Around the end of the sixth century, during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Maurice, there lived a bandit chief, who, with his cruel followers, spread terror throughout the country and made the highways unsafe for travelers.

One day, the Emperor was surprised to receive a personal visit from this ill-famed bandit. But what was this? The criminal, known far and wide across the country for his vicious cruelty, was tearfully confessing his crimes! He offered himself to suffer any punishment for them. But the Emperor was edified at seeing so much genuine heart-felt sorrow in one who had been so wicked. Emperor Maurice granted him full pardon, and urged him to persevere in leading a better life.

Not many weeks afterwards this former criminal became dangerously ill, and was taken to the hospital. He knew his end was near.

One stormy night in the autumn season he thought that he would not live to see the light of the following morning. He sent immediately for the priest. He again made his confession with tears of sincere contrition, and devoutly received the last rites.

When the solemn rites were ended, raising his dying eyes to Heaven, he prayed to God:

"O my Divine Savior, I am not going to ask You for any new favor. I desire only that You grant me what You have already granted so many - that You show me mercy and forgive me, as You forgave the good thief on the cross when he was dying. Be pleased to receive me as the householder received the laborers who came at the eleventh hour. They certainly had not time to do much work in the vineyard, neither have I much time to labor for You. Be pleased, I beseech You, to forgive me the sins I have committed against You, and do not cast me out of Your sight, miserable sinner though I be."

For a long time he continued to pray and weep, occasionally using his bed sheet to wipe away his numerous tears.

In the next room over, one of the workers at the infirmary could hear these prayers of the dying man. Before long though, the infirmarian, exhausted by his long day’s work for all the sick and dying, fell fast asleep.

During his sleep, about midnight, the infirmarian had a vision. He saw a pair of golden scales coming down from Heaven, and remaining suspended in the air over the bed on which the dying former bandit lay.

Around the bed were a large number of devils, black and hideous to behold. Their attention was very much on the golden scales, for this tool of measurement was meant to weigh and compare the good and the bad deeds of the once famous criminal. The demons were intently throwing pieces of paper into one of the scales. These papers had written on them all the misdeeds the dying man had committed in his life.

Then the infirmarian saw two angels appear, clothed in garments of dazzling white. They went up to the other scale, which was empty. They looked very sorrowful as they saw the first scale weighed down so much with the heavy load of the record of the man’s sins, which the evil spirits were still throwing into it.

Then one of the angels said to his companion:

"Must the soul of this unfortunate man perish forever?"

The other angel, with a deep sigh, answered:

"Where can we find anything to counterbalance this enormous weight? It is only a few weeks since he repented of his crimes, and how could he, in so short a time, have done sufficient penance to blot out so many sins?"

The devils felt sure now that the soul of the dying thief was certainly their prey. These wicked spirits began crying out in triumph, when one of the angels saw the wet bedsheet, and said to his companion:

"Let us put this sheet, watered with the tears of the repentant sinner, in the other scale. Perhaps it will be heavy enough to turn the scales in his favor, considering how merciful Our God is to sinners who ask Him for mercy."

Once the sheet was placed on it, the good Angels’ scale suddenly sank down. The scale filled with sins was so far outweighed that it rose up as quickly as if it held hardly anything at all.

Filled with joy, the angels cried out:

"Eternal glory and praise be given to the goodness of God! The soul of this repentant bandit has found mercy with God and is saved, and our prayers have been granted."

Then the angels led the soul of the deceased man with them into Heaven, while the black and hideous spirits descended into hell, uttering cries of despair.

The infirmarian then awoke, frightened by the vision he had seen. He approached the bed of the robber, and saw that the man had indeed just died. He also saw the sheet he had seen in his vision, wet all over with the tears of remorse. The nearby patients told the infirmarian that as the robber lay dying, his last moments were filled with constant prayers for the mercy of God, and sincere repentance for the sins of his life.

Grateful for such a blessed miracle and grace, the infirmarian piously kept that sheet. He often showed it to others who came to the infirmary - people who, for their many and grievous sins, were tempted to despair when they lay dying. He told them his wondrous dream, which so consoled and encouraged them that they died a happy death, confident in the generous mercy of Him Who said:

"Him that cometh to Me I will in no way cast out."