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Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

by Horacio Espinosa
Hallway to the entrance of the temple

Our Hotel was just 100 meters from the entrance of Rue du Bac 140, that is, the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal.

Having lived in Paris, we had never noticed a small indoor chapel in a busy neighborhood, near the Luxembourg Gardens and 10 blocks from the Gare du Montparnasse, this station was one of the possibilities I had to go to my work .

As I said in some previous publication, it was only a question of having our eyes and ears open to the Lord, and at that moment it seemed that we did not have them so open.

Moreover, after having lived in the City of Light, we returned to it once more, but we had never noticed that place.

It seems that today I remember that conversation we had with those Angels in the land we have, the same ones that invited us to Medjugorje. In a lunch of friends, we were talking about our next trip, and they ask us what Hotel we were going to stop, when we told them the name and address of their answer, almost in amazement at that moment was: “They will be a few meters from the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal “(the astonishment came from the fact that we had chosen that Hotel so close to this Church, but we honestly did not know it)

Then we began to see, and yes, exactly our Hotel was just 100 meters from the entrance of Rue du Bac 140, that is, the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal. At that time I did not understand the importance of this coincidence, but today I see that it was not mere luck, let alone our choice of that Hotel, rather I understand that Maria wanted us to begin to approach her Shrines. I would later learn that the chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal is one of the largest centers of pilgrimage and prayer where faithful from all over the world come to ask for the protection of the Virgin Mary, despite our absolute ignorance at the time.

Little by little we were reading, and learning about this place. It was on January 28, 1830 when Sister Catherine Labouré (who will eventually become Saint Catherine Laboure) saw Mother for the first time. I am not going to delve into the apparition since it is not the reason for this section but rather what was lived there. Upon entering the property one walks through a kind of garage entrance, where the number of thank-you plates surprised. These made me think that something big was happening there, remember that I was not even close to being a pilgrim, with a faith just reborn in my interior. Walking down that corridor you see the wall with the plates on the left side and on the right some closed doors and an open one that is a store selling products, and souvenirs. Finishing the corridor one enters the chapel on one side. It is very cozy and somewhat small if we compare it with other large Sanctuaries, but we must bear in mind that it was the internal Chapel of the Monastery. On the left of the altar is Saint Catherine Laboure and there is an image of the Virgin in the exact place where she saw it.

Being honest, I tell you that at that time and in that place I did not feel anything special, only time would make me realize what Maria was beginning to do in me. Our visit to the sanctuary was short, the place itself is small and neat, austere but very nice at the same time, we prayed and talked with Maria and then we left. At the exit we passed by the place where we acquired some memories, and when leaving, a sister blessed us with a peace and love that I still remember. This is how Maria gives us something in each visit to each of her places, even in this place, where I enter as a tourist but I left as a pilgrim.

Traveler’s tips

  • The monastery is in the center of many wineries and places of tourist interest, access to it is not very visible, but you can get there with GPS. They are a few kilometers of dirt road but in good condition.

  •  The chapel is not easy to find because it can not be seen on the outside. 
  • If you buy medals abroad, there is a sister who blesses you. If you do not, try to talk to one of the sisters who are always there. 
  • On weekends there are many people in the place, we went on a Monday morning and there are few people. 

Clarification

At that at the time of entering I did as a “tourist” take few pictures, then except the two photos of the main altar the rest were taken from the Internet, but with the sole purpose of showing the entry from the outside, the hall of the plates, and the interior of the Chapel. I hope you can excuse my audacity.

 

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2 Comments

Gerardo Larrosa January 4, 2019 - 5:04 pm

Muy bueno poder compartir la Fé.
Mi nombre es Gerardo Larrosa de la ciudad de Minas Uruguay.
A mi ha sido Maria quién también siempre me ha guiado al encuentro, con ella y con su hijo, ha sido mi gran intersesora! la medalla milagrosa la tengo siempre conmigo, fue un regalo de las Hermanas de los Corazones traspasados de Jesús y María quienes al llegar a mi ciudad me la regalaron, desde ahí mi vida cambió, pude ver a través de ellas el amor de Cristo y la Paz que él nos regala.
De ahí en más las Gracias de nuestro Padre han sido un verdadero cambio de vida, claro que queda muchísimo camino por recorrer pero con la intersección de María la Madre del Amor Hermoso como dice un sacerdote amigo el camino es menos sinuoso y se hace más ameno.
Sólo quería compartir una experiencia con todos los hermanos. Saludos desde Minas Uruguay.

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Carmela January 4, 2019 - 5:18 pm

La bendición de objetos religiosos la debe realizar un sacerdote. Yo también estuve ahí, es muy lindo!

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