Mary of Jesus of Agreda, Spain was born in 1602 of noble parents. She was a devout religious child who entered the convent of the Poor Clares at the age of 17. She was known for her unassuming humility and her kindness of heart. She was so beloved by her fellow sisters, that at the age of twenty-five she was elected abbess of the convent, a post she held until her death except for a period of three years. As the superior of her group of nuns, she was always the first amongst her sisters to engage in lowly work, including sweeping the halls, nursing the sick, and washing the linens. She governed her sisters with great wisdom and love. She was so known for her wisdom that persons of the highest rank, including bishops and the king of Spain, asked her for advice.
One incredibly interesting thing about Mary of Agreda is her work with the native people of Texas and New Mexico, even though she never left her convent in Spain. Through her sacrifices and prayers, she appeared to them through bilocation more than 500 times between 1621 and 1631. When the Franciscan missionaries arrived, the people told them that a lady in blue had been appearing to them, instructing them in the faith and telling them to ask the missionaries for baptism. Upon investigation it was learned that this Lady in Blue was Mary of Agreda, who, when she was put under obedience to tell what had happened, said she had no explanation. She could not say how she appeared to them, only to say that when she prayed for the welfare of the native people, she just found herself among them and began to instruct them. She was named venerable not many years after her death and in recent years, there is renewed interest in her beatification.
Our psalm today declares the Lord to be kind, merciful, and gracious. The kindness and graciousness of the Lord can be seen in Mary of Jesus of Agreda, in her life of humility, prayer, and service.
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