Ven. Mary of Agreda, depicted in this statue in San Angelo, Texas, wrote a four-volume account of the Life of Our Lady. (Brian Bodiford/West Texas Angelus)
In 1627 Mary of Agreda was chosen Abbess of her monastery. That same year, God commanded her to write the Life of Our Lady. Mary felt unworthy for such a task and resisted the command for 10 years. She wrote: “She (Our Lady) added the command that I write the history of her life according as her majesty herself should dictate and inspire me.”
During the 10 years before the writing of the book, Mary of Agreda was prepared for the task by trials and mystical experiences. When she found she was not able to resist the command to write any longer, she consulted her confessor. He commanded her, in virtue of holy obedience, to begin the work at once.
Our Lady appeared to Mary of Agreda and told her, “Remember that the truths which are to be revealed in this history do not proceed from the instrument used to relate them, but from the Author of truth, from Whom all truth proceeds. Even though an angel were to write my biography, there would be men who would find some way to calumniate him. Nor need you be wise and learned, otherwise these same men would say that it was the result of human wisdom. God chose a woman, just as He chose me for His greatest work to be His medium for His greater glory. I am especially glad that that woman is you.”
Mary of Agreda received heavenly knowledge through intimate communication with Christ, instructions from Our Lady, frequent raptures, help of angels, and familiar conversations with the two holy virgins (St. Agnes and St. Ursula) whom God appointed to be her companions.
In 1637, Mary of Agreda began the writing of the “Mystical City of God” (the Life of Our Lady). She wrote the book in obedience of her spiritual director. However, while the director was away, there was a substitute confessor of imprudent judgment who ordered her to burn the book. Later, under the direction of another prudent and learned priest, Mary of Agreda began to rewrite the Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1655.
The Lord Himself praised this work, the “Mystical City of God”, in the following words: “Happy they who find it, and blessed they who shall appreciate its value, rich they who shall come upon this treasure, and blessed and very wise those who shall search into and shall understand its marvels and hidden mysteries.”
A priest said, “Whosoever shall read this work with good will shall become learned; and whosoever shall ‘pray’ and meditate on it, will desire sanctity.”
Today, the English translation of the “Mystical City of God” is in four volumes. There is also a “Popular Abridgement” version in one volume.
In addition to the “Mystical City of God,” Mary of Agreda also wrote letters to Popes, Kings, Generals of Religious Orders, Bishops, nobles and every class of person in the Church and society.
In 1642 she sent King Philip IV of Spain an account of one of her visions, in which she saw a council of devils plotting to destroy Catholicism and Spain. In 1643, Philip IV arranged to meet with Mary of Agreda and thus began a long correspondence with the King that lasted for more than 20 years until her death in 1665. The more than 600 letters that survive to this day reveal the great trust the Spanish Monarch placed in the cloistered Abbess. He consulted her on both spiritual and temporal matters. It was common for the King to write his questions on one side of the page, and for the Abbess to write her responses on the other side.
Mary of Agreda died on May 24, 1665. In 1909 her casket was opened for the first time after her death and her body was found to be completely incorrupt.
奇妙地寫出聖母的生平
1627年，瑪利亞.高洛良被選為女修院院長；同年，天主命令她撰寫聖母的生平，但她感到不堪當而延遲了整整十年。她筆錄著：「她【聖母】加上命令要我從她的口述及啟發而寫下她的生平。」
在這十年當中，瑪利亞. 高洛良遇到試探和神妙的經歷，天主要她作撰寫前的準備。最後，她感到不能再推搪了，便向告解神師請示。神師要她本著聽命之德，馬上開展撰寫的工作。
聖母給瑪利亞.高洛良顯現，說：「記著，你要書寫的事實，非來自陳述的工具本身，而是來自真理的作者，一切真理都從祂而來。即使是由天神給我寫傳記，仍會有一些人找到方法來誣衊他。你也不需要有學問和智慧，不然那些人都會說這是人性聰明的成果。天主揀選了一位女人，就如天主揀選了我作弛祂最偉大的工作中的媒介，為了祂的更大光榮。我特別高興祂揀選的女人是你。」
因著與基督密切的接觸，又從聖母的親授中，瑪利亞.高洛良得悉天上的智慧；還有來自天神的幫助，聖依搦斯和聖伍素娜兩位被天主指派作她夥伴的聖女，常和她交談，給予指示良多。
1637年，瑪利亞.高洛良聽命於神師，開始書寫「天主奧妙之城 」（聖母的生平）。不過，當這位告解神師離開時，接替的神父卻不智地要她把那寫作燒毀。後幸得另一位審慎而又有學問的神父指導她，瑪利亞.高洛良於1655年重寫聖母生平。
吾主稱讚「天主奧妙之城」一書的撰寫：「找到它的人是快樂的，賞識它價值的人是有福的，遇到這珍寶的人是富裕的，那些搜尋和領會它奇異和隱藏的奧秘的人是有福和非常明智的。」
一位神父評論這書道：「以善意閱讀這書的人會成為有學識的；誰人以這書作祈禱和默想，會渴求成聖。」
今日，「天主奧妙之城」有英文譯本，共四冊，也有一冊的節略本。
撰寫「天主奧妙之城」一書外，瑪利亞.高洛良還去信給教宗、帝王、修會總會長、主教、貴族、教會及社會上各階層的人士。1642年，瑪利亞.高洛良給當時西班牙的國王菲臘四世寫信，告知自己見到的神視：魔鬼們陰謀要摧毀天主教教理和西班牙。1643年，國王接見了瑪利亞.高洛良，開始了兩人二十多年的互相通信，直至1665年瑪利亞.高洛良死去。遺留下六百多封信件，看到這位西班牙君王，無論俗靈的問題，都向瑪利亞.高洛良請教，盡顯對她的信任 。很多時，菲臘四世會把問題寫在紙張的一面，而另一面是瑪利亞.高洛良給他的答覆。
1665年5月24日瑪利亞.高洛良離世。1909年第一次開棺時，發現她的遺體完全沒有腐壞。