"Resolve to pray when you have excellent excuses for not praying: when you are ill, exhausted, tempted, sad, traveling, enjoying yourself, or in a bad mood.  Resolve to pray when everything else about the spiritual life seems to go-- when you do not feel charitable or serene or devout.  Resolve to pray even if there is no time to pray--to pray at intervals whenever a moment appears between activities.  Safeguard your prayer by avoiding remote distraction as well as immediate distractions; which means you must get rid of whatever you think is a hindrance to your union with God.  Ask Him to help you keep this pledge.  Although your own strength may fail you, remember that union with God is what He wants of you, and therefore He will give you the grace to fulfill your pledge.

Holiness for Housewives, Dom Hubert Van Zeller

“The Lamb of God-His Christmas gift to you- was to be laid in a manger which stood in a cave that had been hollowed out of one of the chalk hills near Bethlehem. That cave and manger are really the center of your world. Almighty God was the sculptor. Year after slow year, with wind and rain, He sculptured. Only in the fullness of time did He consider His work finished. It took Him centuries to arch the roof to that span which would allow the bleat of the Lamb to sound down all future centuries so that no one born of woman might ever say he was without a perfect Christmas gift. He worked aeons to make the entrance wide enough for all mankind. And during all this time he had you in mind! It is not often you think of wind and rain as instruments in the hands of God who is working for you. But now that you have been reminded how the Cave was fashioned, every storm of wind and every shower of rain will be the Voice of God speaking lovingly to you. And when you find yourself in the midst of spiritual storms, you will know that God is hollowing out a befitting birthplace for His Son, sculpturing a cave where His Christ may be born anew-and nothing else. Since He labored so long and lovingly over the cave in which Jesus was to stay for but a few hours, how, think you, will He labor over that soul of yours which is to hold Jesus all the days of your life? Every day is Christmas Day-for Christ is born anew.”

Love Does Such Things, Rev. M. Raymond, O.C.S.O.

We should all realize that no matter where or how a man dies, if he is in the state of mortal sin and does not repent, when he could have done so and did not, the Devil tears his soul from his body with such anguish and distress that only a person who has experienced it can appreciate it.      
St. Francis of Assisi

PRAYER TO THE INFANT JESUS

Come to me, O Divine Savior, vouchsafe to be born in my heart.

Grant that, taught by Thine example, and assisted by Thy grace, I may

be poor in spirit and humble of heart. Keep me chaste and obedient.

I wish to live but for Thee. O Mary, my Advocate and Mother, obtain

by thy prayers forgiveness of my past offenses and holy perseverance

unto death. St. Joseph, do thou also pray for me, that I may become

daily more pleasing to Jesus. Amen.

THE STORY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL
In 1830, one of the apparitions sanctioned by Holy Mother Church occurred in the chapel of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, the Rue de Bac, Paris. There were three visions given to Saint Catherine Laboure who, at the time of the first one, was a novice in the order. 

She was awakened at 11:30 PM on the eve of the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, by a "shining child" who led her to the chapel where she saw Our Lady, who spoke to her for two hours about the difficult task that lay ahead. Four months later, on November 27 Catherine had the second vision wherein she saw a three-dimensional scene of the Blessed Virgin standing on a white globe with dazzling rays of light streaming from her fingers and she heard a voice say:

"These are the symbols of grace I shed upon those who ask for them." A frame formed around the Mother of God and within it was written in gold letters, O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."

The voice then told her to have a medal struck after this model. Then the vision turned and on the reverse side was a large M with a bar through it and a cross over it. Beneath this M were the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, one crowned with thorns and the other pierced by a sword.

THE MEDAL: GOLD

This second vision occurred periodically until 1831. Because she wanted to remain unknown, Catherine told them only to her confessor. Msgr. Aladel, who received permission from the Archbishop of Paris to have the medal struck. The first 1500 were issued in June of 1832, and almost at once there were reported healings, conversions and miraculous events. The Saint could not be convinced to appear at any of the canonical hearings, but eventually the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary was sanctioned on the overwhelming evidence of the miracles obtained by those wearing the medal. Saint Catherine Laboure only revealed herself as the visionary eight months before her death, in 1876. Like St. Therese of Lisieux, this came as a surprise to the other nuns as they considered her quite ordinary. She was canonized in 1947 by Ven. Pope Pius XII. Her Feast is November 27 as is the Feast of the Miraculous Medal, although in some places it is celebrated on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception because of its relation to it.

We have related that this medal is the impetus to conversion for those who wear it or have it in their possession. Here is just one:

THE CONVERSION OF AN UNBAPTIZED PATIENT IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

A patient brought to the hospital in a hopeless condition, openly manifested his hatred of Catholicity. Yet, as he was in imminent danger of death, the Sister, profiting by a moment in which he seemed a little better disposed than usual, ventured to ask him if he would be Baptized. He answered roughly, No, that he scarcely believed in Baptism, and not at all in Catholic Baptism, that in case of his recovery, perhaps he would receive Baptism by immersion, and become a member of some church, but that would never be the Catholic Church. At any rate, added he, I am not going to torment myself now about such things. 

The poor Sister having no other recourse than the Blessed Virgin, and seeing that the young man approached his end, stealthily slipped a medal under his pillow. Next morning it was picked up by the infirmarian, who, thinking the Sister had dropped it accidentally, was about to return it, but the patient opposed him. The little image pleased his fancy, and he wanted to keep it himself. To quiet him, the infirmarian was obliged to ask Sister if the patient might have it. The request was granted. 

Towards evening someone came to the Sister with a message from the patient. He wished to see her. Sister, said he, as soon as she approached, you have told me I could not be saved without Baptism. 

Filled with joy at this news she began to instruct and prepare him for the ceremony. It took place next morning, and during the course of the day this soul, now the child of God, went to repose in the bosom of its celestial Father to bless and thank Him for all eternity for His mercies.