The Meaning Of The Miraculous Medal
The more you know about the meaning of the miraculous medal, the more you will understand the importance of this piece of jewelry. All jewelry is rooted in symbolism from wedding bands to gold crosses. Let’s take a closer look at the meaning of the miraculous medal to gain a deeper understanding of the relevance of this jewelry option.
The main significance of this piece of jewelry is the belief that wearing it will bring special graces from the Virgin Mary. It is often worn to help strengthen the faith of a person in the Catholic tradition, but can be worn by anyone with a Christian affiliation and a respect for the Blessed Mother. The medal is also worn by those looking to draw closer to their faith or those experiencing hard times in their personal life.
Obviously, the Virgin Mary dates back several centuries. However, the origins of the miraculous medal dates back to 1830 when Catherine Labouré, a young nun in Paris, saw a vision of Mary repeatedly. In each vision, she saw the Blessed Mother presented to her as standing inside an oval frame with an inscription around the frame that said, "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." The Virgin Mary could be seen in the vision as standing on a globe with rays of light coming from her hands in the direction of the globe. The nun's repeated visions also showed her that some of the rays of light were not touching the globe like the rest. When she asked Mary about these rays, she reportedly answered the nun by saying, "Those are the graces for which people forget to ask." Catherine Laboué also reported that Mary asked her to bring these visions and words to others in the form of a protective medallion so that, "All who wear them will receive great graces," according to Mary.
The nun was observed for two years and when her visions were deemed valid by the church, the request to create the miraculous medal was finally granted. Today, these medals are worn by millions of Christians around the world to show their faith and connection to the Blessed Mother.
The front of the miraculous medal always depicts the Virgin Mary. The back of medal features an M, surmounted by a cross, with two hearts and 12 stars. The "M" is an abbreviation for "Mary". The cross represents the sacrifice of Jesus. The two hearts are for the immaculate heart of the Virgin Mary and for the sacred heart of Jesus. The 12 stars symbolize the 12 apostles. Some Catholics ascribe another meaning to the 12 stars, from the Book of Revelation 12:1 "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."
Since this is an image seen as a miraculous vision, the style of the medallion will never change. However, the medal is available in more metals and materials than ever before. It is available in white gold, yellow gold, sterling silver, pewter and other select metal alloys. You can even select a medal made of hand painted porcelain. You also have a choice when it comes to the chain style to find the option that will best fit your needs.
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