November 28th - St. Catherine Laboure
Waldtraud
Born at Fain-les-Mo�ｿｽtiers (near Dijon), C�ｿｽte d'Or, France, May 2, 1806; died
in
Paris, December 31, 1876; beatified in 1933; canonized 1947; feast day
formerly
December 31. Though Saint Catherine was called a "silly old thing" by the
Republic, and as "matter of fact, unexcitable, insignificant, cold, and
apathetic" by her superiors, you should know her story if you are one of the
millions of Catholics now wearing a Miraculous Medal.
She was baptized Zo�ｿｽ Labour�ｿｽ, daughter of a yeoman farmer in the C�ｿｽte d'Or.
Without complaint she took over the running of the household at age 8, after
the
death of her mother and the departure of her elder sister, Louisa, to join
the
Sisters of Charity. After a few years, she worked as a waitress in her
uncle's
caf�ｿｽ in Paris. For this reason she was the only one in the family who never
learned to read or write.
From the age of 14, she felt called to the religious life, to follow her
elder
sister. Overcoming opposition from her father, she was finally allowed to
join
the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul at Ch�ｿｽtillon-sur-Seine in
1830
(age 24), taking the name of Catherine. She was a model sister, practical,
and
unemotional by temperament.
After her postulancy, she went to a convent in the rue du Bac, Paris. She
arrived several days before the translation of relics of Saint Vincent from
Notre Dame to the Lazarist Church in rue de S�ｿｽvres.
Almost immediately she began experiencing the series of her famous visions
of
the Blessed Mother. In one of them the Blessed Virgin told Catherine that
within
her lifetime the archbishop of Paris would be brutally put to death. (This
indeed happened in 1871 with the death of Msgr. Darboy.)
The first of three major visions took place three months later. She was
awakened
about 11:30 p.m. on July 18 by a "shining child," who led her to the chapel.
Our
Lady appeared and talked with her for hours, telling her that she would have
to
undertake a difficult task.
On November 27, Mary appeared in the same chapel in the form of a picture,
standing on a globe, with shafts of light streaming from her hands,
surrounded
by the words "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse
to
thee!" The picture turned around, and on the reverse side appeared a capital
M
with a cross above it and two hearts, one thorn-crowned and one pierced with
a
sword, beneath. Catherine heard a voice asking her to have a medal struck,
promising that all who wore the medal would receive great graces. This or
similar visions were repeated several times up to September 1831. From that
time
until her death, Catherine led a life that was outwardly uneventful tending
the
sick.
Catherine confided in her confessor, Father Aladel, and he, convinced of her
sincerity, persuaded Archbishop de Qu�ｿｽlen of Paris to give permission for a
medal to be struck. In June 1832, the first 1,500 of the millions of medals
to
be made-now known to Catholics as the 'Miraculous Medal'-were struck.
The popularity of the medal grew, especially after the conversion of
Alphonse
Ratisbonne in 1842. Alphonse was an Alsatian Jew who, having been persuaded
to
wear the medal received a vision of Our Lady in the church of Sant'Andrea
delle
Frate at Rome, became a priest, and founded the religious congregation known
as
the Fathers and Sisters of Zion.
In 1836, the archbishop initiated a canonical inquiry into the alleged
visions.
Catherine refused to appear, wishing her identity to be kept a secret. Fr.
Aladel pleaded to be allowed to keep her name anonymous. The tribunal,
basing
its opinion on the stability of her confessor and Catherine's character,
decided
to favor the authenticity of the visions.
After her year of extraordinary grace, Catherine was sent to the convent
Enghien-Reuilly on the outskirts of Paris. There Catherine served as
portress
until her death, engaging in menial tasks such as looking after the poultry
and
overseeing the aged living in the Hospice d'Enghien. Not until a few months
before her death did she speak to anyone about the visions except her
confessor;
she confided in her superior, Sister Duf�ｿｽ.
Her incorrupt body remains in the convent chapel at the rue du Bac, where
miracles were reported at her tomb (Attwater, Attwater 2, Benedictines,
Bentley,
Coulson, Delaney, Engelbert, Farmer, Walsh, White, Yves).
Saint Quote:
"And it was not enough for them to err about the knowledge of God, but
whereas
they lived in a great war of ignorance, they call so many and so great evils
peace. ... they sacrifice their own children, ... they neither keep life,
nor
marriage undefiled, but one killeth another through envy, or grieveth him by
adultery: And all things are mingled together, blood, murder, theft and
dissimulation, corruption and unfaithfulness, tumults and perjury,
disquieting
of the good. "Take away justice, and what are kingdoms but mighty bands of
robbers "
-St. Augustine (Doctor, 354-430) - "City of God"
Bible Quotes:
"Forgetfulness of God, defiling of souls, changing of nature, disorder in
marriage, and the irregularity of adultery and uncleanness" ... for two
things
they shall be punished, because they have thought not well of God ... and
have
sworn unjustly in guile despising justice (Wisdom 14:22-26)
"the land is filled with blood, and the city is filled with perverseness:
for
they have said: The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not.
Therefore neither shall my eye spare, nor will I have pity: I will requite
their
way upon their head" (Ezechiel 9:9-10)
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O GOD OF ALL CONSOLATION
O God of all consolation, author of the salvation of souls, have pity on
those
who suffer in Purgatory, and grant them, together with entire deliverance
from
their sufferings, the happiness You promised to Your servant, Abraham and
his
posterity.
Be moved, O Lord, by the consideration of the fidelity with which they
served
You during life, and forget the faults which through human frailty they have
sometimes committed; take them from this place of punishment and darkness,
and
bring them to the place of peace and light.
Hear O Lord, my humble prayer, and grant this grace to those for whom I
pray.
Amen.