FEAST OF OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL AND SAINT MAXIMINUS, BISHOP OF RIEZ – FEAST DAY ~ NOVEMBER 27TH: Today, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and Saint Maximinus, Bishop of Riez. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints on this special feast of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal, we humbly pray for God’s grace and mercy as we come to the end of the liturgical year. Praying for hope, faith, love, joy and peace in our world today, as we face these incredibly challenging times. We pray for God’s deliverance from impossible causes or situations. We pray for the sick and dying, especially sick children, those who are mentally and physically ill, strokes, heart diseases, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed and we pray for all widows and widowers. We pray for torture victims, the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. We pray for all parents and children, for peace, love, justice and unity in our marriages, our families and our world. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the Bishops, the Clergy, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Church, for persecuted christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world… Amen🙏
OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL: The apparitions and revelations of Our Lady to St. Catherine Labouré in the 19th century was on November 27, 1830 in the Mother-house Chapel of the Daughters of Charity in Paris, France. In these visions, Our Mother Mary granted Catherine and all of the Church a powerful sacramental that came to be known as the miraculous medal. Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Labouré, a Daughter of Charity in Paris, and told her that God had a mission for her. Standing upon a globe, the Virgin Mary held a golden ball which she seemed to offer to God, and on her fingers were rings with gems that emitted rays of light. She told St. 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.” Afterward, the ball, symbolizing the world and each person, disappeared, and she held her hands outstretched in the manner of a loving mother, while rays of light continued to cascade upon the globe at her feet as she stood atop the serpent’s head. Framing the image in an oval were the words, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” St. Catherine then saw an image of an M upon which was a cross. Underneath the M was Our Lord’s heart crowned with thorns and Our Lady’s heart pierced by a sword. Surrounding this image were 12 stars. The Blessed Virgin instructed St. Catherine to have a medal made of these images, and she promised many graces to all who wear it.
PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL: O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you. O Mary, this was the prayer that you gave to Saint Catherine Laboure in the Chapel of the Apparitions, more than one hundred and fifty years ago; This invocation, engraved on the Miraculous Medal, is not worn and repeated by the faithful throughout the world. Blessed are you among women! You are intimately associated with the work of our redemption, assocated with the cross of our Savior, your heart has been pierced, next to His heart. And now, in the glory of your Son, you never cease to intercede for us, poor sinners. You watch over the Church for you are its Mother. You watch over each of your Children. From God, you obtain for us, all the graces that are symbolized by the rays of light which radiate from your open hands, and the only condition that you demand of us is that we approach with the conficence, the hardiness, and the simplicity of a child. And it is thus that you bring before us your Divine Son.
Blessed Pope John Paul II (1980) on the occasion of the Pope’s visit to the Rue du Bac, Paris, France.
PRAYER OF SAINT CATHERINE LABOURÉ: Whenever I go to the chapel, I put myself in the presence of our good Lord, and I say to Him, “Lord, I am here. Tell me what you would have me to do.” If He gives me some task, I am content and I thank Him. If He gives me nothing, I still thank Him since I do not deserve to receive anything more than that. And then, I tell God everything that is in my heart. I tell Him about my pains and my joys, and then I listen. If you listen, God will also speak to you, for with the good Lord, you have to both speak and listen. God always speaks to you when you approach Him plainly and simply. 🙏
THE MEMORARE: Remember, O most compassionate Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored you assistance, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, we fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, our Mother; to you we come, before you we kneel sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the word Incarnate, despise not our petitions, but in your clemency, hear and answer them. Amen🙏
HAIL MARY: Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death… Amen🙏
SAINT MAXIMINUS, BISHOP OF RIEZ: Saint Maximinus or Maximus, abbot of Lerins, in succession to St. Honoratus, was born in Provence, France. He became a monk at Lerins and was made abbot of Lerins in 426, having been trained by St. Honoratus. He was remarkable not only for the spirit of recollection, fervor, and piety familiar to him from very childhood, but still more for the gentleness and kindliness with which he governed the monastery which at that time contained many religious, and was famous for the learning and piety of its brethren.
From his earliest years he gave evidence of more than ordinary virtue. After living a saintly life in the world for some years, he finally retired to the famous monastery of Lerins, where he was kindly received by St. Honoratus, by whom it was governed. When the latter had become archbishop of Arles in 426, St. Maximus was chosen second Abbot of Lerins.
St. Maximus’s reputed sanctity drew crowds to the island, and the monastery prospered under his benevolent administration. He had governed it about seven years when the See of Riez in Provence became vacant. Finding that he was wanted to fill it, he fled to the coast of Italy; but he was overtaken, brought back, and forced to accept the new dignity. In this position as bishop of Riez, he continued to wear a hair shirt and to observe the monastic rule insofar as his duties allowed. He assisted at the Council of Riez in 439, the first held in Orange in 441, and that of Arles in 454. He practised virtue in all gentleness, and died in 460.
PRAYER: Almighty and ever-living God, You willed to make Bishop St. Maximus rule over Your people. Grant by his interceding merits that we may receive the grace of Your mercy… Amen🙏