May Day 4
In 1830 Our Lady appeared to a novice in the convent of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul on the Rue de Bac in Paris, France. The young nun was shown a vision of Mary enfolded in an oval frame with her arms outstretched, rays of light streaming from her hands, and the inscription,
“O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”
The Blessed Mother instructed Catherine Laboure to have the image struck on a medal and distributed to all the people, saying that whoever wore it would receive great graces.
The first medals were cast two years later just as the cholera plague, that had been spreading down from Russia, hit Paris. The medals were blessed and distributed quickly.
The plague claimed the lives of one-third of the city’s population but every person who was wearing Our Lady’s medal was spared as they prayed,
O Virgin Mother of God, Mary Immaculate, We dedicate and consecrate ourselves to you under the title of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. May this Medal be for each one of us a sure sign of your affection for us and a constant reminder of our duties toward you. Ever while wearing it, may we be blessed by your loving protection and preserved in the grace of your Son. O Most Powerful Virgin, Mother of Our Savior, keep us close to you every moment of our lives. Obtain for us, your children, the grace of a happy death; so that in union with you, we may enjoy the bliss of Heaven forever. Amen.
Officially named the ‘Medal of the Immaculate Conception’ it was quickly dubbed the ‘Miraculous Medal’ by the people. A name that remains to this day.
Pope Francis has asked the faithful to call upon Our Lady in our present difficulty by praying the rosary and the two prayers he has given us for this time. Links to both are included below.
How to Say the Rosary https://www.rosarycenter.org/homepage-2/rosary/how-to-pray-the-rosary/
Letter of Pope Francis including Prayers to Mary to end the pandemic.
And for more information on the Miraculous Medal https://udayton.edu/imri/mary/m/miraculous-medal.php
Catholic Power House 