C
coffee_kat
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I was clicking around a catholic website, and came across a post called “Mary’s Justice”. What I’m wondering is about is this excerpt from a book that they used in the post (sorry if it’s a bit long!):
“St. Alphonsus (c. 1755): ‘In the year 1611, in the celebrated sanctuary of Mary in Montevergine, it happened that on the vigil of Pentecost the people who thronged there profaned that feast with balls, excesses, and immodest conduct, when a fire was suddenly discovered bursting forth from the house of entertainment where they were feasting, so that in less than an hour and a half it was consumed, and more than one thousand five hundred persons were killed. Five persons who remained alive affirmed upon oath, that they had seen the mother of God herself, with two lighted torches set fire to the inn.’ (The Glories of Mary, p. 659.)”
The excerpt kind of bothers me- I always thought Mary was one to show great mercy to sinners. Would she really go and burn a bunch of people like this, even if they were up to some serious troublemaking? It’s very hard for me to imagine her going and causing people to be killed.
Also, sorry if this is a silly question, I hope I’m not being too silly for letting myself be troubled by this 
“St. Alphonsus (c. 1755): ‘In the year 1611, in the celebrated sanctuary of Mary in Montevergine, it happened that on the vigil of Pentecost the people who thronged there profaned that feast with balls, excesses, and immodest conduct, when a fire was suddenly discovered bursting forth from the house of entertainment where they were feasting, so that in less than an hour and a half it was consumed, and more than one thousand five hundred persons were killed. Five persons who remained alive affirmed upon oath, that they had seen the mother of God herself, with two lighted torches set fire to the inn.’ (The Glories of Mary, p. 659.)”
The excerpt kind of bothers me- I always thought Mary was one to show great mercy to sinners. Would she really go and burn a bunch of people like this, even if they were up to some serious troublemaking? It’s very hard for me to imagine her going and causing people to be killed.