Heart-Stopping Mercy

So some of you know I've been reading The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich (I highly recommend it, BTW). 

God certainly proved He enjoys foreshadowing and coming full circle through her!

I came across a passage that absolutely stopped by heart.  I was so awed that, after reading the page several times over, I simply closed the book so I could savor this particular revelation for the rest of the night.

As the Holy Family fled into Egypt, they made several stops along the way to rest and refresh their supplies.  One stop took them into a den of thieves.  This particular band of robbers made it a practice to kidnap young boys and train them in the arts of stealing.  Upon seeing the Holy Family, they intended to do the same with them, but the leader of the group was touched by the Spirit and instead took pity on them.  He opened his own home for their use and ordered that no harm come upon them.

He saw something special in the Christ-Child.  As his wife brought water for the Holy Family to refresh themselves and to bathe the baby Jesus, the leader understood that Jesus was, indeed, a holy Child.  He told his wife that she should approach the Blessed Mother and ask that she be allowed to rinse her 3 year old son in Christ's used bath-water, as he suspected there was healing power in it.  Their son was suffering from an advanced form of leprosy and was in obvious pain.  They hoped that touching the same water that touched this holy Infant might prove beneficial.

Their faith was rewarded.  Before she even uttered her request, the Blessed Mother turned to the woman and suggested that she bring her son to bathe in Jesus' water.  Upon being submerged, the leprosy fell away from him and he was fully restored to health.  All present were in awe and praised the God of the Holy Family for such a miracle. 

Here's the heart-stopping blessing...

Bl. Emmerich noted, almost as an after-though, that she recognized the 3 year old boy.  She couldn't place him at first, but then she realized he was the Good Thief who, many years later, died beside Christ on the cross.

First, Jesus blessed him with His water, washing away his physical ailments.  In the end, Jesus blessed him with His Blood, washing away his spiritual sin and blessing him with Heaven.

How beautiful is that?  How merciful is our God?  No matter what, He calls out to His Own and He gives of Himself even unto death.  Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

<3

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