Nov. 27 is the feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, or Our Lady of Grace, the title of the Blessed Mother that St. Catherine Labouré helped spread devotion to in 19th-century France. Per Our Lady’s request, St. Catherine had a medal struck in the way the Blessed Mother appeared to her in 1830 – with rays of light emitting from rings on her fingers. Our Lady told St. Catherine the rings not emitting light represented unasked-for graces – or gifts from God. To unlock these graces for yourself and others, pray the rosary and other Marian prayers like the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal novena. You can teach young Catholics to unlock special graces with Gather and Pray’s Montessori-inspired rosary board, a great holiday gift idea.
Children around the world celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas by placing a shoe by the hearth, window or door on the eve of the Dec. 6 celebration for a gift of chocolate coins, candy canes, oranges and other treats. Encourage the children in your life to be like St. Nicholas and secretly do something kind for a sibling or friend on this day. Adults can take part in this, too. If you decide to give something tangible, you can find beautiful St. Nicholas wrapping paper, stationery and more at the Shower of Roses Shoppe on zazzle.com.