Saint Benedict Medal
TheSaint Benedict Medalis aChristiansacramentalmedalcontaining symbols and text related to the life ofSaint Benedict of Nursia,used byRoman Catholics,Lutherans,Western Orthodox,AnglicansandMethodists,in theBenedictineChristian tradition, especiallyvotaristsandoblates.[A][1]
This religious object is also a Christian symbol of opening doors and opening difficult paths. Tradition holds that it protects from curses, evil and vice, protects against diseases and protects good health. There are similar exorcism medals and sacramentals in Christian tradition, including from the mendicant Franciscan tradition, an "inheritor" of some Benedictine traditions, called the Cross or Brief of Saint Anthony.
The reverse side of the medal carries theVade retro satana('Begone, Satan!')[2]Sometimes carried as part of arosaryor embedded in ascapular,it is also worn separately.
History[edit]
The exact time and date of the making of the first Saint Benedict Medal are not clear. The medal was originally a cross, dedicated to the devotion in honour of St. Benedict. At some point medals were struck that bore the image of St. Benedict holding a cross aloft in his right hand and hisRule for Monasteriesin the other hand. Then a sequence of capital letters was placed around the large figure of thecross molineon the reverse side of the medal. The meaning of what the letters signified was lost over time until around 1647 an old manuscript was discovered at the BenedictineSt. Michael's Abbeyin Metten. In the manuscript, written in 1415, was a picture depicting St. Benedict holding in one hand a staff which ends in a cross, and a scroll in the other. On the staff and scroll were written in full the words of which the mysterious letters were the initials,[3]a Latin prayer of exorcism against Satan.[4]The manuscript contains theexorcismformulaVade retro satana('Step back, Satan'), and the letters were found to correspond to this phrase.[5]
The exorcism prayer is found in an early thirteenth century legend of theDevil's Bridgeat Sens, wherein an architect sold his soul to the devil and then subsequently repented. M. le Curé of Sens, wearing his stole, exorcised the devil, driving him away with holy water and the words, which he made the penitent repeat.[6]
Medals bearing the image of St. Benedict, a cross moline, and these letters began to be struck in Germany, and soon spread over Europe.Vincent de Paul(†1660) seems to have known of it, for hisDaughters of Charityhave always worn it attached to their beads, and for many years it was only made, at least in France, for them.[7]The medals were first approved byBenedict XIVon 23 December, 1741, and again on 12 March, 1742.[3]The medal in its traditional design was in use for many decades and is still in use today.[8]
InGabriel Bucelin's 1679Benedictus redivivus,he recounts several incidents in which St. Benedict's Medal was viewed as efficacious in addressing illness or some local calamity. In the 1743Disquisitio sacra numismata, de origine quidditate, virtute, pioque usu Numismatum seu Crucularum S. Benedicti, Abbatis, Viennae Austriae, apud Leopoldum Kaliwoda,Abbot Löbl, ofSt. Margaret's Monasteryof Prague, recommended recourse to the medal as a remedy against bleeding.Prosper Guérangerrelates several incidents of religious conversions which he attributes to the intercession of St. Benedict through the pious use of the medal.[7]
The Jubilee medal was struck in 1880, in remembrance of the 1400th anniversary of St. Benedict’s birth. The initials of theVade retro satanaformula have been found on Saint Benedict Medals at least since 1780.[9]The Jubilee medal continues to be the most popular design.[4]
The medal’s symbolism[edit]
On the back of the medal is Saint Benedict holding a cross in his right hand, theChristian symbolofsalvation,[4]and in the left his Rule forMonasteries.To Benedict's right, below the cross, is a poisoned cup, a reference to the legend that hostile monks attempted to poison him, and the cup containing poisoned wine shattered when the saint made thesign of the crossover it. To his left, below the rule, the raven that carried off a loaf of poisoned bread. From this is derived the tradition that the medal protects against poisoning.
Above the cup and raven are the wordsCrux sancti patris Benedicti('The Cross of [our] Holy Father Benedict'). Surrounding the figure of Saint Benedict are the wordsEius in obitu nostro praesentia muniamur!('May we be strengthened by his presence in the hour of our death'), since Benedictines regarded him as a particular patron of a happy death.[10]Below the icon of St. Benedict, it is written 'EX SM Casino, MDCCCLXXX' and it means 'Found out from the holy Casino mountain in 1880.'[11][dubious–discuss]
On the front is a cross, containing the letters C S S M L - N D S M D, initials of the wordsCrux sacra sit mihi lux! Nunquam draco sit mihi dux!('May the holy cross be my light! May thedragonnever be my overlord!').[4]The large C S P B stand forCrux Sancti Patris Benedicti('The Cross of [our] Holy Father Benedict'). Surrounding the back of the medal are the letters V R S N S M V - S M Q L I V B, in reference toVade retro satana: Vade retro Satana! Numquam 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!') and finally, located at the top is the wordPAXwhich means 'peace'.[10]
| Latin Abbreviation | Latin Text | English Text | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAX | PAX | Peace | Top |
| C S P B | Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti | The Cross of [our] Holy Father Benedict | Four quadrants made by centre cross |
| C S S M L | Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux! | May the holy cross be my light! | Center cross, vertical bar |
| N D S M D | Non [Nunquam] Draco Sit Mihi Dux! | "May the dragon never be my overlord!" "Let the devil not be my leader." |
Center cross, horizontal bar |
| V R S | Vade Retro Satana! | "Begone satan!" "Step back satan" |
Clockwise around disk |
| N S M V | Numquam Suade Mihi Vana! | "Never tempt me with your vanities!" "Don't persuade me of wicked things." |
Clockwise around disk |
| S M Q L | Sunt Mala Quae Libas. | "What you offer me is evil." "What you are showing me is bad." |
Clockwise around disk |
| I V B | Ipse Venena Bibas! | "Drink the poison yourself!" "Drink your poisons yourself." |
Clockwise around disk |
Use of the medal[edit]
The medal represents a prayer on the part of the user to invoke God’s blessing and protection through the intercession of St. Benedict. There are no special rules prescribed for its use. It may be worn on a chain around the neck, carried on one's person, placed in one’s vehicle, home, or in one’s place of business.[4]It is sometimes incorporated into a crucifix to create a "St. Benedict's Cross", usually with the reverse side as the halo for thecorpus.
Lay Oblates of St. Benedict are permitted to wear the Medal of St. Benedict instead of the small black cloth scapular.[4]
The Blessing ofSt. Mauris customarily bestowed on the sick using a relic of theTrue Cross,in hopes of assisting speedy recovery of their health. Since it is often impossible to have a relic of the True Cross, theSacred Congregation of Ritesin 1959 granted permission for St. Benedict Medals to be used instead of the relic of the True Cross to confer the Blessing.[12]
As with a number of other religious articles, "The faithful, who devoutly use an article of devotion (crucifix or cross, rosary, scapular or medal) properly blessed by any priest, obtain a partial indulgence."[13]
Blessing of the medal[edit]
Medals of Saint Benedict are sacramentals that may beblessedlegitimately by anypriestordeacon,not necessarily aBenedictine.[1][14]
The following English form may be used:[15]
V: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R: Who made heaven and earth.
V: 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.
R: Amen.
V: 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 the 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.
R: Amen.
The medal is then sprinkled withholy water.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^The Benedictine monastic tradition is found in all major historic Christian denominations, such as theAbbey of Saint-Joseph de Clairvalof theCatholic Church,theÖstanbäck Monasteryof theEvangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden,the Saint Finian Orthodox Abbey ofWestern Orthodoxy,the Holy Cross Monastery of theProtestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America,and theSaint Brigid of Kildare Monasteryof theUnited Methodist Church,for example.
Citations[edit]
- ^abCatholic Saints Prayer Bookby Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle 2008ISBN1-59276-285-9pages 18-19
- ^The Medal or Cross of St. Benedictby Prosper GuerangerISBN1-930278-21-7pages viii and 51
- ^abOtt, Michael (1912).Medal of Saint Benedict.Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company.Archivedfrom the original on 27 February 2015.Retrieved6 August2006.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^abcdefOliver OSB, Richard.OSB.org.Archivedfrom the original on 16 August 2019.Retrieved21 December2019.
- ^Ball, Ann (2003).Encyclopedia of Catholic Devotions and Practices.pp. 350–351.ISBN0-87973-910-X.
- ^"1".Odd Phrases in Literature.Vol. 6. 1856. p. 683.Archivedfrom the original on 25 March 2023.Retrieved24 November2021.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^abDom Prosper Gueranger."The Medal or Cross of St Benedict".www.liturgialatina.org.Archivedfrom the original on 2 July 2015.Retrieved5 August2018.
- ^"Medalik Krzyż św. Benedykta: Wprowadzenie".Medalik Krzyż św. Benedykta.Archivedfrom the original on 26 January 2024.Retrieved5 August2018.
- ^Pettigrew, T.J. (24 February 1858)."Proceedings of the Association".Journal of the British Archaeological Association.British Archaeological Association: 280.
- ^abJudith Sutera, 1997,The Work of God: Benedictine PrayerPublished by Liturgical PressISBN0-8146-2431-6page 109
- ^"വിശുദ്ധ ബെനഡിക്ടിന്റെ മെഡലിലെ അര്ത്ഥങ്ങള്".www.pravachakasabdam.com.Archivedfrom the original on 11 July 2020.Retrieved11 July2020.
- ^""The Blessing of Saint Maurus", Order of Saint Benedict ".Archivedfrom the original on 21 December 2019.Retrieved21 December2019.
- ^""The Enchiridion of Indulgences", #35, Liberia Editrice Vatican, 1968 ".Archivedfrom the original on 8 April 2019.Retrieved21 December2019.
- ^Instr., 26 Sept. 1964; Can. 1168
- ^"OSB. The Medal of Saint Benedict, information, description, history, effects, and suppliers".www.osb.org.Archivedfrom the original on 28 May 2023.Retrieved28 May2023.
External links[edit]
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