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St.Catherine Laboure
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https://youtu.be/D2kN1CaVU2w?feature=shared
𝗦𝗧. 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗘̀
𝐍𝐨𝐯 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭'𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 (𝟐)
Feast Day : Nov 28
Born : May 2, 1806 (Fain-lès-Moutiers, France)
Died : December 31, 1876 (Paris, France)
Canonized : 27 July 1947
(by Pope Pius XII)
THE SAINT AFTER THE HEART OF THE MOTHER
How do you write about a Saint who preferred to stay hidden from a world that actually craves to see GOD?
Contrary to popular belief, since in the annals of history, mankind longs the touch of Divine, for whatever the reasons may be. But for the most part of it, we want the pain that we endured with our sweat and tears to have meaning.
Yet, for Zoè Labourè (the baptismal name of St. Catherine Labourè) that was not the case. Instead of chasing the evasive pot of gold, she lived her life with the love she had for her Saviour. Her joy stemmed from giving herself to others. It didn't matter if humiliation or persecution found her at every turn. For as long as she had that selfless love burning in her heart, a virtue that can only come from GOD, her pleasure was to ease the burden of others.
Some say 'Love it is a river, that drowns the tender reed'.
As the evening Angelus sounded, Zoè was born of Pierre and Madeleine Louise Labouré on May 2, 1806. She was the ninth from eleven children. The next day, she was baptized on the feast of the Finding of The True Cross. It seems more than a coincidence that Catherine was born at the ringing of the Angelus; a foreshadow of one who was to be so highly favored by Mary.
When Zoè was born, France was still ailing from the wounds of irreligion opened by the Revolution of 1789. Despite the common religious negligence of the time, to which her father, Pierre Labouré, was not spared, the faith of Catherine and her siblings was protected and fortified thanks to their mother, Madeleine Gontard, whose chief concern was to instill in her children boundless confidence in the Blessed Virgin.
However, at the tender age of nine, in October of 1815 her mother died. Although she was distraught initially, she soon remembered her mother’s words. She went to the statue of Our Lady before which she had so often prayed with her mother. She embraced it and exclaimed between sobs: “From now on, you will be my Mother!”
The Queen of Heaven responded immediately. The defenceless girl, who had come to her in tears, went away strengthened and ready to confront all tribulations. It was the last time in her life that she cried, for the virtue of fortitude accompanied her in a crescendo until the end of her days.
When she was 14 years old, in a dream, Catherine was addressed by an unknown priest whose penetrating gaze remained engraved in her memory. Some years later, visiting a house of the Daughters of Charity, she saw a portrait of the Founder of the Congregation, St. Vincent de Paul, recognizing him as the priest of her dream. There and then, she knew that she was to be a daughter of St. Vincent!
But her father opposed. Instead, with hopes of trying to dissuade her, she was sent to Paris to help in the restaurant of one of her brothers , to which she obediently obliged. However, the experience only strengthened her vocation. She persevered in her resolution until she overcame her father’s obstinacy. “If we are truly mindful of the small things, we will do great things,” she wrote, decades later, upon completing a period of spiritual exercises.
She was admitted into the Seminary (Novitiate) of the Daughters of Charity in Paris on April 21, 1930 at 24 years old. For Catherine, God was not and never just an idea but a true presence. Jesus Christ, God made man among humans, walking, living and breathing among those who are poor. That is probably the first indicator for mere mortals to possess, for the Power of Heavens to bestow visits and missions to help in winning souls for Him.
Some say 'Love it is a hunger, an endless aching need'.
When the Queen of Heaven told Catherine that times ahead were evil, it was never just about France. The Christophobe spirit was gaining in momentum and spreading like wildfire throughout what was once known as the Christian world. It was truly a battle against principalities. Everything good, pure and beautiful versus everything that thrives in chaos and corruption.
Even so, Heaven was not going to throw the towel in just yet. Thus, the Mother of God with the power of the Trinity, intervened for humanity once again. Why? Because we are worth it even if it meant that She has to endure the humiliating pain of being ridiculed, scorned and rejected.
From her arrival in the Seminary, Catherine received personal visions (of the heart of Saint Vincent and of Our Lord in the Eucharist) and then two apparitions of Mary which had a message of evangelization for Mother Church and the world. These two apparitions, on July 18 and November 27, are inseparable. The first prepared for the second which was of great importance: Mary Immaculate confided the Medal to the world. With this symbol Mary revealed her Immaculate Conception, while on the reverse of the Medal gave symbols which linked her intimately with the mysteries of the Incarnation and the Redemption.
When Catherine told her spiritual director, Fr. Jean-Marie Aladel, CM, about what she had seen and heard, he wanted to take every precaution to ensure that the apparitions were authentic. It wasn’t until he spoke to the Archbishop of Paris and received his approval that Medals were made. This task was initially entrusted to Adrien-Jean-Maximilien Vachette, one of the official jewelers of Louis XVIII’s court, in June of 1832. He started by producing two thousand Medals.
The Daughters of Charity began wearing them and giving them to the elderly and sick. Almost immediately, miraculous healings, cures, and conversions occurred; people began clamoring for the Medal of the Immaculate Conception (as it was originally called). The Medal quickly spread throughout France and then the world. Before long, people were calling it the Miraculous Medal; everyone wanted the Medal that Mary had brought from Heaven. Not only did the Archbishop of Paris request some of the first Medals, Pope Gregory XVI put one at the foot of the crucifix on his desk.
The Rarest of Roses
While the commotion around the Miraculous Medal was deafening, Catherine remained silent, while carrying out her duties as a Daughter of Charity. Without revealing to those about her that she had been the receiver of Our Lady’s medal, she was a harbour of peace for everyone. Forty-six years of untiring service, looking out for the elderly with unusual generosity, especially those who were the most disagreeable. To the sick, she gave undivided attention during their agony. She saw Christ in each one. Not only was she a staunch believer within her community, she was a bulwark for her sisters against the authorities during the Paris Commune.
Yet, nearing death and after receiving the Blessed Mother’s consent to break silence, Catherine revealed to her Sister Superior that she was the sister to whom the Queen of Heaven appeared. On the last day of December 1876, Saint Catherine Laboure finally met her Creator.
When her body was exhumed in 1933, it was found as fresh as the day it was buried. Her incorrupt body is encased in glass beneath the side altar at the 140 Rue du Bac, Paris beneath one of the spots where Our Lady appeared to her.
In the Chapel of the Apparition, one can gaze upon the face and the lips that for forty-six years kept a secret that has indeed shaken the world.
-𝐴𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦
𝑀𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑎 𝐿. 𝐿𝑜ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑛, 𝑁𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 11, 2023
Sources:
The saint who touched our Blessed Mother. The Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of The Miraculous Medal. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from https://miraculousmedal.org/welcome/story-of-st-catherine/
Communication Cont. (2020, November 28). Catherine Labouré, the Saint of Silence. Congregation of the Mission. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from https://cmglobal.org/en/2020/11/28/catherine-laboure-the-saint-of-silence/
Story of St Catherine. Association of the Miraculous Medal. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from https://www.amm.org/aboutamm/story%20of%20st%20catherine.aspx
Sr. Isabel Cristina Veas, EP. (2012, December). Saint Catherine Labouré – The Saint of Silence and Confidence. Heralds of the Gospel. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from https://catholicmagazine.news/saint-catherine-laboure-the-saint-of-silence-and-confidence/
SUMMARY
✝️𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡✝️
𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗬 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘
Saint Catherine Labouré was born into a French family by Pierre and Madeleine Labouré. She is the 9th child of 11 siblings. In 1815, when she was 9 years old, her mother died. As soon as her mother's funeral was over, Saint Catherine returned home, took and embraced the statue of Mother Mary, and said, "From now on, Mother Mary is my mother!"
𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗝𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗬
Saint Catherine's life journey was filled with passion and her desire to be faithful to her faith. Saint Catherine is a quiet child but responsible for managing her life. Since her mother's death, Saint Catherine has taken on the responsibility of managing her home and family. She cared for her father and worked as a waitress in a restaurant in Paris.
A few years after her mother's death, Saint Catherine dreamed of being visited by an elderly priest, who led her to a room filled with sick people. The priest said to her, "This is your mission. To help the elderly, helpless, weak and sick. God has called you to do good and help this community. Remember this, my child!"
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗢𝗨𝗦 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘
A few years after that, Saint Catherine visited a hospital known as the "Daughters of Charity Hospital" and on the wall of the hospital hung a portrait of a priest. The priest is the founder of "Daughters of Charity Hospital" and is known as St. Vincent de Paul. Since then, Saint Catherine had intended and knew she was called to join and serve at St. Vincent de Paul. She decided to join the "Daughters of Charity" in January 1830, when she was 23 years old.
𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘
One night, on July 19, 1830, Saint Catherine woke up after hearing the voice of a boy calling her to the Chapel because Our Lady was waiting for her. Without wasting time, Saint Catherine rushed to the Chapel, the doors of the Chapel were wide open and a very bright light emanated. Mother Mary said to Saint Catherine, "God has set a mission for you. You will be opposed but don't worry. God's grace is with you to do what you should. Go and tell your spiritual guide what I have told you. Bad times have happened in France and around the world.”
In November 1830, during an evening meditation session, Our Lady appeared again to Saint Catherine. Mother Mary shows herself in an oval frame, standing on a globe with rays of light coming out of her palm shining on the globe. Around the oval frame, it is written "O Mary who was conceived without sin, pray for us who ask for help from you." On the back of the image, there is the letter M, along with a cross and two hearts.
Mother Mary asked Saint Catherine to bring this image to the confessor, Fr. John Marie Aladel, and informed the priest to place this image on a medal, and whoever wears this medal will receive infinite grace.
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡
At first, Fr. John did not trust Saint Catherine. This is due to her very humble personality, and this makes others have an attitude like, "Who is she who claims to have met Mother Mary and preaches the miracle of this medal?" Nevertheless, this is the path that Saint Catherine chose; carrying out her mission of helping the elderly, helpless, weak, and sick, without expecting any reward or popularity. Due to the excellent care, she had given to this group, she was known as; the "Protector of the Seniors".
However, God's plan is unpredictable. Thanks to the patience and prayer, after 2 years, in January 1832, Fr. John brought this news to Archbishop Hyacinth de Quelen from Paris, and told the Archbishop about the mission and vision, and who Saint Catherine was. Saint Catherine, a saint who is an inspiration and the best example to the medical and health community, without having to stand out in front of the public, carries out her mission, of helping the sick and weak, without expecting name and popularity.
Saint Catherine, who was visited by Mother Mary, was instructed to preach grace and print this miraculous medal to be distributed to the public. After careful questioning between the Archbishop and Fr. John, permission for medals was given and the instructions to print the medal were issued.
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗜𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗔𝗟
The first 2000 medals were printed on June 30, 1832. The medals were distributed quickly and are believed to be truly miraculous. Pope Gregory XVI placed one such medal at the foot of the crucifix on his desk. One of the testimonies of this Miraculous Medal of Catherine Labouré is that it inspired Alphonse Ratisbonne, an Alsatian Jew, to convert and found the father and sister of Sion. Stories about the healing and miracles of this medal spread quickly and many people began to believe in the blessings of this medal.
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛 & 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦
Saint Catherine made her life an instrument of God to care for and help the elderly, who were sick and incapacitated until her last breath. Her personality who cares about her mission without expecting popularity is an invaluable inspiration. On December 31, 1876, Saint Catherine breathed her last and she was 70 years old at that time.
Her body was wrapped, and kept in a glass case under the altar in the chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Paris, as a mark of respect. Her body was found intact, after being exhumed in 1933. It remained as fresh as the day it was first buried. She was beatified by Pope Pius XI on May 28, 1933 and canonized by Pope Pius XII on July 27, 1947. When her remains were canonized, Pope Pius XII issued a statement, "Saint Catherine, one of the saints devoted to a dutiful and silent life!"
✝️𝐁𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐚 ✝️
𝗞𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗗𝗨𝗣𝗔𝗡 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗟
Santa Catherine Labouré dilahirkan dalam keluarga Perancis oleh pasangan Pierre dan Madeleine Labouré. Beliau merupakan anak ke-9 daripada 11 orang adik beradik. Pada tahun 1815, ketika beliau berumur 9 tahun, ibu beliau telah meninggal dunia. Selesai sahaja upacara pengebumian ibunya, Santa Catherine pulang ke rumah dan lantas mengambil dan memeluk patung Bonda Maria, dan berkata, "Mulai saat ini, Bonda Maria adalah ibuku!"
𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗝𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗡 𝗛𝗜𝗗𝗨𝗣
Perjalanan hidup Santa Catherine dipenuhi dengan semangat dan keinginannya yang setia dengan kepercayaannya. Santa Catherine merupakan seorang anak yang pendiam, namun seorang yang bertanggungjawab di dalam menguruskan kehidupannya. Sejak kematian ibunya, Santa Catherine telah menggalas tanggungjawab menguruskan rumah dan keluarganya. Beliau menjaga ayahnya dan bekerja sebagai pelayan di restoran di Paris.
Beberapa tahun selepas kematian ibunya, Santa Catherine bermimpi didatangi oleh seorang paderi yang sudah berusia, memimpinnya ke sebuah bilik yang dipenuhi dengan orang sakit. Berkatalah paderi tersebut kepadanya, "Inilah misimu. Membantu orang-orang tua, tidak berdaya, lemah dan sakit. Tuhan telah memanggilmu untuk berbuat baik dan membantu golongan ini. Ingat ini wahai anakku!"
𝗞𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗗𝗨𝗣𝗔𝗡 𝗥𝗢𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗜
Beberapa tahun selepas itu, Santa Catherine telah melawat sebuah hospital yang dikenali sebagai "Daughters of Charity Hospital" dan di dinding hospital tersebut tergantung sebuah potret seorang paderi. Paderi tersebut merupakan pengasas "Daughters of Charity Hospital" dan dikenali sebagai St. Vincent de Paul. Sejak daripada itu, Santa Catherine telah berniat dan tahu beliau telah dipanggil untuk menyertai dan melayani di St. Vincent de Paul. Beliau mengambil keputusan untuk menyertai "Daughters of Charity" pada Januari 1830, ketika beliau berumur 23 tahun.
𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗞𝗔𝗥𝗔 𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚
Pada suatu malam, 19 Julai 1830, Santa Catherine terjaga daripada tidur selepas terdengar suara seorang budak memanggilnya ke Chapel kerana Bonda Maria sedang menunggunya. Tanpa membuang masa, Santa Catherine bergegas ke Chapel, pintu Chapel terbuka dengan luas dan terpancar cahaya yang sangat terang. Bonda Maria berkata kepada Santa Catherine, “Tuhan telah menetapkan satu misi untukmu. Kamu akan ditentang tetapi jangan khuatir. Rahmat Tuhan ada bersamamu untuk melakukan apa yang sepatutnya. Pergilah dan maklumkan pembimbing rohanimu, apa yang telah aku sampaikan. Saat-saat yang buruk telah terjadi di Perancis dan seluruh dunia.”
Pada November 1830, ketika sesi meditasi petang, Bonda Maria menampakkan dirinya sekali lagi kepada Santa Catherine. Bonda Maria menunjukkan dirinya di dalam sebuah bingkai yang berbentuk bujur, berdiri di atas bola dunia (globe) dengan sinaran cahaya keluar dari telapak tangannya menyinari bola dunia. Di sekeliling bingkai bujur, tertulis “Wahai Maria yang dikandung tanpa dosa, doakanlah kami yang meminta pertolongan kepadamu.” Dan di bahagian belakang imej tersebut, terdapat huruf M, beserta dengan salib dan dua tanda hati.
Bonda Maria meminta Santa Catherine membawa imej ini kepada imam pengakuan dosa iaitu Paderi John Marie Aladel, dan memaklumkan kepada paderi supaya meletakkan imej ini di atas medal, dan sesiapa yang memakai medal ini akan menerima rahmat yang tidak terhingga.
𝗖𝗔𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗡 𝗗𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗠 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗜
Pada mulanya, Paderi John tidak mempercayai Santa Catherine. Ini disebabkan oleh peribadi beliau yang sangat merendah diri, sehinggakan orang lain mempunyai sikap seperti, “Siapakah dia ini yang menyatakan telah bertemu dengan Bonda Maria dan mengkhabarkan keajaiban medal ini?” Namun begitu, inilah jalan yang Santa Catherine pilih; menjalankan misinya iaitu membantu orang-orang tua, tidak berdaya, lemah dan sakit, tanpa mengharapkan sebarang pembalasan mahupun penghargaan. Disebabkan layanan yang sangat baik yang telah diberikan oleh beliau kepada golongan ini, beliau diberi satu panggilan; “Pelindung Para Senior”.
Namun begitu, perancangan Tuhan tidak dapat dijangka. Berkat kesabaran dan doa, selepas 2 tahun, iaitu pada Januari 1832, Paderi John telah membawa khabar ini kepada Uskup Agung Hyacinth de Quelen dari Paris, dan menceritakan kepada Uskup Agung tentang misi dan visi, dan siapakah Santa Catherine. Santa Catherine, seorang santa yang menjadi inspirasi dan contoh terbaik kepada golongan perubatan dan kesihatan, tanpa perlu menonjolkan dirinya di hadapan umum, menjalankan misinya, membantu mereka yang sakit dan lemah, tanpa mengharapkan nama dan populariti.
Santa Catherine yang telah didatangi oleh Bonda Maria, telah diarahkan untuk mengkhabarkan rahmat dan mencetak medal ajaib ini untuk diedarkan kepada umum. Selepas beberapa penelitian sesi soal jawab di antara Uskup Agung dan Paderi John, maka arahan untuk mencetak medal tersebut telah dikeluarkan.
𝗞𝗘𝗦𝗔𝗞𝗦𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗝𝗔𝗜𝗕
Sebanyak 2000 medal yang pertama telah dicetak iaitu pada 30 Jun 1832. Medal tersebut telah diedarkan dengan cepat dan dipercayai memberikan kesaksian yang sungguh ajaib. Paus Gregorius XVI telah meletakkan satu medal tersebut di kaki salib yang berada di atas mejanya. Salah satu kesaksian Medal Ajaib Catherine Laboure ini ialah, ia telah mengilhami Alphonse Ratisbonne, seorang Yahudi Alsatian, untuk berpindah agama dan telah menemukan ayah dan saudara perempuan Sion. Kisah tentang penyembuhan dan keajaiban medal ini telah tersebar dengan cepatnya dan ramai orang mulai percaya akan rahmat medal ini.
𝗞𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗡 & 𝗞𝗘𝗞𝗨𝗗𝗨𝗦𝗔𝗡
Santa Catherine menjadikan hidupnya sebagai alat Tuhan untuk menjaga dan membantu warga tua, yang sakit dan tidak berupaya sehingga sisa nafasnya yang terakhir. Personaliti beliau yang mementingkan misinya tanpa mengharapkan populariti menjadi satu inspirasi yang tidak ternilai. Pada 31 Disember 1876, Santa Catherine telah menghembuskan nafasnya yang terakhir dan beliau berumur 70 tahun pada ketika itu.
Tubuhnya dibungkus, dan disimpan di dalam bekas kaca di bawah altar di gereja kecil Bunda Maria Medal Ajaib di Paris, sebagai tanda penghormatan. Jenazahnya didapati tidak rosak, selepas digali pada tahun 1933. Ianya kekal segar seperti hari pertama dikuburkan. Ia telah dibeatifikasi oleh Paus Pius XI pada 28 Mei 1933 dan dikanonisasi oleh Paus Pius XII pada 27 Julai 1947. Ketika jenazahnya dikanonisasikan, Paus Pius XII telah mengeluarkan satu kenyataan, “Santa Catherine, salah seorang orang kudus yang berbakti dalam kehidupan dalam tenang!”
𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 / 𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒌𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒉:
𝑪𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑬𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝑵𝒚𝒊𝒓𝒖𝒏
𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 11, 2023
𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗦/
𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗨𝗝𝗨𝗞𝗔𝗡
Budzik, M. F., Kerrigan, M., & Phillips, C. (2015). The Illustrated History of Catholicism & The Catholic Saints. Anness Publishing Ltd.
Catholic Medical Association. (2020, May 7). St Catherine Labouré - Catholic Medical Association. https://catholicmedicalassociation.org.uk/resources/saints-in-healthcare/st-catherine-laboure/
Novak, D. (2019, November 4). Saint of the Month: Catherine Laboure - Challenge. Challenge. https://challengeyouthministry.com/saint-of-the-month-catherine-laboure/
Online, C. (n.d.). St. Catherine Laboure - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online. Catholic Online. https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=266