Blog Flos Carmeli English Version: November 27th 2013

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

November 27th 2013 - Feast of the Miraculous Medal

The Twelve Stars

Bishop Fernando Rifan*

The Flag of the European Union (EU), as established by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1990, should have a 12-golden-stars circle form on a blue background. This flag appears on the face of all the note bills of "Euro" and the stars in all currencies. This flag was created by the Catholic French designer Arsène Heitz, who was awarded in the competition for the greatest symbol of the EU. Heitz said he was inspired by the " Miraculous Medal " he wore around his neck. The symbolism of the flag is a clear allusion to Marian devotion, which attributes to Our Lady of the referred passage in the beginning of chapter 12 of Revelation: "Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, robed with the sun, standing on the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars". The president of the jury was a Belgian Jew who was converted into Catholicism and was quite sensitive to the number 12, in biblical symbolism, represents perfection: 12 Tribes of Israel, 12 Apostles, 12 months in a year, etc...

It is Interesting, indeed ironic ! Europe, which increasingly rejects Christian values, which had refused to stamp the cross on their flag because it is a Christian symbol, has ended up putting a Marian symbol, thus honoring the Mother of Jesus. "Ad Jesum per Mariam !" It reminds the the story of an atheist who could not pray the Holy Prayer, while tried to pray the Hail Mary: of course He became a converted catholic. He encountered Mary trough Jesus, Safe Way !

The "Miraculous Medal", which inspired the French designer, has its origin in the famous apparition of Our Lady to St. Catherine Laboure, then a novice of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, in Paris on November the 27, 1830, exactly 183 years ago. The Virgin appeared to her on a large globe, with her arms outstretched and fingers adorned with rings radiating light and surrounded by a sentence that said:

"O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."

She said: " have a medal struck on this model, and all those who wear it will receive abundant graces, especially when worn around the neck". "And Mary showed her how the reverse of the medal should be: the letter "M" monogram of Mary, with a cross on top, the Hearts of Jesus and his Mother, surrounded by a crown of 12 stars .

The phrase stamped on the medal summarizes the message revealed by the Virgin: Her The Immaculate Conception, soon proclaimed as Dogma of the Catholic Faith in 1854 by Pope Pius IX, and ratified in the Our Lady apparition at Lourdes in 1858, and the mediation of the Mother of God with his Divine son: Mary Immaculate Mediatrix. Therefore, we have Our Lady of Graces and Miraculous Medal.

It is Interesting that initially, the confessor of St. Catherine, Father Jean Marie Aladel did not believe what she revealed him, but after two years of careful observation, he addressed the issues to the local Archbishop, who ordered the making of medals, later spread out across Europe and around the world, being the vehicle of countless graces of God.

Pope Pius XII called Saint Catherine Laboure of the "holy silence" as she kept the secrets of the apparitions until her passing day.

* Bishop of the Personal Apostolic Administration of St. John Vianney

O Marie, conçue sans péché, prie pour nous qui recourrons a Toi, et pour tous ceux qui ne recourent pas à Toi, en particulier pour ceux qui s'opposent à l'Eglise et pour toutes les personnes que nous Te recommandons.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee, and for those who do not have recourse to you, especially for those who are distant from the Church, and for all who have been recommended to you.

Ó Maria concebida sem pecado, rogai por nós que recorremos a Vós e por todos quantos não recorrem a Vós, especialmente pelos inimigos da Santa Igreja e por todos quantos são a vós recomendados.

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Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

“Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel – Be our constant hope. Mary, perfect disciple of the Lord – Make us also faithful to him. Mary, Flower of Carmel – Fill us with your joy. Virgin Mary, Beauty of Carmel – Smile upon your family Sweet Mother of Carmel – Accept me as your child. Holy, Mother beyond compare – Remember your children forever. Holy Virgin, Star of the Sea – Be our beacon of Light. Protecting Veil – Shelter us in the mantle of your love. Mary, conceived without sin – pray for us who have recourse to you.”

Prayer to Saint John Mary Vianney for the Religious Vocations

Almighty and merciful God, who didst make Saint John Marie Vianney admirable in his pastoral zeal and in his constant love of penance, grant us the grace, we implore Thee, to win for Christ, by his example and intercession, the souls of our brethren, and to attain with them everlasting glory—O, Saint John Marie Vianney, incomparable laborer in the field confided to thee, obtain for the Church the realization of Jesus’ desire. The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few. Pray to the Master of the harvest to send faithful laborers into His vineyard. O, Saint John Marie Vianney ! Intercede for the clergy. May thy patronage, and thy prayer multiply the real vocations to the priesthood. May the Holy Ghost grant thee emulators; may He give us Saints! Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

SEVERAL TIMES we have suggested that the reader might be surprised at the great emphasis given to a devotion as apparently simple as the Brown Scapular. But one of the most interesting testimonies to the importance of the Scapular devotion today has so far been scarcely mentioned. In the pages of an ancient history of the Carmelite Order (written in mediaeval Latin by a forgotten writer named Ventimiglia) the author of this book found the following account: Three famous men of God met on a street corner in Rome. They were Friar Dominic, busy gathering recruits to a new Religious Order of Preachers; Brother Francis, the friend of birds and beasts and especially dear to the poor; and Angelus, who had been invited to Rome from Mount Carmel, in Palestine, because of his fame as a preacher. At their chance meeting, by the light of the Holy Spirit each of the three men recognized each other and, in the course of their conversation (as recorded by various followers who were present), they made prophecies to each other. Saint Angelus foretold the stigmata of Saint Francis, and Saint Dominic said: "One day, Brother Angelus, to your Order of Carmel the Most Blessed Virgin Mary will give a devotion to be known as the Brown Scapular, and to my Order of Preachers she will give a devotion to be known as the Rosary. AND ONE DAY, THROUGH THE ROSARY AND THE SCAPULAR, SHE WILL SAVE THE WORLD." Since he was gathering material for a book on the Scapular Devotion, the present writer was deeply impressed on finding this story in Ventimiglia's History . . . and he was especially impressed by the prophecy of St. Dominic. Yet that prophecy appears nowhere in the past sixteen chapters which (with the exception of Chapter Fifteen and a few paragraphs referring to Fatima) were for thirteen years the total of this book . . . unchanged through several printings totaling more than 70,000 copies. St. Dominic's "prophecy" was omitted repeatedly, through all those printings and years, despite the fact that the author came later to know that today a Chapel, on that very street comer in Rome, commemorates the meeting of St. Dominic, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Angelus as described by Ventimiglia. Therefore, why the omission? Why were not the words "Through the Rosary and the Scapular She will save the world" (Taken from the Book The Sign of Her Heart by John M. Haffert)