The Virgin with the Globe
The medal should be explained with a direct reference to the vision of the Virgin holding a globe, which preceded the actual vision of the medal.
The first vision was that of the Virgin with a globe in her hand, i.e. the Virgin Mary holding a golden globe surmounted by a small cross.
The golden globe surmounted by a little cross signifies humanity redeemed and glorified. The globe signifies humanity (and the cosmos), the golden color signifies glory, and the small cross recalls the redemptive sacrifice.
Mary is presenting this saved humanity to God; therefore the Virgin with the globe expresses the spiritual motherhood of Mary.
Then the vision changed and became that of an immaculate Virgin, and the vision of the miraculous medal appeared: the Virgin is represented with open arms open on the front side, giving out rays of light representing graces, and on the back side two hearts and an "M" surmounted by a small cross.
The Reverse Side of the Medal
The Two Hearts: The Union of Mary with Jesus
The association of the two hearts on the same line—Mary's heart (pierced) and Jesus' (crowned with thorns)—tells of the extraordinary degree of unity of mother and Son, joined "by a tight and indissoluble bond" (Vatican II Lumen Gentium 53).
Mary's divine motherhood constitutes the depth of her relation with her Son in the image of the hearts, until her participation in his sacrifice.
Her relationship with the children of her Son, which we can also call maternal, takes its source in the first relationship. Her spiritual motherhood extends to the entire redeemed humanity, whom she welcomed as her sons and daughters when Christ on the cross entrusted John to her (cf. Jn 19: 25-27).
The M with the Cross: The Union of Mary with Redeemed Humanity
Father Aladel, remembering Sister Catherine's explanation of the Medal, remarked clearly that the cross was much smaller than the M: "the letter M surmounted by a small cross."
The horizontal line at the base of the cross (longer than its arms) indicates the earth. Catherine described the terrestrial sphere held by Mary in the same manner: "the globe surmounted by a small cross." In that second case, she had no doubt that it meant the entire redeemed humanity.
The vision of the Virgin with the globe settled the question of the horizontal bar and the symbolism of the whole medal, of which the line is only a part. We therefore see Mary (the letter "M") presenting redeemed humanity to the Lord (a line representing the earth, surmounted by a small cross), as it appeared in the vision of the Virgin holding a globe in her hands.
The artist craftsman, who was unaware of the first vision of the Virgin with the globe, made the cross much bigger than Catherine had specified, because he personally thought that this cross had to represent Christ (and Christ is greater than Mary).
The Twelve Stars
The depiction of the twelve stars on the back of the medal wasn't requested by Sr. Catherine Laboure or by her spiritual director, Fr. Aladel. It was the artist's addition.
The symbolism of the star evokes Christ the Light. Indeed, Jesus is king and he is God; he fulfils the prophecy of Balaam who saw a rising star (Nm 24: 17-18), the symbol in ancient Orient of a deified king, a divine king.
"I, Jesus, have sent my Angel to make known these revelations concerning the Churches. I am the sprout of David's race, the radiant morning star" (Rev 22: 16).
To him who has overcome persecutions and heresies Jesus said:
"To the victorious one, who will remain faithful in serving me until the end, I will give power over the nations: he will rule them with an iron scepter as one shatters clay pots! Thus I have myself received this power from my Father. And I will give him the morning Star" (Rev 2: 26-28).
Jesus will give himself to the Father for he himself is the morning star (cf. Rev 22: 16), and the victorious ones will participate in his messianic kingship.
The number twelve represents the twelve apostles of the Lamb (cf. Rev 21: 14). The symbolism of the "twelve stars" appears in only one other place in the Bible: when the patriarch Joseph said he saw in a dream the sun, the moon and the eleven stars bowing before him: the sun and the moon represent Joseph's father and mother, and the eleven stars represent his brothers (cf. Gen 37: 9).
The twelve stars that crown the woman (Revelation 12: 1) are the symbols of the twelve sons of Jacob, the twelve tribes of Israel. The twelve stars evoke the Church founded on the twelve Apostles. The important element is the star, who is Christ. The Church is united to Christ who is the star.
The back of the medal evokes the Triumphant Church-the Church has reached its goal-union with Christ the light.
Thus, this symbolism joins the symbolism of the vision of the Virgin with the globe: in that vision, the globe is golden and surmounted by a cross. It represents humanity redeemed by the cross, ready to be glorified (the golden color), which the immaculate Virgin can offer to God.
Indeed, if the Church is like twelve stars, that means she was redeemed and glorified, and united to Christ.
The front side of the medal expresses the consequence of this correct interpretation, in terms of prayer.
We see Mary who crushes the serpent (cf. Gen 3: 15, Rev 12) and who is a dispenser of graces (rays come out of the rings on her fingers). We also read this inscription "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you."
This is truly the consequence of what the back of the medal expresses.
These are the Reasons:
First of all, she was conceived without sin with a view to her maternity, as the mother of Christ and the mother of mankind.
Secondly, because Mary is united to Christ (the two hearts) and united to redeemed humanity (the "M" with the cross bar-the earth-surmounted by a cross), she intercedes and transmits graces.
She is therefore Queen and Mediatrix of Graces (front side of medal) because she is the mother of Christ and humanity (back side of medal).
Prof. Waldemar Rakocy, CM John Paul II Catholic University, Altanowa, Lublin, Poland.
