The definition of apostolate of the AMM in its own Statutes

The Association of the Miraculous Medal is rooted in the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to St. Catherine Laboure in 1830. The Medal begins to be distributed in 1832 and the people spontaneously call it Miraculous. Groups and confraternities are formed in all parts, propagating love to the Virgin Mary and the message of the apparitions of Rue du Bac .

Pope Pius IX, upon the request of Fr. J. B. Etienne, approves on June 20, 1847 the Association of the Daughters of Mary and in July 19, 1850, the Association of the Children of Mary .

Even before that, on July 11, 1843, the parish priest of San Ginés of Madrid had already received a Brief from the same Pope Pius IX approving the erection of an association in his parish, something like a confraternity, on the occasion of the presentation of the image of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal which had been brought from Paris . Other happenings similar to this occurred in many other parts of the world: the missionaries and priests, with the same enthusiasm as the faithful, had received the medal and the image of the apparitions to St. Catherine and organised particular associations of devotion.

Acquainted with the existence of many and various initiatives of this kind, the bishops of Poland request from the Holy See the recognition of these associations with the usual indulgences (and they obtain it through a rescript dated June 3, 1905) .

Fr. Antonio Fiat then formally requests for the approval of the Association of the Miraculous Medal in the whole world. Pope Pius X, in a rescript dated December 16, 1908 and later in the Brief dated July 8, 1909, grants approval of the Association in the Church, consolidating it under the authority of the Superior General and approves the Statutes.

These first statutes, compiled in the Pontifical Brief, included seven points. In discussing the topic of apostolate in the Association, we are particularly interested in articles 1, 2 and 5.

Art. 1. The official title is: Association of the Miraculous Medal of the Immaculate Conception, better known as the Association of the Miraculous Medal. Its end is to be “a living and lasting reminder of the apparitions of Mary Immaculate in 1830": “mémorial vivant et perpétuel de l’Inmaculée Vierge”. This living reminder of the events of 1830 will be in the form of an association in order to be lasting and more expressive.

Art. 2. The Association has for its aim to give the Virgin Mary, conceived without original sin, the honour due to her, in self-sanctification and in the exercise of the apostolate, two things that her blessed Medal exhorts and helps us to, both for the symbolism it portrays as well as for the virtue it is clothed with.

L’Association se propose pour fin, de rendre à Marie conçue sans la tache originelle l’honneur qui lui est dû, par le double travail de sanctification personelle et l’apostolat, dont la sainte Médaille donne à la fois le modèle et le secours, grâce au symbole qu’elle présente et à la vertu qui y est attachée.

Art. 5. All faithful Christians can be members of the Association by wearing the Medal around their neck.

Tous les fidèles de l’un et de l’autre sexe peuvent devenir membres de cette Association... porter sur la poitrine, suspendue au cou, la sainte Médaille.

Fr. P. E. Crapez, Director General of the Association, published in the years 1920 and 1921 in the magazine RAYONS a series of articles on the Association of the Miraculous Medal, presenting a commentary on the Statutes.

Fr. Crapez points out that the spirit of the Association is Christian, but he also adds that the specific spirit of the Association is: a) La pureté de conscience (a pure conscience); b) La fidelité au devoir (faithfulness ….; c) Le zèle pour le salut des âmes (zeal for the welfare of others). And he suggests that, aside from the primary aim, each association can propose also other secondary aims .

The Assembly of Cardinals and Archbishops of France declare in March 1954 that the Associations that are derived from the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1830 are "auxiliary" to Catholic Action.

Pope Pius XII expresses himself in similar terms when he addresses the youth in July 17, 1854: "Catholic action in the spirit of the Blessed Virgin".

In 1956, Fr. Henrion reorganizes the Association in France and introduces a specific apostolic objective: to help the missionary, priestly and religious vocations, in a spiritual and temporal manner. I believe that other groups of the Association in other countries such as the United States also propose a similar objective.

On September 8, 1990, in response to a petition formulated by Fr. Richard McCullen on July 16 of the same year, the Congregation of the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life approves the new Statutes of the Association.

Only a few amendments are introduced in the new Statutes compared with those approved by Pius X.

Art. 1. The Association of the Miraculous Medal of the Immaculate Conception is a living and lasting reminder of the apparitions of the Immaculate Virgin Mary in 1830, whose feast is celebrated yearly on November 27.

Art. 2. This Association has for its end to honour Mary, conceived without original sin, in self-sanctification or in the apostolate. The Miraculous Medal of Mary, because of the symbols it presents and the virtues with which it is endowed, is a model and aid for these ends.

Art. 5. All the faithful can belong to this Association and enjoy its privileges. Those persons who wear the Miraculous Medal blessed by a priest are considered as members. It is advisable that the Medal be worn around the neck.

The new Statutes add an article that is entirely new compared with the Statutes approved by Pius X and orient the members of the Association to understand their own mission:

Art. 7. The members, aware that Mary "assumed into heaven… did not abandon her mission of salvation, rather with her constant intercession continues to procure for us the gifts of eternal salvation" (Lumen Gentium. 62), try to frequently invoke the words that appear on the medal, "Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you". However, they need to recall that: "true devotion does not consist of a passing feeling which bears no fruits nor of an empty sense of credulity. On the contrary, it proceeds from the faith, which brings us to acknowledge the greatness of the Mother of God and encourages us as her children to love our Mother and imitate her virtues" (Lumen Gentium, 67}.
In the years after the publication of the new statutes, many countries have revised and updated their own statutes. Some have introduced certain specifications in relation to the apostolate, like for example: the sanctification of the members; integral formation in Christian life, fulfilment of obligations ; apostolate of charity especially with the most abandoned ones ; propagation of the doctrines of the Church in our homes and societies; foster the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul in his devotion to Mary, in love and service to the most needy.

What conclusions can we arrive at through this historical account? A study of the Statutes of the Association on the international level shows that:

1. Inasmuch as the Statutes of 1909 and that of 1990 talk of the apostolate of the Association, they do not precisely define what this apostolate consists of.

That is why there are some who understand that the apostolate of the Association solely consists of propagating the devotion to the Immaculate Virgin of the Miraculous Medal and to solemnly celebrate its feast. On the other hand, some believe that any apostolate can be entrusted to the Association of the Miraculous Medal (from Catholic Action to Vincentian Volunteer Programs), diluting in this way the specific identity of the Association in the identities of other groups.

2. The apostolate of the Association of the Miraculous Medal has concretely changed in accordance with the circumstances of time and place: general apostolate, apostolate in favor of vocations, liturgical apostolate, specific formation, charity…

3. The apostolate of the Association of the Miraculous Medal is always linked to the memory of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin in 1830.

4. We find in the Statutes of the Association references and suggestions that can be used in order to formulate its apostolic end.

Because of this, allow me to suggest a provisional formula that should be studied in order to include in the Statutes a new article that clearly describes the apostolate of the Association in the whole world.


How do we describe today the apostolate of the Association?

Can we try to formulate a description of the apostolate of the Association that remains relevant today? Can we also suggest that it be expressly included in the Statutes of the Association for the unity and consistency of the Association in the international level? Allow me to try it:

The members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal fix their gaze on the Immaculate Virgin, particularly on the characteristics described in the apparitions of 1830 and, in Her, they find the inspiration and help to:

1. Faithfully live out their vocation.
2. Make the effort to grow in holiness in their lives.
3. Profess their Christian identity to the whole world.
4. Evangelise and serve the poorest of the poor, in collaboration with the Vincentian Family.
5. Actively participate in the life and apostolate of the local Churches.
6. Contribute that each family become a “domestic church”.
7. Be witnesses of hope.
1. Faithfully live out their vocation.

The different Statutes of the Association of the Miraculous Medal indicate that all the faithful can be members of this Association.

In my point of view, the recognition of their condition of believers, of their dignity as children of God, constitutes the first distinctive mark of the Association. The members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal are faithful Christians; baptized men and women who try to live out the spirit of the Gospel in the different specific circumstances of their personal, family, professional and social life as members of the Church of Christ; who profess and follow Jesus Christ and continue His mission today in our world, as living members of the Church.

Through their baptism, the members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal form part of the community of Jesus’ followers, of His Church, of the People of God who journey through history and participate in his evangelizing mission.

To belong to the Association of the Miraculous Medal presupposes explicitly recognizing our condition of faithful Christians, our dignity as baptized persons, our responsibility as living and active members of the People of God.

In order to participate in their responsibility in the Church as baptized persons, the members of the Association fix their gaze on Mary, model of a pilgrim , who lights the way for the People of God . They discover in Mary, the first disciple , how to be disciples of Jesus. Because “whoever wants to follow Jesus Christ finds the one who received Him from the Father, Mary, the first Christian” , teacher of the gospel.

Among all believers, Mary is like a “mirror” that reflects in a deeper and clearer manner the marvels of God. “The Blessed Virgin Mary continues to go before the People of God. Her exceptional pilgrimage of faith represents a constant point of reference for the Church, for individuals and communities, for towns and nations, and, in a certain way, for all humanity.”

When the members of the Association fix their eyes on the image of Mary, the Virgin of the Miraculous Medal, as described by St. Catherine , they take note of her white garment (“dressed in white”), an expression of the dignity of all those who are baptized.

The members of the Association receive as if it was addressed to them the words of the Miraculous Virgin, who invites all to live in accordance with their vocation. In the conversation between the Virgin and St. Catherine on the night of July 18-19,1830, Mary confirms the reality: “there is much to be desired… the rule has become lax”. People were becoming lax and Mary asks for faithfulness to their primary vocation: “tell them to be faithful”.

The members of the Association know that the Medal began to spread itself, inviting all to live an authentic Christian life, bringing about conversions. It is a medal of faith: wearing the medal represents a commitment with God and our brothers and sisters; it is a constant invitation to faithfulness to our baptismal vocation.

Catherine Laboure, a witness of the apparitions of the Miraculous Virgin, was faithful to her death, living a vocation of service with the poor without any fanfare, in silence and great authenticity. Her witnessing continues to inspire all the members of the Association to faithfulness to their baptismal vocation.
2. Make the effort to grow in holiness.

The Statutes point out as end of the Association of the Miraculous Medal: “honor Mary, conceived without sin, through self-sanctification, apostolate…” .

This expression may sound strong in our times but the Associations in the Church have always wanted to be instruments and channels of sanctification of its members.

At the beginning of this new millennium, Pope John Paul II has proposed to us the perspective of holiness as the basis of all pastoral plans and programs.

The members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal know that the call to sanctity is not simply a moral exhortation but rather a pressing need. Today, more urgently than ever, all Christians are called to retake the way of evangelical renewal, generously welcoming Peter’s invitation to conduct themselves in holiness (1Pe. 1:15). All the members of the Church, precisely because they are its members, receive and share the common vocation to holiness. All the faithful in whatever state and condition are called to the fullness of Christian life and the perfection of charity; all the faithful are invited and should go towards the way of holiness and perfection in their own state.

John Paul II asks himself: Can holiness be planned? What could this word mean in the logic of a pastoral plan? He responds:

“ Placing the pastoral plan under the sign of holiness is an option full of consequences. It means expressing the conviction that, if our Baptism signifies our real entry into the holiness of God through insertion in Christ and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, it would be senseless to be satisfied with a mediocre life, lived according to minimal ethics and religious superficiality. When we ask someone: “Do you want to be baptized?” this also includes the question: “Do you want to be a saint?”. It means going the way of the Sermon on the Mount: “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt 5.: 48)

In Christifideles Laici’s exhortation on the vocation and mission of the lay faithful, John Paul II summarized the fruits and demands of all the baptized who are called to holiness: following and imitating Jesus Christ, accepting the Beatitudes, listening and meditating on the Word of God, conscious and active participation in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church, personal, family and community prayer, in the hunger and thirst for justice, practicing the command to love in all the circumstances of life and in the service of our brothers, especially if they are the least of all, the poor and those who suffer.

The Association hopes to help its members be better and more perfect disciples of Jesus Christ, to respond to the vocation of holiness in the following of Jesus Christ and faithfulness to his Word. “United in Jesus Christ, all baptized persons are one in Him and in his sacrifice through their self-offering and in all their activities. All their works, prayers and apostolic initiatives, married and family life, daily work, spiritual and bodily rest, if they are done in the Spirit and even the difficulties in life, if they are endured patiently, become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In the Eucharistic celebration, they are piously offered to the Father together with the oblation of the Body of Christ. In this way also, the laity, as worshippers, who at all times act in holiness, consecrate the world to God,”

In this way, the members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal fix their gaze on Mary. Vincent de Paul affirms: “Mary deeply understood more than all the believers the gospel teachings and made them true in her life.”

St. Augustine described Mary as mother and, at the same time, disciple, boldly adding that, for Mary, her discipleship was more important than her motherhood. One day, with enthusiasm, a woman told Jesus: Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breast that fed you. And Jesus replied in a better way: Blessed are those who listen to the Word of God and fulfill it (Lk. 11, 27-28). These two greetings of praise are fulfilled in Mary, the listening and faithful disciple: she has carried Jesus in her womb and has listened and fulfilled the Word of God.

In listening and accepting the message of Gabriel, Mary enters into a new context: that of being attentive to the Word of the Lord (Lk. 2:33-35). When she receives God’s word, she accepts God’s plan for her. She gives herself entirely to the person and work of her Son and invites us to do the same: Do whatever He tells you (Jn. 2:5).

Each time the members of the Association gather together around Mary, our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, they listen once again to her invitation: Do whatever He tells you. And with their eyes contemplate the image and signs that present Mary as all holy, Immaculate, the person who lived closely united to Christ and who has given herself fully in love.

In describing the contents of the Medal, St. Catherine writes: The letter M and the two hearts say enough. One of the hearts is crowned with thorns and the other one is pierced with a sword. The two hearts are related to the cross. The initial of Mary is connected to the cross, her inseparable union with Christ. The two hearts are in solidarity with each other. The members of the Association wear the Medal around their necks: it is their identification sign and, above all, it is a sign of their commitment to grow in their relationship with Christ, like Mary, imitating her self-giving.

The apparitions to St. Catherine took place during prayer time. Mary invites her to pray. The angel tells her: Come to the chapel… I placed my hands on the lap of the Blessed Virgin… Mary invites her: Come to the foot of this altar… Tell them to come to the foot of this altar. Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal continues to gather us together in prayer. There were her image is, there prayer springs forth. It is in prayer that the members of the Association listen attentively to the Word of God and like Mary, offer their lives in generosity and fidelity to the call to holiness.

3. Profess their Christian identity in the world.

The members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal, aware of their unique vocation in the Church, with evangelical maturity and coherence, work for holiness and the building up of the Kingdom of God in places where the present is developed and the future prepared for persons, groups and society. . It is a vocation of presence and service in the human community, in civic, social and political structures.

• Each associate is a member of the Church but he/she is also a citizen of this world. For the believer, all aspects of life should be integrated and unified in Christ, in God’s loving project. The Gospel should guide all aspects of life, in such a way that there will be no division between faith and life, between the Gospel and culture.
  
• Aside from this, the members of the Association do different activities. They are called to give witness of their Christian life in different situations and realities. “All activity, situation, concrete effort – like, for example, professional competence and work solidarity, love and self-giving to the family and the children’s education, social and political service, the search for truth in the cultural environment – are all providential occasions for a continued exercise of faith, hope and charity.”
  
• We have the responsibility to proclaim the Catholic faith. We are called to be persons of faith: to confess our faith in Christ, in man, in the Church, with courage.

The members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal fix their gaze on the humble girl of Nazareth: she fulfilled the will of God in the daily routine of life. “How simple her life must have been”, so writes St. Therese of the Child Jesus. The simplicity of Nazareth inspires the members of the Association to live their mission of presence in society. “She who, in the Annunciation, defined herself as the handmaid of the Lord was faithful to all that that name expresses all throughout her earthly life, confirming in that manner her being a true disciple of Christ, who strongly stresses the character of service of his own mission: the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for all. (Mt. 23:1-2) For this, Mary is the first among those who, serving Christ in others, in humility and patience bring their brothers and sisters to the King, whose service is equivalent to reigning and has fully attained that real freedom that the disciples of Christ enjoy: To serve means to reign!”

Sr. Catherine, the saint of silence, was a witness in the midst of her daily chores: as cook, later as washer, and also in her care of the chickens and doves and, above all, in her attention to the elderly.

The virtues of simplicity and transparency are highlighted in the apparitions of the Virgin Mary. The presence of Mary, our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, is very gentle, like the light touch of her silk gown, but also profound and moving.

We, the members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal, are also called to be an evangelizing presence in the world, in simplicity and coherence in our Christian life, that is in itself a “joyful proclamation of the gift of the revelation God who is Love, who loved the world so much that He gave His only Son (Jn. 3:16)… who is for us a grace that fills us with joy, a good news that we have to proclaim”.

4. Evangelise and serve the poorest of the poor, in collaboration with the Vincentian Family.

One hundred days after the beginning of the year 2000, John Paul II addressed the United Nations Assembly with these words: “The inequality of ignorance and poverty continues to spread, despite the great progress in science and technology. Very often, the fruits of scientific progress, rather than placing them at the service of the whole human community, are being distributed in such a way that unjust inequalities are increasing in number and are even becoming more permanent.”

When we look at our surroundings we immediately discover the many needs that have to be attended to. The present socio-economic development plan apparently is each time assuring the wellbeing of a greater part of the population, while another part is excluded or threatened; there are many who, for different factors, are excluded or abandoned in their need: unemployment, broken homes, unattended elderly, young persons with uncertain futures, socially excluded persons, victims of violence, terrorism and war, battered women, prisoners… Poverty is acquiring a thousand new faces, the faces of poverty has many names, in general and in each of the places where our Association exists.

For those of us who believe in God and in the Good News of Jesus Christ, we cannot turn our back to the harsh reality of poverty. What is at stake here is “the dignity of the human person, whose defense and promotion has been confided to us by the Creator and to which men and women of each historical time are strictly and responsibly debtors of.”

Our Association forms part of the big Vincentian Family. We cannot talk about the Vincentian Family without mentioning the huge work of Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac and many of their followers who have been doing a very significant service among the poorest of the poor. If the Association of the Miraculous Medal is a gift of God to the Church then with its Vincentian charism, it should be associated with service to the poor.

How can the Association develop this commitment to apostolate?

a) Studying the causes of poverty.

Each one of the members, Local and Diocesan Councils, needs to study, deepen, reflect on and analyze the causes of poverty. This is what the Social Doctrine of the Church teaches us. The situations of poverty are not a result of coincidence but rather obey certain defined and structured causes. The members of the Association have to be persons who study the causes of poverty, who study and know them, who analyze what could be the causes of these situations of poverty.

b) Allocating the contributions and donations of the Association in favor of the poor.

Our Association does not want to keep anything for itself. It wants to be an association that allocates its contributions and donations to the cause of the poor. These donations have to be preferably allocated to long-reach projects in favor of justice and peace. In many cases, we know that a contribution is necessary; a donation is a concrete and tangible necessity. But our commitment to allocate our donations and contributions should be seen in existing projects or those that are funded by us. Other associations within the Vincentian Family may already have in place some projects that may need our assistance. The best use of our goods in favor of the poor is done through operational projects that are directed to the causes of poverty, projects for the promotion of persons and countries.

c) Committing our own selves.

It is not enough to simply study the causes of poverty and commit to make a contribution. We need to make one more step and that is to commit our own selves in favor of the poor. This commitment falls under the logic of the Vincentian spirituality. It is what the Church asks of us at this point in time. We know that, together with us, in our parishes, beside our own centers, other Vincentian groups are also working and are directly involved in this commitment of transformation. Our Association has to gather all the strength it can get when called to sum up efforts for the promotion of justice, solidarity and peace.

At the beginning of this new millennium, John Paul II tells us that: “It is the time for a new ‘image of charity’, which promotes not only the efficacy of the assistance given but one that is capable of drawing us near and act in solidarity with those who suffer… That is why in each Christian community, we need to act in such a way that the poor will ‘feel at home.’”

The Virgin of the Miraculous Medal appears with her flowing mantle that reaches up to the floor, covering everything. And her arms are outstretched. Also, the light from the rays reaches down to earth. Reflecting on these symbolism, a theologian has not doubted in affirming that Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal is the mother of the poor: with her mantle, she covers the weakest of the world; she offers her open arms to welcome and attend to all the needy.

On many occasions, St. Vincent de Paul proposes the readiness of Mary in the Visitation as the model in the service of the poor: “You will honor the visit of the Blessed Virgin as when she went to visit her cousin with haste and joy.”

Paul VI highlighted Mary’s service with words that are very relevant to our times: She is a strong woman who knew what poverty and suffering mean, how it feels to have to flee from one’s own country (Mt. 2:13-23): situations such as these cannot escape the attention of those who want to deepen with a gospel spirit the liberating energies of man and society.

And John Paul II says: “The Magnificat is the mirror of Mary’s soul. It is in this long poem that the spirituality of the poor of Yahweh and the prophecy of the Old Covenant find its culmination. It is the canticle that proclaims the new Gospel of Christ: it is a prelude to the Sermon on the Mount. Mary’s self-emptiness is manifested there and she puts all her confidence in God’s mercy. In the Magnificat, she is portrayed as the model for all those who do not passively accept the adverse circumstances of their personal and social life nor are they victims of alienation, but rather they proclaim with Her that God lifts up the lowly and brings down the mighty from their thrones.”

The members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal find in Mary and in the Vincentian spirituality the driving force of their commitment with the poorest of the poor.

5. Actively participate in the life and apostolate of the local Churches.

The Code of Canon Law, addressing itself to the councils and advisers of religious associations, asks that “they ensure that those associations assist in the apostolic works of the diocese, above all, collaborating with the associations in charge of the apostolic works of the diocese under the guidance and direction of the Bishop of the place.”

Vatican II has already requested the insertion of the laity in the parishes and dioceses: “Always nourish the identity of the diocese, of which the parish represents a cell, always ready, upon the invitation of their Shepherd, to unite their own strengths to the diocesan initiatives.”

The place where the association carries out its work is in the parish, considered not as mere structure, area or building, but rather as a “family of God”, a fellowship animated by the Spirit of unity, a family home that is fraternal and welcoming, a community of the faithful.

“Make the Church the home and school of communion: this is the great challenge we have before us in this new millennium, if we want to be faithful to the plan of God and also respond to the fervent hopes of the world.” This is how John Paul II expresses himself in his apostolic letter for the new millennium. And he clarifies: “Moments of prayer have to be cultivated and broadened each day, in all levels, in the framework of life of each Church. In her, fellowship has to be visible in the relationships between Bishops, priests and deacons, between the Shepherds and the entire People of God, between the clergy and religious, between ecclesial associations and movements. For this, we need to value more and more the participation of organizations…”

The members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal are called to cultivate ecclesial communion, an active participation in the life and apostolate of the local Churches, achieving that each diocese and parish become the “fountains to which all come to quench their thirst” . The Association’s own charism that forms part of the wealth of the Church is at the order of the building up of the Church, for the good of man and for the needs of the world.

The image of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal appears before the eyes of the members of the Association as crowned with twelve stars. The twelve stars immediately bring to mind the number of the tribes of Israel and of the twelve apostles of our Lord. They also make reference to the hope of final victory and the new city, dwelling place of God with his people. (Rev. 21:1-5) Mary, the Virgin of the twelve stars, constantly animates the active participation of the members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal in the life of the local Christian communities.

The book of the Acts of the Apostles describes the life of the early Christian communities. Mary, present in the community, strengthens their unity and encourages their hope; she invites them to the listening of the Word and to praise; she is a model of self-giving and mission in communion with Christ. The members of the Association discover in Mary a model for their integration and communion in the life of the local Church.

6. Contribute to making each family become a “domestic Church”.

The members of the Association have seen the great evangelizing value of the Home Visit of the Miraculous Virgin. The dominating culture today is not the Christian culture. We have moved (and this fact is clearly seen, above all, in Europe), in the space of a few years, from a society inspired by the values of Christianity to a society that tends to forget or underestimate the Christian values. The signs and manifestations of the Christian life have been relegated to a personal-private level. We even tend to delegate our faith, Christian values and all that is related to the following of Christ to a personal experience.

In this cultural context we live in, the Home Visit of the Virgin to the homes acquires a renewed evangelizing value. The Pope repeatedly invites us to embark on a new evangelization, new in its ardor, methods and expression.

As we all know, the Home Visit of the Miraculous Virgin started at the beginning of the 20th century in a small urn or chapel, in imitation of the visit of the Holy Family, a custom that has been in existence since the time Leo XIII instituted the feast of the Holy Spirit.

The Home Visit is organised by Units. Each Unit is composed of 30 families who receive the "little chapel" of the Miraculous Virgin once a month. The Co-ordinator takes care of the order and pastoral animation of each of the Units. There also exists in many places a "Virgin-Nurse" who remains in the homes where there is a seriously ill person.

The Home Visit is an effective means of evangelisation in the homes:

• It is a visible sign of Christian life in the family and for all those who visit the home.
  
• It is a simple and easily understandable sign of the presence of, acceptance of and respect for Christian values.
  
• It is an activity that unites and integrates the family because it represents the Visit of her who is Mother of all.
  
• It is an invitation to family prayer, to an encounter in an atmosphere of faith, for all the members of the family.
  
• It is a reminder of the Christian obligations of each member of the family and an invitation to return this visit in a parish community or nearest Church.
  
• It is an occasion for dialogue, for an encounter, a catechism, the reading of the Word of God, and the discovery of the true devotion to the Virgin Mary.

The Virgin Mary's presence, as when she brought the messianic joy to the house of Elizabeth (Lk. 1:39-56), is always evangelising, a proclamation of the Good News. Through the Home Visit, our Mother continues to visit us, gathering us, announcing with simplicity the Good News of Jesus Christ, her Son, inviting us to live an authentic Christian life.

In what way can the members of the Association promote today the Home Visit so that it becomes an effective channel of evangelisation?

a) Through the commitment of each one of the co-ordinators. The co-ordinators are the ones who, with their close contact with each of the families and their genuine interest for each of their members, are able to make of the reception of the Home Visit an evangelising tool. Also, the co-ordinators serve as a Christian and ecclesial point of reference for the families who receive the Visit of the Virgin. It is difficult to gauge the good it does to the families, through a personal dialogue and a face-to-face encounter, in an attitude of listening and welcome.

b) Through the meetings of the families. The families of the same Unit or neighbouring families who receive the Visit of the Virgin regularly meet in order to reflect together, read the Word of God, pray, creating true community families. From these gatherings, family communities or small assemblies, there is much to be hoped for with regards to the new evangelisation. These family meetings and the personal welcome and attention given by each co-ordinator to each of the families and persons who receive the Home Visit as well as listening to their needs and hopes in order to share them, can greatly contribute in making the evangelising value of the visit of the Virgin grow.

c) Through the renovation of terms and practices that seem more appropriate of other times and disfigure the evangelising value of the Home Visit. In particular I am referring to the terms "celador" or "celadora" ("warden" or "keeper"). This word, at least in Spanish, has certain connotations of a jail or prison warden. It is a word that is not coherent with the ecclesiology of communion. It would be best to use the words co-ordinator, link, messenger… The practice of writing in each urn or chapel the names and complete addresses of the families, including telephone numbers, make some families wary because they do not want to be have their personal data exposed to unscrupulous persons: this is a practice that needs to be revised. The mentality of some co-ordinators and members of the Association who gauge the success of the Visit of the Miraculous Virgin to the families in the collection of donations hence focusing their efforts on this is also another aspect that needs to be overcome and corrected.

The mission of the members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal as evangelisers of the family is not limited only to the practice of the Home Visit.

On the occasion of the International Year of the Family, Pope John Paul II exhorted in his Letter to the Families: "Families, be who you are!" It was in this manner that the Pope reminded the families of the importance of discovering their own vocation and mission in the Church and in the world. St. John Chrysostom, at the end of the 4th century, addressed the Christians of Constantinople in this way: "Each one should make his home a church because your home is a small church." And Pope John Paul II explains: "If the Christian family is a community whose links are renewed by Christ through the faith and sacraments, its participation in the Church should be accomplished in a communal manner; together both partners as a married couple, and the parents and children as a family, have to live out their service to the Church and the world."

The famous painter, Bartolome Esteban Murillo, painted the Holy Family several times. Some of his paintings have been widely used in stamps and pictures. In one of his most beautiful paintings, perhaps not as famous as other works of this painter, which is kept at the National Gallery of London, it depicts the Holy Family, represented by two trinities with five characters. The vertical line shows the Holy Trinity: the Father in the upper portion of the canvas, the centre shows the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, and in the lower portion, the Son, Jesus of Nazareth. The horizontal line also forms a trinity: Mary, Joseph and Jesus in the middle. Five characters and two trinities. One detail catches our eye immediately: the same person who is Son in the Holy Trinity is also the son in a family community of Nazareth. It is not a simple game of lines or a coincidence. It is part of God's plan. He wants to make the family an image of the Trinity. The little family of Nazareth hence becomes a reflection of another family, the family of the trinity. This beautiful painting of Murillo helps us to draw closer to God's plan for the family.

The Church reminds us that the family is a domestic Church, wherein the persons are accepted and are able to grow as persons; it is a community in the service of life; the primary unit of society that promotes its development; the temple where faith is celebrated and shared and from which we participate in the life and mission of the Church, as a prophetic, priestly and royal family that makes Christ and His values visible in the world today.

The mission of the Association of the Miraculous Medal in family ministry is enormous. The associates are usually members of a family and it is their own families where they want the values of the domestic Church to flourish; this is the field they cultivate. And through them, in the families who receive the visit of the Virgin or with whom they relate to in the Association.

7. Be witnesses of hope.

We, the followers of Jesus Christ, should not become resigned before the situations of poverty and injustice nor get used to it, much less justify them with fatalistic attitudes ("the world is like that"…). We are called to be instruments of hope: promote life; human dignity; encourage advancement; open ways for a new sense of justice and fraternity.

It is true that the extraordinary scientific and technical development in the last decades has not been able to eradicate poverty, which continues to be "a phantom with a thousand faces". Indeed, injustice, violence, insecurity, terrorism, inequalities continue to question our development and our civilisation. But we, the followers of Jesus, should not stop announcing the Good News, we should not keep quiet, we should not stop making the gospel credible through concrete works , with eloquent signs of love that promote a new sense of solidarity.

Jesus' saving words and gestures encouraged hope among the poor and afflicted who came to Him. After having worked several signs in favour of the excluded, Jesus told those who had been sent by the Baptist: "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard."(Mt. 11: 4-6). As followers of Jesus Christ, we, too, are called to be instruments of hope.

The testimony of charity makes the signs of the Kingdom of God visible in the world: When announcing the Kingdom, we Christians need to already make this a reality among us and with all, especially with the poor and needy, in such a way that real signs of the presence of the love and gifts of God will be manifested, inviting all to the faith, stimulating hope and anticipating the eternal peace and joy God has prepared for us."

The apparitions of the Virgin Mary to St. Catherine Laboure take place during difficult times in the history of France. The message of Mary repeats: "Do not be afraid… Tell them not to be afraid…"

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal is the Woman of the Apocalypse, the Mother who is victorious, clear sign of a hope that does not deceive.

A few years after the apparitions, the Archbishop of Paris, Monsignor de Quélen, seeing the fruits of the spread of the Medal, does not hesitate in acknowledging that it is a sign given to help enliven the faith. Through the apparitions of our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, a new phase in the Church and in the world begins.

The members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal have heard many times the story of St. Catherine on the apparition of Mary with "a globe in her hands representing the world… her hands above her waist, in a very casual attitude… her eyes, looking up to heaven…" The world is God's good work; we are called to work and build God's project in the world.

Conclusion

The apostolate of the Association of the Miraculous Medal is suggested in the Statutes when it proposes as end to be a living and lasting reminder of the Immaculate Virgin.

It seems necessary that the Statutes describe explicitly the apostolate of the Association. I have suggested in these pages some ideas that could be used for a dialogue for an agreement to be arrived in the international level.

In this way, the Association of the Miraculous Medal will clearly manifest its own and particular identity within the Vincentian Family as well as its unity in the diversity of continents, countries and cultures.S

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