664. Isaias says that the Lord shall enter Egypt upon
a light cloud in order to work miracles for that country.
Isaias, in calling the most holy Mary, or, as others think,
the humanity derived from Her, a cloud, no doubt
wishes to indicate that the Lord was to fertilize and
water the barren land of the hearts of its inhabitants, in
order that henceforth they might produce the fruits of
sanctity and of divine knowledge. And so it really hap
pened after that heavenly cloud had overshadowed this
land. For immediately the belief in the true God began
to spread, and idolatry to be destroyed; the paths of
eternal life began to be opened, which until then had been
held closed by the demons. To such an extent was all
this true that there was scarcely any province in that land
in which the true God remained unknown, as soon as the
incarnate Word had arrived therein. Although some of
the people came to this knowledge through intercourse
with the Hebrews, which existed between these two
nations at that time (Kings IV, 17, 24) ; yet a great
many errors, superstitions and worship of the demons
were mixed up with it; just as was the case with the
Babylonians, who at another time came to live in Sa
maria. But after the Sun of justice began to illumine
Egypt, and Mary most holy, the taintless cloud, began
to overshadow that land, it became so fertile in holiness
and grace that it gave forth abundant fruit for many
centuries. This is witnessed by the many saints that
lived in it afterwards, and by the thousands of hermits
that made its mountains gather up and distil such sweet
honey of sanctity and Christian perfection.
665. As I said, in order to secure these blessings to
the Egyptians, the Lord took his dwelling in the city of
Heliopolis. As it was so full of idols, temples and altars
of the demons, which at his entrance all fell to the dust
with great crashing and noise, the whole city was set in
commotion and confusion by the suddenness of this ruin
(Is. 19, 1). People rushed about astonished and as if
crazed in mind; curiosity brought to the newly arrived
strangers numbers of men and women, who sought to
speak to the great Queen and saint Joseph. The heavenly
Mother, who was aware of the mysterious designs of
God, spoke to their inmost hearts with great wisdom,
prudence and sweetness. They were filled with wonder
at her incomparable gentleness and her exalted teachings,
which undeceived them of their errors ; and as She imme
diately cured some of their sick, She quieted and en
couraged them so much the sooner. These miracles were
so rapidly noised abroad that in a short time an immense
concourse of people gathered to see the heavenly Stran
gers; and the most prudent Lady was forced to consult
her most holy Son as to her further conduct toward this
great multitude. The infant God told Her to instruct
them in the knowledge of God, teach them his true wor
ship, and exhort them to desist from sinful life.
666. In this office of preaching to the Egyptians, and
of teaching them, our heavenly Princess served as the
instrument of her most holy Son, who lent power to her
words. The effect of it was so great that many books
would be required to describe the wonders and the con
versions of souls that took place during the seven years
of their stay in this province; for in her ministry She
was filled with the benedictions of sweetness (Ps. 20, 4).
Whenever the heavenly Lady listened to and answered
those that came to Her, She held in her arms the Infant
Jesus, as the One who was the Author of all the graces
to be dispensed to sinners. She spoke to each one in
the manner suitable to his capacity and serviceable for
teaching him the doctrine of eternal life. She enlight
ened them concerning the Divinity and made them under
stand that there cannot be more than one God. She ex
plained to them the several articles of truth pertaining
to the Creation and Redemption of the world. She im
pressed upon their minds the commandments of the deca
logue, founded upon the natural law ; and She showed
them the manner of adoring and worshipping God, and
how they were to expect the regeneration of the human
race.
667. Concerning the demons, She explained how they
were enemies of God and men; how deeply they kept
men in error by their idol-worship and the false answers
of their oracles; how they induced men to commit the
vilest abominations and afterwards secretly tempted them
by exciting the disorderly passions. Although the Queen
of heaven was so pure and free from all that is imperfect,
nevertheless, for the glory of the Most High, She did
not deem it beneath Her to speak to them of those vile
and impure excesses in which all Egypt was sunk. She
also declared to them that the Repairer of so many ills,
who was to overcome the demons as it was written of
Him, was already come into the world, although She did
not say that She held Him in her arms. In order that
her teachings might be accepted so much the more readily,
and the truth might be more apparent, She confirmed her
words by great miracles, curing all sorts of people who
were sick or possessed by the devil and who came from
all parts of the country. A few times the Queen went to
the infirmaries and conferred admirable blessings upon
the sick. Everywhere She consoled the sorrowful and
brought relief to the afflicted and the unfortunate, win
ning all by loving kindness and beneficence and admon
ishing them with sweet earnestness.
668. In regard to the cure of the sick and wounded
the heavenly Lady hesitated between two different senti
ments : the one of charity, which drew Her to nurse the
wounded with her own hand, and the other of modesty,
which forbade Her to touch anyone. In order that all
propriety might be observed, her most holy Son empow
ered Her to cure the men by her mere word and exhorta
tions; while She might cure the women by the touch
of her hands and cleansing their wounds. This course
of action She maintained thenceforward, taking upon
Herself as well the office of a mother as of a sick-nurse,
respectively. But, as I will narrate, after they had lived
two years in that place, saint Joseph also began to cure
the sick, while the matchless charity of the Queen busied
itself more particularly with the cure of the women.
Though She was Herself endowed with such unsullied
purity, free from all infirmities and sufferings, yet She
hesitated not to tend their festering ulcers and apply with
her own hands the coverings and bandages required. All
this She did with such tender compassion, as if She her
self were afflicted with their misfortunes. Sometimes it
happened that, in order to relieve and cure the poor, She
asked permission of her divine Son to place Him in the
cradle; thus permitting the Lord of the poor to witness
in another way the loving charity of this humble Lady.
But in all these occupations and cures (O wonderful to
relate!) this most modest Mistress never looked upon
the face of either man or woman. Even when the wound
was in the face, her modesty was so exquisite that She
would not have been able to recognize any of her patients
by their features if She had not known all men by another
interior kind of vision.
669. On account of the excessive heat prevailing in
Egypt, and on account of many disorders rampant among
the people, the distempers of the Egyptians were wide
spread and grievous. During the years of the stay of
the Infant Jesus and his most holy Mother, pestilence
devastated Heliopolis and other places. On this account,
and on account of the report of their wonderful deeds,
multitudes of people came to them from all parts of the
country and returned home cured in body and soul. In
order that the grace of the Lord might flow more abun
dantly, and in order that his kindest Mother might have
assistance in her works of mercy, God, at the instance
of the heavenly Mistress, ordained saint Joseph as her
helper in the teaching and healing of the infirm. For
this purpose he was endowed with new light and power
of healing. The holy Mary began to make use of his
assistance in the third year of their stay in Egypt; so
that now he ordinarily taught and cured the men, while
the blessed Lady attended to the women. Incredible was
the fruit resulting from their labors in the souls of men ;
for her uninterrupted beneficence and the gracious efficacy
of her words drew all toward our Queen, and her modesty
and holiness filled them with devoted love. They offered
Her many presents and large possessions, anxious to see
Her make use of them : but never did She receive any
thing for Herself, or reserve it for her own use; for they
continued to provide for their wants by the labor of her
hands and the earnings of saint Joseph. When at times
the blessed Lady was offered some gift that seemed serv
iceable and proper for helping the needy and the poor,
She would accept it for that purpose. Only with this
understanding would She ever yield to the pious and
affectionate importunities of devout persons; and even
then She often made them a present in return of things
made by her own hands. From what I have related we
can form some idea how great and how numerous were
the miracles wrought by the holy Family during their
seven years stay in Egypt and Heliopolis; for it would
be impossible to enumerate and describe all of them.
INSTRUCTION VOUCHSAFED TO ME BY THE QUEEN OF
HEAVEN, MOST HOLY MARY.
670. My daughter, thou art full of wonder at the
works of mercy which I exercised in Egypt, curing the
sick of their infirmities and helping the poor in their
necessities, in order to relieve them in body and soul.
Thou wilt be able to understand how all this comported
with my love of modesty and retirement, when thou
takest into consideration the immense love that urged
my most holy Son to hasten immediately after his birth
to the assistance of these people and pour out over them
his immense love in his longings for their salvation.
This love He communicated to me, and thus made me
an instrument of his power, or I should not have dared
to enter upon such a great enterprise. For though I
always preferred to abstain from speaking or communi
cating with others, yet the will of my Son and Lord gov
erned me in all things. Of thee, my friend, I desire, that
in imitation of me, thou work for the benefit and salva
tion of thy neighbors, seeking to follow me in the per
fection and quality of my works. Thou needst not seek
occasions, for the Lord will send them. In some extraor
dinary circumstances, however, thou mayst find it ad
visable to offer thy services. But seek to exert thy
influence upon all, teach and exhort them according to
thy light; not presuming to take upon thyself the office
of a teacher, but of one that seeks to console, and one
that pities the hardships of her brothers ; as one who with
much reserve and humility and with great charity seeks
to exhort them to patience.
671. As for those under thy charge, exhort and reprove
them, govern and direct them to greater and greater per
fection of virtue and to fulfill the divine pleasure. For
next to seeking thy own perfection, God wills that thou
encourage and teach those under thy charge according
to power and graces given to thee. Pray without ceasing
for those to whom thou canst not speak; thus extend
ing thy charity towards all men. Since thou canst not
go outside to tend the sick, make up for it by taking care
of those living with thee, zealously serving them per
sonally in whatever pertains to their comfort and wants.
Do not consider thyself above this service because thou
art their superioress ; for on this very account thou must
act as their mother and show thy loving care as such
toward all, while in other things thou must interiorly
esteem thyself below them. Since the world ordinarily
leaves the care of the sick to the most poor and despised,
simply because it does not know the high value of this
service ; therefore I, too, assign to thee as to one who is
poor and the least of all, this office of tending the sick, in
order that thou mayest follow me in the performance of it.
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