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

In this brief prayer we find the truth of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, and Mary’s intercessory power with God for us who ask for her aid.

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‘Lord, here I am, give me what You will.’  If He gives me something, I am very pleased and I thank Him. If He gives me nothing, I still thank Him because I do not deserve anything.  And then again, I tell Him all that passes through my mind; I recount my pains and my joys and … I listen.  If you listen to Him, He will speak to you also, because with the good God it is necessary to speak and to listen.  He will always speak to you if you go to Him simply and sincerely.

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This month’s Little Flowers meeting was on St. Catherine Laboure and Humility.  There were 29 girls in attendance.  I had initially planned to have the girls attend Mass with their family instead of as a group, due to the Rorate Mass*.  We ended up having a nice turn out for 9am Mass.

*The “Rorate Mass,” so called because it begins with the words “Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum…” (Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One…), is a votive Mass offered within the season of Advent in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Celebrated by candlelight, and traditionally held before dawn.

The girls eagerly recapped last month’s saint, St. Cecilia.

We discussed the life of St. Catherine Laboure and focused on her humility and visions of Mary.  I gathered my info from the resources listed below.

Born in Fain-les-Moutiers on 2nd May, 1806, in the year 1830 Catherine became a seminary Sister with the Sisters of Charity (Rue du Bac); there she witnessed, a few months later, visions of Our Blessed Lady in the Chapel.
She later moved to Reuilly for a period of 46 years, helping the poor and elderly people. There, you may pray before her heart.

We used stations again to further instruct the girls.

Station 1

Miraculous Medal story and coloring.

Did you know that the Miraculous Medal was first called? – Medal of the Immaculate Conception

Station 2

Craft – Miraculous Medal Ornament

Station 3

Outdoor social time and play

Station 4

St. Catherine Laboure Coloring Page and binder update (refer to handouts for complete links).

Father visited the girls and spoke about the purpose of Advent and true meaning of Christmas.  He instructed all the girls to put less focus on gift giving/receiving and more focus on giving gifts to Jesus.  Helping the poor-those in need, was an example of a gift for Jesus.  He gave the girls their usual blessing before departing.

St. Catherine Laboure, Ora Pro Nobis

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HANDOUTS:

• Divider Page
• Activity Sheet
• Humility Memory Verse
• Litany of Humility
• The Medal A Gift – St. Catherine of Laboure & Miraculous Medal Info/Coloring Leaflet
• Coloring Page – St. Catherine Laboure
• Miraculous Medal Coloring Page – Pg 3 Front of Medal – Pg 4 Back of Medal
• Miraculous Medal Coloring Page – formatted to have the front and back of the Medal on 1 page

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Miraculous Medal

The Meaning of the Front Side of the Miraculous Medal

On the front side of the medal we see the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Victorious Woman of Genesis. God Himself put enmities between the Woman and the serpent, a battle to be carried on “in that ‘monumental struggle against the powers of darkness’ which continues throughout human history.” (Mother of the Redeemer, #47, p.67; Pope John Paul II; March 25, 1987)

Mary is standing upon a globe, crushing the head of a serpent beneath her foot. She stands upon the globe, as the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Her feet crush the serpent to proclaim Satan and all his followers are helpless before her (Gn 3:15). The year of 1830 on the Miraculous Medal is the year the Blessed Mother gave the design of the Miraculous Medal to Saint Catherine Labouré. The reference to Mary conceived without sin supports the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary—not to be confused with the virgin birth of Jesus, and referring to Mary’s sinlessness, “full of grace” and “blessed among women” (Luke 1:28)—that was proclaimed 24 years later in 1854.

The Meaning of the Back Side of the Miraculous Medal

On the reverse side of the Medal we see a Cross, the symbol of Christ’s Redeeming Sacrifice on Mount Calvary for the salvation of the world.

The twelve stars can refer to the Apostles, who represent the entire Church as it surrounds Mary. They also recall the vision of Saint John, writer of the Book of Revelation (12:1), in which “a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars.” The cross can symbolize Christ and our redemption, with the bar under the cross a sign of the earth. The “M” stands for Mary, and the interleaving of her initial and the cross shows Mary’s close involvement with Jesus and our world. In this we see Mary’s part in our salvation and her role as mother of the Church. The two hearts represent the love of Jesus and Mary for us. (See also Lk 2:35).

1st Apparition of the Miraculous Medal

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Become Humble Like Mary

Saint Catherine, you kept secret the wonderful
grace of having seen the Blessed Virgin. Pray for me
when I put myself before others.
O Mary, Mother of God and Our Mother, you who
dislikes pride, bathe me with your humility.

Becoming Like Mary – Seven Daily Prayers

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RESOURCES:

• St. Catherine Laboure Humility Info Page – inspiration found here by Jessica
• Miraculous Medal Novena
• Photo Tour of the Shrine – In 1875, the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception was built in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s historic section of Germantown.

• Hôtel de Châtillon Online Guided Tour – in this chapel the Blessed Virgin came to visit “in flesh and bone” in the words of Saint Catherine Laboure …Mother House” of the “Daughters of Charity”. It was called “Hôtel de Châtillon” in 1813 after all the torments of the Revolution. The construction of a chapel began. The solemn benediction of this chapel on 6th August, 1815 was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
• Saint Catherine Labouré and the Miraculous Medal
• St. Catherine Laboure Of The Miraculous Medal – EWTN
• St. Catherine of Laboure – Saints & Angles
• St. Catherine Labouré and the Miraculous Medal – includes messages and symbolism of the Medal
• Miraculous Medal Story
• The Story of St. Catherine of Laboure
• FREE Miraculous Medal – (I received my Miraculous Medal within 3 days)
• FREE Miraculous Medal

RESOURCES FOR KIDS

Hard work produced much happiness in the Labouré family household ; the day finished with family prayer.

• St. Catherine Laboure Bio for Kids
• Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal – Here you are at a pilgrimage site visited by many. In this chapel, the Blessed Virgin appeared to Saint Catherine Labouré, a Seminary Sister (novice) in the Daughters of Charity in 1830, in order to offer the world a medal.
• St. Catherine of Laboure Comic Strip
• Miraculous Medal Quiz
• Rosary Leaflet – Coloring and Info page

CRAFT:

• Miraculous Medal Ornament

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Prayer of Saint Catherine Laboure

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 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.   ~ Catherine Labouré

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The Entire Miraculous Medal Story, told by Rev. Carl L. Pieber, C.M. from Madeline Stewart