The devotion to Mary where it promises great graces for those who practice it

The Miraculous Medal is the Medal of Our Lady par excellence, because it is the only one designed and described by Mary herself in 1830 in Santa Caterina

Labourè (1806-1876) in Paris, on Rue du Bac.

The Miraculous Medal was donated by Our Lady to humanity as a sign of love, a pledge of protection and a source of grace.

The first appearance

Caterina Labouré writes: "At 23,30 pm on July 18, 1830, while I was asleep in bed, I hear myself called by name:" Sister Labouré! " Wake me up, I look where the voice came from (...) and I see a boy dressed in white, from four to five years old, who says to me: "Come to the chapel, Our Lady is waiting for you". The thought immediately came to me: they will hear me! But that little boy said to me: “Don't worry, it's twenty-three thirty and everyone is sleeping soundly. Come and wait for you. " Dress me quickly, I went to that boy (...), or rather, I followed him. (...) The lights were lit everywhere we passed, and this surprised me a lot. Much more astonished, however, I remained at the entrance of the chapel, when the door opened, as soon as the boy touched it with the tip of a finger. The wonder then grew in seeing all the candles and all the torches lit as at midnight Mass. The boy led me to the presbytery, next to the Father Director's chair, where I knelt, (...) the longed-for moment came.

The boy warns me saying: "Here is Our Lady, here she is!". I hear the noise like the rustle of a silk robe. (...) That was the sweetest moment of my life. To say everything I felt would be impossible for me. “My daughter - Our Lady said to me - God wants to entrust you with a mission. You will have much to suffer, but you will willingly suffer, thinking that it is the glory of God. You will always have his grace: manifest everything that happens in you, with simplicity and confidence. You will see certain things, you will be inspired in your prayers: realize that he is in charge of your soul ".

Second apparition.

"On November 27, 1830, which was the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent, at half past five in the afternoon, doing meditation in deep silence, I seemed to hear a noise from the right side of the chapel, like the rustle of a garment of silk. Having turned my gaze to that side, I saw the Most Holy Virgin at the height of the painting of Saint Joseph. Her stature was medium, and her beauty such that it is impossible for me to describe her. He was standing, his robe was of silk and white-aurora color, made, as they say, "a la vierge", that is, high-necked and with smooth sleeves. A white veil descended from her head to her feet, her face was quite uncovered, her feet rested on a globe or rather on a half globe, or at least I saw only half of it. His hands, raised to the height of the belt, naturally maintained another smaller globe, which represented the universe. She had her eyes turned to heaven, and her face became shining as she presented the globe to Our Lord. All of a sudden, his fingers were covered with rings, adorned with precious stones, one more beautiful than the other, the largest and the other smaller, which threw luminous rays.

While I was intent on contemplating her, the Blessed Virgin lowered her eyes towards me, and a voice was heard that said to me: "This globe represents the whole world, in particular France and every single person ...". Here I can't say what I felt and what I saw, the beauty and splendor of the rays so bright! ... and the Virgin added: "They are the symbol of the graces that I spread on the people who ask me", thus making me understand how much it is sweet to pray to the Blessed Virgin and how generous she is with the people who pray to her; and how many graces she grants to people who seek her and what joy she tries to grant them. At that moment I was and was not ... I was enjoying. And here a somewhat oval picture formed around the Blessed Virgin, on which, at the top, in a semicircle way, from the right hand to the left of Mary we read these words, written in golden letters: “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who turn to you. " Then a voice was heard that said to me: “Have a medal coined on this model: all the people who bring it will receive great graces; especially wearing it around the neck. The graces will be abundant for the people who will bring it with confidence ". Instantly it seemed to me that the picture was turning and I saw the reverse of the coin. There was the monogram of Mary, that is, the letter "M" surmounted by a cross and, as the basis of this cross, a thick line, or the letter "I", monogram of Jesus, Jesus. Below the two monograms, there were the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, the former surrounded by a pierced crown of thorns, the latter by a sword.

Questioned later, Labouré, if in addition to the globe or, better, in the middle of the globe, had seen something else under the Virgin's feet, replied that she had seen a snake of greenish color speckled with yellow. As for the twelve stars surrounding the downside, "it is morally certain that this particularity was indicated by the Saint by hand, since the time of the apparitions".

In the manuscripts of the Seer there is also this particularity, which is of great importance. Among the gems there were some that did not send rays. While she was surprised, she heard Maria's voice saying: "The gems from which rays do not leave are a symbol of the graces that you forget to ask me". Among them the most important is the pain of sins.

The medal of the Immaculate Conception was coined two years later, in 1832, and was called by the people themselves, "Miraculous Medal" par excellence, for the large number of spiritual and material graces obtained through Mary's intercession.

PRAYER TO THE IMMACULATE OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL

O most powerful Queen of heaven and earth and Immaculate Mother of God and our Mother, Most Holy Mary, for the manifestation of your miraculous Medal, please listen to our supplications and grant us.

To you, O Mother, we resort confidently: pour out on the whole world the rays of God's grace of which you are treasurer and save us from sin. Arrange for the Father of mercy to have mercy on us and save us so that we can, safely, come to see you and honor you in Paradise. So be it.

Holy Mary…

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who turn to you.