Pray the St. Benedict medal this week: an invitation to revisit this powerful prayer in Latin, English & Portuguese
July 13 reminder: start the 33-day Rosary Novena & Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary ending Aug. 15. Links to videos by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle and Dr. Blythe Kaufman on "Consecration".
ETERNAL WISDOM
From the Rule of Saint Benedict, abbot
(Prologus, 4-22; cap,72, 1-12; CSEL 75, 2-5, 162-163)
Put Christ before everything
”And the Lord as he seeks the one who will do his work among the throng of people to whom he makes that appeal, says again: Which of you wants to live to the full; who loves long life and the enjoyment of prosperity? And, if when you hear this you say, I do, God says to you: If you desire true and everlasting life, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceit, turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. And when you have done these things my eyes will be upon you and before you call upon my name I shall say to you: Behold, I am here. What could be more delightful, dearest brothers, than the voice of our Lord’s invitation to us? In his loving kindness he reveals to us the way of life.”E o Senhor, ao buscar o seu operário na multidão do povo a quem dirige estas palavras, diz ainda: Qual é o homem que quer a vida e deseja ver dias felizes? E se tu, ao ouvires este convite, responderes: «Eu», Deus te dirá: «Se queres alcançar a verdadeira e perpétua vida, guarda do mal a tua língua e da mentira os teus lábios; evita o mal e faz o bem; procura a paz e segue-a. E quando isto fizerdes, estarão então os meus olhos sobre vós e os meus ouvidos atentos às vossas preces; e ainda antes que chameis por Mim, vos direi:
Aqui estou». Que há de mais doce para nós, irmãos caríssimos, do que esta voz do Senhor que nos convida? Vede como o Senhor, na sua piedade, nos mostra o caminho da vida.
THE ROSARY HOUR PODCAST NEWSLETTER, 11 JULY 2023
[2nd Edition - posted on the Memorial of Saint Benedict, the Abbot]
JMJ+
Dear friends in Christ:
We wanted to take a moment, before our next two posts on the Scapular, to put together this handy little “study guide” to another sacramental: the St. Benedict medal.
(BTW — we came across this video today encouraging that we “pray the cross of St. Benedict”. )
Before we present this study guide, Izzy wanted to tell a little story about a priest in the FSSP who blessed the gold chain and cross given to their Godson’s daughter on the occasion of her baptism. That priest has a sister who entered the Carmel, and prior to her entry, she gave Rembrandt the medal of St. Benedict. Today, that medal is attached to a heavy silver chain to be worn on the neck and which hangs close to the exterior of their two-storey home in Western Canada. Surrounded by pine and birch, Izzy remembers that sister remarking on the medal’s heaviness and how she was told it is common for motorcyclists to wear it!
The name she took is Sr. Maria Delores of the Precious Blood and she entered the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Valparaiso Nebraska; she also passed on a wee pamphlet that was used for checking this little post.
Out of interest, there was another young woman from the parish who entered the Carmel in October 2020. Thought very quiet and shy, she used to do beautiful handwork on vestments for priests — and Izzy recalls asking after all the beautifully crafted ones in red, purple, green.
In February of this year, she entered her first profession. Her Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is located in Post falls, Idaho and is related to the one in Valparaiso Nebraska.
We wanted to share Izzy’s story because of the way we come to receive certain powerful sacramentals as gifts, whether or not we know the “why” or the story behind the artefacts themselves (such as prayer cards, crucifixes, and crosses) — and all of which are often bestowed upon us over the years at significant moments — at a baptism, at a first Holy Communion, at a funeral.
Christine notes: “On one occasion, last year, when I experienced a level of spiritual battle in a situation quite difficult to overcome — despite the recourse I had to the Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Mass, the Rosary & other devotions, etc. In our discussion, my Spiritual Director at the time recommended I respond by taking out my St. Benedict medal and seriously researching the meaning of each of the letters so I might pray the prayers. To this day, I have to admit that I hadn’t properly memorized those letters — often forgetting that I too can meditate upon the meaning of the prayers in addition to my regular devotion and call upon the intercession of St. Benedict, the abbot.”
Thus, in honour of that simple practice, for today’s post, The Rosary Hour Podcast Newsletter team decided to revisit that spiritual exercise prior to retiring this evening (as we post via Pacific Standard Time).
We hope this “study guide” to the prayers on the medal finds you well as we recall the great stories of St. Benedict / São Bento. (See more article links below).
Thank you, and enjoy, and God bless!1
PRAYERS ON THE MEDAL OF ST. BENEDICT: A STUDY GUIDE in LATIN, ENGLISH, PORTUGUESE
by: THE ROSARY HOUR PODCAST
PAX - CSPB: CSSML NDSMD VRSN SMV SMQ LIVB
«FRONT OF THE ST. BENEDICT MEDAL»
Image #1: St. Benedict
Crucifix, right hand
Rule of St. Benedict, left hand
Beside Image #1:
LATIN: "Crux S. Patris Benedicti"
ENGLISH: "The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict"
PORTUGUESE: A Cruz do Santo Padre Bento
Below feet of St. Benedict (See top image)
LATIN: “Ex S M Casino MDCCCLXXX”(See bottom image)
ENGLISH:"From the holy mount of Casino, 1880" (Italy, where the medal is struck officially by the Benedictine Monks - see article below)PORTUGUESE:“Do monte sagrado do Casino, 1880" (Italy, onde a medalha é atingida oficialmente pelos monges beneditinos - ver artigo abaixo)
According to EWTN: “On that date, Monte Cassino was given the exclusive right to produce this medal, and special Jubilee indulgences were added. Still on this front side of the medal we find inscribed in a circle the words” | "Nessa data, Monte Cassino recebeu o direito exclusivo de produzir esta medalha, e indulgências especiais do Jubileu foram adicionadas. Ainda nesta parte da frente da medalha encontramos inscritas num círculo as palavras":
LATIN: “Ejus in obitu nostro presentia muniamur”
ENGLISH:"May his presence protect us in our hour of death"PORTUGUESE:"Que a hora de nossa morte, nos proteja tua presença"(Nas antigas medalhas aparece, rodeando a figura do santo, este texto latinoem frase inteira)
BACK OF THE ST. BENEDICT MEDAL: STUDY GUIDE CONTINUED
NOTE: On the outline – above the cross the inscription PAX (peace) | No contorno – acima da cruz a inscrição PAX (paz)
LATIN: PAX
ENGLISH:peacePORTUGUESE:paz
In a circle, starting in the upper LEFT HAND corner are the letters [4 quadrants | Nos quadrantes]
LATIN: C.S.P.B. = Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti
ENGLISH:Cross of Holy Father BenedictPORTUGUESE:“Cruz do Santo Pai Bento”
V..R..S..N..S..M..V.. | S..M..Q..L..I..V..B (image on right) =
LATIN:Vade retro Satana! Nunquam suade mihi vana!
Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas!2
FULL TRANSLATION OF LETTERS WITHIN THE OUTER CIRCUMFERENCE:
ENGLISH:Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities!
What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!"PORTUGUESE:Retira te Satanás, Não Me Persuades de Tuas Vaidades, O que Ofereces é o Mal, Bebe Tu Mesmo Teu Veneno.
Na cruz – vertical:
LATIN | C.S.S.M.L. = Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux
ENGLISH:“The Holy Cross be my light”PORTUGUESE:A Cruz sagrada seja minha luz3
Na cruz – horizontal:
LATIN | N.D.S.M.D. = Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux
ENGLISH:Let not the dragon be my guidePORTUGUESE:“Não seja o dragão meu guia” (na haste horizontal da cruz). | (O Dragão Não Seja Meu Chefe)
LATIN: V. R. S. — Vade Retro Satan:
ENGLISH:“Get away, Satan”PORTUGUESE:“Retira-te, satanás”
LATIN: N. S. M. V. -- Not Suade Mihi Vana:
ENGLISH:“Never tempt me with your vanities!”PORTUGUESE:“Nunca me aconselhes coisas vãs”
LATIN: S. M. Q. L. -- Sunt Mala Quae Libas
ENGLISH:“What you offer me is evil.”PORTUGUESE:“É mau o que me ofereces”
LATIN: I. V. B. -— Ipse Venena Bibas
ENGLISH:“Drink the poison yourself!”PORTUGUESE:“Bebe tu mesmo os teus venenos”.
OTHER ARTICLES RESOURCES:
PORTUGUESE: “No verso está a cruz de São Bento com as letras”
ENGLISH: Knowles, Michael David. "St. Benedict". Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Jun. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Benedict-of-Nursia. Accessed 11 July 2023.
Stagnaro, Angelo. “What You Need to Know About St. Benedict and His Medal” (Pope Benedict XIV solemnly approved and recommended the use of the medal to the faithful in 1742) July 11, 2020, National Catholic Register.
https://www.ncregister.com/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-st-benedict-and-his-medal
Pope Benedict XIV solemnly approved and recommended the use of the medal to the faithful in 1742.
The medal in current use is the Jubilee medal designed by the monk Desiderius Lenz, of the Beuron Art School. He designed it in 1880 for the 1400th anniversary of the birth of St. Benedict under the supervision of the prior of Montecassino, Very Rev. Boniface Krug (1838-1909) of Monte Cassino, Italy. Monte Cassino was given the exclusive right to strike this medal, with which special Jubilee indulgences were attached. The Jubilee Medal was first produced at St. Martin's Archabbey, Beuron, Germany, at the request of Prior Boniface who 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 Monte Cassino.
Once struck in Germany, the medals spread over Europe and the world. They were first approved by Benedict XIV in his briefs of Dec. 23, 1741 and March 12, 1742.
JULY 11, 2023 Catholic Mass Today | Daily TV Mass — Readings + Rev. Fr. Peter Turrone, Homilist & Celebrant - Fr. Peter talks about St. Benedict
33-DAY CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY:
REMINDER & LESSON FROM DONNA-MARIE and BLYTHE:
July 13, 2023 is an opportunity to begin another 33-day Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary ending on August 15.
33 DAY CONSECRATION: ST. LOUIS MARIE de MONTFORT (TEXT) https://www.quies.org/True-Consecration-33-Day.pdf
ARTICLE: “These are the 20 best days of the year to start a Marian consecration” (Aleteia)
Dr. Blythe Kaufman explains: “What is a Consecration?”
Invite Children to Pray with Children’s Rosary via the Child Consecration playlist with Bishop Keenan:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP6epL4OecHiUetSDw0ElEnLvxXvJtSx5
St. Maximilian Kolbe's Consecration to Mary for Day 34 of the Consecration
O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you. I, _______________, a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases you. If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: "She will crush your head," and, "You alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world."
Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever you enter you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
V. Allow me to praise you, O Sacred Virgin.
R. Give me strength against your enemies.
FOOTNOTES
p.s. Below is a classic video recommended by Amelia, Member of Children’s Rosary ®, for those wishing review the story of St. Benedict with young children this week.
TEST YOURSELF NOW:
CSSML NDSMD VRSN SMV SMQ LIVB stands for?
LATIN TRANSLATION OF?
Vade
Retro
Satana
Nunquam
Suade
Mihi
Vana
Sunt
Male
Quae
Libas
Ipse
Venena
Bibas
Que a Santa Cruz seja minha luz