The Jew and The Miraculous Medal

On his tombstone is written:
O Mary think of your child thy thinkful sweet thriump of thy love.

Ratisbonne and the Medal.

About the Miraculous Medal and his miraculous healing
has been told a lot already.
One of the most wel known stories, is the story of Alphonse Tobie Ratisbonne.
He was a born Jew, was rich and an atheist who rejected any kind of religion.
He despised his brother, who was a Catholic and a priest.
He hated the Catholic church and the priests.
In 1842 Ratisbonne met the French baron De Bussieres.
Baron De Bussieres was a catholic who thought it was his task to convert
any sinner into a catholic when he met one.
The Baron and Ratisbonne became friends,
but Ratisbonne his sarcasme, blasphemy iritated the baron.
The Baron made a bet with Ratisobonne.
He said that Ratisbonne did not dare to wear the miraculous medal.
He also asked him to pray a certain prayer every day.
Ratisbonne was very angry when the baron asked him this question.
But the baron was very tenacious.
Ratisbonne agreed and he did han the medal around his
neck he said with a sneer. "OK now I am a Catholic"
One day the Baron was busy arranging thing for the funeral of a friend in the Basilica "St Andrea delle Fratte" in Rome.
He was accomplished by his friend Ratisbonne
and he asked him to wait for him before the choir in the church.
When he returned, the baron saw Ratisbonne in front of the church on his knees.
The baron was touched and cried when he saw Ratisboone on his knees.
This is the explanation Ratisbonne gave to the Baron:
"When I entered the church it seemed as if confusion got me.
I opened my eyes and suddenly the church was no longer here.
The chapel was fuilled with a bright shining light.
Out of the light standing on the altar the Holy Virgin
was standing glourious and majestic.
Just the same as I saw on the medal.
An unknown force drove me towards her and she gave a the sign to kneel.
She said nothing but I understood "everything"
Ratisbonne took the medal and shouted "I have seen her, I have seen her".
The question was wat message did he understood.
He a man without religion full of hate.
It was miraclulous that it happend to a sinner.
A jew who became a catholic after the Holy Virgin did show herself to him.

Ratisbonne became a real catholic,
was baptised an even became a priest in 1847.
As a Jesuiet he went to the holy land and
founded a monastery in 1855 on the same place where
the house of pontius Pilatus once stood in Jerusalem.
The monastery was dedicated to our lady of Sion
On the sixht of may 1884 he died in Ain Karim.
Ratisbonne tried to make contact with Catharina Laboure
but he didn't manage because she was living in exile.
On a memorial stone near the chapel of the Apparition is written.
He came as a Jew full of sin.
Our lady appeared to him.
He fell down as a jew and raised as a christian.
If only one look of the Holy Virgin has so much power,
she can enlight the spririt
and in no time the hart of a sinner will be purified.
What will her tears not (siracuse 1953) be able to wake up the christians
who are full of desire to love in grace of the Lord, without spoiling,
We must make our effort of the benefit now the virgin has cried again.
Do not resist against her care taking as a mother.