The Mystical City of God - The Coronation

by Mary of Agreda

Dictated to Ven. Mary of Agreda (1601-1664) by the Blessed Mother herself, The Mystical City of God is an amazing collection of four books of revelations about the life of Mary and the divine plan for creation and the salvation of souls that has been enthralling readers for centuries.

Composed of the Conception, Incarnation, Transfixion and Coronation, this magnificent narrative takes the reader through the various stages of the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, plus it reveals all sorts of facts about our entire salvation history.

Genres: Catholic, Spirituality, Classics

668 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1670

About the author

Venerable Mary of Jesus of Ágreda, OIC, also known as the Abbess of Ágreda (2 April 1602 – 24 May 1665), was a Franciscan abbess and spiritual writer, known especially for her extensive correspondence with King Philip IV of Spain and reports of her bilocation between Spain and its colonies in New Spain (now New Mexico and Texas). She was a noted mystic of her era.

A member of the Order of the Immaculate Conception, also known as Conceptionists, Mary of Jesus wrote fourteen books, including a series of revelations about the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her bilocation activity is said to have occurred between her cloistered monastery in rural Spain and the Jumano Indians of central New Mexico and West Texas, and inspired many Franciscan missionaries in the New World. In popular culture since the 17th century, she has been dubbed the Lady in Blue and the Blue Nun, after the color of her order's habit.

Reviews

[Augustin Berishaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve years of labor in translation, and many more years of expense and sacrifice, are not too great a price to pay for opening up such a treasure as CIUDAD to the millions of English-speaking people. If all the writings of eminent and learned men in Christianity, praising the “CITY OF GOD” as the most wonderful, the most useful, the most interesting, the most reliable book in the world, were to be printed in connection with this translation, this book would probably have to be extended to one hundred volumes instead of being restricted to four. Why multiply recommendations? All adverse criticism you may see written or hear expressed, is absolutely without foundation and mere waste of time in our day. The past three centuries have more closely scrutinized every line of Ciudad to find a flaw than you can ever hope to do. And there was no flaw to be found. Read and be convinced! Respectfully, Rev. Geo. J. Blatter.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final volume in this epically proportioned four-part series, revealing the virtuous life of the Virgin Mary, commences from the Resurrection of Christ and concludes with the Coronation of Our Lady in Heaven. This - and indeed all the City of God books (not to be confused with Augustine's classic) - is a gem of Catholic mystical writing.

I am profoundly grateful that my father-in-law introduced me to these books. In fact, to finish this last one is quite a poignant moment for me, since I embarked on the journey way back in 2017, before I was married and was still in the process of my true awakening in the faith. With the extent to which my life has changed - and my faith grown - since then, it feels like a significant chapter of spiritual learning and nourishment has come to a happy end, after six wonderfully momentous years.

But of course, there is no end really. This book, whether or not you accept the authoress's claim to actual private revelation (personally I do believe this, potential flaws of human agency notwithstanding), is full of great wisdom and spiritual guidance, beautiful in its moral perfection, arresting in its theological rigour, humbling in its stern rebuke. Though I feel extremely inadequate and as if so many of the warnings contained within are levelled directly at people like me, I also feel assured and hopeful, trusting in the mercy and compassion of Our Lord and His Holy Mother.

[Lkb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth reading -- and re-reading on an annual basis. Like the others in the series, this takes more than a bit of effort because of the older writing style, bit those who put in the effort will be rewarded. God bless.