The design for the Miraculous Medal was given to St. Catherine Laboure on Nov. 27, 1830, during an apparition approved by the Church.  Our Lady fully explained the meanings for each symbol on the medal, which meanings are apocalyptic in nature.  Rue de Bac, Paris, France:

The following are quotes from the Blessed Mother to a young Sister Catherine Laboure:

RINGS ON OUR LADY’S FINGERS                                                                                  “All at once I saw rings on her fingers, three rings to each finger, the largest one near the base of the finger.  One was of medium size in the middle, the smallest one at the tip.  Each ring was set with gems, some more beautiful than others.  The larger gems emitted greater rays and smaller gems, smaller rays.  The rays bursting from all sides flooded the base, so that I could no longer see the feet of the Blessed Virgin.:

MEANING OF THE GLOBE AND THE RINGS WITH DAZZLING GEMS                At this moment, while I was contemplating her, the Blessed Virgin lowered her eyes and looked at me.  I heard a voice speaking these words:  “The ball that you see represents the whole world, and, especially France.”  I could not express what I felt at this, what I saw, the beauty and the brilliance of the dazzling rays.  “They are symbols of the graces I shed upon those who ask for them.”  This made me realize how right it was to pray to the Blessed Virgin and how generous she was to those who did pray to her … what graces she gave to those who asked for them, and, what joy she had in giving them.  “The gems from which rays do not fall are the graces for which souls forget to ask” … continued the voice.

AN OVAL FRAME SURROUNDS OUR LADY                                                                 At this moment I was so overjoyed that I no longer knew where I was.  A frame, slightly oval in shape, formed round about the Blessed Virgin.  Within it was written in letters of gold:  “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us to have recourse to Thee. ”  The inscription, in a semi-circle, began at the height of the right hand, passed over the head, and finished at the height of the left hand.

HAVE A MEDAL STRUCK AFTER THIS MODEL                                                          “All who wear it will receive great graces;  they should wear it around the neck.  Graces will abound for those who wear it with confidence.”

OUR LADY DISPLAYS THE REVERSE SIDE OF THE MEDAL                                   “At this instant, the tableau seemed to turn, and I beheld the reverse of the medal.  A large M surmounted by a bar and a cross.  Beneath the M were the hearts of Jesus and Mary, the one crowned with thorns, the other pierced with a sword.  Twelve stars circle the edge of the back of the Medal.  Within minutes after this … the vision disappeared from my sight “like a candle blown out.”

THE TWELVE STARS SURROUNDING THE BACK EDGE OF THE MEDAL           These are not mentioned in a written account.  Catherine had described it to her confessor.  They refer to the text from the apocalypse: 12:1 “A woman clothed with the sun, and, the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”  According to ‘Father Bernard Kramer, in The Book of Destiny,  which unveils the Apocalypse, the twelve stars are the twelve apostles, and, the woman is the Church.  Mary is the Mother of the Church.

OUR LADY HERSELF CONSIDERED THE BACK OF THE MEDAL TO BE SELF EXPLANATORY:  THE TWO HEARTS                                                                            According to the writing of Rev. Joseph I. Dirvin, C.M. who was assistant to Rev. Joseph A. Skelly, C.M. The Central Association of the Miraculous Medal Magazine, there is “obvious reference to Our Lady’s part as Co-Redemptrix of the race in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.  Our Lady of Fatima said that God wants the Heart of Mary to be honored next to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in that most famous apparition.

When Russia is consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary,  by the Pope,  in union with all the Bishops of the world, a miracle of conversion will happen. Waves of Peace will flow upon the sad world when the people see a great light of joy in that now poor country of Russia.

The world will recognize the fact that the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was the direct result of that outbreak of wondrous peace.

The two Hearts will then be honored together by the world … whose distress will be relieved, and, joy will abound for all !

AN ASIDE:     France was consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as St. Margaret Mary Alocoque  had made known the request to her by the Apparition of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  It was not done in time, however. .  It was one hundred years to the day that King Louis XVI was beheaded.  The French Revolution was in full swing.  A bloody horror!  It did not have to be.

ANOTHER PHASE OF THE APPARITION                                                                         It is concerned with the doctrine that describes Mary as the Mediatrix of all graces.  Briefly, this doctrine, which is not yet defined by the Church, but which is considered certain by theologians, states that all prayers and petitions, whether addressed specifically to Mary, or to God, and, the saints, are presented to God by her, and all the graces, whether answers to prayers or gifts unsought, pass through her hands to mankind.

This doctrine is represented by the attitude of the Mother of God offering the golden ball, which represents the world, to God, her lips moving in prayer.  This is the intercessory office of Our Lady.  The brilliant rays streaming from the rings on her hands are symbolic of the actual bestowal of graces.  This doctrine of ‘Mary, Mediatrix of all Graces, is also expressed in a general way in Our lady’s explanation of the dazzling rays:  “They are symbols of the graces I shed upon those who ask for them.  This doctrine continues to be expressed in the rays falling from the outstretched hands.  “hands bent down under the weight of the treasures of grace”  and the golden words:  ‘O Mary conceived with sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.”

A BEAUTIFUL DESCRIPTION OF OUR LADY FROM ST. CATHERINE LABOURE:   “I saw the Virgin.  A white veil covered her head and fell on either side to her feet.  Under the veil her hair, in coils, was bound with a fillet ornamented with lace about three centimeters in height or of two fingers breadth, without pleats, and resting lightly on her hair.  Her face was sufficiently exposed, indeed exposed very well.  She is so beautiful!  It seems to me impossible to express her ravishing beauty.”

We await some Pope who will honor the request of God … made through the merciful blessings of one apparition after the other of His Mother to the human race.

The great Miracle of the Sun with the image of Our Lady wrapt in it is ignored.