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The Holy Scriptures is mostly silent on the early life of the Mother of Jesus. Her first spoken words are to the Angel at the Announcement by the Angel Gabriel. Much is unknown of the life of Mary leading up to the Announcement and when the Holy Family returned to their home in Nazareth.
The Incarnation, that is ‘the Word made flesh’, is the moment that the Second Person of the Holy Trinity entered our humanity. To understand how this would take place is to draw upon the mystics, along with Scriptures, to provide a complete picture. Venerable Mary of Agreda in the Mystical City of God complements the words of the Evangelists.
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The newly wed Mary and Joseph commenced their life as a couple in the house owned by Mary’s parents in Nazareth. Everyone who met Mary was drawn to her and without understanding felt a great joy in their heart; amended their lives and walked away from a life of sin. Mary continued to live a life of prayer, contemplation and carried out her everyday tasks with wisdom, gentleness, and love.
The time frame from her espousal to Joseph and to the Incarnation was six months and seventeen days.
Mary internally and externally exercised the following virtues:
- Charity,
- Humility,
- Religion
- Works of mercy,
- Almsgiving, and more.
She carried these out in an act of Charity i.e with God at the forefront.
The days for the Incarnation were approaching and to prepare the Holy Virgin for the Incarnation, God communicated great graces, gifts, and favours. God commenced a nine-day novena with Mary. For each of the nine days, God would reveal to her a part of His creative power. Mary was shown how God created Heaven and earth, the fall of the angels, Hell, limbo, Purgatory and its’ inhabitants, the size of the earth, the entry of sin into the world, the effects of sin, the pains and groans of the prophets and the people who longed for the Messiah, Mary understood and grew in wisdom and knowledge of the heavens, the number of stars, how nature worked, God’s wonderful marvels, the Angels and the Holy Trinity acknowledged her, and she was adorned with great vestments and attire for Mary is the Daughter of the Father; Spouse of the Holy Spirt; and Mother of the Son.
How did the Incarnation take place?
The New Testament provides an understanding of the Incarnation, especially in the Gospel of St Luke Chapter 1: 26-38. It would be worthwhile to reflect on this account prior to continuing to read the account of how the Incarnation occurred as seen by Venerable Mary of Agreda in the Mystical City of God. I would highly recommend this Four Volume Set as a spiritual reading and/or to assist in filling in the gaps of what little we know about the Mother of Jesus. To own a copy, click here.
The Angel Gabriel was summoned before the foot of the throne of the Almighty and communicated the message that he was to bring to the Holy Virgin Mary. The entire Angelical choirs had been informed that the time of the Redemption had arrived. Heaven was abuzz with this great news.
The Angel Gabriel made his journey to the town of Nazareth and to the dwelling place of Mary. Mary was fourteen years of age, six months and seventeen days.
Venerable Mary of Agreda describes the physical appearance as…“The bodily shape of the Queen of Heaven was well proportioned and taller than … most maidens her age.; yet extremely elegant and perfect in all parts. Her face was rather more oblong than round, gracious and beautiful, without leanness or grossness; its complexion clear, yet of lightly brownish hue; her forehead spacious yet symmetrical; her eyebrows perfectly arched; her eyes large and serious, of incredible and ineffable beauty and dovelike sweetness, dark in color with a mixture tending toward green; her nose straight and well-shaped; her mouth small, with red-coloured lips, neither too thin nor too thick”. (Mariso, Fiscar (1902), The Mystical City of God: The Incarnation by Venerable Mary of Agreda; Volume II – The Incarnation, page 95).
The moment had arrived for the Angel to deliver the message. In reading the account as revealed to Venerable Mary of Agreda, one sees the consistency in the account of St Luke’s Gospel, however an explanation is provided into the reaction of Mary. Here is the account from the Mystical City of God:
“… the holy archangel Gabriel, …, accompanied by innumerable angels in visible human forms and resplendent with incomparable beauty, entered into the chamber, where most holy Mary was praying.
It was on a Thursday at six o’clock in the evening and at the approach of night. The great modesty and restraint of the Princess of heaven did not permit Her to look at him more than was necessary to recognize him as an angel of the Lord. Recognizing him as such, She, in her usual humility, wished to do him reverence; the holy prince would not allow it; on the contrary he himself bowed profoundly as before his Queen and Mistress, in whom he adored the heavenly mysteries of his Creator. …
The holy archangel saluted our and his Queen and said:
“Ave gratia plena, Dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus” (Luke 1, 28).
Hearing this new salutation of the angel, this most humble of all creatures was disturbed, but not confused in mind (Luke 1, 29).
This disturbance arose from two causes:
first, from her humility, for She thought herself the lowest of the creatures and thus in her humility, was taken unawares at hearing Herself saluted and called the “Blessed among women;”
secondly, when She heard this salute and began to consider within Herself how She should receive it, She was interiorly made to understand by the Lord, that He chose Her for his Mother, and this caused a still greater perturbance, having such an humble opinion of Herself.
Because 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 before the Lord (Luke 1, 30); behold thou shalt conceive a Son in thy womb, and thou shalt give birth to Him, and thou shalt name Him Jesus; He shall be great, and He shall be called Son of the Most High,” and the rest as recorded by the Evangelist Luke.
… She raised her humble heart to the Lord, who could not refuse Her any petition, and in the secret of her spirit She asked new light and assistance by which to govern Herself in such an arduous transaction; …
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 can know, man?” At the same time She interiorly represented to the Lord the vow of chastity, which She had made and the espousal, which his Majesty had celebrated with Her.
The holy prince Gabriel replied (Luke 1, 24):
“Lady, it is easy for the divine power to make Thee a Mother without the cooperation of man; the Holy Spirit shall remain with Thee by a new presence and the virtue of the Most High shall overshadow Thee, so that the Holy of holies can be born of Thee, who shall himself be called the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth has likewise conceived a son in her sterile years and this is the sixth month of her conception; for nothing is impossible with God. He that can make her conceive, who was sterile, can bring it about, that Thou, Lady, be his Mother, still preserving thy virginity and enhancing thy purity.
With these and many other words the ambassador of heaven instructed the most holy Mary, …
with a humility never sufficiently to be extolled, inclining slightly her head and joining her hands, She pronounced these words, which were the beginning of our salvation:
“Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum’’ (Luke 1, 31).
At the pronouncing of this “fiat,” so sweet to the hearing of God and so fortunate for us, in one instant, four things happened.
First, the most holy body of Christ our Lord was formed from the three drops of blood 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 body united in order to compose his perfect humanity.
Fourthly, the Divinity united Itself in the Person of the Word with the humanity, which together became one composite being in hypostatical union; and thus was formed Christ true God and Man, our Lord and Redeemer. This happened in springtime on the twenty-fifth of March, at break or dawning of the day, in the same hour, in which our first father Adam was made and in the year of the creation of the world 5199, which agrees also with the count of the Roman Church in her Martyrology under the guidance of the Holy Ghost. …” (Mariso, Fiscar (1902), The Mystical City of God: The Incarnation by Venerable Mary of Agreda; Volume II – The Incarnation, pages 105-110).
Did Mary visit her cousin Elisabeth?
In learning from the Announcement from the Angel Gabriel, that Elizabeth (who was sterile) had conceived and was in her sixth month and prompted by the Almighty, Mary would set out to visit Elizabeth. Through her humility, she would ask for permission from her husband, Joseph.
Without revealing anything of her conception, the Holy and Immaculate Virgin spoke these words to her spouse:
“My lord and spouse, by the divine light it was made known to me, that through condescension of the Most High the prayer of my cousin Elisabeth, the wife of Zachariah’s, has been heard; she has conceived a son, though she was sterile.
Since she has obtained this singular blessing, I hope that through God’s infinite bounty, her son will greatly please and glorify the Lord, I think that on this occasion I am under obligation to visit her and converse with her on certain things for her consolation and spiritual encourgament.
If this is according to thy liking, my master, I will perform it with thy permission, for I am entirely subject to thy will and pleasure. Consider then what is best for me and command what I am to do.” (Mariso, Fiscar (1902), The Mystical City of God: The Incarnation by Venerable Mary of Agreda; Volume II – The Incarnation, page 157).
The response of Joseph was filled with humility, reverence, peace and love for his beloved spouse Mary. Joseph said:
“Thou knowest already, my Lady and Spouse, that my utmost desires are to serve thee with all diligence and attention; for I am bound to have this great confidence in thy great virtue, that thou wilt not incline to anything, which is not according to the greater pleasure and glory of the Most High; and this is my belief also in regard to this journey.
Lest thy make this journey alone and without the company of thy husband cause surprise I will gladly go with Thee and attend to thy wants on the way. Do thou appoint the day on which we shall depart together”. (Mariso, Fiscar (1902), The Mystical City of God: The Incarnation by Venerable Mary of Agreda; Volume II – The Incarnation, page 158).
Mary and Joseph commenced their journey to the home of Zechariah and Elisabeth. They went on the journey alone with a 1000 Angels accompanying the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Angels were visible only to Mary. The journey took four days.
The greeting of Elisabeth as she spoke in St Luke’s Gospel Chapter 1: 39-56 is consistent with the revelations, along with the Blessed Virgin’s ‘Magnificat’. In addition, the baby John, six months in Elisabeth’s womb, was sanctified in his Mother’s womb and was born free from the stain of Original Sin. Elisabeth and Zachariah were a noble couple and owned several properties in Juda and Hebron and other places.
Was Mary present at the birth of John the Baptist?
The Evangelist John does not make mention whether Mary was present at the Birth of John the Baptist, he states that she stayed with Elisabeth for three months. According to Venerable Mary of Agreda, Mary was present at the birth of John the Baptist, the naming and circumcision.
Our Lady and Joseph arrived at the house of Elisabeth and Zachariah on the evening of the 2nd April and departed eight days after the birth of John the Baptist which would have been 2nd July.
Elisabeth in saying her farewell to Mary, was filled with tears and love for her Blessed cousin. Mary and Joseph journeyed back to Nazareth to prepare for the Birth of the Messiah.
How did Joseph react to the pregnancy of Mary?
After returning to their home in Nazareth and resuming their life, Mary had advanced to her fifth month with the Messiah and this external change manifested itself to Joseph. Joseph was deeply trouble by Mary’s pregnancy and suffered tremendous sorrow and anxiety. This shows his troubling thoughts in his prayers to the Lord:
“ … I do not believe her an adulteress, because I see in her great virtue and perfection; yet I certainly see her pregnant. I do not know by whom or how it was caused; and therefore, I find no way to restore my peace. In order to choose the least evil I will withdraw from her and seek a place where no one knows me, and resigning myself to thy Providence, I will pass my life in a desert…”
Joseph was deeply trouble as he could see the Virgin Mary with child, yet he knew her well and of her vow, but could not explain her pregnant state.
Joseph never questioned Mary’s infidelity but sought to understand.
Mary knew of the great suffering that Joseph was going through, yet she continued to serve her husband with love, tenderness, and gentleness.
Praying to her Heavenly Father to come to the aid of Joseph, the Almighty God heard her plea and sent the Angel Gabriel to bring peace to the troubled heart and mind of Joseph.
The account of the Angel Gabriel’s message to Joseph whilst he slept is told in the account of the Evangelist St Matthew 1: 18-21.
Manifesting the news to Joseph in his sleep took place for three main reasons:
- Joseph was very prudent and filled with heavenly light. He had such high conception of Mary that he did not need strong evidence to be convinced.
- His troubles began in his senses in that he had seen in his eyes Mary pregnant, hence the Angelic vision would supress and deaden these senses.
- Through this vision in his sleep, Joseph would awaken and regain his purity and dispose himself to many acts of virtue.
After receiving the message from the Angel Gabriel, Joseph awoke with full consciousness that his spouse was the Mother of God and with great joy that he had been chosen. Joseph was also overcome with great sorrow and prostrated himself humbly.
Joseph asked pardon from Mary and she consoles her spouse.
How did the birth of Jesus take place?
God had preordained that the Messiah be born in the Town of Bethlehem. A decree had gone out from Caesar Augustus for the registration of all in the Roman Empire, as we read in St Luke’s Gospel Chapter 2. As the head of the family, it was the duty of each to journey to Bethlehem for the registration, however, Mary was well advanced in her pregnancy and Joseph did not want to leave her alone. It was also the will of the Almighty that the birth take place in Bethlehem as prophecy had foretold.
Mary and Joseph commenced their journey to Bethlehem. The journey would take five days.
Without any lodging and with inexistent hospitality, the Messiah would choose for Himself a most humble dwelling to be born in a cave. Entering the cave, Mary and Joseph fell on their knees praising and thanking God. They ate the food that they had brought along for the journey.
After their supper they gave thanks to the Lord and Mary knew that the arrival of the Messiah was at hand.
The Birth of Jesus took place in the following manner. Let us read the words as written by Venerable Mary of Agreda.
“… She requested her spouse saint Joseph to betake himself to rest and sleep as the night was already far advanced. The man of God yielded to the request of his Spouse and urged Her to do the same; and for this purpose he arranged and prepared a sort of couch with the articles of wear in their possession, making use of a crib or manger, that had been left by the shepherds for their animals.
Leaving most holy Mary in the portion of the cave thus furnished, saint Joseph retired to a corner of the entrance, where he began to pray. He was immediately visited by the divine Spirit and felt a most sweet and extraordinary influence, by which he was wrapt and elevated into an ecstasy. In it was shown him all that passed during that night in this blessed cave; for he did not return to consciousness until his heavenly Spouse called him. Such was the sleep which saint Joseph enjoyed in that night, more exalted and blessed than that of Adam in paradise (Gen. 21, 2).
The Queen of all creatures was called from her resting-place by a loud voice of the Most High, …
The Most High announced to his Virgin Mother, that the time of his coming into the world had arrived and what would be the manner in which this was now to be fulfilled and executed. …
The most holy Mary remained in this ecstasy and beatific vision for over an hour immediately preceding her divine delivery. At the moment when She issued from it and regained the use of her senses She felt and saw that the body of the infant God began to move in her virginal womb; how, releasing and freeing Himself from the place which in the course of nature He had occupied for nine months, He now prepared to issue forth from that sacred bridal chamber.
This movement not only did not cause any pain or hardship, as happens with the 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 exalted and divine effects that they exceed all thoughts of men.
Her body became so spiritualized with the beauty of heaven that She seemed no more a human and earthly creature. Her countenance emitted rays of light, like a sun incarnadined, and shone in indescribable earnestness and majesty, all inflamed with fervent love.
She was kneeling in the manger, her eyes raised to heaven, her hands joined and folded at her breast, her soul wrapped in the Divinity and She herself was entirely deified.
In this position, and at the end of the heavenly rapture, the most exalted Lady gave to the world the Only begotten of the Father and her own, our Savior Jesus, true God and man, at the hour of midnight, on a Sunday, in the year of the creation of the world five thousand one hundred and ninety-nine (5199), which is the date given in the Roman Church, and which date has been manifested to me as the true and certain one.
The sacred evangelist Luke tells us that the Mother Virgin, having brought forth her firstbegotten Son, wrapped Him in swathing clothes and placed Him in a manger.
He does not say that She received Him in her arms from her virginal womb; for this did not pertain to the purpose of his narrative. But the two sovereign princes, saint Michael and saint Gabriel, were the assistants of the Virgin on this occasion.
They stood by at proper distance in human corporeal forms at the moment when the incarnate Word, penetrating the virginal chamber by divine power, issued forth to the light, and they received Him in their hands with ineffable reverence.
In the same manner as a priest exhibits the sacred host to the people for adoration, so these two celestial ministers presented to the divine Mother her glorious and refulgent Son. All this happened in a short space of time.
In the same moment in which the holy angels thus presented the divine Child to his Mother, both Son and Mother looked upon each other, and in this look, She wounded with love the sweet Infant and was at the same time exalted and transformed in Him.
From the arms of the holy princes the Prince of all the heavens spoke to his holy Mother:
“Mother, become like unto Me, since on this day, for the human existence, which thou hast today given Me, I will give thee another more exalted existence in grace, assimilating thy existence as a mere creature to the likeness of Me, who am God and Man.” The most prudent Mother answered : “Trahe me post Te, curremus in odorem unguentorum tuorum” (Cant. 1, 3). Raise me, elevate me, Lord, and I will run after Thee in the odor of thy ointments. …
It was now time to call saint Joseph, the faithful spouse of the most discreet and attentive Lady. … At the desire of his heavenly Spouse he issued from his ecstasy and, on being restored to consciousness, the first sight of his eyes was the divine Child in the arms of the Virgin Mother reclining against her sacred countenance and breast.
There he adored Him in profoundest humility and in tears of joy.
He kissed his feet in great joy and admiration, which no doubt would have taken away and destroyed life in him, if divine power had not preserved it; and he certainly would have lost all the use of his senses, if the occasion had permitted.
When saint Joseph had begun to adore the Child, the most prudent Mother asked leave of her Son to arise (for until then She had remained on her knees) and, while saint Joseph handed Her the wrappings and swaddling-clothes, which She had brought, She clothed Him with incomparable reverence, devotion and tenderness.
Having thus swathed and clothed Him, his Mother, with heavenly wisdom, laid Him in the crib, as related by saint Luke (Luke 2, 7).
For this purpose She had arranged some straw and hay upon a stone in order to prepare for the God-Man his first resting-place upon earth next to that which He had found in her arms.
According to divine ordainment an ox from the neighboring fields ran up in great haste and, entering the cave, joined the beast of burden brought by the Queen. The blessed Mother commanded them, with what show of reverence was possible to them to acknowledge and adore their Creator. The humble animals obeyed their Mistress and prostrated themselves before the Child, warming Him with their breath and rendering Him the service refused by men. And thus the God made man was placed between two animals, wrapped in swaddling-clothes and wonderfully fulfilling the prophecy, that “the ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib; but Israel hath not known me, and my people hath not understood.” (Is. 13.)” (Mariso, Fiscar (1902), The Mystical City of God: The Incarnation by Venerable Mary of Agreda; Volume II – The Incarnation, pages 393-410).
The news of the arrival of the Messiah had spread by the Angels to many including the Shepherds, who came to adore Him; to the Holy men and women in Limbo of the Just, the Archangel delivered the news and in a special way to the parents of Mary – Joachim and Anne; Mary’s cousin Elisabeth and John were delivered the news by another Angel; Simeon and Anne from the Temple were also sent the news; and the celestial movements in the Heavens and the star that would indicate to the Magi that the King of Kings had arrived.
On the eighth day, Jesus is circumcised by the priest at the entry of the cave where Jesus was born. At the naming, both Joseph and Mary said, “Jesus is his name.”
The Magi also known as the Three Kings or Wisemen arrived at Bethlehem to adore and worship the newborn King at the Cave. They came from Persia, Arabia and Sabba. They had also been informed by the Angels and had set out immediately towards Bethlehem and were directed by the Star that governed their journey.
As we read in the Scriptures, they were confronted by King Herod who asked as to the whereabouts of the newborn the King. The wiseman avoided Herod on their return home.
The three kings gave gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
Joseph and Mary had spoken between themselves and agreed to give the gifts in the following manner:
- The incense and myrrh and part of the gold was given to the Temple in Jerusalem.
- Another part to the Priest who had performed the circumcision.
- The third part to the poor.
Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus remained in a dwelling close to the cave, until the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple after forty days.
Venerating the Cave one last time, the Holy family headed to Jerusalem for the Purification and the Presentation. The Holy and aged Simeon and the Prophetess Anne had been enlightened of the arrival of the Messiah. Following the Purification and the Presentation in the Temple and the announcement by Simeon that a sorrow would pierce the heart of Mary, the Holy Family stayed in Jerusalem for nine days. Mary offered a Novena in the Temple. On the fifth day, Mary and Joseph were informed of the wicked intention of Herod and that he posed a threat to the life of the baby Jesus. They were to flee from their land immediately and go to Egypt.
The journey to Egypt took more than fifty days and upon entering the idol worship of the towns and cities of Egypt, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, began the destruction of idols and prayed for the conversion of the inhabitants of these places.
They were to take their abode in the city of Heliopolis.
Upon Jesus’ seventh birthday, the Holy Family were instructed to return to the land of Israel and that those who sought the Child, were no longer living. The Holy Family returned to Nazareth where they took their abode in Mary’s parents’ house.
There is much more I could write about the events of the Incarnation, and I would not do it any justice. Therefore, I highly recommend the works of Venerable Mary of Agreda: The Mystical City of God, Four Volume set. A great read, that illumines the mind and spirit and gives great insight into the Most Blessed Mother and the Holy Family.
God be with you.
