Let Not The Sacred Body Be Uncovered or Touched

“Accordingly they(the Apostles) called the two maidens, who had been designated as the heiress of her tunics, and instructed them to anoint the body of the Mother of God with the highest reverence and modesty and wrap it in the winding-sheets before it should be placed in the casket. With great reverence and fear the two maidens entered the room, where the body of the blessed Lady lay upon its couch; but the refulgence issuing from it barred and blinded them in such a manner that they could neither see or touch the body, nor even ascertain in what particular place it rested. In fear and reverence still greater than on their entrance, the maiden left the room; and in great excitement and wonder they told the Apostles what had happened. They, not without divine inspiration, came to the conclusion, that this sacred Ark of the covenant was not to be touched or handled in a common way. Then St. Peter and St. John entered the oratory and perceived the effulgence, and at the same time they heard the celestial music of the angels, who were singing: ‘Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee.’ Others responded: ‘A Virgin before childbirth, in childbirth and after childbirth.’ From that time on, many of the faithful expressed their devotion towards the most blessed Mary in those words of praise, and from them they were handed down by us with the approbation of the holy church. The two holy Apostles, St. Peter and St. John, were for a time lost in admiration at what they saw and heard of their Queen; and in order to decide what to do, they sank on their knees, beseeching the Lord to make it known. Then they heard a voice saying: ‘Let not the sacred body be either uncovered or touched.’ Having thus be end informed of the will of God, they brought a bier, and the effulgence having diminished somewhat, they approached the couch and with their own hands reverently took hold of the tunic at the two ends. Thus without changing its posture, they raised the sacred and virginal Treasure and placed it on the bier in the same position as it had occupied on the couch. They could easily do this, because they felt no more weight than that of the tunic. …As for the rest, the omnipotence of God protected this his heavenly dwelling so that neither in life nor in death anyone should behold any other part except what is common in ordinary conversation, namely, her most inspiring countenance by which she had been known and her hands, by which she had laboured.” (Ven. Mary of Agreda, The Mystical City of God)