WHITE
The
Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the young Sister Catherine Laboure while
she was at prayer with the Sisters in a chapel in Paris. Our Lady
appeared in an oval frame, standing on a globe of the world. She was
dressed in a white robe with a blue cloak edged with silver, having as
it were diamonds in Her hands from which fell streams of golden rays
upon the earth. A voice was heard saying: "These rays are the graces
that Mary obtains for men." Then golden words formed around the oval: "O
Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!"
The oval picture then turned around, and on the reverse side the Sister
saw the letter M, with a cross above it, having a crosspiece at its
base, and below the letter the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, the former
surrounded by a crown of thorns, and the latter pierced with a sword.
Then the voice said: "A medal must be struck on this pattern; the
persons who shall carry it with indulgences attached to it, and shall
offer the above prayer, shall enjoy a very special protection from the
Mother of God."
The medal was struck and spread all over the world, and immediately the most wonderful conversions and cures attested to its miraculous efficacy. Devout Catholics everywhere attest to its wonder-working power!
The medal was struck and spread all over the world, and immediately the most wonderful conversions and cures attested to its miraculous efficacy. Devout Catholics everywhere attest to its wonder-working power!
INTROIT Ex 13:9
It shall be a sign in thy hand, and as a memorial before thine eyes, and that the law of the Lord be always in thy mouth.
Ps. 104. O give thanks unto the Lord, and call upon His name; tell forth His deeds among the nations.
Glory be . . .
COLLECT
O
Lord Jesus Christ, who wast pleased that the most Blessed Virgin Mary
Thy Mother, immaculate from her first conception, should shine
resplendent with miracles beyond number; grant, that, ever imploring her
patronage, we may attain the joys of everlasting life; Who livest and
reignest . . .
LESSON Apoc. 12:1-16
And
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 twelve stars. And being
with child, she cried travailing in birth: and was in pain to be
delivered. And there was seen another sign in heaven. And behold a great
red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and on his heads seven
diadems. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and
cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was
ready to be delivered: that, when she should be delivered, he might
devour her son. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all
nations with an iron rod. And her son was taken up to God and to his
throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place
prepared by God, that there they should feed her, a thousand two hundred
sixty days. And there was a great battle in heaven: Michael and his
angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought, and his
angels. And they prevailed not: neither was their place found any more
in heaven. And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is
called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world. And he was
cast unto the earth: and his angels were thrown down with him. And I
heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: Now is come salvation and strength
and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ: because the
accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God
day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the
word of the testimony: and they loved not their lives unto
death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens, and you that dwell therein. Woe to
the earth and to the sea, because the devil is come down unto you,
having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time. And when the
dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman who
brought forth the man child. And there were given to the woman two wings
of a great eagle, that she might fly into the desert, unto her place,
where she is nourished for a time and times, and half a time, from the
face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth, after the
woman, water, as it were a river: that he might cause her to be carried
away by the river. And the earth helped the woman: and the earth opened
her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his
mouth.
GRADUAL Ps. 104
Remember
the marvelous works which He hath done; His wonders, and the judgment
of His mouth. He placed in them the words of His signs, and of His
wonders in the land.
Alleluia, alleluia. Ps. 18
His going forth is from the end of heaven; nor is there any that can hide from His heat. Alleluia.
GOSPEL John 2:1-11
At
that time there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the mother of
Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the
marriage. And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: "They
have no wine." And Jesus saith to her: "Woman, what is that to me and to thee? My hour is not yet come." His
mother saith to the waiters: "Whatsoever he shall say to you, do
ye." Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the
manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures
apiece. Jesus saith to them: "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And Jesus saith to them: "Draw out now and carry to the chief steward of the feast." And
they carried it. And when the chief steward had tasted the water made
wine and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the
water: the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, And saith to him:
"Every man at first setteth forth good wine, and when men have well
drunk, then that which is worse. But thou hast kept the good wine until
now." This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and
manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON John 19
Jesus said to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour the disciple took her to his own.
SECRET
Moved by the petition of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, in answer to whose prayers Jesus Christ Thy Son worked His first
miracle, enable us, Lord God, to minister the Sacrament of the Body and
Blood of this Thy Son with pure hearts, and thus be counted worthy of
Thy eternal banquet. Through the same our Lord . . .
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Eccl. 36
Renew Thy signs,
and work new miracles; glorify Thine hand and Thy right arm; hasten the
time, and remember the end, that they may declare Thy wondrous works.
POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord God almighty, who givest us
all things through the Immaculate Mother of Thy Son, enable us by the
aid of this mighty Mother to escape the dangers of this time and come to
life everlasting. Through the same . . .Saint Maximus
Bishop of Riez
(† 460)
For seven years, he governed this monastery, and under his guidance, solid piety and penance flourished as well as excellent studies, which he established and directed himself. The demon, irritated, under various disguises persecuted him without respite, but the holy Abbot put him to flight by the sign of the Cross, our salvation. Saint Maximus was remarkable not only for the spirit of recollection, fervor, and piety familiar to him from childhood, but still more for the gentleness and kindliness with which he governed the fervent monks of this monastery. At that time it contained a very large number of them. Exhibiting in his own person an example of the most sterling virtues, his exhortations could not fail to prove all-persuasive; loving all his religious, whom it was his delight to consider as composing one single family, he established among them the sweet concord, union, and holy emulation in virtue which render the exercise of authority virtually unnecessary, and make holy submission a pleasure.
The clergy and people of Antibes near Lerins, then those of Frejus, moved by such a shining example, elected Maximus for their bishop, but he refused this dignity verbally on the first occasion, and on the second took flight in a boat and then into a forest, where he prayed for three days and nights that the Lord would change the dispositions of the people of Frejus. Their emissaries did not succeed in finding him, and proceeded to another election. He fled again after Saint Hilary joined his approbation to the election of the clergy and people of the city of Riez in the French Alps, then large and heavily populated. This time he was found, and was compelled to accept the see of Riez, his native diocese.
When one day a church was to be built on a hilltop and it was necessary to transport heavy columns to the elevated site, the oxen refused to move. The bishop was absent that day, although he had often come to encourage all concerned. The people attached two more animals to the yoke, but still none of them moved. The bishop was advised, and when he arrived told them he saw a demon standing before the oxen to prevent their advance. He put the enemy to flight once more with the sign of the Cross, and himself detached the two animals who had been requisitioned; and the first two, with his blessing, had no difficulty in arriving at the hilltop.
In the see of Riez Saint Maximus practiced virtue in all gentleness until he died in 460, regretted as the best of fathers.
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