PRAYER EXORCISM OF SAINT BENEDICT’S MEDAL

Exorcism and Blessing of the Saint Benedict Medal

(Traditionally prayed by a priest)

In the name of the Father ✠ and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who made heaven and earth.

I exorcise you, medal, by the living God, by the true God, by the holy God, who ordered you to be cast into fire by Elisha the prophet, that the water might be purified.

May you become a salutary remedy for all who use you. May the health of soul and body be granted to all who wear you. May every power of the enemy, every illusion and wickedness of Satan, be banished and driven far away.

May all who use this medal devoutly experience the protection of the Cross of Christ. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The exorcism prayers associated with the Saint Benedict Medal are derived from Latin inscriptions found on the medal itself, which are believed to offer protection against evil and demonic influences. These prayers are often recited by individuals seeking spiritual protection or during the blessing of the medal by a priest.

The exorcism prayers of the Saint Benedict Medal are primarily composed of Latin phrases whose initials are inscribed on the medal. These phrases are:

• Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux (C.S.S.M.L.): "The Holy Cross be my light." This prayer invokes the power of the cross as a source of divine guidance and protection.

• Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux (N.D.S.M.D.): "May the dragon never be my guide!" This phrase directly rejects Satan, often symbolized as a dragon, and his influence.

• Vade Retro Satana (V.R.S.): "Begone, Satan." This is a direct command for Satan to depart, echoing Christ's words to Peter.

• Nunquam Suade Mihi Vana (N.S.M.V.): "Never tempt me with your vanities!" This prayer asks for strength to resist worldly temptations and empty promises from evil.

• Sunt Mala Quae Libas (S.M.Q.L.): "What you offer me is evil." This statement acknowledges the malevolent nature of what Satan presents.

• Ipse Venena Bibas (I.V.B.): "Drink thou thine own poison!" This is a powerful retort, commanding evil to consume its own destructive intentions.

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These inscriptions are found on the reverse side of the Jubilee Medal of St. Benedict, which was first struck in 1880 to commemorate the 14th centenary of St. Benedict's birth. The meaning of these letters was rediscovered from an ancient manuscript written in 1415.

Beyond the inscriptions on the medal, there is also a longer form of the St. Benedict Exorcism Prayer that can be recited. This prayer invokes the intercession of St. Benedict and the power of the Holy Cross and Christ to cast out evil and deliver from demonic influence. A common version of this prayer includes:

PRAYER: "In the name of God the Father Almighty, through the intercession of St. Benedict, I invoke the power of the Holy Cross and the strength of Christ to cast out any evil and to deliver me from all demonic influence. May the Cross of Christ be my light, and may the dragon never be my guide. Begone, Satan! Do not tempt me with your lies. What you offer is evil; drink your own poison. I take refuge in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Lord Jesus, through Your Holy Cross, protect me, my family, and my home from all harm and evil. By the merits of the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, I command all unclean spirits to depart in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

The St. Benedict Medal itself is considered a powerful sacramental, and it is the only medal that has its own special blessing in the Roman Ritual, which can be prayed by any priest. This blessing includes an exorcism prayer over the medals, asking that they may be a help in mind and body for all who use them, and that all power of the adversary be repulsed.

The efficacy of these prayers and the medal is rooted in the deep faith and devotion of St. Benedict of Nursia (d. 547 A.D.), who was known for his ability to resist the devil's attacks and work miracles through the power of the Holy Cross. His most famous miracle involved rendering a poisoned cup ineffective by making the Sign of the Cross over it. The medal and its associated prayers serve as a constant reminder of Christ's power over evil and are used for personal and home protection, especially during times of spiritual vulnerability.

On the face of the medal is the image of Saint Benedict. In his right hand he holds the cross, the Christian’s symbol of salvation. The cross reminds us of the zealous work of evangelizing and civilizing England and Europe carried out mainly by the Benedictine monks and nuns, especially for the sixth to the ninth/tenth centuries.

In St. Benedict’s left hand is his Rule for Monasteries that could well be summed up in the words of the prolog exhorting us to « walk in God’s ways, with the Gospel as our

guide. »

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 Cross of our holy father Benedict). On the margin of the medal, encircling the figure of Benedict, are the Latin words: Eius in obitu nostro praesentia muniamur! (May we be strengthened by his presence in the hour of our death!). Benedictines have always regarded St. Benedict as a special patron of a happy death. He himself died in the chapel at Montecassino while standing with his arms raised up to heaven, supported by the brothers of the monastery, shortly after St. Benedict had received Holy Communion.

Crux Sancti Patri Benedicti.

Crux Sancta Sit Mihi Lux !

Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux.

Vade Retro, Satana !

Non Suade Mihi Vana.

Sunt Mala Qua’ Libas.

Ipse Venena Bibas !

Cross of our holy father Benedict

Let the Holy Cross be my light !

Let not the dragon be my guide

Begone Satan !

Never tempt me with your vanities

What you offer me is evil

You drink the poison yourself !