The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Catherine Laboure in France in 1830. The Blessed Mother asked Catherine to have a medal struck of the vision she saw. Our Lady promised that abundant graces would be bestowed on those who wore the medal.
In her vision to Saint Catherine Laboure, brilliant rays flowed from the jewels in the rings Our Lady wore on her fingers. The Blessed Mother explained to Saint Catherine:
"These rays symbolize the graces I shed upon those who ask for them. The gems from which rays do not fall are the graces for which souls forget to ask."
For Reflection:
Think about all of the graces we fail to receive because we do not ask for them! Which grace do you most need to receive today? Ask Our Lady – she is waiting to bestow it upon you! Over the next couple of days, journal the ways in which you have seen this grace operating in your life.
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Mary is referred to as the Morning Star because she heralds the Son.
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A portrait of Our Lady under this title was painted by the great Italian painter Carlo Maratta (1625-1713), who gave it to a young noble woman who would become the Abbess of the Convent of Poor Clares of St. Francis in the city of Todi.
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No title has drawn so many to the feet of Mary than that of Refuge of Sinners.
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The fabulous history of this miracle-working icon begins in the year 1495 when it was known to have been reverenced in a church on the island of Crete.
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On October 7, 1571, a great naval victory took place in Lepanto when a vastly outnumbered Christian force was able to defeat a mighty Turkish fleet through the intercession of Our Lady.
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Mary is called the Comforter of the Afflicted because she is the solace, consolation and comforter of our lives.
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This ancient title derives from Greek inscriptions found in the first centuries of Christianity which referred to Mary as Boeteia (the Helper). The earliest record we have of this title was in a homily by St. John Chrysostom in 345.
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This title of Mary is derived from the Song of Songs, "A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed up" (4:12).
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The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world with millions drawn to the scene where Mary appeared to a poor, 14 year-old peasant girl named Bernadette Soubiroux.
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