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Friday 24 April 2015

On Graces Abounding

When Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Laboure in 1830, she foretold long years of turmoil and even persecution of the Church in France. The 19th century saw some of the worst rebellions against Catholicism since the French Revolution. Our Lady wanted the French, and, indeed, all Catholics, to be protected from apostasy and even death. The Miraculous Medal remains a gift for all Catholics.


What is forgotten are the rings which Mary wore on her fingers in the visions. Some of the rings emanated great light, which represented graces coming upon the earth, but some were dim. When Catherine asked Our Lady why some rings were dim, she replied that those were the graces for which no one asked.

I have wondered lately what those graces are. One can only guess.. remember that St. Catherine is one of the many, over 100, incorruptibles.


However, seeing the times of which Mary warned, times of turmoil in France, revolutions against Catholicism and western values, the coming of the great tyrannies and all the isms of Modernism, I shall surmise what some of these graces could be for which we should ask of Mary.


Here is a list of graces which we may forget to ask of Mary:














  1. The grace of final perseverance, a special grace given to the dying, as death can be a fearsome time.
  2. The grace of detachment from family, so that we learn to love family members in Christ and not to become hooked into their problems which lead us away from God. Many things which families face are not of God and need to be left to God, and not our activities.
  3. The grace of forgiveness towards our enemies, even those enemies inside the Church. The grace of forgiving ourselves and not being preoccupied with past sins.
  4. The grace of generosity and flexibility with regard to God's Will in our lives. Only those who are generous of heart become perfected.
  5. The grace to become perfected on earth, and to not aim for purgatory but sainthood.
  6. The grace of daily courage to stand up for the Faith in all circumstances.
  7. The grace to desire mortifications, suffering, and humility.
  8. The grace of complete detachment not only from things, but from people.
  9. The grace of self-knowledge and to see the predominant fault.
  10. The grace to love Christ above all people and things of this world.