The clock had just struck half-past 11 at night, and young Sister Catherine Laboure was deep in sleep. Suddenly, she was awakened by a beautiful little boy; he led her to the chapel where, lo and behold! the Blessed Virgin was waiting for her. Catherine was overjoyed. She put her hands in Our Lady’s lap and spent two hours looking at her and listening to her.A few months after this visit, Our Lady came to Catherine again. She showed her the pattern for a medal, asking to have such a medal made; Our Lady would give great graces to people who wore it. Thousands and thousands of the medals were made and given out. Soon, so many graces and miracles had come to those who wore it that people began to call it “the Miraculous Medal.”Catherine was happy that people were fulfilling Our Lady’s wishes. However, she did not feel that she herself was somebody important just because she was Our Lady’s messenger. She was happy to spend her life cooking, sweeping and washing for the aged men she loved and cared for in the old men’s home. For 46 years none of the other Sisters even knew she was the Sister who had seen the Miraculous Medal vision.Our Lady was very pleased with the hidden but holy life of the humble Catherine. When Catherine died, Our Lady took her to Heaven, there to receive the reward for her faithfulness and to see her beloved heavenly Mother forever.
