CYBER MONDAY
OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL
Daniel, Chapter 1, Verse
10
Though
God had given Daniel the favor and sympathy of the chief chamberlain, he
nevertheless said to Daniel, "I am afraid
of my lord the king; it is he who allotted your food and drink.
As a Catholic in
the modern world have you ever felt like you were living in exile; because
those who are not of the body of Christ are sort of foreign?
The
story begins when Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieges Jerusalem. He breaks in,
conquers the city, and captures the king and some of the sacred vessels
dedicated to God in the temple. After this mad-cap spree, the king orders his
palace master Ashpenaz to take some of the royal and well-educated Israelites
and bring them back to Babylon to serve at the king's palace. Daniel and his
friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are among the people who get exiled to
Babylon. The palace master makes them cash in their Hebrew names for slick, new
Babylonian ones. Daniel receives the totally metal name of
"Belteshazzar"; Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah become respectively
"Shadrach," "Meshach," and "Abednego." Um,
is this Kosher? Immediately, Daniel n' pals run into a problem. The king offers
them daily rations of fine Babylonian cuisine and wine—but the food isn't
kosher. Fortunately, God has mercy on Daniel by making the palace master
merciful. After some back and forth, he gives Daniel, Shadrach, and co.
permission to do a trial run: they'll "go veg" for ten days, eating
nothing but water and vegetables. If they don't look worse than everyone else
after that time, they can consider the next step to take. Of course, they end
up looking better than the people who are chowing down on the Babylonian
cheeseburgers and lobster rolls (or whatever they were serving), and they're
allowed to keep eating appropriate kosher and vegetarian meals. Rather than
collapsing from weakness, Daniel and his friends load up on wisdom, knowledge,
and skills—all provided by God. Daniel also receives the ability to interpret
dreams and visions, which will prove handy pretty soon. When Nebuchadnezzar
finally calls in the elite Israelites, after their training in Babylonian ways
has been completed, he discovers that no one is wiser or more knowledgeable
than Daniel and his friends. They're superior to all the Babylonian wise men,
as well. The book notes that Daniel remained in Nebuchadnezzar's court until
the first year the Persian king Cyrus came to reign.
Maybe
there is something to this vegan gig?
This
Christmas season when you make out your gift list try to give a gift to those
you love that truly helps them to prosper!
Cyber Monday seeks to sell massive quantities of goods through online stores at a sale price. Marketing companies created the term Cyber Monday as a catchphrase to persuade people to shop online. In 2014, Cyber Monday sales were a record 2.68 billion dollars, making it one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Cyber Monday is not an official holiday but it is an international day recognized by consumers. The term Cyber Monday developed naturally overtime as online sales following Thanksgiving spiked. This was seen as an opportunity to brand the new shopping occasion, much the same way black Friday was years earlier. Cyber Monday was first originally held November of 2005. The day it is held varies from year to year but it is always held the Monday following Thanksgiving in the US.
Cyber Monday Facts & Quotes
Cyber Monday Top Events and
Things to Do
Buy
something! You can buy just about anything online these days, so treat yourself
or a loved one to something you have been saving up for. Chances are it is at a
reduced price on Cyber Monday! Fill your online shopping cart with all the
things you were thinking of buying at all retail shops. Total up the cost of
all the things you were going to buy, and instead of buying them, donate that
exact amount of money to a charity of your choice. Spread awareness on social
media by using the hashtag#CyberMonday, #CyberDeals and #DealsDealsDeals.
Promote your favorite retailers over social media using their hashtags and by
reposting their posts. Save your money today and wait until Giving Tuesday
tomorrow to donate it all or use it to purchase items for donation.
In the year 1830, Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine
Laboure, a Daughter of Charity in Paris, and told her that God had a mission
for her. Standing upon a globe, the Virgin Mary held a golden ball which she
seemed to offer to God, and on her fingers were rings with gems that emitted
rays of light. She told St. Catherine, "These rays symbolize the graces I
shed upon those who ask for them. The gems from which rays do not fall are the
graces for which souls forget to ask. The Blessed Virgin instructed St.
Catherine to have a medal made of these images, and she promised many graces to
all who wear it.
Meaning of the Medal[4]
The Front
Here,
we see a woman, the Mother of God, encircled by a short and famous prayer:
"O Mary conceived without sin. . . . " Being conceived without
sin—the mystery of her Immaculate Conception—means that from the beginning this
woman was full of grace. Mary stands on a globe, the world. Around her feet a
twisted serpent, the devil, struggles for mastery. It is a conflict between
good and evil. Satan's is a world of darkness and disgrace; Mary's is a world
of light and grace. But hers is the victory won by Christ—the light of the
world. So we see the light and grace of Christ flowing from her hands; and
those who choose grace rather than darkness turn to her for help: "pray
for us who have recourse to thee."
The Back
On
the back of the medal we see a large letter M with a cross above it. M is for
Mary and Mother because she is indeed the Mother of God's people—a people
founded on the twelve Apostles, signified by the twelve stars arranged around
the rim. The two hearts are those of Jesus and Mary. God's message for Mary was
one of suffering "a sword will pierce your heart too"—just as the
heart of her Son would be pierced by a soldier's lance. The showing of the two
hearts in one grand alliance is a reminder of God's love for us. Mother and Son
are united in the work of redemption as Christ offers himself on the cross and
Mary stands compassionately at his feet, assenting in faith so that the world
might be saved. The medal, then, is a summary in itself of the Church's
teaching on Our Lady—a mini-catechism of the faith for everyone.
The MI Movement
One
of the most celebrated cases of a conversion, through the use of the Miraculous
Medal, was that of the agnostic, Alphonse Ratisbonne. In January 1917, while
still a seminarian at the Conventual Franciscan Friars' Seraphicum in Rome, St.
Maximilian Kolbe heard the Miraculous Medal conversion story of Ratisbonne.
This wonderful account inspired St. Maximilian to recognize the powerful role
that God had given Mary in the work of leading people to conversion and growth
in holiness. He understood that the Miraculous Medal symbolized her active
presence in the Church as Mediatrix of All Graces. For the next nine months St.
Maximilian meditated upon the Miraculous Medal, the apparition of Our Lady to
St. Catherine Laboure, and the marvel of Ratisbonne's conversion.
On
the evening of October 16, 1917, St. Maximilian was ready to put these Marian
insights into a concrete plan of action. He gathered six Franciscan companions
in a
room
at their seminary on Rome's Via San Teodoro to establish what he called in
Latin the Militia Immaculatae (MI), that is, the "Knights of the
Immaculata." This movement, which now numbers millions of members
worldwide would bind people together around one compelling and fruitful ideal:
spiritual union with Mary the Immaculata. This ideal would attract various
kinds and classes of people (clergy, religious, and laity), stirring each to
form a person-to-person relationship with Mary by means of the "Act of
Total Consecration," and entrustment of self to her.
St.
Maximilian made the Miraculous Medal the insignia of the MI movement. He
recommended that people wear it as an external sign of their Total Consecration
to the Immaculata. Mindful of Mary's promise to St. Catherine that "all
who wear it will receive great graces," St. Maximilian saw the medal as a
means of safeguarding the consecration. It reminds MIs that by their
consecration they are to belong to Mary, work for her, and become one with her,
so that she might act through them as her instruments.
The
Miraculous Medal helps MIs to love Jesus through Mary, so as to hasten the
transformation of individuals, families, and society into a "civilization
of love."
Purpose of the MI:
Pursue
the conversion and growth in holiness of all people, under the sponsorship of
the Blessed and Immaculate Virgin Mary.
May I join the MI?
All
Catholics are welcome to join. One's "work" in the MI is simply to
live the spirit of Total Consecration to Mary as taught by the saints and
popes. MIs try to bring the presence of Mary into daily life, by offering up
daily duties, prayers, sufferings, and good works for the conversion and
sanctification of souls. MIs need not attend meetings, nor pay dues, nor follow
complicated rules.
Miraculous Medal Invocation Prayer
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us
who have recourse to you, and for all who do
not have recourse to you, especially the enemies
of the Church and those recommended to you.
who have recourse to you, and for all who do
not have recourse to you, especially the enemies
of the Church and those recommended to you.
Meditation Prayer with the Miraculous Medal
Mary, this medal is a sign and a guarantee of your presence.
You are present because your power is present, your voice is present and your
love is present. Therefore, O wonderful Sinless Woman and our Mystical Mother,
we call on you now to fulfill your guarantee. Bring us the great graces you
promised to those who carry this medal, especially to those who wear it around
their neck. Make us perceive our presence now and always. Make us consciously
experience your power, your love and your guidance, that in their strength we
may begin to share in your perfect response to God and to each of his
creatures, and join in your war with the ancient Serpent. Help us utterly
abandon our self-centered feelings and preoccupations. Help us hear and
understand you. Teach us to listen and learn. Help us respond to you today and
always;, that made one with you we might more fully respond with the rest of the
Church to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, participating in their life and
unity.
Daily
Devotions
·
Please
pray for me and this ministry
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