“Have a medal struck… all those who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around their necks; graces will abound for those who wear it with confidence,” were the Virgin’s words to Saint Catherine Labouré.
She was a humble novice of the Daughters of Charity when Labouré received the apparitions of the Virgin. Our Lady showed her the design of a medal that would later be worn by millions of the faithful. These apparitions had been preceded by mystical graces, such as regular visions of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and other prophetic visions. Yet her spiritual director refused to acknowledge these extraordinary signs.
The first apparition took place on the night between July 18 and 19, 1830. The second apparition, which occurred on November 27 of the same year, is the central one: Catherine saw the Medal in a vision and received the Virgin’s commission to have it struck and distribute it. This was followed by a third and final apparition in December, during which Catherine saw the same image of the Medal again.
The Medal depicts the Immaculate Virgin on the obverse, with rays of light emanating from her fingers and the invocation: “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.” On the reverse, the letter M stands prominently in the center, above which appears the cross and below which are the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, while twelve stars form a crown.
The medal was soon called “miraculous,” and among the miracles it brought about was the conversion of the Jew Alfonso Ratisbonne (January 20, 1842).
The saints' trust in the Miraculous Medal was immense: Saint Catherine Labouré distributed it to everyone, especially the sick and sinners; as a child, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux would put medals in the pockets of workers' jackets; the Curé of Ars, whenever he went out into the village, always had pockets bulging with little medals and always returned with empty pockets; Saint John Bosco had his boys wear it around their necks; Saint Pio of Pietrelcina kept it in his cell and in his pockets and distributed it with great zeal; Saint Teresa of Calcutta was also a tireless advocate of the medal, making it her powerful weapon of grace. She carried a huge number of them with her and distributed them to the people she met. Another great apostle of the medal was Saint Maximilian Kolbe, thanks in part to the movements that originated with him or were inspired by him. “The Miraculous Medal,” the saint said, “is the outward sign of consecration to the Immaculate Virgin.”
Let us wear this medal with confidence, placing every moment of our lives under the maternal protection of the Virgin and imitating her example!
The Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Miraculous Medal is celebrated on November 27.
Anyone wishing to learn more about this extraordinary story can find various titles published by Shalom Publishing House.
Then, anyone wishing to purchase medals will find a wide selection among our products. They can then have them blessed on this very special day.
