The Miraculous Medal

I recently came across an interesting story concerning the religious article known as the Miraculous Medal. I believe I saw one a while ago, but until now did not know what it signified, nor its history.

Apparently the designer was the Virgin Mary herself, who appeared before a young French nun in 1830. Researching the medal, I came across its history in The Catholic Encyclopedia, which states:

The devotion commonly known as that of the Miraculous Medal owes its origin to Zoe Labore, a member of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, known in religion as Sister Catherine ... to whom the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared three separate times in the year 1830, at the mother-house of the community at Paris ...

On the second occasion, Sister Catherine records that the Blessed Virgin appeared as if standing on a globe, and bearing a globe in her hands. As if from rings set with precious stones dazzling rays of light were emitted from her fingers. These, she said, were symbols of the graces which would be bestowed on all who asked for them. Sister Catherine adds that around the figure appeared an oval frame bearing in golden letters the words "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee"; on the back appeared the letter M, surmounted by a cross, with a crossbar beneath it, and under all the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, the former surrounded by a crown of thorns, and the latter pierced by a sword.

At the second and third of these visions a command was given to have a medal struck after the model revealed, and a promise of great graces was made to those who wear it when blessed.

... on 30 June, 1832, the first medals were struck and with their distribution the devotion spread rapidly.

The Miraculous Medal

Another, more detailed history appears here : The Miraculous Medal Story and Its Meaning



Originally known as The Medal of the Immaculate Conception, so many recorded miracles occurred as the result of this item that it was given the name now used. For example:

Fr. John A. Hardon, a Jesuit priest working in a hospital in Ohio, was somewhat cynical about the Miraculous Medal. He explains that one day he was confronted with a child with severe brain damage, and decided to test its efficacy.

When I finally got to visit his room at the hospital, he had been in a coma for ten days, no speech, no voluntary movements of the body. His condition was such that the only question was whether he would live. There was no question of recovering from what was diagnosed as permanent and inoperble brain damage.

After blessing the boy and consoling his parents, I was about to leave his hospital room. But then a thought came to me. "That Vincentian priest. He said, 'The Miraculous Medal works.' Now this will be a test of its alleged miraculous powers!"

I didn't have a Miraculous Medal of my own. And everyone I asked at the hospital also did not have one. But I persisted, and finally one of the nursing sisters on night duty found a Miraculous Medal ...

I blessed the medal and had the father hold the leaflet for investing a person in the Confraternity of the Miraculous Medal. I proceeded to recite the words of investiture. No sooner did I finish the prayer of enrolling the boy in the Confraternity than he opened his eyes for the first time in two weeks. He saw his mother and said, "Ma, I want some ice cream." He had been given only intravenous feeding.

How the Miraculous Medal Changed My Life

There are others mentioned here : www.marypages.com...

Maybe it's my original Catholic upbringing, but I feel a closeness to this medal that I find difficult to understand. So much so that I recently purchased one on E-Bay that has supposedly been blessed by the Pope. I await its arrival with interest.

yes ive heard about the metal too. When i was wearing this metal i could literally feal the graces which you recieve from (devoting) as a sign to this medal. Its not a superstition or anything like that but a devotion.



I feal very cose to it too and have one placed in a box. You wouldnt believe the graces you get for devoting to this medal and wearing it.


Pisky, im gald to hear that you ordered one and are waiting for it. devotion to mary is what our lord wants because we are her children and brothers of Christ, and she will be very pleased if you take on any devotion she has taught us.



peace.

Originally posted by Truth
Pisky, im gald to hear that you ordered one and are waiting for it. devotion to mary is what our lord wants because we are her children and brothers of Christ, and she will be very pleased if you take on any devotion she has taught us.

Where did you get that from. If you can't show any biblical evidence for your statements, then they are doctrines of men, not God.
I'd encourage both of you to read this article.

www.catholicconcerns.com...

Your devotion, faith, worship etc.. should only be directed to the Lord. Not a human, no matter what their role was here on earth.

I don't believe that Catholics actually worship Mary but see her as an intercessor. Those Christians not of the Catholic persuasion disagree, and they are free to do so, but that doesn't invalidate the Catholic beliefs.

As for the medals etc, the Miraculous Medal is not designed as a 'Get out of Hell Free' card. It is designed to show the owners dedication to Mary and, through her, to Jesus. In return, Mary offers her blessings to those possessing the medal.

I do have a problem with the brown scapular, which is advertised as a 'Get out of Hell free' card, but who is to say that I am right to have such doubts ?

As for the biblical origins of the medal, there are none. However, the bible itself was written by human beings (guided, as Christians believe, by God and his Emissaries). The medal was also made by human beings, guided by Mary. To dismiss the medal because it was made by humans is the same as dismissing the Bible itself. Both made by humans under guidance by otherworldly forces.

Main Entry: worship
Function: verb
1 : to honor or reverence as a divine being or supernatural power
2 : to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion
intransitive senses : to perform or take part in worship or an act of worship

By definition you do worship Mary,

Why would you say 'dedication to Mary and, through her, to Jesus.' The word of God never ever says anything like that. In all the Epistles, which are pretty much the teachings of Christ, Mary is mentioned once. �Romans 16:6 Greet Mary, who laboured much for us.� And this is a different Mary, this Mary was an acquaintance of the Apostle Paul.

�through her, to Jesus�, The bible teaches through Jesus to the Father. Mary has nothing to do with it.

Ephesians 2:18
For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

I John 2:1
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Why would you think that Mary Intercedes, again Jesus, the Apostles, nobody taught this. Why would Mary intercede when the bible says that the Holy Spirit dose that.

Romans 8:26
And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for [us] with groanings too deep for words;

You are assigning the attributes of God to a human woman.

Catholics claim to be followers of Christ. If their teachings contradict the teachings of Jesus or His Apostles then that does invalidate Catholic Beliefs. For example, why would the Catholic Church forbid Nuns or Priest to marry, especially when God says that marriage is a good thing. Further more look what Gods Word says:

1 Timothy 4:1-3
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
(NKJ)

The Catholic Church is guilty of each one of those things.

Also the requirements for an Overseer (equivalent of a priest) is that they be married.
1 Tim 3:2
An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
(NAS)

Maybe if the Catholic Church followed the commands of scripture there would be less pedephilia among the Catholic Priests.

This is just one thing that the Catholic church contradicts on, there are many.

Do you think maybe the women who saw Mary appear in front of her and designed that medal may have given heed to a deceiving spirit. The bible teaches:
I John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God;

How do you test the spirits? By the word of God. If that woman knew the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles she would have known that the vision of Mary was a deception.

I�m not trying to sound mean or harsh, but exposing error in the religious world is something important to me, and something the bible calls for. I realise you will probably disregard everything I have written and ignore the Bible evidence, but I am called to try.

2 Timothy 4:2
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-- with great patience and careful instruction.

Originally posted by StationsCreation
I�m not trying to sound mean or harsh, but exposing error in the religious world is something important to me, and something the bible calls for. I realise you will probably disregard everything I have written and ignore the Bible evidence, but I am called to try.

Exposing error in the religious world is a meritorious endevour, and one I often do myself. I never said that the Catholics were right to believe what they do, only that they are entitled to do so.

Actually, I am a pagan, having left the Catholic faith almost 30 years ago.

I just assumed you were Catholic, my apologies.

I usaully expose the error of lunitics from Christian television like Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland and alike. Those guys really work me up.

Stations creation. Im sorry but you are way off.



( worship ) means to bow down and worship a thing or human.



We do not worship mary, norasany cunil since the church began taught this t all. We devote to mary by trusting that as a (mother) of all christians as stated by Jesus at the cross, behold thy mother, she will pray for us as our real lfe mothers do and watch over us as chilren to (help) us into heaven. this is what the church taught.



an who are you to say who jesus can ad annot use in the salvation of millins of souls?



Just like with preist who avebeen orained from christ until now. Jesus di nothave to gve them the power to forgive sins, but this is the way he choose to ru his church.


James 5:16


"" Therefor confessyour sins one toanother,and pray for one another that you may be saved ""




John 20:23



"" Whos sins you shall forgive they are ogiven them; and whosesins you shall rtain they are retained them ""


this is a verse in which a literalchild can understand.


God doesnt have to useman his apostles to ue for means of salvation, buthe chooses too through his apointed servants his preist.



You say that Jesus is theony itercessor to God?



But who isthe intecessor tothe son Jesus?



I ask my grandmother to pray for me so why not marry? What do you think after you die, thats it? There can be no more help given by your soul for people on earth?





Your mind, with all due respect, hasnt even fathomed how God works or chooses to.



And im saying this with all due respect, because I too was never catholic and converted from miracles, so ive heard it all against the church of Christ.

God bless.

The reason the church forbids marriage, which it doesnt really,they just teach what scripture says.



In scripture, Ill find vrse later, it says that a married person is concerned about his wife too much to concernabout God. This was in referenceto virgins.




And not one single preist had a gun to their head with someone (making) them convert, not one.



This is insane to even ry and acuse th church of.



Youeither (decide) to have a wife and children, or enter the preishod ( knowing ) what your getting into before hand.




How can I say, man i want to join the preisthood, and then maybee ill decide to have children after I entered kowingwhat I entered in the first place?



It is possile to sevre jesusas lay person without joining preisthood, so this comparison imoo is completely baised on common sense and is irrelevant.


God bless/

I used to wear the medal as well as a scapular for years, and have experienced no miracles.

[Edited on 3-7-2004 by groingrinder]

" I used to wear these things and have not seen miracles ""


were you wearing out of superstition? You should really read up on the medal.


when i said I seen miracles, i meant miracles to lead me into the church, not from wearing a specific item.



The scapular was given to humans as a sign of holiness. like a mark God puts on people to let evil know whos children they are and so yu will be pretected from the enemy. Its not some automatic miracle maker, but its a sing like baptism, circumcision ect..





God bless.

There was a detailed book on St Catherine Laboure and the story of the medal printed in 1958. It is available to buy (probably from Ebay). However, I found a copy on the net.

If anyone wants to read it, I suggest you copy it to your hard drive as its quite large. (I converted the webpage to a Word document, which was 60 pages of A4 on font size 10)

St Catherine of the Miraculous Medal

Originally posted by Truth (In Italics)

Stations creation. Im sorry but you are way off.

( worship ) means to bow down and worship a thing or human.

We do not worship mary, norasany cunil since the church began taught this t all. We devote to mary by trusting that as a (mother) of all christians as stated by Jesus at the cross, behold thy mother, she will pray for us as our real lfe mothers do and watch over us as chilren to (help) us into heaven. this is what the church taught.
**********

Jesus never said that Mary is the mother of all Christians! If so prove it, show me some Scripture.
She does not pray over us to help us into heaven. Men made this up. The Catholic Church made this up.
We are supposed to continue in the apostles� doctrine.
Acts 2:42
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Paul wrote not to go beyond what is written.
1 Cor 4:6
6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to exceed what is written, in order that no one of you might become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.
(NAS)

**********

an who are you to say who jesus can ad annot use in the salvation of millins of souls?

**********

I can�t say, but God can through His word. God may use living humans to lead people to salvation by preaching the gospel. But not deceased humans, like Mary, she was merely human. God forbids the communication with the dead. Its an abomination unto God.
Deut 18:11-12
11 "or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.
12 "For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD,
(NKJ)
We should only pray to God the Father through Jesus Christ as taught in Scripture. You show me just one example of someone praying to Mary in Scripture, there is none because it is calling up the dead.[

**********

Just like with preist who avebeen orained from christ until now. Jesus di nothave to gve them the power to forgive sins, but this is the way he choose to ru his church.

James 5:16

"" Therefor confessyour sins one toanother,and pray for one another that you may be saved ""

John 20:23

"" Whos sins you shall forgive they are ogiven them; and whosesins you shall rtain they are retained them ""

this is a verse in which a literalchild can understand.

**********

You havn�t even read these versus properly. �To confess sins to one another�, it dosn�t say to your priest.

Also you have taken the verse out of context, the verse is linked to healing.

James 5:16
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
(NKJ)

And John 20:23 Jesus was speaking to the Apostles. This verse is linked with Matthew 16:19 & 18:18 which is power Jesus specifically gave to the apostles.
This is an excerpt from some commentary that helps explain.

John 20:23
[Whosesoever sins ye remit] See the note at , and . It is certain God alone can forgive sins; and it would not only be blasphemous, but grossly absurd, to say that any creature could remit the guilt of a transgression which had been committed against the Creator. The apostles received from the Lord the doctrine of reconciliation, and the doctrine of condemnation. They who believed on the Son of God, in consequence of their preaching, had their sins remitted; and they who would not believe were declared to lie under condemnation.
(from Adam Clarke Commentary)

**********

God doesnt have to useman his apostles to ue for means of salvation, buthe chooses too through his apointed servants his preist.

**********

Jesus is means of salvation!

**********

You say that Jesus is theony itercessor to God?

But who isthe intecessor tothe son Jesus?

**********

Are you serious? If your asking that question you have missed the entire meaning of what Jesus did on the cross and what the true Gospel is about. And just proved that the Catholic Church has you believing another Gospel (2 Cor 11:4.)

Jesus is the intercessor. There is no middleman, our relationship is through Jesus. This is what the Word of God teaches.

2 Cor 3:4
And we have such trust through Christ toward God.

1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

John 3:16
16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
(NKJ)

**********

I ask my grandmother to pray for me so why not marry? What do you think after you die, thats it? There can be no more help given by your soul for people on earth?

**********

Why did God send the Holy Spirit if Mary or other humans could do the Job? Like I stated before it is wrong to call on the dead.

**********

Your mind, with all due respect, hasnt even fathomed how God works or chooses to.

**********

I know that, but God won�t contradict His own Word, and through His Word He has shown us enough of how He works to keep us from the deception of man�s religion.

**********

And im saying this with all due respect, because I too was never catholic and converted from miracles, so ive heard it all against the church of Christ.

**********

Miracles don�t validate a religion or institution, then that would make Hinduism, witchcraft and others true, for these all have miracles to, not from the same source though. The Gospel as taught in the bible saves.

In response to your other post on celibate priests. I mean, I gave you a verse in my previous post which you seem to have ignored.
1 Tim 3:2
An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

The qualification of a priest is that he be married. This is what the bible says. And the verses that Paul uses about staying single, this is about God giving you the grace to be single. Obviously this is not something everybody can do. This would be something people in the mission field would more likely have, not having the burden of a family.

After reading this you will probably go on the defensive but I have given you plenty of Scripture in context. Your problem isn�t with me but the teachings of God. Read the Scriptures that I have supplied, pick up your bible and read them in context. And if you do make a rebuttal make sure you can back up all you say with Scripture, and read the verses before and after the verse you want to use to make sure it�s in context.

You have to ask yourself, who are you loyal to God and His truth, or man and his religious institution.

Why do you think the Reformers centuries ago split from the Catholic Church? Because they studied the bible and saw the error of Catholicism. I can only pray that you will to.

One final thing.
Does this look like a man who God would appoint to be head of His church?
Kissing the Koran.
If you try and justify this, I�m sorry but you don�t want to see the truth.

First of all I don't accept any pope since Vatica ll and I think JP2 is
an antipope, not a true pope.


secondly if esus created a church which would have one faith, one God, one belief, the how come we have 30,000 different chhristian dennomination all beleving something different?


How come tey started after the 1500s? Did al catholics who existed since Jesus go to hell until Jesus was to build his 30,000 (divided) churches? so what is the true church?




"" breaking of bread ""



Iits not just breaking of bread, its participating in his body and blood as prophecied as the new clean oblation in Malachi 1:11 which would spread through the world.



So that right there would wipe out about 25,000 denominations which don't celebrate communion. Also if all these christian denominations believe in smething different then who setles the right interpretation?




You can give me your interpretation al day long stations, but even a child can understand some passages.



How come in 1 Corintians 13 it talks about (cleansing your soul) before recieving the sacrafice, and says if you recieve it in defilement you eat and drink judgement on to your self and are guilty for the body and blood of the lord, not
the symbol of the lord but for the body and blood of the lord?



1 Corinthians 11:28



"" For as (often) as you shall eat this bread, and drink of the chalice, you shall sew the death of the lord, until he come. Therefore woever shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice of the blood unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the lord ""



How can you be drinking judgement on your self for not discrning the body and blood of the lord if its soem measly piece of bread? If its a symbol ofGod than why are we supposed to prove and diiscern ourselves otherwise we eat and drnk judgement to ourselves?



How cme it was only the catholic church which practiced communion for 1500 years? so did all catholics who started the communual practice go to hell for 1500 years? thi truly makes no sense. God said this sacrafice would spread throughout the world, and it has because of the church and it was practiced well before any protestant denomination even thought of existing, and many saints existed because of the sacraments of perfection.





" mother of all christians "



Do I have to really spell this out to you? On the cross Jesus said.



"" women behold (your) (son), (son) behold (your) mother. She became the spiritual mother of us all by his death becuse John was not jesus brother at the cross.




" remitting sins "



You yourself just said the had the power to remit sins. So what happened? did it just disappear after the apostles and never existed again? thats not true because the apostles themselves ordained men to the preisthood of Jesus.


We do not believe a preist (forgives) sins because man cannot. thats why in cnfession if you ever went they say.



" I forgive you (( In the NAME of the father and son and holy spirit )) ""



amen.


They are speaking in the name of jesus, forgiving in the name of jesus which jesus himselfgave power to do to these ordained apostles. so i will not listen to what you say against this because a literal child can understand scripture, and if they can then I can and I have no need to go around it. I think it come down to pride and thats all. How humbling is it to confess to a minister your sins? alot of people are to prideful to do this but ever since confession I find myself commiting less and less sins.


They re my brothers and it does not bother me a bit to confes to them, not a bit. and they actually gve me penance. I actually love paying for my sin.




You know we could go back and forth all day stations, but I find arguing in these times so useless. If truly your common sense can't let you see this then no taking in the world will. But ill never deny this in a million years, and I never grew up catholic and used to be protestant in belief, but God has led me out of that through'his doing and ill never deny it.




God bless.

Originally posted by StationsCreation
One final thing.
Does this look like a man who God would appoint to be head of His church?
Kissing the Koran.
If you try and justify this, I�m sorry but you don�t want to see the truth.

This is how I see things. The three major religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all based on the same basic beliefs. Judaism was the first religion to call upon the God of the Old Testament. From this came Christianity, and later (in the 600's I think) came Islam. Hence all of the three religions have the same God. Whether he is known as Jehovah or Allah, he is still the same God.

So the fact that the Pope kisses the Koran is nothing to get upset about. He is just recognising what I have just said. That all of the three religions are based on the original Old Testament and have the same God. True, they may differ as to the role of Jesus, but their God is the same.

'Truth'

John 19:26-27
26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!"
27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
(NKJ)

He said to the disciple, �Behold your mother!� and then the disciple took her to his home. First of all he was talking to one disciple. Behold your mother, its like saying take her in as your own mother. Jesus was making sure his earthly mother was looked after, after He left. It was another show of Jesus's selflessness, that with his last moments in all His pain he made sure His mother was cared for. So you cannot read into this verse and say that she was now the mother of all Christians.



So again you have claimed things without proof of Scripture, you�ve ignored the Scripture I have shown you in context. And you said your self �ill never deny this in a million years�, so I�ll leave you to your religion.

2 Peter 3:16
16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
(NKJ)

Peace.

Originally posted by Truth

First of all I don't accept any pope since Vatica ll and I think JP2 is an antipope, not a true pope.

No - John Paul is not an antipope. But if Lustiger ever gets in, look no further.


So, with all that said, I'd like to take a look at one who may be the next Pope, the Archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger. He fits many of the assumptions that Bible scholars believe the False Prophet will have. He's Jewish and has a magnetic personality. Many Jews, Catholics and unbelievers admire him. He fills the Notre Dame Cathedral when he says Mass and as Professor Colin Netteleck said, "when he walks through the crowd it is a sight to behold." The article I read calls him; "One of the world's most influential and charismatic intellectuals." And what really got me was the quote about Jesus; "I'm sorry Jesus Christ did not have a good public relations office because maybe he wouldn't have had the bad problem of being crucified." Bad problem of being crucified? And this guy could be the next Pope?
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