*On the night of the burial, the Assumption of the Virgin into heaven with her body took place. I saw several apostles and women that night praying before the cave or, rather, in the little front garden. I saw a luminous path descend from heaven and three choirs of angels surrounding Mary's soul, which came resplendent to rest upon the tomb. Before the soul came Jesus with His luminous wounds. In the inner part of the glory where Mary's soul was, three choirs of angels could be seen. The innermost seemed to consist of the angelic faces of small children; the second row were the faces of children aged six to eight; and the outermost were of young people. Only their faces were clearly distinguishable; the rest of the body was like a somewhat indistinct luminous trail. Around the shape of Mary's head was a crown of angels. I could not say what those present saw; I only saw that they were looking up, filled with admiration and emotion. At times, full of wonder, they fell with their faces to the ground. When this apparition became clearer and rested over the tomb, a path opened from there to the heavenly Jerusalem. Mary's soul, passing before Jesus, penetrated through the stone into the tomb; then it rose from there with her body, resplendent with light, and proceeded triumphantly, with the angelic escort, to the heavenly Jerusalem.*
*When days later the apostles were praying in choir, the apostle Thomas arrived with two companions. One was the disciple Jonathan Eleazar and a servant from the country of the Magi. Thomas was deeply affected upon hearing that Mary had already been laid in her tomb. He wept bitterly and could not be consoled for having arrived so late. With his disciple Jonathan, he fell to his knees, weeping in great grief, before the place where Mary's passing had occurred. He also prayed in front of the altar erected there. The apostles, who had not interrupted their choral singing of the psalms, then came over; they raised him lovingly, embraced him, and offered him bread, honey, and a drink. Afterward, carrying lights, they accompanied him to the tomb. Two disciples set aside the branches of the bush. Thomas and Eleazar prayed in front of the tomb. John opened the three straps that secured the chest. They set the lid aside and saw, with great wonder, the empty tomb. Only the grave cloths and the fabrics with which they had wrapped the sacred remains were there. Everything was in perfect order. The cloth was pulled back from the face area and open at the chest. The bindings for the arms and hands appeared open, laid out in good order. The apostles raised their hands full of great admiration, and John cried out: "He is no longer here." The others approached, looked, wept with joy and wonder; they prayed with raised arms and eyes turned upward, and fell to the ground thinking of the light they had seen the previous night. Then they took all the linens and the chest with them as relics, and brought everything to the house, praying and singing psalms in thanksgiving. When they arrived at the house, John placed the folded fabrics before the altar. Thomas and the others prayed. Peter stepped aside a bit, preparing himself for the mysteries. Then I saw him celebrate Mass before Mary's Crucifix, with the other apostles behind him, in order, praying and singing. The women were by the door and near the hearth.*
*Thomas's servant has the appearance of a foreigner: small eyes, high cheekbones, sunken forehead and nose, and dark skin. He was already baptized and was simple in his demeanor, very devoted and humble. He did whatever he was ordered to do: he stood or sat as he was told; he turned his eyes wherever indicated; he went and came as commanded, and smiled at everyone. When he saw Thomas weeping, he wept as well. He was an inseparable companion and helper to Thomas, and I have seen him lift very large stones when Thomas was building a chapel.*
*I frequently see the apostles gathered, recounting in which countries they have been on mission and what happened to them there. Before parting to return to their respective countries, the apostles went to the burial site, and by digging and throwing earth and obstacles, they made access to the cave impossible. On one side of it, they left an entrance leading to the wall with a small hole to look inside. This path was known only to the holy women who lived there. Over the cave they erected a chapel out of wood and mats, covered with hangings. The small inner altar was made of stone with a step also made of stone. Behind the altar they hung a cloth on which Mary's image in her festive dress was embroidered. The little garden was transformed, as were the stations of the Way of the Cross, which were walked amidst prayers and hymns. The space where the Virgin had her Crucifix, her altar, and her bedroom was transformed into a church. Mary's maid occupied the front room, and Peter left two disciples there to care for the Christians living in the surrounding area. The apostles said farewell, after embracing once more and celebrating Mass in Mary's room. Some returned later, as occasion allowed, to this place to pray. I have seen that in some places the faithful built chapels imitating the shape of Mary's house, and that the Way of the Cross and the oratory of her burial place were frequently visited in later years by the early Christians.*
*I had a vision regarding devotion to Mary in early times. A woman from the surroundings of Ephesus had great devotion to the Virgin, and having visited her house and seen the altar, she ordered a similar one to be made in her own home, covering it with a very costly tapestry. Years later, the woman fell into poverty and had to sell part of her possessions. Her need reached the point where she was forced to sell the beautiful cloth from Mary's altar, selling it to a married Christian woman. When the feast of the Assumption arrived, she was greatly troubled at not having that beautiful cloth to adorn the Virgin's altar. In her distress, she decided to visit the woman who had bought the cloth, asking her to lend it just for the day to adorn Mary's altar. This woman, who had given birth to twin children, refused her request, and her husband went so far as to say: "Mary is dead and does not need this garment; on the other hand, my wife, who bought it, needs it." The pious woman walked away deeply saddened and laid her grief before the Virgin. That same night I saw what happened in that family's house. The Virgin appeared to them with an angry face and told them that, as punishment for their hardness of heart toward the poor woman, their twin children would die and they would be reduced to even greater misery than that of the poor woman. Both awoke with a certain fear, though at first they took it for a simple dream. But great was their horror when they found their two children dead. Only then did they recognize their grave fault, and the man went with great humility to present the poor woman with the cloth requested for Mary's feast, and thus they prevented the other part of the threatened punishment from being carried out.*
*Only John the Evangelist remains in the house; the others have departed. I saw John, in fulfillment of the Blessed Virgin's command, distributing the clothing she had left behind to the maid and to another woman who frequently came to help with the household chores. In the wardrobe, several objects originating from the Three Magi were found. I saw two long white garments, several veils, bedspreads, and some rugs. I also saw that striped dress that Mary had worn at the wedding at Cana and that she put on when she walked the Way of the Cross. I possess a small piece of this dress. Some of these items went to the Church. Thus, a priestly vestment was made for the church of Bethesda using the beautiful sky-blue bridal veil, embroidered with gold and scattered with roses. In Rome there are still relics of this garment. I see them there, but I do not know if anyone is aware of these relics. Mary wore these garments at the time of her betrothal and never again afterward. All these things were done quietly; everything proceeded well and in secret, as there was not yet that agitation and restlessness so characteristic of our times. Persecution had not yet developed a network of espionage, and all was still at peace around the Christian community.*