Saint of the day November 28: Saint Catherine Labouré. Catholic Saints

Every November 28, the Catholic Church celebrates Saint Catherine Labouré (1806-1876), seer of the Miraculous Medal, to whom the Mother of God said: “God wants to entrust you with a mission; It will cost you work, but you will overcome everything thinking that you do it for the glory of God.”

Hand in hand with Maria

Saint Catherine Labouré was born in Fain-lès-Moutiers (France) on May 2, 1806, into a peasant family. At the age of nine she lost her mother, however, far from sinking into grief, Catalina clung to the Mother of heaven, the Virgin Mary, and in Her she found the strength and relief necessary to face her unexpected orphanhood. The Mother of God then began to fill the terrible void that had been left in the girl’s heart: it was as if Catherine walked every day hand in hand with Mary, from here to there, while She, the Virgin, made her feel your sweet company.

Thus, in a very natural way, one day little Catalina made a request to the Virgin: “Be my mother!”

God’s graces and favors

Not long after, Catherine’s older sister would be admitted as a Vincentian nun and, at home, all responsibilities fell on the little girl’s shoulders. Helping her family was a difficult and demanding task that left her, like many girls of her time and social condition, with the impossibility of learning to read and write.

Despite this, in the simple life of home, Catalina was able to more than know the greatness of service to others and the benefits of fidelity in small things. His Mother, the Virgin, was his best companion day after day and the source of inexhaustible strength.

Over time, God also touched Catherine’s heart, which caused her to open herself to new spiritual horizons. “Maybe,” the young girl thought, “God calls me to religious life.” Unfortunately, such considerations were not to his father’s liking. For this reason, Catalina would begin to ask the Lord insistently to grant her the grace of being clear about what her path should be.

A vocation, a dream

In those days of uncertainty, Catalina had a dream that would mark her forever. In it she saw an elderly priest who stood in front of her and said: “One day you will help me take care of the sick.”

Catalina would not give much importance to that dream at that time, and the consecutive stage of her life remained more or less the same until she was 24 years old. One morning he decided to go visit his sister at the convent where she lived. Inside, while he was walking through one of the passageways of the premises, he saw a painting of Saint Vincent de Paul that caught his attention and he stared.

After a few seconds, she was lost in thought, contemplating the image of the saint. Suddenly, Catalina realized that he, the one in the portrait, was the priest who had appeared to her in her dreams. What he had dreamed couldn’t be a simple coincidence, definitely not. It was God calling her again: “You will help me take care of the sick.”

From that day on things would change. From now on Catalina would direct all her efforts to be admitted as a Vincentian. It was time to respond to God’s call.

For love to grow, more and more…

Once admitted to the Order, Catherine was sent to the Vincentian house in Paris. There he took care of the most humble jobs and took care of the elderly in the infirmary. She never neglected that love for the Virgin that she had known as a child, but now religious life was giving her the opportunity to strengthen and mature that love in service to those who suffer from illness.

Sister Catalina saw how her Mother from heaven had prepared her to consecrate herself, and how she continued to educate her for greater dedication. And so it was. On November 27, 1830, the Virgin Mary appeared to Catherine while she was praying in the convent chapel, and asked her for something surprising: to mint a medal dedicated to Her, Queen of heaven and earth. This would be for the protection of those who carry it, and God would grant graces and miracles to those who turn to his intercession.

The Mother of God would also give precise indications about the appearance of the medal. To begin with, the Virgin wanted the details of her appearance to be perpetuated in this one.

“God wants to entrust you with a mission; it will cost you work, but you will overcome it thinking that you are doing it for the glory of God. You will know how good God is. You will have to suffer until you tell your director. You will not lack contradictions but he will assist you grace; do not be afraid. Speak to your director with confidence and simplicity; be confident, do not be afraid. You will see certain things;

In order to fulfill the Virgin’s request, Catherine asked for the advice and help of her confessor, and, later, the support of the Archbishop of Paris. Thank God, he agreed to his request and granted his authorization for the medal to be minted.

Growth of devotion

The Miraculous Medal began to be reproduced and, with it, the first devotees and the first testimonies of miracles that occurred in their lives appeared. Everything happened just as the Mother of God had promised.

Other private revelations the Virgin Mary made to Saint Catherine, but they did not always find the same reception when she communicated them. In fact, there was not the same spiritual echo in the subsequent confessors assigned to the saint. Catherine, then, decided to keep certain details for herself that she would only reveal to her superior, on the advice of the Virgin Mary.

In the sweet arms of the Mother

Catherine left for the Father’s House at the age of 70, on December 31, 1876. Shortly before she died, the mother superior erected a statue of the Virgin of the Miraculous Medal on the altar of the convent chapel to perpetuate her memory. of the apparitions.

Fifty-six years later, when Saint Catherine’s tomb was opened for the official recognition of her relics, her body was found incorrupt.

Catherine Labouré was beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1933 and canonized by Pius XII in 1947.

Prayer to the Virgin of the Miraculous Medal

Oh, most powerful Virgin, Mother of our Savior!,
keep us united with you in all the moments of our lives.
Reach all of us, your children, the grace of a good death,
so that, together with you, we may one day enjoy heavenly beatitude.
Amen.