The Mother of God through the Eyes of the Mystics
Regardless of the qualitative nature of the Marian Scripture, very little is comparatively revealed about her life. The mystical tradition highlights and expounds on this life by adding greater clarity and depth. Four mystics, each in a special manner, highlight the life of the Blessed Virgin. These mystics are St. Bridget of Sweden, Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich, Ven. Maria de Agreda and Maria Valtorta. Some have had the sanctity of their lives recognized by the Church and others reflect a saintly reputation. The Scriptural events are: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, and the Passion of Jesus, with a focus on the time of death and the role of the Blessed Mother. This article will discuss the Scriptural events and then provide a consensus of material from the aforementioned mystical authors which enliven the Scriptural events.
Further, all similarities between the mystics will be identified and any disagreements will be noted and discussed as well. The revelation studied here does not add to the sacred deposit; the sacred deposit is the public revelation of God and it is full and final. The revelation does, however, enrich the experience of the sacred texts. Each mystic reflects a different aspect of the Blessed Virgin’s life in the chosen five events. They highlight portions of each of the same events and relay details that enrich different areas conversely. Through their private revelation these mystics deepen the impact of the Blessed Virgin’s life in the lives of the faithful.
St. Bridget, who was born in 1303 in Sweden, is best known for the fifteen rosary promises (1). Accompanying these promises were revelations of the lives of Jesus and Mary. She was the daughter of a knight and governor (2). Her mother almost died before birth, but she survived and was told that she was saved because of the child in her womb (3). St. Bridget received her first heavenly vision when she was seven. She was offered a “precious crown” by a “beautiful lady” (4). Her father chose a husband for her at age 13. Bridget did not want marriage but out of obedience to God she obeyed her father (5). They lived chastely together for a couple of years as an offering for holy children (6). One of her children was St. Katherine of Sweden (7). After her husband’s death, she received more visions from God. During these visions she received messages from God for people and instructions to found a religious order (8). In addition, she was given a mission from God to bring the Pope from Avignon back to Rome (9).
Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich is best known for the use of her Dolorous Passion of the Christ for the film the Passion of Christ. However, her writings are far more extensive. She was born in 1774 in West Germany (10). In 1803 she became an Augustinian nun (11). Her early years were especially filled with mystical experiences and extraordinary events; these experiences included understanding liturgical Latin the first time she attended Mass (12). During her last years she was very ill and survived by partaking solely in the Eucharist and water (13). She also possessed the stigmata (14). Her visions and works were all recorded by Clemens Bretano, who devoted a great portion of his later life to recording these visions (15). Her revelations were very extensive and covered the entire lives of Jesus, Mary and some of the saints. Her writings have received an imprimatur.
Ven. Maria de Agreda received extensive private revelation of the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was a Spanish nun born in 1602 (16). It was recorded that she made a vow of chastity at only eight years old (17). She and her mother entered a Franciscan convent together, where she served for most of her life as Mother Superior (18). She received a dictate in a vision to write on the life of Blessed Mother at the age of 35. Her writings were prohibited for a short period of time (19). However, her writings have now received an approbation. The Mystical City of God was first approved by the local bishop; secondly it was passed by the inquisition of Spain; the third approval came from theologians of all religious bodies: Carmelites, Benedictines, Dominicans, and Jesuits; fourth, the approval of the then highly esteemed universities was given; and finally the approbate of Pope Innocent XI and Pope Benedict XIII was granted for the text (20). Her writings also have an imprimatur.
Lastly, Maria Valtorta, an Italian woman received seven volumes of revelation on the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was born in 1897 in Italy where she was her parents’ only child. Her mother sought to control much of her daughter’s life and many of her actions were met by criticism (21). Her father was meek and docile and did little to counter the actions of his wife (22). Her mother twice terminated love interests, one of whom was her fiancé (23). Later Maria Valtorta was attacked on the street and became bedridden for months (24). She joined Catholic Action because she was seeking to serve the Lord (25). Maria then decided to take a vow of poverty, chastity and obedience because she wanted to be a ‘victim for Jesus’ (26). She became ill and was confined to suffer out of love of God. After the perspective deaths of her parents, she completed her autobiography and wrote in different capacities for 10 years (27). During this time she wrote over 15,000 pages (28). Upon her death her right hand, “the pen of the Lord,” appeared brighter and healthier than her left and her knees retorted to a bent position, which was the position in which she wrote (29). Her works received a temporary stay on the prohibited reading list (30).
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