Explanation ,History and Exorcism Blessing of Saint Benedict's Medal

The St. Benedict's medal is one of the most famous and powerful symbols of the Catholic faith, but what does it stand for and what do all those symbols mean? Here we will explain the medal and also give you the prayers needed for the blessing of the St. Benedict medals.





Front of the St. Benedict Medal:

St. Benedict is seen holding a cross in his right hand and his Rule of St. Benedict in his left hand.

To his right is a poisoned cup which symbolizes the attempts to poison him and the miracles which saved him. To his left, is the raven which flew away with a poisoned loaf.

Above the poisoned cup and raven are the words Crux sancti patris Benedicti ("The Cross of [our] Holy Father Benedict").

Surrounding the front of the medal are the words Eius in obitu nostro praesentia muniamur! ("May we be strengthened by his presence in the hour of our death"), since he was always regarded as the patron of a happy death.


Back of the St. Benedict Medal:

On the cross area of the back of the medal are the letters C S S M L - N D S M D, initials of the words Crux sacra sit mihi lux! Non draco sit mihi dux! ("May the holy cross be my light! May the dragon never be my overlord!").

The 4 circles containing the letters C S P B stand for Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti ("The Cross of our Holy Father Benedict").

Circling around the medal are the letters V R S N S M V - S M Q L I V B, the initials of the words Vade retro Satana! Nunquam suade mihi vana! Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas! ("Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!").

At the top is the more familiar word PAX which means "peace".



Brief History of the St. Benedict Medal

The medal is derived from an original symbol of St. Benedict of Nursia who lived during the 6th century. He created the Rule of St. Benedict which among other things taught how to be obedient and humble. During his life as a monk and abbot, there were several attempts to murder him through poison but each time a miracle occurred to spare him. Because of more and more miracles that became associated with St. Benedict, he became a very popular figure in his time.




The medal of St. Benedict combines a depiction of the original figure of St. Benedict of Nursia created during the time of Pope Leo IX (11th century), along with symbols which were seen on the medal again in the 17th century. It was formally approved in 1741 by Pope Benedict XIV. The modern medal in use today was first struck in 1880.




Why is St. Benedict so popular?

This saint medal is clearly rich in meaning and excels at warding off evil spirits as a sacramental. Many have been carrying and wearing St. Benedict medals for years, and thousands of miracles are attributed to St. Benedict through the intercession of these medals throughout the world. It excels in warding off evil and has often been called "the devil chaser".



Blessings for the Medal of St. Benedict



Our help is in the name of the Lord Our Father.



Response: Who made heaven and earth.




In the name of God the Father + Almighty, Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, I exorcise these medals against the power and attacks of the evil one. May all who use these medals devoutly be blessed with health of soul and body. In the name of the Father + Almighty, of His Son + Jesus Christ our Lord, and of the Holy + Spirit the Paraclete, and in the love of the same Lord Jesus Christ Who will come on the last day to judge the living and the dead.




Response: Amen.




Let us pray. Almighty God, the boundless Source of all good things, we humbly ask that, through the intercession of St. Benedict, Thou pourest out Thy blessings + upon these medals. May those who use them devoutly and earnestly strive to perform goods works be blessed by Thee with health of soul and body, the grace of a holy death, and remission of temporal punishment due to sin. May they also, with the help of Thy merciful love, resist the temptations of the evil one and strive to exercise true charity and justice toward all, so that one day they may appear sinless and holy in Thy sight. This we ask through Christ our Lord.




Response: Amen.




The medals may then be sprinkled with holy water.

SAINT BENEDICT'S MEDAL

On the back is a cross, containing the letters C S S M L - N D S M D, initials of the words Crux sacra sit mihi lux! ... ("May the holy cross be my light! May the dragon never be my overlord!"). The large C S P B stand for Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti ("The Cross of [our] Holy Father Benedict").

In Scripture, St. Peter tells us to be sober and watchful because, “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The devil is real, and he wants to destroy you and me through any means possible. That’s why it’s so important that we fight back with the spiritual weapons of prayer and faith.One of the powerful weapons in spiritual combat is the St. Benedict medal. Honored and employed for centuries, this medal has been associated with many miracles, as well as with powers of exorcism.

Use of the Medal

There is no special way prescribed for carrying or wearing the Medal of St. Benedict. It can be worn on a chain around the neck, attached to one’s rosary, kept in one’s pocket or purse, or placed in one’s car or home. Some of the faithful often put the medal into the foundations of houses and building, on the walls of barns and sheds, or in one’s place of business. The purpose of using the medal in any of the above ways is to call down God’s blessing and protection upon us, wherever we are, and upon our homes and possessions, especially through the intercession of St. Benedict. By the conscious and devout use of the medal, it becomes, as it were, a constant silent prayer and reminder to us of our dignity as followers of Christ. 

The medal is a prayer of exorcism against Satan, a prayer for strength in time of temptation, a prayer for peace among ourselves and among the nations of the world, a prayer that the Cross of Christ be our light and guide, a prayer of firm rejection of all that is evil, a prayer of petition that we may with Christian courage “walk in God’s ways, with the Gospel as our guide,” as St. Benedict urges us. 

A profitable spiritual experience can be ours if we but take the time to study the array of inscriptions and representations found on the two sides of the medal. The lessons found there can be pondered over and over to bring true peace of mind and heart into our lives as we struggle to overcome the weaknesses of our human nature and realize that our human condition is not perfect, but that with the help of God and the intercession of the saints our condition can become better. 

The Medal of St. Benedict can serve as a constant reminder of the need for us to take up our cross daily and “follow the true King, Christ our Lord,” and thus learn “to share in his heavenly kingdom,” as St. Benedict urges us in the Prolog of his Rule. 

By a re-script of the Sacred Congregation of Religious (4 May 1965) lay Oblates of St. Benedict are permitted to wear the Medal of St. Benedict instead of the small black cloth scapular formerly worn. By a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites (6 March 1959), the Blessing of St. Maur over the sick is permitted to be given with a Medal of St. Benedict instead of with a relic of the True Cross, since the latter is difficult to obtain. 

Blessing of the Medal of Saint Benedict 

Medals of Saint Benedict are sacramentals that may be blessed legitimately by any priest or deacon — not necessarily a Benedictine (Instr., 26 Sept. 1964; Can. 1168). The following English form may be used. 

Our help is in the name of the Lord. 

Who made heaven and earth. 

In the name of God the Father + almighty, who made heaven and earth, the seas and all that is in them, I exorcise these medals against the power and attacks of the evil one. May all who use these medals devoutly be blessed with health of soul and body. In the name of the Father + almighty, of the Son + Jesus Christ our Lord, and of the Holy + Spirit the Paraclete, and in the love of the same Lord Jesus Christ who will come on the last day to judge the living and the dead, and the world by fire. 

Amen. 

Let us pray. 

Almighty God, the boundless source of all good things, we humbly ask that, through the intercession of Saint Benedict, you pour out your blessings + upon these medals. May those who use them devoutly and earnestly strive to perform good works be blessed by you with health of soul and body, the grace of a holy life, and remission of the temporal punishment due to sin. May they also with the help of your merciful love, resist the temptation of the evil one and strive to exercise true charity and justice toward all, so that one day they may appear sinless and holy in your sight. This we ask through Christ our Lord. 

Amen. 

The cleric then sprinkles the medals with holy water.