Superior General – Future of the Miraculous Medal – “I request that the various branches of our Vincentian Family, particularly those with a special devotion to the Miraculous Medal to pray, reflect, and discuss how to promote awareness and further devotion to Our Lady and the pious and charitable works of this wonderful Association.”
CONGREGAZIONE DELLA MISSIONE
CURIA GENERALIZIA
Via dei Capasso, 30 Tel. (39) 06 661 3061
00164 Roma – Italia Fax (39) 06 666 3831
Rome, 8 December 2014
To All members of the Vincentian Family:
My dear brothers and sisters:
As we embrace Advent to pray and prepare for the coming of the “Word made flesh” (Jn.1:14), it is an ideal time to reflect on Mary, the Mother of the Lord. Her “Fiat” – a full submission to the will of God as she entered into the Incarnation – has resounded over the ages as it does today. Our Lady remains the first and most faithful disciple of the Lord.
The gift of the Miraculous Medal to Saint Catherine Laboure was an expression of Mary’s desire to lead all people to her son, Jesus. For over a century, the Association of the Miraculous Medal has promoted devotion to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal to receive the abundant graces of God through Mary, who fortifies us in a world hungry for justice and mercy.
I was honored to preside and participate in the first-ever General Assembly of the Association of the Miraculous Medal in Rome from November 2-9, 2014. This joyous gathering of a hundred participants from across the globe strengthened our common bond to promote devotion to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and to engage in works of charity and justice of the Association.
The participants in this General Assembly formulated the enclosed “Lines of Action” which I ask you to reflect on during this Advent season. In the coming year, I request that the various branches of our Vincentian Family, particularly those with a special devotion to the Miraculous Medal to pray, reflect, and discuss how to promote awareness and further devotion to Our Lady and the pious and charitable works of this wonderful Association.
May Our Lord bless you and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal intercede for you!
Your brother in Saint Vincent,
Gregory Gay, C.M.
Superior General
2015-1 Vin. AMM ENG (Word)
ASSOCIATION OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL
General Assembly, November 3-10, 2014
Lines of Action
INTRODUCTION
The Miraculous Medal is a great evangelizing and transforming force for all who wear it with faith. To come to the foot of the altar, to receive the abundance of the graces of God through Mary, fortifies us in a world hungry for justice and mercy.
Since 1909, we, the members of the Miraculous Medal Association, consciously aware of Mary as our Mother, promote Mary’s request to St Catherine Laboure in 1830 – to wear this medal of her image. With this gift of God through Mary, we give the medal as ministry to all, especially the poor, the sick, the thirsty, the hungry, the naked, the oppressed, the imprisoned and all who seek the Kingdom of God. (Mt. 25: 31-46). The fruits of this ministry that is, the deeper love of God experienced in the poor, evangelizes us to receive God more fully, thus impelling creativity in our ministry unto infinity.
INTERNATIONAL LEVEL CHALLENGES
- Communication:
Line of Action: Create a network of (local, national and international) communications to exchange experiences, activities, information, formation, data, techniques and specialties.
- Formation:
1st Line of Action: Within the framework of the New Evangelization, which hopes to reach out to all of humanity (Mt.28:19-20), the International Council will offer clear criteria for continuous formation in the Association. This formation will include the Church’s social doctrine, ecclesiology, scriptures, Vincentian identity, ecumenism and other material of entities that strive to empower the poor.
2nd Line of Action: The International Council will suggest optional ways to do the initial formation of New Members.
- Family Reality:
Line of Action: The International Council will send to the national councils a circular letter to help them see families as a place of evangelization thus encouraging them to do home visits with the Virgin Mary in ever-creative ways. These letters will coincide with the different events leading up to and including the World Meeting of Families (September 2015).
NATIONAL LEVEL CHALLENGES
- Formation:
Line of Action: The National Council will extend its formation program to include the member’s family.
- Sense of Belonging:
Line of Action: The National Council will encourage activities of collaboration with other members of the Vincentian Family. These include, but are not limited to, working on common projects, gatherings, sharing common formation activities, networking, spiritual retreats, etc., especially with the Vincentian Marian Youth.
- Define the mission and commitment of the National Delegates during and after the General Assembly.
Line of Action: the delegates have the responsibility to communicate to all its members’ information obtained in the assembly before the end of the year.
- Systemic Change:
Line of Action: The AMM is involved in formation and service with the poor in order to enable them to be protagonists of their own destiny, through projects of Systemic Change, always conscious that they are our “Lords and our Masters.”
LOCAL LEVEL CHALLENGES
- Growth of the AMM in quantity and quality:
1st Line of Action: Give witness to the joy of our faith and of belonging to the AMM in our families, in our work place, in the local parish, etc. and in our ministries (families experiencing difficulties, street children, nearness to the sick, etc.)
2nd Line of Action: Work together with all the branches of the Vincentian Family (volunteers, sympathizers, etc.)
“Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in to share a meal at that person’s side.” (Revelations 3, 20)
O MARY CONCEIVED WITHOUT SIN,
PRAY FOR US WHO HAVE RECOURSE TO YOU.
Tags: Advent, Association of the Miraculous Medal, Featured, Gregory Gay, Mary the Mother of Jesus, Miraculous Medal, Superior General
