Benedict himself was a sixth-century Italian monk who wrote the Rule that shaped Western monasticism. The stories of him, told by Pope St Gregory the Great, include one where monks tried to poison him; when he made the sign of the cross over the cup, it shattered. That story is the root of the prayer.
Historical Context
On the front of the medal, Benedict holds a cross and his Rule, with a broken cup and a raven at his feet: the raven carried away poisoned bread in another of Gregory’s stories. On the back, the large cross carries two more lines of letters, and the ring around the edge carries the rest.
The St Benedict Medal Prayer
Crux sacra sit mihi lux! (C S S M L)
Non draco sit mihi dux! (N D S M D)
Vade retro Satana! (V R S)
Numquam suade mihi vana! (N S M V)
Sunt mala quae libas. (S M Q L)
Ipse venena bibas! (I V B)
May the holy cross be my light!
Let not the dragon be my guide!
Begone, Satan!
Never tempt me with your vanities!
What you offer me is evil.
Drink the poison yourself!
The four letters in the corners of the cross, C S P B, stand for Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti, “the cross of our holy father Benedict.” The word at the top, usually PAX, is the Benedictine motto: peace.
A Prayer to St Benedict for Protection
St Benedict, you broke the poisoned cup with the sign of the cross.
Pray for me and for my home.
Keep evil away from my family, my work and my mind.
Where temptation is offered to me, help me see it for what it is
and turn it away.
Lead me in peace to the end of my life.
Amen.
A Prayer for a Holy Death
Benedict died standing in the chapel, supported by his monks, with his hands raised in prayer. He is also a patron of a good death.
St Benedict, who died at prayer among your brothers,
be with me at the end of my life.
Let me die in God’s grace, with the sacraments,
surrounded by people who love me.
Amen.
Best Times for This Prayer
- When you receive or bless a St Benedict medal.
- In temptation, or when a home feels spiritually heavy.
- Before travel, with the medal on you.
- On 11 July, his feast.
- At the bedside of someone dying.
Scripture Connection
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” — James 4:7
The medal prayer does exactly what James describes, in that order: first the cross, then the refusal. It is not a charm. It is a short, blunt way of turning down what is being offered and turning back to God.
Related prayers
His twin sister has her own page, the Prayer to St Scholastica. For protection against evil, see the Saint Michael Prayer, and for a peaceful end of life, the Prayer for a Happy Death.