Section 1
There was an elderly woman in a big town who spent the evenings by herself in her room, wondering how she lost her spouse, both of her kids, both of her parents, one after the other all of her relatives, and finally, that very same day, her dear friend, leaving her completely alone and miserable.
She was depressed, and the most devastating of her losses was the loss of her children, for which she blamed God. She was still seated, immersed in her thoughts when she heard the bells of morning prayer. She realized that she spent the entire night grieving, then she lighted her lamp and left for church.
When she arrived, the was already illuminated but not with wax candles as usual, but with a dull light. Additionally, it was already packed and all the seats were taken; when the old lady came to her usual spot, it was also not unoccupied, but the entire bench was completely full. When she glanced around, she noticed that the people were none other than her deceased relatives, who were dressed in their traditional vintage attires with gray faces. They didn't speak or sing, but a slight humming and muttering could be heard throughout the cathedral. Soon, her aunt stood up and said to the old woman "Take a look near the altar, and there you'll see your sons." The old woman did as she was told, she glanced over and she saw her two sons, one on the scaffold and the other tied to the wheel. Then the aunt said, “See, it would surely happen to them if the gracious God had not taken them to himself when they were just kids.” The old woman went home shivering, and on her knees, she thanked God for treating her more graciously than she could ever imagine, and on the third day she died.
