One of the most widespread devotions, and not only thanks to the influence of the Benedictine monasteries, is the cross of saint benedict, especially in the more frequent medal form. We will briefly present its meaning and make its history, to satisfy the desire of many friends and devotees of San Benito.
The Saint Benedict medal
The medal presents, on the one hand, the image of the Holy Patriarch, and on the other, a cross, within which and around which are the initial letters of a prayer or exorcism, which reads (in Latin and in Spanish). Italian)
Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti
Cross of the Holy Father Benedict
Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux
The Holy Cross is my light,
No Draco Sit down Mihi Dux
Don’t be the devil my leader
ford retro satan
come back, satan
Numquam Suade Mibi Vana
do not attract me vanity
Sunt Mala Quae Libas
your drinks are
bad Ipse Venena Bibas
Drink your poison yourself.
As can be seen in the initials distributed on the Cross, this is always accompanied by the text of the prayer and at the same time is an aid for its recitation. The Latin text is composed, after the title «Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti (CSPB)», of three pairs that contain an invocation to the Holy Cross, with the desire to have it as a guide and support, and the expression of repudiation of Satan. , who is ordered to move away -in the words of Jesus when he was tempted by him (Mt 4:10)-, showing that he will not listen to his suggestions, because what he offers is bad. It is an authentic profession of faith and love for Christ, as well as a renunciation of the evil one.
Cross or Medal of Saint Benedict: indulgence
Faced with the steady increase in devotion to Saint Benedict, with a brief period of 1742, Pope Benedict XIV approved the medal, acknowledging that an indulgence would be connected to it and the crucifix that sees it embedded (also known as the «Crucifix of the Good death»). plenary, especially at the moment of death, which makes the two objects of the sacramentals of the Catholic Church («the sacred signs instituted by the Church are called sacramentals whose purpose is to prepare men to receive the fruit of the sacraments and sanctify the various circumstances of life»
Cross or Medal of Saint Benedict: the blessing
Being the cross or medal of Saint Benedict, taken to the Benedictine reality, it is frequent that the blessing of the sacramentals is granted by the priest-monks belonging to the order of Saint Benedict, even if this should not be considered exclusive. This does not mean that, like any blessing, it is strictly reserved for a Priest or Deacon and never for the laity. Given this prohibition and considering the seriousness of the issue, the wise Christian will avoid trying his luck with blessing formulas, often more than improbable. , found in uncertain sources
baptism and the cross
We note that in this short text, the victory over the devil is attributed to the cross of Jesus Christ, which is light and guide for the faithful, and which opposes the poison and wickedness of the tempter. It is an echo of the baptismal consecration, where the cross is imposed on the neophyte, who is washed with the water of regeneration and receives the light of the risen Christ; at the same time he pronounces the words of renouncing the devil and confirms the faith.
Thanks to baptism, the Christian who wears the medal does not do so with a superstitious concern to ward off evil spirits, but aware that it is through the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and through a life marked by grace that will keep the devil and to hell the temptations of him The fruit of this practice of devotion, the protection of God, is obtained with a life that is a coherent response to the Gospel.
Where there is the grace of God, the devil cannot be approached. But the faithful will not lack dangers and diabolical temptations, since the evil one tries to avoid his path to God, and it is then that prayer, the sign of the cross, the invocation of Christ our Lord and of the saints are necessary. Dom Guéranger writes: «For a long time it is not necessary to explain to the Christian reader the force of these weapons,
The example of Saint Benedict
The origin of the Cross of Saint Benedict cannot be attributed to him with certainty. Later we will see the historical circumstances in which this devotion appears and spreads. But its meaning is deeply consistent with the spirituality that inspired the Father of the monks of the West and that he was able to transmit to his children.
The call to eternal life is God’s call to salvation in Jesus Christ, and this call awaits a response, not just with the lips, but with the heart.
In the Rule written for his monks, Saint Benedict transmitted his teachings: «Listen, O son, to the precepts of the Master and incline the ear of your heart to the warnings of your loving Father and with all the power, fill them so that you can return with difficulty of obedience to the one from whom you had rejected for the If it is faithful and consistent with the gifts received.
However, rightly so, he must respond to this vocation and to the gifts of God with filial love and with his works; without it this vocation could be affected by the temptations of evil. The devil, although he has been rejected, still sets his traps, and many times he finds in us an ear that allows himself to be seduced.
Therefore, Saint Benedict exhorts us not to listen to this voice that suggests bad things to us, and to listen more to what comes to us from God, through the Gospel and all Scripture, through the Church and prayer, and through from expert teachers.
In the life of the spirit. without it this vocation could be affected by the temptations of evil. The devil, although he has been rejected, still sets his traps, and many times he finds in us an ear that allows himself to be seduced. Therefore, Saint Benedict exhorts us not to listen to this voice that suggests bad things to us, and to listen more to what comes to us from God, through the Gospel and all Scripture, through the Church and prayer, and through from expert teachers.
It is above all in this way that we must consider protection against the devil, whom God offers us through the intercession of his saints. Satan will be less strong against those who live in communion with God and strive to do good.
This is due to the virtue of baptism, from which the life of the Christian proceeds and from which the vocation to perfection and the monastic life is born and develops. One author writes: «Anyone…if he resolutely begins the search for supernatural realities, he will soon feel that God and the devil are at odds. All commitment to God implies the need to arm himself against» the fallen angel. «This is clearly visible from the first Christian commitment, which sanctions the sacrament of baptism: the renunciation of Satan goes hand in hand with the
The sign of the cross and protection against the devil in the life of Saint Benedict
With this sign of salvation, Saint Benedict freed himself from the poison that some evil monks offered him: «…at his table, according to their custom, they presented themselves to the abbot to bless the glass container that contained the deadly drink.
The hand and drew the sign of the cross. The vessel was held in her hand at some distance: the holy sign shattered the jar of death, as if a stone had been thrown instead of a blessing. of God that that vase could not contain but a drink of death, because it could not resist the sign that gives life «. The episode, according to the account of Saint Gregory the Great, had to inspire the words of exorcism in reference to the drink offered by the evil,
These episodes, reported by Pope Saint Gregory the Great, show how Saint Benedict fought against the devil, who attacked him incessantly, as an opponent of all good works.
His best defense was, through prayer, fidelity to the Lord and trust in him, charity, constancy in good, the practice of justice.
A holy life provokes on the one hand the enmity of the devil, but on the other hand it is the best defense against it, because where God is with his grace, he cannot enter to dominate the terrible enemy.
Medal or Cross of Saint Benedict: benefits, conversion and change of life
The blessings connected to the cross or medal of Saint Benedict are linked to the life of the saint: spiritual and physical health; help in spiritual combat against devilish work, temptations and all kinds of demonic affliction; conversion of sinners (before all those who carry it with devotion); destruction or denial of the threat of poisons, pests and the like.
Of course, it is worth noting that the medal itself does not have «magical powers», but the true miracle is achieved by the grace of God combined with his inexhaustible Mercy, faith and a just life led by the Christian, who will, to the end. His fragile human nature will make it possible to avoid the dangers and deceptions of the devil and stay on the right path, being able to count on a special intercession from Saint Benedict and a special spiritual bond with the Benedictine monks. In common inspiration to the Saint of Norcia.
The faithful are called to direct their lives, their thoughts and their works to the model of the Gospel and to the teachings of the only Teacher, Christ, who benefits from the support and example of Saint Benedict. It is reminiscent of the ancient prayer for the feast of Saint Benedict (occurring on March 21 for birth in heaven and July 11 as the patron saint of Europe):
O God, who deigned to fill your Most Holy Confessor with the spirit of all the just, grant us, Your servants, that we celebrate his solemnity, that we faithfully fulfill what we have promised, that you be filled with his spirit and help you to reach your Grace. . Amen.
desert monks
It is not surprising then that traditional devotion used the intercession and example of the Holy Abbot, to oppose the devil, with the sign of the cross and the words of prayer. But it is necessary to consider all this as a whole: devilish attacks show the powerlessness of their author before the development of faith and its strengthening; they try to scare the faithful, tempt and solicit them, to keep them away from the right path.
The best defense against these attacks is to trust God and stand firm in the purpose of faith and do good works, because where there is grace and holiness, the devil can do nothing. The monastic life, a life dedicated to God in prayer, retirement and work, is the field of the hardest fights against evil.
We recall here another eloquent text. In the «Apophtegmata Patrum» or «Sayings of the Desert Fathers» the following anecdote is said: «A brother went to visit Abba Poemen because he wanted to trust his thoughts, but he did not have the courage to open his heart, despite trying many times.» times.
The old man noticed and insisted that he speak, and his brother told him that a very strong temptation to blaspheme was tormenting him. The old man replied: Don’t worry about this thought. The fights of the flesh come to us…