The Great Angelic War_Full

8/14/2019 The Great Angelic War_Full

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The Mystical City of GodVOLUME I

THE CONCEPTION

CHAPTER VII

H OW THE M OST H IGH GAVE A BEGINNING TO H IS WORKS AND CREATEDALL MATERIAL THINGS FOR THE USE OF MAN , WHILE ANGELS AND MEN WERE CREATED TO BE H IS PEOPLE

UNDER THE L EADERSHIP OF THE I NCARNATE W ORD .

80. The Cause of all causes is God, who created all things that have being. His powerful arm gaveexistence to all his wonderful works ad extra when and how He chose. The beginning and successionof the work of Creation is described b !oses in the opening chapter of Genesis. "ince the #ord hasgiven me an understanding thereof, $ will mention what $ think useful for elucidating the m steriousorigin of the $ncarnation of the %ord and of our &edemption. 8'. The words of the first chapter of Genesis are as follows(

'. )$n the beginning God createdheaven and earth.*

+. ) nd the earth was void and empt, and darkness was upon the face of the deep- and thespirit of God moved over the waters.*

. ) nd God said( /e light made. nd light was made.*

. ) nd God saw the light that it was good- and he divided the light from the darkness.*1. ) nd he called the light da, and the darkness night-and there was evening and morning one

da ,* etc.2f the first da !oses sa s that )$n the beginning God created heaven and earth.* Though He

himself is immutable in being, the almight God, in calling creatures into existence, issued, so to sa ,forth from his own "elf and gave to creatures a being of their own, in order that He might, as it were,re3oice in the works of his own hands, as being the perfect and ade4uate results of his operations. nd

before creating intellectual and rational creatures, desiring also the order of executing these works to bemost perfect, He created heaven for angels and men- and the earth as a place of pilgrimage for mortals.These places are so adapted to their end and so perfect, that as 5avid sa s of them, the heavens publishthe glor of the #ord, the firmament and the earth announce the glor of the works of his hands 67s.'8, + . The heavens in their beaut manifest his magnificence and glor , because in them is depositedthe predestined reward of the 3ust. nd the earthl firmament announced that there would be creatures

and men to inhabit the earth and that men should 3ourne upon it to their Creator. /efore He createdthem the !ost High wished to provide for them and create that which is necessar for the attainment oftheir end, and for living in the manner ordained for them. Thus all parts of the creation would becompelled as it were to obe and love their !aker and /enefactor and b his works to learn of his holname and of his perfections 6&om. ', +0 . 8+. 2f the earth !oses sa s, that it was void, which he does not sa of the heavens- for God hadcreated the angels at the instant indicated b the word of !oses( )God said( #et there be light, and light

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was made.* He speaks here not onl of material light, but also of the intellectual or angelic lights. Hedoes not make express mention of them, but merel includes them in this word, on account of the

proclivit of the Hebrews to attribute 5ivinit to new things, even of much greater inferiorit than theangels. /ut the metaphor of light was ver appropriate to signif the angelic nature and m sticall , thelight of their science and grace, with which the were endowed at their creation. God created the earthcon3ointl with the heavens, in order to call into existence hell in its centre- for, at the instant of its

creation, there were left in the interior of that globe spacious and wide cavities, suitable for hell, purgator and limbo. nd in hell was created at the same time material fire and other re4uisites, whichnow serve for the punishment of the damned. The #ord was presentl to divide the light from thedarkness and to call the light da and the darkness night. nd this did happen not onl in regard to thenatural night and da , but in regard to the good and bad angels- for to the good, He gave the eternallight of his vision and called it da , the eternal da - and to the bad, the night of sin, casting them intothe eternal darkness of hell. Thus we were to be taught the intimate relation between the mercifulliberalit of the Creator and 9ivifier and the 3ustice of the most 3ust :udge in punishment. 8 . The angels were created in the emp rean heavens and in the state of grace b which the might

be first to merit the reward of glor . ;or although the were in the midst of glor , the 5ivinit itselfwas not to be made manifest to them face to face and unveiled, until the should have merited such afavor b obe ing the divine will. The hol angels, as well as the bad ones, remained onl a ver shorttime in the state of probation- for their creation and probation with its result were three distinct instantsor moments, separated b short intermissions. $n the first instant the were all created and endowedwith graces and gifts, coming into existence as most beautiful and perfect creatures. Then followed ashort pause, during which the will of the Creator was propounded and intimated, and the law andcommand was given them, to acknowledge Him as their !aker and supreme #ord, and to fulfill the endfor which the had been created. 5uring this pause, instant or interval, "aint !ichael and his angelsfought that great battle with the dragon and his followers, which is described b the apostle "aint :ohnin the twelfth chapter of the pocal pse. The good angels, persevering in grace, merited eternalhappiness and the disobedient ones, rebelling against God, merited the punishment, which the nowsuffer. 8 . lthough all this of the second instant could have happened in a ver brief time on account ofthe subtle nature of the angels and the power of God, nevertheless $ understood, that the kindconsideration of the !ost High permitted a certain dela . %ith the interposition of some intervals oftime, He proposed to them the good and the bad, truth and falsehood, 3ustice and in3ustice, divine graceand friendship as opposed to sin and enmit of God. The were enabled to see eternal reward andeternal punishment, the perdition of #ucifer and of those that would follow him. His !a3est showedthem hell and its pains. The saw it all- for, b virtue of their superior and excellent nature, theunderstood the essence of other more 4ualified and limited creatures- so that, before falling from grace,the were clearl aware of the place of their chastisement. lthough the did not know in the samemanner the reward of glor , the had of it other knowledge and besides the had the manifest andexpress promise of the #ord The !ost High had therefore 3ustified his cause and proceeded with thegreatest e4uit and 3ustice. /ut as all this goodness and e4uit did not suffice to restrain #ucifer andhis followers, the were chastised in their stubbornness and hurled into the depths of the hellishcaverns, while the good angels were confirmed in eternal grace and glor . ll this was consummatedin the third instant, and thus it became trul manifest that no being outside of God himself isimpeccable b nature, since the angel, who held such exalted position and was adorned with so mangreat gifts of knowledge and grace, nevertheless sinned and was lost. %hat will become of humanfrailt , if the divine power does not defend it and if it forces God to forsake it< 81. $t remains to investigate the motive, which urged #ucifer and his confederates to sin and what

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was the occasion of their disobedience and fall, for this is the point to which $ wanted to come. $nregard to this, it was made known to me that the could commit man sins as far as the guilt of sin6secundum reatum is concerned, although the did not consummate them in acts. However, onaccount of those which the did actuall commit freel and of their own depraved will, the ac4uiredthe disposition to all bad acts, inducing others to commit and approving in others those sins, which thecould not commit themselves. ;ollowing the bad inclinations which from that time on filled #ucifer,

he fell into a most disorderl selflove, which arose from the consciousness of being endowed withgreater gifts and greater beaut of nature and grace, than the other inferior angels. He tarried withinordinate pleasure in this consciousness- and thus self=satisfied he became lax and remiss in thegratitude, which was due to God as the sole cause of all that he had received. Turning again and againin admiration toward himself, he took pleasure in his own beaut and grace, attributing them to himselfand loving them as his own. This disorderl selflove not onl caused him to exalt himself on accountof the superior virtues, which he had received, but also induced him to harbor env and covetousnessfor other gifts and for excellences not his own. Then, because he could not attain them, he conceived amortal hatred and indignation against God, who created him out of nothing, and against all hiscreatures. 8>. Hence arose his disobedience, presumption, in3ustice, infidelit , blasphem , and perhaps also acertain kind of idolatr, for he coveted for himself the adoration and reverence due to God. He

blasphemed the divine magnificence and holiness, he failed in the trust and lo alt due to Him- he plotted to destro all the creatures, and presumed to be able to do all this and much more b his own power. Thus his pride ascends continuall 67s. ? , + and perseveres, though his arrogance is greaterthan his strength, for in this he cannot increase 6$s. '>, > and in sin, one ab ss calls the other 67s. ' ,8 . The first angel who sinned was #ucifer, as is described in the fourteenth chapter of $saias. Heinduced others to follow him and therefore he is called the prince of the demons- not on account of hisnatural gifts, for these would not secure to him that title, but on account of his guilt. Those that sinnedwere not all of one order or hierarch , but among all hierarchies there were man who sinned. 8?. $t is proper, that ' also explain what was made known to me concerning the kind of honor andexcellence, which #ucifer aspired to and envied. s in the works of God there is measure, number andweight 6"ap. '', +' , his 7rovidence decided to show to the angels, immediatel after their creationand before the could incline to diverse ends, the purpose for which He had created them with such anexalted and perfect nature. 2f all this $ obtained the following information( t first the received amore explicit intelligence of the being of God, one in substance, trine in person, and that the werecommanded to adore and reverence Him as their Creator and highest #ord, infinite in his essence andattributes. ll sub3ected themselves to this command and obe ed it, but with a certain difference- thegood angels obe ed through love and on account of the 3ustice of it, offering their love and good will,freel admitting and believing what was above their intelligence, and obe ing with 3o. #ucifer, on theother hand, submitted himself, because the opposite seemed to him impossible. He did not do it with

perfect charit , for he, as it were, was divided in his will between himself and the infallible truth of the#ord. $n conse4uence it happened that the precept appeared to him in a measure difficult and violent,and his fulfilling of it was wanting in love and in the desire to do 3ustice. Thus he exposed himself

beforehand to the danger of not persevering. lthough grace did not leave him on account of thisremissness and slowness in the accomplishment of these first acts, nevertheless his bad disposition

began with them- for there remained with him a certain weakness and laxit of virtue and spirit, and the perfection of his nature did not shine forth as it should. $t appears to me that the effect of thisremissness in #ucifer, is similar to that which is caused in the soul b a deliberate venial sin. $ do notsa that he sinned mortall , nor even veniall at that time, since he fulfilled the precept of God- but thisfulfillment was remiss and imperfect, springing more from a sense of overwhelming compulsion, than


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from a loving willingness to obe . Thus he put himself in danger of falling. 88. $n the second place, the angels were informed that God was to create a human nature andreasoning creatures lower than themselves, in order that the too should love, fear and reverence God,as their uthor and eternal Good. The were informed that these were to stand in high favor, and thatthe second 7erson of the blessed Trinit was to become incarnate and assume their nature, raising it tothe h postatic union and to divine 7ersonalit - that therefore the were to acknowledge Him as their

Head, not onl as God, but as God and man, adoring Him and reverencing Him as God=man.!oreover, these same angels were to be his inferiors in dignit and grace and were to be his servants.God gave them an intelligence of the propriet and e4uit , of the 3ustice and reasonableness of such a

position. ;or the acceptation of the merits foreseen of this !angod was exhibited to them as the sourceof the grace which the now possessed and of the glor which the were to obtain. The understoodalso that the themselves had been, and all the rest of the creatures should be created for his glor , andthat He was to be their Head. ll those that were capable of knowing and en3o ing God, were to be the

people of the "on of God, to know and reverence Him as their Chief. These commands were at oncegiven to the angels. 8@. To this command all the obedient and hol angels, submitted themselves and the gave their fullassent and acknowledgment with an humble and loving sub3ection of the will. /ut #ucifer, full of envand pride, resisted and induced his followers to resist likewise, as the in realit did, preferring tofollow him and disobe the divine command. This wicked prince persuaded them, that he would betheir chief and that he would set up a government independent and separate from Christ. "o great wasthe blindness which env and pride could cause in an angel, and so pernicious was the infection that thecontagion of sin spread among innumerable other angels. @0. Then happened that great battle in heaven, which "t. :ohn describes 6 poc. '+ . ;or theobedient and hol angels, filled with an ardent desire of hastening the glor of the !ost High and thehonor of the incarnate %ord, asked permission and, as it were, the consent of God, to resist andcontradict the dragon, and the permission was granted. /ut also another m ster was concealed in allthis( %hen it was revealed to the angels that the would have to obe the incarnate %ord, another, athird precept was given them, namel , that the were to admit as a superior con3ointl with Him, a%oman, in whose womb the 2nl begotten of the ;ather was to assume flesh and that this %oman wasto be the Aueen and !istress of all the creatures. The good angels b obe ing this command of the#ord, with still increasing and more alert humilit , freel sub3ected themselves, praising the power andthe m steries of the !ost High. #ucifer, however, and his confederates, rose to a higher pitch of prideand boastful insolence. $n disorderl fur he aspired to be himself the head of all the human race andof the angelic orders, and if there was to be a h postatic union, he demanded that it be consummated inhim. @'. The decree constituting him inferior to the !other of the $ncarnate %ord, our !istress, heopposed with horrible blasphemies. Turning against the uthor of these great wonders in unbridledindignation and calling upon the other angels, he exhorted them, sa ing( )Bn3ust are these commandsand in3ur is done to m greatness- this human nature which Thou, #ord, lookest upon with so muchlove and which thou favor= est so highl , $ will persecute and destro . To this end $ will direct all m

power and all m aspirations. nd this %oman, !other of the %ord, $ will hurl from the position inwhich Thou hast proposed to place Her, and at m hands, the plan, which Thou settest up, shall come tonaught.* @+. This proud boast so aroused the indignation of the #ord that in order to humble it, He spoke to#ucifer( )This %oman, whom thou refusest to honor, shall crush th head and b Her shalt thou bevan4uished and annihilated 6Gen. , '1 . nd if, through th pride, death enters into the world 6"ap.+, + , life and salvation of mortals shall enter through the humilit of this %oman. Those that are of


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the nature and likeness of that !an and %oman, shall en3o the gifts and the crowns, which thou andth followers have lost.* To all this the dragon, filled with indignation against whatever he understoodof the divine will and decrees, answered onl with pride and b threatening destruction to the wholehuman race. The good angels saw the 3ust indignation of the !ost High against #ucifer and hisapostates and the combated them with the arms of the understanding, reason and truth. @ . The lmight at this con3uncture worked another wonderful m ster . Having given to all the

angels a sufficientl clear intelligence of the great m ster of the h postatic Bnion, He showed themthe image of the most hol 9irgin b means of an imaginar vision 6$ speak here according to our waof understanding such things . The were shown the perfection of the human nature in the revelationof an image representing a most perfect %oman, in whom the almight arm of the !ost High wouldwork more wonderfull than in all the rest of the creatures. ;or therein He was to deposit the gracesand gifts of his right hand in a higher and more eminent manner. This sign or vision of the Aueen ofheaven and of the !other of the incarnate %ord was made known and manifest to all the angels, goodand bad. The good ones at the sign of it broke forth in admiration and in canticles of praise and fromthat time on began to defend the honor of the God incarnate and of his hol !other, being armed withardent eal and with the invincible shield of that vision. The dragon and his allies on the contrarconceived implacable hatred and fur against Christ and his most hol !other. Then happened all thatwhich is described in the twelfth chapter of the pocal pse, which $ will explain, as far as it has beengiven me, in the following chapter.

CHAPTER VIII

W HICH F OLLOWS UP THE PRECIOUS DISCOURSE BY THE EXPLANATION OF THE T WELFTH CHAPTER OF THE APOCALYPSE .

@ . The literal version of that chapter of the pocal pse is as follows('. ) nd a great sign appeared in heaven( woman clothed with the sun and the moon under

her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars(

+. nd being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered.. nd there was seen another sign in heaven- and behold a great red dragon having seven

heads and ten horns- and on his head seven diadems.. nd his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth and the

dragon stood before the woman, who was read to be delivered- that, when she should be delivered,he might devour her son.

1. nd she brought forth a man=child, who was to rule all nations with an iron rod- and her sonwas taken up to God, and to his throne.

>. nd the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared b God, that therethe should feed her a thousand two hundred and sixt da s.

?. nd there was a great battle in heaven- !ichael and his angels fought with the dragon and

the dragon fought and his angels.8. nd the prevailed not, neither was their place found an more in heaven.@. nd the dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and satan, who

seduceth the whole world- and he was cast unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down withhim.

'0. nd $ heard a loud voice sa ing( Dow is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom ofour God and the power of his Christ- because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused

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them before our God da and night.''. nd the overcame him b the blood of the #amb and b the word of the testimon , and

the loved not their lives unto death.'+. Therefore re3oice, 2 heavens, and ou that dwell therein. %oe to the earth and the sea,

because the devil is come down unto ou, having a great wrath and knowing that he hath but a shorttime.

' . nd when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth he persecuted the woman, who brought forth the man=child(' . nd there were given to the woman two wings of a great eagle, that she might fl into the

desert unto her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the face ofthe serpent.

'1. nd the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman, water as if it were a river, that hemight cause her to be carried awa b the river.

'>. nd the earth helped the woman and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed the river,which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

'?. nd the dragon was angr against the woman and went to make war with the rest of herseed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimon of :esus Christ.

'8. nd he stood upon the sands of the sea.* @1. "uch are the words of the Evangelist. He speaks in the past, because at that time was shown tohim a vision of that which had alread happened. He sa s( ) nd a great sign appeared in heaven- awoman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars.*This sign appeared reall in the heavens b divine disposition and was shown to the good and the badangels, in order that seeing it, the might sub3ect their will to the pleasure and the commands of God.The saw it therefore before the good ones chose the good and before the bad ones had turned to evil.$t was as it were a mirror of the wonderful perfection of the handiwork of God in creating humannature. lthough He had alread revealed this perfection to the angels in making known to them them ster of the h postatic union, et He wished to reveal it to them also in a different manner bshowing it to them in a mere Creature, the most perfect and hol which, next to the humanit of our#ord, He was to create. $t was also a sign for the assurance of the good angels and for confusion of the

bad, since it manifested to them that in spite of the offense which was committed, God would not letthe decree of creating man be unfulfilled, and that the incarnate %ord and this %oman, his !other,would please Him infinitel more than the disobedient angels could ever displease Him. This sign wasalso like the rainbow, which appeared after the flood in the clouds of heaven, as a guarantee that even ifmen should sin like the angels and become disobedient, the were not to be punished like the angelswithout remission, but would be furnished with salutar medicine and remed b this wonderful sign.$t was as if God said to the angels( $ will not chastise in the same wa the other creatures which $ callinto m existence, because this %oman, in whom m 2nl begotten is to assume flesh, belongs to thatrace. ! "on shall be the &estorer of friendship and the 7acifier of m 3ustice- He shall open the wato the felicit , which sin would close. @>. $n further testimon of this, after the punishment of the disobedient angels, God made use of thesign in order to show that his anger, which the pride of #ucifer had occasioned, was appeased and

placated. nd according to our wa of understanding, He re3oiced in the presence of the Aueen thusrepresented in that image. He gave the angels to understand that, through Christ and his !other, Hewould now divert upon men the grace which the apostates had lost through their rebellion. There wasalso another effect of that great sign among the good angels- namel , that since the had been, as itwere, made sorrowful and made unhapp 6speaking according to our wa of understanding the !ostHigh now wished to re3oice them with the sight of that image and to increase their essential beatitude

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b this accidental pleasure merited b their victor over #ucifer. "eeing this %oman so full ofclemenc 6Esther , '' , appearing to them as a sign of peace, the understood at once that the decreeof punishment was not issued against them, since the had obe ed the precepts of the #ord and hisdivine will. !uch of the m steries and sacraments of the $ncarnation, and those of the Church militantand its members, were made manifest to them in this sign. The understood also, that the were toassist and help the human race, b watching over men, b defending them against their enemies and b

leading them to eternal felicit . The saw that the themselves would owe their felicit to the merits ofthe incarnate %ord and that the Creator had preserved them also in grace through Christ preordained inthe divine !ind. @?. :ust as all this was a great 3o and happiness for the good angels, so it was a great torment forthe evil spirits. $t was to the latter a part and the beginning of their punishment. ;or the saw at once,that having failed to profit b this sign, the were to be con4uered and crushed b it 6Gen. , '1 . llthese m steries, and man others, which $ cannot explain, the Evangelist wished to comprehend in thischapter, and include in that great sign- although for us it will remain obscure and enigmatic until the

proper time arrives. @8. The sun, which is mentioned as clothing the %oman, is the true "un of :ustice. The angels wereto understand b it, that the !ost High was to remain with this %oman b his grace in order toovershadow and defend Her b the protection of his invincible right hand. The moon was beneath herfeet- for as the two planets, the sun and the moon, divide night and da , therefore the moon, being thes mbol of the darkness of sin, is beneath her feet, and the sun, being the s mbol of the light of grace,clothes Her for all eternit . Thus also the deficiencies of grace in all mortals must be beneath her feet,and never must rise either to her soul or to her bod , which on the contrar were to be ever superior toall angels and men. "he alone was to be free from the darkness and the wanings of #ucifer and ofdam, treading them under foot without their being able to gain an advantage over Her. nd 3ust as"he rose above all the guilt and the effects of original and of actual sin, God now placed these in as mbolical manner under her feet, in order that the good angels might know, and the bad ones, 6thoughthe did not attain full knowledge of the m steries , might fear this %oman even before "he came intoactual existence. @@. The crown of twelve stars are evidentl all the virtues, with which that Aueen of heaven andearth was to be adorned. /ut the m ster of its being composed of twelve stars has reference to thetwelve tribes of $srael, b which all the elect and the predestined are designated, as is mentioned in theseventh chapter of the pocal pse b the Evangelist 6 poc. ?, . nd since the gifts, graces andvirtues of all the elect were to crown their Aueen in a most eminent and exalted degree, a crown oftwelve stars was placed around her head. '00. ) nd being with child.* $n the presence of all the angels, for the re3oicing of the good and forthe punishment of the evil ones, who resisted the divine will and the fulfillment of these m steries, it

became manifest that the three 7ersons of the blessed Trinit had selected this wonderful %oman as the!other of the 2nl begotten of the ;ather. nd since the dignit of the mother of the %ord was the

principal beginning and foundation of all the great excellences of this great !istress and of this hers mbol, "he was shown to the angels as being the resting place of the hol Trinit , represented in thedivine personalit of the %ord incarnate. ;or on account of their inseparable union and coexistence, allthe three 7ersons could not fail to be there, wherever an one of Them was present- although onl the7erson of the %ord assumed human flesh and with Him alone was "he pregnant. '0'. )"he cried travailing in birth.* lthough the dignit of this Aueen and of that m ster was to

be hidden in the beginning in order that God might be born humble, poor and unknown( et afterwardsthe news of that /irth was proclaimed so loudl, that its first echo excited Fing Herod and filled himwith uneasiness. $t drew the !agi from their palaces and kingdoms in order to find Him 6!atth. +, .

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"ome hearts were touched with fear, others moved to interior affection. The ;ruit of this birth, growinguntil it was raised on the Cross, gave such loud voices, that $t was heard from the rising to the settingsun 6:ohn '+, + , and from farthest north to farthest south 6&om. '0, '8 . "o far then was heard thevoice of that %oman who gave birth to the %ord of the eternal ;ather. '0+. ) nd was in pain to be delivered.* He does not sa this because "he was to give birth in

bodil pain, for that is not possible in this divine 7arturition. /ut because it was to be a great sorrow

for that !other to see that divine $nfant come forth from the secrec of her virginal womb in order tosuffer and die as a victim for the satisfaction of the sins of the world. ;or this Aueen could know anddid know all this beforehand b her knowledge of the hol "criptures. 2n account of the natural loveof such a !other for such a "on, "he must be deepl afflicted thereb , although in sub3ection to the willof God. $n this pain was also foreshadowed the sorrow of this most gentle !other at the thought of

being deprived of the presence of her Treasure, after He should have issued from her virginal womb-for although her soul alwa s en3o ed his presence as to his 5ivinit , et "he was to be a long timewithout his bodil presence, according to which He was exclusivel her "on. The !ost High haddetermined to exempt Her from guilt, but not from the labors and sorrows corresponding to the reward,which was prepared for Her. Thus the sorrows of this birth were not the effect of sin, as the are in thedescendants of Eve, but the were the effect of the intense and perfect love of the most hol !other forher divine "on. ll these m steries were motives of praise and admiration for the good angels and the

beginning of punishment for the bad angels. '0 . ) nd there was seen another sign in heaven- and behold a great red dragon having seven headsand ten horns- and on his head were seven diadems, and his tail drew the third part of the stars ofheaven, and cast them to the earth.* Thereupon followed the punishment of #ucifer and his allies- forafter uttering his blasphemies against the %oman, who had been s mboli ed in the heavenl sign, hefound himself visibl and exteriorl transformed from a most beautiful angel into a fierce and mosthorrid dragon. He reared with fur his seven heads, that is, he led on the seven legions or s4uadrons ofall those that followed and fell with him. To each principalit or congregation of these followers hegave a head, commanding them to sin on their own account and undertake the leadership in the sevenmortal sins, which are commonl called capital. ;or in these are contained the other sins and theconstitute as it were the regiments that rise up against God. The are the sins called pride, env ,avarice, anger, luxur , intemperance and sloth. The are the seven diadems with which #ucifer, after

being changed into a dragon, was crowned. This is the punishment with which he was visited b the!ost High and which he ac4uired as a return for his horrible wickedness for himself and for hisconfederate angels. To all of them were apportioned the punishment and the pains, which correspondedto their malice and to the share which the had in originating the seven capital sins. '0 . The ten horns were the triumphs of the ini4uit and malice of the dragon, and the vain andarrogant glorification and exaltation which he attributed to himself in the execution of his wickedness.$n his depraved desire of attaining the ob3ect of his arrogance, he offered to the unhapp angels hismalicious and poisonous friendship and his counterfeit principalities, commander ships and rewards.These promises, full of bestial ignorance and error, were the tail with which the dragon drew after himthe third part of the stars of heaven. These angels were the stars and if the would have persevered,the would have shone with the rest of the angels and the 3ust, like the sun through the perpetualeternities 65an. '+, . /ut the punishment which the merited drew them down to the earth of theirunhappiness into its ver centre, which is hell, where the will for all eternit be deprived of light andhappiness 6:ude > . '01. ) nd the dragon stood before the woman, who was read to be delivered- that when "heshould be delivered, he might devour her "on.* The pride of #ucifer was so boundless that he

pretended to place his throne on high, and with the utmost boasting he spoke in presence of the %oman

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s mboli ed in the heavenl sign( )This "on, which that %oman is to bring forth, is of lower nature thanmine( $ shall devour Him and destro Him. $ shall lead on m followers against Him, $ shall spread mdoctrines against his decrees and against the laws, which He shall set up. $ shall wage perpetual warand contradiction against Him.* /ut the answer of the most high #ord was that this %oman was to

bring forth a !anchild, who was to reign over the nations with an iron rod. )This !an* 6the #ordadded )shall be not onl the "on of that %oman, but He shall also be m "on, true God and true man,

gifted with power to overcome th pride and crush th head. He will be to thee and to all those whohear and follow thee, a powerful :udge, who shall rule thee with a rod of iron and bring to naught allth vain and aspiring thoughts. This "on shall be taken up to m throne, where He shall be seated atm right hand as :udge, and $ will place his enemies for a footstool beneath his feet in order to triumphover them 67s. +, @ . He will be rewarded as the :ust man, who, being at the same time true God, hasdone so much for his creatures- all shall know Him and shall give Him reverence and honor 67s. '0@,' . /ut thou, as the most unhapp , shalt know what is the da of the wrath of the llpowerful 6"oph.', ' . This %oman, too, shall be placed in solitude, where "he will have a place assigned b !e*6 pos. '+, > . This solitude, to which the %oman fled, is the position which our great Aueen holds, as

being onl and alone, unsurpassed in sanctit and exempt from all sin. ;or "he, being of the samenature as mortals, far excelled all the angels in grace, merits and gifts attained in common with them.Thus, "he who was the onl 2ne and without a compeer among creatures, fled and was placed in asolitude exalted above all the rest. This solitude was so far removed from all sin that the dragon couldnot even attain sight of it, nor could he from the time of her Conception discern an thing of Her. The!ost High placed Her alone and as the onl 2ne in the world, who never had intercourse with, andnever was in subordination to the serpent. 2n the contrar , with solemn promise and assurance Heaffirmed and decreed( )This %oman, from the first instant of her existence, shall be m onl 2ne,chosen for ! self- $ exempt Her even now from the 3urisdiction of her enemies and $ will assign to Hera position of grace most eminent and incomparable, in order that there "he ma be nourished onethousand two hundred and sixt da s* 6 poc. '+, > . That number of da s the Aueen was to remain inan interior and spiritual state of most exalted and extraordinar graces, which were to be morememorable and wonderful. This happened in the last ears of her life, as, with the help of God, $ willrelate in its place. $n that state "he was nourished in such a divine manner, that our understanding willnever be able to grasp it. nd because these graces were in a certain measure the end toward whichothers of the life of the Aueen of heaven were ordained, and, as it were, their culmination, theEvangelist makes a special mention of them.

CHAPTER IX

T HE REST OF THE T WELFTH C HAPTER OF THE A POCALYPSE IS E XPLAINED .

'0>. ) nd there was a great battle in heaven- !ichael and his angels fought with the dragon and thedragon fought and his angels.* %hen the #ord had manifested these things to the good and to the bad

angels, the hol prince !ichael and his companions, with the permission of God, gave battle to thedragon and his followers. $t was a wonderful battle, for it was fought with the understanding and thewill. "aint !ichael, burning with eal for the honor of God and armed with divine power and with hisown humilit , resisted the arrogant pride of the dragon, sa ing( )%orth is the Highest of honor, praiseand reverence, and of being loved, feared and obe ed b all creation. He is might to work whateverHe desires. He that is increate and without dependence on an other being, cannot seek an thing that isnot most 3ust. To us He gave grace such as we have, creating us and forming us out of nothing. He can

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create other beings, as man and in what manner He pleases. $t is reasonable that we, submissive and prostrate in his presence, adore his !a3est and kingl grandeur. Come then, e angels, follow me, letus adore Him, and extol his admirable and secret 3udgments, his most perfect and hol works. God ismost exalted and above all creatures, and He would not be the !ost High, if we could attain orcomprehend his great works. $nfinite He is in wisdom and goodness, rich in the treasures of his

benefits. s #ord of all and needing none, He can distribute them to whomsoever He wishes, and He

cannot err in the selection. He can love and confer his favor to whomsoever He chooses, and He canlove whom He likes- He can raise up, create and enrich according as it is his good pleasure. $n allthings He will be wise, hol and irresistible. #et us adore and thank Him for the wonderful work of the$ncarnation which He has decreed, and for his favors to his people and for its restoration to grace afterits fall. #et us adore this 7erson endowed with the human and the divine nature, let us reverence $t andaccept $t as our Head- let us confess, that He is worth of all glor , praise and magnificence, and, as theuthor of grace, let us give Him glor and acknowledge his power and 5ivinit .* '0?. %ith such arms "t. !ichael and his angels gave battle, fighting as it were, with the powerfulra s of truth against the dragon and his followers, who on their hand made use of blasphemies. /ut#ucifer at the sight of the hol prince, not being able to resist, was torn with interior rage and sought tofl from his torments- it was the will of God, however, that he should not onl be punished, but alsocon4uered, in order that b his fall he might know the truth and power of God. Devertheless he

blasphemed and cried out( )Bn3ust is God in raising the human nature above the angelic. $ am the mostexalted and beautiful angel and the triumph belongs to me. $t is $ who am to place m throne above thestars and who shall be like unto the Highest- $ will sub3ect m self to no one of an inferior nature, and $will not consent that an one take precedence of me or be greater than $.* $n the same wa spoke theapostate followers of #ucifer. /ut "t. !ichael answered( )%ho is there like unto the #ord, who dwellsin the heavens, or who to compare himself to Him< /e silent, enem , cease th dreadful blasphemies,and since ini4uit has taken possession of thee, depart from our midst, wretch, and be hurled in th

blind ignorance and wickedness into the dark night and chaos of the infernal pains. /ut let us, 2 spiritsof the #ord, honor and reverence this blessed %oman, who is to give human flesh to the eternal %ord-and let us recogni e Her as our Aueen and #ad .* '08. The great sign of the %oman served the good angels as a shield and as arms of battle againstthe evil ones- for at the sight of it, all their power of reasoning weakened and was brought to confusionand silence, since the could not endure the m steries and sacraments contained in this sign. nd 3ustas b divine power this m sterious sign appeared, so also now the other figure or sign of the dragonappeared, in order that thus transformed he might be ignominiousl hurled from heaven amid the frightand terror of his followers and amid the astonishment of the hol angels. ll this was the effect of thisnew manifestation of the 3ustice and power of God. '0@. $t is difficult to describe in words what passed in that memorable battle, since there is such awide difference between our conceptions, founded on material ob3ects, and those which would beappropriate to the nature and operations of such great spirits as these angels. )/ut the bad ones did not

prevail* for in3ustice, lies, ignorance and malice could not prevail against e4uit , truth, light andgoodness- nor could these virtues be overcome b vices. Therefore, it is also said( );rom that time ontheir place was not found in heaven.* Through the sins which these disgraced angels had committed,the made themselves unworth of the eternal vision and compan of the #ord. Their memor was

blotted out from his mind, where the had been written b the excellences and graces of the naturegiven to them. Having lost the right to the places, which had been reserved for them, if the hadobe ed, it passed over to mankind. To man these places were now transferred in such a wa that thever vestiges of the apostate angels were blotted out and were no more found in heaven. 2 unhappwickedness and never to be described misfortune, which drew after itself such a horrible and dreadful

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chastisement The Evangelist adds( ''0. ) nd the dragon was cast out, that ancient serpent who is called devil and satan, who seduceththe whole world- and he was cast unto the earth and his angels were thrown down with him.* The hol

prince !ichael hurled from heaven the dragon #ucifer with the invincible battle=cr ( )%ho is like untoGod


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!an, the !odel and Teacher of all virtues. These alone shall be accredited before our tribunal andshall alwa s triumph over vices. %e will raise up the lowl and humble the proud 6!atth. '', +8 - wewill make labors and endurance praiseworth in our sight- we resolve to help the afflicted and thesorrowful. #et them be corrected b afflictions and thereb advance in our grace and friendship and,according to their capabilities, reach salvation in the practice of virtue. /lessed will be the that weep6!atth. 1, , and happ the poor and those that suffer for 3ustice sake and for Christ, their Chief- and

the insignificant ones shall be magnified, the meek of heart exalted. The peaceful shall be loved as oursons. !ost dear shall those be to us, who forgive and suffer in3uries and love their enemies. %e willassign to them copious benedictions of our grace and an immortal glor in heaven. 2ur 2nl begottenwill put in practice these decrees, and those that follow Him shall be our chosen ones, our cherishedones- the shall be refreshed and rewarded b Bs- their good works shall be engendered in our ownmind, which is the first cause of all virtue. %e give permission to the bad ones to oppress the good,thus helping them to gain the crown, while for themselves the increase the punishment. #et there bescandals 6!atth. '8, ? for the common good- unhapp be those that cause them, and blessed the thatare proved b them. The vain and the proud will afflict and despise the humble- the great and the

powerful will oppress the lowl and ab3ect ones. The will give benediction instead of curses 6$ Cor., '+ . %hile the are pilgrims, the shall be re3ected b men, but afterwards the shall be ranked withthe angelic spirits, our sons, and the will en3o the seats and crowns, which the unfortunate andunhapp apostates have lost. The stubborn and the proud shall be condemned to eternal death, wherethe will recogni e their foolish proceedings and their perverseness.* '' . )$n order that all ma have a true model and superabundant grace, if the wish to use it, the"on will descend, capable of suffering and as a &edeemer, and He shall save men 6whom #uciferdefrauded of their happ state - and He shall raise them up through his infinite merits. %e haveresolved and determined upon the salvation of men, through a &edeemer and Teacher, who shall beable to propitiate and to teach, who shall be born and live poor, shall die despised, condemned b mento a most ignominious and frightful 5eath- who shall be esteemed a sinner and a criminal, and et shallsatisf our 3ustice for the guilt of sin. 2n account of his foreseen merits %e will show merc andkindness. ll will understand, that those who are humble and peaceful, those that practice virtue, thatsuffer and et forgive, are the followers of Christ and our sons. Dobod will be capable of entering bhis own free will into our kingdom, unless he denies himself, and, taking up his cross, follows his Chiefand !aster 6!atth. '0, ++ . 2ur kingdom shall be composed of the perfect, who have legitimatellabored and fought, persevering to the end. These will take part in the reign of our Christ, now begunand determined upon. ;or the accuser of his brethren has been cast down- the triumph of Christ issecured- to Him belong exaltations and glor , since He is to wash and purif men with his blood.Therefore onl He shall be worth to open the book of the law of grace 6 poc. 1, @ , He is the wa, thelight, the truth and the life 6:oan ' , > , through which men ma come to !e. He alone shall open thegates of heaven- He shall be the !ediator 6$ Tim. +, 1 and the dvocate of mortals, in Him the willhave a ;ather, a /rother 6$ :oan +, ' , and 7rotector after having been freed from their accuser and

persecutor. nd the angels, who like true sons, have shared in the work of our salvation and power andhave defended the reign of m Christ, shall likewise be honored and crowned through all the eternitiesof eternities in m presence.* '' . This voice 6which contains the m steries hidden since the constitution of the world andmanifested b the doctrine and the life of :esus Christ , issued forth from the throne and imported morethan $ can explain. Through it were assigned the commissions, which the hol angels were to fulfill."aint !ichael and "aint Gabriel were appointed ambassadors of the incarnate %ord and of !ar his!other most hol - the were to be ministers for all the m steries of the $ncarnation and &edemption.%ith these two princes, man other angels were assigned to the same service, as $ shall explain

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afterward 6Dos. +0'=+0>., 7age. '8 . 2ther angels the lmight appointed as companions andguardians of the souls, to teach them and inspire them with the virtues and sanctit opposed to thevices, into which #ucifer had proposed to seduce mankind. The were to guard and defend the soulsand to carr them in their hands 67s. @0, '+ , in order that the 3ust might not hurt their feet against thestones, which are the snares and the traps laid b their enemies. ''1. lso other things were decreed on this occasion of which the Evangelist sa s that the power,

salvation, virtue and kingdom of Christ began. /ut among the m sterious works at this time wasespeciall the designation and enumeration of the predestined in the secret tablets of the divine mindthrough the foreseen merits of :esus Christ, our #ord. 2h the m steries and the inexplicable secrets,which then were evolved in the bosom of God 2h, happ lot of the chosen ones %hat can e4ual thisin importance %hat sacrament is so worth of the 2mnipotence of God How great was the triumph ofthe power of Christ Happ , infinitel happ , the members who then were assigned and united to such aHead 2h great Church 2h might people and hol congregation of such a #eader and !aster t thethought of such exalted m steries the 3udgment of the creature is rendered powerless, munderstanding is suspended, and m tongue becomes mute ''>. $n the consistor of the three divine 7ersons the m sterious book spoken of in the pocal psewas given and, as it were, delivered to the 2nl begotten of the ;ather- at that time it was written,closed, and sealed with the seven seals 6 poc. 1, ? , of which the Evangelist speaks. %hen He wasmade human flesh He opened it, solving in their order the seals b enacting the m steries of his /irth,#ife and 5eath unto the consummation of all things. That which the book contained were all thedecrees of the hol Trinit after the fall of the angels- namel all that belongs to the $ncarnation of the%ord, and the law of grace, the ten Commandments, the seven "acraments and all the articles of faith,and what is contained in them, the constitution of the whole militant Church. To the %ord as havingassumed human nature and as the High 7riest and hol 7ontiff 6Heb. >, +0 , was given the power tocommunicate the necessar faculties and gifts to the postles and the other priests and ministers of theChurch. ''?. This was the m sterious beginning of the law of the Gospel. $n a most secret consistor of theTrinit it was resolved and recorded in the divine mind, that those who would observe that law, shall bewritten in the book of life. Here was the beginning of that law and from the eternal ;ather the pontiffsand prelates have their power and their vicariate. ;rom his infinite power flows the virtues of thosethat are meek, poor in spirit, humble and 3ust. This is their most humble origin, and on that account itis true to sa , that he who obe s the superior obe s God 6#uc. '0, '> , and he who despises them,despises God. ll this was decreed and conceived in the divine mind and to Christ was given the

power to open in its proper time this book of decrees, which was until then to be closed and sealed. $nthe meanwhile the !ost High gave his testament, that is the testimonies of his divine words in thenatural laws and in the written laws, accompan ing them with wonderful works and manifesting a partof his secrets through the 7atriarchs and 7rophets. ''8. Through these testimonies and through the blood of the #amb, it is said( )The 6the 3ustovercame him 6the dragon .* ;or although the blood of Christ was entirel sufficient andsuperabundant to enable all the faithful to overcome the dragon, their accuser, and although thetestimonies and teachings of the 7rophets are of great power and help for eternal salvation- et the 3ustattain the fruit of the 7assion and &edemption, b cooperating of their own free will with these divinehelps, con4uering their own selves and the demons, and making use of grace. The not onl succeed infulfilling the ordinar commandments and counsels of God, but the go to the extent of sacrificing theirlives for the #ord 6 poc. >, @ in testimon of Him and in the hope of the crown and triumph promised

b Christ, as the mart rs did in testimon of the faith and in defending his honor. ''@. 2n account of all these m steries the sacred text adds( )Therefore re3oice, 2 heaven, and all

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those that dwell therein.* &e3oice, because thou art to be the dwelling place of the 3ust, and of theirChief, :esus Christ, and of his most hol !other. &e3oice, 2 heaven, because of all the material andinanimate creatures none obtained a better lot, for thou art to be the house of God, who will endurethrough the eternal ages, and thou art to receive as th Aueen the most pure and most hol Creature,that emanated from the power of the !ost High. Therefore re3oice, heaven and all that dwell therein,e angels and e 3ust, since ou are to be the companions and ministers of the "on of the eternal ;ather

and of his !other, and ou are to be parts of that m stical bod , whose head is Christ himself. &e3oice,e hol angels, because ministering to them and serving them b our defense and custod , ouincrease our accidental 3o . #et the hol rchangel !ichael, the prince of the celestial hosts, re3oicein particular because he defended in battle the glor of the !ost High and his adorable m steries, and

because he is to be the minister of the $ncarnation of the %ord and a particular witness of all its effectto the end. #et all his allies and all the defenders of :esus Christ and his !other re3oice, since duringtheir ministr the do not lose the 3o s of essential glor alread their own. 2n account of such divinesacraments let the heavens re3oice

CHAPTER X

T HE EXPLANATION OF THE T WELFTH C HAPTER OF THE APOCALYPSE IS C ONCLUDED .

'+0. )%oe to the earth, and to the sea, because the devil is come down to ou, having great wrath,knowing that he hath but a short time.* %oe to the earth, where so man sins and such wickednessshall be perpetrated %oe to the sea, which refused to pour forth its floods and annihilate thetransgressors at the sight of so great offenses against its Creator, and to avenge the insults against its!aker and #ord /ut more woe to the profound and raging sea of those that follow the demon, after hehad descended in their midst in order to war against them with great wrath and with such unheard ofcruelt $t is the wrath of the most ferocious dragon, and greater than that of the devouring lion 6$ 7et.1, 8 , who attempts to annihilate all creation and to whom all the da s of the world seem a short time toexecute his fur . "uch is his hunger and thirst to do damage to the mortals, that all the da s of their lifedo not satisf him, for the come to an end, whereas he desires eternal ages, if possible, in order to

wage war against the sons of God. /ut incomparabl greater than against all others is his rage againstthat most blessed %oman, who was to crush his head 6Gen. , '1 . Therefore the Evangelist sa s(

'+'. ) nd when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the %oman, who brought forth the !an=child.* %hen the ancient serpent saw the most unhapp place and state towhich he had fallen, and that he was hurled from the emp rean heaven, he broke out in so much thegreater rage and env , like a wild beast tearing its own entrails. gainst the !other of the %ordincarnate he conceived such a furious rage, as no human tongue or intelligence can ever describe orunderstand. /ut to a certain extent this anger can be surmised from that which followed immediatelafter that dragon found himself hurled with his hosts to the infernal regions. $ will describe this event,as far as $ can, and as far as it has been made plain to m understanding. '++. 5uring the whole first week of the creation of the world and its contents #ucifer and the

demons were occupied in machinations and pro3ects of wickedness against the %ord, who was to become incarnate, and against the %oman of whom He was to be born and made man. 2n the first da ,which corresponds to "unda , were created the angels- laws and precepts were given to them, for theguidance of their actions. The bad ones disobe ed and transgressed the mandates of the #ord. /divine providence and disposition then succeeded all the other events, which have been recorded above,up to the morning of the second da , corresponding to !onda , on which #ucifer and his hosts weredriven and hurled into hell. The duration of these da s corresponds to the small periods, or dela s,

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ield to another. He knew too well that without the permission of the omnipotent #ord he couldattempt nothing. $n order to be able to tempt Christ our #ord, and his most hol !other in particular,he was willing to humiliate himself a thousand times, for he feared the threat, which had been made,that "he should crush his head. '+>. The #ord answered( )Thou must not, satan, ask such a permission as due to thee in 3ustice, forthe incarnate %ord is God and #ord most high and omnipotent, though He is at the same time true man,

and thou art his creature. Even if the other men sin and sub3ect themselves to th will, this will not be possible in m 2nl begotten made man. Though thou ma est succeed in making men slaves of sin,Christ will be hol and 3ust, segregated from sinners. He will redeem them, if the fall. nd this%oman against whom thou hast such wrath, although "he is to be a mere creature and a true daughterof man, is to be preserved b m decree from sin. "he is to be altogether mine forever and on noaccount or title shall an one else be allowed to have part in Her.*

'+?. To this satan replied( )/ut what wonder that this %oman should be hol , since no one on thisearth will be allowed to draw Her to the contrar , or persecute Her and incite Her to sin< This cannot bee4uit , nor 3ust 3udgment, nor can this be proper and praise worth .* #ucifer added et other

blasphemies in his arrogance. /ut the !ost High, who disposes all things with wisdom, answered him()$ will give thee permission to tempt Christ, so that He will be an example and a teacher in this to allthe rest of men. $ also give thee permission to persecute the %oman, but thou must not touch Her inregard to the life of her bod. $t is m will, that Christ and his !other be not exempt from temptation,and that The be tempted b thee like the rest of men.* This permission was more pleasing to thedragon than that of being free to persecute all the rest of the human race. $n this he resolved to usemore care than in the pursuit of an other pro3ect, as afterwards reall happened. To no one else thanhimself was he resolved to confide its execution. Therefore the Evangelist proceeds to sa (

'+8. )He persecuted the %oman, who brought forth the man=child.* ;or with the permission of the#ord, he waged unheard of war and persecution against Her, whom he thought to be the !other of Godincarnate. /ut since these persecutions and battles will be described later 6Do. >@+=>@?., 7age. '@,7art $$ 0=?'., 7age. +0- $$$ 1'= 1+8., 7age. ' , $ will onl sa here, that the were be ond allconception of man. E4uall admirable, was her glorious resistance and victor over them. Thereforein order to describe the manner in which "he defended Herself, he sa s( )There were given to her twowings of a great eagle, that she might fl into the desert unto her place, where she is nourished for atime and times.* These two wings were given to the most hol 9irgin before "he entered upon thecombat, for "he was prepared b special gifts and favors. The one wing was an infused science, whichrevealed anew to Her vast m steries and sacraments- the other was a new and sublime humilit , as will

be explained in its place 67art $$ 1= @, 7art $$$ 8= 10 . %ith these two wings "he took her flightto the #ord, her proper habitation, for in Him alone "he lived and in Him was centered all her attention."he flew like the ro al eagle, without ever directing her flight towards the enem , being alone in herflight and living in seclusion from all earthl things, solel in communion with her last End, which isthe 5ivinit . $n this solitude "he )was nourished for a time and times,* for though this nourishmentlasted all her life, et it was more abundant in the times of her great battles with satan. $n those times"he received favors more proportioned to the greatness of the conflict. / )time and times* is alsounderstood the felicit , b which her victories were rewarded and crowned. '+@. ) nd half a time from the face of the serpent.* This half a time was that, in which the mosthol 9irgin was free from the persecution of the dragon and far from his sight during this life- for,having con4uered him in her battles, "he was, b divine providence and as 9ictress, freed from them.This freedom was conceded to Her in order that "he might en3o the peace and 4uiet, which "he hadmerited after having con4uered the enem, as $ will describe farther on 67art $$$, 1+> . Concerning thetime of the combat the Evangelist sa s(

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' 0. ) nd the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman, water, as it were, a river, that he mightcause her to be carried awa - and the earth helped the woman and the earth opened her mouth andswallowed up the river, which the dragon cast out of his mouth.* ll his malice and all his forces#ucifer exerted and directed against the !istress- for all those, who were ever tempted b him, seemedto him of less importance than most hol !ar . %ith the same force as the current of a great swiftriver, so the malice, and the lies, and the temptations flowed from the mouth of that dragon against Her.

/ut the earth helped Her- for the earth of her bod and of her inclinations was not cursed, nor did thesentence and punishment, which God hurled against dam and Eve, touch Her in an wa . ;or in itour earth is cursed and produces thorns instead of fruit. $t is wounded in its ver nature b itsinclination to sin )fomes 7eccati* 6Gen. , '? , which continues to assault us and causes opposition.The devil avails himself of these inclinations for the ruin of men, for he finds within us arms for hisoffensive warfare- and catering to our evil inclinations b his false representations and apparentsweetness and delight, he draws us toward sensible and earthl things. ' '. /ut the most blessed !ar , the hol and sanctified earth without touch of bad inclinations orevil dispositions, was free from all danger of corruption arising from the earth. 2n the contrar , sinceall her inclinations were most orderl , composed and obedient to grace, the earth of her bod was in

perfect harmon with her soul. Thus this earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the stream oftemptations which the dragon raised up for Her in vain- for he found that material indisposed andunfomented for sin, unlike the other offspring of dam. Their terrestrial and disorderl passions aremore adapted to produce the floods of temptation, than to absorb them, since our passions and ourcorrupt nature are alwa s in opposition to virtue. 2n account of the futilit of his efforts against thism sterious %oman, "cripture sa s( ' +. ) nd the dragon was angr against the %oman( and he went to make war with the rest of herseed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimon of :esus Christ The dragon, having

been gloriousl overcome in all things b the Aueen of all creation and dreading the furious tormentsof his own confusion and the ruin of all hell power, fled from Her, determined to make cruel waragainst the other souls belonging to the generation and race of the most blessed !other. These are thefaithful, who are marked with the testimon and the blood of Christ in /aptism as keepers of hiscommands and constant witnesses. ;or all the wrath of the demon turned so much the more toward thehol Church and its members, when he saw, that he would be unable to gain an advantage over Christand his most hol !other. Especiall does he war against the virgins of Christ, and with a more

particular hatred does he seek to destro the virtue of virginit or chastit , this being the seed and theinheritance of the most chaste 9irgin and !other of the #amb. 2n account of all this the Evangelistsa s( ' . ) nd he stood upon the sands of the sea.* This is the contemptible vanit of the world, onwhich the dragon feeds and which he eats like ha. ll this passed in heaven and man m steries weremade manifest to the angels in the decrees of the divine %ill regarding the privileges reserved for the!other of the $ncarnate %ord.* $ have been short in describing what $ saw- for the multitude of them steries has made me poor and halting in the words needful for their manifestation.

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FURTHER REFERENCES IN CONCERNS TO FURTHER REFERENCES IN CONCERNS TO MARIA DE AGREDA'S WRITINGS. MARIA DE AGREDA'S WRITINGS.

Part I Nos. 201 206

2n this account the celestial spirits at this new revelation conceived an additional 3o and obtained

new accidental glor , and the spoke to the #ord( )!ost High and incomprehensible God and #ord,Thou art worth of all reverence, praise and eternal glor - and we are th creatures and made accordingto th divine will. "end us, most powerful #ord, to execute th most wonderful works and m steries, inorder that in all things th most 3ust pleasure ma be fulfilled.* $n such terms of affection the heavenl

princes acknowledged themselves as sub3ects- and if it had been possible, the desired to increase in purit and perfection in order to be more worth guardians and servants of !ar . Then the !ost High chose and appointed those who were to be occupied in this exalted service 6theguardianship of !ar from each of the nine choirs of angels. He selected one hundred, being ninehundred in all. !oreover He assigned twelve others who should in a special manner assist !ar incorporeal and visible forms- and the were to bear the emblems or escutcheons of the &edemption.These are the twelve which are mentioned in the twent =first chapter of the pocal pse as guarding the

portals of the cit - of them $ will speak in the explanation of that chapter later on. /esides these the#ord assigned eighteen other angels, selected from the highest ranks, who were to ascend and descend b that m stical stairs of :acob with the message of the Aueen to his !a3est and those of the #ord toHer. ;or, man times did "he send them to the eternal ;ather in order to be governed in all her actions

b the Hol "pirit. "he did nothing except what pleased the lmight , and his pleasures "he soughteven in most insignificant things. %henever "he was not instructed b a special enlightenment, "hesent these hol angels to the #ord in order to represent her doubt and signif her desire to do what wasmost pleasing to the divine will, and in order to be informed of his pleasure, as we shall relate in thecourse of this histor . $n addition to all these hol angels the lmight assigned and appointed sevent seraphim, choosingthem from the highest ranks and from those nearest to the 5ivinit , in order that the might

communicate and converse with this 7rincess of heaven in the same wa as the themselves haveintercourse with each other, and as the higher communicate with the lower ones. This was a privilegeconferred upon the !other of God because "he was to be a wa farer on earth and in nature inferior,though in dignit and grace, superior to all the seraphim. %hen at one time the #ord withdrew and hidHimself from Her, as we shall see later on, these sevent seraphim enlightened Her and consoled Her-to them "he poured out the longings of her most ardent love and her anxieties in regard to her hiddenTreasure. That there were sevent of these spirits, had reference to the number of ears of her life,which was sevent and not sixt , as $ will explain in its place. mong this number are included thesixt strong ones, which in the Canticles are mentioned as guarding the chamber or couch of "olomon,their loins girded with swords against the terror of the night. These might princes and captains were as signed as a guard of the Aueen of heaven from among the

highest orders of the angelic hierarch - for these, in that ancient battle of the obedient spirits with the proud dragon, were as the armed champions of the #ord of all creation, encountering and overcoming#ucifer and all his apostates with the sword of their virtue and of the divine %ord. Hence, because thedistinguished themselves in that great battle and victor b their eal for the honor of the lmight , andhad been valiant and skillful captains in the divine love, and as the so ealousl defended the honor oftheir Captain and #ord and of his most hol !other b the arms of divine grace given to them in viewof the merits of the incarnate %ord, therefore it is said, that the guard the couch of "olomon, that the

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form his guard, girded with the sword about the loins. ;or thus is indicated the human generation orhumanit of Christ conceived in the virginal chamber of !ar of her most pure blood and substance. The other ten seraphim, which complete the number of sevent, were likewise chosen from the moredistinguished leaders of those who in their opposition to the dragon had manifested a greater reverencefor the 5ivinit and humanit of the %ord and for his most hol !other- for all this was determinedduring that brief conflict of the hol angels. $t was one of the principal distinctions merited b them at

the time that the were to be selected as guardians of their Aueen and #ad . ltogether a thousandangels were chosen from the "eraphim and the lower orders of angels, and thus that Cit of God wassuperabundantl fortified against the infernal hosts. I N ORDER THAT THIS INVINCIBLE WARRIOR -TROOP MIGHT BE WELL APPOINTED , SAINT M ICHAEL , THE PRINCE OF THE HEAVENLY MILITIA WAS PLACED AT THEIR HEAD , AND ALTHOUGH NOT ALWAYS IN THE COMPANY OF THE Q UEEN ,HE WAS NEVERTHELESS OFTEN NEAR H ER AND OFTEN SHOWED HIMSELF TO H ER . T HE A LMIGHTY DESTINED HIM AS A SPECIAL AMBASSADOR OF C HRIST OUR L ORD AND TO ACT IN SOME OF THE MYSTERIES AS THE DEFENDER OF HIS MOST HOLY M OTHER . I N A LIKE MANNER THE HOLY PRINCE G ABRIEL WAS APPOINTED TO ACT AS LEGATE AND MINISTER OF THE ETERNAL F ATHER IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE P RINCESS OF HEAVEN . T HUS DID THE MOST HOLY T RINITY PROVIDE FOR THE CUSTODY AND THE DEFENSE OF THE M OTHER OF G OD . (-L OCATION PAGE 13

Part I Nos. 692 697

The matter was ventilated in that confused s nagogue, convoked solel for our ruin, and one of the

chiefs of the horrible council said( )2ur chief and #ord, do not allow th self to be tormented b such asmall matter, for a weak little !aiden cannot be so invincible and powerful as all of us that follow thee.Thou hast deceived Eve, 6Gen. , , dragging her down from the high position which she held, andthrough her thou didst also con4uer her head dam- then wh shouldst thou not be able to overcomethis %oman, her descendant, who was born after the first fall< 7romise th self even at this momentsuch a victor - and in order to obtain it we will persist in tempting Her though "he resist man times,and, if necessar , we will not stop at ielding some of our greatness and haughtiness, in the hope offinall deceiving Her. $f that does not suffice, we will tr to destro her honor or her life.* 2ther demons added their advice and said to #ucifer( )/ experience we know, 2 powerful chief,that to bring about the downfall of man souls, the most effective wa is to make use of other creatures,and b their means we often succeed where we otherwise fail. #et us then plan and contrive the ruin ofthis %oman in this wa , first finding out the best time and the most favorable opportunit . bove all itis necessar , that we appl all our sagacit and astuteness to make Her lose grace b some sin. s soonas this mainsta and bulwark of the 3ust is lost to Her, we can persecute and ensnare Her in herforsakeness, and there will be no one to snatch Her from our grasp, and we must exert ourselves toreduce Her to despair of all remed .* #ucifer expressed his thanks for these encouraging counsels of his followers and co=operators incrime. He commanded and exhorted the most astute in malice among them to accompan him asleader in this arduous enterprise- for he did not wish to trust it to other hands. lthough the demons

assisted him, #ucifer himself in person was alwa s at the fore in tempting !ar and her most hol "onin the desert, as well as during the whole course of their lives, as we shall see later on. $n the meanwhile our heavenl 7rincess continued to sigh and grieve over the absence of her/eloved, and thus the infernal s4uadron found Her, when the rushed forward to begin theirtemptations. /ut the divine power, which overshadowed Her, hindered the assaults of #ucifer, so thathe could not approach ver closel to Her, nor could he execute all that he had intended. /

permission of God the hellish host excited in her faculties man suggestions and various thoughts of

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highest ini4uit and malice- for the #ord did not 3udge it to be alien to the !other of Grace, that "heshould be tempted in all things, although "he was to be without sin in temptation, as was afterwards hermost hol "on. $t cannot easil be conceived how much in this new conflict the most pure and innocent heart of!ar suffered, seeing Herself assailed b suggestions so foreign and so distant from the ineffable

purit and nobilit of her heavenl mind. %hen the ancient serpent perceived the affliction and tears of

the great #ad , he imagined that he had on this account more power over Her, being blinded b his own pride and not knowing the secrets of heaven. Therefore, animating his infernal helpers, he said tothem( )#et us persecute Her now, let us persecute Her- alread it seems we are gaining our end, for "hefeels sorrowful, which is an opening for discouragement.* $n this mistaken conviction, the suggestednew thoughts of de3ection and despair, and the assailed Her with terrible imaginations, but in vain- foras this flawless stone was struck b occasions of more exalted virtues, so also it gave forth moregenerousl the sparks and flames of divine love. 2ur invincible Aueen was so superior to this infernal

batter , that her interior showed no signs of change nor even of an understanding of such terriblesuggestions, except in so far as to concentrate Herself the more in the exercise of her incomparablevirtues and allow the flames of divine love, which burned in her breast, to ascend so much the higher. The dragon, though seeing her courage and constanc , and though feeling the force of the divineassistance, knew nothing of the hidden wisdom and prudence of our sovereign Aueen. Devertheless he

persisted in his pride and besieged the Cit of God in diverse wa s and several kinds of warfare. Theastute enem during this warfare often changed his engines of war, but his machiner was like the stingof a weak hornet against a diamond, or adamantine wall. 2ur 7rincess was that strong woman 67rov.', '' on whom the heart of her husband confidentl relied, without the least anxiet lest his desiresshould be frustrated in Her. Her adornments were fortitude 67rov. ', +1 which filled Her with

beaut , and her vestments were purit and charit , which served Her as a helmet. The unclean and proud serpent could not look upon this Creature without being blinded anew in the fur of hisconfusion- therefore he resolved to take awa her life, and the horde of malignant spirits began to exerttheir utmost powers toward this end. $n this attempt the spent some time, but with 3ust as littlesuccess. (-L OCATION PAGE 1!

Part II Nos. 340 371

$n order to begin his battle #ucifer brought with him the seven legions with their seven principal

leaders, whom after the fall from heaven he had appointed to tempt men to the seven capital sins6 poc. '+ . Each of these seven s4uadrons he charged with the dut of exerting their utmost strengthagainst the immaculate 7rincess. The invincible #ad was occupied in pra er, when the #ord permittedthe first legion of devils to begin the battle b tempting Her to the sin of pride, to which special workthe had been appointed. The sought to approach the heavenl Aueen b tr ing to cause changes inher natural passions and inclinations, for this is the ordinar wa in which the demons find access toother mortals- and the thought that "he was infected in the same wa as other men with passionsdisordered b sin. The could not however come as close to Her as the wished, for the were repelled

b the fragrance of her virtues and holiness, which tormented them more than the fire which consumesthem. $n spite of this obstacle and although the ver sight of most hol !ar pierced them with ragingtorments, the nevertheless ignored their pains and lashed themselves into furious and ungovernablewrath in their obstinate endeavors to approach nearer to Her and exert upon Her their cursed anddamnable influence. The most hol !ar , who was alone and left onl to her natural forces, stood prepared for the assault

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of those countless demons- et "he b Herself was as formidable and terrible 6Cant. >, to them asman armies in battle arra . The presented themselves before Her 67s. ''8, 81 in the most horridmasks and with wicked lies. /ut the sovereign Aueen, teaching us how to con4uer, did not change her

position nor was moved interiorl or exteriorl , nor did "he show an emotion of fear in hercountenance. "he took no notice of them, nor attended to them an more than if the had been theweakest ants. "he despised them with an invincible and magnanimous heart- for this kind of battle, as it

is a battle of virtues, is not accompanied b the extremes of noise and excitement, but is fought in alltran4uillit , in outward and inward peace and modest . :ust as little could "he be moved b the passions and the appetites- for these were not in subservience to the devil in our Aueen.$n Her the were all swa ed b reason, and this again was sub3ect to God, since none of her facultieshad been cast into disorder b the first sin, as in the rest of the children of dam. Therefore the arrowsof these enemies, as 5avid sa s, were like those of little children 67s. > , 8 , and their armories werelike those which were without ammunition. 2nl to themselves were the harmful, for their weaknessonl brought upon them confusion. lthough the were not aware of the innocence and the original

3ustice of most hol !ar and therefore did not understand that "he was not to be in3ured b thecommon temptations- et b the !a3est of her bearing and her constanc the could con3ecture theirill=success and how "he despised them. Their efforts were not of the least avail- for, as sa s the postlein the pocal pse 6 poc. '+, '8 and as $ have mentioned in the first part 69ol. $. '='+@ III , the earthhelped the %oman, who was clothed with the sun, when the dragon opened upon Her the flood of hisimpetuous temptations- meaning thereb , that the earthl bod of this #ad had not been vitiated in itsfaculties and passions, as those of others, who had been touched b sin.

III 7lease refer to the ! stical Cit of God 9olume one.

The demons then assumed corporeal shapes of the most horrible and dreadful kind- and the beganto emit fearful howls, roaring with terrible voices, pretending to rush upon Her and threateningdestruction- the shook the earth and the house, striving also b other furious assaults to frighten anddisturb the 7rincess of the world- so that at least in this, or in making Her desist from pra er, themight seem victorious. /ut the invincible and magnanimous heart of most hol !ar was not

disturbed, nor moved in the least. $t must be remembered, that in order to enter upon this battle, the#ord left Her entirel to the resources of her own faith and virtue. He suspended the effects of the otherfavors and privileges, which "he was wont to en3o at other times. The !ost High wished it so, inorder that the triumph of his !other might be more glorious and honorable- besides this there were theother reasons, which God has in allowing the souls to be tempted in this manner. His 3udgments areunsearchable and unknowable 6&om. '', . t times the great #ad would repeat( )% H2 $" #$FE BDT2 G25 , THT #$9E" $D THE H$GHE"T D5 #22F" B72D THE HB!/#E $D HE 9ED D5 2D E &TH


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the !other of knowledge and continued to extol be ond the skies Her, who had humiliated Herself beneath the lowest of creatures. The protested that the wished to exalt Her above all women andconfer upon Her an ex4uisite favor( the would select Her in the name of the #ord for the !other of the!essias, and the assured Her that her holiness would be greater than that of the 7atriarchs and7rophets.

#ucifer himself was the author of this new plot and his malice is here made known for a warning to

other souls. /ut it was ridiculous to offer to !ar , the Aueen of heaven, a dignit alread her own.The themselves were ensnared and deceived, not onl in offering what the neither knew nor wereable to give, but also in being ignorant of the sacrament of the Fing so intimatel connected with themost blessed %oman, whom the persecuted. Devertheless the ini4uit of the dragon was great,

because he knew that he could not fulfill what he promised. He tried to sp out whether perhaps our blessed #ad held that dignit , or whether "he would give him some signs, b which he couldcon3ecture it. !ost hol !ar was aware of this double=dealing of #ucifer, and admirabl met it with a4uiet firmness. "he answered the deceitful flatteries b 4uietl continuing her pra er and adoring the#ord. 7rostrated upon the floor "he humiliated Herself, confessing Herself as the most despicable ofcreatures, more despicable than the dust under her feet. / this humble pra er and prostration "he cutoff the presumptuous pride of #ucifer as long as this temptation lasted. s for the rest which happened,the cunning of the demons, their cruelt and l ing deceits on this occasion, it seemed to me, that $should not relate all, nor that $ should expatiate on all that has been shown to me- let this much sufficefor our instruction- for not all can be trusted to the ignorance of weak and earthl creatures. 5isma ed and routed, the first host of enemies retired and gave wa to the second. These were totempt Her, who was the most poor of human kind, to the sin of avarice. The offered to Her greatriches, gold, silver, and most precious gems and in order that these might not seem empt promises, th

placed before Her a great 4uantit of these riches, although the were onl apparent- for the thoughtthat the could exert greater influence on her will b actuall presenting these ob3ects before Her. Theaccompanied this offer with man deceitful words and told Her that God had sent Her all this fordistribution among the poor. %hen the saw that all this had no effect upon Her, the changed theirtactics and urged, that since "he was so hol , it was a great wrong that "he should remain so poor. $twas more reasonable that "he possess these riches, than that the remain in the hands of wickedsinners, for this would be an in3ustice and a disarrangement of the divine 7rovidence that the 3ust bevisited with povert , while God s wicked enemies abound in riches and affluence. $n vain the net is spread before the e es of the bird in its flight, sa s the wise man. This was true ofall the temptations of our sovereign Aueen- but the malice of the serpent was much more preposterousin regard to this temptation of avarice, for this 7hoenix of povert was so far removed from the earth,and winged her flight so far above that of even the seraphim, that such a vile and contemptible snarewas entirel in vain. The most prudent #ad , although "he possessed divine wisdom, never undertookto argue with these enemies, as in truth nobod should - for the battle against the manifest truth andwill not admit defeat, even when the must acknowledge its effects. The most hol !ar made use ofsome words of the hol "criptures and repeated them with serene humilit . 2n this occasion "heselected the words of the ''8th 7salm( )H E&E5$T TE CAB$"$9$ TE"T$!2D$ TB $D ETE&DB! .* )$ H9E CAB$&E5 ;2& !J HE&$T GE D5 ;2& !J &$CHE" THE FEE7$DG 2; THJ TE"T$!2D$E" D5 THJ #%" , !J # 2&5 * 67s.''8, ''+ . "he made use of man other passages, gratefull praising and blessing the !ost High,

because He had created and preserved Her without her merits. $n this most wise manner "he re3ectedand overcame the second temptation, to the confusion and torment of these agents of ini4uit . Then advanced the third legion, led on b the prince of impurit who assails the weakness of theflesh. These made so much the greater efforts, because the foresaw more clearl the improbabilit ofsuccess- and in truth the gained less than all the others, if one ma speak of more or less in these

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different temptations of the 9irgin !ar . The tried to suggest to Her vile images and to produce beforeher e es unspeakable monstrosities. /ut all their efforts vanished in midair- for the most pure 9irgin, assoon as "he had recogni ed the first signs of this vice, withdrew entirel within Herself and suspendedall the activit of her senses. Thus not even the shadow of a suggestion or indecent image could enterher thoughts, since none of her faculties were in action. %ith the most ardent longing "he renewedman times her vow of chastit in the presence of the #ord, and "he merited more on this occasion than

all the virgins that ever existed or will exist in this world. The lmight furnished Her with such virtue,that in comparison the sudden expulsion of the cannon ball from the cannon, is but a poor image of theforce with which these enemies were repelled from the presence of most hol !ar when the soughtto touch her purit b their temptations. The fourth legion undertook to test her meekness and patience, seeking to move this mildest 5ove toanger. This temptation was most anno ing, for the demons overturned the whole house( the broke andshattered ever thing contained therein, and in such a manner as to cause the greatest amount ofanno ance to the most meek #ad - but her hol angels soon repaired all the damage. ;oiled in thisattempt, the demons assumed the shapes of some women known to the serenest 7rincess. The flew atHer with greater wrath and fur than if the had been real women - the added outrageous insults,dared to threaten Her, and took possession of things most necessar . /ut all these were onl despicabletricks in the e es of Her that knew them- for none of their pranks and assaults escaped the penetrationof the most hol !ar . "he disregarded them altogether and despised them entirel , without giving ansigns of being moved or influenced b them. The demons then chose a real woman of a dispositionadapted to their purposes, whom the influenced b diabolical art against the 7rincess of heaven. ;orthis purpose one of the demons assumed the shape of an ac4uaintance of this %oman and began to tellher that this !ar , the wife of :oseph, had slandered her in her presence and had accused her of mangross faults, which this demon invented for the occasion. The deceived woman, who was naturall ver much inclined to anger, hastened furiousl to ourmeekest #amb and hurled at Her the vilest accusations and insults. "he, however, allowing the angrwoman to pour out her wrath graduall began to speak to her in words so humble and sweet, that "hechanged her entirel , appeased and softened her heart. %hen "he had thus brought her about, "heconsoled and admonished her against the wiles of the devil. s this woman was poor, !ar added somealms and dismissed her in peace. Thus also this attempt was foiled, 3ust as were man others, b which#ucifer tried to irritate our meekest 5ove and bring her into discredit. The !ost High alwa s defendedthe honor of his most hol !other, making use of her own perfection in virtue and of her prudence andhumilit , so that the devil could never succeed in harming her good name in the least. "he alwa s actedso prudentl and with so much meekness and wisdom, that the multitude of the hellish attempts weretotall ineffectual. The tran4uillit and meekness of the sovereign #ad during these temptations of thedragon caused the admiration of the angels. Even the demons were full of astonishment, 6though of adifferent kind , at seeing such behavior in a mere creature and that a woman- for never had the seenthe like.

The fifth legion followed with tem

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The Great Angelic War_Full