The Miraculous Medal

Table of contents :

1. The history of the Miraculous Medal
2. The life of Catherine Labouré
3. The apparitions that reveal the Miraculous Medal
4. The Miraculous Medal: a medal shown by Our Lady
5. The design of the medal shown to Catherine by Our Lady
6. The symbols of the Miraculous Medal
7. Our Lady's instructions for praying with the Miraculous Medal
8. Why and how to pray with the Miraculous Medal?
9. The miracles of the medal
10. How to pray the Miraculous Medal, and in what circumstances
11. Prayers to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

The Miraculous Medal is worn by Catholics all over the world. Its history is fascinating because it is unusual. Many miracles are also attributed to it.

It originated in the Rue du Bac in the suburbs of 19th century Paris. It was first minted in 1832 and billions of copies have been distributed.

The history of the Miraculous Medal

The image of the Miraculous Medal was transmitted by Saint Catherine Labouré to her confessor Father Aladèle. Who was this nun responsible for the worldwide distribution of this medal?

The life of Catherine Labouré

Catherine Labouré was born on 2 May 1806 in a village on the Côte d'Or, into a humble family.

Very early on, she expressed her desire to become a religious. When she was 18 years old, an old priest appeared to her in a dream. While he was celebrating Mass, he spoke to her and said: "My daughter, it is good to cure the sick. Now you are running away from me, but one day you will be happy to come to me. God has his plans for you. Don't forget that. Later, a cousin of Catherine's offered to take her into the boarding school she ran in Chatillon-sur-Seine. There she learned to read and write. Her vocation to become a nun was confirmed one day when, having entered the house of the Sisters of Charity in the same town by chance, she recognised in the portrait of Saint Vincent de Paul the priest who had appeared to her in a dream. Her father did not want his daughter to take holy orders and sent her to Paris to live with one of his brothers who ran a canteen for workers. There she encountered the misery of the people, which confirmed her desire to join the Sisters of Charity. She entered the mother house of this religious order in rue du Bac in 1831. She was then sent to the hospice at Enghien where she died in 1876.

Apparitions revealing the Miraculous Medal

During his novitiate at Rue du Bac in 1830, he had several apparitions and visions. The most important of these took place on 27th November 1830 in the chapel of the Rue du Bac. Our Lady revealed to her the image of the Miraculous Medal and told her to have the medals minted. The first distribution by the Sisters of Charity took place in June 1832, at the height of the cholera epidemic.

The Miraculous Medal: a medal shown by Our Lady

While the Sister was praying in the chapel in the late afternoon of 27 November, Catherine saw two oval images above the altar. Our Lady explained to the young nun the meaning of this medal, its purpose and how to pray for it.

The design of the medal shown to Catherine by Our Lady

On the front of the medal is Our Lady. She is standing on a globe with a cross on top. She is crushing a snake under her foot. On her fingers she wears coloured rings, some of which send rays of light down to earth. Finally, a phrase surrounds Our Lady: "O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us sinners". On the reverse side of the medal, the centre is occupied by the letter "M" of Mary, intertwined with a crossbar supporting the foot of the cross. Around the edge of the medal are twelve stars. Below the "M" is the Sacred Heart of Jesus surrounded by a crown of thorns and the Sacred Heart of Mary pierced by a sword that sheds blood.

The symbols of the Miraculous Medal

The open hands of the Virgin Mary, with rays pouring out, symbolise the graces poured out by Our Lady. The globe represents the world over which Mary pours out her graces. The serpent that Our Lady tramples on represents the evil she is fighting. The letter "M" and the intertwined cross signify the indissoluble relationship between Christ and his mother. The Sacred Heart of Jesus surrounded by a crown of thorns refers to Christ's passion, while Mary's Sacred Heart pierced by a sword represents her acceptance of her son's sacrifice. Finally, the twelve stars of the 'Queen of Heaven' represent the twelve disciples of Jesus and the twelve tribes of Israel.

Our Lady's instructions for praying with the Miraculous Medal

The Miraculous Medal has specific characteristics that make it unique in the history of Christianity. In fact, as we have already seen, it was Our Lady herself who designed it! With the design, she gives the content, explaining the explicit and implicit messages built into each side of the medal. Our Lady then gives the instructions for the use of the medal and its purpose: "those who wear it with confidence" will receive "great graces". Our Lady then gives instructions for the use of the medal and its purpose: "those who wear it with confidence" will receive "great graces". Thus, according to Our Lady's message, "all those who wear it will enjoy special protection from the Mother of God".

Gold-plated Miraculous Medal 15 mm 18€

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Metal Miraculous Medal 22x15 mm 26,50€

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Miraculous Medal in Metal with blue 4cm 3,50€

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Why and how to pray the Miraculous Medal?

The miracles of the medal

The name "Miraculous Medal" itself does not come from Our Lady. In 1834, two years after the first distribution of the medal, it was the Parisians themselves who called it miraculous. The name has remained, even becoming a proper name. One of the miracles recognised by the Church was the conversion of a Jewish banker, Alphonse Ratisbonne, in 1842. He later joined the Jesuit order.

How to pray to the Miraculous Medal and in what circumstances.

The most frequent prayers to the Miraculous Medal are those made in cases of illness to ask for healing. It is also possible to turn to Our Lady through this medal to ask for a very special grace.

Prayers to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Prayer of abandonment to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

"O Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, who wished to appear to St Catherine Labouré as mediatrix of all graces, hear me, I implore you!

I place in your motherly hands all my intentions, all my spiritual and temporal interests. I entrust to you the grace I dare to ask of your goodness, humbly begging you to speak to your divine Son and to ask him to grant me this grace, if it is in accordance with his will and with the good of my soul. After having raised your hands in supplication to the Lord, deign, O mighty Madonna, to lower them upon me, to wrap me in your rays of grace, so that by the light and warmth of these rays my soul may be freed from the things of this world, purified and walk joyfully in your footsteps, until the day when you welcome me at the gates of heaven. Amen".

Prayer to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal through the intercession of St Catherine Labouré

"O Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our mother, with the greatest confidence in your powerful intercession, so often manifested through your miraculous medal, we humbly beg you to obtain for us the graces we ask of you through this novena.

O Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, who appeared to St Catherine Labouré in the attitude of Mediatrix of the whole world and of every soul in particular, we place our petitions in your hands and entrust them to your heart. May you present them to your divine Son and grant them if they are in conformity with the divine will and useful to our souls. And, having raised your hands in supplication to God, lower them upon us and surround us with the rays of your graces, enlightening our minds and purifying our hearts, so that, under your guidance, we may one day attain blessed eternity. Amen".