Exorcism and Blessing of the Cross and Medal of St. Benedict

How do you use the cross and medal of St. Benedict? We´ll see it now step by step. There is no medal that has such wonderful power, conferred by Christ himself, and none so highly esteemed by the holy Church as the Cross and Medal of St. Benedict. It is a powerful sacramental that we must obtain for our protection, especially if the medal has undergone the ritual of exorcism and blessing.

Everyone who wears, uses and prays with much devotion this medal, trusting in the glorious power of the Holy Cross and the merits of St. Benedict, can expect the powerful protection of this great saint to come to his aid in his spiritual needs.

The reverse side of the Medal of St. Benedict bears the inscription: "Vade retro Satana" (Stay away, Satan) a formula that has been used by the faithful of the Catholic Church to avoid the influence of evil spirits since the 15th century.

After its formal approval by Pope Benedict XIV in the 18th century, this devotion spread rapidly and immediately the medal began to be used by Catholics to protect themselves from spiritual dangers, especially those related to evil in all its forms, the poison of gossip and occasions of sin. Another sacramental like the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is also used for this same purpose.

Meaning of the inscriptions on the Medal.

Into the Cross are the initials: C S S M L - N D S M D, which means:

Crux sacra sit mihi lux! Nunquam draco sit mihi dux!

Surrounding the entire back of the medal are the initials to the words of the exorcism: V R S N S M V - S M Q L I V B, which means:

Vade retro Satana! Nunquam suade mihi vana! Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas! Pax

The complete prayer in Latin is prayed in this way:

Crux sacra sit mihi lux! Nunquam draco sit mihi dux! Vade retro Satana! Nunquam suade mihi vana! Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas! Pax.

In English:

The Holy Cross be my light; Let not the dragon be my guide. Begone, Satan, Do not suggest to me thy vanities! Evil are the things thou profferest, Drink thou thy own poison! Peace.

Exorcism and Blessing of the Medal of St. Benedict

The following rite for the Cross and Medal of St. Benedict can only be performed by a Priest, accompanied by the faithful who wish the blessing. Below is the formula to be used:

Priest: Our help is the name of the Lord.

Faithful: Who made heaven and earth.

Priest: In the name of God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, I command you, evil spirit, to abandon this medal. Let all the strength of the adversary, all the power of the devil, all the attacks and illusions of Satan disappear and be removed from this one. May all those who wear it with great devotion be blessed with health of soul and body. In the name of the Almighty Father, His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit the Paraclete, and for the love of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who will come on the last day to judge the living and the dead.

Faithful: Amen.

Priest: Lord, hear my prayer

Faithful: And let my cry come unto thee

Priest: Let us pray. Almighty God, inexhaustible source of all good, I humbly ask that, through the intercession of St. Benedict, You infuse Your blessings upon this sacred medal. May those who wear it with full and sincere devotion and strive to do good works be blessed by You with the health of soul and body, the grace of a holy death, and the remission of the temporal punishment caused by their sins. And may they also, with the help of your merciful love, resist the temptations of the evil one and strive to exercise true charity and justice towards all, so that one day they may appear sinless and holy in your glorious presence. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Faithful: Amen.

After this rite of blessing and exorcism has been completed, the cross and medal of St. Benedict should be sprinkled with the powerful sacramental of holy water

How to wear the Cross and Medal of St. Benedict?

The medal of St. Benedict can be used in different ways. Depending on the faithful, family or community, you can make use of it, after it has been blessed, as in some of the examples mentioned below:

• On a humble chain tied around the neck;
• Attached to a holy rosary;
• Placed in the car or in the home;
• Placed on a column in a building;
• In the center of a cross.
• Stored in a pocket or bag;
• Taken on the wrist or along with the keys to your home, etc.

I must remind you that the use of the sacramentals must be done in order to remind us of God´s divine power and to inspire us to act according to His will, with a burning desire to serve Him and our neighbor.

It cannot be considered as a good luck charm or as a kind of magic device. The cross and the medal of St. Benedict act through faith and the devotion with which it is worn.

More resources about St. Benedict.