The Saint Benedict Medal puts the Cross of Jesus, Saint Benedict, and a short prayer against evil into one small design. You wear it or keep it close as a reminder to follow Jesus and to ask Saint Benedict to pray for you. If you just got one, you can start today: learn what the letters mean, say the short prayer below, and ask your parish to bless it if you'd like.
What does the Saint Benedict Medal mean?
The medal is a way of saying: I trust in the Cross of Jesus, and I ask Saint Benedict to pray for me. Its pictures and Latin letters are like a small lesson you carry with you. They remind you to pray, to turn back to God, to look for peace, and to say no to temptation.
A medal like this should make you want to serve God and the people around you. Catholics call this kind of object a sacramental: it points you to God, and the grace comes from God, not from the metal.
What appears on the front of the medal?
On the front you'll usually see Saint Benedict holding a cross in his right hand and his Rule for Monasteries in his left. The cross stands for the salvation Jesus brings. The Rule stands for a Christian life built on prayer, work, obedience, welcoming others, and the Gospel.
Near him you'll often see a cup and a raven. They come from old stories about people who tried to poison Benedict. When he made the sign of the Cross over the poisoned cup, it broke. A raven carried away a piece of poisoned bread. These pictures remind you how Benedict trusted Jesus when he was in danger, and invite you to do the same.
The letters C S P B stand for Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti, which means “The Cross of our holy father Benedict.” Around the edge, many medals carry a short prayer asking that Saint Benedict be with us and give us strength at the hour of death. Some medals also show the year 1880. That's because the design most people know, the Jubilee Medal, was made for the 1,400th anniversary of Saint Benedict's birth.
What do the symbols on the back mean?
On the back there's a cross in the center. The letters on and around it are the first letters of short Latin prayers. Together they ask Jesus to be your light and say no to evil. The spacing changes from one medal to another, but the meaning stays the same:
- C S P B means “The Cross of our holy father Benedict.”
- C S S M L starts the prayer “May the holy Cross be my light.”
- N D S M D continues with “May the dragon never be my guide.” Here the dragon stands for the devil.
- V R S N S M V sends Satan away and turns down empty temptations: “Begone, Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities!”
- S M Q L I V B says no to what is evil and poisonous: “What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!”
- PAX means “peace,” a word closely tied to Benedictine life.
You don't have to memorize the Latin to use the medal. Start with the main message: the Cross of Jesus is your light, and you say no to anything that pulls you away from God. If you'd like to study every word, the Order of Saint Benedict's guide, listed in the sources at the end, explains each letter one by one.
Why do Catholics wear a Saint Benedict Medal?
Catholics wear the medal to remember Jesus, to ask Saint Benedict to pray for them, and to keep up the habit of praying. There's no one right way to wear or carry it. Some people attach it to a rosary. Others keep it in a pocket, place it near the corner where the family prays at home, or take it along when they travel.
Wherever you keep it, the medal is a reminder:
- Near the front door, it reminds your family to ask for God's blessing and to welcome others warmly.
- On a rosary, it calls you back to praying with attention.
- Around your neck, it reminds you to resist temptation and to treat others with love.
What gives it meaning is a life that keeps turning toward Jesus.
If devotional objects are new to you, start with our guide to Catholic sacramentals and how to use them without superstition. You can also compare the medal with other Catholic devotions in our guides to Saint Michael devotion in the home and how to pray the Rosary step by step.
Does the medal need a blessing?
You can keep or wear a medal that hasn't been blessed. Still, many Catholics like to have theirs blessed. Any priest or deacon can bless a Saint Benedict Medal, and he doesn't need to be a Benedictine.
Take the medal to your parish and ask when a priest or deacon is available. You can simply say: “Could you please bless this Saint Benedict Medal for me?” If you're not sure whether your medal was blessed, it's easy: just ask your parish to bless it.
A blessing is a prayer the Church offers over your medal. It doesn't make the medal magic. Keep it tied to your prayer, the Mass, and the sacraments, and you can wear it with peace.
How can you pray with the Saint Benedict Medal?
There's no set prayer you have to say every time you wear or touch the medal. If you'd like one, this short prayer follows the symbols on the medal:
Lord Jesus Christ, let your Cross be my light. Keep me faithful in temptation, lead me away from evil, and help me serve you and my neighbor. Saint Benedict, pray for me.
You can also make the sign of the Cross, pray the Our Father, or read a passage from the Gospel. If your medal hangs on a rosary, use our Rosary guide to pray it step by step. Let the medal remind you that every Catholic devotion leads you to Jesus.
How can you avoid superstition?
Use the medal as a sign of faith, not as something to fear. If you forget it, lose it, or find out it was never blessed, you don't need to worry. If something hard happens, the medal didn't fail you. It's there to remind you to keep praying and to trust God, especially on hard days.
A healthy devotion goes hand in hand with simple Christian choices:
- Pray regularly.
- Go to Mass.
- Receive the sacraments, and prepare for them well.
- Ask for forgiveness when you sin.
- Love others and treat them fairly.
- If fear of evil or spiritual harm starts to control your decisions, talk with your priest or your parish.
The medal should help you trust God more, not worry about an object.
What should you look for in a Saint Benedict Medal?
Check that the design has the cross in the center and letters you can recognize. Small medals may shorten or squeeze some details, and every artist's style is a little different. If a small detail is missing, that's fine. The medal means the same in any size or metal.
Choose a size and material that fit how you'll use it:
- If you'll wear it, check that the chain and the edges are comfortable and safe.
- If a child will carry it, think about the risk of choking and choose a spot that suits the child's age.
- If you want it blessed, get the medal first, then ask a priest or deacon to bless it.
Rosaries, Bibles and a candle for daily prayer
Rosaries for daily prayer, a Bible for reading the Gospel and a candle for your prayer corner at home.
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What is the main lesson of the medal?
The Saint Benedict Medal fits a whole Christian choice into a few pictures and letters. Let the Cross of Jesus be your light. Say no to what pulls you away from God. Look for peace, and live the Gospel. Wear it or keep it with faith and freedom, and let it move you to pray and to do good. Every time you see it, let it point you back to God.
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