A Token of Mercy

He had been a soldier in Viet Nam, who, it is unfortunate to say, was just on the point of executing a captured, North Vietnamese prisoner.

When he had a mystical experience, that the man's face turned into that of Jesus Christ.

So he had the habit of giving out the picture arrayed below. He gave me a copy. I have kept it ever since.

The picture depicts a mystical incident from the life of the eldest Fatima child, Sr. Lucia dos Santos. (The other two children died very young; the youngest, whose name in English is from the name of the sweet, fragrant, February bulb-flower, Hyacinth, is St. Jacinta. She had a special charism to pray and exhort people not to go to hell over sins of the flesh. At age 7, I believe, she had a painful operation without anesthesia, to relieve tuberculosis in her rib area, then without the presence of her mother, she died alone.) The incident depicted in the illustration, was an apparition in 1929 to the surviving Sr. Lucia, of the Mercy of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, with graces pouring down from the re-presentation of His eternal sacrifice on Calvary. One drop of the Blood descending down from His hands and feet, are sufficient to save the whole world. The words descending down in a watery flow, are "Graces and Mercy".

Mercy means, letting someone off, absolutely for free. But, then, Jesus wants you to go and sin no more, as He told the woman caught in adultery, when those about to stone her to death, stopped, dropped their stones, one by one, and turned away, as He wrote their sins in the dust — the only time He is ever recorded as having written anything — with the admonition, “let the one who is without sin, cast the first stone”.

He wrote their sins in the dust — the only time He is ever recorded as having written anything —

He wrote something, but the account doesn't say what. That typical 'interpretation' requires some conclusion-jumping, which is a very bad habit.

John 8
4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

They heard what, a pin drop?

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