Medal Cross of Saint Benedict

The medal of St. Benedict is the most highly indugenced medal in the Catholic Church. When the exorcism blessings are applied by a Benedictine Priest, the medal has power over evil: storms, poisons, pestilence, the devil's legions, etc. You must use the medal by calling down the intercession of St. Benedict. (use by dipping in liquids, placing on/in important machinery, etc) On many feast days of Our Lord, the Blessed Mother, the Apostles and many Saints, it is possible to gain a plenary indugence or a partial indulgence by carrying or wearing the medal, invoking the intercession of St. Benedict, and praying for the abolishment of heresy. While blessing the St. Benedict medal, the Priest places the exorcism blessing of St. Benedict and St. Maurus on the medal. St. Maurus is a great Benedictine saint.

From "The Medal or Cross of St. Benedict: its Origin, Meaning, and Privileges"; from the French of the Right Rev. Dom. Prosper Gueranger, O.S.B., Abbot of Solesmes.

THE MEDAL OR CROSS of ST. BENEDICT

Chapter I

On the Figure of the Cross Represented on the Medal

There is a great wish on the part of many Catholics to have clear ideas regarding the celebrated medal, which goes under the great Patriarch of the Monks of the West. It is true that several notices, some more, some less correct, have been already published; but not one of them --o it seems to us - having fully satisfied the wishes of the faithful, we thought it would be well to offer to their devotion a more complete explanation of an object, which has become so dear to them. That there may be order in what we are going to say about it, we will begin with the description of the medal.

A Christian needs but reflect for a moment on the sovereign virtues of the cross of Jesus Christ, in order to understand how worthy of respect a medal is on which it is represented. The cross was the instrument of the worlds redemption; it is the saving tree whereon was expiated the sin committed by man, when he ate the fruit of the forbidden tree. St. Paul tells us that the sentence of our condemnation was fastened to the cross, and blotted out by the blood of our Redeemer. In a word, the cross, which the Church salutes as our holy hope, "Spes Unica," is to appear at the last day in the clouds of heaven as the trophy of the victory of the Man-God.

The image of the cross excites in our minds the liveliest sentiments of gratitude towards God for the benefit of our salvation. After the Blessed Sacrament, there is nothing on earth so deserving our respect as the cross; and it is for this reason that we pay it a worship of adoration which is referred to God, whose precious blood was spilt upon it.

Animated by sentiments of the purest religion, the primitive Christians had, from the very beginning of the Church, the profoundest veneration for the image of the cross, and the Fathers seem never to tire in the praises they give to this august sign. When, after three hundred years of persecution, God had decreed to give peace to his Church, there appeared in the heavens a cross, on which were these words, "In this sign shalt thou conquer;" and the Emperor Constantine, to whom was granted this vision, promising him victory over his enemies, would henceforth have his army go to battle under a standard bearing the image of the cross with the monogram of the word "Christ". This standard was called the Lavarum.

The cross is an object of terror to the evil spirits; they ever crouch in terror before it; they no sooner see it than they let go their prey and take to flight. In a word, of such importance to Christians is the cross and the blessing it brings along with it, that from the times of the Apostles, down to our own age, the faithful have ever been accustomed frequently to make the sign of the cross upon themselves, and the priests of the Church have constantly used it over all the objects which, in virtue of their sacerdotal character, they have the power to bless and sanctify.

Our medal, therefor, which firstly offers to us the figure of the cross, is in strict accordance with Christian piety, and worthy, even were there no other motive that this, of all possible veneration.

Chapter II

Of the Effigy of St. Benedict represented on the Medal

The honour of appearing on the same medal with the figure of the holy cross has been given to St. Benedict, with the intention of expressing the efficacy which this holy sign had, when made by his venerable hand. St. Gregory the Great, who has written the Life of the holy Patriarch, tells us how, by the sign of the cross, he overcame his temptation, and by the same sign broke the cup of poisoned drink which was proffered to him, thus unmasking the wicked designs of those who had plotted to take away his life. When the evil spirit, in order to terrify his Religious, made the monastery of Monte Cassino appear to be on fire, St. Benedict immediately dispels the artifice by making over the fiery phantom this same sign of our Redeemer's Passion. When his Religious are troubled interiorly with the suggestions of the tempter, the Holy Father bids them to take the remedy, and it is to make on their breasts the sign of the cross….

Chapter III

Of the Letters which are Inscribed on the Medal

Besides the two figures of the cross and of St. Benedict, there are also inscribed on the medal a certain number of letters, each of which is the initial of a Latin word. These words compose one or two sentences, which explain the medal and its object. They express the relation existing between the holy Patriarch of the Monks of the West and the sacred sign of the salvation of mankind, at the same time that they offer the faithful a formula, which they may make use of, for employing the virtue of the holy cross against evil spirits.

These mysterious letters are arranged on that side of the medal on which the cross is. Let us begin by noticing the four which are placed in the angles formed by the arms of the cross.

C. S.
P. B.

They signify: CRUX SANCTI PATRIS BENEDICT; in English: The Cross of Holy Father Benedict. These words explain the nature of the medal.

On the perpendicular line of the cross itself these letters:
C.
S.
S.
M.
L.

They stand for these words: CRUX SACRA SIT MIHI LUX; in English: May the Holy Cross by my Light.

On the horizontal line of the cross are these letters:

N. D. S. M. D.

The words which they imply are: NON DRACO SIT MIHI DUX; in English: Let not the Dragon be my Guide.

These two lines put together form a pentameter verse, containing the Christian's protestation that he confides in the holy cross, and refuses to bear the yoke which the devil would put upon him.

On the rim of the medal there are inscribed several other letters; and first the well-known monogram of the Holy Name of Jesus, I. H. S. Faith and our own experience convince us of the all-powerfulness of this Divine name. Then follow, beginning at the right hand, the following letters:

V. R. S. N. M. V. . . . . S. M. Q. L. I. V. B.

These initials stand for the two following verses: VADE RETRO, SATANA; NUNQUAM SUADE MIHI VANA. SUNT MALA QUAE LIBAS; IPSE VENENA BIBAS; in English: Begone, Satan! And suggest not to me thy vain things; the cup thou profferest me is evil; drink thou thy poison.

(Around the image of St. Benedict are these words in Latin: "May his presence protect us in the hour of death.") These words are supposed to be uttered by St. Benedict; those of the first verse when he was suffering the temptation In his cave, and which be overcame by the sign of the cross; and those of the second verse, at the moment of his enemies offering him the draught of death, which he discovered by his making over the poisoned cup the sign of life.

The Christian may make use of the same words as often as he finds himself tormented by the temptations and insults of the invisible enemy of our salvation. Our Saviour sanctified the first of these words by himself making use of them: "Begone, Satan!" Vade retro, Satana. Their efficacy has thus been tested, and the very gospel is the guarantee of their power. The vain things to which the devil incites us are disobedience to the law of God; they are also the pomps and false maxims of the world. The cup proffered us by this angel of darkness is evil, that is, sin, which brings death to the soul. Instead of receiving it at his hands, we ought to bid him keep it to himself, for it is the inheritance which he chose for himself.

The Christian who reads these pages needs not that we should enter into a long explanation of this formula, which meets the artifices and violence of Satan with what he most dreads, namely, the cross, the Holy Name of Jesus, our Saviour's own words in His temptation, and lastly, the mention of the victories which the great Patriarch St. Benedict gained over the infernal dragon. We need only pronounce these words of the medal with faith, and we shall immediately feel ourselves strengthened and encouraged to resist all that hell can do against us. Even did we know none of the countless facts which show us how strangely Satan fears this medal, the mere knowledge of what it means and what it expresses would be sufficient to make us look upon it as one of the most powerful arms which the goodness of God has put into our hands against the malice of the devils.

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