St. Catherine Laboure

St. Catherine was born on May 2, 1806, ninth of eleven children born to a farmland owning French family. Catherine's mother taught her the basics of religion and spirituality, and these early lessons stayed with Catherine for the rest of her life. After the death of her mother, Catherine dedicated herself to the Blessed Mother in an effort to fill the void left in her life.

At the age of twelve, Catherine took on the duty of household management because her older sister left home to join a religious community. Catherine did well with the new responsibilities placed upon her, and still always found time in her day for prayer.

As a young lady, Catherine's hand was requested for marriage several times, but she denied each suitor who came to her. Catherine felt a calling to dedicate her life to God, and at the age of twenty-two, she followed this call and entered the religious life. Her father resisted her will at first, but eventually Catherine was allowed to join the Sisters of Charity.

Catherine progressed through her postulancy with little trouble, and at this time she learned to read. When Catherine progressed to the novitiate, extraordinary things began to happen in her life. Beginning on July 18, 1830 when Catherine was twenty-four, she was graced with visions of the Blessed Mother and of the Lord. In these visions Catherine was given a message concerning the future of France, including the fall of King Charles X and a period of anti-clericalism. In addition to these predictions, Catherine was graced with a vision of the Miraculous Medal and entrusted with a mission of encouraging devotion to wearing this medal. Mary told Catherine that those who wore the medal with confidence would be blessed with graces.

With the reluctant help of her confessor and the help of the Archbishop of Paris, the first Miraculous Medal was minted in 1832. This medal received its name because many miracles were wrought through it. Catherine died in 1876 and was canonized in 1947.

Born: 2 May 1806 at Burgundy, France as Zoe Laboure
Died: 31 December 1876 at Enghien-Reuilly, France

Readings

I place myself in the presence of God and I say to Him, "Lord, here I am; give me whatever You wish." Then I begin to tell Him of all that concerns me, my joys, my thoughts, my distress, and finally, I listen to Him.

On the 27th of November, 1830 ... while making my meditation in profound silence ... I seemed to hear on the right hand side of the sanctuary something like the rustling of a silk dress. Glancing in that direction, I perceived the Blessed Virgin standing near St. Joseph's picture. Her height was medium and Her countenance, indescribably beautiful. She was dressed in a robe the color of the dawn, high-necked, with plain sleeves. Her head was covered with a white veil, which floated over Her shoulders down to her feet. Her feet rested upon a globe, or rather one half of a globe, for that was all that could be seen. Her hands which were on a level with Her waist, held in an easy manner another globe, a figure of the world. Her eyes were raised to Heaven, and Her countenance beamed with light as She offered the globe to Our Lord. As I was busy contemplating Her, the Blessed Virgin fixed Her eyes upon me, and a voice said in the depths of my heart: 'This globe which you see represents the whole world, especially France, and each person in particular.'

There now formed around the Blessed Virgin a frame rather oval in shape on which were written in letters of gold these words: 'O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.' Then a voice said to me: 'Have a medal struck upon this model. All those who wear it, when it is blessed, will receive great graces especially if they wear it round the neck. Those who repeat this prayer with devotion will be in a special manner under the protection of the Mother of God. Graces will be abundantly bestowed upon those who have confidence.' At the same instant, the oval frame seemed to turn around. Then I saw on the back of it the letter 'M', surmounted by a cross, with a crossbar beneath it, and under the monogram of the name of Mary, the Holy Hearts of Jesus and of His Mother; the first surrounded by a crown of thorns and the second transpierced by a sword. I was anxious to know what words must be placed on the reverse side of the medal and after many prayers, one day in meditation I seemed to hear a voice which said to me: 'The 'M' with the Cross and the two Hearts tell enough.'