A Sign of Light • The Miraculous Medal

by | Nov 29, 2017 | Eastern Province, Formation

A Sign of Light

We present “A Sign of Light”, another video from the series dedicated to the 400th anniversary. Fr. Tomaž Mavrič CM, Superior General, is the host of all reflections inspired by Fr. Luigi Mezzadri and filmed by Piotr Dziubak of Little Film Roma. In the following video, we see the testimony of a Daughter of Charity that disseminates the Medal among the sick of the Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome.

The Miraculous Medal has represented an effective means and instrument of the Vincentian apostolate. Everything started in 1830, in the chapel of Daughters of Charity at Rue du Bac in Paris when Virgin Mary appeared to Sr. Catherine Labouré. It was a moment in the history when the world needed many signs of closeness. It was the Lord who sent his Mother to manifest the love as an expression of closeness to humanity.

Transcription/Translation of the Video:

Everything started in 1830 in the chapel of the Daughters of Charity on the Rue du Bac, when Mary appeared to Sister Catherine Labouré. It was a moment in history when the world badly needed a concrete sign of nearness. Jesus sent Mary to show that love, that sign of closeness to the human person.

So, dear mama, I brought a Miraculous Medal that will be a great strength for you, a source of strength, a refuge, because a mother, like Mary, suffered and delivered all her tears to her son and has remained with us until the end. Therefore, for you it offers much hope.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

O Mary, Mother of Jesus, pray for Domenico, for his family, and for all the babies, for all the children, who are here….

Each of us, as we go to our service, brings with her the Miraculous Medal as a very important tool for us, for the children, and for the families we go to serve. A picture, an explanation, and a brief prayer always accompany the little medal. We really propose it to everyone because we do not know the people yet. We start talking and, in talking, we find that even the mothers who are not Catholic willingly take the medal because, in this place of suffering, in this world of suffering, it is always a sign of trust and hope. Obviously, we explain it and pray together. It often happens that, after years, when parents come for a check-up with a child who had surgery or other therapy, they show us that, after four or five years, they still have the medal that we gave them. It was for them a great gift. Our Lady helped them to deal with their suffering, to overcome their fears, and to cling to hope.

The medal is very important for the children themselves. When they welcome us, they always, often, smile despite their suffering. However, very often, their glance goes to the medal. They begin to caress it, associating it with our presence, and this gives me much joy. … I remember once a little girl went into a coma after a year of oncology therapy. It was her last passage on earth. Tied on her hand was the Miraculous Medal I had given her a few days earlier. The little girl did not wake up … Two days passed and she opened her eyes for a second, caressed the medal, and closed her eyes again. I am sure she reopened them in heaven. However, this story, told by her mother, was a very important experience, because the mother, when she accompanied her on this final passage said, “Now you will go to the arms of a mother who will love you much more than I do!” and so she passed on to heaven.

Video links in other languages:

Questions for dialogue:

After watching this video together, let us discuss these suggestions:

  1. Do we entrust all our work to the intercession of the Mother of God?
  2. Do we bring to the world of pain a word of hope enlightened by faith?
  3. Do we pray with and next to the poor?
  4. Do we ask the poor to pray for us?

Four New Videos on the Occasion of the 400th Anniversary of the Vincentian Charism

Many activities have taken place during the Jubilee Year.  All are aware of the videos developed by Father Luigi Mezzadri, CM and directed by Piotr Dziubak, a Polish filmmaker who has important films and documentaries to his credit … some titles: “De Gasperi-mio padre”; “Santo subito. Alle peripherie del mondo with Giovanni Paolo II “; “Liszt”; “Das Fenster zur Welt – 50 Jahre Zweites Vatikanisches Konzil”). The videos developed by Father Mezzadri involve the participation of Father Tomaž Mavrič, CM, superior general.

As you will recall, the first series of videos included titles such as, “The path toward the poor,” “Wrapped in Vincent’s cloak,” and “The sandals of charity” … these videos focus on some objects that belonged to Saint Vincent and that have been preserved in the city of Turin (Italy).  These new videos focus on some of the themes connected to the celebration of the 400th anniversary of our charism: “the globalization of charity,” “your calling,” “toward the peripheries,” “go to Folleville,” “my Folleville,” “return to the spirit.”  All of these videos are intended to make us feel closer to the superior general, but above all, closer to the charism.  These videos have been produced and have subtitles in eleven different languages.

After some months, we now present this second series of videos which correspond to the second pivotal event in Vincent’s life and that are, therefore, related to the element of charity.  The first video “Châtillon today” takes place in “the community in dialogue” in Italy and is directed by Father Matteo Tagliaferri, CM.  The second video, “the Miraculous Medal,” recalls the manner in which the Blessed Mother bestowed this gift upon the Vincentian Family.  The third video, entitled, “the icon of the charism” is a spiritual reflection on the icon of charity, a gift that Father Luigi Mezzadri presented to the General Curia on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the charism.  The last video, “the children, our teachers” is intended to commemorate the ministry of so many Daughters of Charity who can be found in hospitals throughout the world, for example, the Hospital Bambino Gesù in Rome.

These videos will be published on the web pages of the Congregation of the Mission and the Vincentian Family and through the various social networks. We hope that you will take the time to view these various productions.

Video courtesy of CMGlobal YouTube channel, made from an idea of Fr. Luigi Mezzadri, CM, and directed by Piotr Dziubak.