wrote in order to establish our belief in the newChurch and the law of grace for such;things might giverise to many inconveniences among the heathens in theirfirst conversion. The admirable providence of God, inhis hidden and inscrutable judgments, reserved thesesecrets for a more suitable time foreseen in divine wisdom. He wished that, after the Church had been already established and the Catholic faith well grounded,the faithful, standing in need of the intercession, the assistance and protection of their great Queen and Lady,should draw, from the knowledge of these mysteries,new and old treasures of grace and consolation (Matth.13, 52). Perceiving by new enlightenment what a loving Mother and powerful Advocate they had in heavenwith her most holy Son, to whom the Father has giventhe power to judge (John 5, 52), let them fly to Herfor help as to the only and sacred refuge of sinners. Letthe tribulations and the tears of the Church themselvesgive witness, whether such times of affliction have notcome upon us in our days; for never were her trialsgreater than now, when her own sons, reared at herbreast, afflict her, seek to destroy her, and dissipate thetreasures of the blood of her Spouse with a greatercruelty than was done by her most embittered enemies.

338 CITY OF GODIn this crying need, when the blood, shed by her children calls heavenward, and much more loudly, theblood of our high Priest Christ (Heb. 12, 24) troddenunder foot and polluted under pretext of justice, resounds in anguish, what are the most faithful childrenWhy are they so speechless ? Whyof the Church doing?do they not call upon most holy Mary? Why do theynot invoke her aid and urge Her to help ? What wonderif help is delayed, since we postpone seeking Her andacknowledging Her as the true Mother of God? I givewitness, that great mysteries are enclosed in this Cityof God and that in lively faith we should confess andextol them. They are so great, that the deeper insightinto them is reserved for the time after the general resurrection, when all the saints will know them in the MostHigh. But in the meanwhile let the pious and faithfulsouls acknowledge the condescension of this their mostloving Queen and Lady in revealing some of the greatand hidden sacraments through me, a most unworthyinstrument; for I, in my weakness and insignificance,could be induced to attempt this work only by therepeated command and encouragement of the Mother ofpiety,as was stated several times.INSTRUCTION VOUCHSAFED BY THE HEAVENLY QUEEN ANDLADY.414. My daughter, my object in revealing this history so many sacraments and secrets, bothto thee inthosewhich thou hast written and many others, which thouart unable to manifest, is, that thou use them as a mirrorof my life and as an inviolable rule of action for thy own.All of them should be engraven in the tablets of thy heartand I recall to thy mind the teachings of eternal life,

THE INCARNATION 339thereby complying with my duty as thy Teacher. Beready to obey and fulfill all commands as a willing andcareful pupil; let the humble care and watchfulness ofmy spouse saint Joseph, his submission to divine direction and his esteem for heavenly enlightenment, servethee as an example. For only because his heart had beenwell disposed and prepared for the execution of the divinewill, was he entirely changed and remodeled by the plenitude of grace for the ministry assigned to him by theMost High. Let therefore the consciousness of thyfaults serve thee as a motive to submit in all humility tothe work of God, not as a pretext to withdraw from theperformance of that which the Lord desires of thee.415. However, I wish on this occasion to reveal tothee the just reproach and indignation of the Most Highagainst mortals so; that, comparing the conduct of othermen with the humility and meekness, which I exercisedtoward my spouse saint Joseph, thou mayest understandit better in divine enlightenment. The cause of thisreproach, which the Lord and I have to make againstmen, is the inhuman perversity of men in persisting totreat each other with so much want of humility and love.In this they commit three faults, which displease theMost High very much and which cause the Almightyand me to withhold many mercies. The first is, that men,knowing that they are all children of the same Father inheaven (Is. 64, 8), works of his hands, formed of thesame nature, graciously nourished and kept alive by hisProvidence, reared at the same table of divine mysteriesand Sacraments, especially of his own body and blood,nevertheless forget and despise all these advantages, concentrating all their interest upon earthly and trivialaffairs, exciting themselves without reason, swelling withindignation, creating discords, quarrels, indulging in

340 CITY OF GODdetractions and harsh words, sometimes rising up to mostwicked and inhuman vengeance or mortal hate of oneanother. The second is, that, when through humanfrailty and want of mortification, incited by the temptation of the devil, they happen to fall into one of thesefaults, they do not at once seek to rid themselves of itnor strive to be again reconciled, as should be done bybrothers in the presence of a just judge. Thus theydeny Him as their merciful Father and force Him tobecome the severe and rigid Judge of their sins; for nofaults excite Him sooner to exercise his severity thanthe sins of revenge and hate. The third offense, whichcauses his great indignation, is, that sometimes, when abrother comes in order to be reconciled, he that deemshimself offended will not receive him and asks a greatersatisfaction than that which he knows would be acceptedby the Lord, and which he himself offers as satisfactionto God s Majesty. For all of them wish that God, whois most grievously offended, should receive and pardonthem, whenever they approach Him with humility andcontrition; while those that are but dust and ashes, askto be revenged upon their brothers and will not contentthemselves with the satisfaction, which the Most Highhimself readily accepts for their own sins.416. Of all the sins, which the sons of the Churchcommit, none is more horrible than these in the eyes ofthe Most High. This thou wilt readily understand bythe divine light and in the vigor of God s law, whichcommands men to pardon their brethren, although theymay have offended seventy times seven. And if a brotheroffend many times every day, as soon as he says thathe issorry for it, the Lord commands us to forgive theoffending brother as many times without counting thenumber. And those that are not willing to forgive, He

THE INCARNATION 341threatens with severest punishment on account of thescandal, which they cause. This can be gathered fromthe threatening words of God himself : Woe to him fromwhom scandal comes and through whom scandal iscaused ! It were better for him, if he fell into the depthsof the sea with a heavy millstone around his neck. Thiswas said in order to indicate the danger of this sin andthe difficulty of obtaining deliverance therefrom, whichmust be compared to that of a man dropping into thesea with a grinding-stone around his neck. It also pointsout that the punishment is the abyss of eternal painsTherefore the command of my most holy(Matth. 18, 9).Son is good advice to the faithful, that they rather permit their eyes to be torn out and their hands chopped off,than allow themselves to fall into this crime of scandalizing the little ones.417. O my dearest daughter! How thou must bewailthe wickedness and evils of this sin with tears of blood!That is the sin, which grieves the Holy Ghost (Eph. 4,30), affords proud triumphs to the demons, makes monsters of rational creatures, and wipes out in them theimage of the eternal Father ! What thing more unbecoming, or hateful and monstrous, than to see creatures ofthe earth, the food of worms and corruption, rise upagainst one another in pride and arrogance? Thou wiltnot find words strong enough to describe this wickedness, in order to persuade mortals to fear it and guardagainst the wrath of the Lord (Matt. 3, 7). But dothou, dearest, preserve thy heart from this contagion,stamp and engrave in it the most useful doctrine for thyguidance. Never think for a moment, that in offendingthy neighbor or scandalizing him in this way, the guiltcan be small, for all these sins are weighty in the sightof God. Place a damper on all thy faculties and feel-

342 CITY OF GODings in order to observe most strictly the rules of charitytoward all creatures of the Most High. To me alsoafford this pleasure, since I wish thee to be most perfect in this virtue. I impose upon thee as my mostvigorous precept, that thou give offense neither inthought, word or deed to any of thy neighbors and that;thou prevent any of thy subjects, and, as far as thoucanst, any other person in thy presence from injuringtheir neighbor. Meditate well on this, as I ask it of thee,my dearest; for it is a doctrine most divine and leastunderstood by mortals. Serve thyself with the onlyremedy against these passions namely, with the compell:ing example of my humility and meekness, the effect ofthe sincere love not only toward my spouse, but towardall the children of the heavenly Father; for I esteemedthem and looked upon them as redeemed and bought fora great price (I Pet. 1, 18). With true fidelity and ingenious chanty watch over thy religious. The divineMajesty is offended grievously by any one who does notfulfill this command expressly inculcated and called anew one by my Son (John 15, 12) ;but He is roused toincomparably greater indignation against religious perthese there aresons, who offend againstit.Amongmany, who should distinguish themselves as perfectchildren of the Father and Teacher of this virtue; neverand thereby become more odioustheless they cast it asideand detestable in his sight than worldly persons.

CHAPTER V.SAINT JOSEPH RESOLVES TO DEVOTE HIMSELF ENTIRELYTO THE SERVICE OF MOST HOLY MARY ;THE BEHAVIOROF HER MAJESTY, AND OTHER PARTICULARS OF THELIFE OF MARY AND JOSEPH.418. The most faithful Joseph, after being informedof the mystery and sacrament of the Incarnation, wasfilled with such high and befitting sentiments concerninghis Spouse, that, although he had always been holy andperfect, he was changed into a new man. He resolved toact toward the heavenly Lady according to a new ruleand with much greater reverence, as I will relate fartheron. This was conformable to the wisdom of the saintand due to the excellence of his Spouse for saint ;Josephby heavenly enlightenment saw well, that he was theservant and She the Mistress of heaven and earth. Inorder tosatisfy his desire for honoring and reverencingHer as the Mother of God, whenever he passed Her orspoke to Her alone, he did it with great external veneration and on bended knees.He would not allow Her toserve him, or wait upon him, or perform any otherhumble services, such as cleaning the house or washingthe dishes and the like. All these things the most happyspouse wished to do himself, in order not to derogatefrom the dignity of the Queen.the humble419. But the heavenly Lady, who amongwas the most humble and whom no one could surpass inhumility, so managed all these things, that the palm ofremained with Her.victory in all these virtues always343

344 CITY OF GODShe besought saint Joseph not to bend the knees to Her,was due to the Lord whom Shefor though this worshipcarried in her womb, yet as long as He was withinunseen by any one no distinction was externally manifestbetween his and her own person. The saint thereforeallowed himself to be persuaded and conformed to thewishes of the Queen of heaven ; only at times, when Shewas not looking, he continued to give this worship to theLord whom She bore in her womb, and also to Her ashis Mother, intending thereby to honor Both accordingto the excellence of Each. In regard to the other worksand services, an humble contention arose between them.For saint Joseph could not overcome his conviction asto the impropriety of allowing the great Queen and Ladyto perform them, and therefore he sought to be beforehand with such household duties. His heavenly Spousewas filled with the same eagerness to seize upon occasionsin advance of saint Joseph. As however he busied himself in these duties during the time which She spent incontemplation, he frustrated her continual desire of serving him and of performingall the duties of the household, which She considered as belonging to Her as aservant. In her affliction on this account, the heavenlyLady turned to the Lord with humble complaints, andbesought Him to oblige saint Joseph not to hinder Herin the exercise of humility, as She desired. As thisvirtue is so powerful before the divine tribunal and hasfree access, no prayer accompanied byit is small.Humility makes all prayers effective and inclines the immutable Being of God to clemency. He heard Her petition and He ordered the angel guardian of the blessedhusband to instruct him as follows: "Do not frustratethe humble desires of Her who issupreme over all thecreatures of heaven and earth.allow Her toExteriorly

THE INCARNATION 345serve thee and interiorly treat Her with highest reverence, and at all times and in all places worship the incarnate Word. It is his will, equally with that of theheavenly Mother, to serve and not to be served, in orderto teach the world the knowledge of life and the excellence of humility. In some of the work thou canstassist Her, but alwayscreation."reverence in Her the Lord of all420. Instructed by this command of the Most High,saint Joseph permitted the heavenly Princess to exerciseher humility and so both of them were enabled to makean offering of their will to God : most holy Mary, byexercising the deepest humility and obedience toward herspouse in all her acts of virtue which She performedwithout failing in the least point of perfection and saint;Joseph by obeying the Almighty with a holy and prudentembarrassment, which was occasioned by seeing himselfwaited upon and served by Her, whom he had recognizedas his Mistress and that of the world, and as the Motherof his God and Creator. In this manner the prudentsaint made up for the humility, which he could not practice in the works now consigned to his Spouse. Thisarrangement seemed to humiliate him more and filledhim with a greater reverential fear. In this fear heobserved most holy Mary, always bearing in mind theTreasure of her virginal womb and adoring, magnifyingand praising the Lord. A few times, in reward of hisholiness and reverence, or for the increase of both, theinfant God manifested Himself to him in a wonderfulmanner: he saw Him in the womb of his purest Motherenclosed as it were in the clearest crystal. The sovereignQueen conversed with the glorious saint concerning theIncarnation ;because She did not need to be so reservedin her heavenly words since he had been enlightened and

346 CITY OF GODinstructed in the sublime sacraments of the hypostaticunion of the divine and human natures in the virginalchamber of his Spouse.421. No human tongue can reproduce the celestialwords and conversations of the most holy Mary and theblessed Joseph. I will adduce some of them in the following chapters, as far as I know how. Yet, who candeclare the effects wrought in the sweet and devout heartof this saint in seeing himself not only constituted thehusband of Her who was the true Mother of his Creator,but in rinding himself also served by Her as if She wasthe humblest slave, while at the same time he beheld Herraised in sanctity and dignity above the highest seraphimand inferior only to God? If the divine right hand enriched with blessings the house of Obededom for havingsheltered for a few mpnths the figurative ark of the oldTestament (I Par. 13, 14), what blessings did He notshower upon saint Joseph, to whom He entrusted thetrue ark and the Lawgiver himself enshrined in Her?Incomparable was the good fortune and happiness of thissaint! Not only because he had with him in his housethe living and true ark of the new Testament, the altar,the sacrifice, and the temple, all left in his charge ; butalso because he cared for them worthily and as a faithfulservant (Matth. 24, 45), constituted by the Lord himselfover his family to provide for all their necessities in theright time as a most faithful dispenser (Os. 14, 20).Let all generations and peoples acknowledge and blesshim, let them extol his merits; since the Most High hasfavored none other in the same degree. I, an unworthyand poor worm, in the light of such venerable sacraments,exalt and magnify this Lord God, confessing Him asholy, just, merciful, wise and admirable in the disposition of all his great works.

THE INCARNATION 347422. The humble but blessed house of Joseph contained three rooms, which occupied nearly all its spaceand formed the exclusive dwelling place of the twoSpouses for they kept neither a man- nor a maid-servant.;In one of the rooms saint Joseph slept, in another heworked and kept the tools of his trade of carpentering;the third was ordinarily occupied by the Queen of heavenand was also her sleeping room. It contained a couchmade by the hands of saint Joseph. This arrangementthey had observed since their espousal and from the dayon which they had come to this, their dwelling. Beforeknowing the dignity of his Spouse and Lady, saint Josephrarely went to see Her; for while She kept her retirement he was engaged in his work, unless some affairmade it absolutely necessary to consult Her. But afterhe was informed of his good fortune, the holy man wasmore solicitous for her welfare, and in order to renewthe joy of his heart he began to come often to the retreatof the sovereign Lady, visiting Her and receiving hercommands. But he always approached Her with extremehumility and reverential fear, and before he spoke toHer, he was careful to note in what She was engaged.Many times he saw Her in ecstasy raised from the earthand resplendent with most brilliant light; at other timesin the company of her angels holding celestial intercoursewith them; and at other times, he found Her prostrateupon the earth in the form of a cross, speaking to theLord. Her most fortunate spouse was a participator inthese favors. But whenever he found the great Ladyin these occupations and postures, he would presume nofarther than to look upon Her with profound reverence ;and thereby he merited sometimes to hear the sweetestharmony of the celestial music, with which the angelsregaled their Queen, and perceived a wonderful fragrancy

348 CITY OF GODwhich comforted him and filledhim entirely with jubilation and joy of spirit.423. The two holy spouses lived alone in their house,for as I have said, they had no servants of any kind, notonly on account of their humility, but in order morefittingly to hide from any witnesses the wonders, whichpassed between them and which were not to be communicated to outsiders. Likewise the Princess of heaven didnot leave her dwelling, except for very urgent causes inthe service of God or her fellow-men. Whenever anything was necessary She asked that fortunate neighbor,who as I have said had served saint Joseph during theabsence of Mary in the house of Zacharias. This womanreceived such a good return from Mary, that not onlyshe herself became most holy and perfect, but her wholehousehold and family was blessed by the help of theQueen and Mistress of the world. She was visited bymost holy Mary in some of her sicknesses and with herfamily was copiously enriched by the blessings of heaven.424. Never did saint Joseph see his heavenly Spouseasleep, nor did he of his own experience know whetherShe ever slept, although he besought Her to take somerest, especially during the time of her sacred pregnancy.The resting-place of the Princess was the low couch,which I said had been constructed by saint Joseph; andon it were the coverings which served Her during herbrief and holy sleep. Her undergarment was a sort oftunic made of cotton, but softer than the ordinary orcommon cloth. This tunic She never changed from thetime since She left the temple, nor did it wear out orgrow old or soiled, and no person ever saw it, nor didsaint Joseph know that She wore that kind of a garment; for he never saw any other part of her clothingexcept the outside garments, which were open to the

THE INCARNATION 349view of other persons. Those were of a gray color, as ihave said (Part I. No. 400), and these only and herhead-coverings were the garments, which the Queenchanged now and then ;not because they were soiled, butbecause, being visible to all, She wished to avoid noticeby such strange sameness of outward appearance. Nothing that She wore upon her most pure and virginal bodybecame soiled or worn; for She neither perspired, norwas She subject to the punishments, which are laid uponthe sin-impregnated bodies of the children of Adam. Shewas in all respects most pure and the works of her handswere like crystal ornaments; and with the same purityShe cared for the clothes and other necessities of saintJoseph. The food of which She partook, was mostlimited in kind and quantity; but She partook of someevery day and in company of her spouse;she never atemeat, although he did, and She prepared it for him.Her sustenance was fruit, fishes, and ordinarily bread andcooked vegetables; but of all these She partook in exactmeasure and weight, only so much as was necessary forthe nourishment of the body and the maintaining of thenatural warmth without any superfluities that could passover into excess of harmful corruption ;the same rule Sheobserved in regard to drink, although Her fervent acts oflove often caused a superabundance of preternaturalardor. This rule, as to the quantity of her nourishment,She followed during her whole life, although as to thekind of food She adapted Herself to the various circumstances demanding a change, as I shall relate further on.425. In all things the most pure Mary exhibited consummate perfection, without any fault or want of grace ;and all her actions both in the natural and the supernatural order reached the pinnacle of excellence. Butwords fail me in describing it: for I am never satisfied,224

350 CITY OF GODseeing how far short these words fall of that which Iperceive and how much more excellence this sublimeCreature possesses than I can express. Continually I amgrieved by my insufficiency and dissatisfied with mylimited terms and descriptions, fearing lest Ipresumemore than I should in striving to do that which so farexceeds my powers. But the force of obedience inspiresme with I do not know what sweet strength, whichdispels my hesitancy and impels my backwardness, encouraging me to face the greatness of my undertakingand the smallness of my ability. I work under obedience,and throughit I hope to make great gains. It will alsoserve me as an excuse.INSTRUCTION GIVEN ME BY THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN, MOSTHOLY MARY.426. My daughter, in the school of humility, whichmy whole life affords thee, I wish that thou be studiousand diligent; and this should be thyfirst and principalcare, if thou wishest to enjoy the sweet embraces of theLord, assure thyself of his favor and possess the treasures of light, which are hidden to the proud (Matth. 11,25). For without the trusty foundation of humility suchtreasures cannot be confided to any man. Let all thyambition be to humble thyselfin.thy own estimation andthought, so that in thy exterior actions thou mayest trulyexhibit this humility of thy interior. It must be a subject of confusion and a spur of humility for thee and forall the souls to have the Lord as their Father and Spouse,to see, that the presumption and pride of worldly wisdomis more powerful in its devotees, than humility and trueself-knowledge is in the children of light. Consider thewatchfulness, the untiring study and care of ambitious

THE INCARNATION 351and aspiring men. Look upon their struggleto beesteemed in the world, their strivings never at rest,though so vain and worthless; how they conduct themselves outwardly according to the false notions whichthey have of themselves; how they pretend to be whatthey are not, and how they exert themselves to obtainthrough these false pretenses the treasures, which, thoughonly earthly, they do not deserve. Hence it should be acause of confusion and shame to the good, that deceitshould urge on the sons of perdition with greater forcethan truth urges the elect that the number of;those, whoin the world are anxious to strive in the service of theirGod and Creator, should be so small in comparison withthe number of those who serve vanity; that there shouldbe so few of the elect, though all are called (Matth. 20,16).427. Seek therefore, my daughter, to make progressin this science of humility and to gain for thyself thepalm of victory in this virtue in the midst of the childrenof darkness; in opposition to their pride, study what Idid in order to overcome darkness in this world by thepursuit of humility. In this the Lord and I desire theeto be very wise and proficient. Never miss an occasionof exercising humility and allow no one to deprive theeof such works; and if occasions of humility fail theeand are scarce, seek after them and ask God to sendthem to you; for it pleases his Majesty to see such kindof anxiety and ambition in what He desires so much.For the sake of this divine complacency alone, thou, as adaughter of his house, as his domestic and as his spouse,shouldst be solicitous and anxious for acts of humility;for in this, human ambition itself will teach thee not tobe negligent. Observe how a woman in her house andfamily conducts herself in order to benefit and advance

352 CITY OF GODher family, and how she loses no chance of advancing it ;nothing seems too much for her, and if anything, nomatter how small it is, goes to loss (Lucas. 15, 8) shebecomes much excited. All this is the effect of worldlycovetousness, and there is certainly no reason, that thewisdom of heaven be less fruitful or less careful in thegifts received.Therefore I desire thee to allow no carelessness or forgetfulness concerning what somuch concerns thee, and to lose no occasion of practicing humilityand laboring for the glory of the Lord but do thou seek;and draw merits from them asarid strive after his giftsa faithful daughter and spouse. Then wilt thou findgrace inthy desire.the eyes of the Lord and in mine, according to

CHAPTER VI.SOME OF THE SAYINGS AND CONVERSATIONS OF MOSTHOIvY MARY AND JOSEPH REGARDING DIVINE THINGS;OTHER WONDERFUL EVENTS.428. Before saint Joseph had been instructed in themystery of the Incarnation, the Princess of heaven madeuse of opportune occasions for reading to him some ofthe passages of holy Scriptures, especially from theProphets and from the Psalms. As a most wise TeacherShe also explained them to him, and her holy spouse whowas indeed capable of the exalted truths contained therein,asked Her many questions, wondering at and consolingtiimself with the heavenly answers of his Spouse; andthus both of them alternately praised and blessed theLord. But after he had himself become instructed in thegreat sacrament, he conversed with our Queen, as withone, who was Herself to be the Coadjutrix of the admirable works and mysteries of our Redemption. For nowthey could more openly and clearly discuss the divineprophecies and oracles concerning the conception of theWord through a Virgin-Mother, of his birth, his bringing up, and his most holy life. All these things herHighness discussed and explained, delineating beforehandthe course of action, which they were to pursue, whenthe longed-for day of the birth of the Child should havearrived, when She should hold Him in her arms, nourishHim at her breast with virginal milk, and when the holyspouse himself should share in this greatest of mortalblessedness. Only of his Passion and Death, and of the353

And354 CITY OF GODsayings of Isaias and Jeremias, the most prudent Queenspoke more rarely; for as her spouse was of a most kindand tender heart, She thoughtit best not to dilate uponor anticipate that which he himself remembered of thesayings of the ancient writers concerning the coming andthe sufferings of the Messiah. The most prudent Virginalso waited until the Lord should grant more particularrevelation of what was to happen, or until She herselfwould know better the divine will in this respect.429. Her most faithful and blessed husband waswholly inflamed by her sweet words and conversations,and with tears of joy he said to the heavenly Spouse :it possible, that in thy most chaste arms I shall see my"IsGod and Redeemer? That I shall hear him speak, andtouch Him, and that my eyes shall look upon his divineface, and that the sweat of my brow shall be so blessedas to be poured out in his service and for his sustenance ?That He shall live with us, and that we shall eat withHim at the same table, and that we shall speak and converse with Him ? Whence comes to me this good fortunewhich nobody can ever deserve? O how much do Iregret that I am so poor Would I possessed the richest!palaces for his entertainment and many treasures to offerHim the !"sovereign Queen answered mas: "Myter and spouse, there is abundant reason that thy desiresextend to all things possible for the reception of thyCreator; but this great God and Lord does not wish toenter into the world in the pomp of ostentatious richesand royal majesty. He has need of none of these (Ps.15, 2), nor does He come from heaven for such vanities.He comes to redeem the world and to guide men on thepath of eternal life (John 10, 10) ;and this is to be doneby means of humility and poverty; in these He wishesto be born, live and die,in order to destroy in the hearts

THE INCARNATION 355of men the fetters of covetousness and pride, whichkeep them from blessedness. On this account He choseour poor and humble house, and desired us not .to berich in apparent, deceitful and transitory goods, whichare but vanity of vanities and affliction of spirit(Eccles.1, 24) and which oppress and obscure the understanding/430. At other times the saint asked the most pureLady to teach him the nature and essence of virtues,especially of the love of God, in order that he mightknow how to behave toward the Most High become manand in order that he might not be rejected as a uselessand incapable servant. The Queen and Teacher of virtues complied with these requests and explained to himthe nature of true virtues and the manner of exercisingthem in all perfection. But in these discourses She proceeded with so much humility and discretion that Shedid not appear as the Teacher of her spouse, though suchShe was; but She managed to give her informationunder the guise of conversation or in addressing theLord, or at other times asking questions of saint Joseph,which of themselves suggested the information. In allcircumstances She knew how to preserve her most profound humility, without permitting even the least gesturenot in accordance with it. These alternate discourses orreadings from the holy Scriptures they interrupted bymanual labor as occasion required. Not only was thehard and tiresome labor of saint Joseph lightened by theadmirable words of sympathy of our Lady, but in herrare discretion She also knew how to add instruction, sothat his manual labor became more an exercise of virtuethan a work of the hands. The mildest Dove, with theprudence of a most wise virgin, administered her consolations by pointing out the most blessed fruits of labor.In Her estimation She held Herself unworthy of being

356 CITY OF GODsupported by her spouse, and She felt Herself in continual debt to the sweat of saint Joseph, as one who isreceiving a great alms and most generous gift. Allthese considerations caused in Her sentiments of deepestobligation, as if She were the most useless creature onearth. Therefore, though She could not assist the saintin his trade, since that was above the strength of womenand unbecoming the modesty and retirement of theheavenly Queen; yet in all that was befitting Her Sheserved Him as an humble handmaid, since her discreethumility and thankfulness would not suffer any lessturn for the faithful services of saint Joseph.431. Among other wonderful happenings in connection with his intercourse with most holy Mary duringthese days of her pregnancy, saint Joseph one day sawmany birds flocking around Her in order to pay theirrespect to the Queen and Mistress of all creatures. Theysurrounded Her as if to form a choir and raised up theirrevoices in songs of sweet harmony not less wonderful thantheir visit to the heavenly Lady. Saint Joseph had neverseen this wonder until that day and, full of admirationand joy, he said to his "Issovereign Spouse: it possible,my Mistress, that these simple birds and irrational creatures should understand and fulfill their obligations betterthan I? Surely it is reasonable, that if they recognize,serve and reverence Thee according to their powers, thatThou allow me to perform that which in dutyI am boundto do." The most pure Virgin answered him:"Mymaster, in the behavior of these little birds the Creatoroffers us a powerful motive worthily to employ all ourstrength and faculties in his praise, just as they recognizeand acknowledge their Creator in my womb. I, however, am but a creature and therefore I deserve no veneration, nor is it right that I accept it; it is my duty to

THE INCARNATION 357induce all creatures to praise the Most High, since Hehas looked upon me, his handmaid, and has enriched mewith the treasures of the divinity" (Luke 1, 48).432. It happened also not a few times that the heavenlyLady and her spouse found themselves so poor and destitute of means that they were in want of the necessaries oflife ;for they were most liberal in their gifts to the poor,and they were never anxious to store up beforehand foodor clothing, as is wont with the children of this world intheir faint-hearted covetousness (Matth. 6, 25). The Lordso disposed things that the faith and patience of his mostholy Mother and of saint Joseph should not be vain, forthis indigence was a source of incomparable consolationto our Lady, not only because of her love of poverty, butalso on account of her astonishing humility. She considered Herself unworthy of the sustenance of life, andthat She above all others should suffer the want of it.Therefore She blessed the Lord for this poverty as faras it affected Her, while She asked the Most High tosupply the needs of saint Joseph, as being a just and holyman and well worthy of this favor of the Almighty. TheLord did not forget his poor entirely (Ps. 73, 19), forwhile He permitted them to exercise virtues and gainmerits, He also gave them nourishment in opportunetime (Ps. 144, 15). This his Providence provided inSometimes He moved the hearts of theirvarious ways.neighbors and acquaintances to bring some gratuitousgift or pay some debt. At other times, and more ordinarily, saint Elisabeth sent them assistance from herhome ;for ever since She had harbored in her house theQueen of heaven this devoted matron insisted on sendingthem a gift from time to time, which the humble Princessalways acknowledged by sending in return some work ofher hands. On some occasions, for the greater glory of

358 CITY OF GODthe Most High, the blessed Lady availed Herself of thepower given to Her as the Mistress of all creation; thenShe would command the birds of the air to bring somefishes from the sea, or fruits of the field, and they wouldfulfill her commands to the point ; sometimes they wouldbring also bread in their beaks, which the Lord had furnished them. Many times the most fortunate spousesaint Joseph was a witness to all these happenings.433. Also in other necessities they were on some occasions succored by the holy angels in an admirable manner.In order properly to understand some of the great miracles which happened through the ministry of the angelsto most holy Mary and Joseph,it isnecessary to take intoaccount the magnanimity and generous faith of the saint,for these virtues were so great in him that not even theshadow of covetousness, or greediness, could find entrance into his soul. Although he labored for others, asdid also his heavenly Spouse, yet never did they ask forany wages, or set a price on their work, asking paymenttherefor ; they performed all their work not for gain, butin obedience to a request or for charity, leaving the payment of wages entirely in the hands of their employersand acceptingit not as a just return for their labors, butas a freely given alms. This is the perfection of sanctity,which saint Joseph learnt from the heavenly examplegiven to him in his house by the most holy Virgin. Owingto this circumstance, that he was not paid for his work, ithappened sometimes that they were in total want of foodand sustenance until the Lord would provide for them.One dayit came to pass that the hour set for their mealpassed without their having anything in the house to eat.They persevered in prayer until very late, giving thanksto the Lord for this privation, and hoping that He wouldopen his all-powerful hand (Ps. 144, 16). In the mean-

THE INCARNATION 359while the holy angels prepared the meal and placed uponthe table some fruit, and whitest bread and fishes, alsoespecially a sort of preserve or jelly of wonderful andnourishing sweetness. Then some of the angels went tocall their Queen, and others called saint Joseph her spouse.Each came forth from their separate retirement and, perceiving the regalement provided by heaven, they thankedthe Most High in tears of fervent gratitude and partookof the food; and afterwards they broke out in exaltedsongs of praise of the Almighty.434. Many other similar events came to pass almostdaily in the house of most holy Mary and her spouse for;as they were alone and as there was no need of hidingthese wonders from witnesses, the Lord did not hesitateto perform them for his beloved, who were entrustedwith co-operation in the most wonderful of all the worksof his powerful arm, I wish merely to remark, that wheneither She by HerI say Mary sang canticles of praise,self or in company with saint Joseph or the holy angels,new songs are meant, such as saint Anne sang, themother of Samuel, or Moses, Ezechias and otherProphets, when they were visited by great blessings ofthe Lord. If all the canticles (Kings 2, 1 ;Deut. 32, 1,etc.) which the Queen of heaven composed and sangwould have been recorded, there would be a large volumeof them, the contents of which would excite unheard ofwonder in this world.TEACHING VOUCHSAFED ME BY THE SAME QUEEN AND435. Much-beloved daughter, I wish that the scienceof the Lord be many times renewed in thee, and thatthou acquire the knowledge of the voice (Wis. 1, 7), so

360 CITY OF GODthat thou mayst know, (and let also mortals know), thedangerous deceit and perverse estimation in which they,as lovers of falsehood, hold the temporal and visiblegoods (Ps. 4, 4). How many men are not fascinated bytheir unbounded greed? All of them ordinarily staketheir hopes on gold and material riches; and in order toincrease them, they exert all the forces of their naturalbeing. Thus they spend all the time of their life, whichwas given them in order to gain eternal rest and happiness, in these vanities. They lose themselves in thesedark labyrinths and mazes, as if they knew nothing ofGod and of his Providence for ; they do not think of asking Him for that which they desire, and do not moderatetheir desires in such a way as will dispose them to askand hope for what they desire at his hands. Thus theylose all, because they confide in the lying and deceitfulprospects of their own efforts. This blind greedis theroot of all evils (I Tim. 6, 20) for the; Lord, incensedat such great perversity, permits the mortals to be entangled in the vile slavery of avarice, in which theirunderstandingis darkened and their will hardened. Soonthe Most High, for greater punishment, withdraws hiskindly care as from creatures so detestable and deniesthem his paternal protection, thus letting them fall intowhat is the deepest misfortune that can befall man in thislife.436. Although it is true that nothing can hide itselffrom the eyes of the Lord (Ps. 138, 6), yet when thetransgressors and enemies of his law offend Him, theyforfeit the kind attention and care of his Providence andare left to their own desires (Ps. 80, 13). They ceaseto experience the paternal foresight shown toward thosewho trust in the Lord. Those that confide in their ownefforts and in the gold, which they can touch and feel,

THE INCARNATION 361will reap the fruit of their hopes.But just as far as thedivine Essence and Power is distant from the lowlinessand limitation of mortals, so far also the results of humancovetousness are distant from the help and protection ofeternal Providence shown to the humble who trust init(Ps. 17, 31). Upon these his Majesty looks withkindest love, delights in them, nourishes them at hisbreast, and attends to their wishes and wants. I and myholy spouse Joseph were poor, and at times we sufferedgreat wants ;but none of them were powerful enough toengender within our hearts the contagion of avarice. Weconcerned ourselves entirely with the glory of the MostHigh, relying wholly on his most faithful and tender care.This was what pleased Him so much, as thou hast understood and written ;since He supplied our wants in variousmanners, even commanding the angels to help us and prepare for us our nourishment.437. I do not wish to say that the mortals should yieldto laziness and negligence ;on the contrary it is just thatall should labor (Ps. 48, 7), and doing nothing is alsoa great and very reprehensible fault. Neither leisure norsolicitude must be disorderly; nor should the creaturetrust in his own strength; nor should he smother thedivine love in anxiety; nor seek more than is necessaryfor a temperate life. Neither should he fear that thedivine Providence will fail to supply what is necessary,nor should he be troubled or lose hope when the Creatorseems to delay his assistance. In the same way he thatis in abundance should not (Eccli. 31, 8) lay aside allexertion and forget that he is a man subject to labor andtravail. Thus riches as well as poverty must be attributedto God and made use of in a holy and legitimate way forthe glory of the Creator and Ruler of all things. If menwould observe this rule of action nobody would be with-

362 CITY OF GODout the assistance of the Lord, who is a true Father, andneither would the poor be led into sin by poverty, nor therich by prosperity. Of thee, my daughter, I require thepractice of these rules, and through thee I wish to inculcate them on other mortals. Thou must especially impress this doctrine upon all thy subjects, telling them notto be troubled or faint-hearted because of the wants theysuffer, nor inordinately solicitous about their eating orclothing (Matth. 6, 25), but that they confide in theMost High and in his Providence. For if they correspond to his love, I assure them that they shall neversuffer from the want of what is necessary. Exhort themalso to let their words and conversations continually turnabout holy and divine things, engaging in the praise andexaltation of the Lord according to the teachingsof theBible and holy writings. Let their conversations be inheaven (Philip 3, 20) with the Most High, and with me,who am their Mother and Superior, and let it be withthe angels, imitating them in holy love.

CHAPTER VII.THE MOST HOLY MARY PREPARES THE SWADDLING-CLOTHES AND THE LINENS FOR THE DIVINE INFANTWITH ARDENT LONGINGS TO SEE IT BORN.438. The divine pregnancy of the Mother of theeternal Word had already far advanced. Although Sheknew that the necessary coverings and linens for thetime of her parturition must be provided, She wishedto proceed in all things with the fullness of heavenlyprudence. Therefore, fulfilling all requirements of anobedient and faithful handmaid, She presumed to arrangenothing without the permission and consent of the Lordand of her holy spouse. Although She could have actedfor Herself in such matters as pertained to her office ofchosen Mother and of her most holy Son, She would notundertake anything without speaking to saint Joseph.Therefore She said to him:"My master, it is timethat we prepare the things necessary for the birth ofmy most holy Son. Although his Majesty wishes tobe treated as one of the children of men, humiliatingHimself and suffering with them, yet it is just that weacknowledge Him as our God and as our true King andLord by rendering Him our devoted service, and bymaking careful provision for his wants as an infant. Ifthou give me permissionI will begin to prepare the coverings and linens for his protection and shelter. I havealready woven with my own hands a piece of linenwhich may serve as his first swaddling-clothes; and dothou, my master, seek to procure some woolen cloth of a363

364 CITY OF GODsoft texture and an humble color from which I may prepare other coverings; and later on I will weave a seamless tunic appropriate for Him. In order to avoid anymistake, let us offer special prayers asking his Highnessto govern and direct us in the right way, so that we mayknow his will and fulfill his pleasure."439. "My Spouse and Lady,"answered saint Joseph,"if it were possible to serve with my own heart-bloodmy Lord and God and thus fulfill thy commands, I wouldbe willing to shed it amid most atrocious torments;and as I cannot do this, would that I had great richesto buy the most costly textures in order to offer themto Thee on this occasion. Do Thou give thy orders asThou seest fit, for I will serve Thee as thy servant."Both of them betook themselves to prayer, and eachseparately heard the answer of the Lord, repeating whatthe sovereign Queen had already heard many times, and,which now was said in her hearing and that of saint:Joseph"I have come from heaven to the earth inorder to exalt humility and discredit pride, to honorpoverty and contemn riches, to destroy vanity and establish truth, and in order to enhance worthily the value oflabor. Therefore it is my will that exteriorly you treatMe according to the humble position which I have assumed, as if I were the natural child of both of you,and that interiorly you acknowledge Me as the Son ofmy eternal Father, and bestow the reverence and lovedue to Me as the Man-God."440. Encouraged by this divine voice to seek thewisest course in the rearing of the infant God, most holyMary and Joseph conferred with each other in what waythey might conceal the most noble and perfect worshipwhich was ever given to the true God by his creatures,beneath the treatment which in the eyes of the world was

THE INCARNATION 365due to a natural child of them both; for this was to bethe opinion of the world, and such a conduct the Lordhimself had enjoined upon them. Having thereforecome to an agreement they lived up to this command ofthe Lord in such perfection that they were the admiration of all heaven ;and further on I will say more of this(Nos. 506, 508, 536, 545). They both concluded thataccording to the limited means allowed them by theirpoverty they were to expend whatever they could affordin the service of the infant God without going intoexcess or failing in anything; for the sacrament of theKing was to be concealed in humble poverty, though atthe same time they wished to exercise their burning loveas far as was possible. Saint Joseph, in exchange forsome of his work, accepted two pieces of woolen clothsuch as his heavenly Spouse had described ;the one white,the other mulberry-colored mixed with grey, both ofthem of the best quality he could find. Of these theheavenly Queen made the first little dresses of her mostholy Son, while She prepared the swathing clothes andshirts from the piece of linen which She herself hadspun and woven. Being woven by such hands, it wasa most delicate piece of cloth. She had commenced workupon it from the day of her entrance into their house atNazareth ;for She had intended it for the temple as apresent. Althoughit could now serve for another muchhigher purpose, nevertheless, She offered whatever remained of it after She had completed the furnishings ofthe infant God as a gift to the temple of Jerusalem, according to her original intention. All the articles andcoverings necessary for her divine Infant the great Ladyprepared with her own hands, and while She sewed andtrimmed them She shed tears of ineffable devotionremaining continually on her knees.2-26Saint Joseph gath-

366 CITY OF GODered such flowers and herbs as he could find from which,together with other aromatic materials, the zealousMother extracted fragrant essences. With these Shesprinkled the sacred vestments of the Victim of sacrificewhich She awaited ;then She folded and laid them awayin a chest, in which She afterwards took them along withHer, as I shall relate farther on.441. All these doings of the Princess of heaven are tobe thought of and estimated not as being without life,nude and bare as I here represent them, but of incomparable grace and loveliness, full of sanctity and exalted merit, of a greater perfection than human intellect can comprehend; because She performedall theseworks as the Mother of wisdom, and as the Queen of allvirtues. In preparing for the appearance of the mostholy humanity of her Son in this world, She celebratedthe dedication of the living temple of God. The sovereign Queen understood better than all the rest of creation the ineffable greatness of the mystery of the Incarnation of a God and of his coming into the world. Notin a spirit of doubt, but inflamed by love and veneration,She repeated many times the words of Solomon when hebuilt the temple:"How is it possiblethat God shoulddwell with men on earth? If all the heavens, and theheaven of heavens cannot comprehend Thee, how canthis human body contain Thee, which is formed in mywomb?" But if the temple of Solomon, which servedonly as a place in which God should hear the prayerswithin it, was built and dedicated with such lavish expenditure of gold, silver, treasures and sacrifices, whatshould not the Mother of the true Solomon do for thebuilding up and the dedication of the living temple(Colos. 2, 9) where was to dwell the plenitude of thetrue Divinity, the eternal and incomprehensible God?

THE INCARNATION 367All these innumerable sacrifices and treasures of thefigurative temple, most holy Mary duplicated not in gold,silver, or rich texture, since God sought no such richesin the living temple, but in heroic virtues and in canticlesof praise, by which She fructified and extolled the gracesand gifts of the Most High. She offered up the sacrificeof her burning love, and ransacked all the holy writingsfor hymns, canticles and psalms to praise and magnifythis mystery, adding thereto the expression of her ownexalted sentiments. In a mystical and yet altogetherreal manner She fulfilled the ancient figures and types byher virtues and by her interior and her exterior acts. Shecalled upon and invited all the creatures to praise theirGod, to give honor and glory to their Creator, and placethe hope of their santification in his coming into theworld. In many of these exercises the most fortunateand blessed Joseph, her spouse, took part.442. No human tongue can describe, and no createdunderstanding can reach the sublime height of meritwhich the Princess of heaven attained, and the degree ofpleasure and complacency which they afforded the MostHigh. If the least degree of grace, which any creaturemerits by an act of virtue, is more valuable than all thecreated universe, what treasures of grace did She notgain, whose acts exceeded in value not only all the sacrifices, offerings and holocausts of the old law and all themerits of the human race, but far excelled also those ofthe highest seraphim? The loving extremes of theheavenly Lady in hoping to look uponher Son and trueGod, to receive Him in her arms, nourish Him at herbreast, tend Him with her own hands, converse with Himand serve Him, and adore Him made man from her ownflesh, reached such a pass that in the ardors of love Shewould have breathed forth her spirit and have been con-

368 CITY OF GODsumed if She had not been preserved from dissolution,assisted and strengthened by the miraculous interventionof that same God. Yes, many times would She have losther life, if it had not been preserved by her most holySon ;for many times She saw Him in her virginal womband with divine clearness She saw his humanity unitedto his Divinity,observed the interior acts of that mostholy Soul, the conditions and postures of his body, theprayers offered up by Him for Her, for saint Joseph, forall the human race and especially for the predestined.All these and other mysteries were open to Her, and inperceiving them She was altogether inflamed with thedesire of imitating and exalting Him, since She borewithin Her the devouring fires which illumine yet donot consume (Exod. 3, 2).443. Amidst this conflagrationof divine love Shespoke sometimes to her most holy Son: "MysweetestLove, Creator of the universe, when shall my eyes enjoythe light of thy divine countenance? When shall myarms be consecrated as the altar of the Victim, which isawaited by the eternal Father? When shall I kiss theearth trodden by thy divine feet, and when shall I as thyMother gain the coveted kiss of my Beloved (Cant. 1,1)so that Imay inhale thy own Spirit from the flow of thybreath ? When shalt Thou, the inaccessible light, the trueGod of the true God, Light of the Light (John 1, 9),manifest Thyself to us mortals, after so many ages ofconcealment from our view? When shall the childrenof Adam, laden with the guilt of their sins, know theirRedeemer (Baruch 3, 38), see their salvation, welcomein their midst their Teacher, their Brother and their trueFather? O Light of my soul, my strength, my Beloved,for whom dying I live! Son of my womb, how can Ifulfill the office of a Mother, since I know not how to

THE INCARNATION 369fulfill the duties, nor merit the name of even a slave?How shall I be able to treat Thee worthily, who am avile and insignificant, poor worm ? How can I serve andadminister to Thee, since Thou art sanctity itself andinfinite goodness, and I only dust and ashes? How canIdare to speak before Thee, or stand in Thy presence?Do Thou, Master of my being, who hast chosen me, thelittle one among the other daughters of Adam, governmy conduct, direct my desires and inflame my affections,in order that Imay please Thee with all my powers!And what shall Isince Thou art todo, my only Delight,issue from my womb into the world in order to sufferaffronts and death for the human race, if at the same timeI shall not be allowed to die with Thee and accompanyThee in thy sacrifice? Since Thou art my life and mybeing, let the same cause and motive that brings aboutthy Death bring about also mine for ; they are united asifthey were one and the same. Less than thy Death willsuffice to save the world, yes thousands of worlds; letme die instead of Thee, and let me suffer thy ignominies,while Thou, by thy love and light, sanctify the world andenlighten the darkness of mortals, and if it is not possible to revoke the decree of the eternal Father, whichrequires that Redemption be abundant (Ephes. 2, 4) andthy excessive chanty be satisfied, look graciously uponmy desires and let me take part in all the labors of thylife,since Thou art my Son and Lord."444. The variety of these and other sweetest sentiments of love uttered by the Queen made Her most beautiful in the eyes(Esth. 2, 9) of the Prince of the eternities, who was enshrined in the virginal chamber of herwomb. All her interior movements were conformable tothe actions of that most sacred and deified Humanity;for as a worthy Mother of such a Son She closely ob-

370 CITY OF GODserved them as models for her imitation. Sometimes theinfant God would place Himself on his knees in orderto pray to the Father or assume the positionof one crucified, as if in order to exercise Himself therein beforehand. From that retirement (as even now from thehighest throne in heaven) He looked upon and comprehended, by the science of his most holy soul, all that Heknows even at this day, and no creatures of the present,past, or future, with all their thoughts and actions, washidden from his view. To all things He attended asthe Lord and Redeemer. Since these mysteries weremanifest also to his heavenly Mother and since She wasalso endowed with allthe graces and gifts necessary foracting in concert with Him, She brought forth such greatfruits of sanctity, that no human words can ever describethem. But if we were not perverted in our judgments,and if we were not hardened as stone, we would find itimpossible, at the sight and experience of these vast andadmirable works, to remain untouched by loving sorrowand thankful acknowledgment.INSTRUCTION WHICH MARY, THE MOST HOLY QUEEN,GAVE ME.445. The lesson of this chapter, my daughter, shouldbe, that thou bear in mind with what reverence thou musthandle all the things consecrated and devoted to thedivine service ;and at the same time estimate how reprehensible is the irreverence with which the ministers ofthe Lord offend in their disregard for the sacred objects.They should not forget or slight the indignation of hisMajesty against them for the gross discourtesy and ingratitude, which they ordinarily show by handling thesacred ornaments and objects of worship without atten-

THE INCARNATION 371tion and respect. And much greater is the anger of theLord against those who possess the incomes or stipendsof his most sacred blood, if they waste and squander themin vile vanities and indecent profanities. They seek fortheir sustenance and convenience what is most costly andvaluable, while for the honor and worship of the Lordthey are satisfied with what is most cheap, common andordinary. When this happens, especially in regard tothe linens, which touch the body and blood of my mostholy Son, such as corporals and purificators, I wish theeto understand that the holy angels, that assist at the mostexalted and sublime sacrifice, are as it were struck withhorror and cover their eyes at the sight,full of astonishment that the Most High bears with them and sufferssuch boldness and presumption. Although not all offendin this, yet there are many; and few distinguish themselves in outward respect and care at the divine cult, ortreat the sacred objects with due reverence; they are thesmaller number and even they do not all have the pureintention, not observing this due respect out of reverence,but out of vanity and for other human ends. Thus theywho adore and worship their Creator in the spirit of truthand with a pure and upright intention have become veryscarce.446. Consider, my dearest, what should be our sentiments when, on the one hand, we reflect on the incomprehensible being of God, who in his goodness has created us for his honor and worship, establishing this asthe very law of our nature and of all the created universe,and when, on the other hand, we see with what ingratitude men correspond to the gifts of the most liberalCreator by withholding from his service the very thingsintended for it, reserving for their own vanities the mostcostly and valuable and applying for their Creator only

372 CITY OF GODthe most valueless and despicable of this world. Thisfault is little thought of and recognized, and therefore Iwish not only that thou deploreitwith true sorrow, butalso that thou make reparation for it as far as possibleduring the time in which thou art superioress. Give tothe Lord of the best, and instruct thy religious that theyattend with a sincere and devout heart to the keepinginorder and the cleaning of the sacred articles and this;not only for their own convent, but also by seeking tofurnish other poor churches with the corporals and vestments of which they stand in need. Let them be convinced that the Lord will repay their holy zeal for hisworship, and that He will relieve their poverty and thenecessities of their convent like a Father, and that therebyit will never become poorer. This is the most appropriate occupation and- legitimate business of the spousesof Christ, and in this they ought to consume their timewhich may remain after fulfilling the obligations of thechoir and other duties of obedience. If all the religiouswould busy themselves purposely in these honorable,praiseworthy and agreeable occupations they would neversuffer any want and they would maintain an angelic existence in this life. Because they do not attend to thisservice of the Lord, many of them, forsaken by the handof the God, turn toward the dangerous levitiesand distractions, which on account of their vileness, I do not wishthee to describe or consider except to deplore them fromthy heart and to avert such displeasure and offense againstGod.447. But because I have especial reason to look withfavor upon the inmates of thy convent, I wish that, in myname and by my authority, thou admonish and lovinglyurge them always to live retired and dead to the world,with unbroken forgetfulness of all that passes within it;

THE INCARNATION 373that among themselves their conversation be of heaven,and that above all they preserve intact the mutual peaceand love, to which I have exhorted thee so often(Philip 3, 20).If they obey me in this I offer them myprotection, and I will constitute myself their Mother, theirhelp and defense in the same way as I am thine, and Iwill also promise them my continual and efficacious intercession with my most holy Son, if they do not displeaseme. For this purpose thou shouldst exhort them to continual love and devotion toward me, engrafting it in theirhearts in ; being thus faithful they will attain all that thouwishest for them, and much more, for I will obtain it forthem. In order that they may occupy themselves withjoy and alacrity in preparing things for the divine worship, and gladly undertake all that pertains to it, remindthem of all that I did in the service of my most holy Sonand of the temple. I desire thee to understand that theholy angels were full of admiration at the zeal, carefulattention and neatness with which I took charge of allthat belonged to the service of my Son and Lord. Thisloving and reverent anxiety caused me to prepare all thatwas necessary for his rearing up beforehand, so that Iwas never in want of anything necessary for clothingHim and administering to his comfort (as some havethought) for my prudence and love would not permit;any negligence or inadvertence in this regard.

CHAPTER VIII.THE EDICT OF C^SAR AUGUSTUS is PUBLISHED, COMMANDING ALL SUBJECTS OF THE EMPIRE TO REGIS-TRATE; AND WHAT SAINT JOSEPH DID WHEN HEHEARD OF IT.448. It had been decreed by the immutable will ofProvidence that the Onlybegotten of the Father shouldbe born in the town of Bethlehem (Mich. 5, 2), and accordingly it had been foretold by the Saints and Prophetsof foregone ages (Jerem. 10, 9) ;for the decrees of theabsolute will of God are infallible, and since nothing canresist them (Esther 13, 9), sooner would heaven andearth pass away than that they fail of accomplishment(Matth. 24, 35). The fulfillment of this immutable decree the Lord secured by means of an edict of CaesarAugustus for the whole Roman empire, ordering theregistration or enumeration of all the world, as saintLuke says (Luke 2, 1). The Roman empire at that timeembraced the greater part of what was then known ofthe earth and therefore they called themselves masters ofthe world, ignoring all the other nations. The objectof this census was to make all the inhabitants acknowledge themselves as vassals of the emperor, and to pay acertain tax to their temporal lord; for this registrationevery one was to go to his native city in order to beinscribed. This edict was also proclaimed in Nazarethand came to the hearing of saint Joseph while he was onsome errand. He returned to his house in sorrowfulconsternation and informed his heavenly Spouse374of the

THE INCARNATION 375news which had spread about concerning the edict. Themost prudent Virgin answered: "Let not this edict ofour temporal ruler cause thee any concern, my master andspouse, for all that happens to us is ordained by the Lordand King of heaven and earth; and in all events hisProvidence will assist and direct us (Eccli. 22, 28). Letus resign ourselves into his hands and we shall not bedisappointed."449. Most holy Mary was capable of being entrustedwith all the mysteries of her most holy Son and Sheknew of the prophecies and their fulfillment ; hence, also,that the Onlybegotten of the Father and her own was tobe born in Bethlehem, a Stranger and an Unknown.But She said nothing of this to saint Joseph; for withoutbeing commissioned by the Lord She would reveal noneof his secrets. All that She was not commanded to reveal She concealed with admirable prudence, notwithstanding her desire of consoling her most faithful andholy spouse. She wished to entrust Herself to his direction and arrangement without acting the part of thosewho are wise in their own conceit, as Wisdom warns us(Prov. 3, 7). They therefore conferred with each otherabout the course to be pursued for; already the pregnancyof the heavenly Lady was far advanced and her parturition was approaching. Saint Joseph said: "Queen ofheaven and earth and my Mistress, if Thou hast no orderto the contrary from the Almighty, it seems to me necessary that I go alone. Yet, although this order refersonly to the heads of families, I dare not leave Thee without assistance, nor could I live without Thee, nor wouldI have a moment s peace away from Thee ;for my heartcould not come to any rest without seeing Thee. Thyheavenly delivery is too imminent to ask Thee to go withme to Bethlehem, whither this edict calls us; and I fear

376 CITY OF GODto place Thee in any risk, as well on account of thy condition as also on account of my poverty. If thy deliveryshould happen on the way, amid inconveniences, which Icould not alleviate, I would be heartbroken. These arethe anxious thoughts which trouble me. I pray Thee,Lady, present them before the Most High and beseechHim to grant me my desire of not being separated fromThee."450. His humble Spouse obeyed saint Joseph andalthough She was not ignorant of the divine will, yetShe would not omit this act of obedience as a most submissive Spouse. She presented to the Lord the ferventwishes of saint Joseph and received the following answer :"Mydearest Dove, yield to the wishes of my servantJoseph in what he proposes. Accompany him on thejourney. I shall be with Thee and I shall assist Theewith paternal love in the tribulations which Thou shaltsuffer for my sake; although they shall be very great,my powerful arms will make Thee come forth gloriousfrom all of them.Thy footsteps will be beautiful in mysight (Cant. 7, 1), do not fear, since this is mywill."Then the Lord gave to the holy guardian angels, in thepresence of the heavenly Mary, a new and special command and precept, that they serve Her during this journey with particular care and solicitude, as befitted themagnificent mysteries that should be transacted. Besidethe thousand angels which served ordinarily as her guard,the Lord commanded other nine thousand to attend ontheir Queen and Mistress, and serve as a guard of honorten thousand strong from the first day of her journey.This they did as most faithful servants of the Lord, asI shall say later on (Nos. 456, 489, 616, 622, 631, 634).The great Queen was renewed and strengthened withnew enlightenment for the troubles and tribulations

THE INCARNATION 377which would be occasioned by the persecution of Herodand other happenings at the birth of the infant God(Matth. 2, 16). Her invincible heart being thus prepared, She offered Herself to the Lord without any disquietude and gave thanks for all that He should chooseto do and arrange in regard to these future events.451. She returned from this heavenly interview tosaint Joseph, and announced to him the will of the MostHigh, that She accede to his wishes and accompany himon his journey to Bethlehem. Joseph was filled withnew consolation and delight; acknowledging the greatfavor conferred upon him by the right hand of the MostHigh, he gave thanks with fervent acts of gratitude andhumility; and, addressing the heavenly Spouse, he answered:"My Lady, source of my happiness and goodfortune, the only cause of grief in this journey will nowbe the hardships which Thou must undergo because Ihave no riches to procure Thee the conveniences which Iwould like to furnish for thy pilgrimage. But we shallfind relations, acquaintances and friends of our family inBethlehem; I hope they will receive us hospitably, andthere thou canst rest from the exertions of the journey,if the Lord will dispose as I thy servant would wish."Thus the holy spouse saint Joseph lovingly planned but;the Lord had already pre-arranged all things in a wayunknown to him; and therefore he experienced so muchthe greater bitterness of disappointment when all hisloving expectations failed, as we shall see. Most holyMary said nothing to saint Joseph of what She knewthe Lord had decreed concerning the heavenly Birth,although She well knew that it would be different fromwhat he expected. She rather encouraged him, saying:"My spouse and my master, I accompany thee with muchpleasure, and we will make this journey as poor people

378 CITY OF GODin the name of the Lord: for the Most Highdespise poverty, which He came to seek with so muchlove. Relying on his protection and assistance in ournecessities and labors, we will proceedDo thou, my master, placeties."to his account allthywill notwith confidence.difficul452. They at the same time resolved upon the day oftheir departure, and Joseph diligently searched in thetown of Nazareth for some beast of burden to bear theMistress of the world. He could not easily find onebecause so many people were going to different townsin order to fulfill the requirements of the edict of theemperor. But after much anxious inquiry saint Josephfound an unpretentiouslittle beast which, if we can callsuch creatures fortunate, was the most fortunate of allthe irrational animals; since it was privileged not onlyto bear the Queen of all creation and the blessed fruitof her womb, the King of kings and the Lord of lords,but afterwards to be present at his Birth (Isaias 1, 3) ;and since itgave to its Creator the homage denied to Himby men, as I shall relate (No. 485). They provided thearticles for the journey, which would last five days. Theoutfit of the heavenly travelers was the same as thatwhich they had provided for their previous journey tothe house of Zacharias on their visit to Elisabeth. Theycarried with them bread, fruit and some fishes, whichtheir nourishment. As the mostordinarily composedprudent Virgin was enlightened regarding their protracted absence, She made use of prudent concealmentin taking along the linens and clothes necessaryfor herheavenly delivery, for She wished to dispose all thingsaccording to the exalted intents of the Lord and in preparation for the events which She expected. Their house

THE INCARNATION 379they left in charge of some neighbor until they shouldreturn.453. The day and hour for their departure for Bethlehem arrived and, because of the reverence with whichthe most faithful and fortunate Joseph had begun to treathis sovereign Spouse, he diligently and anxiously soughtto do all in his power to please Her; he besought Herwith great affection to make known to him all her wishesand to call his attention to all that he might forget inregard to her pleasure, convenience and comfort, or thatmight please the Lord whom She bore in her womb.The humble Queen thanked him for his loving attention,and referringit to all the glory and service of her mostholy Son, She consoled and animated him to meet courageously the hardships of the journey, assuring him anewthat the Almighty was pleased with his affectionate solicitude. She also informed him of the will of his Majestythat they meet with patience and joy of heart the hardships of poverty on their way. In order to begin herjourney the Empress of heaven knelt at the feet of saintJoseph and asked him for his blessing. Although the manof God shrunk from such a request and strenuously objected on account of the dignity of his Spouse, She nevertheless remained victorious in her humility and prevailedupon him to give Her his benediction. Saint Josephcomplied with great timidity and reverence, and immediately cast himself at her feet in a flood of tears, askingHer to present him anew to her most holy Son, and obtainfor him divine pardon and grace. Thus prepared theystarted from Nazareth for Bethlehem in midwinter, whichmade the journey more painful and difficult. But theMother of God, who bore eternal Life within Her, attended solely to the divine activities and colloquies of theLord, observing Him in the virginal chamber of her

380 CITY OF GODwomb, imitating Him in his works, and giving Him moredelight and honor than all the rest of creatures takentogether.INSTRUCTION WHICH MOST HOLY MARY, THE QUEENVOUCHSAFED ME.454. My daughter, in all thy discourse on my life, andin each of the chapters and mysteries sofar rehearsed,thou wilt find the admirable providence of the Most Highand his fatherly love toward me, his humble servant.Although human capacity cannot fully penetrate andestimate the admirable works of such high wisdom, yetit must venerate it with all itspowers, and must seek toparticipate in the favors which the Lord showed me, bystriving to imitate me. For mortals must not think thatonly for my sake and in me God wished to show Himself as holy, powerful and infinitely good. It is certainthat ifany or all of the souls would entrust themselvesto the direction and government of this Lord they wouldsoon experience that same fidelity, punctuality and mostsweet efficacy with which his Majesty arranged all thingsthat touched upon his honor and service in my life. Theywould likewise taste those delightful and divine emotionswhich I felt in relying upon his most holy will; nor wouldthey fail to receive the abundance of his gifts, which areenclosed as in an infinite ocean within his Divinity. Andjust as the waters of the ocean rush forth wherever theyfind a suitable opening, so the graces and blessings ofthe Lord overflow upon rational creatures, when they arewell-disposed and do not hinder their course. This truthis hidden to mortals because they do not stop to ponderand consider the works of the Almighty.455. I desire thee to study this truth, to write it within

THE INCARNATION 381thy heart, and to learn from my own actions the secretworkings of thy own interior so that thou understandwhat goes on within thee; also that thou practice readyobedience and subjection to others, always preferring thegood counsels of others to thy own insight and judgment. Thou must carry this to such a point that, inorder to obey thy superiors and thy spiritual directors,thou take no notice of what thou foreseest will happencontrary to their expectations; just as I, when I knewthat what my holy spouse Joseph expected would nothappen on our journey to Bethlehem. And even whensome equal or inferior command thee such things, besilent and hide thy better foreknowledge performall that;is no sin or imperfection. Listen to all with attentionand silence so that thou mayest learn in ; speaking be veryslow and reserved, for in this consist prudent and careful intercourse. Always bear in mind that thou ask theblessing of the Lord for all that thou wishest to undertake, in order that thou mayest not wander from whatis pleasing to Him. Whenever thou hast an opportunity,ask also the permission and blessing of thy spiritualfather and director, so that thou mayest not fall short ofthe greatest merits and perfections in thy works, and inorder that thou mayest also give me the pleasure, which Idesire of thee.2-26

1CHAPTER IX.THE JOURNEY OF MOST HOLY MARY FROM NAZARETHTO BETHLEHEM IN THE COMPANY OF THE HOLYSPOUSE JOSEPH AND OF THE HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS.456. The most pure Mary and the glorious saintJoseph departed from Nazareth for Bethlehem alone,poor and humble in the eyes of the world. None of themortals thought more of them than what was warrantedby their poverty and humility. But O the wonderfulsacraments of the Most High, hidden to the proud, andunpenetrated by the wisdom of the flesh !They did notwalk alone, poor or despised, but prosperous, rich and inmagnificence. They were most worthy of the immenselove of the eternal Father and most estimable in his eyes.They carried with them the Treasure of heaven, the Deityitself. The whole court of the celestial ministers venerated them. All the inanimate beings recognized theliving and true Ark of the Testament ( Josue 3, 16) morereadily than the waters of the Jordan recognized itstype and shadow, when they courteously laid open andfree the path for itspassage and for those that followedit.They were accompanied by the ten thousand angels,which as mentioned (No. 450), were appointed by Godhimself as the servants of her Majesty during that wholejourney. These heavenly squadrons marched along astheir retinue in human forms visible to the heavenly Lady,more refulgent than so many suns. She herself walkedin their midst better guarded and defended than the bedof Solomon, surrounded by the sixty valiant ones of382

THE INCARNATION 383Israel, girded with their swords (Cant. 3, 7). Besidesthese ten thousand angels there were many others, whodescended from heaven as messengers of the eternalFather to his Onlybegotten made man in his most holyMother, and who ascended from earth as their ambassadors with messages and treaties from them to the heavenlyFather.457. In the midst of this royal retinue, hidden fromthe gaze of men, most holy Mary and Joseph proceededon their way secure that their feet would not be bruisedby the stone of tribulation (Ps. 40, 12), since the Lordhad commanded his angels to be their defense and watchfulness. This command the most faithful ministers, asvassals of their great Queen, fulfilled with wonder anddelight, seeing centered in a mere Creature such greatsacraments, such perfections, and immense treasures ofthe Divinity, and seeing in Her all this distinction unitedto dignity and grace far exceeding their own angeliccapacity. They composed new songs in honor of theLord, whom they saw reclining as the highest King ofglory, on his throne of gold (Cant. 3, 9) ;and in honorof the heavenly Mother, who was like his living andincorruptible chariot, or like the fertile ear of corn of thepromised land, enclosing the living grain (Lev. 23, 10) ;or like the rich merchant ship, which brings the grain tothe house of bread, in order that dying in the earth itmight be multiplied for heaven (John 12, 24). Theirjourney lasted five days, for on account of the pregnancyof his Spouse, saint Joseph shortened each day s journey.The sovereign Queen experienced no darkness of nightfor a few times, when their travel extendedon the way ;beyond nightfall the holy angels spread about sucheffulgence as not all the lights of heaven in their noontidesplendor would have thrown forth in the clearest heavens.

384 CITY OF GODThis light and vision of the angels also saint Josephenjoyed at those times; then all of them together wouldform celestial choirs, in which they and the two holytravelers alternated in singing wonderful hymns andcanticles of praise, converting the fields into new heavens.During this whole journey the Queen was rejoiced bythe sight of her resplendent ministers and vassals and bythe sweet interior conversation held with them.458. With these wonderful favors and delights, however, the Liord joined some hardships and inconveniences,which the divine Mother encountered on the way. Forthe concourse of people in the taverns, occasioned by theimperial edict, was very disagreeable and annoying to themodest and retiring Virgin-Mother and her spouse. Onaccount of their poverty and timid retirement they weretreated with less hospitality and consideration than others,especially the well-to-do for the world;judges and usuallyconfers its favors according to outward appearance andaccording to personal influence. Our holy pilgrims wereobliged repeatedly to listen to sharp reprimands in thetaverns, at which they arrived tired out by their journey,and in some of them they were refused admittance asworthless and despicable people. Several times they assigned to the Mistress of heaven and earth some cornerof the hallway while at others She did not fare even so;well, being obliged to retire with her husband to placesstill more humble and unbecoming in the estimation ofthe world. But in whatever places She tarried, how contemptible soever itmight be considered, the courtiers ofheaven established their court around their supreme Kingand sovereign Queen. Immediately they surrounded andenclosed them like an impenetrable wall, securing thebridal chamber of Solomon against the terrors of thenight. Her most faithful spouse Joseph, seeing the

THE INCARNATION 385Mistress of heaven so well guarded by the angelic hosts,betook himself to rest and sleep; for to this She urgedhim on account of the hardships of travel. She, however, continued her celestial colloquies with the tenthousand angels of her retinue.459. Solomon, in the Canticles, describes in diversemetaphors and similitudes many great mysteries of theQueen of heaven, but in the third chapter he refers moreparticularly to what happened to the heavenly Mother inher pregnancy and during this journey. During thistime was fulfilled to the letter all that is said of the couchof Solomon (Cant. 3, 7), of his chariot and of his goldenbed, of the guard, which was stationed around itenjoyingthe divine vision; also all the other sayings, which areWhat I have pointed outcontained in those prophecies.will suffice to make them understood, and they shouldexcite our admiration of the wonderful sacraments ofGod s activity for the good of man. Who is there amongmortals whose heart is not softened? Or who is soproud as not to be abashed ? Or so careless as not to befilled with wonder at such miraculous extremes? Theinfinite and true God hidden and concealed in the virginalwomb of a tender Maiden, full of grace and beauty, innocent, pure, sweet, pleasing and amiable in the eyes of Godthat the Lord God has everand of men, surpassing allor shall ever create ! To see this great Lady, bearing thetreasure of the Divinity, despised, persecuted, neglected,and cast out by the blind ignorance and pride of theworld ! And on the other hand, while She is thus pushedaside into the last places, to see Her loved and esteemedby the triune God, regaled by his caresses, served byhis angels, revered, defended and assisted with the greatestanxiety and watchfulness ! O children of men, slow and

386 CITY OF GODhard of hearts !( Ps. 4, 3 ). How deceitful are your waysand how erroneous isyour judgment in esteeming the richand despising the poor (James 2, 2), exalting the proudand humiliating the lowly, applauding the braggarts andcasting out the just! Blind isyour choice and full oferror your judgment, and you will find yourselves frustrated in allyour desires. Ambitiously you seek richesand treasures, and you find yourself in poverty beatingthe air; ifyou had received the true ark of God, youwould have been blessed by the hand of the Almighty,like Obededom (II Kings, 6, 11) ;but because you havetreated it unworthily, many of you have experienced thepunishment of Oza.460. The heavenly Lady observed and knew thesecrets of the different souls of those She met, penetratinginto the very thoughts and conditions of each, whetherof grace or of guilt in their different degrees. Concerning many souls She also knew whether they were predestined or reprobate, whether they would persevere, fall,or again rise up. All this variety of insight moved Herto the exercise of heroic virtues as well in regard to theones as to the others.of them She obtainedFor manythe grace of perseverance, for others efficacious help torise from their sin to grace for others again She prayed;to the Lord with affectionate tears, feeling intensestsorrow for the reprobate, though She did not pray asefficaciously for them. Many times, worn out by thesesorrows, much more than by the hardships of travel, thestrength of her body gave way; on such occasions theholy angels, full of refulgent light and beauty, bore Herup in their arms, in order that She might rest andrecuperate. The sick, afflicted and indigent whom Shemet on the way, She consoled and assisted by asking her

THE INCARNATION 387most holy Son to come to their aid in their necessitiesand adversities. She kept Herself silently aloof from themultitude, preoccupied with the Fruit of her divine pregnancy, which was already evident to all. Such was thereturn which the Mother of mercy made for the inhospitalityof mortals.461. For the greater reproach of human ingratitude, ithappened also that once during these wintry days theyreached a stopping-place in the midst of a cold rain andsnow storm (for the Lord did not spare them this inconvenience), and they were obliged to take shelter inthe stables of the animals, because the owners would notfurnish better accommodation. The irrational beastsshowed them the courtesy and kindness which was refused by their human fellow-beings; for they retreatedin reverence at the entrance of their Maker and of hisMother, who carried Him in her virginal womb. It istrue the Queen of creation could command the winds, thefrost and the snow not to inconvenience Her; but Shewould not give such a command in order not to depriveHerself of suffering in imitation of her most holy Son,even before He came forth into the world. Thereforethe inclemencies of the weather affected Her to a certainextent. The faithful saint Joseph, however, did hisutmost to shield Her; and still more did the holy angelsseek to protect Her, especially the holy prince Michael,who remained at the right side of his Queen withoutleaving Her even for a moment ;several times, when Shebecame tired, He led Her by the arm along the way.Whenever the Lord permitted, he also shielded Heragainst the weather and performed many other servicesfor the heavenly Queen and the blessed Fruit of herwomb, Jesus.

388 CITY OF GOD462. Thus variously and wonderfully assisted, ourtravelers arrived at the town of Bethlehem at four o clockof the fifth day, a Saturday. As it was at the time ofthe winter solstice, the sun was already sinking and thenight was falling. They entered the town, and wanderedthrough many streets in search of a lodging-house or innfor staying over night. They knocked at the doors oftheir acquaintances and nearer family relations but ; theywere admitted nowhere and in many places they met withharsh words and insults. The most modest Queen followed her spouse through the crowds of people, while hewent from house to house and from door to door. Although She knew that the hearts and the houses of menwere to be closed to them, and although to expose herstate at her age to the public gaze was more painful toher modesty than their failure to procure a nightlodging,She nevertheless wished to obey saint Josephand suffer this indignity and unmerited shame. Whilewandering through the streets they passed the office ofthe public registry and they inscribed their names andpaid the fiscal tribute in order to comply with the edictand not be obliged to return. They continued theirsearch, betaking themselves to other houses. Buthavingalready applied at more than fifty different places, theyfound themselves rejected and sent away from them all.The heavenly spirits were filled with astonishment atthese exalted mysteries of the Most High, which manifested the patience and meekness of his Virgin Motherand the unfeeling hardness of men. At the same timethey blessed the Almighty in his works and hidden sacraments, since from that day on He began to exalt andhonor poverty and humility among men.463. It was nine o clock at night when the most

THE INCARNATION 389faithful Joseph, full of bitter and heartrending sorrow,returned to his most prudent Spouse and said:"Mysweetest Lady, my heart is broken with sorrow at thethought of not only not being able to shelter Thee asThou deservest and as I desire, but in not being able tooffer Thee even any kind of protection from the weather,or a place of rest, a thing rarely or never denied to themost poor and despised in the world. No doubt heaven,in thus allowing the hearts of men to be so unmoved asto refuse us a night-lodging, conceals some mystery. Inow remember, Lady, that outside the city walls there isa cave, which serves as a shelter for shepherds and theirflocks. Let us seek it out ; perhaps it is unoccupied, andwe may there expect some assistance from heaven, sincewe receive none from men on earth." The most prudentVirgin answered:"My spouse and rny master, let notthy kindest heart be afflicted because the ardent wisheswhich the love of thy Lord excites in thee cannot be fulfilled. Since I bear Him in my womb, let us, I beseechthee, give thanks for having disposed events in this way.The place of which thou speakest shall be most satisfactory to me. Let thy tears of sorrow be turned into tearsof joy, and let us lovingly embrace poverty, which is theinestimable and precious treasure of my most holy Son.He came from heaven in order to seek it, let us thenafford Him an occasion to practiceit in the joy of oursouls; certainly I cannot be better delighted than to seethee procure it for me. Let us go gladly wherever theLord shall guide The us." holy angels accompanied theheavenly pair, brilliantly lighting up the way, and whenthey arrived at the city gate they saw that the cave wasforsaken and unoccupied. Full of heavenly consolation,they thanked the Lord for this favor, and then happenedwhat I shall relate in the following chapter.

390 CITY OF GODINSTRUCTION WHICH THE MOST HOLY MARY, THEQUEEN OF HEAVEN, GAVE ME.464. My dearest daughter, if thou art of a meek anddocile heart, these mysteries which thou hast writtenabout and hast understood, will stir within thee sweetsentiments of love and affection toward the Author ofsuch great wonders. I wish that, bearing them in mind,thou from this day on embrace with new and great esteemthe contempt and neglect of the world. And tell me,dearest, if, in exchange for this forgetfulness and scornof the world, God look upon thee with eyes of sweetestlove, why shouldst thou not buy so cheaply what is worthan infinite price? What can the world give thee, evenwhen it esteems thee and exalts thee most? And whatdost thou lose, if thou despise it? Is its favor not allvanity and deceit (Ps. 4, 3) ? Is it not all a fleeting andmomentary shadow, which eludes the grasp of those thathaste after it? Hence, if thou hadst all worldly advantage in thy possession, what great feat would it be todespiseit as of no value? Consider how little thou dostin rejecting all of it for the love of God, for mine and thatof the holy angels. And if the world does not neglectthee as much as thou shouldst desire, do thou on thy ownbehalf despise it,in order to remain free and unhamperedto enjoy to the full extent the highest Good with theplenitude of his most delightful love and intercourse.465. My most holy Son is such a faithful Lover ofsouls that He hast set me as the teacher and livingexample of the love of humility and true contempt ofworldly vanity and pride. He ordained also for his ownglory as well as for my sake that I, his Servant andMother, should be left without shelter and be turnedaway by mortals, in order that afterwards his beloved

THE INCARNATION 391souls might be so much the more readily induced to offerHim a welcome, thus obliging Him, by an artifice of love,to come and remain with them. He also sought destitution and poverty, not because He had any need of themfor bringing the practice of virtues to the highest perfection, but in order to teach mortals the shortest andsurest way for reaching the heights of divine love andunion with God,466. Thou knowest well, my dearest, that thou hastbeen incessantly instructed and exhorted by divine enlightenment to forget the terrestrial and visible and togird thyself with fortitude (Prov. 31, 17), to raise thyself to the imitation of me, copying in thyself, accordingto thy capacity, the works and virtues manifested to theein my life. This is the very first purpose of the knowledge which thou receivest in writing this history; forthou hast in me a perfect model, and byit thou canstarrange the converse and conduct of thy life in the samemanner as I arranged mine in imitation of my sweetestSon. The dread with which this command to imitateme has inspired thee as a being above thy strength, thoumust moderate and thou must encourage thyself by thewords of my most holy Son in the Gospel of saint Matthew : "Be ye perfect as my heavenly Father is perfect"(Matth. 5, 48). This command of the Most High imposed upon his holy Church is not impossible of fulfillment, and, if his faithful children on their part disposethemselves properly, He will deny to none of them thegrace of attaining this resemblance to the heavenlyFather. All this my most holy Son has merited for them.But the degrading forgetfulness and neglect of men hinder them from maturing within themselves the fruits ofhis Redemption.467. Of thee particularly I expect this perfection, and

392 CITY OF GODI invite thee to itby the sweet law of love which accompanies my instruction. Ponder and scrutinize, by thedivine light, the obligation under which I place thee, andlabor to correspond with it like a faithful and anxiouschild. Let no difficulty or hardship disturb thee, nordeter thee from any virtuous exercise, no matter howhard it may be. Nor be content with striving after thelove of God and salvation of thyself alone; if thouwouldst be perfect in imitating me and fulfilling allthatthe Gospel teaches, thou must work for the salvation ofother souls and the exaltation of the holy name of mySon, making thyself an instrument in his powerful handsfor the accomplishment of mighty works to advance hispleasure and glory.

CHAPTER X.CHRIST OUR SAVIOR IS BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY INBETHLEHEM, JUDA,468. The palace which the supreme King of kingsand the Lord of lords had chosen for entertaining hiseternal and incarnate Son in this world was a most poorand insignificant hut or cave, to which most holy Maryand Joseph betook themselves after they had been deniedall hospitality and the most ordinary kindness by theirfellow-men, as I have described in the foregoing chapter.This place was held in such contempt that though thetown of Bethlehem was full of strangers in want of nightshelter,none would demean or degrade himself so faras to make use of it for a lodging; for there was nonewho deemed it suitable or desirable for such a purpose,except the Teachers of humility and poverty, Christ ourSavior and his purest Mother. On this account the wisdom of the eternal Father had reserved it for Them, consecrating it in all its bareness, loneliness and poverty asthe first temple of light (Malachy 4, 2, Ps. Ill, 4) andas the house of the true Sun of justice, which was toarise for the upright of heart from the resplendent AuroraMary, turning the night of sin into the daylight of grace.469. Most holy Mary and saint Joseph entered thelodging thus provided for them and by the effulgence ofthe ten thousand angels of their guard they could easilyascertain its poverty and loneliness, which they esteemedas favors and welcomed with tears of consolation andjoy. Without delay the two holy travelers fell on their393

394 CITY OF GODknees and praised the Lord, giving Him thanks for hisbenefit, which they knew had been provided by his wisdom for his own hidden designs. Of this mystery theheavenly Princess Mary had a better insight ;as She sanctified the interior of the cave byfor as soonher sacredfootsteps She felt a fullness of joy which entirely elevatedand vivified Her. She besought the Lord to bless witha liberal hand all the inhabitants of the neighboring city,because by rejecting Her they had given occasion to thevast favors, which She awaited in this neglected cavern.It was formed entirely of the bare and coarse rocks, without any natural beauty or artificial adornment; a placeintended merely for the shelter of animals ; yet the eternalFather had selected it for the shelter and dwelling-placeof his own Son.470. The angelic spirits, who like a celestial militiaguarded their Queen and Mistress, formed themselvesinto cohorts in the manner of court guards in a royalpalace. They showed themselves in their visible formsalso to saint Joseph for on this occasion it was ; befittingthat he should enjoy such a favor, on the one hand inorder to assuage his sorrow by allowing him to beholdthis poor lodging thus beautified and adorned by theircelestial presence, and on the other, in order to enlivenand encourage him for the events which the Lord intended to bring about during that night, and in this forsaken place. The great Queen and Empress, who wasalready informed of the mystery to be transacted here,set about cleaning with her own hands the cave, whichwas so soon to serve as a royal throne and sacred mercyseat;for neither did She want to miss this occasion forexercising her humility, nor would She deprive her onlybegottenSon of the worship and reverence implied bythis preparation and cleansing of his temple.

THE INCARNATION 395471. Saint Joseph, mindful of the majesty of hisheavenly Spouse (which, it seemed to him, She was forgetting in her ardent longing for humiliation), besoughtHer not to deprive Him of this work, which he considered as his alone ; and he hastened to set about cleaningthe floor and the corners of the cave, although the humble Queen continued to assist him therein. As the holyangels were then present in visible forms, they were(according to our mode of speaking) abashed at sucheagerness for humiliation, and they speedily emulatedwith each other to join in this work; or rather, in orderto say it more succinctly, in the shortest time possiblethey had cleansed and set in order that cave, filling it withholy fragrance. Saint Joseph started a fire with thematerial which he had brought for that purpose. As itwas very cold, they sat at the fire in order to get warm.They partook of the food which they had brought, andthey ate this, their frugal supper, with incomparable joyof their souls. The Queen of heaven was so absorbedand taken up with the thought of the impending mysteryof her divine delivery, that She would not have partakenof food if She had not been urged thereto by obedienceto her spouse.472. After their supper they gave thanks to the Lordas was their custom. Having spent a short time in thisprayer and conferring about the mysteries of the incarnate Word, the most prudent Virgin felt the approachof the most blessed Birth. She requested her spousesaint Joseph to betake himself to rest and sleep as thenight was already far advanced. The man of Godyielded to the request of his Spouse and urged Her todo the same; and for this purpose he arranged and prepared a sort of couch with the articles of wear in theirpossession, making use of a crib or manger, that had been

396 CITY OF GODleft by the shepherds for their animals. Leaving mostholy Mary in the portion of the cave thus furnished, saintJoseph retired to a corner of the entrance, where hebegan to pray. He was immediately visited by thedivine Spirit and felt a most sweet and extraordinaryinfluence, by which he was wrapt and elevated into anIn it was shown him all that passed during thatecstasy.night in this blessed cave; for he did not return to consciousness until his heavenly Spouse called him. Suchwas the sleep which saint Joseph enjoyed in that night,more exalted and blessed than that of Adam in paradise(Gen. 21, 2).473. The Queen of all creatures was called from herresting-place by a loud voice of the Most High, whichstrongly and sweetly raised Her above all created thingsand caused Her to feel new effects of divine power; forthis was one of the most singular and admirable ecstasiesof her most holylife.Immediately also She was filledwith new enlightenment and divine influences, such as Ihave described in other places, until She reached the clearvision of the Divinity. The veil fell and She saw intuitively the Godhead itself in such glory and plenitude ofinsight, as all the capacity of men and angels could notdescribe or fully understand. All the knowledge of theDivinity and humanity of her most holy Son, which Shehad ever received in- former visions was renewed and,moreover, other secrets of the inexhaustible archives ofthe bosom of God were revealed to Her. I have notideas or words sufficient and adequate for expressingwhat I have been allowed to see of these sacraments bythe divine light ;and their abundance and multiplicity convince me of the poverty and want of proper expression increated language.474. The Most High announced to his Virgin Mother,

THE INCARNATION 397that the time of his coming into the world had arrivedand what would be the manner in which this was now tpbe fulfilled and executed. The most prudent Lady perceived in this vision the purpose and exalted scope ofthese wonderful mysteries and sacraments, as well in sofar as related to the Lord himself as also in so far asthey concerned creatures, for whose benefit they had beenprimarily decreed. She prostrated Herself before thethrone of his Divinity and gave Him glory, magnificence,thanks and praise for Herself and for all creatures, suchas was befitting the ineffable mercy and condescension ofhis divine love.At the same time She asked of the divineMajesty new light and grace in order to be able worthilyto undertake the service and worship and the rearing upof the Word made flesh, whom She was to bear in Herarms and nourish with her virginal milk. This petitionthe heavenly Mother brought forward with the profoundesthumility, as one who understood the greatnessof this new sacrament. She held Herself unworthy ofthe office of rearing up and conversing as a Mother witha God incarnate of which even the highest seraphim areincapable. Prudently and humbly did the Mother ofwisdom ponder and weigh this matter. And because Shehumbled Herself to the dust and acknowledged her nothingness in the presence of the Almighty, therefore hisMajesty raised Her up and confirmed anew upon Her thetitle of Mother of God. He commanded Her to exercisethis office and ministry of a legitimate and true Motherof Himself ;that She should treat Him as the Son of theeternal Father and at the same time the Son of her womb.All this could be easily entrusted to such a Mother, inwhom was contained an excellence that words cannotexpress.475. The most holy Mary remained in this ecstasy and2-27

398 CITY OF GODbeatific vision for over an hour immediately precedingher divine delivery. At the moment when She issuedfrom it and regained the use of her senses She felt andsaw that the body of the infant God began to move inher virginal womb; how, releasing and freeing Himselffrom the place which in the course of nature He hadoccupied for nine months, He now prepared to issue forthfrom that sacred bridal chamber. This movement notonly did not cause any pain or hardship, as happens withthe other daughters of Adam and Eve in their childbirths;but filled Her with incomparable joy and delight,causing in her soul and in her virginal body such exaltedand divine effects that they exceed allthoughts of men.Her body became so spiritualized with the beauty ofheaven that She seemed no more a human and earthlycreature. Her countenance emitted rays of light, like asun incarnadined, and shone in indescribable earnestnessand majesty, all inflamed with fervent love. She waskneeling in the manger, her eyes raised to heaven, herhands joined and folded at her breat, her soul wrappedin the Divinity and She herself was entirely deified. Inthis position, and at the end of the heavenly rapture, themost exalted Lady gave to the world the Onlybegottenof the Father and her own, our Savior Jesus, true Godand man, at the hour of midnight, on a Sunday, in theyear of the creation of the world five thousand one hundred and ninety-nine (5199), which is the date given inthe Roman Church, and which date has been manifestedto me as the true and certain one.476. There are other wonderful circumstances and particulars, which all the faithful assume to have miraculously accompanied this most divine Birth; but as theonly witnesses were the Queen of heaven and her courtiers, they cannot all be certified, except only those which

THE INCARNATION 399the Lord himself manifests in his holy Church to all orto some particular souls in diverse ways. As I think thereis some divergence of opinion in this matter, which ismost sublime and venerable, as soon as I had manifestedto my superiors and directors what had been made knownto me, they commanded me under obedience to consultanew the divine oracle and ask the Empress of heaven,my Mother and Teacher, and the holy angels that attendon me, for information on some particulars necessary fora clearer statement of the most sacred parturition ofMary, the Mother of Jesus, our Redeemer. In order tocomply with this command I returned for a better understanding of these same happenings and it was then expounded to me in the following manner:477. At the end of the beatific rapture and vision ofthe Mother ever Virgin, which I have described above(No. 473), was born the Sun of Justice, the Onlybegottenof the eternal Father and of Mary most pure, beautiful,refulgent and immaculate, leaving Her untouched in hervirginal integrity and purity and making Her more godlike and forever sacred ;for He did not divide, but penetrated the virginal chamber as the rays of the sun penetrate the crystal shrine, lighting it up in prismatic beauty.Before I describe the miraculous manner in which thistook place, I wish to say that the divine Child was bornpure and disengaged, without the protecting shield calledsecundina, surrounded by which other children are commonly born, and in which they are enveloped in the wombsof their mothers. I will not detain myself in explainingthe cause and origin of the error, which is contrary tothis statement. It itenough to know and suppose thatin the generation and birth of the incarnate Word thearm of the Almighty selected and made use of all thatsubstantially and unavoidably belonged to natural human

400 CITY OF GODgeneration, so that the Word could truly call Himselfconceived and engendered as a true man and born of thesubstance of his Mother ever Virgin. In regard to theother circumstances, which are not essential but accidental to generation and nativity, we must disconnect ourideas of Christ our Lord and of the most holy Mary notonly from allthat are in any way related or consequentupon any sin, original or actual; but also from manyothers which are not necessary for the essential reality ofthe generation or birth and which imply some impurityor superfluity, that could in any way lessen or impair thedignity of Mary as the Queen of heaven and as trueMother of Christ our Lord. For many such imperfections of sin or nature were not necessary either for thetrue humanity of Christ, or for his office of Redeemer orTeacher ;and whatever was not necessary for these threeends, and whatever by its absence would redound to thegreater dignity of Christ and his Mother, must be deniedof Both. Nor must we be niggardly in presuming wonderful intervention of the Author of nature and graceinfavor of Her who was his worthy Mother, prepared,adorned and made increasingly beautiful for this purpose for the divine :right hand enriched Her at all timeswith gifts and graces and reached the utmost limits of hisOmnipotence possible in regard to a mere creature.478. In accordance with this truth her true motherhoodwas not impaired by her remaining a Virgin in his conception and birth through operation of the Holy Ghost.Although She could have lost her virginity in a naturalmanner without incurring any fault, yet in that case theMother of God would also be without this singular prerogative of virginity. Therefore we must say, in orderthat She might not be without it, the divine power of hermost holy Son preservedit for Her. Likewise the divine

THE INCARNATION 401Child could have been born with this covering or cuticlein which others are born; yet this was not necessary inorder to be born a natural Son of the blessed Mother;hence He could chose not to take it forth with Him fromthe virginal and maternal womb, just as He chose not topay to nature other penal tributes of impurity, whichother human beings do pay at their coming into the light.It was not just that the incarnate Word should be subject to all the laws of the sons of Adam; but it was consequent upon his miraculous Birth that He be exempt andfree from all that could be caused by the corruption oruncleanness of matter. Thus also this covering, orsecundina, was not to fall a prey to corruption outsideof the virginal womb, because it had been so closely connected and attached to his most holy body and becauseit was composedMother;in like manner it wasof the blood and substance of hisnot advisable to keep andpreserve it outside of Her, nor was itbecoming to giveit the same privileges and importance as to his divinebody in coming forth from the body of his most holyMother, as I will yet explain. The wonder which wouldhave to be wrought to dispose of that sacred covering outside of the womb could be wrought much more appropriately within.479. The infant God therefore was brought forth fromthe virginal chamber unencumbered by any corporeal ormaterial substance foreign to Himself. But He cameforth glorious and transfigured for the divine andinfinite wisdom decreed and ordained that the glory ofhis most holy soul should in his Birth overflow andcommunicate itself to his body, participating in thegifts of glory in the same way as happened afterwardshis Transfiguration on mount Tabor in the presofthe Apostles (Matth. 17, 2). This miracle wasLIBRARY! 7 1

402 CITY OF GODnot necessary in order to penetrate the virginal enclosure and to leave unimpaired the virginal integrity;for without this Transfiguration God could have broughtthis about by other miracles. Thus say the holy doctors, who see no other miracle in this Birth than thatthe Child was born without impairing the virginity of theMother. It was the will of God that the most blessedVirgin should look upon the body of her Son, the Godman,for this first time in a glorified state for two reasons.The one was in order that by this divine vision the mostprudent Mother should conceive the highest reverence forthe Majesty of Him whom She was to treat as her Son,the true God-man. Although She was already informedof his two-fold nature, the Lord nevertheless ordainedthat by ocular demonstration be filledghewith newgraces, corresponding to the greatness of her most holySon, which was thus manifested to Her in a visible manner. The second reason was to reward by this wonderthe fidelity and holiness of the divine Mother; for hermost pure and chaste eyes, that had turned away from allearthly things for love of her most holy Son, were to seeHim at his very Birth in this glory and thus be rejoicedand rewarded for her loyalty and beautiful love.480. The sacred evangelist Luke tells us that theMother Virgin, having brought forth her firstbegottenSon, wrapped Him in swathing clothes and placed Himin a manger. He does not say that She received Himin her arms from her virginal womb; for this did notof his narrative. But the twopertain to the purposesovereign princes, saint Michael and saint Gabriel, werethe assistants of the Virgin on this occasion. They stoodby at proper distance in human corporeal forms at themoment when the incarnate Word, penetrating the virginal chamber by divine power, issued forth to the light,

THE INCARNATION 403and they received Him in their hands with ineffable reverence. In the same manner as a priest exhibits thesacred host to the people for adoration, so these twocelestial ministers presented to the divine Mother herglorious and refulgent Son. All this happened in a shortspace of time. In the same moment in which the holyangels thus presented the divine Child to his Mother,both Son and Mother looked upon each other, and in thislook, She wounded with love the sweet Infant and wasat the same time exalted and transformed in Him. Fromthe arms of the holy princes the Prince of all the heavensspoke to his holy Mother: "Mother, become like untoMe, since on this day, for the human existence, whichthou hast today given Me, I will give thee another moreexalted existence in grace, assimilating thy existence asa mere creature to the likeness of Me, who am God andMan." The most prudent Mother answered : "Traheme post Te, curremus in odorem unguentorumtuorum"(Cant. 1, 3). Raise me, elevate me, Lord, and I willrun after Thee in the odor of thy ointments. In the sameof the Canticles wereway many of the hidden mysteriesfulfilled; and other sayings which passed between theinfant God and the Virgin Mother had been recordedin that book of songs, as for instance :"MyBeloved tome, and I to Him, and his desire is toward me"(Cant. 2, 16)."Behold thou art beautiful, my friend,and thy eyes are dove s eyes. Behold, my beloved, forthou art beautiful"; and many other sacramental wordswhich to mention would unduly prolong this chapter.481. The words, which most holy Mary heard fromthe mouth of her most holy Son, served to make Herunderstand at the same time the interior acts of hisholiest soul united with the Divinity; in order that byimitating them She might become like unto Him. This

404 CITY OF GODwas one of the greatest blessings, which the most faithfuland fortunate Mother received at the hands of her Son,the true God and man, not only because it was continuedfrom that day on through all her life, but because it furnished Her the means of copying his own divine life asfaithfully as was possible to a mere creature. At thesame time the heavenly Lady perceived and felt theand She heard the voicepresence of the most holy Trinity,of the eternal Father saying: "This is my beloved Son,in whom I am greatly pleased and delighted" (Matth.17, 5). The most prudent Mother made entirely godlike in the overflow of so many sacraments, answered:"Eternal Father and exalted God, Lord and Creator ofthe universe, give me anew thy permission and benediction to receive in my arms the Desired of nations(Agg. 2, 8) ;and teach me to fulfill as thy unworthyMother and lowly slave, thy holy will." ImmediatelyShe heard a voice, which said: "Receivethy OnlybegottenSon, imitate Him and rear Him; and remember,that thou must sacrifice Him when I shall demand it ofthee." The divine Mother answered : "Behold the creature of thy hands, adorn me with thy grace so that thySon and my God receive me for his slave; and if Thouwilt come to my aid with thy Omnipotence,faithful in his service ;and do Thou count it no presumption in thy insignificant creature, that she bear in her armsand nourish at her breast her own Lord and Creator."I shall be482. After this interchange of words, so full of mysteries, the divine Child suspended the miracle of histransfiguration, or rather He inaugurated the othermiracle, that of suspending the effects of glory in hismost holy body, confining them solely to his soul; andHe now assumed the appearance of one capable of suffering. In this form the most pure Mother now saw

Him and, stillTHE INCARNATION 405remaining in a kneeling position and adoring Him with profound humility and reverence, She received Him in her arms from the hands of the holy angels.And when She saw Him in her arms, She spoke to Himand said sweetest Love and :"Mylight of my eyes andbeing of my soul, Thou hast arrived in good hour intothis world as the Sun of justice (Malach. 4, 2), in orderto disperse the darkness of sin and death ! True God ofthe true God, save thy servants and let all flesh see Him,who shall draw uponit salvation (Is. 9, 2). Receive methy servant as thy slave and supply my deficiency, in orderthat I may properly serve Thee. Make me, my Son, suchas Thou desirest me to be in thyservice." Then themost prudent Mother turned toward the eternal Fatherto offer up to Him his Onlybegotten, saying:Creator of all the Universe, here is the altar and the sac"Exaltedrifice acceptable in thy eyes (Malachy 3, 4). From thishour on, O Lord, look upon the human race with mercy ;and inasmuch as we have deserved thy anger, it is nowtime that Thou be appeased in thy Son and mine. Letthy justice now come to rest, and let thy mercy be exalted ;for on this account the Word has clothed itself inthe semblance of sinful flesh (Rom. 8, 3), and becamea Brother of mortals and sinners (Philip 2, 7). In thistitle I recognize them as brothers and I intercede for themfrom my inmost soul. Thou, Lord, hast made me theMother of thy Onlybegotten without my merit, since thisdignity is above all merit of a creature but I ; partly oweto men the occasion of this incomparable good fortune;since it is on their account that I am the Mother of theWord made man and Redeemer of them all. I will notdeny them my love, or remit my care and watchfulnessfor their salvation. Receive, eternal God, my wishes

406 CITY OF GODand petitions for that which is according to thy pleasureand good will."483. The Mother of mercy turned also toward allmortals and addressed them, saying: "Be consoled yeafflicted and rejoice ye disconsolate, be raised up ye fallen,come to rest ye uneasy. Let the just be gladdenedand the saints be rejoiced; let the heavenly spirits breakout in new jubilee, let the Prophets and Patriarchs oflimbo draw new hope, and let all the generations praiseand magnify the Lord, who renews his wonders. Come,come ye poor; approach ye little ones, without fear, forin my arms I bear the Lion made a lamb, the Almighty,become weak, the Invincible subdued. Come to drawlife, hasten to obtain salvation, approach to gain eternalrest, since I have all this for all, and it will be given toDoyou freely and communicated to you without envy.not be slow and heavy of heart, ye sons of men; andThou, O sweetest joy of my soul, give me permission toreceive from Thee that kiss desired by all creatures."Therewith the most blessed Mother applied her mostchaste and heavenly lips in order to receive the lovingcaresses of the divine Child, who on his part, as hertrue Son, had desired them from Her.484. Holding Him in Her arms She thus served as thealtar and the sanctuary, where the ten thousand angelsadored in visible human forms their Creator incarnate.And as the most blessed Trinity assisted in an especialmanner at the birth of the Word, heaven was as it wereemptied of its inhabitants, for the whole heavenly courthad betaken itself to that blessed cave of Bethlehem andwas adoring the Creator in his garb and habit of a pilgrim(Phil. 2, 7). And in their concert of praise the holyangels intoned the new canticle : "Gloria in excelsis Deo,et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis" (Luke 2,

THE INCARNATION 40714). In sweetest and sonorous harmony they repeated it,transfixed in wonder at the new miracles then beingfulfilled and at the unspeakable prudence, grace, humilityand beauty of that tender Maiden of fifteen years, whohad become the worthy Trustee and Minister of such vastand magnificent sacraments.485. It was now time to call saint Joseph, the faithfulspouse of the most discreet and attentive Lady. As I havesaid above (No. 472 )he was wrapped in ecstasy, in whichhe was informed by divine revelation of all the mysteriesof this sacred Birth during this night. But it was becoming that he should see, and, before all other mortals,should in his corporeal faculties and senses be presentand experience, adore and reverence the Word madeflesh; for he of all others had been chosen to act as thefaithful warden of this great sacrament. At the desireof his heavenly Spouse he issued from his ecstasy and,on being restored to consciousness, the first sight of hiseyes was the divine Child in the arms of the VirginMother reclining against her sacred countenance andbreast. There he adored Him in profoundest humilityand in tears of joy. He kissed his feet in great joy andadmiration, which no doubt would have taken away anddestroyed life in him, if divine power had not preservedit; and he certainly would have lost all the use of hissenses, if the occasion had permitted. When saint Josephhad begun to adore the Child, the most prudent Motherasked leave of her Son to arise (for until then She hadremained on her knees) and, while saint Joseph handedHer the wrappings and swaddling-clothes, which She hadbrought, She clothed Him with incomparable reverence,devotion and tenderness. Having thus swathed andclothed Him, his Mother, with heavenly wisdom, laid Himin the crib, as related by saint Luke (Luke 2, 7). For

408 CITY OF GODthis purpose She had arranged some straw and hay upona stone in order to prepare for the God-Man his firstresting-place upon earth next to that which He had foundin her arms. According to divine ordainment an ox fromthe neighboring fields ran up in great haste and, enteringthe cave, joined the beast of burden brought by theQueen. The blessed Mother commanded them, withwhat show of reverence was possible to them to acknowledge and adore their Creator. The humble animalsobeyed their Mistress and prostrated themselves beforethe Child, warming Him with their breath and rendering Him the service refused by men. And thus the Godmade man was placed between two animals, wrapped inswaddling-clothes and wonderfully fulfilling the prophecy, that ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his"themaster s crib; but Israel hath not known me, and mypeople hath not understood."TEACHING OF THE MOST HOLY QUEEN MARY.486. My daughter, if men would keep their heart disengaged and if they would rightly and worthily considerthis great sacrament of the kindness of the Most Hightowards men, it would be a powerful means of conducting them in the pathway of life and subjecting them tothe love of their Creator and Redeemer. For as menare capable of reasoning, if they would only make use oftheir freedom to treat this sacrament with the reverencedue to its greatness, who would be so hardened as not tobe moved to tenderness at the sight of their God becomeman, humiliated in poverty, despised, unknown, entering the world in a cave, lying in a manger surroundedby brute animals, protected only by a poverty-strickenMother, and cast off by the foolish arrogance of the

THE INCARNATION 409world? Who will dare to love the vanity and pride,which was openly abhorred and condemned by the Creator of heaven and earth in his conduct? No one candespise the humility, poverty and indigence, which theLord loved and chose for Himself as the very means ofteaching the way of eternal life. Few there are, who stopto consider this truth and example: and on account ofthis vile ingratitude only the few will reap the fruit ofthese great sacraments.487. But if the condescension of my most holy Sonwas so great as to bestow so liberally upon thee his lightand knowledge concerning these vast blessings, ponderwell how much thou art bound to co-operate with thislight. In order that thou mayest correspond to this obligation, I remind and exhort thee to forget all that isof earth and lose it out of thy sight; that thou seeknothing, or engage thyself with nothing except what canhelp thee to withdraw and detach thee from the worldand its inhabitants; so that, with a heart freed from allterrestrial affection, thou dispose thyself to celebrate init the mysteries of the poverty, humility and divine loveof the incarnate God. Learn from my example the reverence, fear and respect, with which thou must treat Him,remembering how I acted, when I held Him in my arms ;follow my example, whenever thou receivest Him in thyheart in the venerable sacrament of the holy Eucharist,wherein is contained the same God-Man, who was bornof my womb. In this holy Sacrament thou receivest Himand possessest Him just as really, and He remains in theejust as actually, as I possessed Him and conversed withHim, although in another manner.488. I desire that thou go even to extremes in thisholy reverence and fear ;and I wish that thou take noticeand be convinced, that in entering into thy heart in the

410 CITY OF GODholy Sacrament, thy God exhorts thee in the same words,which thou hast recorded as spoken to me : become likeunto Me. His coming down from heaven onto the earth,his being born in humility and poverty, his living anddying in it, giving such rare example of the contempt ofthe world and its deceits; the knowledge, which thouhast received concerning his conduct and which thou hastpenetrated so deeply by divine intelligence all these things:should be for thee like living voices, which thou mustheed and inscribe into the interior of thy heart. Theseprivileges have all been granted to thee in order that thoudiscreetly use the common blessings to their fullest extent, and in order that thou mayest understand, howthankful thou must be to my most holy Son and Lord,and how thou shouldst strive to make as great a returnfor his goodness, as if He had come from heaven to redeem thee alone and as if He had instituted all his wonders and doctrines in the holy Church for none else thanthee (Gal. 7, 20).

CHAPTER XLTHE HOLY ANGELS ANNOUNCE THE BIRTH OF OUR LORDIN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD, AND THE SHEPHERDS COME TO ADORE HIM.489. After the courtiers of heaven had thus celebratedthe birth of God made man near the portals of Bethlehem,some of them were immediately dispatched to differentplaces, in order to announce the happy news to those, whoaccording to the divine will were properly disposed tohear it. The holy prince Michael betook himself to theholy Patriarchs in limbo and announced to them, how theOnlybegotten of the eternal Father was already borninto the world and was resting, humble and meek, asthey had prophesied, in a manger between two beasts.He addressed also in a special manner holy Joachim andAnne in the name of the blessed Mother, who had enjoined this upon him; he congratulated them, that theirDaughter now held in her arms the Desired of nationsand Him, who had been foretold by all the Patriarchsand Prophets (Is. 7, 14; 9, 7, etc.). It was the mostconsoling and joyful day, which this great gathering ofthe just and the saints had yet had during their long banishment. All of them acknowledged this new Godmanas the true Author of eternal salvation, and they composed and sang new songs of adoration and worshipin his praise. Saint Joachim and Anne enjoined themessenger of heaven, saint Michael, to ask Mary theirDaughter to worship in their name the divine Child, theblessed Fruit of her womb;411and this the great Queen of

412 CITY OF GODthe world immediately did for them, listening with greatjubilee to all that the holy prince reported concerningthe Patriarchs of limbo.490. Another of the holy angels that attended andguarded the heavenly Mother was sent to saint Elisabethand her son John. On hearing this news of the birthof the Redeemer, the prudent matron and her son, although he was yet of so tender an age, prostrated themselves upon the earth and adored their God made manin spirit and in truth (John 4, 23). The child which hadbeen consecrated as his Precursor, was renewed interiorlywith a spirit more inflamed than that of Elias, causingnew admiration and jubilation in the angels themselves.Saint John and his mother requested our Queen throughthe angels, that She in the name of them both, adore hermost holy Son and offer Him their services ;all of whichthe heavenly Queen immediately fulfilled.491. Having thus been informed of what had happened, saint Elisabeth hastened to send one of her domestics to Bethlehem with presents for the blessed Motherand the infant God. They consisted in some money, somelinen and other things for the comfort of the newly bornand of his poor Mother and her spouse. The servantbetook himself on the way with no other instruction thanthat he visit the blessed Virgin and saint Joseph and takenotice of what comfort or want was theirs, so that hemight bring back certain information of their circumstances and well-being. He had no other knowledge ofthe sacrament, except what he himself could perceivewith his own eyes; but renewed and touched by an interior and divine force he came back and in wonderfuljubilee described to saint Elisabeth the poverty and thecharming grace of her Cousin, of the Child and of saintJoseph, and what feelings were excited in him on behold-

THE INCARNATION 413ing them. Admirable were the sentiments roused in thegodly matron by his ingenuous narration. If it had notbeen for the will of God, that the secret and privacy ofthis high sacrament should be preserved, she could nothave restrained herself from visiting the Virgin Motherand the newborn God. Of the things sent by her, theQueen appropriated some for relieving their extremepoverty, while She distributed the rest of them to thepoor; for She did not wish to be deprived of the company of the poor during the days in which She wouldhave to remain in the portal or cave of the Nativity.492. Other angels were delegated to bringthe news toZachary, Simeon and Anne, the prophetess, and to someother just and holy people, who were worthy to be trustedwith this new mystery of our Redemption; for as theLord found them prepared to receive this news withgratitude and with benefit to themselves, He consideredit a just due to their virtue not to hide from them theblessing conferred upon the human race. Although notall the just upon earth were informed at that time of thissacrament; yet in all of them were wrought certaindivine effects in the hour in which the Savior of theworld was born. For all the just felt in their hearts anew and supernatural joy, though they were ignorant ofits cause. There were not only movements of joy in theangels and in the just, but also wonderful movementsin the insensible creatures; for all the influences of theplanets were renovated and enlivened. The sun muchaccelerated its course; the stars shone in greater brightness ;and for the Magi kings was formed that wonderfulstar, which showed them the way to Bethlehem (Matth.2,2).fruit.Many trees began to bloom and others to produceSome temples of the idols were overthrown; andin others the idols were hurled down and their demons2-28

414 CITY OF GODput to flight. These wonders and other happenings inthe world on that day men accounted for in differentways, but far from the truth. Only among the just therewere many, who by divine impulse suspected or believedthat God had come into the world; yet no one knew itwith certainty, except those to whom it was revealed.Among these were the three Magi, to each of whom intheir separate Oriental kingdoms angels of the Queen sguard were sent to inform them by interior and intellectual enlightenment that the Redeemer of the human racehad been born in poverty and humility. At the sametime they were inspired with the sudden desire of seeking Him and adoring Him and immediately they saw thestar as a guide to Bethlehem, as I will relate farther on.493. Amongst all these, the shepherds of that region,who were watching their flocks at the time of the birthof Christ, were especially blessed (Luke 2, 8) ; not onlybecause they accepted the labor and inconvenience oftheir calling with resignation from the hand of God ;butalso because, being poor and humble, and despised by theworld, they belonged in sincerity and uprightness ofheart to those Israelites, who fervently hoped and longedfor the coming of the Messias, speaking and discoursingof Him among themselves many times. They resembledthe Author of life, as they were removed from the riches,vanity and ostentation of the world and far from itsbolical cunning (John 10, 14). They exhibited in thecircumstances of their calling the office, which the goodShepherd had come to fulfill in knowing his Sheep andbeing known to them. Hence they merited to be calledand invited, as the firstthe Saviorfruits of the saints byhimself, to be the very first ones, to whom the eternaland incarnate Word manifested Himself and by whomHe wished to be praised, served and adored. Hence thedia

THE INCARNATION 415archangel Gabriel was sent to them as they watched onthe field, appearing to them in human form and withgreat splendor.494. The shepherds found themselves suddenly enveloped and bathed in the celestial radiance of the angel,and at his sight, beinglittle versed in such visions, theywere filled with great fear. The holy prince reassuredthem and said: "Yeupright men, be not afraid: for Iannounce to you tidings of great joy, which is, that foryou is born today the Redeemer Christ, our Lord, inthe city of David. And as a sign of this truth, I announceto you, that you shall find the Infant wrapped in swaddling-clothes and placed in a manger" (Luke 2, 10, 12).At these words of the angel, suddenly appeared a greatmultitude of the celestial army, who in voices of sweetharmony sang to the Most High these words : "Glory toGod in the highest and on earth peace to men of goodwill."Rehearsing this divine canticle, so new to theworld, the holy angels disappeared. All this happenedin the fourth watch of the night. By this angelic visionthe humble and fortunate shepherds were filled withdivine enlightenment and were unanimously impelled bya fervent longing to make certain of this blessing and towitness with their own eyes the most high mystery ofwhich they had been informed.495. The signs which the holy angels had indicatedto them did not seem appropriate or proportioned forof theattesting the greatness of the Newborn to eyesflesh. For to lie in a manger and to be wrapped inswaddling-clothes, would not have been convincing proofof the majesty of a king, if these shepherds had not beenillumined by divine light and been enabled to penetratethe mystery. As they were free from the arrogant wisdom of the world, they were easily made proficient in

416 CITY OF GODthe divine wisdom. Conferring among themselves thethoughts excited by this message, they resolved to hastenin all speed to Bethlehem and see the wonder made knownto them by the Lord. They departed without delay andentering the cave or portal, they found, as saint Luketells us, Mary and Joseph, and the Infant lying in amanger. Seeing all this they recognized the truth of whatthey had heard of the Child. Upon this followed an interior enlightenment consequent upon seeing the Wordmade flesh; for when the shepherds looked upon Him,He also glanced at them, emitting from his countenancea great effulgence, which wounded with love the sincereheart of each of these poor yet fortunate men with divine;efficiency it changed them and renewed them, constitutingthem in a new state of grace and holiness and filling themwith an exalted knowledge of the divine mysteries of theIncarnation and the Redemption of the human race.496. Prostrating themselves on the earth they adoredthe Word made flesh. Not any more as ignorant rustics,but as wise and prudent men they adored Him, acknowledged and magnified Him as true God and man, as Restorer and Redeemer of the human race. The heavenlyLady and Mother of the Child took notice of all that theydid interiorly and exteriorly; for She saw into their inmost hearts. In highest wisdom and prudence She preserved the memory of all these happenings and ponderedthem in her soul, (Luke 2, 19), comparing them withthe other mysteries therein contained and with the holyprophecies and sayings of the Scriptures. As She wasthen the organ of the holy Spirit and the representativeof the Infant, She spoke to the shepherds, instructingand exhorting them to persevere in divine love and in theservice of the Most High. They also conversed with Heron their part and showed by their answers that they un-

THE INCARNATION 417derstood many of the mysteries. They remained in thecave from the beginning of dawn until mid-day, when,having given them something to eat, our great Queensent them off full of heavenly grace and consolation.497. During the days in which most holy Mary, theChild and saint Joseph remained in the gates of Bethlehem, these holy shepherds returned a few times andbrought such presents as in their poverty they could spare.What saint Luke says about those that wondered at whatthe shepherds said concerning the holy Family, happenedlater, after the Queen, the Child and saint Joseph had departed and fled from the neighborhood of Bethlehem;for divine Providence so arranged things, that theshepherds were unable to spread about these news beforethat time. Not all of those that heard them speaking aboutthis matter believed them, for they held them to be uncultured and ignorant people. These shepherds howeverwere saints and were filled with divine knowledge untilAmong those who believed them was Herod,they died.although not because of any laudable faith or piety, buton account of his worldly and wicked fear of losing hisAmong the children, who merited to be sacrikingdom.ficed by him, there were also some belonging to these holymen. Their parents consented joyfully to the martyrdom, which the children themselves desired and offeringthemselves up to the Lord, whom they were made toknow beforehand.INSTRUCTION OF THE MOST HOLY QUEEN MARY.498. My daughter, forgetfulness and inattention regarding the works of the Redeemer are as reprehensibleas they are common and frequent among mortals. Yetthese works are most mysterious, loving, merciful and in-

418 CITY OF GODstructive. Thou hast been called and chosen to receiveknowledge and enlightenment for avoiding such dangerous and gross torpidity; therefore I wish, that in themysteries thou hast just written, thou take notice of andponder over the burning love of my most holy Son in communicating Himself to men as soon as He was born, inorder to make them immediate partakers of the joyfulfruit of his coming. Men do not know of this obligation, because few of them penetrate to the significanceof this great blessing, just as there were few who sawthe Word at his Birth and thanked Him for his arrival.Theyare not aware of the cause of their evilstate andof their blindness, which neither was nor is to be ascribedto the Lord nor to any fault in his love, but to the sinsand the bad dispositions of men. If their own bad dispositions would not impede or make them unworthy ofthis favor, the same light, which was given to the just,to the shepherds and to the kings, would have beenvouchsafed to all or to many. That there should be sofew, will make thee understand in what an unhappycondition the world was at the time of the coming of theincarnate Word ;and also the unhappiness of the presenttimes, when these mysteries have become so evident andwhen grateful memory of them is become so scarce.499. Consider the wicked disposition of mortals inthe present age, in which the light of the Gospel has beenspread out and confirmed by so many miracles wroughtby God in his Church. In spite of all this there are sofew, who are perfect and who seek to dispose themselvesfor greater participation in the fruits and benefits of theRedemption. Although the number of fools is so greatand the vices are become so measureless, there are thosewho think, that also the perfect are numerous, because,forsooth, men do not so openly dare to act in opposition

to God :THE INCARNATION 419there are fewer than one thinks, and many lessthan there should be, seeing that God is so much offendedby the infidels and continually desires to communicatethe treasures of grace in his Church according to themerits of his Onlybegotten made man. Be mindful,dearest, of the obligation imposed upon thee by thy clearknowledge of these truths. Live cautiously, with greatattention and watchfulness correspond to his graces, losing no time, occasion or circumstance for acting in themost holy and perfect manner known to thee; for thoucanst not fulfill thy duty otherwise. Remember whatI tell thee, command and urge upon thee, that thou receive not such great favor in vain (II Cor. 6, 1) ;donot allow thy grace and light to be without profit, butmake use of them in the perfection of thankfulness.

CHAPTER XII.WHAT WAS CONCEALED FROM THE DEMON CONCERNINGTHE MYSTERY OF THE BIRTH OF THE INCARNATEWORD, AND OF OTHER HAPPENINGS UNTIL THE CIRCUMCISION.500. As far as depended upon the Lord the comingof the eternal Word as man was most fortunate andblessed for all the mortals ;for He came in order to givelight and life to all those that were in darkness and inthe shadows of death (Luke 1, 79). If the foreknownand incredulous stumbled and hurt themselves on thiscornerstone (Rom. 9, 33), seeking ruin where they couldand should have found resurrection to an eternal life,that was not the fault of the stone, but of those thatmade of it an occasion of scandal and of harm to themfor hell the birth of the infant God wasselves. Onlyterrible, since He was the strong and invincible One,who came to despoil that armed enemy of his tyrannousrule, founded in lies (Psalm 23, 8), who had held hisfortification in unjust yet peaceful possession for a longtime. In order to depose this prince of the world andof darkness, it was befitting, that the sacrament of thecoming of the Word should be hidden from him. Because of his malice he was not only unworthy to beinformed of the mysteries of the divine wisdom (Wisd.2, 21, 24) ;but it was just that by divine Providence themalice of this enemy should be blinded and confused in;his malice he had brought into the world the deceit and420

THE INCARNATION 421blindness of sin and cast down the whole human raceby the fall of Adam.501. Accordingly Lucifer and his ministers were leftin ignorance of many things, which they could naturallyhave known concerning the incarnation of the Word andother events in the course of his most holy life, a factwhich it is necessary to take notice of in this history (Nos.326, Vol. Ill, 217, 226, 284). For if he had known forcertain, that Christ was the true God, he evidently wouldnot have procured his death (I Cor. 2, 8), but he wouldhave sought to prevent it, as will be said in its properplace (Vol. Ill, -494, 540, 613). Concerning the mysteryof the Nativity he knew only that most holy Mary hadgiven birth to a Son in poverty and in a forsaken cave,and that She had not found even lodging and shelter;also that the Child was circumcised and otherwise treatedas mere man : all of which was calculated rather to mislead his pride than to enlighten it. But he was ignorantof the manner of his Birth, and of the virginity of theblessed Mother before and after the Birth; likewise ofthe message of the angels to the just, and to theshepherds; of their conversations, and of their adoration of the infant God. Nor did he see the star,nor did he know the purpose of the kings in comingto Bethlehem, although he saw them make the journeyand attributed it to some worldly enterprise. The demons were also unable to account for the changes inthe elements, the stars and planets; though they wellperceived these changes and wonderful effects. Theymisjudged the words of the Magi in the presence ofHerod, their arrival at the stable and the adoration, andthe gifts offered. Notwithstanding, that they perceivedthe fury of Herod against the children and abetted it;yet theydid not understand his object and they stirred

422 CITY OF GODup his cruelty. Although Lucifer suspected, that Herodwas seeking to kill the Messias, he considered him demented and treated him with derision. For in his pridehe obstinately held fast to the opinion, that the Word,upon entering into the world in order to set up hisdominion, would not come humbly and in a hiddenmanner, but with ostentatious power and majesty, whilein reality the infant God chose a far different way, beingborn of a Mother poor and despised by men.502. Thus misled, Lucifer, having noticed some ofthe strange events connected with the Nativity, calledtogether his helpers in hell, and said to them : "I do notfind any occasion for fear in the events, which we havenoticed in the world. It is true, the Woman whom wepersecuted so much, has given birth to a Son, but insuch poverty and neglect, that She could not even procure a lodging-place in order to be delivered. We knowof God.all this to be far from the power and greatnessIf He is to advance against us as weak as we have seenthis Child and as we have assured ourselves concerningIt, He certainly can make no headway against our power.We need not fear that He is the Messias, since thereis even a plot to kill Him as being mortal like the restof men. This does not seem to point to the salvationof the world, since He himself seems to stand in needof atoning for his fault by death. All these signs conflict with the purpose of the Messias in coming into theworld and therefore it seems to me, that we can restassured, that He has not yetcome." The ministers ofevil approved of the decision of their damned chief andthey were all satisfied, that the Messias had not yetcome, for they were all accomplices in the malice andpride which blinded him (Wis. 2, 21). It never occurredto satan in his vanity and indomitable pride, that the

THE INCARNATION 423majesty and greatness of God should humiliate itself;because he himself sought after applause, ostentation,reverence and exaltation, wishing if possible to appropriate all honor to himself. Since all honor was attainable by God, it never entered his mind, that He wouldconsent to the contrary and subject Himself to humiliaso much abhorred by the spirits of evil.503. O sons of vanity! What examples are not heretion,given to you for your enlightenment! Great is thelesson, which the humility of Christ, our Teacher andour highest Good, teaches and urges upon us : but ifthis does not move us, let the pride of Lucifer at leastdeter and frighten us. O vice, O sin, dreadful beyondhuman imagination! since it confused an angel of suchhigh intellect so much, that he could judge of the infinite bounty by no other standard than that by whichhe judged himself and of his own malicious disposition! How far then does not man proceed in malice,if to his ignorance he joins guilt and pride? O unhappy and most foolish Lucifer! How far didst thougo astray in judging of so reasonable and commendablea proceeding! What is more beautiful than humilityand meekness joined with majesty and power? Whydost thou fail to see, insignificant creature, that not toknow how to humiliate thyself isonly weakness of mindand comes from a base heart? The magnanimous andtruly great do not seek payment in vanity, nor do theyseek after what is low, nor can they be satisfied with whatis false and apparent. It is evident, O Lucifer, that thouart shut out from truth and but an ignorant guide forthe blind (Matth. 15, 14) ;since thou didst fail to understand, that the greatness of the bounty and love ofGod (Rom. 5, 8) manifested and magnified itself in

424 CITY OF GODhumility and obedience even to the death of the Cross(Phil 2, 8).504. All these errors and insanities of Lucifer and hisministers were known to the Mother of wisdom andour Mistress; and with a just appreciation of such highmysteries She magnified and blessed the Lord, becauseHe had concealed them from the proud and arrogant andrevealed them to the poor and humble, thus beginning toovercome the tyranny of the demons (Matth. 11, 25).The kind Mother offered up fervent prayers for all themortals, who on account of their faults were unworthyof seeing the light, which for their salvation had appeared in the world of all this;She reminded her mostsweet Son with incomparable compassion and love forsinners. In these affections She spent most of the timeof her stay in the cave of the Nativity. But as thisplace was bare of all comfort and much exposed to theinclemencies of the weather, the great Lady was mostsolicitous for the shelter of her tender and sweet Child.As a most prudent Mother She had brought along amantle, with which She covered Him in addition to theordinary swaddling-clothes. Moreover She held Him continually in the embrace of her sacred arms, except attimes, when, in order to make saint Joseph happy, Sheasked him to hold his incarnate God in his arms andserve him as a father.505. When for the first time She placed the infantGod in his arms, the most holy Mary said to him :"Myhusband and my helper, receive in thy arms the Creatorof heaven and earth and enjoy his amiable and sweetcompany, in order that my Lord and my God may bedelighted and recompensed by thy faithful services(Prov. 8, 31). Take to thyself the Treasure of theeternal Father and participate in this blessing of the hu-

THE INCARNATION 425man race." And speaking interiorly to the divine Infant, She said : "Sweetest Love of my soul and Light ofmy eyes, rest in the arms of Joseph, my friend and:spouse do thou hold sweet intercourse with him andpardon me my shortcomings. Much do I feel the lossof Thee even for one instant, but I wish to communicatewithout envy the good I have received, to all that areworthy" (Wis. 7, 13). Her most faithful husband,acknowledging this new blessing, humbled himself tothe earth and answered: "Ladyand Sovereign of theworld, my Spouse, how can I,being so unworthy, presume to hold in my arms God himself, in whose presencetremble the pillars of heaven? (Job 26, 11). How canthis vile wormlet have courage to accept such an exaltedfavor? I am but dust and ashes, but do Thou, Lady,assist me in my lowliness and ask his Majesty to lookupon me with clemency and make me worthy through hisgrace."506. His desire of holding the infant God and hisreverential fear of Him caused in saint Joseph heroicacts of love, of faith, of humility and profoundest reverence. Trembling with discreet fear He fell on hisknees to receive Him from the hands of his most holyMother, while sweetest tears of joy and delight copiouslyflowed from his eyes at a happiness so extraordinary.The divine Infant looked at him caressingly and at thesame time renewed his inmost soul with such divine efficacy as no words will suffice to explain. He broke outin new canticles of praise at seeing himself thus enriched with such magnificent blessings and favors. Afterhaving for some time enjoyed in spiritthe sweetest effects of holding in his arms the Lord, who containsheaven and earth (Is. 40, 12), He replaced Him into thearms of his fortunate Mother, both of them being on

426 CITY OF GODtheir knees in receiving and giving Him. Similar reverence the most prudent Mother observed every timeShe took Him up or relinquished Him, in which alsosaint Joseph imitated Her, as often as it was his happylot to hold the incarnate Word. When they approachedhis Majesty, they also made three genuflections, kissingthe earth and exciting heroic acts of humility, worshipand reverence. Thus both the great Queen and theblessed Joseph observed all propriety in receiving or giving the Child from and to one another.507. When the heavenly Mother judgedit time tonourish Him at her breast, She reverently asked permission of her Son; for although She knew, that She wasto nourish Him as her true and human Child, She nevertheless bore in mind, that He was at the same time thetrue God and Lord and that a great distance intervenedbetween the infinite Being and a mere creature such asShe was. As this consciousness was unfailing in themost prudent Virgin, her reverence remained faultlessand undiminished and permitted not the least forgetfulnessin Her. She was always filled with a comprehensiveinsight and She always reached perfection in all her acts.Therefore She nourished, served and tended her Child,not with an uneasy haste, but with unremitting care, reverence and discretion, causing ever new admiration inthe angels, whose celestial understanding reached notso far as to comprehend such heroic acts of a tenderMaiden. As they were always corporally present duringthe time which She spent at the gates of Bethlehem, theyadministered to Her in all things demanded by the serviceof the infant God and of Her. All these mysteries areso wonderful and admirable, and so worthy of our attention and remembrance, that we cannot deny our negligence in forgetting them, and we cannot acknowledge

THE INCARNATION 427ourselves in ceassufficiently, what harm we are doinging to think of them, nor do we sufficiently understandthe divine effect, which the memory of them produces inthe faithful and grateful children of the Church.508. From what has been revealed to me of the reverence, with which most holy Mary and the glorioussaint Joseph as well as the angelic hosts treated the Incarnate God, I could easily extend my discourse on thesubject. Though I refrain, I yet wish to confess thewant of reverence, with which I have until now audaciously behaved toward God, and how many faults, ofwhich I have been guilty toward Him in this respect,have become known to me. As I said, and will relatefurther on, in order to assist the Queen, all the angelsof her guard remained present in visible forms from thetime of the Birth until the flight of the Child into Egypt.The solicitude of the humble and loving Mother forher divine Infant was so unremitting, that She wouldnot part with Him to place Him in the arms of saintJoseph or into those of the holy princes Michael orGabriel, except on rare occasions when She was obligedto take some nourishment; for these two archangels hadbesought Her, to consign the Child to their care duringmeals or when saint Joseph was at his work. Thus Hewas placed into the hands of the angels, in admirablefulfillment of the words of David : "In their hands theyshall bear Thee up," etc. (Ps. 90, 12). The most watchful Mother would not take any sleep in her solicitude forher most holy Son, except when his Majesty commandedHer to do so. In reward for her diligence He providedfor Her a new and more miraculous kind of sleep thanthat which She had until then enjoyed; for while Sheslept, her heart was awake, continuing or rather not interrupting the divine intelligence and contemplation of

428 CITY OF GODthe Divinity (Cant. 5, 2). But from this day on theLord added still another miracle, namely, during thesleep, which was necessary, She retained in her armsthe power of holding and embracing the Child in thesame way as if She were awake; and She gazed uponHim with the eyes of her intellect, as if She were looking upon Him with her bodily eyes, understandingallthat She herself and her Child did exteriorly in the meanwhile. Thus was miraculously fulfilled, what is said inthe Canticles : "Isleep, but my heart is awake."509. The canticles of praise and exaltation of the Lord,which our celestial Queen composed in honor of theChild, alternately singing them with the holy angels andalso with her spouse Joseph, I cannot express by mylimited terms of speech. Of them alone there would bemuch to write, for they were uninterrupted; but theknowledge of them is reserved for the special enjoymentof the elect. Among all mortals the most faithful Josephwas privileged and blessed in this respect, for in manyof them he himself participated and many of them heunderstood. Beside this he enjoyed another favor, ofsingular benefit and consolation to his soul and procuredfor him by the most prudent Virgin:namely, manytimes, in conversing with him of the Child, She spokeof Him as of "our Son"(Luke 2, 48) ;not that Hewas the natural Son of saint Joseph, since in the supernatural order He was the Son of the eternal Father andin the natural order, the Son of his Virgin Mother;but because in the opinion of men He was reputed to bethe son of Joseph. This favor and privilege was of inestimable value to the saint and caused him immeasurable delight; on this account his heavenly Spouse delighted in using this appellation when conversing abouther Son.

THE INCARNATION 429INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN AND LADY OF HEAVENGAVE ME.510. My daughter, I see thee full of devout emulationof the happiness, which the intercourse with my Son afforded me, my spouse and the holy angels, since we beheld Him present to our bodily eyes as thou desirest forthyself, if it were possible. I wish to console thee andguide thy affections toward that which thou thyself canstand shouldst do according to thy condition in order toattain the same happiness which thou covetest in us. Forthis purpose, beloved, recall what thou hast already sufficiently understood concerning the waysof God in raising up those souls, whom He seeks with paternal loveand affection. Thou hast attained this knowledge by being favored with so many particular calls and enlightenments of the Lord, wherein He continually waits at theportals of thy heart, and urges thee onward expectingthy conversion (Wis. 6, 15). Thou hast seen Him drawing thee to Himself by repeated favors and by mostexalted doctrines, selecting thee for the narrow bandsof his loving intercourse (Coloss. 3, 14) ;and the greatpurity due to this concession.511. Faith likewise teaches thee, that God is presentin all places by his essence and by the power of hisDivinity; and that to Him are open all thy thoughts,thy desires and sighs without exception. If thou cooperate with this truth so as to preserve the graces,which thou receivest through the sacraments and otherchannels divinely instituted, the Lord will remain withthee also by divine and special assistance; and in it Hewill regale thee with his love as his chosen spouse.Nowsince thou knowest and understandest all these truths,tell me, what more canst thou envy or desire, when thou2-29

430 CITY OF GODalready possesses! all that thou so anxiously sighestafter? What I require of thee, and all that remains forthee to do, is, that thou exert thyself in holy emulationto imitate this intercourse and reproduce in thyself thedisposition of the angels, the purity of my husband, andto copy in thyself my life, as far as possible, in order to bea fitdwelling-place of the Most High (I Cor. 3, 17).Thou must direct all those endeavors, all those desiresand exertions, with which thou wouldst have wished thyself to be animated if thou hadst seen and adored mymost holy Son in his birth and infancy, toward the fulfillment of this doctrine; for if thou imitatest me, thoumayest rest secure, that thou hast me as a Teacher andthe Lord for an assured possession of thy soul. In thisassurance thou canst speak to Him, embrace Him anddelight thyself with Him, as with One who is present;for in order to communicate these delights to the pureand untainted souls He has assumed human flesh andbecome a Child. But always look upon Him as the greatin order that thy caresses may beGod, though a Child,guarded by reverence and thy love accompanied by holyfear; for the one is due to Him as God, and the otherbefits his immense bounty and merciful magnificence.512. In this manner of intercourse thou must continuewithout intervals of lukewarmness, lest thou disgust Him.Thy legitimate and chosen occupation should be noneother than the love and the praise of the infinite God.All the rest thou must enter into only sparingly, insucha way as if visible and earthly things scarcely concernedthee and cannot detain thee even for a moment. Thoumust maintain thyself in this soaring height, so that thouseem not to have anything earnestly to attend to, exceptto seek the highest and true God. Me thou shouldstimitate and for God alone thou shouldst live ;all the rest

THE INCARNATION 431should not exist for thee, nor shouldst thou exist for it.But the gifts and blessings, which thou receivest I wishthou dispense and communicate for the good of thy fellowmen,observing the perfect order of holy charity; thusthy gifts will not evaporate, but be still more increased(I Cor. 13, 8). In all this thou must keep the regulations, which befit thy condition and state, as I have alreadyshown and instructed thee in other places at other times.

CHAPTER XIII.THE MOST HOLY MARY IS INFORMED OF THE WILL OF THELORD, THAT HIS ONLYBEGOTTEN SON BE CIRCUMCISED,AND SHE CONFERS ABOUT IT WITH SAINT JOSEPH ITHE MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS IS BROUGHT FROMHEAVEN.513. From the moment the most prudent Virgin foundHerself chosen as the Mother of the divine Word, She began to ponder upon the labors and sufferingsher sweetest Son. As her knowledge of Scripture wasin store forso profound, She understood all the mysteries containedtherein and She began to foresee and prepare with incomparable compassion for all that He was to sufferfor the Redemption of Man. This sorrow, foreseen andexpected with such a full knowledge of details, was aprolonged martyrdom for the most meek Mother of thesacrificial Lamb of God (Jer. 11, 19). But in regardto the Circumcision, which was to take place after thebirth of the Child, the heavenly Lady had received nocommand or intimation of the will of the eternal Father.This uncertainty excited the loving solicitude and sweetplaints of the tender and affectionate Mother. Her prudent foresight enabled Her to conjecture, that, as hermost holy Son had come to honor and confirm his lawby fulfilling it and as He had moreover come in orderto suffer for men, He would be constrained by his 1burninglove and by other motives to undergo the pains of circumcision.514. On the other hand her maternal love and com-432

THE INCARNATION 433passion longed to exempt her sweet Child if possible,from this suffering; moreover She knew, that circumcision was a rite instituted for cleansing the newbornchildren from original sin, whereas the divine Infantwas entirely free from this guilt, not having contractedit in Adam. In this hesitation between love of her divineSon and obedience to the eternal Father, the most prudent Virgin practiced many heroic acts of virtue, unspeakably pleasing to his Majesty. Although She couldhave easily escaped this uncertainty by directly asking theLord what was to be done; yet, being as humble as Shewas prudent, She refrained. Neither would She ask herangels; for with admirable wisdom, She awaited theopportune time and occasion, assigned by divine Providence for all things, and She would not presume curiouslyto search or pry into his decrees by consulting supernatural sources of information, especially in order to ridHerself of any suffering. When any grave and doubtful affair arose, in which there was danger of offendingGod, or some urgent undertaking for the good of creatures, in which it would be necessary to know the divinewill, She first asked permission to submit her petition forenlightenment regarding the divine pleasure.515. This does not conflict with what I said in booksecond, chapter tenth, namely, that the most holy Maryundertook nothing without asking permission and counsel of God, for this consultation concerning the divinepleasure was not coupled with the desire of special revelation. In this as I have said, She was most discreet anddiffident, rarely asking for such extraordinary intervention. Without aspiring to new revelation She was inthe habit of consulting the habitual and supernatural aidof the Holy Ghost, who governed and guided Her in allher actions. In directing Her faculties bythis interior

434 CITY OF GODlight, She perceived the greater perfection and sanctityopen to Her in the affairs and transactions of every-daylife.Although it is true, that the Queen of heavenpossessed special claims and rights to be informed of thewill of God in different ways ; yet, as She was the modelof all sanctity and discretion, She would not avail Herself of this supernatural order and direction, except insuch cases as were appropriate. As for the rest Sheguided Herself by fulfilling to the letter the words ofDavid: "As the eyes of the handmaid are on the handsof her mistress, so are our eyes unto the Lord our God,until He have mercy on us"(Ps. 122, 2). But this natural and ordinary light in the Mistress of the world wasgreater than that of all the mortals together; and in itShe sought the fiat of the divine will.516. The mystery of the Circumcision required aspecial and particular dispensation; it demanded a separate enlightenment of the Lord, and for this the prudent Mother was waiting. In the meanwhile, addressingin these words the law that required it, She said : "Olaw, made for all, thou art just and holy; but thou dostafflict my heart by thy hardness, if thou art to woundHim, who isthy life and thy Author ! That thou shouldstinflict thy sufferings upon those, who must be cleansedof guilt, is just; but that thou shouldst visit with thyseverity the Innocent, who is without fault (Heb. 7, 26),seems the excess of rigor unless his own love concedesthis right to thee. O would that it might please myBeloved to exempt Himself from this punishment! Buthow shall He refuse to undergo it, since He came to seekpain, to embrace the Cross, to fulfill and accomplish thelaw? (Matth. 5, 27). O cruel knife! Would thoucouldst direct thy attacks upon my own life, and notupon the Lord, who gaveit to me! O my Son, sweet

THE INCARNATION 435Love and Light of my soul, is it possible, that Thou sosoon shalt shed thy blood, which is more precious thanheaven and earth? My loving compassion inclines meto hold Thee exempt from the common law, from whichThou art excluded as its Author. But the desire to fulfill iturges me to comply with it, leaving Thee a preyto its rigor, unless Thou, my sweet Life, art willing tochange the decree and punish me instead. The humannature, which Thou hast from Adam, my Lord, I havegiven Thee, but without its fault or guilt; since in thyOmnipotence Thou hast preservedit amongall the restfrom original stain. Since Thou art the Son of theeternal Father and the figure of his substance (Heb. 1,3 ) ,and since thy generation is eternal, Thou art infinitelyremoved from sin. Why then, my Lord, shouldst Thousubject thyself to the remedy provided for sin by thelaw ? Yet am I aware, my Son, that Thou art the Teacherand Redeemer of men and that Thou must confirm thyprecepts by the example: Thou wilt not yield the leastpoint in this matter. O eternal Father, let the knife nowlose its sharpness and the flesh its sensitiveness! Letpain descend rather upon me, insignificant wormlet; letthy Onlybegotten Son fulfill the law, but let me alone feelthe punishment. O inhuman and cruel sin, which so soonprofferest the gall to Him, who cannot be guilty of thee !O sons of Adam, abhor and fear sin, which, for a remedy,demands bloody punishment of the Lord and God himself."517. Such grief the sorrowful Mother mixed with thejoy of seeing the Onlybegotten of the Father born ofHer and resting in her arms, and thus She passed thedays which remained before the Circumcision, beingfaithfully attended by her most chaste spouse Joseph.To him alone She spoke of the Circumcision ; yet only in

436 CITY OF GODfew words and mixed with the tears of compassion ofthem both. Before the eight days after the Birth werecompleted, the most prudent Queen placed Herself onher knees in the presence of the Lord and thus addressedHim: "Highest King, Father of my Lord (Eph. 5, 2),behold here thy slave with the true Sacrifice and Victimin her arms. My sighs and their cause are not unknownto thy wisdom (Ps. 37, 10). I know, my Lord, whataccording to the law isthy pleasure and what should bedone with thy Son. If by suffering much more rigorouspains I can rescue my Son and God, my heart is prepared.But I am likewise ready to see Him submit to circumcision, if that is thy will."518. The Most High answered Her, saying: "MyDaughter and my Dove, do not let thy heart be afflictedbecause thy Son is to be subjected to the knife and tothe pains of circumcision. I have sent Him into theworld as an example, that He put an end to the law ofMoses by entirely fulfilling it (Matth. 5, 17). Thoughitis true that the habitation of his humanity, which thouhast given Him as his natural Mother, isto be violated,and his flesh wounded together with thy soul, yet remember: He is my natural Son by an eternal generation (Ps. 2, 7), the image of my substance (Heb. 1, 3),equal to Me in essence, majesty and glory, and by thussubjecting Himself to the sacramental law freeing fromsin (John 10, 30), without letting man know that Heisexempt therefrom, He suffers also in his honor(II Cor. 2, 21). Thou knowest beforehand, my Daughthat thou must reserve thy Onlybegotten and Mineter,for this and other greater sufferings. Resign thyself,then, to the shedding of his blood and willingly yieldto Me the firstfruits of the eternal salvation of men."519. To this decree of the eternal Father the heavenly

THE INCARNATION 437Lady, as the Co-operatrix of our salvation, conformedHerself with such a plenitude of all sanctity as is farbeyond human understanding. With complete and mostloving obedience She offered up her Onlybegotten, saying: "Supreme Lord and God, I offer to Thee thisVictim and Host of acceptable sacrifice with all myheart, although I am full of compassion and sorrow thatmen have offended thy immense Goodness in such a wayas to force a God to make amends. Eternally shall Ipraise Thee for looking with such infinite love upon thycreatures and for preferring to refuse pardon to thy ownSon rather than hinder the salvation of man (Eph. 5, 2).I, who by thy condescension am his Mother, must beforeall other mortals subject myself to thy pleasure andtherefore I offer to Thee the most meek Lamb, whichis to take away the sins of the world byhis innocence(John 1, 29). But if it is possible to mitigate the painscaused by this knife at the expense of suffering in me,thy arm ismighty to effect this exchange."520. Most holy Mary issued from her prayer and requested saint Joseph to take the necessary steps for theCircumcision of the divine Infant. With rarest prudenceShe avoided telling Him anything of what She had beentold in answer to her prayer. She spoke as if She wishedto consult Him or ask his opinion in regard to the Circumcision, saying that the time vappointed by law for thcCircumcision of the Child had arrived and since theyhad not received any orders to the contrary,it seemednecessary to comply with it.They themselves, She said,were more bound to please the Most High, to obey morepunctually his precepts, and to be more zealous in thelove and care of his most holy Son than all the rest ofcreatures, seeking to fufill in all things the divine pleasurein return for his incomparable favors. To these words

438 CITY OF GODsaint Joseph answered with the greatest modesty anddiscretion, saying, that, as no command to the contraryhad been given concerning the Child he wished in allthings to conform himself to the divine will manifestedin the common law; that, although as God the incarnateWord was not subject to the law, yet He was now clothedwith our humanity, and, as a most perfect Teacher andSavior, no doubt wished to conform with other menin its fulfillment. Then he asked his heavenly Spousehow the Circumcision was to take place.521. The most holy Mary answered, that the Circumcision should be performed substantially in the same wayas it was performed on other children : but that She neednot hand Him over or consign Him to any other person,but that She would herself hold Him in her arms. Andbecause the delicacy and tenderness of the Infant wouldmake this ceremony more painful to Him than to otherchildren, they should have at hand the soothing medicine, which was ordinarily applied at circumcision.Moreover, She requested saint Joseph to procure a crystalor glass vessel for preserving the sacred relic of the Circumcision of the divine Infant. In the meanwhile thecautious Mother prepared some linen cloths to catch thesacred blood, which was now for the first time to be shedbe lostfor our rescue, so that not one drop of itmightor fallupon the ground. After these preparations theheavenly Lady asked saint Joseph to inform the priestand request him to come to the cave where, without thenecessity of bringing the Child to any other place, hemight, as a fit and worthy minister of so hidden and greata sacrament, with his priestly hands perform the rite ofthe Circumcision.522. Then most holy Mary and Joseph took counselconcerning the name to be given to the divine Infant in

THE INCARNATION 439the Circumcision, and the holy spouse said : "My Lady,when the holy angel of the Most High informed me ofthis great sacrament, he also told me that thy mostsacred Son should be called JESUS." The VirginMother answered : "This same name was revealed tome when He assumed flesh in my womb; and thus rethis name from the Most High through the1ceivingmouth of his holy angels, his ministers, it is befittingthat we conform in humble reverence with the hidden andinscrutable judgmentsof his infinite wisdom in conferring it on my Son and Lord, and that we call HimJESUS. This name we will propose to the priest, forinscription in the register of the other circumcisedchildren."523. While the great Mistress of heaven and saintJoseph thus conversed with each other, innumerableangels descended in human forms from on high, clothedin shining white garments, on which were woven redembroideries of wonderful beauty. They had palms intheir hands and crowns upon their heads and emitted agreater splendor than many suns. In comparison withthe beauty of these holy princes all the loveliness seenin this world appeared repulsive. But pre-eminent insplendor were the devices or escutcheons on their breasts,on each of which the sweet name of Jesus was engravedor embossed. The effulgence which each of these escutcheons emitted exceeded that of all the angels together,and the variety of the beauty thus exhibited in this greatmultitude was so rare and exquisite as neither humantongue can express nor human imagination ever compass.The holy angels divided into two choirs in the cave,keeping their gaze fixed upon the King and Lord in thearms of his virginal Mother. The chiefs of theseheavenly cohorts were the two princes, saint Michael

440 CITY OF GODand saint Gabriel, shining in greater splendorthan therest and bearing in their hands, as a special distinction,the most holy name of JESUS, written in larger letterson something like cards of incomparable beauty andsplendor.524. The two princes presented themselves apart fromthe rest before their Queen and said: "Lady,this isthe name of thy Son (Matth. 1, 21), which was writtenin the mind of God from all eternity and which theblessed Trinity has given to thy Onlybegotten Son andour Lord as the signal of salvation for the whole humanrace; establishing Him at the same time on the throneof David. He shall reign upon it, chastise his enemiesand triumph over them, making them his footstool andpassing judgment upon them; He shall raise his friendsto the glory of his right hand. But all this is to happenat the cost of suffering and blood; and even now He isto shed it in receiving this name, since it is that of theof hisSavior and Redeemer; it shall be the beginningsufferings in obedience to the will of his eternal Father.We all are come as ministering spirits of the Most High,appointed and sent by the holy Trinity in order to servethe Onlybegotten of the Father and thy own in all themysteries and sacraments of the law of grace. We areto accompany Him and minister to Him until He shallascend triumphantly to the celestial Jerusalem and openthe portals of heaven; afterwards we shall enjoy anespecial accidental glory beyond that of the other blessed,to whom no such commission has been given."All thiswas witnessed by the most fortunate spouse Joseph conjointly with the Queen of heaven; but his understandingof these happenings was not so deep as hers, for theMother of wisdom understood and comprehended thehighest mysteries of the Redemption. Although saint

THE INCARNATION 441than otherJoseph understood many more mysteriesmortals, yet he did not penetrate them in the same wayas his heavenly Spouse. Both of them, however, werefull of heavenly joy and admiration, and extolled theLord in new canticles of glory. All that they experienced in these various and wonderful events surpasseshuman language, and certainly my own powers, and Icannot find adequate words for expressing my conceptions.INSTRUCTION WHICH MARY, OUR MOST HOLY LADY,GAVE ME.525. My daughter, I wish to renovate in thee theenlightened teaching which thou hast received in orderthat thou mayst treat with thy Spouse in the highestreverence; for humility and reverential fear should increase in the soul in the same measure in which especialand extraordinary favors are conferred it.upon Onaccount of not being mindful of this truth, many soulseither make themselves unworthy or incapable of greatblessings, or, if they receive them, grow into a dangerousrudeness and torpidity, which offends the Lord verymuch. The loving sweetness with which the Lord oftentreats them engenders in them a certain presumption andforwardness, causing them to deal with hisdisrespectfulinfinite Majesty in an irreverent manner, and with a vaindesire of searching and inquiring into those hidden waysof God which are far above their comprehension andcapacity. They fall into this presumption because theyjudge of the familiar intercourse with God according tothe imperfect insight of mortals, presuming to regulateit after the friendly intercourse of human creatures withone another.

442 CITY OF GOD526. But in this way of judging the soul is muchdeceived, measuring the reverence and respect due to theinfinite Majesty by the familiarity and equality causedby the human love of mortals to one another. Therational creatures are by nature equal to each other,although the conditions and circumstances of each maybe different; and the familiarity of human love andfriendship may disregard the accidental differences inyielding to the human feelings. But the love of Godmust ever be mindful of the immeasurable excellence ofthe infinite Being, since its object is as well the infinitegoodness as the infinite majesty of God: for just becausethe goodness and majesty in God are inseparable, therefore also reverence must not be separated from love ofGod in the creature. The light of divine faith mustalways go before, manifesting to the one that loves thegreatness of the Object loved, awakening and fomentingreverential fear, restraining the exuberance of blind affections, and bridling them by the memoryof the excellenceand superiority of the Beloved.527. If the creature is noble-hearted, practiced in andaccustomed to holy and reverential fear, it is not in suchdanger of forgetting the respect due to the Most High,no matter how great the favors it receives; for it doesnot give itself up unguardedly to the spiritual delightsand does not lose, on account of them, the discreet consciousness of the supreme Majesty; but it respects andreverences Him in proportion to the greatness of hisdivine love and enlightenment. With such souls theLord converses as one friend with another (Exod. 33,11). Let it therefore, my daughter, be to thee an inviolable rule that the closer the embraces, and the greaterthe delights with which the Most High visits thee, somuch the more unremitting shall be the consciousness

THE INCARNATION 443of his immutable and infinite Majesty, extolling andHim at one and the same time. In this wiseloving1consciousness thou wilt learn to know and estimate morebecomingly the greatness of his favors. Thou wilt avoidthe dangerous presumption of those who lightly inquireinto the secrets of the Lord at each trivial or even important event, imagining that his most wise Providenceshould pay attention to or regard the vain curiosityexcited by some passion or disorder, or some human andreprehensible affection far removed from holy zeal andlove.528. Take notice of the cautiousness with which Iproceeded in my duties; since, as regards finding gracein the eyes of the Lord, a vast difference always remainsbetween the efforts of other creatures and my own.Nevertheless, though I held in my arms God himself ashis true Mother, I never presumed to ask Him to explainto me anything whatever by extraordinary revelation,it or for the sake ofneither for the sake of knowingridding myself of suffering, nor for any other merelyhuman reason ;for all this would have been human weakness, vain and vicious curiosity, which could find no roomin me. Whenever necessity urgeditupon me for theglory of his Majesty, or some circumstances made itunavoidable, I asked permission to propose my wishes.Although I always found Him most propitious, ready toanswer me with kindness and mercifullyurging me todeclare my wishes, I nevertheless humiliated myself tothe dust and merely asked Him to inform me of what wasmost pleasing and acceptable in his eyes.529. Write this doctrine in thy heart, my daughter,and guard thyself against the disorderly and curiousdesire of searching into or knowing anything above thepowers of the human intellect. For besides the fact that

444 CITY OF GODthe Lord makes no response to such foolish inquiry,because it displeases Him very much, remember that thedemon is the real author of this fault in those who arein pursuit of a spiritual life. As he is ordinarily theauthor of such blameworthy inquiries, astutely promoting them in the soul, he also satisfies its curiosity byanswering them himself at the same time assuming theand thus deceiving theappearance of an angel of lightimperfect and the unwary (II Cor. 12, 14). When suchinquisitiveness arises from one s own natural inclination,one must be equally careful not to follow or attend to it.For in what concerns such high matters as familiar intercourse with the Lord, one s own reason and judgmentisnot a safe guide,itbeing hampered by evil inclinationsand passions. Our depraved and infected nature hasbeen thrown into great disorder by sin, and is subjectto much confusion and excess, making it unfit for guidance and direction in the high things of God. Equallywrong is it for the soul to rely on divine revelations inorder to free itself from suffering and labor; for thespouses of Christ and his true servants must not seekhis favors for the purpose of avoiding the cross, but inorder to seek and bear it with the Lord (Matth. 16, 24),patiently enduring the sufferings which his divine Providence chooses to send. This course of action I desirethee to maintain in humble fear, and rather to go toextremes in this regard so as to avoid so much the morefault. From now on I wish thatsecurely the oppositethou perfect all thy motives and thy undertakings bydivine love (Phil. 1, 9), as being the great end of allthy undertakings. In this thou needst not observe degreeor measure ;on the contrary I wish thee to create in theean excess of love, accompanied by so much of holy fearas will suffice to keep thee from transgressing the law

THE INCARNATION 445of the Most High, and to perform all thy exterior andinterior acts in rectitude. Be careful and diligent therein,even if it cost thee much exertion and pain; for I haveendured the same in the Circumcision of my most holySon, and for no other reason than because in his holylaw this was manifested and intimated to me as the willof the Lord, whom we must in allthings fully obey.3 30

CHAPTER XIV.THE DIVINE INFANT IS CIRCUMCISED AND RECEIVES THENAME JESUS.530. Like other towns of Israel, the city of Bethlehemhad its own synagogue, where the people came togetherto pray (whereforeit was also called the house ofprayer), and to hear the law of Moses. This was readand explained by a priest from the pulpit in a loud voice,in order that the people might understand its precepts.But in these synagogues no sacrifices were offered; thiswas reserved for the temple of Jerusalem, except whenthe Lord commanded otherwise. It was not left to thechoice of the people, in order to avoid the danger ofidolatry, as is mentioned in Deuteronomy (12, 6). Butthe priest, who was the teacher or minister of the law inthose places, was usually also charged with administeringthe circumcision ;not that this was a binding law, for notonly priests but any one could perform the circumcision ;but because the pious mothers firmly believed that theinfants would run less danger in being circumcised bythe hands of a priest. Our great Queen, not on accountof any apprehension of danger, but because of the dignityof the Child, also wished a priest to administer this riteto Him; and therefore She sent her most fortunatespouse to Bethlehem to call the priest of that town.531. The priest came to the gates or cave of theNativity, where the incarnate Word, resting in the armsof his Virgin Mother, awaited him. With the priestcame also two other officials, who were to render such446

THE INCARNATION 447assistance as was customary at the performance of therite. The rudeness of the dwelling at first astonishedand somewhat disconcerted the priest. But the mostprudent Queen spoke to him and welcomed him withsuch modesty and grace that his constraint soon changedinto devotion and into admiration at the composure andnoblest majesty of the Mother; and without knowing thecause he was moved to reverence and esteem for such anunusual personage. When the priest looked upon the faceof Mary and of the Child in her arms he was filled withgreat devotion and tenderness, wondering at the contrastexhibited amid such poverty and in a place so lowly anddespised. And when he proceeded to touch the divineflesh of the Infant, he was renovated by a secret influencewhich sanctified and perfected him; itgave him a newexistence in grace, and raised him up ness very pleasing to the most high Lord.to a state of holi532. In order to show as much exterior reverence forthe sacred rite of circumcision as was possible in thatplace, saint Joseph lighted two wax candles. The priestrequested the Virgin Mother to consign the Child to thearms of the two assistants and withdraw for a littlewhile in order not to be obliged to witness the sacrifice.This command caused some hesitation in the great Lady ;for her humility and spirit of obedience inclined Her towhile on the other hand She was withheldobey the priest,by the love and reverence for her Onlybegotten. Inorder not to fail against either of these virtues, Shehumbly requested to be allowed to remain, saying thatShe desired to be present at the performance of this rite,since She held it in great esteem, and that She wouldhave courage to hold her Son in her arms, as She wishednot to leave Him alone on such an occasion. All thatShe would ask would be that the circumcision be per-

448 CITY OF GODformed with as much tenderness as possible on accountof the delicacy of the Child. The priest promised tofulfill her request, and permitted the Child to be held inthe arms of his Mother for fulfilling the mystery. ThusShe became the sacred altar on which the truths typifiedin the ancient sacrifice became a reality (Heb. 9, 6) ;andShe herself offered up this new morning s sacrifice onher own arms in order that itmight be acceptable to theeternal Father in all particulars.533. The divine Mother then unwound the swaddlingclothesin which her most holy Son was wrapped anddrew from her bosom a towel or linen cloth, which Shehad previously placed there for the purpose of warmingit; for the weather was very cold on that day. Whileholding the Child in her hands She so placed this towelthat the relics and the blood of the Circumcision wouldfall upon The it. priest thereupon proceeded to his dutyand circumcised the Child, the true God and man. Atthe same time the Son of God, with immeasurable love,offered up to the eternal Father three sacrifices of sogreat value that each one would have been sufficient forthe Redemption of a thousand worlds. The first wasthat He, being innocent and the Son of the true God,assumed the condition of a sinner (Phil. 2, 7) by subjecting Himself to a rite instituted as a remedy fororiginal sin, and to a law not binding on Him (II Cor. 5,21). The second was his willingness to suffer the painsof circumcision, which He felt as a true and perfect man.The third was the most ardent love with which He beganto shed his blood for the human race, giving thanks tothe eternal Father for having given Him a human naturecapable of suffering for his exaltation and glory.our Savior the534. This prayerful sacrifice of JESUSFather accepted, and, according to our way of speaking,

THE INCARNATION 449He began to declare Himself satisfied and paid for theThe incarnate Word offeredindebtedness of humanity.these first fruits of his blood as pledges that He wouldgive it all in order to consummate the Redemption andextinguish the debt of the sons of Adam. All these interior acts and movements of the Onlybegotten his mostholy Mother perceived, and in her heavenly wisdom Shepenetrated the mystery of this sacrament, actingas hisMother and in concert with Her Son and Lord in allthat He was doing and suffering. True to his humannature, the divine Infant shed tears as other children.Although the pains caused by the wounding were mostsevere, as well on account of the delicacy of his bodyas on account of the coarseness of the knife, which wasmade of flint, yet his tears were caused not so much bythe sensible pain as by the supernatural sorrow causedby his knowledge of the hard-heartedness of mortals.For this was. more rude and unyielding than the flint,resisting his sweetest love and the divine fire He hadcome to enkindle in the world and in the hearts of thefaithful (Luke 12, 49). Also the tender and affectionateMother wept, like the guileless sheep, which raises itsvoice in unison with the innocent lamb. In reciprocallove and compassion the Child clung to his Mother,while She sweetly caressed Him at her virginal breastand caught the sacred relics and the falling blood in thetowel. These She entrusted to saint Joseph, in orderto tend to the divine Infant and wrap Him once morein the swaddling-clothes. The priest was somewhat surprised at the tears of the Mother; yet, not understandingthe mystery, he conjectured that the beauty of the Childmight well cause such deep and loving sorrow in Herwho had given Him birth.535. In all these proceedings the Queen of heaven was

450 CITY OF GODso prudent, circumspect and magnanimous, that Shecaused admiration in the angelic choirs and highest delight to her Creator. She gave forth the effulgence ofthe divine wisdom, which filled Her, performing each ofher actions as perfectly as if She had that alone to perform. She was unyielding in her desire of holding theChild in her arms during the Circumcision, most carefulin preserving the relics, most compassionate in her affliction and tears, feeling Herself his pains, most loving inher caresses, most diligent in procuring his comfort,fervent in imitating Him in his works, always careful totreat Him with the highest reverence, without ever failing or intermitting her acts of virtue, and without everletting the perfection of one disturb that of the other.Wonderful spectacle exhibited by a Maiden of fifteenyears, and affording even the angels a sort of new lessonand cause of admiration! In the meanwhile the priestasked the parents what name they wished to give to theChild in Circumcision; the great Lady, always attentiveto honor her spouse, asked saint Joseph to mention thename. Saint Joseph turned toward Her in like reverenceand gave Her to understand that He thoughtitproperthis sweet name should first flow from her mouth.Therefore, by divine interference, both Mary and Josephsaid at the same time: "JESUSis his name." Thepriest answered : "The parents are unanimously agreed,and greatis the name which they give to the Child" ;andthereupon he inscribed it in the tablet or register ofnames of the rest of the children. While writingit thepriest felt great interior movements, so that he shedcopious tears; and wondering at what he felt yet notbeing able to account for, he said : "I am convinced thatthis Child is to be a great Prophet of the Lord. Havegreat care in raising Him, and tell me in what I can

THE INCARNATION 451relieve your Most needs." holy Mary and Joseph answered the priest with humble gratitude and dismissedhim after offering him the gift of some candles and otherarticles.536. Being again left alone with the Child, most holyMary and Joseph celebrated anew the mystery of theCircumcision, commenting on the holy name of JESUSamid sweet canticles and tears of joy,the fuller knowlhaveedge of which (as also of other mysteries which Imentioned) is reserved as an additional accidental gloryto the saints in heaven. The most prudent Mother applied to the wound caused by the knife such medicinesas were wont to be used on such occasions for otherchildren, and during the time while the pain and thehealing lasted She would not for a moment part withHim, holding Him in her arms day and night. Thetender love of the heavenly Mother is beyond all comprehension or understanding of man; for her natural lovewas greater than any other mother was capable of, andher supernatural love exceeded that of all the angels andsaints together. Her reverence and worship cannot becompared with that of any other created being. Thesewere the delights of the incarnate Word (Prov. 8, 31),which He desired and longed for among the children ofmen; and this was the recompense, which his lovingheart drew from the exceeding sanctity of the VirginMother for the sorrows occasioned Him by their behavior. Although He pleased Himself in Her aloneabove all the mortals and in Her found full satisfactionof his love, yet the humble Queen sought to alleviatehis bodily pains by all the means within her power.Therefore She besought the holy angels to assist Herand produce sweet harmony for their incarnate God, and

452 CITY OF GODher suffering Child. The ministers of the Most Highobeyed their Queen and Lady and in audible voices theyrehearsed the canticles which She herself had composedof the new and sweet namewith her spouse in praiseof JESUS.537. With this music, so sweet that in comparison to itall human music seemed but irksome discord, the heavenlyLady entertained her most holy Son; and sweeter yetwas the harmony of her heroic virtues, which in her soulformed "choirs as of serried armies/ as the Lord andSpouse himself says in the Canticles. Hard are humanhearts, and more than slow and dull in recognizing andthankfully acknowledging such venerable sacraments, instituted for their eternal salvation by the immense loveof the Creator and Redeemer. O sweetest Good of mysoul and of my life! What wicked return do we makefor the exquisite artifices of thy eternal love! O measureless charity, which is not extinguished by the overwhelming waters of our gross and faithless ingratitude!Truly the essential Bounty and Holiness could not go toa greater length of condescension for love of us, norexercise more exquisite love than to assume the form ofa sinner (Phil. 2, 7), drawing upon his own innocencethe punishment of the sin, which otherwise could neverapproach Him. If men despise such an example andforget such a benefit, how can they be said to retain theuse of their reason? How can they presume upon andglory in their wisdom, prudence or judgment? It wouldbe prudence, ungrateful man, if thou wouldst afflict thyself and weep over thy notorious dullness and darknessof mind in not being moved by such great works of thyGod ;since not even the divine love can melt the icinessof thy heart.

THE INCARNATION 453INSTRUCTION WHICH OUR MOST HOLY QUEEN MARYGAVE ME.538. My daughter, I wish thee to consider attentivelythe blessed favor conferred upon thee by being informedof the solicitous care and attention which I lavished uponmy most holy and sweetest Son in the mysteries justnow described. The Most High does not give thee thisspecial light in order only to be regaled by the knowledgeof these mysteries ; but in order to imitate me in all thesethings as a faithful handmaid and in order to distinguishthyself in rendering thanks for his works in the samemeasure as thou art distinguished in knowing them morefully. Ponder, then, dearest, upon the small return givenfor the love of my Son and Lord by mortals, and howforgetful of thanks even his faithful continue to be.Assume it as thy task, as far as thy weak powers allow,to render satisfaction for this grievous offense: lovingHim, thanking Him and serving Him with all thy powers,for all the other men who fail to do so. Therefore thoumust be an angel in promptitude, most fervent andpunctual on all occasions; thou must die to all earthlythings, eliminating and crushingall human inclinationsand rising upon the wings of love to the heights of lovedesigned for thee by the Lord.539. Thou art not ignorant of the sweet efficacy contained in the memory of the works performed by mymost holy Son : and although thou canst so copiouslyavail thyself of the light given thee to be thankful :yet,fear so much the more thein order that thou mayestdanger of forgetfulness, I particularly inform thee thatthe saints in heaven, comprehending by the divine lightthese mysteries, are astonished at themselves for nothaving paid more attention to them during their life.

454 CITY OF GODAnd ifthey were capable of pain, they would be deeplygrieved for their tardiness and carelessness in not havingset proper value upon the works for the Redemption, andfor failing in the imitation of Christ. All the angelsand saints, by an insight hidden to mortals, wonder atthe cruelty of human hearts against themselves andagainst Christ their Redeemer. Men have compassionneither for the sufferings of the Lord, nor for the sufferWhenings they themselves stand in danger of incurring.the foreknown, in unending bitterness shall recognizetheir dreadful forgetfulness and their indifference to theworks of Christ their Savior, their confusion and despairwill be an intolerable punishment, and it alone will bea chastisement beyond all imagination for ; they will thensee the copiousness of the Redemption, which they havedespised ( Ps. 44, 11). Hear me, my daughter, and bendthy ears to these counsels and doctrines of eternal life.Cast out from thy faculties every image and affectiontoward human creatures and turn all the powers of thyheart and soul toward the mysteries and blessings of theRedemption. Occupy thyself wholly with them, ponderand weigh them, give thanks for them as if thou alonewert in existence, as if they had been wrought solely forthee, and singly for each human being in particular(Gal. 2, 20). Thus thou wilt find life and the way oflife, proceeding thus thou canst not err; but thou shaltfind therein the light of thy eyes and true peace.

CHAPTER XV.THE MOST HOLY MARY REMAINS IN THE PORTAL OF THENATIVITY UNTIL THE COMING OF THE MAGI KINGS.540. By the infused knowledge of holy Scriptures andher high supernatural enlightenment, our great Queenknew that the Magi Kings of the Orient would come toacknowledge and adore her most holy Son as their trueGod. She was aware of it also more particularly because an angel had been sent to them to announce thebirth of the incarnate Word, as mentioned in chaptersecond (No. 492), and the Virgin Mother was notignorant of this message. Saint Joseph had no foreknowledge of these mysteries because;they had not beenrevealed to him, nor had his most prudent Spouse informed him of this secret. In all things She was mostwise and discreet, awaiting the sweet and timely dispositions of the divine Providence (Wis. 8, 1). After theCircumcision, the holy spouse suggested to the Mistressof heaven that they leave their poor and forsaken habitation on account of the insufficient shelter which itafforded the divine Infant and to Her for it would now;be possible to find a lodging in Bethlehem, where theycould remain until after presenting the Child in thetemple of Jerusalem. This proposal of the most faithfulspouse arose from his solicitude and anxiety lest the Childand the Mother should want even that comfort andconvenience which it was possible for their poverty toprocure but he left it all to the;disposition of his heavenlySpouse.455

456 CITY OF GOD541. Without revealing the mystery, the humble Queenanswered: "My spouse and master, I resign myself tothy will, and wherever thou wishest to goI will followwith great pleasure: arrangeit as thou pleasest."Theheavenly Lady had an affection for the cave on accountof its humbleness and poverty, and because the incarnateWord had consecrated itby the mysteries of his Nativityand Circumcision, and was to hallow itby the mysteryof the Magi s visit, although She did not know at whattime that would happen. This was a most pious affection, full of devotion and reverence ; yet She preferred togive an example of the highest perfection in all things.She considered it more important to resign and submitto saint Joseph, letting her spouse decide what was to bedone. While they were thus conferring with each other,the Lord himself informed them through the two celestial princes Michael and Gabriel, who were attending incorporeal forms to the service of their Lord and Godand of their great Queen. They spoke to Mary andJoseph, saying:"Divine Providence has ordained thatthree kings of the earth, coming from the Orient insearch of the King of heaven, should adore the divineWord in this very place (Ps. 71, 6). They are alreadyten days on the way for at the hour of the birth of Jesus;they were informed of it, and they immediately set outon their journey. Therefore they will shortly arrive,fulfilling all that the Prophets had from very ancienttimes foreknown and foretold."542. By this announcement saint Joseph was instructedon his part concerning the will of the Lord, and Maryhis most holy Spouse said to him:"My master, thisplace, chosen by the Most High for such magnificentmysteries, although it is poor and ill-furnished in theeyes of the world, in the sight of eternal Wisdom is

THE INCARNATION 457rich, precious, the most estimable and preferable on thisearth, since the Lord of heaven is satisfied with it andhas consecrated itby his presence. He who is the trueland of promisecan favor us with his vision in thisplace. And if it is his pleasure, He will afford us someprotection and shelter against the inclemencies of theweather during the few days in which we are to stayhere." Saint Joseph was much consoled and encouraged by these words of the most prudent Queen. Heanswered Her, that, since the divine Child was to fulfillthe law, which required Him to be presented in thetemple, just as He had subjected Himself to the law ofCircumcision, they could remain in this sacred place untilthat day should arrive, without first undertaking the distant and wearisome journey to Nazareth during the inclement weather. If, perhaps, the severity of the seasonwould compel them to seek shelter in the city, they couldeasily do so; since from Bethlehem to Jerusalem therewas only a distance of two hours.543. In all these matters the most holy Mary conformed Herself to the will of her watchful spouse; forShe knew his solicitude for the sacred tabernacle whichwas confided to his care, and which was more holy andAwaitvenerable than the Holy of Holies in the temple.ing the time when her Onlybegotten should be presentedin the temple, She was unremitting in her care of Him,lest She forget anything necessary to protect Himagainst the cold and the roughness of the weather. Shealso prepared the cave for the arrival of the Kings,cleaning it once more and arrangingit anew as far asthe rudeness and destitution of the place allowed. Buther greatest attention and care was always reserved forthe Child itself, bearing It in her arms continually unlessabsolute necessity demanded otherwise. Besides all this

458 CITY OF GODShe made use of her power as Queen of all creationwhenever the rigors of winter rose to excess; for Shecommanded the frost and the winds, the snow and theice not to incommode their Creator, and to spend theirelemental fury and asperity upon her person alone. Theheavenly Queen gave her commands as follows : "Restrain your wrath before your Creator, Author, Lordand Preserver, who has called you into existence andgiven you strength and activity. Be mindful, creaturesof my Beloved, that you are furnished with rigor onaccount of sin for the chastisement of the disobedienceof the first Adam and his progeny. But with the secondAdam, who comes to repair this fall and cannot haveany part therein, you must be courteous, reverencing andnot offending Him, to whom you owe worship and subjection. And therefore I command you in his name tocause no inconvenience or displeasure to Him."544. It isworthynotice the readyof our admiration and imitation toobedience of the irrationalcreatures tothe divine will, intimated to them by the Mother of God :for upon her command, the snow and rain approachedno nearer than ten yards, the winds stopped short andthe surrounding air retained a mild temperature. Tothis miracle was added another one : at the same time inwhich the divine Infant in her arms received this homageof the elements and was protected from their asperity,the Virgin Mother felt and suffered the cold and inclemency of the weather as if it were exertingall itsnatural influences in that place. In this they obeyed theLoving Mother and sovereign Mistress of creatures tothe letter, as She wished not to exempt Herself fromtheir asperity while She prevented her tender Child andher God from suffering under it. Saint Joseph enjoyedthe same privilege as the sweet Infant; he noticed the

THE INCARNATION 459favorable change of the temperature, without knowingthat it was due to the commands of his heavenly Spouseand- an effect of her power; for She had not manifestedto him this privilege, because She had no command tothat effect from the Most High.545. As to the order and manner in which the greatQueen nourished her Child JESUS,it is to be remarkedthat She offered Him her virginal milk three times a day,and always with such reverence that She asked his permission beforehand and his pardon for the indignity,considering Herself and acknowledging Herself unworthy of such a privilege. Many times, while holdingHim in her arms, She was on her knees adoring Him;and if at any time it was necessary to seat Herself Shealways asked his permission. With the same tokens ofreverence She handed Him to saint Joseph and receivedHim from his arms, as I have said above. Many timesShe kissed his feet, and when She wished to kiss hisface She interiorly asked his benevolent consent. Thesweetest Child returned these caresses of his Mother notonly by the expression of pleasure in his countenance,which was at the same time full of majesty, but alsoby other actions usual in children. In Him, however,they were accompanied by a serene deliberation. Themost ordinary token of his love was to recline sweetlyupon the breast of the most pure Mother, or upon hershoulder, encirclingher neck with his divine arms.These caresses the Empress Mary met with so muchattention and discretion that She neither petulantly soughtthem as other mothers, nor too timidly withdrew fromthem. In all these things She behaved most perfectlyand prudently, without defect or excess of any kind the:more openly and affectionately her most holy Son manifested his love toward Her, so much the more deeply did

460 CITY OF GODShe humiliate Herself, and so much the greater was herreverence; in the same manner She gaged also thetokens of her affection and lent new glory to her magnanimity.546. There was an interchange of caresses of anotheikind between the Infant and his Mother: for besidesunderstanding by divine enlightenment all the interioracts of the most holy soul of her Onlybegotten, as I havealready stated (481, 534), it often happened that, holding Him in her arms, She was privileged to see throughhis humanity as through a crystal casement, thus perceiving the hypostatic union of the Son of God with hishuman nature, and witnessing the activity of his soul ininterceding with the eternal Father for the human race.These operations and intercessions the heavenly Ladyfaithfully imitated, being entirely absorbed and transformed in her divine Son. His Majesty on his partlooked upon Her with new accidental joy and delight,regaling Himself in the purity of this Creature, rejoicingthat He had created Her, and that his becoming man hadresulted in such a living image of his Divinity andhumanity. In regard to this mystery the words of thesoldiers of Holofernes when they beheld the beauty ofJudith in the camp of Bethulia, occurred to me : "Whocan despise the people of the Hebrews, who have suchbeautiful women? Shall we not think it worth ourwhile for their sakes to fight againstthem?" This saying seemed to be mysteriously realized in the incarnateWord, since He, with greater cause, could address themto his eternal Father and to all the rest of the creatures :"Who shall fail to see, that my coming from heaven andassuming flesh is fully justified, since by coming upon theearth and dethroning the demon, the world and the flesh,and by conquering and vanquishing them, such a Woman

THE INCARNATION 461is called into existence as is my Mother among the children of Adam ?" O sweetest love, essence of my virtue,life of my soul, most loving Jesus, behold and see thatmost holy Mary by Herself possesses such immensebeauty as exceeds that of all the human race! She isthe only and chosen One (Cant. 6, 8), so perfectly pleasing to Thee, my Lord and my God, that She not onlyequals but far surpasses allthe rest of thy people; andthat She alone compensates God for all the wickednessof the race of Adam.547. So powerful were the effects of this delightfulintercourse with her Son and true God, that She wasmore and more spiritualized and made Godlike. Manytimes in these flights of her soul the force of her burninglove would have torn asunder the ligaments of her members and destroyed the union of her soul and body,ifShe had not been miraculously comforted and preserved.She spoke to her most holy Son secret words so exaltedand full of weight that they cannot come within therange of our expression. All that I can reproduce cannever be anything more than a mere shadow of thatwhich was manifested to me. She said to Him: "Omy Love, sweet Life of my soul, who art Thou, andwho am I? What dost Thou wish to make of me bythus becoming man of man, lowering thy greatness andmagnificence in favor of such useless dust? O whatshall thy slave do to pay the debt of love which she owesto Thee ? What return shall I make for the great thingswhich thou hast done to me (Ps. 115, 12)?My being,my life, my faculties, my feelings, my desires and longings, all is for Thee. Comfort thy servant and thyMother, in order that She may not fail in thy serviceat the sight of her own insignificance, and in order thatshe may not die for love of Thee. O how limited is2-81

462 CITY OF GODthe power of man! How circumscribed his capacity!How insufficient is human affection, as it cannot sufficiently render a just return for thylove! But the victory of mercy and magnificence must always be thine,and to Thee belong the triumphal songs of love; whilewe must on the contrary always consider ourselves overcome and vanquished by thy power. Let us be humiliated and let us grovel in the dust, while thy greatness ismagnified and exalted in all the eternities." The heavenly Lady, partaking of the science of her most holy Son,sometimes beheld the souls which in the course of thenew law of grace were to distinguish themselves in divinelove, the works which they were to perform, the martyrdom which they were to suffer in imitation of the Lord;in this knowledge She became so inflamed with love thather longings of love caused in Her a greater martyrdomthe saints. To herthan those actually suffered byhappened what the Spouse in the Canticles mentions(Cant. 8, 6), that the emulations of love are strong asdeath and hard as hell. To these agonies of the lovingMother, caused by the mortal wounds of divine affection,her most holy Son answered in the words there used :"Place Me as a sign or seal in thy heart and upon thyin Her at the same time the full underarm," causingstandingof these words as well as their actual fulfillment. By this divine suffering most holy Mary was aMartyr above all other martyrs. Among such beds oflilies the meekest Lamb, Jesus, wandered, while the dayof grace began to break and the shades of the ancientLaw receded.548. The divine Qr ld ate nothing during the time inwhich He was nourished at the virginal breast of hismost holy Mother, for this milk was his only sustenance.This was most sweet and substantial, since itoriginated

THE INCARNATION 463in a body so pure, perfect and refined, and one built upin exquisite harmony without any disorder or inequality.No other body was equal to it in healthfulness ;and thesacred milk, even if it would have been preserved a longtime, would have remained free from corruption; by anespecial privilege it never changed or soured, though themilk of other women immediately degenerates and becomes corrupt, as experience teaches.549. The most fortunate Joseph not only witnessedthe favors and caresses which passed between the Childand its Mother; but he himself shared in others, whichJesus deigned to confer upon him. Many times hisheavenly Spouse placed him in his arms. This happened whenever She had to do some work during whichShe could not hold Him herself; as for instance, whenShe prepared the meals, or arranged the clothes of theInfant or cleaned the house. On these occasions saintJoseph held Him in his arms and he always felt divineeffects in his soul. The Child Jesus showed exteriorsigns of affection by his pleased looks, by reclining uponhis breast, and by other tokens of affection usual withchildren in regard to their fathers, but in Him thesetokens were always tempered with kingly majesty. Yetall this was not so frequent in his dealings with saintJoseph, nor with such endearment, as with his true VirginMother. Whenever She left Jesus in his care, Shereceived from saint Joseph the relic of the Circumcision,which the latter ordinarily bore about with him forhis consolation. Thus both the two Spouses were continually enriched She by holding her most holy Son,:he by his sacred blood and deified flesh. They preserved it in a crystal vase, which saint Joseph had purchased with the money sent to them by saint Elisabeth. In this they had enclosed the particle of flesh and

464 CITY OF GODthe sacred blood shed at the Circumcision, which hadbeen caught up in pieces of linen. The opening of thevase was encased in silver, which the mighty Queen, inorder to preserve the sacred relics more securely, hadsealed by her mere command. Thus the silver openingwas more firmly sealed than if it had been soldered bythe artisan, who had made the vessel. In this vase theprudent Mother treasured the relics during her wholelife and afterwards She entrusted it to the Apostles,leaving it as an inheritance to the holy Church. In thisimmense sea of mysteries I find myself so annihilatedand dumbfounded by my ignorance as a woman, and sonarrowed in my powers of expression, that I must leavemuch of it to be fathomed by the faith and piety of theChristians.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE MOST HOLY QUEEN MARYGAVE ME.550. My daughter, in the foregoing chapter, thou hastbeen instructed not to seek information from the Lordby supernatural means, neither in order to relieve anysuffering, nor in order to satisfy a natural hankering ofcuriosity. Now I exhort thee likewise not to yield, forany of these reasons, to the desire of performing anyexterior action according to the promptings of nature.For in all the activity of thy exterior faculties and sensesthou must seek to moderate and subject thy inclinations,not yielding to them in their demands, although they mayhave the color of virtue or piety.I was in no dangerof going to excess in these affections on account of mysinlessness; nor was there a want of piety in my desireof remaining in the cave, where my most holy Son hadbeen born and had been circumcised. Yet I did not wish

THE INCARNATION 465to express my desire, even when asked about itby myspouse; for I preferred obedience to this pious inclination, and I knew that it is more secure for the souls andmore according to the pleasure of the Lord to seek hiswill in the counsel and decision coming from other,rather than in their own inclination. In me this courseof action was advisable only on account of the greaterperfection contained therein, but in thee and in othersouls, who are subject to error in their judgment, thisrule must be observed most rigorously, so as to preventand avoid mistakes diligently and discreetly. For intheir ignorance and pusillanimity men are easily carriedaway by their feelings and inclinations toward insignificant things, and very often they occupy themselves withtrifles as if they were important matters, and with vanities, as if they were realities. All such activity weakensthe soul and deprivesit of great spiritual blessings, ofgrace, enlightenment and merit.551. This doctrine shalt thou write in thy heart together with all the others which I am to give thee. Seekto use it as a reminder of all that I did, so that as thouhast come to know it thou mayest also understand andexecute it in thy life. Take notice of the reverence, loveand solicitude, the holy and discreet fear, with which Iconversed with my most holy Son. I always lived inthis kind of watchfulness ;and even after I had conceivedHim in my womb, I never lost it out of sight, nor didthe grât love which He showed me dimmish it in me.In this ardent desire to please Him my heart found norest until it was entirely united and absorbed in the enjoyment of this my highest Good and ultimate End.Excepting at certain times, during which I rested inhis love as in my sole joy, I invariably carried about withme this continual solicitude, like one who restlessly pur-

466 CITY OF GODsues his way, and who permits himself not to be delayedby anything that is useless or hinders the attainment ofhis desired object. So far was my heart from attachingitself to any earthly thing, or from following the inclination of the senses, that I lived as if I had not beencomposed of earthly substance. If other creatures arenot free from passions, or do not overcome them as muchas possible, let them not blame nature, but their own will :on the contrary, they justly incur the reproaches of weaknature; because, instead of governing and directingnature by the sovereign power of the will, they make nouse of that power. They allow the natural inclinations toinvolve them in disorders, abetting it by the free will andusing their understanding to find still more dangerousoccupations and occasions of ruin. On account of thesepitfalls presenting themselves in mortal life, I warn thee,my dearest, not to hanker after or seek any of the visiblethings, although they may appear to thee necessary andmost appropriate for the circumstances. Use all things,thy cell, thy garments, thy sustenance, and whatever elseof this life, only in obedience and with the full consentof thy superiors because the;Lord requires this of thee ;and it is also my pleasure to see thee apply all thingsfor the service of the Omnipotent. According to thesegreat rules which I have given thee thou must regulateall thy activity.

CHAPTER XVI.THE THREE KINGS OF THE ORIENT COME TO ADORE THEWORD MADE MAN IN BETHLEHEM.552. The three Magi Kings, who came to find thedivine Infant after his birth, were natives of Persia,Arabia and Sabba (Ps. 71, 10), countries to the eastof Palestine. Their coming was prophesied especiallyby David, and before him, by Balaam, who, having beenhired by Balaac, king of the Moabites, to curse the Israelites, blessed them instead (Numb. 24, 17). In thisblessing Balaam said, that he would see the King Christ,although not at once, and that he would behold Him,although not present; for he did not see Him with hisown eyes, but through the Magi, his descendants manycenturies after. He said, also, that a star would ariseunto Jacob, which was Christ, who arose to reign forever in the house of Jacob (Luke 1, 32).553. These three Kings were well versed in the naturalsciences, and well read in the Scriptures of the people ofGod; and on account of their learning they were calledMagi. By their knowledge of Scripture, and by conferring with some of the Jews, they were imbued witha belief in the coming of the Messias expected by thatpeople. They were, moreover, upright men, truthfuland very just in the government of their countries.Since their dominions were not so extended as those ofour times, they governed them easily, and personallyadministered justice as wise and prudent sovereigns.This is the true office of kings, and therefore the Holy467

468 CITY OF GODGhost says, that He holds their hearts in his hands inorder to direct them like irrigated waters to the fulfillment of his holy will (Prov. 21, 1). They were also ofnoble and magnanimous disposition, free from avariceand covetousness, which so oppresses, degrades and belittles the spirits of princes. Because these Magi governed adjoining countries and lived not far from eachother, they were mutual friends and shared with eachother the virtues and the knowledge which they had acquired, consulting each other in the more importantevents of their reigns. In all things they communicatedwith each other as most faithful friends.554. I have already mentioned in the eleventh chapter(No. 492) that in the same night in which the incarnateWord was born, they were informed of his Birth by theministry of the holy angels. It happened in the following manner: one of the guardian angels of our Queen,of a higher order than that of the guardian angels of thethree kings, was sent from the cave of the Nativity. Byhis superior faculties he enlightened the three guardianangels of the Kings informing them at the same time ofthe will and command of the Lord, that each of themshould manifest to his charge the mystery of the Incarnation and of the birth of Christ our Redeemer. Immediately and in the same hour each of the three angelsspoke in dreams to the wise man under his care. Thisthe usual course of angelic revelations when the LordThis eniscommunicates with souls through the angels.lightenment of the Kings concerning the mysteries of theIncarnation was very copious and clear. They were informed that the King of the Jews was born as true Godand man ;that He was the Messias and Savior who wasexpected that it was the One who was; promised in theScriptures and prophecies (Gen. 3, 10) ;and that they

THE INCARNATION 469themselves, the three Kings, were singled out by the Lordto seek the star, which Balaam had foretold. Each oneof the three Kings also was made aware that the samerevelation was being made to the other two in the sameway ;and that it was not a favor or miracle which shouldremain unused, but that they were expected to co-operatewith the divine light and execute what itpointed out.They were inspired and inflamed with a great love andwith a desire to know the God made man, to adore Himas their Creator and Redeemer, and serve Him with mostperfect devotion. In all this they were greatly assistedby their distinguished moral virtues, which they had acquired; for on account of them they were excellentlydisposed for the operation of the divine enlightenment.555. After receiving these heavenly revelations intheir sleep, the three Kings awoke at the same hour ofthe night, and prostrating themselves on the groundand humiliating themselves to the dust, they adored inspirit the immutable being of God. They exalted hisinfinite mercy and goodness for having sent the divineWord to assume flesh of a Virgin (Is. 7, 14) in orderto redeem the world and give eternal salvation to men.Then all three of them, governed by an impulse of thesame Spirit,resolved to depart without delay for Judeain search of the divine Child in order to adore Him.The three Kings prepared gifts of gold, incense andmyrrh in equal quantities, being guided by the same mysterious impulse and without;having conferred with eachother concerning their undertaking, the three of themarrived at the same resolve and the same plan of executing it. In order to set out immediately, they procuredon the same day the necessary camels and provisionstogether with a number of servants for the journey.Without heeding the commotion caused among their peo-

470 CITY OF GODpie,or 1consideringthat they were to travel in foreignregions, or caring for any outward show of authority,without ascertaining particulars of the place whither theywere to go, or gathering information for identifying theChild, they at once resolved with fervent zeal and ardentlove to depart in order to seek the newborn King.556. At the same time the holy angel, who had broughtthe news from Bethlehem to the kings, formed of thematerial air a most resplendent star, although not so largeas those of the firmament ;for it was not to ascend higherthan was necessary for the purpose of its formation. Ittook its course through the atmospheric regions in orderto guide and direct the holy Kings to the cave, where theChild awaited them. Its splendor was of a differentkind from that of the sun and the other stars; with itsmost beautiful light it illumined the night like a brillianttorch, and itmingled its own most active brilliancy withthat of the sun by day. On coming out of their palaceseach one of the kings saw this new star (Matth. 2, 2)although each from a different standpoint, because it wasonly one star and it was placed in such distance andheight that it could be seen by each one at the same time.As the three of them followed the guidance of thismiraculous star, they soon met. Thereuponit immediately approached them much more closely, descendingthrough many shifts of the aerial space and rejoicingthem by shedding its refulgence over them at closerrange. They began to confer among themselves aboutthe revelation they had received and about their plans,finding that they were identical. They were more andmore inflamed with devotion and with the pious desireof adoring the newborn God, and broke out in praise andadmiration at the inscrutable works and mysteries of theAlmighty.

THE INCARNATION 471557. The Magi pursued their journey under the guidance of the star without losing sight of it until theyarrived at Jerusalem. As well on this account as alsobecause this city was the capital and metropolis of theJews, they suspected that this was the birthplaceof theirlegitimate and true King. They entered into the cityand openly inquired after Him, saying (Matth. 2, 8) :Where is the king of the Jews, who is born? For wehave seen his star in the East, announcing to us hisBirth and we have come to see Him and adore Him.Their inquiry came to the ears of Herod, who at thattime unjustly reigned in Judea and lived in Jerusalem.The wicked king, panic-stricken at the thought that amore legitimate claimant to the throne should have beenborn, felt much disturbed and outraged by this report.With him the whole city was aroused, some of the people, out of flattery to the king, others on account of thefear of disturbance. Immediately, as saint Matthewrelates, Herod called together a meeting of the principalpriests and scribes in order to ask them where Christ wasto be born according to the prophecies and holy Scriptures. They answered that, according to the words ofone of the Prophets, Micheas (Mich. 5, 2), He was tobe born in Bethlehem; since it was written by him thatthence the Ruler of Israel was to arise.558. Thus informed of the birthplace of the new Kingof Israel, and insidiously plotting from that very momentto destroy Him, Herod dismissed the priests. Then hesecretly called the Magi in order to learn of them at whattime they had seen the star as harbingerof his Birth(Matth. 2, 7). They ingenuously informed him, andhe sent them away to Bethlehem, saying to them in covertmalice : "Go and inquire after the Infant, and when youhave found Him, announce it to me, in order that I, too,

472 CITY OF GODmay go to recognize and adore Him." The Magi departed, leaving the hypocritical kingill at ease and ingreat consternation at such indisputable signs of the coming of the legitimate King of Israel into the world. Although he could have eased his mind in regard to hissovereignty by the thought that a recently born infantcould not be enthroned so very soon, yet human prosperity is so unstable and deceitful that it can be overthrown even by an infant, or by the mere threat of faroffdanger. Thus can even an imagined uncertaintydestroy all the enjoyment and happiness so deceitfullyoffered to its possessors.559. On leaving Jerusalem the Magi again found thestar, which at their entrance they had lost from view.By its light they were conducted to Bethlehem and to thecave of the Nativity. Diminishing in size it hoveredover the head of the infant Jesus and bathed Him in itslight; whereupon the matter of which it had been composed dissolved and disappeared. Our great Queen hadalready been prepared by the Lord for the coming of theKings, and when She understood that they were approaching the cave, She requested saint Joseph not toleave it, but to stay at her side. This he did, althoughthe sacred text does not mention it. Like many otherthings passed over in the Gospels,this was not necessary for establishing the truth of the mystery. Nevertheless it is certain that saint Joseph was present whenthe Kings adored the infant Jesus. The precaution ofsending him away was not necessary ;for the Magi hadalready been instructed that the Mother of the Newbornwas a Virgin, and that He was the true God and not ason of saint Joseph. Nor would God have permittedthem to be led to the cave ignorant of such an importantcircumstance as his origin, allowing them to adore the

THE INCARNATION 473Child as the son of Joseph and of a Mother not a Virgin.They were fully instructed as to all these things, andthey were deeply impressed by the sacramental characterof all these exalted and complicated mysteries.560. The heavenly Mother awaited the pious and devout kings, standing with the Child in her arms. Amidthe humble and poor surroundings of the cave, in incomparable modesty and beauty, she exhibited at the sametime a majesty more than human, the light of heavenshiningin her countenance. Still more visible was thislight in the Child, shedding through the cavern effulgentsplendor, which made it like a heaven. The three kingsof the East entered and at the first sight of the Son andMother they were for a considerable space of time overwhelmed with wonder. They prostrated themselves uponthe earth, and in this position they worshiped and adoredthe Infant, acknowledging Him as the true God andman, and as the Savior of the human race. By thedivine power, which the sight of Him and his presenceexerted in their souls, they were filled with new enlightenment. They perceived the multitude of angelic spirits,who as servants and ministers of the King of kings andLord of lords attended upon Him in reverential fear(Heb. 1, 4). Arising, they congratulated their and ourQueen as Mother of the Son of the eternal Father; andthey approached to reverence Her on their knees. Theysought her hand in order to kiss it, as they were accustomed to do to their queens in their countries. But themost prudent Lady withdrew her hand, and offered instead that of the Redeemer of the world, saying: "Myspirit rejoices in the Lord and my soul blesses and extolsHim; because amongall the nations He has called andselected you to look upon and behold that which manykings and prophets have in vain desired to see, namely,

474 CITY OF GODHim who is the eternal Word incarnate (Luke 10, 24).Let us extol and praise his name on account of the sacraments and mysteries wrought among his people; let uskiss the earth which He sanctifies by his real presence."561. At these words of most holy Mary the threekings humiliated themselves anew, adoring the infantJesus ; they acknowledged the great blessings of living inthe time when the Sun of justice was arising in order toillumine the darkness (Malachy 4, 2). Thereupon theyspoke to saint Joseph, congratulating him and extollinghis good fortune in being chosen as the spouse of theMother of God; and they expressed wonder and compassion at the great poverty, beneath which were hiddenthe greatest mysteries of heaven and earth. In this intercourse they consumed three hours, and then the kingsasked permission of most holy Mary to go to the city inorder to seek a lodging, as they could find no room forthemselves in the cave. Some people had accompaniedthem; but the Magi alone participated in the light andthe grace of this visit. The others took notice merely ofwhat passed exteriorly, and witnessed only the destituteand neglected condition of the Mother and her husband.Though wondering at the strange event, they perceivednothing of its mystery. The Magi took leave and departed, while most holy Mary and Joseph, being againalone with their Child, glorified his Majesty with newto besongs of praise, because his name was beginningknown and adored among the Gentiles (Ps. 85, 9).What else the three wise men did will be related in thefollowing chapter.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN GAVE ME.562. My daughter, the events recorded in this chaptercontain much for the instruction of kings and princes

THE INCARNATION 475and for the other faithful; as for instance, the promptobedience and humility of the Magi, which men shouldimitate, and the obdurate wickedness of Herod, whichthey are to fear and abhor; for each reaped the fruit ofhis actions. The kings reaped the fruit of justice andother virtues, which they practiced; while Herod reapedthose of ambition and pride by which he had usurped thegovernment, and of other vices into which he cast himself without restriction or moderation. But let this remark, together with the other teachings of the holychurch, suffice for those that live in the world. To thyself must thou apply the doctrine contained in what thouhast written ; always remembering that all the perfectionof a Christian life must be founded upon the Catholictruths, and in the constant and firm acknowledgment ofthem, as they are taught by holy faith. In order to impress them upon thy heart, thou must profit of all thatthou readest or hearest of the divine Writings, and ofwhat is contained in the other devout and instructivebooks concerning the virtues.faith thou must acThycompany by the practice and abundance of all good works,hoping ever in the visitation and coming of the MostHigh (Tit. 2, 13).563. By such a disposition thy soul will be preparedin the manner I require of thee. For I desire that theAlmighty find in thee the sweet readiness to adopt whatever is manifested to thee, and to put in practice whatever may be enjoined without any human respect. Ipromise, that if thou follow my counsel as thou shouldst,I will be thy star and guide on the ways of the Lord, sothat thou wilt quickly arrive at the vision and enjoymentof thy God and of thy highest good in Sion (Ps. 83, 8).In this doctrine, and in what happened to the devoutkings of the Orient, there is contained a most effective

476 CITY OF GODmeans for the salvation of souls ;yetthis is known to fewand heeded by a still smaller number of men. It is this :that the inspirations and enlightenments are usually sentby God to creatures in a certain order. At first someare sent to incite the soul to practice some of the virtues ;if the soul corresponds, the Most High sends other andgreater ones in order to move the soul to greater perfection in virtue; and thus, profiting from previous graces,the soul isdisposed for still others, receiving ever greaterhelps and securing an increase of the favors of the Lordaccording as it corresponds to them. Thou wilt therefore understand two things:first, how great a damage itis to neglect the exercise of any virtue and not to practice perfection according to the dictates of the divine inspirations; secondly, how often God would give greatassistance to the souls, if they would begin to correspondto the smaller ones ;since He is as it were in expectationand hope that they will prepare for his greater ones(Apoc. 6, 20). For He wishes to deal with the soulaccording to his just judgments. But because they overlook this orderly manner of proceeding in his invitations,He suspends the flow of his divine gifts and He refusesto the souls, what was intended for them ifthey had notplaced an obstacle, allowing them to fall from one abyssto the other (Ps. 41, 8).564. The Magi and Herod pursued opposite courses :the Magi met the first inspirations and graces by thepractice of the good works; thus they disposed themselves by many virtues for being called and drawn bydivine revelation to the knowledge of the mysteries ofthe Incarnation, the birth of the divine Word and theRedemption of the human race; and through this to thehappiness and perfection of the way of life. But Herod,on the other hand, by his hard-heartedness and neglect

of the helps,THE INCARNATION 477which God offered him for the practice ofvirtue, was drawn into the abyss of his measurelesspride and ambition. These vices hurled him into suchvast precipices of cruelty as to be the first one amongmen to seek the life of the Redeemer of the world underthe cloak of simulated devotion and piety. In givingvent to his furious rage, he took away the life of theinnocent children and attempted by so foul a measure toadvance his damned and perverse undertaking.2-5

CHAPTER XVII.MAGI KINGS RETURN ONCE MORE TO SEE AND ADORETHE INFANT JESUS: THEY OFFER THEIR GIFTS ONTAKING LEAVE, AND RETURN BY A DIFFERENT ROUTETO THEIR HOMES.565. From the grotto of the Nativity, into which thethree Kings had entered directly on their way to Jerusalem, they betook themselves to a lodging inside of thetown of Bethlehem. They retired to a room where, inan abundance of affectionate tears and aspirations, theyspent the greater part of the night, speaking of what theyhad seen, of the feelings and affections aroused in each,and of what each had noticed for himself in the divineChild and his Mother. During this conference theywere more and more inflamed with divine love, amazedat the majesty and divine effulgence of the Infant Jesus;at the prudence, modesty and reserve of his Mother; atof allthe holiness of her spouse Joseph, and the povertythree; at the humbleness of the place, where the Lordof heaven and earth had wished to be born. The devoutkings felt a divine fire, which flamed up in their hearts,and, not being able to restrain themselves, they broke outinto exclamations of sweet affection and acts of greatreverence and love. "What is this that we feel?"theysaid. "What influence of this great Kingis it thatmoves us to such desires and affections? After this, howshall we converse with men? What can we do, whohave been instructed in such new, hidden and supernatural mysteries? O greatness of his Omnipotence un-478

THE INCARNATION 479known to men and concealed beneath so much poverty!O humility unimaginable for mortals! Would that allbe drawn to it, in order that they may not be deprivedof such happiness!"566. During these divine colloquies the Magi remembered the dire destitution of Jesus, Mary and Joseph intheir cave, and they resolved immediately to send themsome gifts in order to show their affection and to satisfytheir desire of serving them, since they could not do anything else for them. They sent through their servantsmany of the presents, which they had already set asidefor them, and others which they could procure. Mostholy Mary and Joseph received these gifts with humbleacknowledgment and they made a return not of emptywordedthanks, as other men are apt to make, but manyefficacious blessings for the spiritual consolation of thethree Kings. These gifts enabled our great Queen toprepare for her ordinary guests, the poor, an abundantrepast; for the needy ones were accustomed to receivealms from Her, and, attracted still more by her sweetwords, were wont to come and visit Her. The Kingswent to rest full of incomparable joy in the Lord; andin their sleep the angels advised them as to their journeyhomeward.returned to567. On the following day at dawn theythe cave of the Nativity in order to offer to the heavenlyKing the special gifts which they had provided. Arriving they prostrated themselves anew in profoundhumility; and opening their treasures, as Scripture relates, they offered Him gold, incense and myrrh (Matth.2, 11). They consulted the heavenly Mother in regardto many mysteries and practices of faith, and concerningmatters pertaining to their consciences and to the government of their countries; for they wished to return

480 CITY OF GODwell instructed and capable of directing themselves toholiness and perfection in their daily life. The greatLady heard them with exceeding pleasure and She conferred interiorly with the divine Infant concerningallthat they had asked, in order to answer and properly toinstruct these sons of the new Law. As a Teacher andan instrument of divine wisdom She answered all theirquestions, giving them such high precepts of sanctitythat they could scarcely part from Her on account of thesweetness and attraction of her words. However, anangel of the Lord appeared to them, reminding them ofthe necessity and of the will of the Lord that they shouldreturn to their country. No wonder that her wordsshould so deeply affect these Kings; for all her wordswere inspired by the holy Spirit and full of infusedscience regarding all that they had inquired and manyother matters.568. The heavenly Mother received the gifts of theKings and in their name offered them to the Infant Jesus.His Majesty showed by signs of highest pleasure, thatHe accepted their gifts: they themselves became awareof the exalted and heavenly blessings with which Herepaid them more than a hundredfold (Matth. 19, 29).According to the custom of their country they also offeredto the heavenly Princess some gems of great value; butbecause these gifts had no mysterious signification andreferred not to Jesus, She returned them to the Kings,reserving only the gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. Inorder to send them away more rejoiced, She gave themsome of the clothes in which She had wrapped the infantGod; for She neither had nor could have had anygreater visible pledges of esteem with which to enrichthem at their departure. The three Kings received theserelics with such reverence and esteem that they encased

THE INCARNATION 481them in gold and precious stones in order to keep themever after. As a proof of their value these relics spreadabout such a copious fragrance that they revealed theirpresence a league in circumference. However, only thosewho believed in the coming of God into the world wereable to perceive it ; while the incredulous perceived none ofthe fragrance emitted by the relics. In their own countries the Magi performed great miracles with these relics.569. The holy Kings also offered their property andpossession to the Mother of the sweetest Jesus, or, if Shedid not wish to accept of them and preferred to live inthis place, where her most holy Son had been born, theywould build Her a house, wherein She could live moreThe most prudent Mother thanked themcomfortably.for their offers without accepting them. On taking leaveof Her, the three Kings besought Her from their inmosthearts not to forget them, which She promised and fulfilled ;in the same way they spoke to saint Joseph. Withthe blessing of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, they departed,so moved by tenderest affection that it seemed to themthey had left their hearts all melted into sighs and tearsin that place. They chose another way for their returnjourney, in order not to meet Herod in Jerusalem; forthus they had been instructed by the angel on the pre1ceding night. On their departure from Bethlehem thesame or a similar star appeared in order to guide themhome, conducting them on their new route to the placewhere they had first met, whence each one separated toreach his own country.570. For the rest of their lives these most fortunateKings lived up to their divine vocation as true disciplesof the Mistress of holiness, governing both their soulsand the people of their states according to her teaching.By the example of their lives and the knowledge of the

482 CITY OF GODMessias, which they spread about, they converted a greatnumber of souls to the belief in the true God and to theway of salvation. Finally, full of days and merits, theyclosed their careers in sanctity and justice, having beenfavored both in life and in death by the Mother of mercy.After dismissing the Kings, the heavenly Queen and saintJoseph spent their time in new canticles of praise of thewonders of the Most High, conferring them with thesayings of the Scriptures and the prophecies of the Patriarchs, which they saw fulfilled one after another inthe Infant Jesus. But the most prudent Mother, whoprofoundly penetrated into the deepest meaning of thesehigh sacraments, remembered them all and treasuredthem up in her bosom (Luke 2, 19). The holy angels,who were witnesses of these holy mysteries, congratulated their Queen, that her most holy Son had been manifested and that his Majesty had been adored by men;and they sang to Him new canticles, magnifying hismercies wrought upon mankind.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN GAVE ME.571. My daughter, great were the gifts which theKings offered to my most holy Son ;but greaterstill wasthe affection with which they offered them and the mystery concealed beneath them. On account of all thisthey were most acceptable to his Majesty. I wish thatthou also offer up similar gifts, thanking Him for having made thee poor in condition and profession. For Iassure thee, my dearest, there is no more acceptable giftto the Most High than voluntary poverty. There arevery few in the world in our days who use well thetemporal riches and offer them to their God and Lordwith the generosity and love of these holy Kings. The

THE INCARNATION 483poor of the Lord, so numerous in our day, experienceand give witness how cruel and avaricious human naturehas become; since in their great necessities they are solittle succored by the rich. This gross uncharitablenessof men offends the holy angels and grieves the HolyGhost, since they are bound to witness the nobility ofthe souls so degraded and abased in the service of vilegreed of gold with all its evil powers (Eccles. 10, 20).As if all things had been created for the individual useof the rich, they appropriate them to themselves and deprive the poor, their brothers springing from the samenature and flesh; and denying them even to God, whocreated and preserves all things, and who can give ortake at will. It is most lamentable that while the richmight purchase eternal life with their possessions, theyabuse them to draw upon themselves damnation as senseless and foolish creatures (Luke 16, 9).572. This evil is common among the children ofAdam; and therefore voluntary povertyis so excellentand safe a remedy. By it, making man willing to partjoyfully with his possessions for the sake of the poor, agreatsacrifice is offered to the Lord. Thou also canstmake such an offering of the things necessary for sustenance, giving a part of it to the poor and desiring, if itwere possible by thy labor and sweat, to help all of them.Thy ceaseless offer, however, must be love, which is thegold; continual prayer, which is the incense; and thepatient acceptance of labors and true mortifications,which is the myrrh. All that thou dost for the Lord,thou should offer up to Him with fervent affection andpromptitude, without negligence or fear; for negligentworks, and those not enlivened by love, are not an acceptable sacrifice in the eyes of his Majesty. In orderto make those incessant offerings,it is necessary that

484 CITY OF GODdivine faith and light continually inflame thy heart, having before thy eyes the great object of thy praise and exaltation, and the stimulus of love, by which thou artbound to the right hand of the Most High. Thussweet exerciseshouldst thou continue incessantly in thisof love, so proper to the spouses of his Majesty; for theirname implies such a continual payment of the debt oflove and affection.

CHAPTER XVIII.MOST HOLY MARY AND JOSEPH DISTRIBUTE THE GIFTSRECEIVED FROM THE MAGI; AND THEY REMAIN INBETHLEHEM UNTIL THEIR DEPARTURE FOR THEPRESENTATION OF THE INFANT JESUS IN THETEMPLE.573. After the departure of the three Kings and afterthe due celebration of the great mystery of the adorationof the Infant Jesus, there was really nothing to wait forin that poor yet sacred place, and they were free toleave it. The most prudent Mother then said to saintJoseph: master"Myand spouse, the offerings whichthe Kings have made to our God and Child must notremain here idle; but they must be applied in the serviceof his Majesty and should be used according to his willand pleasure. I deserve nothing, even of temporalgoods dispose of all these gifts as belonging to my Son;and to thee." The most faithful of husbands answered,with his accustomed humility and courtesy, that he wouldleave all to Her and would be pleased to see Her disposeof them. But her Majestyinsisted anew and -said:"Since thou makest an excuse of humility, my master,do itthen for love of the poor, who are waiting for theirshare ; they have a right to the things which their heavenly Father has created for their sustenance." Theytherefore immediately concluded to divide the gifts intothree parts: one destined for the temple of Jerusalem,namely the incense and myrrh, as well as part of thegold ;another part as offering to the priest, who had cir-485

486 CITY OF GODcumcised the Child, in order that he might use it for himself and for the synagogue or oratory in Bethlehem, andthe third part for distribution among the poor. Thisresolve they executed with generous and fervent affection.574. The Almighty made use of a poor but honorableand pious woman to be the occasion of their leaving thecave. She had come a few times to visit our Queen;for the house in which She lived was built up againstthe wall of the city, not far from the cave. Some timelater this devout woman, not being aware of what hadhappened, but having heard the rumor of the Kingscoming, held a conversation with most holy Mary andasked Her whether She had heard that some wise men,who were said to be kings, had come from far seekingthe Messias ? The heavenly Princess, aware of the gooddisposition of this woman, took occasion to instruct herand catechize her in the common belief, without revealing to her the hidden sacrament connected with Herselfand the sweetest Child whom She held in her arms(Tob. 12, 7). In order to relieve her poverty She gaveher some of the gold destined for the poor. Therebythe condition of this fortunate woman was much improved and she became attached with heart and soulto her Teacher and Benefactress. She invited the holyFamily to live in her house; and as it was a poor one,it was so much the more accommodated to the Foundersand Builders of holy poverty. The poor woman pleadedwith great persistence, as she saw the great inconvenienceto which the most holy Mary and Joseph with the Childwere subject in the cave. The Queen did not refuse heroffer and answered, that She would let her know of herdecision. Mary and saint Joseph conferred with eachother and they resolved to leave the cave and lodge inthe house of this woman, awaiting there the time of the

THE INCARNATION 487purification and the presentation in the temple. Theydid it so much the more willingly as it afforded them achance to remain near the cave of the Nativity; and alsobecause many people began to frequent the cave on account of the rumor of the visit of the Kings, which hadbeen spread about.575. On account of these and other considerationsmost holy Mary, with saint Joseph and the sacred Childtook leave of the cave although with tenderest regret.They accepted the hospitality of that fortunate woman,who received them with the greatest charity and assignedto them the larger portion of her dwelling. The holyangels and ministers of the Most High accompanied themin human forms, which they had always retained. Whenever the heavenly Mother and saint Joseph her spousepiously revisited the memorable spots of this sanctuary,they came and went with them as numerous courtiersdelegated to their service. Moreover, when the Childand his Mother took leave of the cave, God appointedan angel as itskeeper and watcher, as He had done withthe garden of Paradise (Gen. 3, 24). And this guardremained and does remain to this day sword in handat the opening of the cave; and never since then has ananimal entered there. That this holy angeldoes nothinder the entrance of hostile infidels, in whose possession this and the other holy places are, is because of thejudgments of the Most High, who allows men to executethe designs of his wisdom and justice. This permissionwould not be necessary, if Christian princes were filledwith fervent zeal for the honor and glory of Christ andwould seek the restoration of these holy places, consecrated by the blood and the labors of the Lord and ofhis most holy Mother, and by the works of our Redemption. And even if this would not be possible, there is no

488 CITY OF GODexcuse for not attending with faithful diligenceto thedecent keeping of the mysterious places; since nothing isimpossible to the believer,who can overcome the mountains (Matth. 17, 19). I was given to understand, thatthe pious devotion and veneration for the Holy Landis one of the most powerful and efficacious means forestablishing and confirming Catholic monarchies and no;of their excessive and unnecesone can deny, that manysary expenses could be avoided by employing their resources in such a pious enterprise, which would be pleasing both to God and to men; for in making such anhonest use of their incomes there is no need of outwardjustification.576. The most pure Mary and her spouse, having withher divine Child moved to the dwelling in the vicinityof the cave, remained there until, according to the requirements of the law, She was to be present Herselfwith her First-born for purification in the temple. For thismystery the most holy of creatures resolved to disposeHerself worthily by a fervent desire of carrying the infantJesus as an offering to the eternal Father in his temple ;by imitating her Son and by seeking the adornment andbeauty of great virtues as a worthy offering and victimfor the Most High. With this intention the heavenlyLady, during the days which still remained until herpurification, performed such heroic acts of love and ofall other virtues, that neither the tongue of angels norof men can explain them. How much less can this thenbe done by a useless and entirely ignorant woman?sincere piety and devotion, the Christians who disposethemselves by reverent contemplation, will merit to feelthese mysteries. Judging of the more intelligible favorsreceived by the Virgin Mother, they can surmise andBy

THE INCARNATION 489imagine the others, which do not fall within the scopeof human words.577. From his very Birth the infant Jesus spoke tohis sweetest Mother in audible words; for immediatelyafter his Birth (as mentioned in chapter the tenth), Hesaid to Her : "Imitate Me, my Spouse, make thyself likeunto Me/ This was when They were alone, and although He always spoke to Her most plainly, saintJoseph never heard his words until the Child was oneto him. Nor did theyear of age, when He also spokeheavenly Lady reveal this secret, for She understood,that it was only for Her. The conversations of the infant God were such as were worthy of the greatness ofhis majesty and his infinite power; such as were befittingthe most pure and holy, the most wise and prudent ofall creatures next to Himself, and One who was his trueMother. Sometimes He said: "My Dove, my chosenOne, my dearest Mother." (Cant. 2, 10). In suchcaressing words as were contained in the Canticles andother continual interior intercourse the most holy Sonand Mother passed their time ;and in these the heavenlyPrincess received favors, and was delighted by caressesso sweet and loving, as exceed those of the Canticlesof Solomon; and greater ones than all the just and holysouls enjoyed from the beginning to the end of the world.Many times, during these mysteries of his love, the Infant Jesus repeated these words already mentioned :"Makethyself like unto Me, my Mother and my Dove."As they were words of life and infinite power,and asmost holy Mary at the same time was furnished with theinfused knowledge of all the interior operations of thesoul of her Onlybegotten, no tongue can declare northought can comprehend the effects wrought in the most

490 CITY OF GODcandid and inflamed heart of this Mother of the Godman.578. Among the more rare and excellent privileges ofmost pure Mary, the chief one is, that She is Mother ofGod, which is the foundation of all the rest. The secondis, that She was conceived without sin. The third, thatShe enjoyed many times the beatific vision in this mortallife, and the fourth is that She continually saw clearlythe most holy soul of her Son and all its operations forher imitation. She had itpresent to her eyes, as a mostclear and pure mirror, in which She could behold Herself again and again in order to adorn Herself with mostprecious gems of virtue, made in imitation of those seenin that most holy Soul. There She saw it united withthe divine Word and She exercised her humility in seeing how much her own human nature was inferior tothat of Christ. She perceived with the clearest insightthe acts of gratitude and praise, with which the soul ofChrist praised the Almighty for having been createdout of nothing as the rest of the souls, and for the gracesand gifts, with which it was endowed above others asa creature; and especially, for having been elevated andmade godlike by the union of the human nature with theDivinity. She pondered over his petitions, prayers andsupplications to his eternal Father for the human race;and how in all his other activity He prepared Himselffor its Redemption and instruction, as the sole Redeemerand Teacher of man for eternal life.579. All these works of the most holy humanity ofChrist, our supreme Good, his most pure Mother continually sought to imitate. There is much to say concerning this great mysteryof her imitation in this history; for She had this example and model incessantlybefore her eyes, and according to it She regulated her

THE INCARNATION 491own activity and behavior duringthe Incarnation andNativity of her Son. Like a busy bee She continuallybuilt up the sweetest honeycomb of delights for the incarnate Word. His Majesty, having come from heavenas our Redeemer and Teacher, wished that his most holyMother, of whom He had formed his human existence,should participate in a most exalted and singular mannerin the fruits of the common Redemption and that Sheshould be the chosen and selected Disciple,in whom histeaching should be vividly stamped and whom He wishedto make as similar to Himself as possible. In the lightof these intentions and blessed purposesof the incarnateWord we must judge of the greatness of Mary s deeds,and of the delights, which He enjoyed while resting uponher arms and reclining upon her breast; for it was indeed the bridal-chamber and the couch of this the trueSpouse (Cant. 1, 15).580. During the days in which the most holy Queentarried near Bethlehem before the purification, some ofthe people came to see and speak with Her; but almostall of them were of the poorest class. Some of themcame because of the alms which She distributed, others,because they had heard of the Kings, who had visitedthe cave. All of them spoke of this visit and of thecoming of the Redeemer; for in those days, (not without divine predisposal), the belief, that the birth of theMessias was at hand, was very widespread among theJews, and the talk about it was very frequent. This gavethe most prudent Mother repeated occasion to exerciseHerself in magnanimous works, not only by guardingthe secret of her bosom and by conferring within Herself about all that She saw and heard, but also by directing many souls toward the knowledge of God, by confirming them in the faith, instructing them in the practice

492 CITY OF GODof virtues, enlightening them in the mysteriesof theMessias whom they were expecting, and dispelling theignorance, in which they were cast as a low-minded people, little versed in the things of God. Sometimes theirtalk about these matters was so full of error and womanish prattle, that the simple saint Joseph smiled in secret.He wondered at the heavenly wisdom and force of theanswers, with which the great Lady met their gossipand instructed them; at her patience and gentleness inleading them to the truth and to the perceptionof thelight; at her profound humility and yet patient reserve,with which She knew how to dismiss all of them consoled, rejoiced and furnished with all that was good forthem to know. She spoke to them words of eternallife, which penetrated, inflamed and strengthened theirhearts (John 6, 69).INSTRUCTION WHICH THE MOST HOLY MARY OUR QUEENGAVE ME.581. My daughter, by the divine light I knew, betterthan all other creatures, at what a low value the MostHigh esteems earthly blessings and riches. Therefore,in my holy liberty of spirit, I felt myself troubled andinconvenienced by the possession of the treasures of theKings offered to my most holy Son. As in all my deedsI was to shine in humility and obedience, Idid not wishto appropriate them to myself, nor dispose of them according to my own will, but according to the wishes ofmy spouse Joseph. In this resignation I managed to actas if 1 were his handmaid and as if none of these giftsconcerned me in any way for it is ; debasing, and for youweak creatures, very dangerous to appropriate or attribute any of the goods of the earth, be they of material

THE INCARNATION 493possessions or goods of honor for all this cannot be done;without covetousness, ambition and vain ostentation.582. I wished to tell thee all this, my dearest, in orderthat thou mayest know how to refuse riches or honor asdue to thee, and not appropriate to thyself any of them ;especially not if thou receive them from personsof influence and exalted station. Preserve thy interior libertyand make no show of a thing which is worth nothing andwhich cannot justify thee before God. If anything isbrought to thee, never say:"This isgiven to me, or ispresented to me;" but "This the Lord sends to our convent; pray to God for those, whom his Majesty has sentas the instruments of his mercies." And mention thename of the giver, in order that they may pray particularly for him and that he may not be disappointed inthe purpose of his gift. Also do not receive it personally,lest you raise a suspicion of covetousness, but let thoseappointed for this duty receive it. And, if in thy officeas superior, thou must make distribution of things withinthe convent, let it be with detachment and without anyshow of personal rights of possession in them; yet atthe same time, as one who knows that she does notdeserve any favors, do not forget to thank the MostHigh and the giver. That which isbrought to theother religious thou must acknowledge thankfully as thesuperior and immediately see that thou applyit for thecommunity, without reserving any part of it for thy ownuse. Do not inquire curiously about the incomes of theconvent, in order that thou mayestnot take a sensiblepleasure therein and that thou mayest not seek delightin the reception of such favors ;for frail and passionatenature incurs many defects in such a transaction and offew of the defects does it render much account to itself.Nothing can be trusted to infected human nature; for it2-38

494 CITY OF GODalways seeks after more than it possesses, and it neversays enough, and the more it receives the greater thirst ithas for more.583. But it is to the intimate and frequent intercoursewith the Lord by unceasing love, praise and reverence,that I wish thee to attend most of all. In this I wish,my daughter, that thou work with all thy strength, andthat thou apply thy faculties and powers incessantly withgreat watchfulness and care; for without this the inferior parts will inevitably weigh down thy soul, derangeand upset it, divert and cast it down, causingit to losethe vision of the highest Good (Wis. 9, 15). This loving intercourse of the Lord is so delicate, that even bylistening or attending to the deceits of the enemy, thesoul loses it. On this account the enemy makes greatefforts to draw thy attention toward himself, knowingthat the punishment of listening to him will be the concealment of the object of its love from the soul (Cant. 5,6). As soon as it carelessly ignores the beauty of theLord, it enters upon the byways of neglect and is deprived of the divine sweetness (Cant. 1, 7). When afterwards the soul, having with sorrow experienced the evilsof such inadvertence wishes to return to seek Him, itdoes not always find or recover Him (Cant. 3, 1, 2).As the demon, who deceived it, then presents other delights so vile and unlike those to which the soul has beenaccustomed interiorly, new cause of sadness, disturbance,dejection, lukewarmness and dissatisfaction arises andits whole interior is filled with dangerous confusion.584. Of this truth, my dearest, thou thyself hast someexperience, wherein thou couldst notice the effects ofneglect and tardiness in believing the favors of the Lord.It is time that thou be prudent in thy sincerity and constant in keeping up the fire of the sanctuary (Lev. 6,

THE INCARNATION 49512), without ever losing sight for a moment of that sameObject, which I attended to with all the powers of mysoul and all my faculties. Although the distance betweenthat of a mere wormlet, and that which Ithy conduct,propose for thy imitation is great, and although thoucanst not enjoy the supreme Good so unreservedly as I,nor live in the same condition as I ; yet, since I instructthee and show thee what I did to assimilate myself to mymost holy Son, thou canst imitate me according to thystrength using my doings as a mirror. I saw Him inthe mirror of his humanity, thou in my soul and person.If the Almighty calls and invites all men to the highestperfection by following Him, consider what thou artobliged to do, since thou hast been drawn toward theMost High by such a generous and powerful influenceof his right hand (Matth. 11, 28; Cant 1, 3).

CHAPTER XIX.MOST HOLY MARY AND JOSEPH DEPART WITH THE) INFANT JESUS, IN ORDER TO FULFILL THE LAW, BYPRESENTING HIM IN THE TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM.585. Already the forty days after the birth of a son,during which a woman, according to the law, was considered unclean and during which she was obliged to continue her purification for her re-admittance into the temple, were coming to a close (Lev. 22, 4). In order tocomply with this law and satisfy another obligation contained in Exodus, chapter thirteenth, which demanded thesanctification and presentation to the Lord of all the firstborn sons, the Mother of all purity prepared to go toJerusalem, where She was to appear in the temple withher Son as the Onlybegotten of the eternal Father andpurify Herself according to the custom of other women.She had no doubts about complying with that part ofthe law, which applied to Herself in common with othermothers. Not that She was ignorant of her innocenceand purity; for, ever since the incarnation of the Word,She knew of her exemption from actual sin and from thestain of original sin. Nor was She ignorant of the factthat She had conceived by the Holy Ghost, and broughtforth without labor, remaining a virgin more pure thanthe sun (Luke 1, 15). Yet She hesitated not to subjectin the arHerself to the common law; on the contrary,dent longing of her heart after humiliation and annihilation to the dust, She desired to do this of her own freewill.496

THE INCARNATION 497586. In regard to the presentation of her most holySon there was some occasion for the same doubt as inregard to the Circumcision, for She knew Him to be thetrue God, superior to the laws, which He himself hadmade. But She was informed of the will of the Lordby divine light and by the interior acts of the most holysoul of the incarnate Word; for She saw his desire ofsacrificing Himself and offering Himself as a living Victim (Eph. 5, 2) to the eternal Father, in thanksgivingfor having formed his most pure body and created hismost holy soul ;for having destined Him as an acceptablesacrifice for the human race and for the welfare of mortals. These acts of the most sacred humanity of theWord were continual, conforming Himself to the divinewill not only in so far as He was already beatified, butalso in so far as He was still a wayfarer upon earthand our Redeemer. Yet, in addition to these interioracts and in obedience to the law, He wished to be offeredto the eternal Father in the temple where all adored andmagnified Him, as in a house of prayer, expiation andsacrifice (Deut. 12, 5).587. The great Lady conferred about the journey withher husband, and, having resolved to be in Jerusalemon the very day appointed by the law and having madethe necessary preparations, they took leave of the goodwoman, who had so devotedly entertained them. Althoughthis woman was left in ignorance of the divine mysteriesconnected with her Guests, she was filled with the blessings of heaven, which brought her abundant fruit. Maryand Joseph betook themselves to the cave of the Nativity,not wishing to begin their journey without once more venerating that sanctuary so humble and yet so rich in happiness, though at that time this was yet unknown to theworld. The Mother handed the Child Jesus to saint

498 CITY OF GODJoseph in order to prostrate Herself and worship the earthwhich had been witness to such venerable mysteries. Having done this with incomparable devotion and tenderness,She said to her husband :master, give me thy bene"Mydiction for this journey, as thou art wont to do at departing from home. I beseech thee also to allow me to perform this journey on foot and unshod; since I am to bearin my arms the Victim, which is to be offered to theeternal Father. This is a mysterious work and as faras it is possible, I should wish to performit with due reverence and ceremony." Our Queen was accustomed, forthe sake of modesty, to wear shoes, which covered herfeet and served as a sort of stocking. They were madeof a certain plant used by the poor and something likehemp or mallow, dried and woven into a coarse and strongtexture, which, though poor, was yet cleanly and appropriate.588. Saint Joseph told Her to arise, for She waskneeling before him, and said :"Maythe Most High Sonof the eternal Father, whom I hold in my arms, giveThee his blessing. As for the rest it is well and good,that Thou journey afoot in bringing Him to Jerusalem.But Thou must not go barefoot, because the weatherdoes not permit it; and thy desire will be accepted bythe Lord instead of the deed." Thus saint Joseph, inorder not to deprive most holy Mary of the joy ofhumiliation and obedience, made use of his authorityas husband, although with great reverence. And assaint Joseph only obeyed Her and humiliated and mortified himself in commanding Her, it happenedthat bothof them exercised humility and obedience reciprocally.That he refused Her permission to go barefoot to Jerusalem was occasioned by his apprehensions, lest the coldshould injure her health; for he did not know the won-

THE INCARNATION 499derful qualities and composition of her virginal and perfect body, nor the other privileges, conferred upon Herby the divine right hand. The obedient Queen made noreply to the orders of her husband and obeyed his wishnot to go unshod. In order to again receive in her armsthe Infant Jesus She prostrated Herself on the earth,thanking Him and adoring Him for the blessings, whichHe had wrought for them and for the whole human racein that cave. She besought his Majesty, that this sanctuary be held in esteem and reverence by the Catholicsand that it remain in their possession; and She againplaced it in charge of the holy angel, who had been setas its guardian. She covered Herself with a cloak for thejourney and, receiving in Her arms Jesus, the Treasureof heaven, She pressed Him to her breast, tenderly shielding Him from the inclemency of the wintry weather.589. They departed from the cave, asking the blessingof the infant God, which his Majesty gave them in a visible manner. Saint Joseph placed upon the ass the chestcontaining the clothes of the Infant and the gifts of theKings destined for their temple-offering. Thus beganthe most solemn procession, which was ever held fromBethlehem to the temple in Jerusalem; for in companywith the Prince of the eternities, Jesus, the Queen, hisMother, and saint Joseph, her spouse, journeyed the tenthousand angels, that had assisted at these mysteries,and the other legions, that had brought from heaventhe sweet and holy name of Jesusat the Circumcision(No. 523). All these heavenly courtiers passed alongin visible human forms, so beautiful and shining, that incomparison with them, all that is delightful or precious inthe world, is less than dirt or mud compared to the finestand purest gold; and in their splendor they obliteratedthe sun in its brightest light and would have turned

500 CITY OF GODnight into the brightest day. The heavenly Queen andsaint Joseph rejoiced in their effulgence, while all of themtogether exalted these mysteries by new canticles of praisein honor of the divine Child about to be presented inthe temple. In this fashion they journeyed the twoleagues from Bethlehem to Jerusalem.590. On this occasion, not without divine dispensation,the weather was unusually severe, so that, without regardfor the tender Child, its Creator, the cold and sleetyblasts pierced to his shivering limbs and caused the divineInfant to weep as it rested in the arms of his lovingMother, being however moved thereto more by his comthe effects of the inpassion and love for men than byclemency of the weather upon his body. The mightyEmpress turned to the winds and elements and as Mistress of creation reprehended them with indignation, thatthey should thus persecute their Maker. She commandedthem to moderate their rigor toward the Child but nottoward Her. The elements obeyed the commands oftheir true and rightful Mistress: the cold blasts werechanged into a soft and balmy air for the Infant, withoutdiminishing their inclemency toward the Mother; thusShe herself felt it, but not her Infant, as on other occasions already mentioned and yet to be mentioned. Sheaddressed also sin, which She had not contracted, andsaid : "Osin, how most disorderly and inhuman art thou,since, in order to satisfy for thee, the Creator of allthings is afflicted by the very creatures, which He hasmade and preserves in being! Thou art a terrible andhorrible monster, offensive to God and destructive ofcreatures; thou turnest them into abominations and deprivestthem of their greatest happiness, that of beingfriends of God. O children of men, how long will yoube so heavy-hearted as to love vanity and deceit? Be

THE INCARNATION 501not so ungrateful toward the Most High and so cruelOpen your eyes and recognize your danto yourselves.gers. Do not despise the precepts of your eternal Father,and do not forget the teachings of your Mother, who hasbrought you forth by charity; for since the Onlybegottenof the Father has assumed flesh in my womb, Hehas made me the Mother of all creation. As such I loveyou and if it were possible and according to the will ofthe Most High, that I suffer all the punishments visitedupon you from the time of Adam until now, I wouldaccept them with pleasure."591. During the journey of our Lady with the infantGod, it happened in Jerusalem that Simeon, the highpriest,was enlightened by the Holy Ghost concerningthe coming of the incarnate Word and his presentationon the arms of his Mother. The samein the templerevelation was given to the holy widow Anne, and shewas also informed of the poverty and suffering of saintJoseph and the most pure Lady on their way to Jerusalem. These two holy persons, immediately conferringwith each other about their revelations and enlightenments, called the chief procurator of the temporal affairsof the temple, and, describing to him the signs, wherebyhe should recognize the holy Travelers, they ordered himto proceed to the gate leadingceive them into his house with allout to Bethlehem and rebenevolence and hospitality. This the procurator did and thus the Queenand her spouse were much relieved, since they had beenanxious about finding a proper lodging for the divineInfant. Leaving Them well provided in his house, thefortunate host returned in order to report to the highpriest.592. On that evening, before they retired, most holyMary and Joseph conferred with each other about what

502 CITY OF GODthey were to do. The most prudent Lady remindedhim that it was better to bring the gifts of the Kingson that same evening to the temple in order to be ableto make the offering in silence and without noisy demonstration, as was proper with all donations and sacrifices,and that on the way he might procure the two turtledoves, which on the next day were to be the public offering for the Infant Jesus. Saint Joseph complied with herrequest. As a stranger and one little known he gave themyrrh, incense and gold to the one who usually receivedsuch gifts for the temple, but saint Joseph took care notto reveal himself to any one as the donor of these greatpresents. Although he could have bought the lamb,which the rich usually offered for their first-born, hechose not to do so ;because the humble and poor apparelof the Mother and the Child as well as of the husband,would not have agreed with a public offering as valuableas that of the rich (Matth. 8, 20). In no particular didthe Mother of wisdom deem it befitting to depart frompoverty and humility, even under the cover of a piousand honorable intention. For in all things was She theTeacher of perfection, and her most holy Son, that ofholy poverty, in which He was born, lived and died.593. Simeon, as saint Luke tells us, was a just andgod-fearing man and was hoping in the consolation ofIsrael (Luke 2, 24) ; the Holy Ghost, who dwelt in him,had revealed to him, that he should not taste death untilhe had seen the Christ, the Lord. Moved by the holySpirit he came to the temple; for in that night, besidesthe revelations he had already received, he was againdivinely enlightened and made to understand more clearlythe mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption of man,the fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaias, that a Virginshould conceive and bear a Son and that from the root

THE INCARNATION 503of Jesse a flower should blossom, namely Christ (Is. 7,14) likewise all the rest contained in these and other;prophecies. He received a clear understanding of thehypostatic union of the two natures in the person ofthe Word, and of the mysteries of the passion and deathof the Redeemer. Thus instructed in these two highthings, saint Simeon was lifted up and inflamed withthe desire of seeing the Redeemer of the world. On thefollowing day then, as soon as he had received noticethat Christ was coming to present Himself in the templeto the Father, he was carried in spirit to the temple, forso greatis the force of divine enlightenment. Whereuponsucceeded that, which I shall relate in the following chapter. Also the holy matron Anne was favored with arevelation during the same night concerning many ofonthese mysteries and great was the joy of her spiritthat account; for, as I have said in the first part of thishistory, she had been the teacher of our Queen, duringher stay in the temple. The Evangelist tells us that Shenever left the temple-grounds serving in itday and nightin prayer and fasting (Luke 1, 27) that she was a;prophetess, daughter of Samuel, of the tribe of Aser.She had lived seven years with her husband and wasnow eighty years old. As will be seen, she spoke prophetically of the Child s future.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN GAVE ME.594. My daughter, one of the misfortunes, which deprive souls of happiness, or at least diminish it, is thatthey content themselves with performing good worksnegligently or without fervor, as if they were engagedin things unimportant or merely accidental. On accountof this ignorance and meanness of heart few of them

504 CITY OF GODarrive at an intimate friendship of God, which they canattain only by fervent love. This is called fervent precisely because of its similarity to boiling water. For justas water is made to boil and foam by the fire, so thesoul, by the sweet violence of the divine conflagration of love, is raised above itself and above all createdthings as well as above its own doings. In loving,it ismore and more inflamed, and from this very love springsan unquenchable affection, which makes the soul despiseand forget all earthly things while at the same time itbecomes dissatisfied with alltemporal goodness. Andas the human heart, when it does not attain what itdearly loves (if that attainment is possible) is inflamedwith ever greater desire of reachingitby other means;therefore, the loving soul, finds ever new things to striveafter for the sake of the Beloved and all service will seemto it but little. Thus it will pass from goodperfect will, and from this to what will please the Lordstill more, until it arrives at the most intimate unionwill to awith Him and at a perfect conformation with the will ofGod.595. Hence thou wilt understand, my dearest, why Idesired to go barefooted to the temple, carryingat thesame time my most holy Son in order to present Himthere; and why I also wished to comply with the lawof the purification ; for, urged on by my love, which incessantly demanded what was most perfect and agreeable to the Lord, I sought the fullness of perfection in allmy doings and it was precisely this anxiety, whichcreated in me such a desire of excellence in all myworks. Labor to imitate me with all diligence in allthat I did ;for I assure thee, my dear, that it is this exercise of thy love, which the Most High is desiring and expecting of thee, and, as is mentioned by the spouse in the

THE INCARNATION 505Canticles (Cant. 2, 9), He is watching thee so close athand, that not more than a slight screen intervenes between the soul and its vision of the Lord. Enamouredand drawn onward He approaches closely to those souls,who thus love and serve Him in all things, while Hewithdraws from the lukewarm and negligent ones, ordeals with them only according to the general rules of hisdivine Providence. Do thou aspire continually to themost pure and perfect in the practice of virtues and studyand invent new schemes and projects of love; so that allthe forces of thy interior and exterior faculties continueto be zealously occupied in what is most exalted and excellent in the service of the Lord. At the same timemention all these affections to thy spiritual father andsubject them to the obedience and advice of thy counselor,following his instructions for this will :always be the mostpreferable and secure way.

CHAPTER XX.THE PRESENTATION OF THE INFANT JESUS IN THE TEMPLEAND WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT OCCASION.596. The sacred humanity of Christ belonged to theeternal Father not only because it was created like otherbeings, but it was his special property byvirtue of thehypostatic union with the person of the Word, for thisperson of the Word, being his Onlybegotten Son,was engendered of his substance, true God of true God.Nevertheless the eternal Father had decreed, that hisSon should be presented to Him in the temple in mysterious compliance with the law, of which Christ ourLord was the end (Rom. 10, 4). It was establishedfor no other purpose than that the just men of theold Testament should perpetually sanctify and offer tothe Lord their first-born sons, in the hopethus presented might prove to be the Son of Godand a Child of the Mother of the expected Messias (Exod.13, 2). According to our way of thinking his Majestyacted like men, who are apt to repeat and enjoy over andthat oneover again a thing which has caused them enjoyment.For although the Father understood and knew all thingsin his infinite wisdom, He sought pleasure in the offering of the incarnate Word, which by so many titlesready belonged to Him.597. This will of the eternal Father, which was conformable to that of his Son in so far as He was God, wasknown to the Mother of life and of the human natureof the Word; for She saw that all his interior actions506al

THE INCARNATION 507were in unison with the will of his eternal Father.Fullof this holy science the great Princess passed the nightbefore his presentation in the temple in divine colloquies.Speaking to the Father She said: "MyLord and Godmost high, Father of my Lord, a festive day for heavenand earth will be that, in which I shall bring and offerto Thee in thy holy temple the living Host, which isat the same time the Treasure of thy Divinity. Rich, Omy Lord and God, is this oblation; and Thou canst wellpour forth, in return for it, thy mercies upon the humanrace: pardoning the sinners, that have turned from thestraight path, consoling the afflicted, helping the needy,enriching the poor, succoring the weak, enlightening theblind, and meeting those who have strayed away. Thisis, my Lord, what I ask of thee in offering to Thee thyOnlybegotten, who, by thy merciful condescension is alsomy Son. If Thou hast given Him to me as a God, I return Him to Thee as God and man his value is; infinite,and what I ask of Thee is much less. In opulence do Ireturn to thy holy temple, from which I departed poor;and my soul shall magnify Thee forever, because thydivine right hand has shown itself toward me so liberaland powerful."598. On the next morning, the Sun of heaven beingnow ready to issue from its purest dawning, the VirginMary, on whose arms He reclined, and being about to riseup in full view of the world, the heavenly Lady, having provided the turtle-dove and two candles, wrappedHim in swaddling-clothes and betook Herself with saintJoseph from their lodging to the temple. The holy angels,who had come with them from Bethlehem, again formedin procession in corporeal and most beautiful forms, justas has been said concerning the journey of the preceding day. On this occasion however the holy spirits added

508 CITY OF GODmany other hymns of the sweetest and most entrancingharmonyin honor of the infant God, which were heardonly by the most pure Mary. Besides the ten thousand,who had formed the procession on the previous day, innumerable others descended from heaven, who, accompanied by those that bore the shields of the holy nameof Jesus, formed the guard of honor of the incarnateWord on the occasion of his presentation. These however were not in corporeal shapes and only the heavenlyPrincess perceived their presence. Having arrived at thetemple-gate, the most blessed Mother was filled with newand exalted sentiments of devotion. Joining the otherwomen, She bowed and knelt to adore the Lord in spiritand in truth in his holy temple and She presented Herself before the exalted Majesty of God with his Sonupon her arms (John 4, 23). Immediately She wasimmersed in an intellectual vision of the most holyTrinity and She heard a voice issuing from the eternalFather, saying: "This is my beloved Son, in whom Iam well pleased" (Matth. 27, 20). Saint Joseph, themost fortunate of men, felt at the same time a newsweetness of the Holy Ghost, which filled him with joyand divine light.599. The holy high-priest Simeon, moved by the HolyGhost as explained in the preceding chapter, also enteredthe temple at that time (Luke 2, 27). Approaching theplace where the Queen stood with the Infant Jesus inher arms, he saw both Mother and Child enveloped insplendor and glory. The prophetess Anne, who, as theEvangelist says, had come at the same hour, also sawMary and her Infant surrounded by this wonderful light.In the joy of their spirit both of them approached theQueen of heaven, and the priest received the Infant Jesusfrom her arms upon his hands. Raising up his eyes to

THE INCARNATION 509heaven he offered Him up to the eternal Father, pronouncing at the same time these words so full of mysteries: "Now dost thou dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy Word in peace. Because my eyes haveseen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before theface of all peoples a : light for the revelation of the gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel" (Luke 2, 29).It was as if He had said :"Now, Lord, thou wilt releaseme from the bondage of this mortal body and let me gofor until now have I been detained infree and in peace;itby the hope of seeing thy promises fulfilled and by thedesire of seeing thy Onlybegotten made man. Now thatmy eyes have seen thy salvation, the Onlybegotten mademan, joined to our nature in order to give it eternal welfare according to the intention and eternal decree of thyinfinite wisdom and mercy, Ishall enjoytrue and securepeace. Now, O Lord, Thou hast prepared and placedbefore all mortals thy divine light that it may shine uponthe world and that all who wish may enjoy it throughout the universe and derive therefrom guidance and salvation. For this is the light which is revealed to theof Israel"gentiles for the glory of thy chosen people(John I, 9, 32).600. Most holy Mary and saint Joseph heard this canticle of Simeon, wondering at the exalted revelation itcontained. The Evangelist calls them in this place theparents of the divine Infant, for such they were in theestimation of the people who were present at this event.Simeon, addressing himself to the most holy Mother ofthe Infant Jesus, then added : "Behold this Child is setfor the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel,and for a sign which shall be contradicted. And thy ownsoul a sword shall pierce, that out of many hearts thoughtsmay be revealed." Thus saint Simeon ;and being a priest2-34

510 CITY OF GODhe gave his blessing to the happy parents of the Child.Then also the prophetess Anne acknowledged the incarnate Word, and full of the Holy Ghost, she spoke of themysteries of the Messias to many, who were expectingthe redemption of Israel. By these two holy old peoplepublic testimony of the coming of the Redeemer wasgiven to the world.601. At the moment when the priest Simeon mentioned the sword and the sign of contradiction, whichwere prophetical of the passion and death of the Lord,the Child bowed its head. Thereby, and by many interior acts of obedience, Jesus ratified the prophecy ofthe priest and acceptedit as the sentence of the eternalFather pronounced by his minister. All this the lovingMother noticed and understood; She presently began tofeel the sorrow predicted by Simeon and thus in advance was She wounded by the sword, of which Shehad thus been warned. As in a mirror her spirit wasmade to see all the mysteries included in this prophecy;how her most holy Son was to be the stone of stumbling,the perdition of the unbelievers, and the salvation of thefaithful ;the fall of the synagogue and the establishmentof the Church among the heathens; She foresaw thetriumph to be gained over the devils and over death, butalso that a great price was to be paid for it, namely thefrightful agony and death of the Cross (Colos. 2, 15).She foresaw the boundless opposition and contradiction,which the Lord Jesus was to sustain both personallyand in his Church (John 15, 20). At the same timeShe also saw the glory and excellence of the predestinedsouls. Most holy Mary knew it all and in the joy and sorrow of her most pure soul, excited by the prophecies ofSimeon and these hidden mysteries, She performed heroicacts of virtue. All these sayings and happenings were

THE INCARNATION 511indelibly impressed upon her memory, and, of all thatShe understood and experienced, She forgot not the leastiota. At all times She looked upon her most holy Sonwith such a living sorrow, as we, mere human creatureswith hearts so full of ingratitude, shall never be able tofeel. The holy spouse saint Joseph was by these prophecies also made to see many of the mysteries of the Redemption and of the labors and sufferings of Jesus. Butthe Lord did not reveal them to him so copiously andopenly as they were perceived and understood by hisheavenly spouse; for in him these revelations were toserve a different purpose, and besides, saint Joseph wasnot to be an eye-witness of them during his mortal life.602. The ceremony of the presentation thus being over,the great Lady kissed the hand of the priest and againasked his blessing. The same She did also to Anne, herformer teacher; for her dignity as Mother of God, thehighest possible to angels or men, did not prevent Herfrom these acts of deepest humility. Then, in the company of saint Joseph, her spouse, and of the fourteenthousand angels in procession, She returned with thedivine Infant to her lodging. They remained, as I shallrelate farther on, for some days in Jerusalem, in orderto satisfy their devotion and during that time She spokea few times with the priest about the mysteries of theRedemption and of the prophecies above mentioned. Although the words of the most prudent Virgin Motherwere few, measured and reserved, they were also soweighty and full of wisdom, that they filled the priestwith wonder and excited in him the most exalted and thesweetest sentiments of joy in his soul. The same happened also to the prophetess Anne. Both of them diedin the Lord shortly afterwards. The holy Familylodged at the expense of Simeon. During these days

512 CITY OF GODthe Queen frequented the temple and in it She was visitedwith many favors and consolations in recompense forthe sorrow caused by the prophecies of the priest. Inorder to heighten their sweetness her most holy Sonspoke to Her on one of these days saying: "MydearestMother and my Dove, dry up thy tears and let thy purestheart be expanded ; since it is the will of my Father, thatI accept the death of the Cross. I desire that Thou bemy companion in my labors and sufferings; I long toundergo them for the souls, who are the works of myhands (Ephes. 2, 10), made according to my image andlikeness, in order to make them partakers of my reignand of eternal life in triumph over my enemies (Coloss.2, 15). This is what Thou thyself dost wish in unionwith Me." The Mother answered : "Omy sweetest Loveand Son of my womb, if my accompanying Thee shallinclude not only the privilege of witnessing and pityingthy sufferings, but also of dying with Thee, so much thegreater will be my relief ;for it will be a greater sufferingfor me to live, while seeing Thee die." In these exercises of love and compassion She passed some days,until saint Joseph was advised to fly into Egypt, as Ishallrelate in the following chapter.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE MOST HOLY QUEEN MARYGAVE ME.603. My daughter, the doctrine and example containedin the foregoing chapter will teach thee to strive afterthe constancy and expansion of heart, by which thoumayest prepare thyself to accept blessings and adversity,the sweet and the bitter with equanimity. O dearestsoul! How narrow and unwillingis the human hearttoward that which iscontrary and distasteful to its earthly

THE INCARNATION 513inclinations ! Howit chafes in labors ! Howimpatientlyit meets them! How insufferable it deems all that iscontrary to its desires ! How persistently it forgets, thatits Teacher and Master has first accepted sufferings, andhas honored and sanctified them in his own Person! Itis a great shame, yea a great boldness, on the part of thefaithful, that they should abhor suffering, even after mymost holy Son did suffer for them and when so many ofthe just before his Death were led to embrace the crosssolely by the hope that Christ would once suffer uponit, although they would never live to see it. And if thiswant of correspondence is so base in others, consider well,my dearest, how vile it would be in thee, who art soanxious to obtain the grace and the friendship of theMost High; who desirest to merit the name of a spouseand friend of God, who wishest to belong entirely to Himand that He belong entirely to thee, who wishest to bemy disciple and that I be thy Teacher, who aspirest tofollow and imitate me, as a faithful daughter her mother(Matth. 7, 21). All this must not result in mere sentiment and in empty words, or oft-repeated exclamationsof: Lord, Lord; and, when the occasion of tasting thechalice and the cross of suffering is at hand, thou must notturn away in sorrow and affliction from the sufferings, bywhich the sincerity of a loving and affectionate heartis to be tried.604. All this would be denying in your actions, whatyou profess in your words, and it would be a swervingfrom the path of eternal life : for thou canst not followChrist, if thou refusest to embrace the cross and rejoice in it, nor shalt thou find me by any other way(Matth. 8, 34). If creatures fail thee, if temptation ortrouble assail thee, if the sorrows of death encompassthee (Ps. 17, 5), thou must in no wise be disturbed or

514 CITY OF GODdisheartened; since nothing displeases my most holy Sonor me more than placing a hindrance or misapplying thegrace given by Him for thy defense. By misusingit andreceiving it in vain, thou yieldest great victory to thedemon, who glories much in having disturbed or subjectedany soul that calls itself a disciple of Christ and of me;and having once brought thee to default in small things,he will soon oppress thee in greater ones. Confide thenin the protection of the Most High and press onwardtrusting in me. Full of this trust, whenever tribulationcomes over thee, fervently exclaim: "The Lord is mylight and my salvation, whom shall I fear? (Psalm 26,1). He is my Helper, why should I hesitate? I have aMother, a Queen and Mistress, who will assist me andtake care of me in my affliction."605. In this security seek to preserve interior peace andkeep forever in thy view my works and my footstepsfor thy imitation. Remember the sorrow, which piercedmy heart at the prophecies of Simeon, and how I remained in peace and tranquillity, without any sign ofdisturbance, although my heart and soul were transfixed by a sword of pain. In every event I sought motives for glorifying and adoring his admirable wisdom.If the transitory labors and sufferings are accepted withjoy and with serenity of heart, they spiritualize the creature, they elevate it and furnish it with a divine insight ;by which the soul begins to esteem affliction at itspropervalue and soon finds consolation and the blessings ofmortification and of freedom from disorderly passions.This is the teaching of the school of the Redeemer,hidden from those living in Babylon and from those whoI wish also that thou imitatelove vanity (Matth. 11, 25).me in respecting the priests and ministers of the Lord,who in the new law hold a much higher dignity than in

THE INCARNATION 515the old, since the divine Word has now united Itself withhuman nature and become the eternal High-Priest according to the order of Melchisedech (Ps. 109, 4). Listento their words and instructions, as God requires, whoseplace they take. Consider the power and authority giventhem in the Gospels, where it is said: "Who hears you,hears Me; who obeys you obeysMe"(Luke 10, 16).Strive after the perfection they teach thee. Ponder andmeditate without intermission upon that, which my mostholy Son suffered, so that thy soul be a participant in hissorrows. Let the pious memory of his sufferings engender in thee such a disgust and abhorrence of all earthlypleasures that thou despise and forget all that is visible,and instead, follow the Author of eternal life.

CHAPTER XXLTHE LORD PREPARES THE MOST HOLY MARY FOR THEFLIGHT INTO EGYPT; THE ANGEL SPEAKS TO SAINTJOSEPH; AND OTHER MATTERS CONNECTED THEREWITH.606. When the most holy Mary and glorious saintJoseph returned from the presentationof the InfantJesus in the temple, they concluded to stay in Jerusalemfor nine days in order to be able each day to visit thetemple and repeat the offering of the sacred Victim, theirdivine Son, thus rendering fitting thanks for the immense blessing for which they had been singled out fromall men. The heavenly Lady had a special veneraamongtion for this number in memory of the nine days, duringwhich She had been prepared and adorned by God for theincarnation of the Word, as I have related in the firstten chapters of this second part; also in memorynine months, during which She had borne Jesus inof thehervirginal womb. In honor of these events She wishedto make this novena with her divine Child, presentingtimes to the eternal Father as an acHim that manyceptable offering for her lofty purposes. They beganthe devotions of the novena every day before the thirdhour, praying in the temple until nightfall. They chosethe most obscure and retired place, meriting thereby theinvitation of the master of the banquet in the Gospel :"Friend, go up higher" (Luke 14, 10). This invitationwas given to Her, on one of those days, when She was516

THE INCARNATION 517pouring out her spirit in the presenceFather in the following words:of the eternal607. "Highest King, Lord and Creator of all that hasbeing, here in thy presence lies the useless dust and ashes,which thy ineffable condescension has favored with gracesuch as it neither knew, nor ever could know, how tomerit. I find myself, O Lord, forced onward by theimpetuous flood of thy blessings to give Thee thanks.But what return can she offer, who, being nothing, hasreceived her existence and her life from Thee, and whoover and above was overwhelmed by such incomparablemercies and blessings of thy Divinity?What thanks canshe render in acknowledgment of thy immense bounty?What reverence worthy of thy Majesty? What gift tothy infinite Deity, since She is only a creature ? My soul,my being, and my faculties, all have I received and continue to receive from thy hands. A thousand times doI offer it in sacrifice to thy glory. I acknowledge myindebtedness, not only for having given me all this, butfor the love with which Thou hast given it, and becauseamong all creatures, thy infinite bounty has preserved mefrom the contagion of sin and has chosen me to give human form to thy Onlybegotten Son, to bear Him in mywomb and at my breast, though I am only a daughterof Adam and made of lowly and earthly matter. I perceive thy ineffable condescension toward me, O Lord, andin gratitude for it my heart fails and my life is spent inaffections of divine love, having nothing else to repay allthe favors of thy right hand conferred upon thy handmaid. But now my heart is revived and rejoices in possessing a gift worthy of thy greatness, since I can offerThee Him, who is one in substance with Thee, equal inmajesty, and perfection of attributes, the Onlybegottenof thy intellect, the image of thy being, the fullness of

518 CITY OF GODthy own pleasure, thy only and most beloved Son. This,eternal Father and Most High God, is the gift, whichI offer, the Victim which I bring Thee, and this I am sureThou wilt receive. Having received Him as God, I return Him to Thee God and man. Neither I nor anyother creature, O Lord, can ever offer Thee a greatergift, nor can thy Majesty ever demand one more precious.It is so valuable, that it will suffice to repay Thee forwhat I have received. In his name and in mine I offerand present Him to Thee. I am the Mother of thy Onlybegotten,having given Him human flesh, I have madeHim the Brother of mortals, and as He wishes to be theirRedeemer and Teacher, it behooves me to be their advocate, to assume their cause and claim assistance forthem. Therefore, Father of my Onlybegotten, God ofmercies, I offer Him to Thee from all my heart; withHim and because of Him Ibeg Thee to pardon sinners,to pour out upon the human race thy mercies of old andto open new fountains for the renewal of thy wonders(Eccli. 38, 6). This is the Lion of Juda become a Lamb,which takes away the sins of the world (Apoc. 5, 5). Heisthe treasure of thy Divinity."608. Such prayers and petitions the Mother of pietyoffered up in the first days of her novena in the temple.To all of them the eternal Father responded, acceptingthe offering of his Onlybegotten as a pleasing sacrifice,being more and more enamored with thepurity of hisonly and chosen Daughter and looking upon her sanctitywith benign pleasure. As an answer to her petitions Heconceded to Her new and great privileges, among whichwas also this one, that, as long as the world should last,She should obtain all that She would ever ask for herclients; that the greatest sinners, if they availed themselves of her intercession, should find salvation; that in

THE INCARNATION 519the new Church and law of the Gospel She should be theCooperatrix and Teacher of salvation with Christ hermost holy Son.This was to be her privilege especiallyafter his Ascension into heaven, when She should remain, as Queen of the universe, as the representative andinstrument of the divine poweron earth. This I willshow more particularly in the third part of this history.Many other favors and mysteries the Most High confirmed upon the heavenly Mother in answer to her prayers. They, however, are beyond the reach of spokenlanguage, and cannot be described by my short andlimitedterms.609. In the course of these manifestations, on the fifthday of the novena after the presentation and purification, while the heavenly Lady was in the temple with theInfant on her arms, the Deity revealed Itself to Her,although not intuitively, and She was wholly raised andfilled by the Spirit. It is true, that this had been done toHer before ;but as God spower and treasures are infinite,He never gives so much as not to be able to give stillmore to the creatures. In this abstractive vision theMost High visited anew his only Spouse, wishing toprepare Her for the labors, that were awaiting Her.Speaking to Her, He comforted Her saying:"My Spouseand my Dove, thy wishes and intentions are pleasingin my eyes and I delight in them always. But Thoucanst not finish the nine days devotion, which Thou hastbegun, for I have in store for Thee other exercises ofThy love. In order to save the life of thy Son and raiseHim up, Thou must leave thy home and thy country,fly with Him and thy spouse Joseph into Egypt, whereThou art to remain until I shall ordain otherwise: forHerod is seeking the life of the Child. The journey islong, most laborious and most fatiguing; do thou suffer

520 CITY OF GODit all for my sake; for I am, and always will be, withThee."610. Any other faith and virtue might have been disturbed (as the incredulous really have been) to see thepowerful God flying from a miserable earthly being, andthat He should do so in order to save his life, as if He,being both God and man, could be affected by the fearof death. But the most prudent and obedient Motheradvanced no objection or doubt : She was not in theleast disturbed or moved by this unlocked for order.Answering, She said:"My Lord and Master, beholdthy servant with a heart prepared to die for thy love ifnecessary. Dispose of me according to thy will. Thisonly do I ask of thy immense goodness, that, overlookingmy want of merit and gratitude, Thou permit not mySon and Lord to suffer, and that Thou turn all pains andlabor upon me, who am obliged to suffer them." TheLord referred Her to saint Joseph, bidding Her to follow his directions in all things concerning the journey.Therewith She issued from her vision, which She hadenjoyed without losing the use of her exterior senses andwhile holding in her arms the Infant Jesus. She hadbeen raised up in this vision only as to the superior partof her soul; but from it flowed other gifts, which spiritualized her senses and testified to Her that her soul waslove than in the earthly habitation ofliving more in itsher body.611. On account of the incomparable love, which theQueen bore toward her most holy Son, her maternaland compassionate heart was somewhat harrowed at thethought of the labors which She foresaw in the visionimpending upon the infant God. Shedding many tears,She left the temple to go to her lodging-place, withoutmanifesting to her spouse the cause of her sorrow. Saint

THE INCARNATION 521Joseph therefore thought that She grieved on account ofthe prophecy of Simeon. As the most faithful Josephloved Her so much, and as he was of a kind and solicitousdisposition, he was troubled to see his Spouse so tearfuland afflicted, and that She should not manifest to himthe cause of this new affliction. This disturbance of hissoul was one of thereasons why the holy angels spoketo him in sleep, as I have related above, when speakingof the pregnancy of the Queen. For in the same night,while saint Joseph was asleep, the angel of the Lordappeared to him, and spoke to him as recorded by saintMatthew: "Arise, take the Child and its Mother andfly into Egypt; there shalt thou remain until I shallreturn to give thee other advice; for Herod is seekingafter the Child in order to take awayits life." Immediately the holy spouse arose full of solicitude and sorrow, foreseeing also that of his most loving Spouse.Entering upon her retirement, he said :"My Lady, Godwills that we should be afflicted; for his holy angel hasannounced to me the pleasure and the decree of theAlmighty, that we arise and fly with the Child into Egypt,because Herod is seeking to take away its life. Encourage thyself, my Lady, to bear the labors of this journeyand tell me what I can do for thy comfort, since I holdmy life and being at the service of thy Child and ofThee."612. "Myhusband and my master," answered theQueen, we have received from the hands of the Most"ifHigh such great blessings of grace,it is meet thatwe joyfully accept temporal afflictions (Job 2, 13). Webear with us the Creator of heaven and earth ;if He hasplaced us so near to Him, what arms shall be able toharm us, even if it be the arm of Herod? Wherever wecarry with us all our Good, the highest treasure of heaven,

522 CITY OF GODour Lord, our guide and true light, there can be no desert ;but He is our rest, our portion, and our country. Allthese goods we possess in having his company;proceed to fulfill his Then most will." holy Mary andJoseph approached the crib where the Infant Jesus lay;and where He, not by chance, slept at that time. Thelet usheavenly Mother uncovered Him without awakeningHim; for He awaited those tender and sorrowful wordsof his Beloved :"Flyaway, O my Beloved, and be like theroe and the young hart upon the mountains of aromaticalspices. Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field,let us ride in the villages" (Cant. 8, 14; 7, 11). And thetender Mother added : "Sweetest Love, meekest Lamb,thy power is not limited by that of earthly kings; butThou wishest, in thy exalted wisdom, to hide it for loveof men. Who among mortals can think of taking awayto annithy life, O my God? Is it not in thy powerhilate all life? Since Thou givest life to all, why shouldmen take away thine? (John 10, 10). Since Thouvisited them in order to give them eternal life, why shouldthey wish to give Thee death? But who shall comprehend the secrets of thy Providence? (Rom. 11, 34).Allow me, then, O Lord and light of my soul, to awakenThee ;for when thou sleepest thy heart is awake."613. Some such sentiments were also expressed bysaint Joseph. Then the heavenly Mother, falling uponher knees, awakened the sweetest Infant, and took Himin her arms. Jesus, in order to move Her to greatertenderness and in order to show Himself as true man,wept a little (O wonders of the Most High in thingsaccording to our judgments so !small) Yet He wassoon again quieted and when the most;holy Mother andsaint Joseph asked his blessing He gaveit them in visiblemanner. Gathering their poor clothing into the casket

THE INCARNATION 523and loadingit on the beast of burden which they hadbrought from Nazareth, they departed shortly after midnight, and hastened without delay on their journey toEgypt, as I will relate in the following chapter.614. I will here add what I have been made to understand as to the concordance of the two Gospels of saintMatthew and saint Luke in regard to this event. For,since all of them wrote under guidance and light of theHoly Ghost, each of them knew what the other threehad written, and what they had omitted to say in theirGospels. Hence ithappened that according to divine predisposition some of the happenings of the life of Christand of the Gospel were described by all four of theEvangelists, while again some other things mentioned byone were omitted by the others. Saint Matthew describes the adoration of the Kings and the flight intoEgypt, while these events were not mentioned by saintLuke. He again describes the Circumcision, Presentation and Purification, which are omitted by saint Matthew. Thus saint Matthew, after referring to the departure of the Magi, immediately, without speaking ofthe Presentation, relates that the angel appeared to saintJoseph commanding him to fly into Egypt; but it doesnot follow therefrom that the Child had not been presented before that time in the temple, for it is certainthat this was done after the departure of the Kings andbefore the flight into Egypt, as is narrated by saint Luke.Thus, likewise, although saint Luke, after describing thePresentation and Purification, immediately mentions thatthe holy Family lived in Nazareth, we must not concludethat they had not before that time lived in Egypt: hewrites nothing of this flight into Egypt either before orafter, because it had already been recorded by saint Matthew. And this flight took place immediately after the

524 CITY OF GODPresentation before most holy Mary and Joseph returnedto Nazareth. As saint Luke had received no commission to write about this journey it was natural that, incontinuing his history, he should mention the return toNazareth immediately after the Presentation. To saythat, having fulfilled what the law commanded, they returned to Galilee, was not to deny the flight into Egypt,but it was merely continuing the narrative without mentioning the flight from Herod. Even the very text ofsaint Luke intimates that the return to Nazareth happened after their sojourn in Egypt; for he says that theChild grew and increased in wisdom, and that grace wasmanifested in Him ;which could not have been before Hehad passed the years of infancy. Hence it must havebeen after his return from Egypt, and at an age whenthe use of reason usually begins to show itself in children.615. I was also given to understand how foolish it isin the infidels or incredulous to stumble against this cornerstone of Christ even in his infancy and to take offenseat seeing Him fly to Egypt in order to defend Himselfagainst Herod as if this were on account of his weakness;and not a mystery, and as if it had happened for nohigher purpose than to defend his life against the crueltyof a wicked man. For the well-disposed souls the wordsof the Evangelist are amply sufficient: since he says ithappened in order that the prophecy of Osea mightbe fulfilled, who prophesies in the name of theeternal Father: "And I called my Son out of Egypt"(Osee 11, 1). The ends which He had in view in sending Him there and in calling Him thence are most exalted and mysterious: of these I will say something anon.If not all of the doings of the incarnate Word are equallyadmirable and sacramental, yet no one with sane judgment can dispute or ignore the sweet providence of God

THE INCARNATION 525in directing the secondary causes, while allowing- fullliberty to the human will (Eccli. 15, 14). For this reason, and not for want of power, He permits so manyidolatries, heresies and other sins, which are not anysmaller than that of Herod ;for this reason He permittedthe crime of Judas and all those which followed in thesufferings and crucifixion of Christ. Certainly He couldhave preventedall these sins and yet would not not ; onlybut also inbecause He wished to work our Redemption,order that He might secure to man freedom of his willin all his actions. He was ready to give to men thehelps and graces according to his divine Providence,whereby they could accomplish the good, if they wouldonly use their free will to attain it in the same degree asthey were usingit to follow evil.616. In this sweetness of his Providence He gives sinners time, hoping for their conversions, as in the case ofHerod. If He would use his absolute power and perform great miracles for preventing the course of secondary causes, the order of nature would be confounded,and to a certain extent He would contradict Himself inhis double role as Author of grace and as Author ofnature. Therefore, miracles must happen but rarely, andon special occasions for particular reasons, or when someend is to be served. Therefore, God reserves them forthe manifestations of his powermakes Himself known as the Author of his works bybringing them into existence and preserving them independently of creatures. Neither must we wonder thatat certain times. HeHe should consent to the death of the innocent childrenwhich Herod murdered ;for it would not have been totheir benefit to save them through a miracle, since bytheir death they were to gain eternal life together withan abundant reward, which vastly recompensed them for2-35

526 CITY OF GODthe loss of their temporal life. If they had been allowedto escape the sword and die a natural death, all wouldeventually not have been saved. The works of the Lordare just and holy in all particulars, although we do notbut we shall comealways see the reasons why they are so ;to know them in the Lord when we shall see him faceto face.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN, MOSTHOLY MARY, GAVE ME.617. My daughter, what thou must especially learnfrom this chapter is, that thou accustom thyself to humblethanksgiving for the benefits which thou receivest, sincethou, among many generations, art so specially signalizedby the riches of grace with which my Son and I visitthee without any merit of thine. I was wont to repeatmany times this verse of David : "What shall I renderto the Lord for all the things that he hath rendered tome?"(Ps. 115, 12). In such sentiments I humiliatedmyself to the dust, esteeming myself altogether uselessamong creatures. Therefore, if thou knowest what I didas Mother of God, consider what then is thy obligation,since thou must with so much truth confess thyself unworthy and undeserving of all thou receivest, and sopoorly furnished for giving thanks and for making payment. Thou must supply thy insufficiency and thymisery by offering up to the eternal Father the livinghost of his onlybegotten Son, especially when thou receivest Him in the holy Sacrament and possessest Himwithin thee : for in this thou shouldst also imitate David,who, after asking the Lord what return he should makefor all his benefits, answers : "I will take the chalice ofsalvation; and I will call upon the name of the Lord"

THE INCARNATION 527(Ps. 115, 13). Thou must accept the salvation offeredto thee and bring forth its fruits by the perfection of thyworks, calling upon the name of the Lord, offering up hisOnlybegotten. For He it is who gave the virtue ofsalvation, who merited it, who alone can be an adequatereturn for the blessings conferred upon the human raceand upon thee especially. I have given Him humanform in order that He might converse with men andof each one. He conceals Himselfbecome the propertyunder the appearances of bread and wine in order to accommodate Himself to the needs of each one, and thateach one might consider Him as his personal propertyfit to offer to the eternal Father. In this way He furnishes to each one an oblation which no one could otherwise offer, and the Most High rests satisfied with it,since there is not anything more acceptable nor anythingmore precious in the possession of creatures.618. In addition to this offering is the resignation withwhich souls embrace and bear with equanimity andpatience the labors and difficulties of mortal life. Mymost holy Son and I were eminent Masters in the practice of this doctrine. My Son began to teach it fromthe moment in which He was conceived in my womb.For already then He began to suffer,and as soon as Hewas born into the world He and I were banished byHerod into a desert, and his sufferings continued untilHe died on the Cross. I also labored to the end of mylife, as thou wilt be informed more and more in thewriting of this history. Since, therefore, We sufferedso much for creatures and for their salvation, I desirethee to imitate Us in this conformityto the divine willas being his spouse and my daughter. Suffer with amagnanimous heart, and labor to increase the possessionsof thy Lord and Master, namely, souls, which are so

528 CITY OF GODprecious in his sight and which He has purchased withhis life-blood. Never shouldst thou flyfrom labors, difficulties, bitterness and sorrows, ifby any of them thoucanst gain a soul for the Lord, or if thou canst therebyinduce it to leave the path of sin and enter the path oflife. Let not the thought that thou art so useless andpoor, or that thy desires and labor avail but little, discourage thee; since thou canst not know how the Lordwill accept of them and in how far He shall considerHimself served thereby. At least thou shouldst wish tolabor assiduously and eat no unearned bread in his house(Prov. 31, 27).

CHAPTER XXII.JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH BEGIN THE JOURNEY TO EGYPT ;ACCOMPANIED BY THE ANGEUC SPIRITS, THEY ARRIVEAT THE CITY OF GAZA.619. Our heavenly Pilgrims left Jerusalem and enteredupon their banishment while yet the silence and obscurityof night held sway. They were full of solicitude for thePledge of heaven, which they carried with them into astrange and unknown land. Although faith and hopestrengthened them (for in no other beings could thesevirtues be more firmly and securely established than inour Queen and her most faithful spouse), neverthelessthe Lord afforded them occasion for anxiety. Their lovefor the Infant Jesus would naturally excite in themanxiety and suffering on an occasion like this. Theyknew not what would happen during such a long journey,nor when it should end, nor how they would fare inEgypt, where they would be entire strangers, nor whatcomfort or convenience they would find there for raising;the Child, nor even how they would be able to ward offgreat sufferings from Him on the way to Egypt Therefore the hearts of these holy Parents were filled withmany misgivings and anxious thoughts when they partedwith so much haste from their lodging-place; but theirsorrow was much relieved when the ten thousand heavenly courtiers above mentioned again appeared to themin human forms and in their former splendor and beauty,and when they again changed the night into the brightestday for the holy Pilgrims. As they set forth from the529

530 CITY OF GODportals of the city the holy angels humiliated themselvesand adored the incarnate Word in the arms of the VirginMother. They also encouraged Her by again offeringtheir homage and service, stating that it was the will ofthe Lord that they guide and accompany Her on thejourney.620. To the afflicted heart the least consolation seemsprecious; hence this one, being in itself a great relief,comforted our Queen and her spouse Joseph very much.They therefore entered upon their journey with goodheart, choosing the way which led through the city gatein the direction of Nazareth. The heavenly Motherlonged to visit again the place of the Nativity, in orderto venerate the sacred cave and the crib, which had offeredshelter and hospitality to her most holy Son at his entrance into the world. But the holy angels, knowing ofher unspoken desires, said to Her: "OurQueen andLady, Mother of our Creator, it behooves us to hasten onour journey without any delay; for on account of theescape of the magi Kings and their failure to return toJerusalem, and on account of the words spoken by thepriest Simeon, and by Anne, the people have been rousedto attention. Some of them have begun to say that Thouart the Mother of the Messias ;others that Thou knowestof Him; and others say that thy Son is a Prophet.Various rumors are also spread about concerning thevisit of the Kings in Bethlehem, and of all these thingsHerod is informed. He has commanded that You besought after very carefully and consequently a most diligent search is being made to find You. On this accountthe Most High has commanded You to fly at night andwith so much haste."621. The Queen of heaven yielded to the will of theAlmighty thus made known to Her by the holy angels.

THE INCARNATION 531She therefore reverenced from afar the sacred place ofthe birth of her Onlybegotten, renewing the memory ofthe mysteries there wrought and the favors there received. The holy angel who stood as guard of the sacredcave approached Them on their way in visible form andadored the incarnate Word in the arms of his Mother.As She was thus allowed to see this angel and speak tohim, the heavenly Lady was rejoiced and comforted stillmore. She would have also preferred to travel by wayof Hebron; since it was only a short distance from theone they were now traveling, and Elisabeth was just atthat time in that city with her son John. But the anxietyof saint Joseph, who was more timid, prevented also thisdiversion and delay ;for he said to his heavenly Spouse :"My Lady, I think it is extremely important that we donot delay our journey even for one instant; and that wehasten as much as possible to flee from the place of danger. Therefore it will not be prudent to go to Hebron,where they will find us more easily than in any other partsof the country." "Let it be according to thy pleasure,"answered the humble Queen, "yetI wish thou give mepermission to send one of these celestial spirits to Elisabeth, in order to inform my cousin of the cause of ourflight, so that she herself may protect her son; for theso roused that it will extend to them."wrath of Herod is622. The Queen of heaven knew of the design to murder the children ;but She did not tell saint Joseph of itat that time. Here I must marvel at the obedience andhumility of most holy Mary, which was so exquisite andrare: for She obeyed saint Joseph not only in that whichhe commanded, but also in that which concerned Herselfalone, namely in the matter of sending an angel to saintElisabeth. Although She could have sent the angel bya mere wish, without even expressingit in words, She

532 CITY OF GODnevertheless preferred not to do so without permissionand in obedience to her spouse. I must confess my shameand my negligence since having before my eyes the most;pure fountain of waters, I do not satiate my thirst, norprofit by the light and the example before me, though itis so vivid, so sweet, so powerful and so attractive inteaching us all to abjure our own reprehensible wills.With the permission of saint Joseph, then most holy Marydespatched one of the principal angels of her guard, inorder to notify saint Elisabeth of what was passing. Asthe Sovereign of the angelic spirits She instructed hermessenger on this occasion what he was to sayto theholy matron and to the child John.623. The angel, according to the order and pleasure ofthe Queen, proceeded to inform the fortunate and blessedElisabeth of all these events as far as was proper. Hetold her that the Mother of God was fleeing before thewrath of Herod into Egypt, as this tyrant was nowsearching for the Child in order to kill It. He warnedhim inher to see to the safety of saint John by hidingsome place of refuge. He also manifested to her othermysteries of the incarnate Word according to the command of the heavenly Mother. The holy Elisabeth wasfilled with joy and wonder at this message, and she expressed her desire to meet and adore the Infant Jesus,and to see his Mother; asking him whether they couldbe reached. The holy angel answered that his King andLord was passing with his Mother at a distance fromHebron and could not wait for her visit ;saint Elisabeththerefore gave up her project. Overflowing with tenderand tearful affection, she asked the angel to bring affectionate greetings to the Son and Mother. The angelthen returned with his message to the Queen. SaintElisabeth immediately despatched a servant with some

THE INCARNATION 533gifts consisting in provisions, money and material forclothing the Infant. She foresaw their needs in a strangecountry and instructed the servant to overtake them withall haste. He met them in Gaza, which lies a little lessthan twenty hours from Jerusalem, on the river Besor,and on the road from Palestine to Egypt, not far fromthe Mediterranean sea.624. In this town they remained two days, for saintJoseph and the beast of burden which carried the Queenwere worn out by the fatigue of the journey. Fromthat place they sent back the servant of saint Elisabeth,one of theirtaking care to caution him not to tell anywhereabouts. But God providedstill more effectuallyagainst this danger; for He took away from this manall remembrance of what saint Joseph had charged him toconceal, so that he retained only his message to saintElisabeth. Most holy Mary expended the presents sentby Elisabeth in entertaining the poor; for She, who wasMother of the poor, could not bear to pass them byunassisted. Of the clothes sent to Her She made a cloakfor the divine Infant, and one for saint Joseph, to shelterThem from the discomforts of the season and of thejourney. She also used other things in their possessionfor the comfort of her Child and of saint Joseph. Themost prudent Virgin would not rely on miraculous assistance whenever She could provide for the daily needsby her own diligence and labor for in these matters;Shedesired to subject Herself to the natural order and dependupon her own efforts. During the two days which theyspent in that city the most pure Mary, in order to enrichit with great blessings, performed some wonderful deeds.She freed two sick persons from the danger of deathand cured their ailments. She restored to another person,a crippled woman, the use of her limbs. In the souls of

534 CITY OF GODmany, who met Her and conversed with Her, She causeddivine effects of the knowledge of God and of a changeof life. All of them felt themselves moved to praisetheir Creator. But neither Mary nor Joseph spoke aword about their native country, nor of the destinationor object of their journey; for if this information hadbeen added to the public notice caused by their wonderfulactions, the attention of Herod s agents might have beendrawn toward them, and they might have found sufficientinducement to follow them after their departure.625. Words fail me to describe what I have been madeto understand concerning the happenings during thisjourney of Jesus and Mary; moreover, I fall short ofthe sentiments of reverence and piety which such admirable mysteries would require. The arms of the mostpure Mary continually served as a delightful couch forthe new and real King Solomon (Cant. 3, 7). As Shepenetrated in spirit into the secret of the most holyhumanity of Christ, it happened sometimes that the Sonand Mother interchanged sweet colloquies and canticlesof praise in honor especially of the infinite essence of Godand of all his attributes and perfections. On these occasions the Son of God favored his sovereign Mother withnew visions of intellectual clearness, in which She perceived the unity of Essence in the three persons of God,the operations ad intra, in the generation of the Word,and in the procession of the Holy Spirit. She perceivedhow the Three are from eternity,and how the Word isgenerated by the operation of the eternal Intellect, andthe Holy Ghost is breathed forth in the operation of theWill; how there is no need of any succession of beforeor after, but how all is from eternity; and how ithappens that we conceive these operations with the idea ofduration or succession of time. She also perceived how

THE INCARNATION 535these three Persons comprehend each other byone andthe same act of understanding, and how this comprehension includes the Divinity of the incarnate Word unitedto the humanity, forming one Person, and what effectsthis union produces in the humanity.626. Filled with this exalted knowledge, the greatLady allowed her thoughts to descend from the Divinityto the humanity and composed new canticles of praiseand thanksgiving for the creation of this sacred humanity,most perfect in soul and :body the soul, in its plenitudeand all possible abundance of wisdom, gifts and gracesof the Holy Ghost; the body, most pure, and in thehighest possible degree well composed and complexioned.Then again She contemplated the exalted and heroicactivity of all his faculties, and, havingin her soulimitated Him therein. She passed on to bless and giveHim thanks for having made Her his Mother, causedHer to be conceived without sin, chosen Her out of thousands, enriched Her with all the favors and gifts of hispowerful right hand as far as was possible in a merecreature. In the exaltation and glory of these and othermysteries, the Child spoketo his Mother and She responded in words which are beyond the tongue of angelsand beyond the conception of any other created being.To all this the heavenly Lady attended without neglecting the care and comfort of her Child, giving Him nourishment at her breast three times a day, tenderly caressingHim as a Mother more attentive and loving than all otherMothers combined could be toward their children.627. At other times She said to Him sweetest:"Myand most beloved Son, permit me to speak to Thee andto manifest to Thee my desires, although Thou, my Lord,already knowest them ;permit me to be delighted in thesound of thy voice. Tell me, life of my soul and light

536 CITY OF GODof my eyes, whether the labors of this journey arefatiguing Thee, whether the rigors of the season and ofthe weather cause Thee affliction, and what I can do forthy service and for relief."thy And the divine Infantanswered: "All the labors, O Mother, and all fatigueare most light and sweet to Me, since Iundergo them forthe honor of my eternal Father and for the instructionand Redemption of men, especially in thy company."The Child wept a few times, yet in great serenity andin the manner of a grown-up and perfect man; andimmediately the loving Mother sought the interior causeof these tears, findingit in his soul. She understoodthat they were tears of love and compassion for the salvation of men and caused by their ingratitude in this sor;row and weeping the sweetest Mother imitated Him.She was wont to answer his tearful plaints like a compassionate turtledove lovingly caressing and soothing Himas his affectionate Mother, and kissing Him with matchless reverence. The fortunate Joseph often witnessed thesedivine mysteries; and shared in some of the enlightenments, thus consoling himself for the hardships of thejourney. At other times he would converse with hisSpouse as they journeyed along, asking Her frequentlywhether She desired any service for Herself or for theChild ;or he would approach and adore the Infant, kissing his feet and asking his blessing, and sometimes takingHim in his arms. By these little offices of kindness thegreat Patriarch sweetened his labors, being at the sametime consoled and encouraged by his, heavenly Spouse.To all things She attended with a magnanimous heart,being hindered neither by her interior prayer, nor by herexalted and fervent contemplation, from attending to thecorporal affairs; for in all things She was most perfect.

THE INCARNATION 537INSTRUCTION GIVEN BY MY HEAVENLY MOTHER ANDMISTRESS.628. My dearest daughter, for thy instruction andimitation I wish, in what thou hast written, that thoutake as an examplethe affectionate wonder which thedivine light caused in my soul at seeing my most holySon subject Himself to the inhuman fury of wicked men,such as was shown by Herod in this occasion of ourflight from his wrath and afterwards by the perverseservants of the high priests and magistrates. In all theworks of the Most High his greatness, goodness andinfinite wisdom shine forth. But, since my understanding, by means of the most exalted inspiration, penetratedso deeply into the very essence of God in the person ofthe Word united to the Divinity, and since I knew thatmy most holy Son was the eternal, all-powerful, infiniteCreator and Preserver of all things, and that this iniquitous king depended for his life and existence entirelyupon this very beneficence, I was particularly struck withwonder to see the most sacred humanity pray and beseechhis eternal Father to confer upon Herod, at this verytime, enlightenment, help and blessing; to see my Son,who had it so much in his power to punish him, by hisprayers prevent the full measure of chastisement whichhe deserved. Although Herod spurpose was frustrated,yet this obstinate reprobate was visited with less chastisement than would have been given to him if my holySon had not prayed for him. All this, and whateverelse is contained in this matchless mercy and kindness ofJesus, I sought to imitate; for as a Teacher He taughtme thus early what He afterwards inculcated by hisactions, words and example concerningthe love ofenemies (Matth. 5, 44). When I perceive how he con-

538 CITY OF GODcealed and disguised his infinite power, and how, beingthe invincible Lion, He became a meek and humble Lamb(Is. 5, 29), amidst the fury of ravenous wolves, myheart was overwhelmed and my faculties failed me in theardent desire of loving Him, imitating and followingHim in his love, charity, patience and meekness.629. This example I place before thee for thy constant imitation, so that thou mayest understand to whatextremes thou must be willing to bear and suffer, forgiveand love all who offend thee ;for neither thou nor othercreatures are innocent and without fault, and many areburdened with numerous and oft-repeated sins, by whichthey have merited all offenses and insults. Now, if persecutions afford thee the advantage of imitating Him,why shouldst thou not esteem them as a great blessing?Why shouldst thou not love those who give thee occasionnot thank themto practice this highest perfection, whyfor this benefit, and hold them not as enemies but asbenefactors, who afford thee a chance to obtain what isof so much importance for thy welfare On ? account ofthe object-lesson contained in this history, thou wilt notbe without guilt if thou fallshort in this matter; for thedivine light, and all that thou perceivest and understandestthrough it, is as it were before thy eyes,living example.as in a

CHAPTER XXIII.JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH PURSUE THEIR JOURNEY FROMTHE CITY OF GAZA TO HEUOPOUS IN EGYPT.630. On the third day after our Pilgrims had touchedGaza, they departed from that city for Egypt. Soonleaving the inhabited parts of Palestine, they entered thesandy deserts of Bersabe, which they were obliged totraverse for sixty leagues in order to arrive and take theirabode in Heliopolis, the present Cairo in Egypt. Thisjourney through the desert consumed a number of days,for the distance they could travel each day was but short,not only on account of the laborious progress over thedeep sand, but also on account of the hardships occasioned by the want of shelter. There were many incidents on their way through this solitude I will mention;some of them, from which others can be conjectured;for it is not necessary to relate all of them. In orderto understand how much Mary and Joseph and also theInfant Jesus suffered on their pilgrimage,it must beremembered that the Almighty permitted his Onlybegotten,with his most holy Mother and saint Joseph, tosuffer the inconveniences and hardships naturally connected with travel through this desert. And althoughthe heavenly Lady made no complaints, yet She wasmuch afflicted, which was also true of her most faithfulhusband. For both of them suffered many personal inconveniences and discomforts, while the Mother, in addition thereto, was afflicted still more on account of thesufferings of her Son and of saint Joseph and the latter;539

540 CITY OF GODwas deeply grieved not to be able by his diligence andcare to ease the hardships of the Child and his Spouse.631. During all this journey of sixty leagues throughthe desert they had no other night-shelter than the skyand open air ; moreover, it was in the time of winter, forthis journey took place in the month of February, onlysix days after the Purification, as was indicated in thelast chapter. In the first night on these sandy plainsthey rested at the foot of a small hill, this being the onlyprotection they could find. The Queen of heaven withthe Child in her arms seated Herself on the earth, andwith her husband She ate of the victuals brought withthem from Gaza. The Empress of heaven also nursedthe Infant Jesus at her breast and He on his part rejoiced his Mother and her husband by his contentment.In order to furnish them with some kind of shelteragainst the open air, however narrow and humble itmight be, saint Joseph formed a sort of tent for the divineWord and most holy Mary by means of his cloak andsome sticks. During that night the ten thousand angelswho, full of marvel, assisted these earthly Pilgrims invisible human shapes, formed a guard around their Kingand Queen. The great Lady perceived that her divineSon offered up to the eternal Father the hardships andlabors both of Himself and of Mary and Joseph. Inthese prayers and in the other acts of his deified Soul, theQueen joined him for the greater part of the night. Thedivine Infant slept for a short time in her arms, whileShe continued wakeful and engaged in heavenly colloquies with the Most High and his angels.Saint Josephslept upon the ground, resting his head upon the chest,which contained the clothing and other articles of theirbaggage.632. On the next day they pursued their journey and

THE INCARNATION 541their little store of fruit and bread was soon exhausted,so that they began to suffer great want and to feel thehunger. Although Joseph was more deeply concerned,yet both of them felt this privation very much. On oneof the first days of their journey they partook of nosustenance until nine o clock at night, not having anymore even of the coarse and poor food which until thenhad sustained them in their hardships and labor. Asnature demanded some refreshment after the exertionand weariness of travel, and as there was no way ofsupplying their want by natural means, the heavenly Ladyaddressed Herself to the Most High in these words:"Eternal, great and powerful God, I give Thee thanksand bless Thee for thy magnificent bounty and also;that,without my merits, only on account of thy merciful condescension, Thou gavest me life and being and preservestme in it, though I am but dust and a useless creature. Ihave not made a proper return for all these benefits;therefore how can I ask for myself what I cannot repay?But, my Lord and Father, look upon thy Onlybegottenand grant me what is necessary to sustain my naturallife and also that of my spouse, so that I may serve thyMajesty and thy Word made flesh for the salvation ofmen."633. In order that the clamors of the sweetest Mothermight proceed from yet greater tribulation, the MostHigh permitted the elements to afflict them more thanat other times and in addition to the sufferings causedby their fatigue, destitution and hunger. For therearose a storm of wind and rain, which harassed andblinded them by its fury. This hardship grievedstillmore the tender-hearted and loving Mother on accountof the delicate Child, which was not yet fifty days old.Although She tried to cover and protect Him as much2-36

542 CITY OF GODas possible, yet She could not prevent Him from feelingthe inclemency of the weather, so that He shed tears andshivered from the cold in the same manner as otherchildren are wont to do. Then the anxious Mother,making use of her power as Queen and Mistress of creatures, commanded the elements not to afflict their Creator, but to afford Him shelter and refreshment, andwreak their vengeance upon Her alone. And, as relatedonce before, at the occasion of the birth of Christ andof the journey to Jerusalem, again the wind immediatelymoderated and the storm abated, not daring to approachthe Mother and Child. In return for this loving foreto assistthought, the Infant Jesus commanded his angelshis kindest Mother and tothe inclemency of the weather. They immediately comserve Her as a shield againstplied and constructed a resplendent and beautiful globeround about and over their incarnate God, his Motherand her spouse. In this they were protected and defended more effectually than all the wealthy and powerful of the world in their palaces and rich garments. Thesame they did several times during the journey throughthedesert.634. Nevertheless, they were in want of food, andthey were destitute of other things unprovidable by theirown mere human effort. But the Lord allowed themto fall into this need in order that, listening to the acceptable prayers of his Spouse, He might make provision also for this by the hands of the angels. Theybrought them delicious bread and well-seasoned fruits,and moreover a most delicious drink; all of which theyadministered and served with their own hands. Thenall of them together sang hymns of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, who gives food to all creatures atopportune times, in order that the poor may eat and be

THE INCARNATION 543filled (Ps. 135, 25) whose eyes and hopes are fixed uponhis kingly providence and bounty. Of such a kind wasthe delicate feast, with which the Lord regaled his threeexiled Wanderers in the desert of Bersabe (III Kings19, 3), for it was the same desert in which Elias, fleeingfrom Jezabel, was comforted by the hearth cake, broughtto him by the angel in order that he might travel toHoreb mount. Yet neither this bread, nor the bread andmeat, which once before the ravens had miraculouslybrought him every morning and evening at the torrent ofCarith, nor the manna which fell from heaven for theIsraelites, although it was called the bread of angels anddropped from heaven, nor the quails, which were carriedto them by the African winds ;nor the cloud-tent, whichovershadowed them ;none of all these could be comparedto the succor and relief which the Lord afforded to hisOnlybegotten and to his Mother and saint Joseph. Forthese favors were not to be conferred upon a prophet, orupon an ungrateful and unthinking people but; they wereintended for the nourishment and protection of a Godincarnate, for his true Mother: they were intended forthe preservation of the natural life of Christ, on whichdepended the eternal life of the whole human race. Butif this food was worthy of the excellence of those whowere invited, so was also the thanksgiving and gratitudeworthy of the blessings conferred. In order that all thismight be so much the more opportune, the Lord permitted the necessity to become extreme and thus naturallycall into play the assistance of heaven.635. Let the poor rejoice in this example,hungry confide, let the destitute take new courage, letnone complain of divine Providence, no matter howafflicted and needy they may find themselves to be. Whenhas the Lord ever failed him who hoped in his assistance ?let the

544 CITY OF GOD(Ps. 17, 31). When has He ever turned awayhis countenance from his afflicted and needy children? We arebrothers of his only Son incarnate, children and heirsof his blessings, and also children of his kindest Mother.Why, then, ye children of God and of this most holyMother, do you continue to distrust such Parents in yourpoverty? Why do you deprive them of this honor, andyourselves of the privilege of being assisted and sustainedby Them? Come, come to Them with humble confidence, so that They may look upon you with the eyes ofParents and listen to your crying needs. The arms ofthis Lady are stretched out toward the poor and herhands opened for the needy. And you, ye rich of thisworld, why will you confide so much in your uncertainriches, at the imminent danger of losing your faith, ofpiling up for yourselves heaviest cares and sorrows asmentioned by the Apostle? By your avarice youfail toconduct yourselves as children of God or of his Mother;by your actions you make of yourselves spurious offsprings; for legitimate children confide in the care andlove of their parents, and abhor trusting in others, whoare not only strangers but enemies. These truths aremanifest to me by the divine light and charity compelsme thus to speak.636. The most high Father not only provided nourishment for our Pilgrims, but also visible relief against thetediousnees of this journey and continued solitude. Ithappened a few times, when the heavenly Lady rested onthe ground from her fatigue, that, as on other occasions,a great multitude of birds came flying towards Her fromthe mountains. By the sweetness of their warbling andthe variety of their plumage they sought to entertain anddelight Her, perching on her shoulders and hands withsigns of great joy. The most prudent Queen gently

AndTHE INCARNATION 545received them and invited them to acknowledge theirCreator by their songs and to be thankful for his havingcreated them so beautiful and arrayed them in theirgorgeous plumage, given them the air and the earthfor their enjoyment, and provided them with daily foodand sustenance. The birds responded to her exhortations with joyous movements and sweet warblings, whilethe loving Mother joined them with still more sweet andmelodious songs for the Infant Jesus, extolling and blessing Him, and acknowledging Him as her God and herSon, and as the Author of all these wonders. Also theholy angels took part in these colloquies so full of sweetness, and alternated their offerings of praise with that ofthe great Lady and of these simple birds. All this produced a harmony more perceptible by the spirit than bythe senses, and of admirable concord for the rationalsoul.637. At other times the heavenly Princess conversedwith the Child and said :love and"My light of mysoul, how can I diminish thy labor ? How can I relieveThee of thy hardships? What can I do to lighten thesufferings of this journey? O would that I could carryThee, not in my arms, but in my bosom and make forThee a soft couch in my heart, in order that Thou mayestrest there without fatigue!" the sweetest Jesusreplied beloved : "My Mother, very easily do I rest inthy arms while making this journey, and reclining onthy breast, I am delighted by thy affection, and entertained by thy words." Sometimes the Son and Motherconversed with each other interiorly; and these conversations were so exalted and divine that our words cannot express them. Saint Joseph shared in many of thesemysteries and consolations; and thus he eased his journey, forgot his hardships, feeling within himself the

546 CITY OF GODdelight and sweetness of such companionship. Yet hedid not hear or perceive what the Child said audibly tohis Mother; for at that time of the life of Jesus thisfavor was reserved for Her alone, as I have alreadyremarked above. In this manner our Exiles proceededon their way to Egypt.INSTRUCTION VOUCHSAFED BY TH MOST HOLY MARY,OUR IvADY.638. My daughter, justalso know how to trust in Him, so those who do notas those who know the Lordhope in his goodness and immense love have no perfectknowledge of the Majesty of God. On account of thewant of faith and hope, this love also is deficient; for wereadily place our love in whom we have confidence andwhom we esteem. In this error lies the source of all thedamage done to mortals for; they have such a low conception of the infinite bounty, which gave them being andwhich preserves them, that they fail to place full confidence in their God. Failing in this, they also fail in thelove due to Him and they divert it toward the creatures.They esteem in them what they are seeking, namelypower, riches, vain honor and ostentation. Although thefaithful can remedy these injurious influences by faithand hope, yet they allow these virtues to remain dead,and unused, and debase themselves to the level of worthless creatures. Those who have riches, trust in them, andthose who have none, greedily haste after them; someprocure them by very reprehensible ways and means;some confide in influential persons, praising and flatteringthem. And thus ithappens that very few seek the Lordin such a way as to deserve his providential care; veryfew trust in God and acknowledge Him as their Father,

THE INCARNATION 547who is willing* to provide for his children, who will nourish and sustain them without fail in all necessities.639. This deceitful error has filled the earth with loversof the world ;has filled it with avarice and concupiscenceagainst the law of the Creator; has made men insane intheir desires; for all of them commonly strive after richesand earthly possessions; claiming thereby merely tosatisfy their needs, which is only a pretext for hidingtheir want of interest in higher things. In reality theylie to themselves abominously, since they are seeking thesuperfluous not what is ; really necessary, but what ministers to worldly pride. If men would confine their desires to what is really necessary,it would be unreasonableto put any confidence in creatures instead of placing itin God alone, who ineffably provides even for the youngravens with no less solicitude than if their Growings wereprayers sent up to their Creator for help (Prov. 28, 8).Secure in this confidence, I was not alarmed in my exileand prolonged journey. Since I trusted in the Lord,He provided for me in the time of my need. Thou also,my daughter, who art aware of this exalted Providence,shouldst not afflict thyself in the time of need, nor neglectthy duties in order to make provision for them, nor confide in human efforts, nor in creatures. After havingdone what is required of thee, the most efficacious meansis to confide in the Lord, without being disturbed or confused; hope patiently, even when helpis somewhat delayed. It will always be at hand at a time when it willdo most good, and when the paternal love of the Lordcan manifest itself most conveniently and openly. Thus itin the time of ourhappened with me and my spousedestitution and necessity.640. Those that do not bear with adversity and donot put up with privations, who turn toward dried up

548 CITY OF GODcisterns (Jer. 2, 5), trusting in deceit and in the powerfulof this world; those that are not moderate in theirdesires and greedily covet what is unnecessaryfor thesustenance of life; those that anxiously cling to what theypossess, fearing that itmay be diminished and withholding the alms due to the poorall of them have reasons to;dread lest divine Providence, showing Itself just as niggardly in caring for them as they are in their confidenceand in their charities to the poor, deprive them of whatthey could otherwise easily expect to receive at its hands.But the Father in heaven, who lets the sun rise over thejust and the unjust (Matth. 5, 45), and lets the rain fallon the good and the bad, nevertheless helps all, givingthem life and nourishment. However, just as his blessings are distributed to the good and to the bad, so alsoit cannot be a rule with God to give greater temporalgoods to the good and less to the bad. On the contraryHe prefers that the chosen and predestined ones be poor(James 2, 5), both because they thus gain more meritand reward, and because there are few who know howto use wealth properly and who can retain it withoutinordinate greed. Although my most holy Son and Ihad nothing to fear from this danger, yet He wished tofurnish this example to men and to teach them thisscience, through which eternal life comes to them.

CHAPTER XXIV.THE HOLY TRAVELERS, JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH,ARRIVE IN EGYPT, AND AFTER SOME WANDERINGS THEYCOME TO HEUOPOUS, WHERE GREAT MIRACLES AREWROUGHT.641. I have already mentioned that the flight of theincarnate Word contained other mysteries and aimed atmore exalted ends than to evade Herod and his persecution. The flight into Egypt was to afford the infantSavior an occasion of visiting that country and performing the miracles spoken of by the ancient Prophets. Isaiasmore expressly prophesies of them, when he says: thatthe Lord shall ascend upon a swift cloud and enter intoEgypt; that the idols of Egypt shall be moved at hispresence and that the heart of the Egyptians shall meltin the midst thereof (Is. 19, 1). These and other thingscontained in this prophecy happened at the time of thebirth of Christ our Lord. Yet, passing over what doesnot pertain to my purpose, I wish to say that, continuingtheir pilgrimage in the manner already described, Jesus,Mary and Joseph arrived in the populated districts ofEgypt. Before They came to the place of their abodein Heliopolis, They were conducted by the angels, according to the ordainment of the Most High, in a roundabout way, so that They might pass through manyplaces, where God wished his miracles and blessings tobe wrought for the good of the Egyptians. Thus it camethat They consumed in this journey more than fiftydays; and the distance of their journey from Bethlehem549

550 CITY OF GODor Jerusalem amounted to more than two hundredleagues, while by a direct route such long-protractedtravel would not have been necessary.and its con642. Egypt was much given to idolatrycomitant superstition. Even the small villages of thiscountry were full of idols. In many of these placestemples had been built, where the demons dwelt; andthe inhabitants, instructed by these devils, gathered inthem to offer services and sacrifices in their honor, whilethe demons answered their prayers by oracles, thusobtaining full control of this foolish and superstitiousnation. Steeped in these deceits, they lived on in sucherror and subjection to the demons, that only the strongarm of the Lord (whichis the incarnate Word) could rescue these forsaken people and deliver them from the oppression of Lucifer. It was a harder and more dangerousslavery than that in which the Egyptians had held thepeople of Israel (Exod. 1, 11). In order to obtain thisdeliverance and enlighten those that were living in theregion and the shadows of death (Luke 1, 79), and inorder that they might see the great light spoken of byIsaias (Is. 9, 2), the Most High ordained that theSun of justice, Christ (Mai. 4, 2), shortly after his birth,should appear in Egypt in the arms of his most fortunateMother, and that He should journey and pass throughthis country, illumining it everywhere by the power ofhis divine light.643. So then the Infant Jesus, with his Mother andsaint Joseph, reached the inhabited country of Egypt.On entering the towns the divine Infant, in the arms ofhis Mother, raised his eyes and his hands to the Fatherasking for the salvation of these inhabitants held captiveby satan. And immediately He made use of his sovereign and divine power and drove the demons from the

THE INCARNATION 551idols and hurled them to the infernal abyss. Like lightning flashed from the clouds they darted forth and descended to the lowermost caverns of hell and darkness(Luke 10, 4). At the same instant the idols crashed tothe ground, the altars fell to pieces, and the templescrumbled to ruins. The cause of these marvelouseffects were known to the heavenly Lady, for She unitedher prayers with those of her most holy Son as Co-operatrixof his salvation. Saint Joseph also knew this to bethe work of the incarnate Word; and He praised andextolled Him in holy admiration. But the demons,although they felt the divine power, knew not whencethis power proceeded.644. The Egyptian people were astounded at theseinexplicable happenings; although among the morelearned, ever since the sojourn of Jeremias in Egypt, anancient tradition was current that a King of the Jewswould come and that the temples of the idols would bedestroyed. Yet of this prophecy the common people hadno knowledge, nor did the learned know how it wasto be fulfilled : and therefore the terror and confusionwas spread amongall of them, as was prophesied byIsaias (Is. 9, 1). In this disturbance and fear, some,reflecting on these events, came to our great Lady andsaint Joseph ; and, in their curiosity at seeing thesestrangers in their midst, they also spoke to them aboutthe ruin of their temples and their idols. Making useof this occasion the Mother of wisdom began to undeceivethese people, speaking to them of the true God and teaching them that He is the one and only Creator of heavenand earth, who is alone to be adored, and acknowledgedas God; that all others are but false and deceitful gods,nothing more than the wood, or clay, or metal of whichthey are made, having neither eyes, nor ears, nor any

552 CITY OF GODpower; that the same artisans that made them, and anyother man, could destroy them at pleasure; since anyman is more noble and powerful than they; that theoracles which they gave forth were answers of the lyingand deceitful demons within them; and that the latterhad no power, since there is but one true God.645. The heavenly Lady was so sweet and kind inher words, and at the same time so full of life andforce; her appearance was so charming, and all her intercourse was accompanied by such salutary effects, thatthe rumor of the arrival of these strange Pilgrims quicklyspread about in the different towns, and many peoplegathered to see and hear Them. Moreover, the powerful prayers of the incarnate Word wrought a change ofhearts, and the crumbling of the idols caused an incredible commotion among these people, instilling into theirminds knowledge of the true God and sorrow for theirsins without their knowing whence or through whomthese blessings came to them. Jesus, Mary and Josephpursued their way through many towns of Egypt, performing these and many other miracles, driving out thedemons not only from the idols, but out of many bodiespossessed by them, curing many that were grievously anddangerously ill, enlightening the hearts by the doctrinesof truth and eternal life.By these temporal benefits andothers, so effectual in moving the ignorant, earthlymindedpeople, many were drawn to listen to the instructions of Mary and Joseph concerning a good and salutarylife.646. They arrived at Hermopolis, which lies in thedirection of the Thebaid, and is called by some the cityof Mercury. In it there were many idols infested bypowerful demons. One of them .dwelt in a tree at theentrance of the city ;for the neighboring inhabitants had

egunTHE INCARNATION 553to venerate this tree on account of its size andbeauty, whence the demon had taken occasion to erect hisseat in it. When the incarnate Word came within sightof this tree, not only was the demon hurled from his seatand cast into hell, but the tree bowed down to the ground,as if rejoiced by its good fortune ;for even the senselesscreatures testified how tyrannical is the dominion of thedevil. This miraculous reverence of the trees happenedat other times during this journey of Christ, althoughthese incidents are not all recorded. But the memory ofthis event remained for centuries, for the leaves andfruits of this tree cured many sicknesses. Of this miraclesome authors make mention, as well as of others in othercities visited by the incarnate Word and his Mother(Nicephor 1, 10, c. 31; Sozomen 1, 5, c. 20; BrocardII, c. 4). There is to this day a traditional fountain nearCairo from which the heavenly Lady drew water for Herself and the Child, and for washing his clothes; all thisrests on truth and the veneration for these wonders andthese places still lives, not only among the faithful whovisit the holy places, but also among the infidels, whothere occasionally obtain temporal benefits from the handsof the Lord. For also the infidels sometimes obtain certain favors, in order that the Lord may be justified before them, or in order that the memory of his wondersmay be preserved. But it is not necessary to speak ofthem especially just now since the; principal wondersduring the stay of our Lord in Egypt were wrought inHeliopolis, which, not without mysterious import, wascalled city of the sun, and is now called Cairo, the grand.647. In writing of these wonders, I asked the greatin astonishment how She could have traveled withQueenthe Child through so many strange provinces and cities?For itappeared to me that She thereby prolonged exceed-

554 CITY OF GODingly the labors and hardships of their journey. Andour Lady replied:"Do not wonder that my most holySon and I journeyed so far in order to gain souls. Forthe sake of even one soul, if possible, and if there wouldbe no other way, We would willingly traverse the wholeworld." If what Jesus and Mary did for the salvationof us men does seem great to us, it is because we do notunderstand the immensity of their love,and because weunderstand just as little how to make a proper return forsuch love.648. On account of these strange happenings when somany of the demons were driven by a new and unwontedpower to populate hell, Lucifer was highly disturbed.Furiously enraged, He issued forth into the world inorder to investigate the cause of such unlocked for events.He roamed about through all Egypt, where so manytemples and altars of his idols had been overthrown; andreaching Heliopolis, the largest of the cities and the sceneof the greatest destruction in his dominions, he soughtto ascertain with the utmost anxiety what kind of peopledwelt therein. He found nothing new, except that mostholy Mary had arrived in the city. Of the Infant Jesushe made no account, deeming Him a child just like allthe rest of that age, for he knew nothing particular aboutHim. But as he had been so often vanquished by thevirtues and holiness of the Virgin Mother, he was seizedhe considered a womanwith new consternation ; althoughfar too insignificant for such great works, yet he resolvedHer hisanew to persecute Her and to stir up againstassociates in wickedness.649. He therefore returned immediately to hell and,calling a meeting of the princes of darkness, told themof the destruction of the temples and idols in Egypt. Forthese demons had been hurled by the divine power from

THE INCARNATION 555their habitations with such suddenness, confusion andtorment that at their departure they were unable to ascertain the fate of the idols and temples which they wereforced to leave. Lucifer, informing them of all that hadhappened, and that he feared the destruction of his reignin Egypt, told them that he could not ascertain or understand what was the cause of this ruin, since he had foundthere only that Woman, his enemy (for so the dragoncalled most holy Mary) ;and though he knew that herpower was extraordinary, yet he did not presumebe so great as to account for such portents. Nevertheless, he wished them to begin a new war against Her, andit tothat all should prepare themselves for it. The satellitesof Lucifer proclaimed their readiness to obey, trying toconsole him in his desperate fury and promising him victory, as if their forces were as great as their arrogance(Is. 16, 6).650. Many legions of devils accordingly sallied forthfrom hell and betook themselves to the place where theQueen of heaven was at that time. As they suspectedthat God had used the most holy Mary as his instrumentin causing all their losses in that unfortunate country,they thought they could make up for their defeat andrestore their dominion if they succeeded in 1overcomingHer. But they were astonished to find that when theyattempted to approach Her in order to begin their diabolical temptations, they could not come nearer to Herthan a distance of two thousand paces; for they wererestrained by the divine power, which they perceivedissuing forth from the heavenly Lady herself. AlthoughLucifer and the hostile bands struggled violently, theywere paralyzed and as if bound in strong and tormentingshackles, without being able to reach the most unconquerable Queen while She witnessed their;struggles, holding

556 CITY OF GODin her arms the omnipotence of God himself. As Lucifer persevered in his attempts, he was suddenly hurledinto the abyss of hell with all his squadrons and wickedspirits. This defeat and ruin filled the dragon with vasttorment and anxiety, and as the like had overtaken himrepeatedly since the Incarnation, he began to have newmisgivings, whether the Messias had not come into theworld. But since he knew nothing of the mystery, andexpected the Messias to come in great splendor and renown, he remained in uncertainty and doubt, full of tormenting fury and wrath. He was consumed with thedesire to find out the cause of his sufferings, and the morehe inquired the more was he involved in darkness andso much the less did he ascertain of the true cause.INSTRUCTION GIVEN ME BY THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN,MOST HOLY MARY.651. My daughter, great and above all else to be esteemed, is the consolation of the faithful friends of mymost holy Son, when they with lively faith and assuranceare permitted to serve the Lord of lords and the God ofgods, who alone holds power and dominion over all creation and who triumphs and reigns over his enemies. Inthis feeling of assurance the intellect is delighted, thememory is recreated, the will is rejoiced and all thepowers of the devout soul enjoy the sweetness of themost exalted activity. For they are entirely taken upwith this supreme Goodness, Holiness and infinite Power,which has need of none outside Itself and whose willgoverns all created things (II Mach. 14, 35, Apoc. 4, 11).O how many thousandfold blessings do those creatureslose who, forgetful of their true happiness, employallthe time of their life and all their powers in attending

THE INCARNATION 557upon visible things, pursuing the momentary pleasuresand seeking the apparent and deceitful goods of thisworld! In the knowledge and light vouchsafed to theeI would wish, my daughter, that thou withdraw thyselffrom this danger, and that thy intellect and memoryoccupy themselves continually with the reality of the existence of thy God. In this endless sea, engulf and annihilate thyself, repeating without cessation : "Who is liketo God our Lord, that dwells on high and looks upon thehumble in heaven and on earth?"(Ps. 112, 5). Whois like to Him, that isalmighty and depends upon no one ?that humbles the proud, and casts down those whom theblind world calls powerful, that triumphs over the demonand hurls him to the abyss?652. In order that thy heart may dilate so much themore upon these truths and attain a greater power overthe enemies of the Most High and of thyself, I wish that,as far as is possible, thou imitate me, glorying in thevictories and triumphs of his mighty arm and seekingthyself to have a share in those which he gains over thiscruel dragon. No created tongue, not that of the seraphim, can describe what my soul felt when I beheld mymost holy Son working such wonders against his enemiesfor the benefit of the souls blinded and terrorized bytheir errors and for the exaltation and honor of the MostHigh. In this jubilation I magnified the Lord; and incompany with my Son Icomposed new hymns of praiseas his Mother and as Spouse of the Holy Ghost. Thouart a daughter of the holy Church and a spouse of mymost blessed Son, favored by his : itgraceis thereforejust that thou be zealous in acquiring this glory andhonor for Him, striving against his enemies and battlingfor the triumphs of thy Spouse.2-37

CHAPTER XXV.IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DIVINE WILL, JESUS, MARYAND JOSEPH SETTLE DOWN TO DWELL NEAR THE CITYOF HELIOPOLIS AND THEY REGULATE THEIR DAILYLIFE DURING THEIR BANISHMENT.653. The traditions, which in many parts of Egyptkept alive the remembrance of wonders wrought by theincarnate Word, gave rise to differences of opinion amongthe sacred and other writers in regard to the city, inwhich our Exiles lived during their stay in Egypt. Someof them assert that they dwelt in this city, some in another. But all of them may be right and in accordancewith facts, since each one may be speaking of a differentperiod of the sojourn of our Pilgrims in Memphis, orBabylon of Egypt, or in Matarieh; for they visited notonly these cities, but many others. I for my part havebeen informed that they passed through these and thenreached Heliopolis, where they took up their abode.Their holy guardian angels instructed the heavenly Queenand saint Joseph, that They were to settle in this city.For, besides the ruin of the temples and idols, which,just as in other places, took place at their arrival here,the Lord had resolved to perform still other miracles forhis glory and for the rescue of souls ;and the inhabitantsof this city,(according to the good fortune already prognosticated in its name as "Cityof the Sun"),were tosee the Sun of justice and grace arise over them and shineupon them. Following these orders, saint Joseph soughtto purchase for a suitable price some dwelling in the558

THE INCARNATION 559neighborhood and the Lord ordained that he should find;a poor and humble, yet serviceable house, at small distance from the city, just such as the Queen of heavendesired.654. Having therefore found this dwelling near Heliopolis,they took their abode therein. At the first entrance of the heavenly Lady with her divine Son andsaint Joseph, She prostrated Herself to the ground, kissing it in profound humility and lovingly thanking theMost High for having secured them this place of restafter their prolonged and laborious journeyings. Shethanked also the earth and the elements for bearing withHer, since in her matchless humility She persisted inesteeming Herself unworthy of all favors. She adoredthe immutable being of God in this prostration, dedicating all that She was to do in this place to his honor andworship. Interiorly She made a sacrifice of all herpowers and faculties, offering to assume readily and withjoy all the labors by which the Almighty could be servedduring her exile for in her; prudence She foresaw andaffectionately embraced them all.By means of herdivine knowledge She set a great value on sufferings ;understanding how highly they are esteemed at the divinetribunal, and how her most holy Son looked upon themas a rich treasure and inheritance. Having performedthese exalted acts of devotion, She set about humbly toclean and arrange the poor little house, borrowing theinstruments for this purpose. Although our heavenlystrangers were thus sufficiently provided with the shelterof bare walls, they were in want of all else pertaining tothe sustenance and comfort of daily life. As they nowlived in an inhabited country, the miraculous assistance,which they had enjoyed in the desert through the ministry of the angels,failed them; and the Lord left them

560 CITY OF GODto the last resource of the poor, namely, the begging ofalms. Having come to these straits of suffering hunger,saint Joseph went forth to seek this kind of assistancefor the love of God; giving thereby an example to thepoor not to complain of their affliction and, all othermeans failing, not to be ashamed to have recourse to thisexpedient For so early the Lord of all creation allowedHimself to fall into this extreme of being obliged to begfor his sustenance, in order that He might have anoccasion to return the alms a hundredfold.655. During the first three days of their arrival inHeliopolis, just as in other places of Egypt, the Queenhad for Herself and for her Onlybegotten no other sustenance than what was begged by his foster father saintJoseph. When he began to earn some wages by hiswork, he made an humble couch for the Mother and acradle for her Son; while he himself had as a restingplaceonly the bare ground for the house was without;any furniture until by his own labor he succeeded inmaking some of the most indispensable pieces for theconvenience of all three. In this connection I must notpass over in silence the fact that in their extreme povertyand need most holy Mary and Joseph regretted not theirhouse in Nazareth, nor thought of the aid of their relations and friends, nor of the gifts of the kings, whichthey had given away and which, if they had saved them,would now be useful. All of these regrets were far fromtheir minds, nor did they complain of the great privationand destitution, thinking of the past or worrying abouttheir future. But they bore all with incomparableequanimity, joy and tranquillity, resigning themselves tothe divine Providence in their extreme need and poverty.O smallness of our unfaithful hearts! In what excruciating anxieties we are apt to be cast at finding ourselves

THE INCARNATION 561threatened with poverty or privation! Immediately webegin to rail at occasions lost, at having missed or neglected this or that advantage, or at not having done thisor that, by which we would have evaded our misfortunes.All these complaints are vain and most foolish, since theycan bring no relief.Although it would have been goodif we had not committed the sins by which we are thuspunished, yet very often we are sorry for them only onaccount of the temporal disadvantages, and not for theguilt connected with sin. Slow and stupid of heart arewe to perceive the spiritual things conducive to our justification and growth in grace (Luke 24, 25) while on;theother hand we are full of fleshly and earthly rashness inentering upon temporal affairs and anxieties. The example of our Exiles is indeed a severe reprimand for ourlow-minded earthliness.656. The most prudent Lady and her spouse, forsakenand destitute of all temporal help, accommodated themselves joyfully to the poverty of their little dwelling.the three rooms, which it contained, they assigned oneto be the sanctuary or temple of the Infant Jesus underthe tender care of the most pure Mother; there theyplaced the cradle and her bare couch, until, after somedays, by the labor of the holy spouse, and through thekindness of some pious women, they could obtain wherewith to cover it. Another room was set aside for thesleeping place and oratory of saint Joseph. The thirdserved as a workshop for plying his trade. In view oftheir great poverty, and of the great difficulty of sufficientemployment as a carpenter, the great Lady resolved toassist him by the work of her hands to earn a livelihood.She immediately executed her resolve by seeking to obtainneedlework through the intervention of the pious women,who, attracted by her modesty and sweetness, were be-37Of

562 CITY OF GODginning to have intercourse with Her. As all that Sheattended to or busied Herself with was so perfect, thereputation of her skill soon spread about, so that Shenever was in want of employment whereby to eke outthe slender means of livelihood for her Son, the true Godand man.657. In order to obtain the indispensable victuals andclothing, furnish the house ever so moderately, and paythe necessary expenses,it seemed to our Queen that Shemust employallday in work and consume the night inattending to her spiritual exercises. This She resolvedupon, not for any motives of gain, or because She didnot continue in her contemplations during the day; forthis was her incessant occupation in the presence of theinfant God, as I have so often said and shall repeat hereafter.But some of the hours, which She was wont tospend in special exercises, She wished to transfer to thenight-time in order to be able to extend the hours ofmanual labor, not being minded to ask or expect God smiraculous assistance for anything which She could attain by greater diligence and additional labor on her ownpart. In all such cases we ask for miraculous help morefor our own convenience than on account of necessity.The most prudent Queen asked the eternal Father toprovide sustenance for her divine Son; but at the sametime She continued to labor. Like one who does nottrust in herself, or in her own efforts, She united prayerwith her labors, in order to obtain the necessities of lifelike other men.658. The Infant Jesus was much pleased with the prudence of his Mother, and with her resignation in the midstof her dire poverty, and in return for her fidelity Hewished to lessen the labors She had undertaken. Oneday He spoke to Her from the cradle and said:"My

THE INCARNATION 563Mother, I wish to set up a rule for thy daily life andlabors." Immediately the heavenly Mother knelt beforeHim and answered: sweetest"My Love, and Lord ofall my being, I praise and magnify Thee because Thouhast condescended to meet my secret thoughts and desires ; may it please Thee to direct my footsteps accordingto thy holy will, to regulate all my labors according tothy wishes, and to order all my occupations in each hourof the day according to thy divine pleasure. And sincethy Deity became incarnate and thy Majesty condescendedto take heed of my longings, speak, Light of my eyes, forthy servant The Lord hears." replied: dearest"MyMother, from the time of nightfall" (that is, from thehour called by us nine o "thouclock) shalt take somesleep and rest. And from midnight until the break ofday thou mayest occupy thyself in contemplation withMe, and We will praise the eternal Father. Thereuponprepare the necessary food for thyself and Joseph; andafterwards give Me nourishment and hold Me in thyarms until the third hour, when thou shalt place Me inthe arms of thy husband, in order to afford him somerefreshment in his labors. Then retire until it is timeto prepare his meal and return to thy work. Since thouhast not with thee the sacred Scriptures, which were wontto console thee, thou canst, by my holy science, enter intothe doctrines of eternal life, in order that thou mayestfollow Me in perfect imitation. And continually pray tothe eternal Father for the sinners."659. By this rule of life the most holy Mary governedher doings during her stay in Egypt. Every day threetimes She nursed the infant God at her breast; for whenHe pointed out to Her the hour in which She was tonurse Him in the morning, He did not forbid Her toafford Him nourishment at other times, as She had been

564 CITY OF GODaccustomed to do since his Nativity. Whenever theheavenly Mother was engaged in any work, She alwaysperformed it in his presence and upon her knees; and itwas very usual, during their colloquies and conferences,that the King from his cradle and the Mother at herwork, broke out in mysterious canticles of praise. Ifthey were all written, they would outnumber all thepsalms and the hymns used by the Church, and all thatare written ;for there can be no doubt that God conversedwith the source of his humanity, his most blessed Mother,in a more exalted and wonderful manner than with David,Moses, Mary, Anne and all the Prophets. By thesehymns the heavenly Mother was continually filled withnew influences of the Divinity, and new longings to beunited to his unchangeable being; for She alone was thePhenix which could be renewed in this conflagration, andthe royal Eagle which could penetrate into the ineffablewhither no otherlight and soar from height to heights,created being could venture to wing its flight. She fulfilled the end for which the divine Word had assumedflesh in her virginal womb, namely, to draw on and elevate the rational creatures to the Divinity. As She wasthe only Creature which did not present the hindrance ofsin and its effects, nor from disordered passions andappetites, but was free of the downward tendency of ourearthly nature, She flew upward to her Beloved and tohis exalted habitation, not resting until She reached herCenter, which was the Divinity. Moreover She hadalways in view the way and the light (John 16, 6), theincarnate Word, and all her desires and affections metin the immutable being of the Most High and therefore;She hastened on in burning fervor, embracing Her goalrather than flying towards it, and living more in her lovethan in her life.

THE INCARNATION 565660. Sometimes, also, the infant God slept under thewatchful care of his happy and fortunate Mother; inorder that also this saying might become true : "I sleep,but my heart is awake" (Cant. 5, 2). And as this mostholy body of her Son was for Her a most clear mirror,in which She saw and penetrated the secrets of his deifiedSoul and its operations (Wis. 7, 16), She beheld Herselftherein again and again. Especially consoling to theheavenly Lady was it to see the most holy Soul of herSon revealed to Her in all its heroic operations as a Pilgrim and yet a Comprehensor, while at the same time hisbodily faculties were lost in the tranquil and beauteoussleep of childhood, his whole humanity being hypostaticallyunited to the Divinity. Our language is incapableof describing the sweet affections and flights of love, andthe heroic acts of the Queen of heaven on these occasions,and falls far short of the reality; but where words fail,letfaith and love supply the deficiency.661. Whenever She wished to afford saint Joseph theconsolation of holding the Infant Jesus, the Mother ofGod said :"My Son and Lord, look upon thy faithfulservant Joseph with the love of a son and father, anddelight Thyself in the purity of his affectionate soul, soacceptable in thy eyes."And to saint Joseph She said :"My Spouse, receive in thy arms the Lord, who holdsin his hands all the orbs of heaven and earth, and whohas given them existence out of his mere bounty.fresh thyself from thy labors in Him who is the gloryof all creation." For these favors saint Joseph returnedmost humble thanks; and he was wont to ask his Spousewhether he could dare to caress the Child. Encouragedby Her, he would do so; and this privilege made himforget all the hardships of his labor, and made them easyand sweet in his Whenever eyes.Mary and Joseph wereRe

566 CITY OF GODat their meals they had with them the Infant; in servingthe meals, the heavenly Queen held Him in her arms,partaking of the food with great modesty and, in holdingHim, She at the same time afforded her most pure soula sweeter and more nourishing food than to the body,adoring and loving Him as the eternal God, and caressingHim with the tenderness of a Mother. It is impossibleto conceive the attention which She paid to this doubleduty; on the one hand, to fulfill all obligation that wasdue to Him as from a creature to its Creator, lookingupon Him in his Divinity, as Son of the eternal Father,as King of kings, and Lord of lords, as the Maker andPreserver of all the universe ;and on the other hand, togiveto Him all the. attention that He deserved as anInfant, serving Him and nursing Him. Betwixt thesetwo extremes She was entirely inflamed with love, andher whole being consumed in heroic acts of admiration,praise and affection. Of all the rest which the twoSpouses did it can only be said that they were the wonderof the angels, and that they attained the summit ofholiness and of divine pleasure.INSTRUCTIONVOUCHSAFED BY THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN,MOST HOLY MARY.662. My daughter, I came into Egypt, where I knewno relations or friends, in a land of foreign religion,could offer no home or protection or assistancewhere Ito my Son, whom I loved so much. It can easily beunderstood, then, what tribulations and hardships we suffered, since the Lord permitted them to come over Us.Thou canst not understand with what patience and forbearance We accepted them ;and even the angels cannotestimate the reward I merited from the Most High by

THE INCARNATION 567the love and resignation with which I bore them, andwhich were greater than if I had been in the greatestprosperity. It is true, I grieved much to see my husband in such necessity and want ;but at the same time Iblessed the Lord to be able to suffer them. In this mostnoble patience and joy of spirit I wish that thou imitateme whenever the Lord offers thee an occasion; and thatthou learn to act with prudence interiorly and exteriorly,ordering well thy actions and thy thoughts, withouthindrance to either of them.663. When the necessaries of life are wanting to thoseunder thy charge, exert thyself properly to obtain them.If sometimes thou must sacrificethy own tranquillity infulfilling this obligation, thou needst not on that accountlose thy peace of mind; especially if thou art mindfulof what I have so often told thee : not to lose sight ofthe presence of the Lord; for by his divine light andgrace, if thou art careful and preservest thy peace, thoucanst do all things. Whatever can duly be procured byhuman exertion, is not to be expected by a miracle, normust one try to exempt himself from labor in the hopeof a supernatural interference on the part of God; forthe Lord sweetly concurs with the ordinary and naturalcourse of created things. The labor of the body is serviceable to the soul as a sacrifice and as an increase ofthe merits due to that kind of activity. While at workthe rational creature can praise God and adore Him inspirit and in truth (John 4, 23). In order to fulfill thisduty, direct thy activity according to his pleasure, consult his will in regard to them, weighing them with thescales of the sanctuary and riveting thy attention uponthe divine light which the Almighty infuses in thy soul.

CHAPTER XXVI.OF THE WONDERS WHICH THE INFANT JESUS, MOST HOLYMARY AND JOSEPH WROUGHT AT HEUOPOUS INEGYPT.664. Isaias says that the Lord shall enter Egypt upona light cloud in order to work miracles for that country.Isaias, in calling the most holy Mary, or, as others think,the humanity derived from Her, a cloud, no doubtwishes to indicate that the Lord was to fertilize andwater the barren land of the hearts of its inhabitants, inorder that henceforth they might produce the fruits ofsanctity and of divine knowledge. And so it really happened after that heavenly cloud had overshadowed thisland. For immediately the belief in the true God beganto spread, and idolatry to be destroyed; the paths ofeternal life began to be opened, which until then had beenheld closed by the demons. To such an extent was allthis true that there was scarcely any province in that landin which the true God remained unknown, as soon as theincarnate Word had arrived therein. Although some ofthe people came to this knowledge through intercoursewith the Hebrews, which existed between these twonations at that time (Kings IV, 17, 24) ; yet a greatmany errors, superstitions and worship of the demonswere mixed up with it; just as was the case with theBabylonians, who at another time came to live in Samaria. But after the Sun of justice began to illumineEgypt, and Mary most holy, the taintless cloud, beganto overshadow that land, it became so fertile in holiness568

THE INCARNATION 569and grace that itgave forth abundant fruit for manycenturies. This is witnessed by the many saints thatlived in it afterwards, and by the thousands of hermitsthat made its mountains gather up and distil such sweethoney of sanctity and Christian perfection.665. As I said, in order to secure these blessings tothe Egyptians, the Lord took his dwelling in the city ofHeliopolis. As it was so full of idols, temples and altarsof the demons, which at his entrance all fell to the dustwith great crashing and noise, the whole city was set incommotion and confusion by the suddenness of this ruin(Is. 19, 1). People rushed about astonished and as ifcrazed in mind; curiosity brought to the newly arrivedstrangers numbers of men and women, who sought tospeak to the great Queen and saint Joseph. The heavenlyMother, who was aware of the mysterious designs ofGod, spoke to their inmost hearts with great wisdom,prudence and sweetness. They were filled with wonderat her incomparable gentleness and her exalted teachings,which undeceived them of their errors ;and as She immediately cured some of their sick, She quieted and encouraged them so much the sooner. These miracles wereso rapidly noised abroad that in a short time an immenseconcourse of people gathered tosee the heavenly Stranconsultgers; and the most prudent Lady was forced toher most holy Son as to her further conduct toward thismultitude. The infant God told Her to instructgreatthem in the knowledge of God, teach them his true worship, and exhort them to desist from sinful life.666. In this office of preaching to the Egyptians, andof teaching them, our heavenly Princess served as theinstrument of her most holy Son, who lent power to herwords. The effect of it was so great that many bookswould be required to describe the wonders and the con-

570 CITY OF GODversions of souls that took place during the seven yearsof their stay in this province; for in her ministry Shewas filled with the benedictions of sweetness (Ps. 20, 4).Whenever the heavenly Lady listened to and answeredthose that came to Her, She held in her arms the InfantJesus, as the One who was the Author of all the gracesto be dispensed to sinners. She spoke to each one inthe manner suitable to his capacity and serviceable forteaching him the doctrine of eternal life. She enlightened them concerning the Divinity and made them understand that there cannot be more than one God. She explained to them the several articles of truth pertainingto the Creation and Redemption of the world. She impressed upon their minds the commandments of the decalogue, founded upon the natural law and She showed;them the manner of adoring and worshipping God, andhow they were to expect the regeneration of the humanrace.667. Concerning the demons, She explained how theywere enemies of God and men; how deeply they keptmen in error by their idol-worship and the false answersof their oracles; how they induced men to commit thevilest abominations and afterwards secretly tempted themby exciting the disorderly passions.Although the Queenof heaven was so pure and free from all that is imperfect,nevertheless, for the glory of the Most High, She didnot deem it beneath Her to speak to them of those vileand impure excesses in which all Egypt was sunk. Shealso declared to them that the Repairer of so many ills,who was to overcome the demons as it was written ofHim, was already come into the world, although She didnot say that She held Him in her arms. In order thather teachings might be accepted so much the more readily,and the truth might be more apparent, She confirmed her

THE INCARNATION 571words by great miracles, curing all sorts of people whowere sick or possessed by the devil and who came fromall parts of the country. A few times the Queen went tothe infirmaries and conferred admirable blessings uponthe sick. Everywhere She consoled the sorrowful andbrought relief to the afflicted and the unfortunate, winning all by loving kindness and beneficence and admonishing them with sweet earnestness.668. In regard to the cure of the sick and woundedthe heavenly Lady hesitated between two different sentiments : the one of charity, which drew Her to nurse thewounded with her own hand, and the other of modesty,which forbade Her to touch anyone. In order that allpropriety might be observed, her most holy Son empowered Her to cure the men by her mere word and exhortations; while She might cure the women bythe touchof her hands and cleansing their wounds. This courseof action She maintained thenceforward, taking uponHerself as well the office of a mother as of a sick-nurse,respectively. But, as I will narrate, after they had livedtwo years in that place, saint Joseph also began to curethe sick, while the matchless charity of the Queen busieditself more particularly with the cure of the women.Though She was Herself endowed with such unsulliedpurity, free from all infirmities and sufferings, yet Shehesitated not to tend their festering ulcers and apply withher own hands the coverings and bandages required. Allthis She did with such tender compassion, as if She herself were afflicted with their misfortunes. Sometimes ithappened that, in order to relieve and cure the poor, Sheasked permission of her divine Son to place Him in thecradle; thus permitting the Lord of the poor to witnessin another way the loving charity of this humble Lady.But in all these occupations and cures (O wonderful to

572 CITY OF GODrelate!) this most modest Mistress never looked uponthe face of either man or woman. Even when the woundwas in the face, her modesty was so exquisite that Shewould not have been able to recognize any of her patientsby their features if She had not known all men by anotherinterior kind of vision.669. On account of the excessive heat prevailing inEgypt, and on account of many disorders rampant amongthe people, the distempers of the Egyptians were widespread and grievous. During the years of the stay ofthe Infant Jesus and his most holy Mother, pestilencedevastated Heliopolis and other places. On this account,and on account of the report of their wonderful deeds,multitudes of people came to them from all parts of thecountry and returned home cured in body and soul. Inorder that the grace of the Lord might flow more abundantly, and in order that his kindest Mother might haveassistance in her works of mercy, God, at the instanceof the heavenly Mistress, ordained saint Joseph as herhelper in the teaching and healing of the infirm. Forthis purpose he was endowed with new light and powerof healing. The holy Mary began to make use of hisassistance in the third year of their stay in Egypt; sothat now he ordinarily taught and cured the men, whilethe blessed Lady attended to the women. Incredible wasthe fruit resulting from their labors in the souls of men ;for her uninterrupted beneficence and the gracious efficacyof her words drew all toward our Queen, and her modestyand holiness filled them with devoted love. They offeredHer many presents and large possessions, anxious to seeHer make use of them : but never did She receive anything for Herself, or reserve it for her own use; for theycontinued to provide for their wants by the labor of herhands and the earnings of saint Joseph. When at times

THE INCARNATION 573the blessed Lady was offered some gift that seemed serviceable and proper for helping the needy and the poor,She would acceptit for that purpose. Only with thisunderstanding would She ever yield to the pious andaffectionate importunities of devout persons; and eventhen She often made them a present in return of thingsmade by her own hands. From what I have related wecan form some idea how great and how numerous werethe miracles wrought by the holy Family during theirseven years stay in Egypt and Heliopolis; for it wouldbe impossible to enumerate and describe all of them.INSTRUCTION VOUCHSAFED TO ME BY THE QUEEN OFHEAVEN, MOST HOLY MARY.670. My daughter, thou art full of wonder at theworks of mercy which I exercised in Egypt, curing thesick of their infirmities and helping the poor in theirnecessities, in order to relieve them in body and soul.Thou wilt be able to understand how all this comportedwith my love of modesty and retirement, when thoutakest into consideration the immense love that urgedmy most holy Son to hasten immediately after his birthto the assistance of these people and pour out over themhis immense love in his longingsfor their salvation.This love He communicated to me, and thus made mean instrument of his power, or Ishould not have daredto enter upon such a great enterprise. For thoughIalways preferred to abstain from speaking or communicating with others, yet the will of my Son and Lord governed me in all things. Of thee, my friend, I desire, thatin imitation of me, thou work for the benefit and salvation of thy neighbors, seeking to follow me in the perfection and quality of my works. Thou needst not seek

574 CITY OF GODoccasions, for the Lord will send them. In some extraordinary circumstances, however, thou mayst find it advisable to offer thy services. But seek to exert thyinfluence upon all, teach and exhort them according tothy light; not presuming to take upon thyself the officeof a teacher, but of one that seeks to console, and onethat pities the hardships of her brothers ;as one who withmuch reserve and humility and with great charity seeksto exhort them to patience.671. As for those under thy charge, exhort and reprovethem, govern and direct them to greater and greater perfection of virtue and to fulfill the divine pleasure. Fornext to seeking thy own perfection, God wills that thouencourage and teach those under thy charge accordingto power and graces given to thee. Pray without ceasingfor those to whom thou canst not speak; thus extending thy charity towards all men. Since thou canst notgo outside to tend the sick, make up for itby taking careof those living with thee, zealously serving them personally in whatever pertains to their comfort and wants.Do not consider thyself above this service because thouart their superioress for on;this very account thou mustact as their mother and show thy loving care as suchtoward all, while in other things thou must interiorlyesteem thyself below them. Since the world ordinarilyleaves the care of the sick to the most poor and despised,simply because it does not know the high value of thisservice ;therefore I, too, assign to thee as to one who ispoor and the least of all, this office of tending the sick, inorder that thou mayest follow me in the performance of it.

CHAPTER XXVII.HEROD RESOLVES TO MURDER THE INNOCENTS : MOSTHOLY MARY IS AWARE OF THIS. SAINT JOHN IS CONCEALED BY HIS RELATIVES.672. We will now leave the Infant Jesus, most holyMary and Joseph in the work of sanctifying Egypt bytheir beneficent presence, and return to Judea, which wasunworthy of it. Thus we will understand the course ofof Herod. Thatthe devilish cunning and hypocrisywicked king was waiting for the message of the Magiconcerning the newly born King of the Jews, ready todevote Him to an inhuman death. He trusted for awhile to his own cunning, until his anxiety caused himto inquire. But when he was informed of their stay inBethlehem, their departure, their escape from Palestineon a different route, and of other happenings in thetemple, he awoke to the fact that he had been foiled inhis purpose. He consulted anew some of the experts ofthe Law; and as their interpretation of the Scripturesconcerning Bethlehem and the happenings at Bethlehemcoincided with his suspicions, he ordered a strict searchto be made for our Queen, her Child and the glorioussaint Joseph. But the Lord, who had commanded theirflight from Jerusalem in the night, also concealed themon their journey, so that there was none that knew anything of it, or that could discover a trace of their flight.Not being able to find Them, and no one having anyknowledge of Them, the henchmen of Herod brought575

576 CITY OF GODback the answer that no such man, woman or child couldbe found in the whole country.673. This inflamed the fury of Herod (Matth. 2, 16)and increased his anxiety ;in vain he sought some meansto prevent the evil threatening Him from a rival King.But the devil, who knew him to be ready for any wickedness, stirred up in his heart the enormous thought ofusing his royal power to murder all the children undertwo years of age around Bethlehem. For in that waythe King of the Jews, recently born there, would inevitably be murdered among them. The tyrant was highlysatisfied with this scheme, which never yet had beenthought of by any even the greatest barbarian; and heset about its execution without any of the aversion ofhorror that it was apt to excite in other rational beings.Having studied out his wrathful plans to his satisfaction,he ordered some troops to be gathered in that region andprivatelyinstructed some of the more intimate of hisofficers under severe penalties to kill all the childrenunder two years in Bethlehem and its vicinity. The command of Herod was executed and the whole country wasfilledwith confusion and wailing, and with the tears ofthe parents and of the other relations of the innocentvictims, who were thus doomed without any possibilityof resistance or prevention.674. This command of Herod was issued six monthsafter the birth of the Savior. When itbegan to be executed the great Queen happened to hold her divine Sonin her arms, lost in contemplation of his most holy Soul.Looking into it as into a clear mirror, She saw all thatpassed in Bethlehem more clearly than if She herselfhad been present to hear the wailing of the children andthe parents. She saw also how her Son prayed to hiseternal Father for the parents of these innocents; that

THE INCARNATION 577He offered up the murdered children as the first fruitsof his own Death ; asking Him also that they receive theuse of reason, in order that they might be a willing sacrifice for their Redeemer and accept their death for hisglory. Thus He would be able to reward them with thecrowns of martyrdom for what they suffered. All thisthe eternal Father granted, and as it was made knownto the Queen in her Onlybegotten Son, She joined Himand sacrifices. Shein his prayers also pitied the parentsof the martyred infants in their heartrending tears andsorrows for their sons. She, indeed, was the first andtrue Rachel weeping for the children in Bethlehem(Jer. 31, 15) and there was no mother who sorrowed;for them as She did, since no one could be such a Motheras She was to them.675. She did not know at the time what saint Elisabethhad done in order to safeguard her son John pursuant tothe warning of the angel sent to her by the Queen Herself, as narrated in the twenty-second chapter. AlthoughShe had no doubt as to the fulfillment of all the mysteriesknown to Her concerning the Precursor by divine enlightenment, yet She was uncertain of the troubles andanxieties caused to saint Elisabeth and her son, and ofthe manner in which they had forestalled the cruelty ofHerod. The sweetest Mother did not presume to askher divine Son concerning this event, on account of theprudence and reverence always observed by Her in regardto such revelations ;for in her humility and patience Shecounted Herself as unworthy and as dust in the sight ofthe Lord. But the Almighty took notice of her piousand compassionate desires and informed Her thatZachary, the father of saint John, had died four monthsafter her virginal parturition and about three monthsafter She had left Jerusalem. The widowed saint Elisa-

578 CITY OF GODbeth now had no other company than that of her son John,of her widowhoodwith whom she was passing the daysin a retired and secluded place.For on account of thewarning of the angel, and knowing of the cruel disposition of Herod, she had resolved to flee to the desertwith her child and live there in the company of wildbeasts rather than within the dangerous reach of Herod.This resolve she had taken with the approbation of theMost High and, guided by his impulse, She was nowhidden in a cave or cleft of the rock where, with greathardship and difficulty, she obtained sustenance for herself and her son.676. The heavenly Lady also knew that saint Elisabeth, after three years of this solitary life, died in theLord ;that saint John remained in the desert, commencingto live an angelic life, and that he was not to leave hissolitude until he should be commanded by the Almighty topreach penance as his Precursor. These sacraments andmysteries the Infant Jesus manifested to his most holyMother with many other hidden and profound blessingsconferred upon saint Elisabeth and her son in that desert.All this She perceived in the same way as She now perceived the death of the innocent children. It filled Herwith joy and compassion; the one because She saw saintJohn and his mother in safety, the other, on account ofthe hardships to which they were exposed in the desert.She immediately asked of her most holy Son permissionto take care thenceforward of Elisabeth and her son.From that time on She frequently sent her holy angelsto visit them with the consent of the Lord ;and throughthem also She sent them provisions, which afforded thembetter sustenance than they could find in the wild abode.Through these angelic messengers the holy Lady kept upa continual intercourse with her relatives during her stay

THE INCARNATION 579When the last hour of Elisabeth arrived, Maryin Egypt.sent her a great number of angels to assist her and herchild, who was then four years old. These angels alsohis mother in the desert.helped saint John to buryThereupon the Queen sent to him every day his sustenance, until he was of sufficient age to provide for hisliving by his own labors and exertions in gathering herbs,roots and woodland honey (Mark 1, 6) of these thence;forward he lived in admirable abstinence, as I shall relatefartheron.677. Neither the tongue of creatures can describe, norintellect comprehend,the vast merits and increase ofsanctity accumulating in the most holy Mary throughthese continued and wonderful works; for in all thingsShe acted with a prudence more than angelic. Whatmoved Her to the greatest admiration, love and praise ofthe Almighty was to see how, at the intercession of Herself and her Son for the holy Innocents, his providenceshowed itself so liberal toward them. She knew as ifShe were present the great number of children that werekilled and that all of them, though some were only eightdays, two or six months old, and none of them over twoyears, had the use of their reason; that they all receiveda high knowledge of the being of God, perfect love, faithand hope, in which they performed heroic acts offaith, worship, and love of God, reverence and compassion for their parents. They prayed for their parentsand, in reward for their sufferings, obtained for themlight and grace for advance in spiritual things. Theywillingly submitted to martyrdom, in spite of the tenderness of their age, which made their sufferings so muchthe greater and consequently augmented their merits.multitude of angels assisted them and bore them to limboor to the bosom of Abraham. By their arrival theyA

580 CITY OF GODrejoiced the holy ancients and confirmed them in the hopeof speedy liberation. All these were effects of the prayersof the divine Child and his Mother. Aware of all thesewonders, She was inflamed with ardor and exclaimed:"Praise the Lord, ye children" ; and joined with them inthe praise of the Author of these magnificent works, soworthy of his Goodness and Omnipotence. Mary aloneknew of them and appreciated them properly. And She,so closely allied to God himself, perfectly reached thedegree of humility required for such appreciation; forthough She was the Mother of innocence, purity andsanctity, She humiliated Herself more than all creatureswith all their faults will ever know how to humiliatethemselves. Among all creatures most holy Mary reacheda degree of humility peculiar to Herself, which fullyequalled the high blessings and gifts received by all othercreatures ;for She alone comprehended fully how insufficient is the return the creature can make for all theblessings flowing from the boundless love of God.Knowing that without this humility no act of a creaturecan be worthy of a God, She reached the height of allperfection by making all her acts serve as a gratefulreturn for benefits received.678. At the end of this chapterI wish to draw attention to the fact that in many things which I am describing,a great diversity of opinion exists among the holy fathersand writers ; as, for instance, in regard to the time of theslaughter of the innocent children, or whether also thenew-born children or those that were only a few daysold were included in the slaughter, or concerning otherdoubtful points, about which Iwill not speak, since theyare not necessary to my purpose. I write only what isbeing shown or dictated to me, or about which obedienceforces me to ask, in order that this history may be more

THE INCARNATION 581clear. It will not do to start a dispute concerning whatI write; for from the beginning I said, that the Lordwishes this whole work to be free from mere opinion andto contain nothing but what is taught me by the divinelight.To decide whether that which I write is in harmony with the truth of holy Scriptures, or befits themajesty and grandeur of my subject, or whether theevents narrated bear the necessary sequence or connection : all this I leave to the learning of my teachers andsuperiors and to the judgment of the wise and pious.Variety of opinion is as it were inevitable among thewriters on these subjects, since they are guided by different authors, and are each following those of theancient authors that satisfy them best ;few of the old authors (if we except the events relatedin the canonical writings) relied only on conjecture oron doubtful sources. I, as an ignorant woman, cannotenter upon such discussions.yet- more than aINSTRUCTION VOUCHSAFED BY THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN,MOST HOLY MARY.679. My daughter, in what thou hast written I wishthat thou learn a lesson from the very sorrow and apprehension with which thou hast performed this task. Wellfoundedis thy sorrow to see how such a noble creatureas man, made according to the likeness and image of theLord, endowed with such divine qualities, and gifted withthe power of knowing, loving, seeing, and enjoying Godeternally, should allow himself to be degraded and defiledby such brutal and abominable passions as to shed theinnocent blood of those who can do no harm to any one.This should induce thee to weep over the ruin of somany souls; especially in the times in which thou livest,38

582 CITY OF GODwhen that same ambition which incited Herod, haskindled such great hatred and enmity among the childrenof the Church, occasioning the ruin of countless souls andcausing the waste and loss of the blood of my most holySon, poured out for the salvation of men. Do thoubitterly deplore this loss.680. But likewise be warned by what thou hast seenin others ; ponder the effects of passions admitted into theheart ;for if once they have mastered the heart, they willeither smother it in lust when it finds success, or consumeit with wrath at meeting any opposition. Fear thou, mydaughter, this danger, not only on account of the resultsthou seest of ambition in Herod, but also on account ofwhat thou seest going on every hour in other persons.Be very careful not to allow thyself to be mastered byanything, be it ever so small for in order to start a; greatconflagration the smallest sparkis sufficient. I haveoften repeated to thee this same warning, and I shallcontinue to do so more often in the future; for thegreatest difficulty in practicing virtue consists in dyingto all that is pleasurable to the senses. Thou canst notbe a fitinstrument in the hands of the Lord, such as Hedesires thee to be, if thou dost not cleanse thy facultieseven of the images of all creatures, so that they do notfind entrance into thy desires. I wish it to be to theean inexorable law that all things, except God, his angelsand saints, be to thee as if they did not exist. Theseshould be thy sole possession on this account the Lord;has opened to thee his secrets, honors thee with hisfamiliarity and intimacy, and for this purpose also do Ihonor thee with mine, that thou neither live nor wish tolive without the Lord.

CHAPTER XXVIII.AT THE AGE OF ONE YEAR THE INFANT JESUS SPEAKSTO SAINT JOSEPH AND REQUESTS HIS MOTHER TOCLOTHE HIM AND ALLOW HIM TO WALK. HE COMMENCES TO CELEBRATE THE DAY OF HIS INCARNATION AND OF HIS BIRTH.681. During one of the conversations of Mary withJoseph concerning the mysteries of the Lord, the InfantJesus, having reached the age of one year,resolved tobreak the silence and speak in plain words to Joseph,who so faithfully fulfilled the duties of a foster-father.As I have already mentioned in chapter the tenth, Hehad thus conversed with his heavenly Mother from thetime of his Birth. The two holy Spouses were speakingof the infinite being of God, of his goodness and excessive love, which induced Him to send his OnlybegottenSon as the Teacher and Savior of men, clothing Him inhuman form in order that He might converse with themand suffer the punishments of their depraved natures.Saint Joseph was lost in wonder at the works of the Lordand inflamed by affectionate gratitude and exaltation ofthe Lord. Seizing upon this occasion the infant God,resting upon the arms of his Mother as upon the seatof wisdom, began to speak to saint Joseph in an intelligible voice, Saying: "My father, I came from heavenupon this earth in order to be the light of the world, andin order to rescue it from darkness of sin ;in order toseek and know my sheep as a good Shepherd, to givethem nourishment of eternal life, teach them the way of583

584 CITY OF GODheaven, open its gates, which had been closed by theirsins. I desire that you both be children of the Light,which you have so close at hand."682. These words of the Infant Jesus, being full ofdivine life, rilled the heart of the patriarch saint Josephwith new love, reverence and joy. He fell on his kneesbefore the infant God with the profoundest humility andthanked Him for having called Him "father"by the veryfirst word spoken to him. He besought the Lord withmany tears to enlighten him and enable him to fulfillentirely his most holy will, to teach him to be thankfulfor the incomparable benefits flowing from his generoushands. Parents who love their children very much aretouched with consolation and pride to see their childrenshow great signs of wisdom and virtue; and even whenthis is not the case, they are naturally inclined to extol andmake much of their childish pranks and sayings; for allthis is the result of their tender affection for their youngoffspring. Although saint Joseph was not the natural,but the foster-father of Jesus, his love for Him exceededby far all the love of parents for their children, since inhim grace, or even natural love, was more powerful thanin others, yea than in all the parents together. Hencethe joy of his soul is to be measured by this love andappreciation of saint Joseph as being the foster-father ofthe Infant Jesus. For he at the same time heard himselfcalled the father of the Son of the eternal .Father, andsaw Him so beautiful in grace, while listening to suchexalted wisdom and knowledge in the Child.683. During the whole of this first year his sweetestMother had wrapped the infant God in clothes and coverings usual with other children; for He did not wish tobe distinguished in this from others, and He wished to

THE INCARNATION 585bear witness to his true humanity and to his love formortals, enduring this inconvenience otherwise not required of Him. The most prudent Mother, judging thatnow the time had come to free Him from swaddlingclothesand place Him on his feet, knelt down before theChild in its cradle and said : Son and sweetest Love"Myof my soul, my Lord, I desire, as thy slave, to be punctualin fulfilling thy wishes. O, Light of my eyes, Thou hastbeen for a long time oppressed by the swaddling-clothesand thereby gone to the extreme of thy love for men ;itis time Thou change this manner. Tell me, my Master,what shall I do to place Thee on thy feet ?"684. "My Mother," answered the Infant Jesus,"onaccount of the love which I bear toward man, whom Ihave created and come to redeem, the swathings of mychildhood have not seemed irksome to Me, since when Ishall be grown upI shall be bound and delivered overto my enemies unto death (Matth. 20, 18). If thisprospect is sweet to Me for the love of my Father(Heb. 10, 71) all the rest is certainly easy to Me. Iwish to possess only one garment during all my life, forI seek nothing more than what is sufficient to cover Me.Although all created things are mine because I have giventhem being, I turn them all over to men in order that theymay owe Me so much the more and in order that I mayteach them, according to my example and for my love,to repudiate and despise all that is superfluous for naturallife. Clothe Me, my Mother, in a tunic of a lowly andordinary color. This alone will I wear, and it shall growwith Me. Over this garment shall they cast lots at mydeath (Ps. 21, 19) ;for even this shall not be left at mydisposal, but at the disposal of others so that;men shallsee that I was born and wish to live poor and destitute

586 CITY OF GODtof visible things, which being earthly, oppress and darkenthe heart of man. At the very moment of my conception in thy virginal womb I made this renunciation andabdication of all that is contained in the world, though allis mine on account of the union of my human nature withthe divine. I shall not have anything to do with visiblethings except to offer them up to the eternal Father, renouncing them for his love, and making use of only somuch as is sufficient to sustain my natural life, which Iwill afterwards yield up for man s sake. By this exampleI wish to impress upon the world the doctrine that it mustlove poverty and not despise it for; I, who am the Lordof the whole world, entirely repudiated and rejected itspossessions. Those who know Me by faith should befilled with confusion at seeingthemselves desire what Itaught them to despise."685. The words of the divine Child producedin theheart of the heavenly Mother diverse wonderful effects.The allusion to the seizure and death of her most holySon transfixed her pure and compassionate heart, andthe doctrine and example of such extreme poverty anddestitution excited her admiration and urged Her to itsimitation. His boundless love for mortals inflamed Herwith loving gratitude toward the Lord and produced inHer heroic acts of many virtues. Seeing that the ChildJesus desired no footgear and only one garment, Shesaid to Him: "My Son and my Lord, thy Mother hasnot the heart to allow Thee to go barefoot upon theground at thy tender age; permit me, my Love, to provide some kind of covering to protect them. I also fearof me, willthat the rough garment, which Thou askestwound thy tender body, if thou permit no linen to beworn beneath.""My Mother, I will permit a slight and

THE INCARNATION 587ordinary covering- for my feet until the time of my publicpreaching shall come, for this I must do barefooted.But I do not wish to wear linen, because it foments carnalpleasures, and is the cause of many vices in men. I wishto teach many by my example to renounce it for love andimitationof Me."686. Immediately the great Queen set diligently aboutfulfilling the will of her most holy Son. Procuring somewool in its natural and uncolored state, She spunitveryfinely with her own hands and of it She wove a garmentof one piece and without any seam, similar to knittedstuff, or rather like twilled cloth ;for it was woven oftwisted cords, not like smooth-woven goods. She woveitupon a small loom, by meshes, crochetingit of oneseamless piece in a mysterious manner (John 19, 23).Two things were wonderful about it : that it was entirelyeven and uniform, without any seams, and that, at herrequest, the natural color was changed to a more suitableone, which was a mixture of brown and a most exquisitesilver-gray, so that it could not be called either, appearingto be neither altogether brown, nor silvery, nor gray, buthaving a mixture of them all. She also wove a pair ofsandals of strong thread, like hempen shoes, with whichShe covered the feet of the infant God. Besides theseShe made a half tunic of linen, which was to serve asan undergarment. In the next chapter I shall tell whathappened when She clothed the Infant Jesus.687. At this time occurred the anniversary of the Incarnation and of the Nativity of the divine Word, bothof them when they had already settled in Egypt. ThecelestialQueen celebrated these feasts, so joyous for theMother of God, commencing a custom observed by Herduring all the rest of her life, as will be seen in the third

588 CITY OF GODpart, which treats about the mysteries happening later on.She began to prepare for the feast of the Incarnationnine days before, in accordance with the nine days ofpreparation, in which She had been visited with suchadmirable and magnificent graces. At the anniversaryof the Incarnation or Annunciation She invited all theangels of heaven, together with those of her guard, to assist Her in the celebration of those great mysteries and tohelp Her to acknowledge and give worthy thanks to theAlmighty. Prostrate before the Infant in the form ofa cross, She besought Him to praise in her stead theeternal Father and thank Him for the favors of his righthand towards Her, and for the gift of his OnlybegottenSon to the human race (John 3, 16). The same petitionShe made on the anniversary of her divine parturition.On these days the heavenly Lady was regaled with manygraces and joys by the Most High; because He renewedthe unbroken remembrance and understanding of theseexalted sacraments. As She had received intelligencehow much the eternal Father was pleased and obliged bythis outward manifestation of sorrow exhibited in herprostration in the form of a cross, and by her mindfulnessof the crucifixionof the Lamb of God, She practiced this devotion on all the festivals, seeking to appeasethe divine justice and soliciting mercy for the sinners.Inflamed with charity, She rose up and ended her celebration with wonderful hymns, singing them alternatelywith the angels ; they formed a choir of celestial harmony,the holy angels intoning their songs, and the blessed Ladyanswering them on her part in hymns more sweet to theears of God, and more acceptable than those of the mostexalted seraphim and all the heavenly choirs. For thesewere the echoes of his infinite virtues piercing to the verythrone and judgment seat of the eternal God.

THE INCARNATION 589INSTRUCTION GIVEN BY THE MISTRESS AND QUEEN OFHEAVEN.688. My daughter, neither thyself nor all creaturestogether can ever comprehend the spirit of poverty of mymost holy Son, and what He has taught me concerningit. But from what I have told thee thou canst understand much of the excellence of this virtue, which itsAuthor and Teacher loved so much, and of the horrorin which He holds the vice of covetousness. The Creator cannot hate the beings which He has created; butHe knows in his wisdom the boundless damage causedin mortals by avarice and covetousness of visible things ;and that this insane love would pervert the greater part ofthe human nature. His horror of this vice was in proportion to the number of sinners and foredoomed ones,who are lost by the vice of avarice and cupidity.689. In order to meet this evil and provide someremedy against it, my most holy Son chose poverty, andtaught it by word and by example of his admirable abnegation. Thus would the Physician justify his cause before men if they, for whom He prepared this means ofsafety and restoration, would neglect to take advantageof it. This same doctrine I taught and practiced duringall my and life, upon it the Apostles founded the Church.Such was also the teaching and practice of the Patriarchsand Saints, who rejuvenated and confirmed religion inthe Church; for all of them have loved poverty, as theonly and most efficacious means of holiness. They haveabhorred riches as the incentive to evil and the root ofall vices (I Tim. 6, 10). This povertyI wish thee tolove and seek after with all diligence ;for it is the adornment of the spouses of my most holy Son, without whichIassure thee, my dearest, He will disavow and repudiate

590 CITY OF GODthem as unworthy and far removed from Him. For itis preposterous to see a bride overflowing in riches andbedecked with jewels at the side of a poor and destitutebridegroom nor can true;love exist with such inequality.690. It is clear that though thou wish to imitate meas a legitimate daughter, I, being myself poor, shall notrecognize thee as my daughter if thou art not one inreality, nor shall I ever permit that in thee which I abhorred for myself. I remind thee also not to forget theblessings of the Most High, which thou hast received insuch abundance; for if thou art not very attentive andsolicitous in this duty, thou wilt be drawn into forgetfulnessand gross rudeness by the bluntness and sluggishnessinherent in the human nature.Renew many times a daythanks to thethe memory of his blessings, always givingLord with humble and loving affection. Especially memorable among his benefits are that He has called thee,waited for thee, dissembled and excused thy faults, andadded thereto such oft repeated favors. This remembrance will cause in thee sweet and strong movements oflove; and thou wilt find new grace and favor before theLord, since He is so much pleased by a faithful andthankful heart. On the other hand, He is much offendedif his kindnesses and blessings are not esteemed andappreciated; for, as He confers them in the fullness ofhis love, He desires a dutiful, loyal and loving return onthe part of his creatures.

CHAPTER XXIX.THE MOST HOLY MOTHER CLOTHES THE INFANT JESUSIN THE SEAMLESS TUNIC; SHE PUTS SHOES ON HISFEET. THE DOINGS AND OBSERVANCES OF THE LORD.691. In order to clothe the divine Infant in the smalltunic and put on his feet the sandals made by Her, themost prudent Lady cast Herself on her knees before hersweetest Son and addressed Him in the following words :"Mosthigh Lord, and Creator of heaven and earth, Iwould wish to clothe Thee, if possible, in such a wayas thy Divinity deserves, and I would gladly have madethese garments, which are to cover Thee, from my heartblood;but I know that the poor and insignificant coverings I now offer Thee are according to thy desires.Pardon me, my Lord and Master, my faults and acceptthe loving affection of her, who is but dust and ashes :allow me to clothe Thee." The Infant Jesus was pleasedwith the loving service of his purest Mother and there;upon She clothed and shod Him, setting Him upon hisfeet. The tunic fitted Him perfectly, covering his feetwithout hindering them in walking, and the sleeves extended to the middle of his hands, although She had takenno measure beforehand. The collar was cut out round,without being open in front, and was somewhat raisedaround the neck adjusting itself to the throat.Throughthis opening the heavenly Mother passed it over the headof the Infant; for the garment gracefully adjusted itto her wishes. He never divested Himself accordingself of this tunic, until the executioners themselves tore591

592 CITY OF GODitoff to scourge and afterwards to crucify Him; for thisgarment continually grew with Him, adjusting itselfto his body. The same happened also with the sandalsand with the undergarment, which the solicitous Mothermade for Him. None of all these articles of clothingwore away or became old in the thirty-two years, nordid the tunic lose its color or its newness, but remainedjust as it had left the hands of the great Lady; nor didany of them become soiled or filthy, but they preservedtheir first cleanliness. The garment which the Redeemerof the world laid aside in order to wash the feet of hisApostles, was a mantle or cape, which He wore overhis shoulders ;and this also had been made by the Virginafter they had returned to Nazareth. Like the otherclothing it grew with the Lord, was of the same color,only a little darker and was woven in the same way.692. Thus the infant Lord of the eternities was placedon his feet, after having since his birth been wrappedin swaddling-clothes and held for most of the time inthe arms of his most holy Mother (John 13, 4). Hewas the most beautiful among the sons of men. Theangels were astounded at the humble and poor raimentchosen by Him who clothes the heavens in light andthe fields with beauty. He walked freely on his feet inthe presence of his parents; but before strangers thiswonder remained for a time concealed, since the Queentook Him in her arms when outsiders approached or whenever they went abroad. Indescribable was the joyheavenly Lady and of saint Joseph as they saw the Inof thefant walking about and exhibit such rare beauty. Hereceived nourishment at the breast of his purest Motheruntil He was a year and a half old and no longer. Hismeals thereupon were most frugal as well in quantityAt first they consisted in broths mixed withas in quality.

THE INCARNATION 593oil, and some fruits or fishes. While He was still inprocess of growth She gave Him to eat three times aday, as often as She had formerly given Him her milk;in the morning, afternoon and at night. The divine Childnever asked for food ;but the loving Mother with thoughtful anxiety provided Him his meals at the proper timeuntil later on, when He was already grown up and wouldnot consent to eat oftener or at other hours than theheavenly Spouses themselves. This was his rule untilHe reached adult age, of which I will speak later on.Whenever He took his meals with his parents they always waited until He should pronounce the blessing atthe beginning and give thanks at the end.693. From the time the Child Jesus was on his feetHe commenced to retire and spent certain hours of theday in the oratory of his Mother. As the most prudentMother was anxious to know his wishes in regard to herintercourse with Him, the Lord responded to her muteappeal, saying: "My Mother, enter and remain with Mealways in order that thou mayest imitate Me in my works ;for I wish that in thee be modeled and exhibited the highperfection which I desire to see accomplished in the souls.For if they had not resisted my first intentions (I Tim.2, 4), they would have been endowed with my mostabundant and copious gifts; but since the human racehas hindered this, I have chosen thee as the vessel of allperfection and of the treasures of my right hand, whichthe rest of the creatures have abused and lost. Observeme therefore in all my actions for the purpose of imitating Me."694. Thus the heavenly Ladywas installed anew asthe Disciple of her most holy Son. Thenceforward passedsuch great and hidden mysteries between these Two, thatnot until the day of eternity will they be known. Many

594 CITY OF GODtimes the divine Child prostrated Himself on the ground,at others He was raised from the ground in the formof a cross, earnestly praying to the eternal Father forthe salvation of mortals. In all this his most lovingMother imitated Him. For to Her were manifest theinterior operations of his most holy soul, just as wellas the exterior movements of his body. Of this knowledge of most pure Mary I have spoken in other partsof this history and it is necessary to point it out often,because this was the source of the light which guidedHer in her holylife. It was such a singular blessing,that all creatures together will not be able to understandor describe itby their united powers. The great Ladydid not always enjoy visions of the Divinity; but alwaysthe sight of the most holy humanity and soul of her Sonwith all their activities. In a special manner She waswitness of the effects of the hypostatic and beatific unionof the humanity with the Divinity. Although She didnot always see this glory and this union substantially;yet She perceived the interior acts by which his humanityreverenced, loved and magnified the Divinity to whichit was united; and this privilege was reserved solely tomost holy Mary.695. On these occasions it often happened that theChild Jesus in the presence of his most holy Motherwept and perspired blood, for this happened many timesbefore his agony in the garden. Then the blessed Ladywould wipe his face interiorly perceiving and knowingthe cause of this agony, namely the loss of the foreknown and of those who would be ungrateful for thebenefits of their Creator and Redeemer and in whom theworks of the infinite power and goodness of the Lordwould be wasted. At other times the blessed Motherwould find Him refulgent with heavenly light and sur-

THE INCARNATION 595rounded by angels that sang sweet hymns of praise;and She was made aware, that the heavenly Father waspleased in his beloved and onlybegotten Son (Matth.17, 5). All these wonders commenced from the timewhen at the age of one year He began to walk, witnessed only by his most holy Mother, whose heart wasto be the treasure-house of his wonders. The works oflove, praise and worshipful gratitude, his petitions forthe human race, all exceed my ability to describe. I mustrefer the understanding of it to the faith and piety of theChristians.696. The Child Jesus grew in the admiration and esteem of all that came to know Him. Having reachedthe age of six years He began now and then to visit thesick in the hospitals, seeking out the stricken ones andmysteriously comforting and consoling them in theirafflictions. Many of the inhabitants of Heliopolis beganto know Him; the secret attractions of his Divinity andsanctity drew toward Him the hearts of all, and manyoffered Him gifts. These, according to the promptingsof his interior knowledge, He refused or accepted fordistribution among the poor. The admiration caused byhis wise counsels and his modest and considerate behavior, caused many to extol and congratulate the parentson such a Son. Although all of them were ignorant ofthe mysteries and of the dignity of the Son and theMother ; yet the Lord of creation, being desirous of honoring his Mother, permitted them to reverence Her as faras was possible under the circumstances, without theirlearning the special reason for doing so.697. Many of the children of Heliopolis gatheredaround the Child Jesus, as it is natural with children ofsimilar age and condition. Since they were free fromgreat malice and were not given to inquire, whether He

596 CITY OF GODwas more than man, but freely admitted the heavenlylight, the Master of truth welcomed them as far aswas befitting. He instilled into them the knowledge ofGod and of the virtues; He taught and catechised themin the way of eternal life, even more abundantly than theadults. As his words were full of life and strength, Hewon their hearts and impressed his truths so deeply uponthem, that all those, who had this good fortune, afterwards became great and saintly men ;for in the course oftime they ripened in themselves the fruit of this heavenlyseed sown so early into their souls.698. The blessed Mother was well-informed of allthese happenings. Whenever her most holy Son returned from these errands, in which He had fulfilled thewill of his eternal Father by looking after his flock,theQueen and the angels prostrated themselves before herdivine Son and gave Him thanks for the benefits done tothose innocents, who did not yet know Him for their trueGod, and She kissed his feet as those of the Highpriestof heaven and earth (Heb. 4, 1). This She alsodid whenever the Child was about to go forth; on suchoccasions He would raise Her up from the earth in filialreverence and love. The Mother also asked for his blessing upon all her undertakings; and She never lost anoccasion for practicing virtue with all the intensity ofher love and divine grace. Never was any grace in Herwithout its fruit, but itoperated in all its plenitude andincreased in operation. The great Lady sought newmeans and ways of humiliating Herself, adoring the incarnate Word by her genuflections and prostrations andother most loving and profound ceremonies astokens of her prudence and holiness.outwardThis She attendedto with such wisdom, that She excited the admiration of

THE INCARNATION 597the angels themselves,who, interchanging among themselves the praises of the Divinity, said to each other :"Who is that pure Creature, so full of delight to ourCreator and her Son? (Cant. 1,2). Who is this One,that so wisely and attentively honors and reverences theMost High, far exceeding us all in her loving alertnessand attention?"699. In his intercourse and conversation with hisparents, this most wonderful and beautiful Child, afterHe had begun to walk and grow larger, showed moregravity than when He was younger. The tender caresses,which always had been tempered and measured, were nowwithheld, for in his countenance shone forth such majestyas a reflection of his hidden Deity, that, if He had notmixed it with a certain sweetness and affability, reverential fear would have prevented all intercourse with Him,The heavenly Mother and saint Joseph felt the effectsof a divine power and efficacy, as well as the kindness anddevotedness of a loving Father, proceeding from hiscountenance. Joined with this majesty and magnificencewas his filial affection toward his heavenly Mother, whileon the other hand He treated saint Joseph as one, whohad as well the name as the duties of a father towardHim; and therefore He obeyed them both as a most devoted Son obeys his parents. In his whole behaviorthe incarnate Word practiced the virtues of obedience,humility and human kindness with such an admirablemixture of majesty and gravity, that his divine wisdomshone forth in all his actions and that none of hisgrandeur was impaired by triviality or smallness. Theheavenly Queen was most attentive to all these mysteries and She alone, as far as a mere creature could,comprehended befittingly the work of her most holySon and understood the ways of his infinite wisdom. I39

598 CITY OF GODwould attempt the impossible to try to describe in humanwords the effects of all his doings on her most pure andprudent soul, or how closely She imitated his ineffableThe souls which were converted and saved insanctity.Heliopolis and in allEgypt, the sick that were cured,and the wonders wrought during their seven years stayin that country, cannot be enumerated : such a blessedcrime did the cruelty of Herod turn out to be for Egypt.The goodness and wisdom of God draws from the verywickedness and evils of sin the greatest good. If in onedirection men cast away his mercies and shut them out,He Calls upon them in other directions to open their heartsand admit his blessings (Job 34, 24). His ardent desiresto benefit the human race cannot be quenched byof our sinsand ingratitudes.the floodsINSTRUCTION GIVEN TO ME BY THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN,MOST HOIvY MARY.700. My daughter, from the very beginning of thishistory of my life thou wast made to understand, thatamong other purposes, the Lord wished to call the attention of mortals to the debt contracted by their unfeeling forgetfulness of his divine love and of mine toward them. It is true that all his love is included andmade manifest in his having died on the Cross for them,for this was the extremity of his immense charity (John3, 16). But many ungrateful men are loath to remember even this blessing. For such and for all others theknowledge of what He did for them during the thirtythreeyears should be a new incentive and spur of love ;since each of his acts was worth an infinite price andmerited our eternal gratitude. The Almighty set me asa witness to all of them: and I assure thee, that from

THE INCARNATION 599the first instant of his conception in my womb, He ceasednot to clamor to the Father for the salvation of men.From that moment He began to embrace the Cross (Heb.10, 5), not only in desire, but also as far as was possible in effect, placing Himself in the position of onecrucified from his infancy and continuing these exercisesduring his whole life. I also imitated Him in this, joining Him in his prayers and labors for mankind and in thevery first acts of his most sacred humanity by which Herendered thanks for the salvation of men.701. Let therefore mortals beware, lest I, who was aWitness and Co-operatrix of this salvation, be not also aWitness and Co-operatrix in the day of judgment, proclaiming how well justified is the cause of God with men.If on that day I most justly refuse my intercession tothose, who have foolishly despised and forgotten so manyand so great favors and blessings, the results of the divinelove of my Son and my own :what answer, what excuseor evasion shall those then bring forward, who have beenso well informed,so much admonished and enlightenedby the truth? How can these ungrateful and pertinacious mortals expect mercy of the most just and righteousGod, when He has given them sufficient and opportunetime, invited them so often, called them, waited andworked for them, and conferred upon them immenseblessings, while they abused and wasted all of them inthe pursuit of vanity? Fear, my daughter, this, the greatest of all blindnesses. Refresh ever the memory of themost holy works of my Son and of me, and imitate themwith all thy fervor. Continue the exercises of the crossunder the guidance of obedience, in order to keep thyself mindful of what thou must imitate and give thanksfor. Take notice at the same time, that my Son andLord could have redeemed the human race without suf-

600 CITY OF GODfering so much and that He wished to increase his sufferings only on account of the immensity of his lovefor souls. The return for such condescension should be,that the creature content not itself with little, as is ordinarily the case with ignorant men. Add thou virtue tovirtue and seek thereby evermore to meet all thy obligations, imitating the Lord and me in our labors for thesalvation of the world. All thy merits offer up forsouls, uniting them with his merits in the presence ofthe eternal Father.

CHAPTER XXX.JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH RETURN TO NAZARETH AT THECOMMAND OF THE LORD.702. The Child Jesus reached the end of his seventhyear while in Egypt, which was also the term set by theeternal Wisdom for his mysterious sojourn in that land.In order that the prophecies might be fulfilled, it wasnecessary that He return to Nazareth. This decree theeternal Father intimated to his most holy Son on a certain day in the presence of his holy Mother and whileShe was with Him in prayer. She saw it mirrored inhis deified soul and She saw how He submitted to itobedience to the Father. Therein the great Lady joinedHim, although they had already become better acquaintedand habituated to their present abode than to their ownnative city of Nazareth. Neither the Mother nor theinSon made known to saint Joseph this new decree ofheaven. But in that very night the angel of the Lordspoke to him in his sleep, as Matthew relates (Matth.2, 19), and bade him take the Child and its Motherand return to the land of Israel; for Herod and thosewho with him had sought the life of the Child, weredead. So much value does the Almighty set on theproper order in created things, that, though Jesus wasthe true God and his Mother so highly exalted above saintJoseph in sanctity, He did not permit the arrangementsof this journey to proceed from his Son nor from hisMother, but from saint Joseph, who was the head of thisFamily. God intended to teach all mortals, that He wishes601

602 CITY OF GODall things to be governed by the natural order set up byhis Providence; and that the inferiors and subjects ofthe mystical body of the Church, even though they mayexcel in virtue and in certain other respects, must obeyand submit to their superiors and prelates in the visibleorder.703. Saint Joseph immediately notified the Child Jesusand hisMother of the command of the Lord; and bothof them answered, that the willof the heavenly Fathermust be done. Thereupon they resolved upon theirjourney without delay, immediately distributing amongthe poor the little furniture contained in their dwelling.This was done by the hands of the divine Child; for theheavenly Mother often consigned into his hands whatShe had destined as alms to the poor, knowing that theChild, as the God of mercy, loved to exercise it with hisown hands (Matth. 25, 40). When She gave Him thesealms the most holy Mother falling on her knees, said:"Take, my Son and Lord, whatever Thou desirest, inorder to share it with the poor, our friends and brothers."The blessed dwelling, which had been sanctified and consecrated for seven years by the presence of the HighpriestJesus, was left in the possession of certain of themost devout and pious persons in Heliopolis. Their virtue and holiness had gained them a favor which theycould not now fully estimate; although, on account ofwhat they had seen and experienced, they counted themselves indeed fortunate to occupy the same house, in whichthese Strangers had lived for seven years. This affectionate devotion was rewarded by abundant light andgrace for their eternal salvation.704. They departed for Palestine in the company ofangels as on their way thence. The great Queen sat onthe ass with the divine Child on her lap and saint

THE INCARNATION 603Joseph walked afoot, closely following the Son andMother. On account of the loss of such great Benefactorstheir acquaintances and friends were very sorrowful atthe news of their departure with incredible weeping and;knowing and loudly comsighing they saw Them leave,plaining, that they were now losing all their consolationand refuge in their necessities. If the divine power hadnot interfered, the holy Family would have found greatdifficulty in leaving Heliopolis for its inhabitants; beganto feel the night of their miseries secretly setting upontheir hearts at the parting of the Sun, which had dispersed and brightenedits darkness (John 1, 9). Intraversing the inhabited country they passed throughsome towns of Egypt, where They scattered their gracesand blessings. The news of their passage spreadingabout, all the sick, the afflicted and disconsolate gatheredto seek Them out, and they found themselves relieved inbody and soul. Many of the sick were cured, many demons were expelled without their knowing who it wasthat thus hurled them back to hell. Yet they felt thedivine power, which compelled them and wrought suchblessings among men.705. I will not tarry to relate the particular events ofthis journey of the Child Jesus and his most blessedMother out of Egypt; for it is not necessary, nor couldit be done without extending this history too much. Itwill suffice to say that all who came to Them with greateror less devotion, left their presence enlightened withtruth, assisted by grace and wounded with the love ofGod. They felt a secret force, which urged and compelled them to the pursuit of virtue and, while withdrawing them from the paths of death, showed them the wayof eternal life.They came to the Son, drawn to Himby the Father, and they turned to the Father, sent there

604 CITY OF GODby the divine light of Christ s truth, which enkindled theirsouls with the knowledge of the true God (John 6, 44).Nevertheless He concealed Himself, since it was not yettime to reveal Himself openly. But the fire, which Hehad come to enkindle and spread in this world, secretlyand incessantly produced its divine effects among men.706. Having thus fulfilled the mysteries decreed by thedivine will and issuing from the inhabited regionsof thiscountry, which They had signalized by their miracles,our heavenly Pilgrims entered the desert through whichThey had come. In itThey again suffered labors anddifficulties similar to those of their flight from Palestine ;for the Lord continued to permit hardshipsand tribulation in order to afford Them occasion of merit and provide a proper relief. He administered to these necessities by the hands of the angels as in the first journey,or sometimes the Child Jesus himself commanded themto provide sustenance. Very often saint Joseph, in orderthat he might become more sensible of the divine favor,was permitted to hear these commands and saw howthese spirits obeyed and readily procured what waswanted. This greatly encouraged and consoled the holyPatriarch in his sorrow and anxiety for the King andQueen of heaven. At other times the divine Child madeuse of his Omnipotence and created all that was necessaryto supply their wants out of a crumb of bread. Therest of the journey was similar to the journey describedbefore in chapter the twenty-second; therefore I do notthink itnecessary to repeat the description. When, however, They arrived at the confines of Palestine the anxioushusband was informed, that Archelaus had succeededHerod his father in the government of Judea (Matth.2, 22). Fearing that with the sovereignty he had inherited also his cruelty, saint Joseph turned from his

THE INCARNATION 605route without going to Jerusalem or entering Judea andpassed through the land of the tribe of Dan and Issacharbelow Galilee, following the coast of the Mediterraneansea and passing Jerusalem to his right.707. They reached Nazareth, their home, for the Childwas to be called a Nazarene. They found their formerhumble house in charge of the devout cousin of saintJoseph, who, as I have mentioned in the twelfth chapterof the third book, had offered to serve him while ourQueen was absent in the house of Elisabeth. BeforeThey had left Judea for Egypt, saint Joseph had writtento this woman, asking her to take care of the house andwhat it contained. They found it all in good conditionand his cousin received Them with great joy on accountof her love for the great Queen, though at the same timeshe did not know of her dignity. The heavenly Ladyentered with her Son and saint Joseph, and immediatelyShe prostrated Herself in adoration of the Lord and inthanksgiving for having led Them, safe from the crueltyof Herod, to this retreat, and preserved Them in thedangers of their banishment and their long and arduousjourneys. Above all did She render thanks for havingreturned in company with her Son, now grown both inyears and in grace and virtue (Luke 2, 40).708. Taking counsel with her divine Child She proceeded to set up a rule of life and regulate her piouspractices; not that She had failed to observe a rule oflife on her journey; for the most prudent Lady, in imitation of her Son, had always observed the most perfectorder according to circumstances. But being now peacefully settled in her home She wished to include manyexercises, which on the journey were impossible. Hergreatest solicitude was always to co-operate with her mostholy Son for the salvation of souls which was the work

606 CITY OF GODmost urgently enjoined upon Her by the eternal Father.Toward this most high end our Queen directed all herpractices in union with the Redeemer, and this was theirconstant occupation, as we shall see in the course of thissecond part. The holy Joseph also ordered his occupations and his work so as most worthily to earn sustenance for the divine Child and his Mother as well asfor himself. That which in other sons of Adam is considered a punishment and a hardship was to this holyPatriarch a great happiness. For while others were condemned to sustain their natural life by the labor of theirhands in the sweat of their brows, saint Joseph wasblessed and consoled beyond measure to know, that hehad been chosen by his labor and sweat to support Godhimself and his Mother, to whom belonged heaven andearth and all that they contain (Esther 13, 10).709. The Queen of the angels herself undertook to paythe debt of gratitude due to saint Joseph for his laborsand solicitude. Accordingly She provided his meals andattended to his comforts with incredible care and mostloving gratitude. She was obedient to him in all thingsand humbled Herself before him as if She were hishandmaid and not his spouse, or, what is more, not theMother of the Creator and Lord of all. She accountedHerself unworthy of existence and of being suffered towalk upon the earth; for She thought it just, that Sheshould be in want of all things. In the consciousnessof having been created out of nothing and therefore unable to make any return for either this benefit or, according to her estimation, for any of the others, She established in Herself such a rare humility, that She thoughtHerself less than the dust and unworthy to mingle withit. For the least favor She gave admirable thanks to theLord, as to the first cause and origin of them all, and to

THE INCARNATION 607creatures as to the instruments of his bounty. To som*She gave thanks because they conferred favors uponHer, to others because they had denied them; and toothers again because they bore with Her in patience.She acknowledged Herself as indebted to all of them,though She filled them with the blessings of sweetnessand placed Herself at the feet of all, seeking ingeniousmeans and artifices to let no instant and no occasion passfor practicing the most perfect and exalted virtues to theadmiration of the angels and the pleasure and the delightof the Most High.INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN GAVE ME.710. My daughter, while journeying at the commandof the Lord from one country to another and during theworks enjoined upon me, my heart was never troublednor my spirit cast down; for I always held myself prepared to fulfill entirely the will of God. Although theLord made known to Me his high ends, yet this was notalways done at the beginning, thus permitting me to endure so much the greater sufferings; for in obeying theLord no further reason is necessary than that the LordCreator so commands and disposes. The souls mustaccustom themselves to look for this motive alone and tolearn solely to please the Lord, without distinguishingbetween fortunate or unfortunate events and without looking to their own inclinations. In this kind of wisdom Iwish that thou advance. In imitation of me and to satisfythy obligations toward my most holy Son, do thou receive prosperity or adversity in this mortal life withunmoved countenance and with equanimity and peace ofmind. Let not the one grieve, nor the other vainly re-

608 CITY OF GODjoice thee; but attend only to all that which the Almightyordains according to his pleasure.711. Human life is interwoven thus variously withboth kinds of events ;some of them according, others contrary to the likings of mortals; some which they abhor,others which they desire. As the human heart is limitedand narrow itimmoderately inclines to extremes, boundlessly desiring what it loves and likes, and, on the otherhand, grieving and sorrowing at what it abhors and dislikes. These changeful moods and fluctuations createlove fordanger for all or many virtues. The disorderlyone creature which it cannot attain, moves the soul presa balm for its disently to desire another, expectingappointment in the former. And if it is successful, thesoul becomes involved and flurried in the desire of retaining what itpossesses, thus casting itself by thesevelleities into stillgreater disorders and passions. Attend,therefore, dearest, to this danger and attack it at the rootby preserving thy heart independent and riveted only onthe divine Providence, without ever allowing it to inclinetoward what it desires or longs for, or to abhor whatis painful to it. Let the will of the Lord be thy onlydelight and joy. Let neither thy desires draw thee on,nor thy fears dishearten thee. Let not thy exterior occupations, and much less thy regardor attention to creatures, ever impede thee or divert thee from thy holyexercises, attending always to my example. Seek thoulovingly and diligently to follow in my footsteps.

CITY OF GODCOMPLETE EDITIONConception, 610 pages $3.00Incarnation, 608 pages 3.00Transfixion, 790 pages 3.00Coronation, 668 pages 3.00ABRIDGMENTSCity of God, one volume popular edition, cloth, 794 pages 3.00City of God, short abridgment, cloth,about 320 pages 1.50Words of Wisdom from City of God,cloth, gold top, about 575 . .pages 2.00Theotokia, 693 pages (25,600 verses) 3.00.Address :LOUIS W. BERNICKENMount Vernon, Ohio

MARIA DE JESUS, de Agreda.APP 1 7City f God.BQ7077(The Incarnation).A69v.2

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