The power of St. Benedict is revealed in the Saint Benedict medal that has been fostered by his spiritual sons many years. Marvelous is the aid which the St. Benedict Medal affords to its devout wearers in the manifold necessities of soul & body. The Medal is well known & widely used throughout the Christian world; everywhere it is regarded as a highly favored object of devotion.
St. Benedict (born at Nursia, Italy, in 480) had a profound veneration for the holy Cross & for our Savior Crucified. In virtue of the Sign of the Cross, he wrought many miracles & exercised great power over the spirits of darkness.
In consequence of the great veneration in which St. Benedict was held from the early Middle Ages, it followed that a Medal was struck, one side of which represents St. Benedict holding the Cross in one hand & the Holy Rule in the other.
Around the image of St. Benedict are these words in Latin:
"May his presence protect us in the hour of death."
St. Benedict has ever been the patron of the dying, because of the circumstances attending his own most glorious death, for he breathed forth his soul while standing in prayer before the Most Blessed Sacrament.
The reverse of the Medal shows the image of the Cross.
Around the margin are the initials of Latin words which form verses supposed to have originated with the holy Father Benedict himself.
The English translation is:
"Be gone Satan! Suggest not to me thy vain things. The cup thou profferest me is evil; drink thou thy poison."
In the angles formed by the arms of the Cross are the letters C.S.P.B., signifying
"Cross of the holy Father Benedict."
The letters on the Cross itself have this meaning:
"May the holy Cross be my light; let not the dragon be my guide."
Use
No special way of carrying or applying the Medal is prescribed. It may be worn about the neck, attached to the scapular or the Rosary, or otherwise carried about one's person.
Often it is placed in the fields, the foundations of buildings or attached to automobiles to call down God's blessing & the protection of St. Benedict. No particular prayer is prescribed, as the devout wearing itself is a continual silent prayer.
The Medal of St. Benedict is one of the Sacramentals of the Church, & as such it must be used. The value and power of the Medal must be ascribed to the merits of Christ Crucified, to the efficacious prayers of St. Benedict, to the blessing of the Church, & especially to the faith & holy disposition of the person using the Medal.
Some Purposes of The Medal of St. Benedict:
1. It wards off from both the soul & the body all dangers arising from the devil.
2. The Medal is powerful in obtaining for sinners the grace of conversion.
3. It obtains protection & aid for persons tormented by the evil spirit, & in temptations against holy purity.
4. It procures assistance in the hour of death.
5. It has often proved an efficacious remedy for bodily sufferings, & a means of protection against contagious diseases.
6. Expectant mothers have obtained special assistance for a safe delivery.
7. In time of storms, tempests & other dangers on land & sea it has been found to be a protection.
8. Even domestic animals have been visibly aided by it when infected with disease.
Prayer To St. Benedict
O glorious St. Benedict, sublime model of all virtues, pure vessel of God's grace! Behold me, humbly kneeling at thy feet. I implore thy loving heart to pray for me before the throne of God. To thee I have recourse in all the dangers which daily surround me. Shield me against my enemies, inspire me to imitate thee in all things. May thy blessing be with me always, so that I may shun whatever God forbids & avoid the occasions of sin.
Graciously obtain for me from God those favors & graces of which I stand so much in need, in the trials, miseries & afflictions of life. Thy heart was always so full of love, compassion, & mercy towards those who were afflicted or troubled in any way. Thou didst never dismiss without consolation & assistance any one who had re-course to thee. I therefore invoke thy powerful intercession, in the confident hope that thou wilt hear my prayers & obtain for me the special grace & favor I so earnestly implore (mention it), if it be for the greater glory of God & the welfare of my soul.
Help me, O great St. Benedict, to live & die as a faithful child of God, to be ever submissive to His holy will, & to attain the eternal happiness of heaven. Amen.
The Jubilee Medal of St. Benedict
This old & powerful sacramental deserves an in-depth treatment, as it gives a kind of practical incarnation of the main purpose of this book. This medal has long been regarded as especially efficacious in protecting its wearers against demonic attacks, & securing a number of special graces. Let us take a closer look at the inscriptions on its 2 sides.
On the front of the medal we find St. Benedict holding a Cross in one hand, & the Rule of St. Benedict in the other.
At his sides are the words
"Crux S. Patris Benedicti"
("The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict"),
& below his feet:
"Ex S M Casino MDCCCLXXX"
("From the holy mount of Casino, 1880").
On that date, Monte Cassino was given the exclusive right to produce this medal, & special Jubilee indulgences were added.
Still on this front side of the medal we find inscribed in a circle the words:
"Ejus in obitu nostro presentia muniamur"
("May his presence protect us in our hour of death").
The reverse side of the medal is where the real exorcistic force reveals itself.
In the center is a Cross. The Cross, which St. Benedict so loved & often used as a powerful exorcism.
The vertical beam of the Cross bears the letters
C.S.S.M.L.
& the horizontal beam, the letters
N.D.S.M.D.
These are the first letters of the words:
CRUX SACRA SIT MIHI LUX
May the Holy Cross be a light unto me,
NON DRACO SIT MIHI DUX
And may the Dragon never be my guide.
The 4 large letters at the corners of the Cross, C S P B, stand for
CRUX SANCTI PATRIS BENEDICTI:
The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict.
In addition to the "Pax" ("peace") motto at the top, we find the following letters in a circle around the margin of this side:
V.R.S.N.S.M.V.: S.M.Q.L.I.V.B.
The letters are the first letters of a prayer:
VADE RETRO SATANA; NUNQUAM SUADE MIHI VANA.
Get behind me, Satan; Never suggest vain thoughts to me.
SUNT MALA QUAE LIBAS;
The cup you offer is evil;
IPSE VENENA BIBAS!
Drink the poison yourself!
This richly indulgenced medal can be worn around the neck, or be attached to one's Rosary, or simply kept in a pocket or purse.
The pious intention of wearing such an object, together with the Church's powerful blessing and intercessory power, make it into an unspoken prayer which has been shown to be of great help in maintaining holy purity, bringing about conversions, protecting against inclement weather & contagious disease.
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