Plus you will get a brand new, large and beautifully detailed Miraculous Medal that is 1 3/4". This large version of one of the most popular medals is even more stunning than the others. The large size of this piece brings out every detail of its beautiful design. Two sided silver oxidized, and made in Italy. Measures 1 3/4" tall by 1" wide. Die-cast in Italy for exceptional detail, you will enjoy the beauty of Our Lady's medal made by the finest craftsmen in the world. Attached jump ring is included, and it is silver oxidized - that wonderful finish that only the Italians have perfected. This medal is also known as the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, created by St. Catherine Laboure following a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This medal is believed to bring special intercessions on behalf of the Blessed Virgin Mary if worn with faith and devotion at the hour of death.

The image of Mary as Queen Mother is directly related to the Church's first official Marian dogma: Mary's status as Mother of God. The title is derived from the Greek word theotokos, which means "God-bearer." That is one of the most ancient and widely used titles for Mary, with Christians using it as early as the first centuries of the Church. The title also appears in one of the earliest known Christian prayers, the Sub Tuum Praesidium ("Beneath Your Protection"), a third-century form of the Memorare.

Without hesitation, the first Christians referred to Mary as "Mother of God." There was scriptural support, and it appeared logical. If Jesus was God and Mary was his mother, she was the Mother of God. This type of logic is based on a principle known as "Communication of Idioms." That principle holds that whatever is said about either of Christ's natures can be said about Christ himself. This is due to the fact that His two natures, divine and human, were united in Him. He is a divine being.

However, some people in the fifth century raised the same objections to the title that many non-Catholics do today: They contended that the title "Mother of God" implied Mary was the "originator of God." Those who objected said they could accept "Mother of Christ," but not "Mother of God." However, at the heart of those objections was a challenge to the unity of Christ's two natures. They claimed that Mary only gave birth to Christ's human nature, not his divine nature. The Church, led by Pope Celestine I and St. Cyril of Alexandria, was of a different mind. As St. Cyril pointed out, a mother, not nature, gives birth to a person. As a result, Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ, who was and still is a divine being.

The Council of Ephesus addressed the debate over Mary's title as "Mother of God" in 431 A.D. There was more at stake than just defending Mary's title. The real issue was Christian teaching about Christ's two natures. The Church wanted to know if Jesus was one person or two. Rejecting the heretic Nestorius' teaching, the Church declared that Jesus is one divine person with two natures: his mother's human nature and his Father's divine nature. Mary did not give Jesus his divine nature or divine personhood, which He had from the beginning as the Father's only begotten Son. But she didn't just give Him flesh: she gave birth to the entire person. She had a child.

Calling Mary "Mother of God" states a necessary truth in order to protect an important truth about Christ. In a similar vein, all of Mary's queenly foremothers did for their sons. One of the Queen Mother's three primary responsibilities was to serve as a symbol of her son's legitimacy. She served as a bridge between his father, the former rightful king, and her son, the current rightful king. Similarly, Mary, as the virginal "Mother of God," serves as a bridge between her Son's humanity and divinity. She represents the fact that He is both God and man.