The Examples of the Saints

Today's pilgrim journey was a day of saints. We are all called to be saints and to some that seems impossible. However nothing is impossible with God. Take our saint of the day, St. Catherine Labouré. I was blessed to go to Mass first thing this morning at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal located, in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés quarter of Paris. According the Chapel official site, the chapel was built in 1815 and dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Catherine was a 24 year old novice of the Daughters of Charity, founded by Saint Vincent de Paul, a French priest, and Saint Louise de Marillac, and she was located at the Motherhouse at 140 rue du Bac. On July 18, 1830, a child appeared to her and guided her to the chapel. When she arrived, she heard the rustle of a silk dress and Our Lady was seated in the blue chair in the sanctuary that was used by the priests. Catherine knelt beside the chair and placed her hands on Our Lady's knee. The Blessed Mother pointed to the altar and told Catherine, "“Come to the foot of this altar.  Here, graces will be spread over all who ask for them with confidence and fervour.”

Catherine saw Our Lady again in the chapel on November 27, 1830, when the Blessed Mother appeared holding a golden globe and said, "“This globe represents the entire world, including France, and every person.”   Then the Blessed Mother appeared as an image with her arms out and jeweled hands extended and said, "These rays are a symbol of the graces that I pour out on those who ask them of me.” 

Catherine then saw gold letters form a semi-circle around Our Lady that said  “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.”  Catherine also heard, “Have a medal made according to this model. For those who wear it with confidence, there will be abundant graces.” On the reverse side of the image, Catherine saw "the letter M surmounted with a little cross and two hearts, one crowned with thorns and the other pierced with a sword, below."

Catherine was given this important task by Our Blessed Mother and finished her novitiate. However her confessor forbid her to carry out this task. She obediently and quietly went to serve the elderly and poor for 46 years. She kept getting an interior message to have the medal struck. Finally her confessor agreed to have the first 2000 medals struck in 1832 because of a cholera epidemic. This brought about cures and conversions which promulgated the description as the "miraculous medal."

According to the official website, over a billion medals had been distributed by the time of Catherine's death in 1876.

The official website also stated that "in 1933, at the time of her beatification, the vault where she was buried at the chapel in Reuilly was opened. The body of Catherine was found to be intact and was transferred to the Chapel at rue du Bac and placed under the altar of Our Lady of the Globe."

I kept thinking of these series of events as I looked at this beautiful altar with the french words carved in gold, and a statue of our Lady holding a golden globe, and the little blue chair that our Lady sat on. Then most striking are the incorrupt bodies of St. Catherine Labouré on the right side and Saint Louise de Marillac on the left side of the chapel, which seem an impossible thing to have happened, but they are there to remind us that even when you carry a burden like Saint Catherine did for 46 years, nothing is impossible with God,  and Our Blessed Mother is our continual advocate.

Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.