The Miraculous Medal: Its Origin, History, Circulation, ResultsAladel, Jean-Marie
Religion
The Miraculous Medal: Its Origin, History, Circulation, Results
Aladel, Jean-Marie
Labouré, Catherine, Saint, 1806-1876; Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint; Miraculous Medal
An artist whose life had been far from edifying, was an
inmate of our hospital. One morning the Sister was greatly
surprised at his expressing a desire to confess. Perceiving
her astonishment, he said: "This morning, Sister, the chapel
door was slightly open, and from my bed I could see the Blessed
Virgin's statue." (It was that of the Immaculate Conception.)
"It appealed so strongly to my heart, that I have had no
peace since. I must put my conscience in order." He did go to
confession, not once, but several times, and he often expressed
great regret for his past life. "Ah!" he would say, "what a
life I have led, and how sad the state of my soul when Mary
came to my aid." When asked what he supposed had attracted
Mary's compassion, he answered: "I was merely looking at the
statue, no thought of religion was in my mind; when suddenly,
recollections of my past life filled me with fear, and Mary
at the same time inspired me with a horror for sin." In
this instance, repentance and reparation were the immediate
consequences of the Immaculate Mary's merciful and maternal
glance.
CONVERSION OF A GREEK SCHISMATIC.
_Hospital of Gratz (Austria.)_
A Greek schismatic, attacked by a mortal malady, was brought to
the hospital. He declared his intention of remaining attached
to the errors in which he had been educated, and the Sisters,
seeing his determination, entrusted him to the Blessed Virgin,
consecrating him to her by placing under his pillow a medal,
which for him proved truly miraculous. One day, a Franciscan
Father visited the sick, and the young man asked the Sister
to bring the good Father to see him. He conversed a long time
with the latter, but manifested no intention of becoming a
Catholic. Meanwhile, he grew worse, and, one day, when taken
with a hemorrhage, he asked for this Father, "because," said
he, "I wish to embrace the Catholic religion." The Sister
was surprised, for she had said nothing to persuade him, but
the Blessed Virgin had accomplished her work without earthly
assistance. He confessed and made his abjuration; he even
requested the Reverend Father to announce, in a loud voice, to
the other patients that he entered the Church of his own free
will. His attacks of vomiting made the priest hesitate to give
him the Holy Viaticum, but he insisted so strongly, and had so
ardent a desire to receive, that the good God permitted these
spells of vomiting to become less frequent, so that he could
make his first and last Communion at the same time, which he
did with inexpressible fervor and consolation. Interrogated on
the subject of his conversion, he answered: "For a long time I
felt that everything earthly was of little value, and I sought
for the true and lasting." During the delirium of his last
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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