77mm St Benedict Crucifix in Silver
77mm x 4cm wide
Feast day: July 11
Patron: of students and Europe, Against Evil, poisons, Witchcraft
Birth: 480
Death: 543
Canonized: Pope Honorius III in 1220
Saint Benedict Medal
Main article: Saint Benedict Medal
Image of Saint Benedict with a cross (which is inscribed, "Crux sacra sit
mihi lux! Non draco sit mihi dux!" ("May the holy cross be my light! May
the dragon never be my guide!")) and a scroll stating "Vade retro
Satana! Nunquam suade mihi vana! Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena
bibas! ("Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! The drink you
offer is evil. Drink that poison yourself!", or in brief,
Vade Retro Satana
which is abbreviated on the Saint Benedict Medal.
This devotional medal originally came from a cross in honour of Saint
Benedict. On one side, the medal has an image of Saint Benedict,
holding the Holy Rule in his left hand and a cross in his right. There
is a raven on one side of him, with a cup on the other side of him.
Around the medal's outer margin are the words
"Eius in obitu nostro praesentia muniamur"
("May we be strengthened by his presence in the hour of our death"). The other side of the medal has a cross with the initials
CSSML on the vertical bar which signify
"Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux"
("May the Holy Cross be my light") and on the horizontal bar are the initials
NDSMD which stand for
"Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux"
("Let not the dragon be my guide"). The initials
CSPB stand for
"Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti" ("The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict") and are located on the interior angles of the cross. Either the inscription
"PAX"
(Peace) or the Christogram
"IHS"
may be found at the top of the cross in most cases. Around the medal's margin on this side are the
Vade Retro Satana
initials
VRSNSMV which stand for
"Vade Retro Satana, Nonquam Suade Mihi Vana"
("Begone Satan, do not suggest to me thy vanities") then a space followed by the initials
SMQLIVB which signify "Sunt Mala Quae Libas, Ipse Venena Bibas" ("Evil are the things thou profferest, drink thou thy own poison").
Benedict depicted on a Jubilee Saint Benedict Medal for the 1,400th anniversary of his birth in 1880
This medal was first struck in 1880 to commemorate the fourteenth
centenary of Saint Benedict's birth and is also called the Jubilee
Medal; its exact origin, however, is unknown. In 1647, during a
witchcraft trial at Natternberg near Metten Abbey in Bavaria, the
accused women testified they had no power over Metten, which was under
the protection of the cross. An investigation found a number of painted
crosses on the walls of the abbey with the letters now found on St
Benedict medals, but their meaning had been forgotten. A manuscript
written in 1415 was eventually found that had a picture of Saint
Benedict holding a scroll in one hand and a staff which ended in a cross
in the other. On the scroll and staff were written the full words of
the initials contained on the crosses. Medals then began to be struck in
Germany, which then spread throughout Europe. This medal was first
approved by Pope Benedict XIV in his briefs of 23 December 1741 and 12 March 1742.
Saint Benedict has been also the motive of many collector's coins around the world. The Austria 50 euro 'The Christian Religious Orders', issued on 13 March 2002 is one of them.
Influence
Austria 50 euro 'The Christian Religious Orders' commemorative coin
The early Middle Ages have been called "the Benedictine centuries."
In April 2008, Pope Benedict XVI discussed the influence St Benedict had on Western Europe. The pope said that "with his life and work St Benedict exercised a fundamental influence on the development of European civilization and culture" and helped Europe to emerge from the "dark night of history" that followed the fall of the Roman empire.
Saint Benedict contributed more than anyone else to the rise of monasticism in the West. His Rule was the foundational document for
thousands of religious communities in the Middle Ages.
To this day, The Rule of St. Benedict is the most common and influential Rule used by monasteries and monks, more than 1,400 years
after its writing. Today the Benedictine family is represented by two branches: the Benedictine Federation and the Cistercians.
The influence of Saint Benedict produced "a true spiritual ferment" in Europe, and over the coming decades his followers spread
across the continent to establish a new cultural unity based on Christian faith.
A basilica was built upon the birthplace of Saints Benedict and scholastica in the 1400s. Ruins of their familial home were excavated
from beneath the church and preserved. The earthquake of 30 October 2016 completely devastated the structure of the basilica, leaving only the front facade and altar standing.
