[citation needed] As marriage was the ideal choice as a middle-class women in this time period[4] her family began to detest her as she continuously requested to enter into a religious life.
[citation needed] She joined a religious institute called "Casa de María García" after its founder, which eventually came to be known as the convent of San Pablo[nb 1].
[citation needed] Raquel Trillia has suggested that since this biography emanates from a man of power, it has to be read cautiously as the purpose of Corrales was not to tell of María but instead to enhance God's greatness and protect the orthodoxy of religion as well as the ministerial role of the priest in the Church.
[7][page needed] It was recognized by Thomas Aquinas that prophecy is a gift straight from God, independent of church intervention, and therefore gender was irrelevant.
[7][page needed] Gwenfair Adams describes visions as “events that were believed to involve direct encounters with or communications from the supernatural world”.
Generally, visions of the medieval time period had some type of religious, supernatural component consisting of a saint, angel, ghost or demon.
[10] It is unclear exactly how many visions María de Ajofrín had throughout her life, but majority of those which Corralez cites centralize around the theme of the immoral clergy in need of reform.
Another priest, the recently deceased chaplain of the convent where María lived, came up to her and explained that what she has seen refers to those who receive the form of Eucharist but do not participate in its fruits.
[6] After speaking with her confessor about this, and other visions, he reminded her that even the Jews demanded signs from Christ before they would believe,[11] suggesting that he was not convinced, and therefore the mayor also wouldn't be.
Surtz argues that this representation of Mary indicates the possibility of women assuming the sacerdotal roles abdicated by unworthy males.
Furthermore, he says that this vision indicates that women are thus untainted by the stigma of immorality and consequently are authorized to participate in priestly functions alongside alternatives to the priesthood such as in visionary experiences.
[7][page needed] Women of this time period were not allowed to administer services, so the idea that the Virgin Mary, a woman, is fulfilling this role is unlike the norm.
In order to ensure that María would be believed, the sword that Christ held would pierce her heart and the blood that flowed would serve as a living testimony.
[citation needed] Corralez states that María's visions gave her a moral obligation to eradicate even the slightest sight of heresy,[13] which caused her to be a witness during the trial of one of the Judaizing monks.