SAINT BENEDICT MEDAL: SILVERTONE
Front of
Medal
Back of
Medal
The
Medal of St. Benedict Silvertone, 1" in
diameter. See below for much information
on this Medal.
Hint:
Attach a St. Benedict Medal to your rosary as a
reminder to pray for our Holy Father Pope
Benedict XVI!
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THE MEDAL
OF SAINT BENEDICT
There is indeed no medal which possesses such
wonderful power and none so highly esteemed by
the holy Church as the Medal of St. Benedict.
Whosoever wears this medal with devotion,
trusting to the life-giving power of the holy
Cross and the merits of the holy Father St.
Benedict, may expect the powerful protection of
this great Patriarch in his spiritual and
temporal needs.
ORIGIN OF THE MEDAL
The origin of the Medal probably dates back to
the time of St. Benedict himself, of whom we
know that, in his frequent combats with the evil
spirit, he generally made use of the Sign of the
Cross and wrought many miracles thereby. He also
taught his disciples to use the Sign of our
redemption against the assaults of Satan and in
other dangers. St. Maurus and St. Placidus, his
first and most renowned disciples, wrought their
numerous miracles through the power of the holy
Cross and in the name and by the merits of their
holy Founder.
The Medal of St. Benedict became more widely
known through the following wonderful
occurrence: Bruno, afterwards Pope Leo IX, had
in his youth been bitten by a venomous reptile,
in consequence of which he was seriously ill for
two months. He had lost the use of speech and
was soon reduced to a skeleton. All hopes of his
recovery had been abandoned, when suddenly he
beheld a luminous ladder that reached to Heaven,
from which descended a venerable old man wearing
the habit of a monk. It was St. Benedict,
bearing in his hand a radiant cross, with which
he touched the swollen face of Bruno and
instantly cured him. Then the apparition
disappeared.
Bruno, who had been healed in such a miraculous
manner, later on entered the Order of St.
Benedict. He ascended the papal throne in the
year 1048 under the name of Leo IX and was
renowned in the Church for his sanctity, his
devotion to the holy Cross and to St. Benedict.
Through this pope the Medal of St. Benedict was
enriched with special blessings, and its
veneration spread everywhere. The use of the
Medal was solemnly approved and recommended to
the faithful by Pope Benedict XIV in 1742.
THE BLESSING OF THE MEDAL OF ST. BENEDICT
The Medal of St. Benedict can be blessed by any
priest (Instr., 26 Sept. 1964; Can. 1168). The
Medal is powerful even without the special
Benedictine blessing. There are three
solemn prayers of the Church for the blessing of
the Medal.
The first prayer is an exorcism of the wicked
spirit, to make void his evil influence, with
the earnest petition that the Medal be for the
welfare of the body and soul of the wearer. The
second prayer is a fervent petition:
O Almighty God, the Giver of all good gifts, we
humbly beseech Thee that Thou wouldst bestow,
through the intercession of the holy Father St.
Benedict, Thy blessing upon these Medals, their
letters and characters designed by Thee, that
all who wear them and strive to perform good
works may obtain health of body and soul, the
grace of salvation, the indulgences conceded to
us, and by the assistance of Thy mercy, escape
the snares and deceptions of the devil and
appear holy and stainless in Thy sight. Through
Christ Our Lord. Amen
The third prayer is very impressive in virtue of
the detailed and solemn commemoration of the
agony, sufferings and death of Our Lord.
After the blessing, the Medals cannot be sold.
Medals must be bought before they are blessed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE MEDAL
We distinguish two types of the Medal of St.
Benedict: the ordinary medal, and that of Monte
Casino, which is known as the Jubilee [or
Centenary] Medal. The latter has been enriched
with a great number of indulgences, especially
with the famous Toties Quoties plenary
indulgence on All Souls' Day. We describe here
only the Jubilee Medal.
In the year 1880 the venerable Benedictine Order
celebrated the 1400th anniversary of the birth
of its glorious founder. The beautiful Jubilee
Medal was struck on this occasion, and since
that time the Monastery of Monte Cassino has the
sole privilege of striking this Medal. Hence all
Jubilee medals must be procured from the
Monastery of Monte Cassino.
On one side the Medal has a cross, the sign of
our redemption, the protecting shield given us
by God to ward off the fiery arrows of the evil
spirit.
In the angles of the cross are found these four
letters: C.S.P.B. They stand for the words: Crux
Sancti Patris Benedicti: The Cross of the
Holy Father Benedict.
On the vertical bar of the cross itself are
found the letters: C.S.S.M.L., and on the
horizontal bar of the cross: N.D.S.M.D. They
signify:
Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux,
Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux
This means:
May the holy Cross be my light,
Let not the dragon be my guide.
Round the
margin of the Medal, beginning at the right hand
on top, we have the following letters:
V.R.S.N.S.M.V. S.M.Q.L.I.V.B., They stand for
the verses:
The remaining explanation of the meaning of
medal.
Vade Retro, Satana!
Nunquam Suade Mihi Vana.
Sunt Mala Quae Libas
Ipse Venena Bibas.
The English words are:
Begone, Satan!
Suggest not vain things to me.
Evil is the cup thou offerest;
Drink thou thine own poison.
The reverse of the Medal bears the image of St.
Benedict holding in his right hand the Cross, in
the power of which he wrought so many miracles,
and in his left hand bearing the holy Rule,
which leads all its followers by the way of the
Cross to eternal light.
On a pedestal to the right of St. Benedict is
the poisoned cup, shattered when he made the
sign of the cross over it. On a pedestal to the
left is a raven about to carry away a loaf of
poisoned bread that a jealous enemy had sent to
St. Benedict. Above the cup and the raven are
the Latin words: Crux S-Patris Benedicti. [The
initials ( C.S.P.B.) are found on the other side
of the medal in the angles of the Cross -- see
above.]
Round the margin is the inscription: Eius in
obitu nostro praesentia muniamur: "May his
presence protect us in the hour of our death."
Below St. Benedict we read: ex SM Casino
MDCCCLXXX (from holy Monte Cassino, 1880).
THE POWER AND EFFECTS OF THE MEDAL
Let us state here that we do not ascribe any
unknown or hidden power to the Medal, a power
which the superstitious ascribe to their charms.
We know wherein its power lies, and we protest
that the graces and favors are due, not to the
gold or the silver, the brass or aluminum of the
Medal, but to our faith in the merits of Christ
crucified, to the efficacious prayers of the
holy Father St. Benedict, and to the blessings
which the holy Church bestows upon the Medal and
upon those who wear it. This Medal excludes
every power or influence which is not from
above.
Through the pious use of the Medal of St.
Benedict, thousands of miracles and wonderful
cures have been obtained.
The Medal of St. Benedict is powerful to ward
off all dangers of body and soul coming from the
evil spirit. We are exposed to the wicked
assaults of the devil day and night. St. Peter
says, "Your adversary the devil, as roaring
lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour."
(1 Peter 5:8). In the life of St. Benedict we
see how the devil tried to do harm to his soul
and body, and also to his spiritual children.
Father Paul of Moll, saintly Flemish Benedictine
wonder-worker (1824-1896) frustrated the evil
doings of the spirit of darkness chiefly through
the use of the Medal of St. Benedict, which has
proved a most powerful protection against the
snares and delusions of the old enemy.
Missionaries in pagan lands use this Medal with
so great effect that it has been given the
remarkable name, "The devil-chasing Medal."
The Medal is, therefore, a powerful means:
To destroy witchcraft and all other diabolical
influences.
To keep away the spells of magicians, of wicked
and evil-minded persons.
To impart protection to persons tempted, deluded
or tormented by evil spirits.
To obtain the conversion of sinners, especially
when they are in danger of death.
To serve as an armor in temptations against holy
purity.
To destroy the effects of poison.
To secure a timely and healthy birth for
children.
To afford protection against storms and
lightning.
To serve as an efficacious remedy for bodily
afflictions and a means of protection against
contagious diseases.
Finally, the Medal has often been used with
admirable effect even for animals infected with
plague or other maladies, and for fields when
invaded by harmful insects.
THE USE OF THE MEDAL
It may be worn about the neck, attached to the
scapular or the rosary, or otherwise carried
devoutly about one's person. For the sick it can
be placed on wounds, dipped in medicine or in
water which is given to them to drink.
The Medal is frequently put into the foundation
of houses or in walls, hung over doors, or
fastened on stables and barns to call down God's
protection and blessing. It is also buried in
fields, as the saintly Father Paul of Moll
advised his friends to do.
No particular prayers are prescribed, for the
very wearing and use of the Medal is considered
a silent prayer to God to grant us, through the
merits of St. Benedict, the favors we request.
However, for obtaining extraordinary favors, it
is highly recommended to perform special
devotions in honor of the holy Father St.
Benedict, for instance, on Tuesday, on which day
the Church commemorates the death of the holy
Patriarch. The Way of the Cross is also highly
recommended or a novena to St. Benedict. His
feast is celebrated March 21st, two days after
the feast of St. Joseph.
PLENARY INDULGENCES
A plenary indulgence may be gained on the
following feasts of Our Lord:
Christmas - Epiphany (Jan. 6)
Easter - Ascension
Pentecost - Trinity Sunday
Corpus Christi
On the following feasts of the Blessed Virgin:
Immaculate Conception (December 8)
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin (September 8)
Purification (Candlemas Day, February 2)
Annunciation (March 25)
Assumption (August 15)
Also, a plenary indulgence may be gained on the
principal feasts of the Benedictine Order:
St. Maurus (January 15)
St. Scholastica (sister of St. Benedict, Feb.
10)
St. Benedict (March 21)
Dedication of the Basilica of Monte Cassino
(October 1)
St. Placidus (October 5)
All Saints of our Order (November 13)
St. Gertrude (November 17)
A plenary indulgence on the feast of All Saints
(November 1), once a year (at choice) and also
at the hour of death.
For gaining all these plenary indulgences, the
conditions required are: l) the wearing of the
Jubilee Medal, 2) the usual Confession and
Communion, 3) a visit to a church, 4) prayers
for the Pope and for the conversion of sinners.
QUOTES: INDULGENCE
A great privilege connected with the Jubilee
Medal by the decree of the Sacred Congregation
of Indulgences, February 27, 1907 deserves
special mention: the Toties Quoties plenary
indulgence on All Souls' Day, November 2.
By virtue of this decree, all who habitually
wear the Jubilee Medal can gain a plenary
indulgence for the Poor Souls in Purgatory as
often as (toties quoties) they visit any
Catholic church or public oratory and pray
according to the intention of the Holy Father
and receive the Sacraments either on All Saints'
or on All Souls' Day. Where there is a
Benedictine church within one mile of your own
church, the visits must be made to the
Benedictine church. One need leave the church
for only a few minutes between visits.
This great indulgence for the Poor Souls may be
gained from twelve o'clock noon on All Saints'
Day until twelve o'clock midnight on All Souls'
Day. For thirty-six hours you may gain as many
plenary indulgences as you make visits. What a
wonderful help for the Poor Souls!
ANOTHER PRIVILEGE
Those who devoutly wear the Medal of St.
Benedict and pray for the propagation of his
holy order share in all the good works, Masses,
Communions, Divine Office, prayers and fasts of
the entire Order.
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St. Benedict Medal Prayer
May the intercession of the Blessed Patriarch
and Abbot Benedict render Thee merciful unto us,
O Lord, that what our own unworthiness cannot
obtain, we may receive through his powerful
patronage. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen
(This prayer may be said when using the Medal
for any pious purpose.)
Novena Prayer to St. Benedict
O glorious St. Benedict, sublime model of
virtue, pure vessel of God's grace! Behold me
humbly kneeling at thy feet. I implore thee, in
thy loving kindness, to pray for me before the
throne of God. To thee do I have recourse in the
dangers that daily surround me. Shield me
against my selfishness and my indifference to
God and to my neighbor. Inspire me to imitate
thee in all things. May thy blessing be with me
always, so that I may see and serve Christ in
others and work for His kingdom.
Graciously obtain for me from God these favors
and graces which I need so much in the trials,
miseries and afflictions of life. Thy heart was
always full of love, compassion and mercy toward
those who were afflicted or troubled in any way.
Thou didst never dismiss without consolation and
assistance anyone who had recourse to thee. I
therefore invoke thy powerful intercession,
confident in the hope that thou wilt hear my
prayers and obtain for me the special grace and
favor I earnestly implore. (Name your petition.)
Help me, great St. Benedict, to live and die as
a faithful child of God, to run in the sweetness
of His loving will and to attain the eternal
happiness of Heaven. Amen.
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