Miraculous Medal
One
November 27 is the Feast of the Miraculous Medal.
On this day in 1830, Mary appeared to St. Catherine Laboure in a small chapel in the Rue de Bac in Paris. Our Lady was clothed all in white. She was standing on the earth. Under one of her feet was the head of a green serpent, representing Satan whom she was crushing with her heel, and in her hands, she held a golden ball surmounted by a cross.
Catherine then explained what she saw, “All at once I saw rings on her fingers, three rings to each finger. Each ring set with gems which emitted rays of light. Mary said, ‘This ball that you see represents the whole world…and each person in particular.’ Referring to the rays coming from the gems Our Lady said, ‘They are the symbols of the graces I give to those who ask for them. The gems from which rays do not fall are the graces for which souls forget to ask.’”
“The golden ball disappeared in the brilliance of the sheaves of light bursting from all sides; Mary’s hands turned out and the arms were bent down under the weight of the treasure of grace obtained. Then the voice said: ‘Have a medal struck after this model. All who wear it will receive great graces; they should wear it around the neck. Graces will abound for those who wear it with confidence.”
Two
The Miraculous Medal
Catherine related the vision to her confessor, Fr. Aladel, who refused to believe her. So Catherine said to Our Lady in prayer, “He does not want to listen to me.” To which Mary responded, “He is my servant and he should be frightened of displeasing me.” So Catherine told him for a third time, and this time saying, “The Virgin is angry.” Well, the priest decided to tell the Bishop who said, “I see no drawback to striking the medal…distribute it and then the tree will be judged by the fruits.”
The Bishop gave orders for the medal to be cast and they began to distribute it among the people under the title of the Medal of the Immaculate Conception because of the prayer on the medal, “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.”
Simultaneously cholera broke out in Paris killing 20,000. In one school, little Caroline Nenain (8) was the only one not to wear a medal and the only one to contract cholera. She was given a medal and recovered immediately. The same happened to a pregnant mother. Then a crippled boy was healed when he received the medal and turned to God in prayer.
In fact, so many miracles occurred for those who wore the medal around their neck with faith and prayer that it took on a new name, the Miraculous Medal.
Three
The Miraculous Medal has brought the grace of many conversions
Alphonse Ratisbonne grew up in a family of Jewish bankers in France in the early 1800s. In 1842, he became engaged to a young woman but before they were married he took a pleasure trip to Rome where he stayed with a Catholic family who were business partners with his father. While staying in their home, the Catholic husband and wife began to speak with him about faith in Jesus. Alphonse, being very worldly minded, wanted nothing to do with God. Finally, the couple promised they would not bring up the subject again if he would agree to wear a Miraculous Medal around his neck and say the prayer on the medal every day for one week. To humor them, he consented.
Shortly after, on a cold winter day in January, the 20th to be exact, the Catholic businessman and Alphonse were passing by the Church of St. Andrew of the Woods in a carriage when he informed Alphonse he needed to stop in the Church to attend a funeral wake. Since it was cold, Alphonse decided to wait in the back of the Church in a side chapel. There Mary appeared to Alphonse, showing him the dire state of his soul, that he was headed to hell for his unbelief, pride, and selfishness. He was cut to the heart, recognized the truth, and experienced a profound conversion. He immediately asked to become Catholic. Ultimately, he became a Jesuit priest and then founded a Religious Order, Notre Dame de Sion, (Our Lady of Zion) which operates many schools around the world.
Four
St. Maximilian Kolbe was ordained in the same chapel in which Mary appeared to Alphonse Ratisbonne.
Kolbe made the wearing of the Miraculous Medal an essential part of his Militia Immaculata, which he gave to everyone he met.
St. Maximilian writes, “Because conversion and sanctification are divine graces, the Miraculous Medal will be the best means for reaching our purpose. For that reason, it constitutes a first-rate weapon of the Knights of the Immaculata; it is the bullet with which a faithful soldier cuts down the enemy, that is, evil, and thus rescues souls. Let us contribute all our strength in bringing about what was already foreseen by St. Catherine Laboure…that the Immaculata be queen of the whole world and of each soul in particular as soon as possible.”
Kolbe writes, “Is it not fitting, therefore, that as we consecrate ourselves to the Immaculata without reserve, we should grace our chest with the Miraculous Medal? This medal, then, is the external sign of consecration to the Immaculata.” Volume II - Various Writings 1011
Five
I wear a big blue miraculous medal and I always carry a few extra to give away.
In May of 2022, I was in Lyon, France for the Beatification of Blessed Pauline Jaricot. At our hotel was a young woman that I noticed was always working, always, day and night. After a few days, I noticed she seemed in great pain. So I asked her why. She said they were greatly understaffed and the exhaustion and stress had made her neck so stiff and painful she couldn’t move it. I then asked if I could give her a gift and offered her a miraculous medal. She took it and ran off. I wondered if I offended her, but she had gone to the restroom put the medal on the chain she was wearing. She came back beaming.
The next morning she saw me and began waving her hand and shaking her head back and forth. She rushed to me saying that when she awoke that day, all the pain was gone. She said she knew it was the medal. I reassured her it was the woman signified by the Medal, that Mary was her mother as well as mine and if she would turn to her, Mary would help her in everything!
So, what is our resolution? There are many people, even our family and friends, who are just not open to Jesus. Well, the Catechism (687) tells us the mission of the Holy Spirit is to dispose us, open us to receive Jesus, and have faith in Him. The Holy Spirit works through Mary. And a great way to introduce people to Mary, their Mother is by the Miraculous Medal!