A soldier must be armed for battle. We have in our arsenal of weapons the sacramentals.
Sacramentals were instituted by the Catholic Church as sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments and prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it.
The Miraculous Medal is one such sacramental. In our book, “Queen of Militants” by Emil Neubert, S.M, S.T.D. we are given the following description:
The Miraculous Medal owes its origin to an apparition of the Blessed Virgin to a Sister of Charity, Saint Catherine Laboure, on November 27, 1830, in Paris. Sister Catherine was in the chapel at the time, making her meditation. Suddenly she heard, as it were, the rustling of the silken folds of a dress at the Epistle side of the altar. She raised her eyes and saw the Blessed Virgin Mary resplendent with light, garbed in a white robe and a cloak, the color of the dawn. Her feet rested on the globe of the world. In her hands she held another globe, which she offered to our Savior with an indescribable expression of supplication and love. Then suddenly this living tableau underwent a visible change and presented the scene which has since been represented on the Miraculous Medal. Mary’s hands, weighted with graces, symbolized by radiant rings, shed sheaves of luminous rays on the earth, but especially on one particular spot.
“While I was thus occupied in contemplating her,” related the holy religious, “the Blessed Virgin lowered her eyes upon me and I heard a voice speak deep within my heart, ‘The globe that you see represents the whole world, and particularly France, and each individual person.’
“I cannot here describe the beauty and splendor of the rays that I beheld.
“And the Blessed Virgin added, ‘Behold the symbol of the graces that I shed upon the persons who ask them of me.’
“An oval-shaped tableau formed around the Holy Virgin, and on it could be read in letters of gold these words: O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.’
“Then I heard a voice that said to me: ‘Have a medal struck on this model; whoever will carry it with piety will receive great graces, especially those who wear it about their neck. The graces will be abundant for those who have confidence.’”
The tableau turned about and the Sister saw the reverse side of the Medal. The letter M (Mary) appeared surmounted by a cross, and below the M two hearts, one crowned with thorns, the other pierced by a sword; around the edge was a crown of twelve stars.
Saint Catherine disclosed her vision to her confessor and told him of Mary’s desire. He hesitated for a long time. Then in 1832, the Archbishop of Paris was consulted and he authorized that the medal be struck. The devotion spread with amazing rapidity. In ten years, about forty million medals were made in France alone, and soon it was spread throughout the world.
But still more remarkable are the numerous miracles which this medal has effected. There have been unhoped-for cures, inexplicable preservations from the dangers of death, and especially many conversions of obstinate sinners. The sole fact of wearing the medal sewn within their garments without their knowing about it, or of sleeping on a pillow under which it had been hidden, sufficed to bring back to God men whom all the efforts of their friends or of priests had done nothing more than estrange farther from religion. Hence the name ‘Miraculous Medal’ was given to it by popular acclaim. The Church, after very careful inquiries, has approved a feast in honor of the Miraculous Medal.”
The Miraculous Medal is one of the most widely distributed and utilized sacramentals in the world and has been known for its many healings including curing the blind, stopping the plague and most importantly, converting sinners.
Wow! With all these promises, why wouldn’t you wear and share the Miraculous Medal? So grab your medals and your Rosaries, and let’s pray this week for great miracles to pour out upon the world through the intercession of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal!
To read more about how we can evangelize with the Miraculous Medal, click here: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/the-miraculous-medal-st-maximilian-kolbes-weapon-for-evangelization-13436
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