Spirituality

The medal worn by the Sisters of Mary is from the apparitions that Saint Catherine Labouré had in 1830. During these apparitions, she saw something like two paintings in which the Blessed Virgin is standing on the terrestrial half-globe, her feet crushing the serpent. In the first painting, the Virgin carries in her hands a small golden globe surmounted by a cross which she raises to the sky. Catherine hears: “this ball represents the whole world, France and each person in particular” In the second scene, open hands of the Blessed Virgin emerge from the rays of a ravishing brilliance. A voice explains: “the rays are symbols; however, some remain gloomy» these are the graces that no one asks for. Then an oval forms around the apparition and this invocation is inscribed in a semicircle in gold letters: “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who resort to you. A voice is heard: “Have a medal made on this model.” People who wear it with confidence will receive great graces.

Finally, the painting turns around and Sister Catherine sees the other side of the coin: at the top a cross surmounts the initial of Mary, at the bottom two hearts, one crowned with thorns, the other pierced with a sword. In December 1830, during prayer, the Blessed Virgin appeared a third time near the tabernacle and confirmed her mission. She adds, “You won’t see me anymore. This is the end of the apparitions”.

Today, the Sisters of Mary have devotions specific to the Institute to the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. We can mention among others: the recitation of the rosary, the litanies, the Marian prayers, the novena to Our Lady of the miraculous medal, the celebration of Marian feasts etc….

In short, we cannot speak of Marian spirituality without integrating our spiritual father and mother, Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Louise de Marillac. For Vincent, Mary is “a model” and in his conferences and letters appear several qualities of Mary to imitate: obedient to the will of God, modest, discreet, without sin, humble, perfect, persevering…Vincent fixes his attention on three events, three mysteries of the life of Mary: the Immaculate Conception, the Annunciation and the Visitation. Vincent’s contemplation of Mary is at the very center of the spiritual universe: to give oneself to God in order to serve him in the poor. Saint Vincent sees, in the mystery of the Immaculate, the humble and chaste Virgin, emptied of herself to be able to welcome God and let herself be filled by Him. Humility prepares and sustains the offering to God. To know and recognize as the only Lord, to make oneself small before Him, to give oneself to Him to serve the neighbour, to carry out his work, this is the second movement that Vincent discovers in Mary, in her Annunciation. Emptied of ourselves and given to God, our life is at the service of the poor: you have given yourselves to God for the service of the poor. Saint Vincent discovers in the visitation of Mary to her cousin Elisabeth this third movement of the spiritual path.

Like Saint Vincent de Paul, the presence of Mary, the writings of Saint Louise de Marillac are rich and abundant. Saint Louise notes in her writings the fruits of her meditations and her reflections on the great dignity of the Virgin Mary. She presents Mary as: collaborator of God in the incarnation, united with Christ Jesus, who lives in her, mother of grace, mother of mercy…etc. Saint Louise gives a broad explanation to the Virgin conceived without original sin so that we can understand the Immaculate Conception in God’s salvation plan, from her plan of Love; Mary did not cease to belong to the descendants of Adam, by the fact of having been conceived without sin, but she was prepared to be the worthy dwelling place of the Son of God; Mary, conceived without sin, responds with a healthy life to the election of God and, being full of grace, she continues to grow in grace. Saint Louise de Marillac discovers and proposes the Virgin Mary as an ideal of life; model of all states of life; model of doing the will of God; model of poverty; model of purity. Thus, in matters of devotion, Saint Louise in a systematic manner invites Christians to have a great love for the Blessed Virgin Mary, to celebrate feasts in her honor, in the daily liturgy, to imitate her virtues, to choose some “little practices” of devotion to Mary. In short, as we were able to realize, in the experience of Saint Louise de Marillac, the presence of Mary is abundant, serene, solid.