Great graces are those graces that keep us from falling for temptations. They support our efforts to say no when we should, and to say yes when we should. Great graces bring our hearts closer to Jesus’ heart, and shove the devil and the world aside. The true test of great grace is to stop praying and just see what happens. We should always ask for great graces, not just grace. God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness is like a bottomless ocean. Why ask for a thimblefull of grace when we can have a bay of grace and to our dear Lord it is all the same. Little and big is all the same to Him, the only difference is the way we ask for it. Ask big and you receive big. That is what the miraculous medal is about. The mother of Jesus spoke to sister Catherine Laboure in 1830 with these words:
“Have a medal struck… All who wear it will receive GREAT graces; they should wear it
around the neck. GRACES will ABOUND for persons who wear it with CONFIDENCE.”
Later Mary said, “… it must be given to the whole world and to every person.”
Here is another touching and loving story about the power of the miraculous medal that is worth telling.
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=715460
The Chapel of the Miraculous Medal in Paris
The following testimony was originally was told to me, by a sister from the Daughters of Charity a few years ago. I have recently amended the account of the testimony, when some new facts came to light. (I thank my both my original source, and the more recent source of this information.)
A mother from Brazil took her dying daughter on a trip to Paris, to visit the chapel where the apparitions of the Miraculous Medal occurred in 1830. When they arrived at the chapel, they saw a nun who was arranging flowers on the sanctuary. The mother asked her if it would be possible for her daughter to touch the chair, that our Lady had sat on while talking to Saint Catherine Labouré during one of the visions. The nun said that it was not allowed. She then went into the back room to get some more flowers. The area where the chair was, had been roped off. The mother thought to herself, “I did not come all this way, just to look at the chair.” She told her daughter to get down on the floor, work her way on her stomach under the rope, move up and quickly touch the chair and then come back. To the mother’s distress the little girl went up to the chair, and placed her head upon it, and would not come back for quite a while despite her mother’s pleading. The mother was worried that the nun would come back and that they would get into trouble. Eventually the little girl came back, and the mother asked her why she had done this. Her reply was “I am sorry mummy, but the lady told me to rest my head on her lap”. After this they returned to Brazil on the plane. Soon after their return to Brazil doctors found that the child was fully healed.
The prayer on the Miraculous Medal prayer is: “O Mary conceived without sin pray for us, who have recourse to thee”. Many favours are granted to those who wear the Miraculous Medal and who pray to Our Lady confidently trusting in her intercession. These favours include healings, protection in danger, conversions, help to fight temptations and many other needs such as employment. The feast day of the Miraculous Medal is celebrated on November 27.
From my book: Help from Heaven (Answers to prayer)
