Sunday, November 12, 2017

The Balance of Judgment (story)


There was a woman who was such a devout and fervent Catholic that amazed the most austere religious of the Church of God with her holy life.

She wanted to talk to Saint Dominic. She went to Confession with him, and the saint gave her as penance only one Rosary, and he advised her to pray it every day. She excused herself by saying that she was wearing a cilice, that she scourged herself several times a week, that she fasted almost every day, and countless other penances. Saint Dominic urged her repeatedly to follow his advice, but she did not want to listen; she retired extremely shocked by the behavior of her new director, who wanted to persuade her to a devotion that did not please her.

One day, while being in prayer, and caught up in ecstasy, she saw her soul forced to appear before the Supreme Judge. Saint Michael raised the scales, put her penances and other prayers on one plate, and on the other her sins and imperfections; the plate of good works could not counteract the other; alarmed, she asked for mercy; she addressed the Blessed Virgin Mary, her lawyer, who put on the plate of good works the only Rosary that she had prayed as penance; and its weight was such that it counteracted that of her sins; the Blessed Virgin rebuked her at the same time for not having followed the advice of her server Saint Dominic to pray the Holy Rosary every day. When she regained consciousness, she went to throw herself at the feet of Saint Dominic, and told him what had happened, asked for his forgiveness for her disbelief and promised to pray the Rosary every day. By this means, she came to Christian perfection, and later to eternal glory.