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

5.3 TWO HOURS SOUTH OF THE TEREBINTH TREE. THEY REST IN AN EMPTY SHED.

[November 16 ^th:] I saw the Holy Family spending the whole day here and praying together. I saw the mistress of the house and her three children with the Blessed Virgin, and the farmer's wife of the day before also came with her two children and paid the Blessed Virgin a visit. There was real intimacy among them as they sat together, and the two women were greatly impressed by Mary's wisdom and modest behavior. They listened with great attention to the Blessed Virgin, who talked much with the children and taught them. The children had little parchment rolls from which Mary made them read to her. She spoke to them in such a lovely way about what they read that they could not take their eyes off her. It was sweet to see and sweeter still to hear. In the afternoon I saw St. Joseph walking about with the innkeeper in the country round, looking at the gardens and fields, and talking of holy things, as I saw was always the Sabbath practice of devout people in that land. They remained here for the following night as well.

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