The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-04-16
rHE MIR1CULOUs MEDAL-I7S ORIGIN
tAve Maria.1


TAve Maria.l
TWAS in Septemb Der, 1880, that young
French Sister of Charity, during her med,
itation beh6ld the figure of the biesse9
Virgin standipgin the attitude represented
on the medal. Her hands were coVeIeu
with diamonds, from which issued beams oi
brilliant light directed towards the EARN.
Around the picture was Inscribed, IN letters
of gold, in the French language, the invo-
cation now 90 familiar to us all: " U Mary,
Conceived soithout sin, Pray for as tho
hare Recourse to Ihee," She heard voice
telling her that the beams OF light were
emblems Of the graces that Mary OBTAINS
for men. After few moments the picture
was turned, and on the other side was
shown the reverse of the medal-the letter
NJ surmounted by cross, aud oeneath III
the Sacred Hearts OF Jesus and mary.
Again she heard the same voice eaylb
t" A medal must be made according to this
picture; and whoever will wear one that
has been ind ulgenced, and recite thls short
prayer with fervor, shall enjoy very spec.
ial protection from the Mother of God"
When the novice mentioned TINS strange
| occurrence to her spiritual director, ne ga"
nothing in it but what might proceed IRON,
! a lively Imagination. Though it returned
q second and third time, he made no &C,
count of it until happening to mention 1t
to the Archbishop, the prelate told him
that even if it was the effect of magma
ton the idea of the medal was still good
one, quite comfortable to the spirit
of the Church, and he recommended
him to have it put in execution. AFTER
some, delay, the medal was struck, IN June
1922 and distributed amony those who de.
sired to have it. The Sisters, besides
wearing it themselves, offered it to some
of the sick in their hospitals. Several un-
expected cures and wonderful conversions,
in which the medal was clearly the instru-
ment of God, excited admiration and graf
itude, and soon obtained for it the appella-
ton Of the Miraculous Medal. Many per.
sons asked for it, and it began to spread
with a kind of accelerated velocity fol-
every one who received it became Jealous
to make it known to others. 1t carried
with it, too, blessing, not only to increase
the fervor of the pious. but to open the
hearts of those who had cared little about
objects of devotion 30 that this medal wal
received and worn by numbers who had
never worn such things before. In some
of the towns of France almost all the young
/ men procured it, and one military officer o
, superior grade sent order for sixty
medals to give to other officers who hat
, asked for them. From France 1T passed
quickly into other countries of Europe, wal
> soon carried to China, and many of III
can remember how early after the date o
its frat execution it became we'll known ii
, our own country. The book from which W,
: draw our account-Notice sur la MeddHl
Ailraculcuse which was printed II
1912, states that dowo to The time in whic
it was written there had been sold by tn
, one house which first struck the medal tw'
i millions of copies in gold and silver, an
eighteen millions in other metals an
= there were eleven other manufacturers II
y Paris busily engaged in making and sell
ing them, besides four in Lyons, and man
8 in other parts of France. inns marVellou
,, propagation of the medal was not the oh
,, iect of short-lived effervescence of devo
), ton. 1t has continued now for more tina
twenty years to bear the same eff fruits as
. late Conception is worn by rillions VIII
a never wore any other.
Ills still the instrument Of entraord1 ina,
10 culous-of conversion from sin, and pr'
in lection against spiritual dangers, and
c. other divine favOrs, often manifest, ar
r. oftener concealed from us till they shall
x made known by the Help of Christisns he
ct self when we shall come to kiss her ben
30 ticent hand in heaven.