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St. Catherine Laboure: Daughter of Our Lady
(1806-1876)
Before my recent study of St. Catherine Laboure's life, I knew very little of the saint. I only knew her as the saint of the Miraculous Medal. It was through her that the Blessed Virgin gave the world the Miraculous Medal - a medal that St. Maximilian called "a spiritual bullet".
What I discovered after examining her life was that for over thirty years as a Sister of Charity, a religious order founded by St. Vincent de Paul, she worked in and ran a hospice. This religious sister who laid her head upon the Blessed Mother's lap and was given the vision of the Miraculous Medal, spent the majority of her religious life caring for aged and homeless men. What a shock!
When I read this I was totally surprised, yet at the same time, I experienced a sense of humble wonder. From what I gathered, St. Catherine approached her daily routine and tasks with great love and purpose because when caring for her "old men", as she would say, she was caring for Christ. No matter what she did around the hospice, whether it was a big task or a small menial one, she did it for Jesus.
After reading her story, I believe that her time spent in the hospice had made a greater impact upon me than the visions she received. Catherine accepted her hum-drum routine in the hospice as God's Will and offered every action and duty she performed to Jesus.
When it comes to our daily duties, tasks and work, let us follow the example of St. Catherine and do them ALL FOR JESUS!