Stories & Legends
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Our Lady Punishes a Greedy Couple
I had a vision regarding devotion to Mary in early times. A woman from the vicinity of Ephesus had a great devotion to the Virgin. Having visited a shrine of the Virgin Mary and seen its altar, she had a similar one made for her own home, covering it with a very costly tapestry.
Years later, the woman fell into poverty and had to sell some of her possessions. Her need became so great that she was forced to sell the beautiful cloth from Mary's altar, which she finally sold to a married Christian woman.
When the Feast of the Assumption arrived, the poor woman was deeply distressed not to have that beautiful cloth with which to adorn the Virgin's altar for the great feast day. In her sorrow, she decided to visit the woman who had bought the cloth to ask her if she might borrow it – just for the single day – to decorate Mary's altar.
When she approached that woman, who had recently given birth to twins, she rudely refused the request. Her husband even went so far as to say, "Mary is dead and has no need of this item; whereas my wife, who bought it, needs it."
The pious woman left in great sorrow and poured out her grief to the Virgin. That very night, I saw what transpired in that family's home.
The Virgin appeared to them with an angry countenance and told them that, as punishment for their harshness toward the poor woman, their twin children would die. Further, they themselves would be reduced to a state of misery even worse than that of the poor woman.
Both awoke in fear, though at first they dismissed it as a mere dream.
Yet they were struck with horror when they found their two babies dead. Only then did they recognize their grave fault and repent for their action.
The man humbly went to the poor woman to present the tapestry cloth that had been requested for Mary's feast, and thus they secured a reprieve from the rest of the threatened punishment.
Years later, the woman fell into poverty and had to sell some of her possessions. Her need became so great that she was forced to sell the beautiful cloth from Mary's altar, which she finally sold to a married Christian woman.
When the Feast of the Assumption arrived, the poor woman was deeply distressed not to have that beautiful cloth with which to adorn the Virgin's altar for the great feast day. In her sorrow, she decided to visit the woman who had bought the cloth to ask her if she might borrow it – just for the single day – to decorate Mary's altar.
When she approached that woman, who had recently given birth to twins, she rudely refused the request. Her husband even went so far as to say, "Mary is dead and has no need of this item; whereas my wife, who bought it, needs it."
The pious woman left in great sorrow and poured out her grief to the Virgin. That very night, I saw what transpired in that family's home.
The twins were found that morning without life
Both awoke in fear, though at first they dismissed it as a mere dream.
Yet they were struck with horror when they found their two babies dead. Only then did they recognize their grave fault and repent for their action.
The man humbly went to the poor woman to present the tapestry cloth that had been requested for Mary's feast, and thus they secured a reprieve from the rest of the threatened punishment.
Excerpt from
Visiones y Revelaciones Completas de la venerable Ana Catalina Emmerick,
Chapter 25, La gloriosa Asunción de María Santísima, p. 65.
Posted August 22, 2026
Chapter 25, La gloriosa Asunción de María Santísima, p. 65.
Posted August 22, 2026
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