One day, two immoral students were walking along the road leading to the shrine of Our Lady of Ostaker, where many sick people regained their health by drinking from the miraculous spring.
As they walked, they talked about how they would enjoy the holiday. Suddenly one of them exclaimed:
“Do you know what we're going to do?”
“No.”
“We're going to perform a miracle—a real miracle! Don't laugh; listen to my plan. I'll blindfold you, you'll pretend to be blind, and I'll lead you to the spring.”
“And then?”
“When we get there, you'll begin to pray, wash your eyes with the water, and then shout that you've been healed—that you can see again. We'll play a fine trick on those pious pilgrims. Doesn't that sound amusing?”
“Yes, excellent! And when we return, we'll tell the newspapers all about the miracle. How people will laugh at those poor fools who come here looking for healing! They'll talk about us, and we'll become famous...”
“Let's go!”
So the two impostors went on their way, each faithfully playing his assigned role until they reached the miraculous spring.
As usual, many pilgrims were gathered there. Seeing the two young men, they approached them with kindness and compassion, as good Christians are accustomed to do for the sick. Everyone began praying while the impious young man drew near the spring to wash his eyes.
With the help of his hypocritical companion, he removed the blindfold, pretending to weep and lament his misfortune. He took some of the water and rubbed it over his eyes.
But—oh, what a miracle!
The water truly produced an effect.
A thick darkness suddenly covered his sight. He could no longer see anything.
He was blind.
Immediately he let out a cry of despair, called for his mother, and begged the Blessed Virgin to forgive him. He turned against his companion, who stood speechless with astonishment, blaming him for persuading him to commit such wickedness.
The pilgrims, stunned by what they witnessed, could not understand what had happened. They questioned the two young men until they finally confessed the whole deception.
Never before had there been such emotion around that miraculous spring. In vain the pilgrims prayed, begging God to show mercy to the unfortunate youths.
God does not allow His Mother to be mocked.
The blind man remained blind.
His remorse for the crime he had committed became so overwhelming that he lost his reason and ended his days in a mental asylum. We may hope that, in view of the temporal punishment he endured, Our Lady obtained for him the mercy of God.
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