In 1627, when not yet 25, Ven. Mary of Agreda was chosen Abbess of the Monastery. Due to her young age, dispensation from Rome was necessary. (Wikimedia Commons image)
Venerable Mary of Agreda (1602-1665) was born on April 2, 1602, in the village of Agreda, province of Soria, Spain. She was baptized Maria Coronel. Her parents, Francis Coronel and Catherine of Arana, had 11 children, but only four of them – two sons and two daughters – reached adulthood. Eventually the parents and all four children became religious of the Franciscan family.
Catherine experienced great joy each time she held baby Maria in her arms. Her joy was so intense when she carried the baby to church the first time that she foretold God had predestined this child for great things for his glory.
Maria experienced supernatural gifts at a very young age, but she also experienced spiritual desolation for a long time. She took the vow of chastity at the age of 8.
In 1614, when Maria reached the age of 12, she told her parents that she wanted to be a nun. They decided to place Maria at the Carmelite monastery, but God had other plans for the whole Coronel family.
One day, during prayer, Catherine heard a voice telling her that it was the will of God that the Coronel Castle be turned into a monastery and that her husband, Francis, should enter the order of St. Francis.
Their two sons were already religious in the same order.
Eventually, on Jan. 13, 1619, Catherine and her two daughters took the veil and Francis became a lay brother in the Franciscan order. On Feb. 20, 1620, Catherine and Maria took solemn vows. Maria took the religious name Sister Mary of Jesus.
Sister Mary suffered greatly due to physical illness and diabolical attacks. She was also misunderstood by the nuns of her community.
Ecstasies became frequent in the life of Sister Mary. During ecstasies, she was raised from the earth and her body became so light that the least wind would move it about like a feather. These ecstasies caused Sister Mary to be investigated. The priest who investigated her was impressed by her obedience and after testing her in many ways, he declared that she possessed true holiness. Soon all the nuns started to respect her.
Sister Mary’s rule of life was “that whatever was of obligation must be preferred to all other works which were not prescribed by the rule, and she would practise no special exercises which could divert her from the strict observance of the rule.”
Sister Mary received a rule from God regarding penance. She told her confessor: “God commanded me to avoid all things that would tarnish the pure intention of pleasing him alone; to guard against imprudence and fervour that proceeds from self-love. That anything I do would be as nothing in comparison to the debt I owe him. That I should never undertake anything of my own accord, but to obey the directions of confessors who know the rules of wisdom and prudence.”
For many years, she slept no more than two hours. She would wake up at 11 p.m. and begin the Way of the Cross, which lasted for three hours. She only took one meal a day, at six in the evening. She disciplined her body severely with instruments of penance.
In 1627, when not yet 25, Sister Mary was chosen Abbess of the Monastery. Due to her young age, dispensation from Rome was necessary. She reluctantly accepted the office and held it for the space of 35 years until her death.
Sister Mary dreaded the responsibility of Abbess and pleaded to Our Lady for help. Our Lady told her: “My most amiable daughter, be of good cheer. I, myself, will be the Mother and Superior of your monastery whom you and your subjects will obey. In all your temptations and tribulations, call upon me; ask my advice, and it shall be granted to you immediately.”
可敬瑪利亞奉獻給天主
可敬品阿格蕾妲的瑪利亞. 高洛良 (1602-1665)，在1602年4月2日出生在西班牙索里阿省一條叫阿格蕾坦的小村。父親方濟.高洛良，母親加大利.阿拉納，共生育了十一名子女，惜只有兩男兩女能長大成人。最後，這一家六口，全部都成了方濟會的修道成員。
母親加大利每次抱著嬰孩瑪利亞，都有說不出的喜。第一次抱著她進入聖堂時，感到的喜悅是那麼大，以致她預言這女嬰是被天主預定要為衪的光榮作大事。
年幼的瑪利亞已擁有超性的恩賜，但亦曾經歷長時間的神枯。八歲時，她發了貞潔的意願。
1614年，瑪利亞十二歲，向父母透露想成為修女。於是，她的父母決定把她送進加耳默羅修道院。不過，天主對這高洛良家庭，有著不同的計劃。
一天，加大利祈禱期間，聽到聲音要她把高洛良堡壘，變成一所修院，她的丈夫要如兩個兒子一樣，成為方濟會修道成員的一份子。
終於，1619年1月13日，加大利和她的兩個女兒，披上修道的頭巾，丈夫方濟則成為方濟會的修士。1620年2月20日，加大利和女兒瑪利亞發願，瑪利亞取道名為耶穌的瑪利亞修女。
瑪利亞修女因身體的疾病和被魔鬼攻擊受了很大的苦，也被同院其他修女誤解。
不多久，瑪利亞修女的生命中，開始出現多次的神魂超拔，常身輕如羽毛般離地升空，彷彿輕風也能把她吹得擺動。因為這現象，瑪利亞遭到長上調查。
負責調查她的神父，因瑪利亞修女的絕對聽命，非常欣賞。經過多方面的測試，正式承認她是聖善的修女。
瑪利亞修女生活規範是：「本份內的事情比其他一切會規以外工作優先，她不會作會令她偏離嚴格遵守會規的特別神業。」
她又從天主接到有關補贖的規律。她告知告解神師說：「天主要我躲避一切會玷污唯獨中悅祂的純正意向的事情；要防禦出於自愛的輕率和熱情。我無論做些什麼，都不能與我所虧欠祂的債相比。我不要自作主張，但要服從知道上智及明智規律的告解神師的指導。」
多年來，瑪利亞修女每晚從不睡覺多出兩小時：晚上十一時起床拜苦路三個小時；每日黃昏進食一次，並用些補贖的工具來嚴厲克苦肉身，。
1627年，未滿二十五歲的瑪利亞修女，被選做修院院長；由於太年青，還得教廷批准。她在不情願下接受任命，並且在離世前做了三十五年院長。
瑪利亞修女恐怕自己不勝任院長，向聖母懇求。聖母對她說：「我最可親愛的女兒，喜樂吧！我自己將會是你修院的姆姆和院長，你和你的屬下要服從我。在妳一切的誘惑及痛苦中，要呼求我；向我請教，我會立刻給妳。」