THE WRITER AND COUNSELLOR

But the Venerable´s most important accomplishment during this time was the composition of the famous book The Mystic City of God. Its writing is also surrounded by inexplicable experiences.

In 1637 she received the order from Heaven to start writing a marvellous history that manifested the hidden mysteries carried out by God in the Virgin's life. After a hard interior combat to accept such difficult obedience, finally she got down to work and in a short period of time she completed the book. But it had an unexpected end. In the absence of her regular confessor, Father de la Torre, an old religious that had met her in her youth took over Sister Mary of Jesus´ spiritual direction. He was against women who wanted to write about theological matters, he made her burn the whole manuscript where she had compiled the best of the hidden mysteries from Virgin Mary's life. But after Father De la Torres´ death and after naming Father Andres de Fuenmayor the new Venerable´s confessor, she started under his obedience, the second composition of her book, it was around 1655, it was completed on 6 May 1660.

The Venerable was composing for the first time The Mystic City of God when the king of Spain Philip IV went to Agreda. It was on 10th July 1643. She was 41 years old and the king had dismissed, not long ago, his counsellor Count-Duke Olivares, who had conducted the King's policy for about 20 years. Since then, a deep esteemed friendship started between the king and the Franciscan nun from Agreda that would have the meaning of a new apostolic responsibility that Sister Mary would assume. In fact from the very beginning the Venerable undertook the burden of a special supernatural protection over the Spanish Royal House. As well as the Spanish Royal House and the Holy Father Alexander VII, the Venerable had personal or epistolary relationship with numerous important people from the highest social position, both ecclesiastic and civil. The nuncios from the Hoy See in Madrid received from her advice, among them, the future Pope Clement IX. Bishops, archbishops, cardinals, were her correspondents or her spiritual confidants. As well as the Spanish Royal House she was in contact with the nobility of European countries such a France, Germany, Italy and America.

In 1652 she carried out the foundation of a convent in Borja. The year she gave up her post of abbess after 25 years. That interruption only lasted three years; in 1655 she was re-elected for the post in which she will remain up to her death on 24th May 1665.

Translated into English from the book: Ven. María de Jesús de Ágreda, concepcionista. P.Antonio María Artola, C.P. Monasterio de la Concepción, Ágreda, 1996.

The writer