Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

"O Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee."

Today is the beautiful Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.  May we ask for special graces today. On November 1st, our Children's Rosary at St. Thomas Becket Church in Cheshire, Connecticut USA invited two seminarians to attend their monthly Children's Rosary.  

The two seminarians beautifully joined the children in prayer of the Rosary.  

After the prayers the seminarians gave a little talk on the Miraculous Medal.  As today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal it seemed a perfect time to highlight both this meeting of their group and also the Miraculous Medal.  As the name would imply many wonderful graces and blessings have been attributed to the wearing of this medal. 

History
The origins of this medal date back to the 1800s when Our Blessed Mother appeared to St. Catherine Laboure in France. Catherine was a young nun in the order of the Daughters of Charity and lived in Paris.  On the evening of July 18th 1830 a young child awoke Catherine and led her to the chapel within the convent.  Once there Catherine sees Our Lady. Mary speaks to Catherine and promises to give her a mission in future visits.  Again the unknown child leads Catherine back to her room. The design of medal would later be revealed to Catherine during an apparition on November 27th 1830. Catherine was told to commission a medal and the exact design was given to her. She was also told that special graces would be given if the medal was worn around the neck.

The Miraculous Medal is an approved sacramental.  

Our Blessed Mother promised: "those who wear it will receive great graces; abundant graces will be given to those who have confidence." 

Catherine Laboure is now a Saint within the Catholic Church and her body is incorrupt.

It is interesting that Our Lady mentions extra graces  are available if one wears the medal around ones neck.  One of the members of the Children's Rosary mentioned that the miraculous medal she wore around her neck was often the subject of conversation and inquiry as she would work as a cashier in a small grocery store.  She marveled at what wonderful conversation it sparked.  Indeed Our Blessed Mother makes use of these moments to open a door to conversation of faith.  Mother Teresa of Calcutta was known to routinely give out miraculous medals.  In the book, My Sister Saint Therese by Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face (Celine Martin).  Therese's sister recounts: "The Saint was always on the alert in distributing medals of Our Lady, and she had strong faith in their power.  While still in the world, she tutored two little girls who were in need, and each of them wore on their breast Our Lady's medal fastened there by Therese herself.  She also succeeded in persuading an unbelieving charwomen to wear one of these medals."