The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

[On the afternoon of July 26 ^th, 1819, Sister Emmerich, after relating many things about Anna, the Blessed Virgin's holy mother, fell asleep as she was praying. After a while she sneezed three times and exclaimed impatiently, but still half asleep, O, why must I wake up?' Then she woke up completely and said with a smile: I was in a much better place, I was much better off than here. I was being much comforted, and then all of a sudden I was woken by my sneeze and someone said to me "You must wake up ", but I did not want to, I was so happy there and was annoyed at having to go away, then I had to sneeze, and I woke up.'

[Next day she told me:] I had just fallen asleep last night after saying my prayers when someone whom I recognized as a young girl I had often seen before came to my bed. She said to me rather shortly: You have been speaking a great deal about me today, you shall now have a sight of me, so that you may make no mistakes.' So I asked her: Have I perhaps talked too much?' She answered abruptly No!' and disappeared. She was still a girl, slim and attractive, her head was covered with a white hood, drawn together at the back of her neck and ending there in a hanging knot as if her hair were inside it. Her long dress, which completely covered her, was of whitish wool; the sleeves of it seemed to be rather full at the elbows. Over this she wore a long cloak of brownish wool, like camel's hair.

Hardly had I had time to feel touched and pleased by this vision, when suddenly I saw by my bed an aged woman in similar dress with her head more bent and very hollow cheeks--a Jewess of some fifty years, thin but handsome. Why,' I thought, does this old Jewess come to me?' Then she said: You need not be afraid; I only want to show you how I was when I bore the mother of the Lord, so that you may make no mistakes.' I asked at once: O, where is the dear little child Mary?' and she replied: I have not got her with me now.' Then I asked again: How old is she now?' And she answered: Four years old.' I asked her once more: But have I spoken rightly?' and she said shortly, Yes.' I asked her: O, please do not let me say too much!' She did not answer and disappeared.

Then I woke up, and thought over everything that I had seen of Anna and of the childhood of the Blessed Virgin, and everything became clear to me and I felt blissfully happy. Next morning, when I was again asleep, I had a new and very beautiful vision. I thought I could not forget it, but the next day brought with it so many interruptions and sufferings that nothing of it remains in my mind.