Lesson

9
THEOLOGY OF SACRAMENTALS
AND BLESSINGS

I. INTRODUCTION
We may have heard of stories that speak of the power of blessings and/or sacramentals, such as
holy water, sign of the cross, etc. There was a story about rows of houses engulfed by fire, burning
down one after another in a sort of domino effect. Suddenly the fire stopped at the door of a house.
The owner claimed that it was because of the medal of St. Benedict that he hung on the door. I am
sure that many of us can narrate similar if not more astonishing stories about the miraculous power
of holy water or the simple sign of the cross.
After Vatican Council II, the Holy See applied itself to the revision of the sacraments and the
liturgical calendar. But it was not remiss in its duty to revise the rites of sacramentals and blessings.
Simultaneously with the liturgical books for the Mass and the other sacraments, new editions for
sacramentals and blessings were published. That is the kind of importance sacramentals and
blessings enjoy in the estimation of the Church.

II. WHAT ARE SACRAMENTALS?

A. The Meaning of the Word “Sacramentals”

In the 12th century, a certain philosopher and theologian by the name of Hugh of St. Victor
(+1141) made a distinction between major and minor sacraments. According to this distinction, the
major sacraments like the Eucharist and Baptism were authored by Christ, while the minor
sacraments like almsgiving, fasting and abstinence, and the blessing of persons, places, and things
were instituted by the Church. These he called “sacramentals”, which in Latin means minor
sacraments. Such distinction though did not immediately enjoy universal acceptance. For the next
two hundred years, the word “sacrament” continued to be applied loosely to various religious
practices of Christians.

In the 15th century, the Council of Florence (1439-1445) made the dogmatic definition that
Christ had instituted the seven sacraments that we know today. Consequently many of those that
were excluded from the list of the seven sacraments definitely came to be known as “sacramentals”.
It is useful to note that Lutherans and some Methodists who believed that Christ explicitly
instituted only two sacraments, namely Baptism and Eucharist, call the other five “sacramentals”.
Used in the singular, “sacramental” is also an adjective describing the sacraments and their
effects, namely: sacramental rebirth, sacramental grace, and sacramental formula.

B. How Do We Define Sacramentals?

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 The term sacramentals can change its precise meaning according to the starting point one
adopts for building a theology of the sacraments. 1983 Code of Canon Law defines the sacramentals
as “sacred signs by which spiritual effects are signified and are obtained by the intercession of the
Church” (c. 1166).
The liturgical constitution (SC 60) gives a rather comprehensive definition of sacramentals,
which the Catechism of the Catholic Church [1994 CCC] has adopted verbatim (1667).
Sacrosanctum Concilium teaches that “the Church has, in addition, instituted sacramentals” and
defines sacramentals as “sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They
signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the Church’s
intercession. By them, men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and
various occasions in life are rendered holy”.

Let us briefly analyze the conciliar text:

1. The Church has instituted sacramentals.
It is curious to note that in the chapter on the sacraments and sacramentals (Chapter III) the
Liturgy Constitution does not re-affirm the teaching that Christ instituted the sacraments. A.
Chupungco suspects that the framers of the Constitution had presumed that it was a generally
known and accepted doctrine.
Christ had instituted the sacraments, while the Church has instituted the sacramentals. The
principal distinction between sacraments and sacramentals is their authorship. Both were
instituted, which means that both were established as an institution or rule of life for the Christian
people. Clearly, spiritual life should not be confined to the sacraments. Sacramentals have also a
role to play in the life of the Church, although they do not have the importance that the sacraments
have and enjoy.
When the chapter on the sacraments and sacramentals was being discussed in the Council,
it was suggested that sacramentals be treated in a separate chapter. The answer of the conciliar
commission is enlightening: “By their nature sacramentals are intimately joined to the sacraments,
and it is the practice to deal with both under the same heading”. According to Chupungco, the idea
of treating the sacraments and sacramentals together in one chapter is to show the relationship
between them. Sacramentals resemble the sacraments, lead to them, and dispose the faithful to
receive them fruitfully.

2. Sacramentals are sacred signs bearing a kind of resemblance to the sacraments.

The conciliar definition is borrowed almost entirely from the 1917 Code of Canon Law. But
there is one notable difference. While the 1917 Code refers to sacramentals as objects [res in Latin]
or actions [actiones], the Liturgy Constitution calls them sacred signs [signa sacra], just like the
sacraments, which are in genere signi. Sacramentals are, of course, also objects and actions, but
from the liturgist’s point of view they are not just objects and actions; they are liturgical
celebrations. The underlying reason for this is obvious. By calling sacramentals sacred signs, the

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Constitution in effect wants us to regard them not merely as some religious objects or private
devotions, but also and above all as liturgical rites that are celebrated in the manner of the
sacraments.
Sacramentals resemble the sacraments, because, like the sacraments, they are in the
category of signs that are liturgically performed. Chupungco should like to think that the
performative aspect of sacramentals accounts for the provision of article 79 of the Liturgy
Constitution, which reads: “The sacramentals are to be reviewed in the light of the primary
criterion that the faithful participate intelligently, actively, and easily [fully]”. In ordering the reform
of sacramentals, Vatican II decreed that special attention should be given to the fundamental
principle of full, conscious and active participation of the faithful in their celebration and that
elements which, in the course of time, had obscured their true nature and purpose, should be
eliminated. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that their celebration “always includes a
prayer, often accompanied by a specific sign such as the laying on of hands, the sign of the cross, or
the sprinkling of holy water” (Cf. CCC 1668).
The definition of sacramentals as primarily liturgical actions poses, however, a practical
difficulty. If sacramentals are celebrated in the manner of sacraments, are religious objects like holy
water, rosary, and medals sacramentals? The impression is that majority of Catholics think of
sacramentals exclusively as religious objects. On the other hand, the Liturgy Constitution takes no
notice of sacramentals as objects. The Constitution’s treatment of sacramentals is rather lopsided in
favor of sacramentals as actions, and even these are limited to blessings, consecration of virgins,
religious profession, funerals, and burial of infants (SC 79-82). When the “Rite of Consecration to a
Life of Virginity” was completed in 1970, the great liturgy scholar but rather naughty Benedictine
monk Bernard Botte asked the venerable Cardinals: “Finally we have a rite for the consecration of
virgins, but where do you find virgins?”
It is evident that the overriding concern of the Constitution is to firmly establish that
sacramentals are indeed liturgical celebrations. Consequently, it skips the more popular conception
of sacramentals as objects. We shall return to this topic when we deal with the different types of
sacramentals.

3. Sacramentals signify effects, particularly of a spiritual kind.

Dom Cipriano Vagaggini, OSB, in his classic work Theological Dimensions of the Liturgy [The
Liturgical Press, 1976], devotes a considerable number of pages to the definition and effects of
sacramentals. He lists three effects of sacramentals, namely: (1) actual grace and, by means of it, the
recovery or increase of sanctifying grace; (2) the prevention of diabolical influence on persons and
things; and (3) temporal graces for the spiritual good of the person. But: do not the sacraments
produce similar effects?
Think for example of the sacrament of penance, which brings about primarily the recovery
of sanctifying grace. For that matter, think of all the sacraments, which increase and strengthen
sanctifying grace as they ward off diabolical power. This is particularly true in the case of the “Rite
of Exorcism” at Baptism.

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 This, perhaps, is the question the Catechism of the Catholic Church has in mind when it says
that “sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do”
(1670). Sacramentals, like the sacraments, confer also the grace of the Holy Spirit. The manner in
which grace is conferred is what distinguishes sacraments from sacramentals. The question
basically is not what but how.

4. The effects of sacramentals are obtained through the Church’s intercession.
It is the official teaching of the Church that sacraments produce their effects ex opere
operato, which is rather difficult to translate but not as difficult to explain, if we stick to St. Thomas
Aquinas, which we shall do. Sacraments are acts of Christ and hence do not depend on the personal
merit of the minister. In other words, if the sacramental rite is validly performed, grace is conferred,
provided the recipient does not put obstacle to it by lack of faith and proper disposition.
Sacramentals, on the other hand, produce their effects through the intercessory prayer of
the Church or, in the thinking of St. Thomas Aquinas, ex opere operantis Ecclesiae. Thus, when
sacramentals are performed in the manner prescribed by liturgical norms, they are regarded as acts
of the Church. These acts embody the prayer of the Church for those for whom the sacramentals are
executed. How effective is the prayer of the Church? Vagaggini offers a consoling answer, which is
also the only valid answer: Because the Church is united with Christ, God answers its prayer.
Ultimately, therefore, the efficacy of the Church’s prayer rests on Christ himself. These are his
words, which is rather timid, for that was the humble unassuming theologian he was: In the
celebration of sacramentals “Christ as Head of his members assumes responsibility before God, so
to speak, for the performance of the prayer and the rite which he by special mandate has given
power to the hierarchy to institute and to perform in his name as Head of the Church”.

5. Sacramentals dispose the people to receive the chief effects of the sacraments.
Sacramentals bestow the person of the Holy Spirit who is referred to as the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Let us theologize. Like the sacraments, sacramentals establish and strengthen our
relationship with the Holy Spirit. Baptism confers on us the Holy Spirit of adoption whereby we
become children of God. The Eucharist fills our hearts with the Holy Spirit who transforms us into
the Eucharist we eat and drink. The sacramentals in their own way impart to us the person of the
Holy Spirit who activates in us the effects proper to sacramentals. One of the chief effects of
sacramentals is to foster in the faithful a genuine disposition to celebrate the sacraments worthily.
Sacramentals lead to the sacraments and flow from the sacraments. Let me elaborate.
Baptism and Eucharist are the basic sacraments around which the other sacraments operate. In
fact, except for the sacrament of penance, the other sacraments may be celebrated within Mass.
Similarly, sacramentals revolve around the sacraments. Religious profession, for example, is closely
linked to Baptism. The rite of funerals alludes to Baptism and Eucharist. The dedication of a church
and an altar consists essentially of the celebration of the Eucharist and, likewise, reminds us of our
Baptism through which we became members of the living Church whom a church building
represents and as such (the altar, together with the walls of the church) is anointed with the oil of
chrism with which we were anointed in Baptism. Sacred objects, like the cross or crucifix, holy
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water, incense, candles, and religious articles like rosaries and medals remind us of one sacrament
or another. But sacramentals not only prepare us for the sacraments; they also engrave in our
memory the various moments of encounter with Christ through the sacraments.

6. Sacramentals make holy the various occasions in human life.

Sacramentals address various occasions in human life which are not directly addressed by
the sacraments. This is reason enough why the Church instituted sacramentals. Article 61 of the
Constitution explains that “for well-disposed members of the faithful, the effect of the liturgy of the
sacraments and sacramentals is that almost every event in their lives is made holy by divine grace
that flows from the paschal mystery of Christ”.
In traditional theology, the seven sacraments correspond to the basic realities and turning
points in Christian life: rebirth, growth, community meal, love and union, servant leader-ship,
repentance and forgiveness, and sickness.
Christian life, however, is not made up only of basic realities and turning points. Everyone is
deeply aware how complex Christian life is and that it is indeed a mosaic of daily struggles,
temptations, disappointments, successes, hopes, and joys. Sacramentals are meant to accompany
the faithful in these instances, so that they may experience in some way the presence of Christ and
the Church in their daily lives. The funeral rite is not a sacrament, but can we dispense with burying
our dead the Christian way? Religious profession, unlike holy orders, is not a sacrament, but it is an
eloquent symbol of intimate discipleship with the Lord. The blessing of homes and vehicles, for
example, is not a sacrament, but who among us would like to live in a house that has not been
blessed or drive a car that has not been washed with holy water, never mind what theology people
have about such blessings?
The countless kinds of blessings that existed in the Middle Ages many of which exist even today
are a remarkable demonstration of how the faithful value sacramentals. The 1984 Book of Blessings
contains rites for the blessing of families, children, elderly people, new home, library, offices, shops,
gymnasium, animals, and field. Its 10th-century predecessor, the Romano-Germanic Pontifical, has a
wider range of blessings that covers practically anything that people use daily, like bathing soap,
bread, cheese, milk, honey, and meat of animals. Alas, there existed also a blessing of instruments of
ordeal that were used to determine the guilt or innocence of accused persons. The grotesque and
cruel practice consisted of forcing the accused to walk on a blazing gridiron or throwing the person
in a deep well. Emerging unharmed would be the proof of innocence.

C. What are the Types of Sacramentals?

Among the list of sacramentals are liturgical blessings, the consecration of virgins and religious
profession, blessing of abbots and abbesses, the institution of lectors and acolytes, the dedication of
a church and an altar, the blessing of oils, the crowning of images of the Blessed Virgin, and
funerals. Vagaggini distinguishes two types of sacramentals, namely, things and actions.

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1. Sacramentals that are things.
Vagaggini writes: “The sacramentals that are things are those that remain even after the action
has taken place, such as holy water, blessed candles, blessed olive or palm branches, the ashes of
Ash Wednesday”. After the procession on Palm Sunday, the palm branches are affixed on the doors
of homes. Reasons vary, and some may even verge on superstition, but the basic reason is the
belief that the palms are sacred objects. These palms are burned to ashes to become Ash
Wednesday sacramentals. The triumph of Palm Sunday crumbles into the ashes of humiliation that
ended on Calvary. (ex.: Unaware of this symbolism or probably unable to recover enough palms, a
sacristan burned four volumes of the previous year’s telephone directory for Ash Wednesday.)

As earlier noted, sacramentals, like sacraments, are primarily actions, e.g., religious profession
and funeral rites. But there are also certain objects that accompany or are employed during a
liturgical function, e.g., holy water for sprinkling the assembly at Sunday Mass, palm branches at
procession, and ashes on Ash Wednesday. We can compare these objects to Eucharistic bread and
wine, baptismal water, chrism, and oil for the sick. These are used for the sacraments, which are, of
course, actions, and are derivatively also called sacraments. Similarly, the things that are used for
the performance of sacramentals, like holy water, are derivatively also called sacramentals.

2. Sacramentals that are actions.
Vagaggini defines the other type of sacramentals: “The sacramentals that are actions are those
that pass with the action itself with which they have been constituted”. Such are the liturgical rites
mentioned in Sacrosanctum Concilium (79-82): religious profession, consecration of virgins,
funeral rites, and burial of infants. After Vatican II, a number of liturgical books for the celebration
of sacramentals were published. Among them are the blessing of abbots and abbesses, institution of
lectors and acolytes, blessing of holy oils, blessing of sacred vessels, vestments and church bells,
and the rite of crowning the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
A sacramental that is familiar and simple to perform is the sign of the cross. While the cross
with the image of the crucified Lord is the basic Christian symbol that should be held in high honor,
the sign of the cross is an action that is believed to possess divine power because of its composition:
belief in the Holy Trinity and veneration of the cross of Jesus Christ. The story is told that when
rebellious monks placed poison in the wine cup of St. Benedict, he made the sign of the cross on it,
and behold the cup was shattered to pieces.
Filipino Catholics are wont to make the sign of the cross several times during the day: when we
leave home, ride a jeepney, pass by a church or cemetery, encounter strange occurrences, see a
lightning bolt, feel the earthquake, enter the water of a pool, river, or sea, and step into the
basketball court or boxing ring.
Ghezzi would surely approve of such Filipino Catholic ritual. He quotes the 3rd-century writer
Tertullian (ca.160-ca.225) who encouraged the sign of the cross in every imaginable situation: “In
all our travels and movements, in all our coming in and going out, in putting on our shoes, at the
bath, at the table, in lighting our candles, in lying down, in sitting down, whatever employment
occupies us, we mark our foreheads with the sign of the cross”.

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 Likewise, he cited the eloquent fourth-century preacher and patriarch of Constantinople, St.
John Chrysostom (ca. 3347-407):
“Never leave your house without making the sign of the cross. It will be to you a staff,
a weapon, an impregnable fortress. Neither man nor demon will dare to attack you,
seeing you covered with such powerful armor. Let this sign teach you that you are a
soldier, ready to combat against the demons, and ready to fight for the crown of
justice. Are you ignorant of what the cross has done? It has vanquished death,
destroyed sin, emptied hell, dethroned Satan, and restored the universe. Would you
then doubt its power?”

St. Cyril of Jerusalem instructed new Christians both to bear confidently the baptismal mark in
their persons and to sign themselves in all circumstances, making the sign of the cross over the
bread they ate and the cup they drank:
“Let us not be ashamed of the cross of Christ, but even if someone else conceals it,
you must carry its mark publicly on your forehead, so that the demons, seeing the
royal sign, trembling, may fly far away. Make this sign when you eat and when you
drink, when you sit down, when you go to bed, when you get up, when you speak ---
in a word, on all occasions”.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church includes in the list of sacramentals the Rite of Exorcism
whereby “the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or
object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion”. This
curious rite may be entertaining for some and bizarre for others.
The popular belief in demoniac inhabitation had a profound influence on certain rites like the
blessing of homes, food, groves and fields, and instruments of work. The medieval rite of house
blessing, for instance, was not so much an act of praise and thanksgiving for God’s gift of a home as
a prayer to free it from the power of the devil. The sign of the cross, holy water, and blessed salt
were believed to drive the devil away from such places and objects.

III. SACRAMENTALS IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

“Sacramentals are instituted for the sanctification of certain ministries of the Church, certain
states of life, a great variety of circumstances in Christian life, and the use of many things helpful to
man. In accordance with the bishops’ pastoral decisions, they can also respond to the needs, culture,
and special history of the Christian people of a particular region or time” (CCC 1668).

IV. SACRAMENTALS AS LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS
“Sacramentals derive from the baptismal priesthood: every baptized person is called to be a
‘blessing’, and to bless. Hence lay people may preside at certain blessings; the more a blessing

7
concerns ecclesial and sacramental life, the more is its administration reserved to the ordained
ministry (bishops, presbyters, or deacons)” (CCC 1669).
“Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do, but
by the Church’s prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it. ‘For
well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies
almost every event of their lives with the divine grace which flows from the Paschal Mystery of the
Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. From this source, all sacraments and sacramentals draw
their power. There is scarcely any proper use of material things which cannot be thus directed
toward the sanctification of men and the praise of God’” (CCC 1670; SC 61).

V. THE WORD OF GOD: AN INTEGRAL ELEMENT OF SACRAMENTALS
In the celebration of sacramentals, the Word of God holds an important position and is an
integral part since they derive their efficacy from it along with the intercession of the Church. For
this reason, when they are celebrated outside Mass, they should normally include a reading from
the Sacred Scriptures and the prayer of the Church.

Among Filipino Catholics, the most famous sacramentals are holy water, holy oil, palm and
ashes. Sometimes, they give more attention to these outward signs than to the Word of God and the
prayers, and give more importance to the celebration of sacramentals than to that of the
sacraments. They also have the tendency to attach superstitious effects to them. However,
sacramentals can also be an effective way to relate to Christ, Mary and the saints and to remind
them that “there is more to life than the secular business of day to day”. Likewise, on the part of the
ministers, the Word of God is often neglected or deleted in the celebration of sacramentals,
especially blessings, and more attention is given to the gesture of blessing than to the whole
celebration itself.

VI. FORMS OF SACRAMENTALS

A. Blessings
B. Religious Profession
C. The Dedication of a Church and an Altar
D. Funeral Rites

VII. CONCLUSION
To conclude this lecture, allow me to compare the sacraments and the sacramentals and
blessings to a painting. The grand design that gives us the total picture is the sacraments. But the
painting is made up also of hundreds of details that give color and texture to the picture.
The Eucharist and Baptism are essential to the life of every individual Christian and of the
Church as a whole. The other sacraments have their particular roles in the life, ministry, and
personal calling of individuals. They accompany us in the major turning points and critical

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moments in our life as Christians as we travel toward our heavenly home. As we journey, however,
we face the daily challenges to make correct decisions, to accept that God is with us, to maintain our
Christian composure in the face of adversity, and to be ever grateful to God and neighbor for their
gifts. This is what sacramentals and blessings are all about.

UT IN OMNIBUS GLORIFICETUR DEUS!

********************
SOURCES:

CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF THE PHILIPPINES, “V. Sacramentals and Popular Religiosity,” in
Catechism for Filipino Catholics, Manila: Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic
Education / Claretian Publications / Word & Life Publications / St. Pauls / Pastoral Bible
Foundation, 2008, nos. 1532-1554; 1578-1583.

CONGREGATIO DE PROPAGANDA FIDE, “ Article 1: Sacramentals” in Catholicae Ecclesiae
Catechismus, Città Del Vaticano 1992. Eng. tr.: Catechism of the Catholic Church based on the
Latin “Editio Typica” including the latest Modifications, Manila 1994. nos. 1667-1679.


CHUPUNGCO, A., “Theology of Sacramentals and Blessings” in Sacramentals and Blessings, 23rd
National Meeting of Diocesan Directors of Liturgy, Diocese of Tagum, September 1-4, 2008.

INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ENGLISH IN THE LITURGY (ICEL), Book of Blessings. Collegeville,
Minnesota: The Liturgical Press 1992.

SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL, “Chapter III: The Other Sacraments and the Sacramentals,” in Constitution
Sacrosanctum Concilium on the Sacred Liturgy (4 December 1963),” AAS 56 (1964) 97-138.
Eng. tr.: “Chapter III: The Other Sacraments and the Sacramentals,” in Documents of Vatican
Council II, ed. J. Kroeger, Pasay City: Daughters of St. Paul 2011, nos. 59-82.


FOR FURTHER READING:

ADAM, A., “The Sacramentals (Blessings),” in Foundation of Liturgy: An Introduction to its
History and Practice. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press 1992, 255-260.

BISHOPS’ COMMITTEE ON THE LITURGY, UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS, Catholic
Household
Blessings & Prayers. Revised Edition. Washington D.C. 2007.

CHUPUNGCO, A., ed. “Part II: The Sacramentals,” in Handbook for Liturgical Studies. Volume IV:
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 Sacraments and Sacramentals. Quezon City: Claretian Publications 2000, 303-410.

JOUNEL, P., “Blessings,” in The Church at Prayer. Volume III: The Sacraments. eds. A.G. Martimort
et al., trans. M.J. O’Connell. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press 1988, 263-284.

VAGAGGINI, C., Theological Dimensions of the Liturgy. A General Treatise on the Theology of the
Liturgy. Trans. L. Doyle—W.A. Jurgens. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press 1976,
22f; 85-89; 112f; 175; 239; 320f; 331-333; 358; 428f; 556; 575f.

10
 The Medal of Saint Benedict

INTRODUCTION

Medals, crosses, rosaries, statues, paintings, and other
religious articles have long been used as a means of fostering
and expressing our religious devotion to God and the saints.
Icons, or painted images of Christ and the saints, are
especially popular among Eastern Christians as an aid to
Christian piety and devotion.

The use of any religious article is therefore intended
as a means of reminding us of God and of stirring up in us a
ready willingness and desire to serve God and our neighbor.
With this understanding we reject any use of religious articles
as if they were mere charms or had some magic power to
bring us good luck or better health. Such is not the Christian attitude.


ORIGIN OF THE MEDAL OF SAINT BENEDICT

For the early Christians, the cross was a favorite symbol and badge of their faith in Christ.
From the writings of St. Gregory the Great (540-604), we know that St. Benedict had a deep faith in
the Cross and worked miracles with the sign of the cross. This faith in, and special devotion to, the
Cross was passed on to succeeding generations of Benedictines.

Devotion to the Cross of Christ also gave rise to the striking of medals that bore the image of
St. Benedict holding a cross aloft in his right hand and his Rule for Monasteries in the other hand.
Thus, the Cross has always been closely associated with the Medal of St. Benedict, which is often
referred to as the Medal-Cross of St. Benedict.

In the course of time, other additions were made, such as the Latin petition on the margin of
the medal, asking that by St. Benedict's presence we may be strengthened in the hour of death, as
will be explained later.

We do not know just when the first medal of St. Benedict was struck. At some point in
history a series of capital letters was placed around the large figure of the cross on the reverse side
of the medal. For a long time the meaning of these letters was unknown, but in 1647 a manuscript
dating back to 1415 was found at the Abbey of Metten in Bavaria, giving an explanation of the
letters. They are the initial letters of a Latin prayer of exorcism against Satan, as will be explained
below.

THE JUBILEE MEDAL OF MONTECASSINO

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The above features were finally incorporated in a newly designed medal struck in 1880
under the supervision of the monks of Montecassino, Italy, to mark the 1400th anniversary of the
birth of St. Benedict. The design of this medal was produced at St. Martin's Archabbey, Beuron,
Germany, at the request of the prior of Montecassino, Very Rev. Boniface Krug OSB (1838-1909).
Prior Boniface was a native of Baltimore and originally a monk of St. Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe,
Pennsylvania, until he was chosen to become prior and latter archabbot of Montecassino. Since that
time, the Jubilee Medal of 1880 has proven to be more popular throughout the Christian world than
any other medal ever struck to honor St. Benedict.

DESCRIPTION OF THE JUBILEE MEDAL

Because the Jubilee Medal of 1880 has all the important features ever associated with the
Medal of St. Benedict, the following description of this medal can serve to make clear the nature and
intent of any medal of St. Benedict, no matter what shape or design it may legitimately have.

THE CROSS OF ETERNAL SALVATION


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.

RULE AND RAVEN

In St. Benedict's left hand is his Rule for Monasteries that could well be summed up in the words of
the Prologue 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.

C. S. P. B.

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

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heaven, supported by the brothers of the monastery, shortly after St. Benedict had received Holy
Communion.


MONTE CASSINO

Below Benedict we read: ex SM Casino MDCCCLXXX (from holy Monte Cassino, 1880). This
is the medal struck to commemorate the 1400th anniversary of the birth of Saint Benedict.


REVERSE SIDE OF THE MEDAL

CRUX MIHI LUX

On the back of the medal, the cross is dominant. On the arms
of the cross are the initial letters of a rhythmic Latin prayer: Crux
sacra sit mihi lux! Nunquam draco sit mihi dux! (May the holy cross
be my light! May the dragon never be my guide!).

In the angles of the cross, the letters C S P B stand for Crux
Sancti Patris Benedicti (The cross of our holy father Benedict).


PEACE

Above the cross is the word pax (peace), that has been a Benedictine
motto for centuries. Around the margin of the back of the medal, the
letters V R S N S M V - S M Q L I V B are the initial letters, as mentioned
above, of a Latin prayer of exorcism against Satan: 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!)


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. The medal is often put 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

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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 Prologue of his Rule.


TWO SPECIAL USES OF THE MEDAL

By a rescript 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.


VALUE AND POWER OF THE MEDAL

1. It wards off from both the soul and the body all dangers arising from the devil.
2. The Medal is powerful in obtaining for sinners the grace of conversion.
3. It obtains protection and aid for persons tormented by the evil spirit, and in temptations
against holy purity.
4. It procures assistance in the hour of death.
5. It has often proved an efficacious remedy for bodily sufferings, and a means of protection
against contagious diseases.
6. Expectant mothers have obtained special assistance for a safe delivery.
7. In time of storms, tempests and other dangers on land and sea it has been found to be a
protection.
8. Even domestic animals have been visibly aided by it when infected with disease






HOW TO USE THE ST. BENEDICT MEDAL

1. On a chain around the neck.
2. Attached to one’s rosary.
3. Kept in one’s pocket or purse.
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 4. Placed in one’s car or home.
5. Placed in the foundation of a building.
6. Placed in the center of a cross.

The use of any religious article is intended as a means of reminding one of God and of inspiring a
willingness and desire to serve God and neighbor. It is not regarded as a good luck charm or
magical device.


APPROVED BLESSING OF THE MEDAL OF ST. 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.

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. 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 though Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The medals are then sprinkled with holy water.


Source: www.osb.org/gen/medal.html

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