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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

PRAYER TO SPIRITUALLY ADOPT A BABY IN DANGER OF ABORTION

PRAYER TO SPIRITUALLY ADOPT A BABY IN DANGER OF ABORTION

Abortion is an unspeakable crime against God and innocent human life. – Would you spiritually adopt one baby in the womb in danger of abortion? Just pray that the life of the little one, whom you spiritually and mentally adopt, may be continued to birth and beyond his/her birth, so that this child may have his/her God given right to life, and come to know, love and serve God on earth, and then be happy with Him forever in Heaven. This spiritual, mental adoption is simply a personal resolution to pray daily, at least once for a year, for a particular child in the womb in danger of deliberate abortion.


The following prayer is suggested:


Jesus, my Lord, through the intercession of Mary, your Mother, who bore You so lovingly, and of St Joseph, strong man of faith, who protected You both, I pray to You for the life of the unborn child who is in danger of abortion, the one I have spiritually adopted. Please give to the parents of this particular child the grace and courage to bring him/her to the life you have destined for him/her. Amen.”

During your earthly life this spiritually adopted child will be known to God. But, in eternal life, you will find a surprised happiness in each other’s company.



CHILDREN’S MORNING PRAYER

CHILDREN’S MORNING PRAYER

Good morning, Jesus,
it’s a great new day,
with lots to do
and lots to play.
It’s nice to know
I’ve a friend like you,
who cares for me
however I do.
At home or school
throughout this day
stay close to me,
dear Jesus I pray.
Amen



NOVENA PRAYER TO ST JOHN BOSCO

NOVENA PRAYER TO ST JOHN BOSCO
(This novena may be said on any nine consecutive days.)
V. O God, come to my aid.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
FIRST DAY:
LOVE FOR CHRIST IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
St John Bosco, who loved Christ in the Blessed Sacrament so deeply and spread that love to so many, help me to understand this mystery of God’s love for us that I too may find, in frequent attendance at Mass and Holy Communion and visits to the Blessed Sacrament comfort and strength throughout my life and at the hour of my death. Amen.
GLORY BE to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be; world without end.
LET US PRAY:
GOD OUR FATHER, IT WAS YOUR WILL THAT THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OF THE VIRGIN MARY, ST JOHN BOSCO SHOULD RAISE UP NEW FAMILIES IN THE CHURCH WHO WOULD WORK FOR THE SALVATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE; GRANT, WE PRAY YOU, THAT WE TOO, BURNING WITH THE SAME FIRE OF LOVE, MAY SEEK SOULS AND SERVE YOU ALONE. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD.

SECOND DAY:
DEVOTION TO OUR LADY
St John Bosco, who had so enduring a love for Our Lady Help of Christians, ever your Mother and your Guide, help me to share this deep and lasting love for Mary. May I experience her powerful help and protection throughout my life and have her at my side at the hour of my death. Amen.

GLORY BE…, LET US PRAY…
THIRD DAY:
LOYALTY TO CHURCH AND POPE
St John Bosco, you had a deep love for the Church and an unswerving loyalty to the Pope. Help me to be a faithful member of the Catholic Church, proud of my faith and ever loyal and obedient to the Holy Father, the Vicar of Christ, and to the Bishops and priests who share his authority. Amen.

GLORY BE…, LET US PRAY…

FOURTH DAY:
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
St John Bosco, you had a generous and practical love for the young, for so many of whom you were Father and Guide, working for them with heroic sacrifice. Young people are especially dear to our Saviour. Help us, too, to work for them with a holy and generous love and to see in each one of them the person of the young Christ growing up in Nazareth. Amen.
GLORY BE…, LET US PRAY…
FIFTH DAY:
FOR SALESIAN PRIESTS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS
St John Bosco, you founded the Salesian Society and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians to continue your work for youth. I pray that all these priests, brothers and sisters may be filled with your spirit, your zeal, your love and joy, and so inspire other young people to follow them. Amen.

GLORY BE…, LET US PRAY…
SIXTH DAY:
FOR SALESIAN COOPERATORS
St John Bosco, in order to deepen Faith and Charity in the world, and spread your work for youth, you started a third family, the Salesian Cooperators. May they be strong, fervent, apostolic Christians, supporting your work, and spreading a love of Christ in their homes and among young people wherever they live. Amen.

GLORY BE…, LET US PRAY…

SEVENTH DAY:
FOR MISSIONARIES
St John Bosco, whose zeal for the salvation of men could not be kept within narrow frontiers, you sent your Salesian sons and daughters to the end of the earth. From Heaven intercede for all missionaries that their work be blessed. Obtain for me a zeal like yours that in working with generosity and enthusiasm for the salvation of others, I may save my own soul. Amen.

GLORY BE…, LET US PRAY…

EIGHTH DAY:
FOR PURITY
St John Bosco, by God’s grace you preserved within yourself an overwhelming love for purity and preached it by word and example. You led St Dominic Savio to holiness while he was still a schoolboy. Obtain for me the grace to be pure of heart and so through my own way of life let others see the joy of life in friendship with Christ. Amen.

GLORY BE…, LET US PRAY…

NINTH DAY:
FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND THOSE IN NEED

St John Bosco, you had a heart full of compassion when you saw people suffering or in need. Obtain for me, for my family and loved ones, the blessings of Our Lady Help of Christians and all the graces we need. Pray especially that our families may be united in peace and harmony in this life and be gathered together with you in the joy of praising God for ever in Heaven. 
Amen.

GLORY BE…, LET US PRAY…

ST JOHN BOSCO: THE PRIEST WHO FED THOUSANDS OF ORPHANS

ST JOHN BOSCO: THE PRIEST WHO FED THOUSANDS OF ORPHANS



LET’S ABANDON OUR OWN WILL AND OPEN OURSELVES TO THE FLAMES OF CHARITY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS…HE WILL WORK MIRACLES IN US AND THROUGH US:

Most fervently devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was St John Bosco, founder of the Salesians and the apostolate to young people, the great and providential man of modern times. His parents were pious farmers and lived in a small village called Castelnuovo. It was immediately apparent that he had a good and virtuous character. While still young, his father died and his mother said to him through her tears, “Now you can really say, our Father who art in heaven.” And he, full of love, gave himself into the hands of the heavenly Father, who meant him to be a great benefactor of mankind. His mother brought him up as a Christian, saying to him time and again, “I love you very much, but I would rather see you dead than a sinner.” Therefore he was always horrified by sin. Once, he broke a jar containing oil, and he himself brought the cane to his mother, so that she would punish and correct him.
He began to learn to be a tailor but he remained a little apostle who gathered others of his age around him and preached to them, telling them to fall in love with God; even a young Jew called Jonah converted and was baptized after he had listened to St John. The Sacred Heart called John to be a priest, and even though he had almost nothing, he studied hard and became an exemplary one. He had a disposition prone to fighting and disagreements within him, but he was able to overcome these things and became incredibly humble. The fire of love produced in him a flame of generous, apostolic and hard working zeal. Putting into practice the imitation and glorification of the Heart of Jesus, he worked in hospitals and prisons in times of epidemic!
Overcoming every obstacle and difficulty, he instituted in Turin the oratory of St Francis De Sales, where thousands of young people especially orphans, were fed, educated and taught the faith, all in the name of loving divine providence. He had the magnificent Church of the Sacred Heart built in Rome and the Church of Our Lady Help of Christians in Turin.
He used to say in holy wit, “Let’s pick three numbers to play the lottery, and these numbers are faith, hope and charity.” And with these three numbers, he saw his houses multiply all over Europe, cross to America and expand everywhere in an incredible way. These are lasting trophies dedicated to the Heart of Jesus that St John Bosco so loved and imitated.
PRAYER (to be repeated frequently during the day): “O beneficent Heart so loving, with Your love and Your favor, may I always love my neighbor.”


ST JOHN BOSCO, PATRON OF EDITORS, FOUNDER, FRIEND OF YOUNG PEOPLE

PRAYER TO ST JOHN BOSCO FOR YOUTHS TO READ CLEAN BOOKS AND WEBSITES

ST JOHN BOSCO, PATRON OF EDITORS, FOUNDER, FRIEND OF YOUNG PEOPLE
– FEAST: JANUARY 31

In St John Bosco the liturgy honors a Saint whose soul was all simplicity, joyfulness and zeal, whose trust in divine Providence overcame every difficulty and persisted through every obstacle. Born near Turin in 1815, St John Bosco devoted his life as a priest to the poor, to prisoners and to all the unfortunate of the capital of Piedmont, but especially to poor and homeless children. He sheltered them and educated them and helped them to begin an honest way of life, with no other resources than his unwavering faith, he founded several institutions and also two religious congregations, the Salesian Fathers in 1868, and the Daughters of our Lady Help of Christians in 1876. St John Bosco died in Turin in 1888, leaving behind him the reputation of a great miracle worker.
PRAYER:
Always help us, O Lord, to read good clean literature, both books and electronic media. Through the intercession of St John Bosco grant that, by being preserved from all impurity, we may, with spotless minds and pure in heart, ever burn with the fire of charity to seek after souls and serve You alone, all the days of our life.
Amen.

Mary, Our Lady help of Christians, pray for us.
St John Bosco, pray for us



PRAYER TO ST JOHN BOSCO

PRAYER TO ST JOHN BOSCO

St John Bosco was born in the diocese of Turin in 1815, and brought up in poverty, he devoted his life to the education of working youth. He founded religious congregations – the Salesian Order, and the Congregation of the helpers of Mary – to carry on his ideals.
PRAYER:
Lord,
You called St John Bosco
to be a teacher and father to the young.
Fill us with love like his:
may we give ourselves completely to Your service
and to the salvation of mankind.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.


PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST JOHN BOSCO

PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST JOHN BOSCO

ST JOHN BOSCO +1888
St John Bosco was born near Castelnuovo in the diocese of Turin in 1815. His early years were most difficult and so, once ordained to the priesthood, he dedicated himself to the education of the young, founding congregations which would instruct youth in both the arts and the Christian life. He also composed pamphlets for the support and defense of religion. St John died in 1888.
PRAYER:
O God, who raised up the Priest Saint John Bosco
as a father and teacher of the young,
grant, we pray,
that, aflame with the same fire of love,
we may seek out souls and serve you alone.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity
of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen


NOVENA PRAYER TO ST JOSEPH OF CUPERTINO, PATRON OF STUDENTS DOING EXAMS AND PEOPLE WHO TRAVEL

NOVENA PRAYER TO ST JOSEPH OF CUPERTINO, 

PATRON OF STUDENTS DOING EXAMS AND PEOPLE WHO TRAVEL



Because his father had died leaving debts and his family was consequently homeless, Joseph Desa was an unwelcome addition when he was born in Cupertino, Italy in 1603. As a child he was slow witted and had a habit of standing with his mouth open staring into space. He also had a terrible temper, probably born of frustration. Even his own mother thought him worthless. As a young man he joined the Capuchins but was sent away because the ecstasies he experienced made him unsuitable for work. Finally he was accepted by the Franciscans who, seeing his holiness, put him forward to train for the priesthood. Joseph found the studies difficult, and the best he could do was to learn a small portion of the material he was supposed to know, and then pray that that’s what he would be asked. Whilst with the Franciscans he began to levitate in ecstasy at the mention of any holy thing and only a command from his superior could bring him to earth. He was also investigated because of his anti-gravitational activities and subsequently moved into seclusion. He then had his own room and chapel and was unable to leave them. Often those in charge even forgot to bring him food but he accepted everything with humility. St Joseph of Cupertino died a holy death aged sixty. He is patron of students doing exams, travelers (especially those undertaking journeys by air), pilots, and is invoked by children, adults and the elderly who are unloved, abandoned or neglected.
FIRST DAY:
Dear St Joseph, you were an unwanted child and were thought worthless even by your own mother. Intercede for all unwanted children that they may come to know they were born out of God’s love for them. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
SECOND DAY:
Dear St Joseph, you were an angry, frustrated child. We pray for all who struggle to express themselves, and that you help us overcome sins of anger. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
THIRD DAY:
Dear St Joseph, you experienced no love in your family and were considered of little account by all who knew you. We pray for all who have experienced the same. May we learn to treat everyone as having the worth they have in God’s eyes. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
FOURTH DAY:
Dear St Joseph, you suffered because you found it difficult to learn. We pray for all those who struggle at school. May they take comfort from the fact that although learning wasn’t easy for you, this didn’t stop you from becoming a saint. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
FIFTH DAY:
Dear St Joseph, you did the best with the intelligence you did have and put the rest in God’s hands. That way you passed all your exams and became a priest. We pray for all those struggling with exams. May we also do our best in everything and trust in God to guide our lives. We pray especially for (mention your request. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
SIXTH DAY:
Dear St Joseph, even the thought or mention of anything holy made you levitate in ecstasy. Grant us something of the understanding and reverence for God and his saints that you had. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
SEVENTH DAY:
Dear St Joseph, only when your superior ordered you to, were you able to come back down to earth. May we too have a love for and obedience to the teachings of the Church. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
EIGHTH DAY:
Dear St Joseph, you were unjustly suspected, confined to your room and neglected by those charged with looking after you. You accepted all this with humility. We pray for all those unjustly imprisoned, and that we too may have the humility to accept injustice for the love of Christ. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
NINTH DAY:
Dear St Joseph, because you could levitate you are the patron of travellers, especially air travellers. We pray for all those travelling that they may safely reach their destinations. We pray especially for (mention your request). Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be


Monday, March 24, 2014

SHORT PRAYER TO STOP BAD THOUGHTS

SHORT PRAYER TO STOP BAD THOUGHTS

(This short prayer may be learned by heart and then used as necessary.)
O almighty and most loving God, mercifully regard my prayer and free my heart from the temptation of evil thoughts, so that I may become the worthy dwelling-place of thy Holy Spirit.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.



PRAYER FOR ALL WHO HAVE PROBLEMS

PRAYER FOR ALL WHO HAVE PROBLEMS

Most Blessed Virgin, in your life of glory, remember the sorrows of earth. Look with kindness on those who suffer, who struggle against difficulties, who drink unceasingly the bitterness of this life. Have pity on those who love each other and are separated. Have pity on the lonely of heart. Have pity on the weakness of our faith. Have pity on the objects of our affection. Have pity on those who weep, those who pray, those who fear. Obtain for all hope and peace.

Amen.


(All faithful Christians who pray daily and spread this prayer to Our Lady Who Banishes Troubles will witness the extinction of all possible chastisement. Neither hunger, plague, war, nor contagious diseases will afflict them. Their enemies will not have hands or power to hurt or rob them. They will resist Satan’s and the devil’s temptations. Plagues, rats and ants will be driven away from crops. Everyone who trusts in the mercy of the great Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ will succeed in business dealings and have safe journeys. They will not die without Confession nor have a sudden death.)


PRAYER:

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ – Savior of the world -, you are the Queen of heaven and earth, Advocate of sinners, Help of Christians, Protector of the poor, Consolation of the sorrowful, Defender of orphans and widows, Relief for suffering souls, Succour of the afflicted, Relief from indigence, calamity, enemies of body and spirit, a cruel death, eternal torment, bad thoughts, nightmares, all venomous creatures, terrifying scenes and frightening sights, rigor on Judgment day, plagues, fires, all types of disasters, witchcraft and curses, evil makers, thieves, assaulters and murderers.

My loving Mother, here I am at your feet with pious tears and full of repentance for my burdensome faults, imploring forgiveness from the infinitely good God by means of your intermediation.

Pray to your divine Son Jesus for our families, that He may banish from our lives all these evils, forgive our sins and enrich us with His divine grace and mercy. Cover us with your maternal mantle, O divine mountain star!
Banish from us all evils and curses. Keep us away from the plague and disturbances. Through your intercession, may we be able to obtain from God healing for all illnesses. May we find the gates of heaven open and with you be happy for all eternity.
Amen.
Now say:
Seven ‘Our Fathers’,
seven ‘Hail Marys’,
one ‘I believe in God’,
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and for the seven sorrows of most holy Mary



PRAYER FOR ALL WHO HAVE PROBLEMS

PRAYER FOR ALL WHO HAVE PROBLEMS

Most Blessed Virgin, in your life of glory, remember the sorrows of earth. Look with kindness on those who suffer, who struggle against difficulties, who drink unceasingly the bitterness of this life. Have pity on those who love each other and are separated. Have pity on the lonely of heart. Have pity on the weakness of our faith. Have pity on the objects of our affection. Have pity on those who weep, those who pray, those who fear. Obtain for all hope and peace.

Amen.




PRAYER FOR HUSBAND AND WIFE WHO HAVE ARGUMENTS AND QUARRELS



PRAYER FOR HUSBAND AND WIFE WHO HAVE ARGUMENTS AND QUARRELS

Father of love and goodness, in the prayer Your Son taught us, we always say, “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”.
We admit that many times we say these words without really meaning them.
We do not try to practice them.
We ask forgiveness and say we forgive, but our heart goes on full of hurts, rancour and resentment.
Lord Jesus Christ, You gave us a marvelous example of forgiveness when You forgave those who crucified You. Today I want to imitate You and forgive my wife/husband for the times she/he hurt me, and I accept her/his forgiveness for the times I hurt her/him.
Lord Jesus, You know that we are human and imperfect and, during our married life and in the days to come, we sometimes hurt one another. When this happens, grant us the grace to always forgive and accept forgiveness.
Amen.



Prayer to St Monica for the conversion of a son or daughter

Prayer to St Monica for the conversion of a son or daughter

O St Monica, by your prayers and tears you obtained from God the conversion of your stray son who later became a saint.

Have pity on this heart of mine, embittered by the behavior of my disobedient, rebellious and irreconcilable son/daughter who has caused so much distaste to my heart and all of the family. Join your prayers as well as your tears to mine in order to move the good God to make my son/daughter come to his/her senses and return to the right road.

St Monica, ask the Heavenly Father to call this prodigal son/daughter back home that I may rejoice and give thanks to God.

St Augustine, pray for us.

St Monica, attend my prayer.
Amen.
(St Monica, Feast Day: August 27th, is from Tagaste in Africa. Married to Patricio, she had three children, of which Augustine, the young unbelieving rebel, gave her the most trouble. In spite of all her efforts, her son took roads that were contrary to the Catholic faith. Augustine ran away from home and went to Rome and Milan. St Monica went after him, crying and praying. God heard her pleas and Augustine was converted and became a priest and eventually bishop of Hippo. He is considered one of the greatest saints of the Church.)



NOVENA PRAYER TO ST PHILOMENA FOR HELP WITH ANY SERIOUS WORRIES AND PROBLEMS

NOVENA PRAYER TO ST PHILOMENA FOR HELP WITH ANY SERIOUS WORRIES AND PROBLEMS

St Philomena helps in all sorts of problems, and is particularly invoked for help regarding conversion of sinners, return to the Sacraments, expectant mothers, destitute mothers, problems with children, unhappiness in the home, infertility, priests and their work, help for the sick, the missions, real estate, money problems, food for the poor and mental illness.
The prayer below is recited on nine consecutive days.
Faithful virgin and glorious martyr, St Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing – have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs.
Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope.
I entreat thy charity, O great Saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee (mention your request).

I am firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings, the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His Saints.

Amen.



THREE PRAYERS FOR PROBLEMS WITH SELF-CENTRED SEXUAL PATTERNS LIKE PORNOGRAPHY, SEXUAL ADDICTIONS, GAY FANTASIES, HOMOSEXUAL ACTIONS, ETC.

THREE PRAYERS FOR PROBLEMS WITH SELF-CENTRED SEXUAL PATTERNS LIKE PORNOGRAPHY, SEXUAL ADDICTIONS, GAY FANTASIES, HOMOSEXUAL ACTIONS, ETC.

(The first two prayers can be said as often as necessary during the day; the third prayer is a novena, which is said for nine consecutive days.



People who did overcome their self-centred sexual patterns also found it very beneficial to learn this prayer, or a similar one, by heart, which they could mentally pray whenever they felt in a situation they perceived as tempting:

“Lord, save me, or I perish. Keep me close to you by your grace, or I shall sin and fall away from you. Jesus, help me; Mary, help me; my holy Angel, watch over me.”)
PRAYER TO ST JOSEPH FOR PURITY:
O Guardian of virgins and holy father St Joseph, into whose faithful custody Christ Jesus, Innocence Itself, and Mary, Virgin of virgins, were committed, I pray and beseech thee, by these dear pledges, Jesus and Mary, that being preserved from all impurity, I may with spotless mind, heart and chaste body ever most chastely serve Jesus and Mary all the days of my life.
Amen.”

PRAYER FOR CHASTITY:
“O my God, teach me to love others with the purity of your holy Mother. Give me the grace to resist firmly every temptation to impure thoughts, words or actions. Teach me always to love with generosity and goodness, to respect myself and others in the way I act and to reverence the way that you have given us for the creation of new life. Amen.”


NOVENA PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP
(By St Alphonsus)

“O Mary, Lily of the Valley and Mirror of Purity, blessed be God, whose infinite goodness has given us in you so powerful a means of deliverance from the thralldom of that deadly vice which, more than any other, causes the eternal ruin of souls. How many have you, O Virgin most pure, preserved through life in innocence! How many, after having long been slaves of their shameful passions, have, through you, recovered their freedom!
I beseech you then, preserve me continually and all that belong to me from the attacks of this vice. Obtain for me, O Mary, by your holy Virginity and by your Immaculate Conception, that I may be pure in body and soul.
You always defend all those who confide in your Perpetual Help, and who invoke you in the hour of danger; grant, then, that I omit no day to honour you, and to pray to you. May I bear you in mind, especially when the enemy of my salvation assails me.
This is the grace I ask of you; obtain it for me and I shall be secure. By your holy Virginity and your Immaculate Conception obtain for me, O Mother of Perpetual Help, purity of body and soul.
Amen.”


Prayer Against Fear, Anxiety and Worry

Prayer Against Fear, Anxiety and Worry

O Lord we beseech thee to deliver us 
from worry, anxiety and 
fear of the unknown future;
from fear of failure; 
from fear of poverty; 
from fear of bereavement;
from fear of loneliness; 
from fear of sickness and pain;
from fear of age and
from fear of death.

Help us O Father,
by thy grace to love and fear thee only;
fill our hearts with cheerful courage
and loving trust in thee
through our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.
Amen

The Jubilee Medal of St. Benedict

The Jubilee Medal of St. Benedict

St. Benedict Medal
The medal is approx 11/16" (dime size) and silver color aluminum 

The Medal of St. Benedict

There is indeed no medal which possesses such wonderful power and none so highly esteemed by the holy Church as the Medal of St. Benedict. Whosoever wears this medal with devotion, trusting to the life-giving power of the holy Cross and the merits of the holy Father St. Benedict, may expect the powerful protection of this great Patriarch in his spiritual and temporal needs.

ORIGIN OF THE MEDAL

The origin of the Medal probably dates back to the time of St. Benedict himself, of whom we know that, in his frequent combats with the evil spirit, he generally made use of the Sign of the Cross and wrought many miracles thereby. He also taught his disciples to use the Sign of our redemption against the assaults of Satan and in other dangers. St. Maurus and St. Placidus, his first and most renowned disciples, wrought their numerous miracles through the power of the holy Cross and in the name and by the merits of their holy Founder.

The Medal of St. Benedict became more widely known through the following wonderful occurrence: Bruno, afterwards Pope Leo IX, had in his youth been bitten by a venomous reptile, in consequence of which he was seriously ill for two months. He had lost the use of speech and was soon reduced to a skeleton. All hopes of his recovery had been abandoned, when suddenly he beheld a luminous ladder that reached to Heaven, from which descended a venerable old man wearing the habit of a monk. It was St. Benedict, bearing in his hand a radiant cross, with which he touched the swollen face of Bruno and instantly cured him. Then the apparition disappeared.

Bruno, who had been healed in such a miraculous manner, later on entered the Order of St. Benedict. He ascended the papal throne in the year 1048 under the name of Leo IX and was renowned in the Church for his sanctity, his devotion to the holy Cross and to St. Benedict. Through this pope the Medal of St. Benedict was enriched with special blessings, and its veneration spread everywhere. The use of the Medal was solemnly approved and recommended to the faithful by Pope Benedict XIV in 1742.

THE BLESSING OF THE MEDAL OF ST. BENEDICT

The Medal of St. Benedict must be blessed by a Benedictine Father, or by a priest especially authorized. [The blessing can now be given by any priest (Instr., 26 Sept. 1964; Can. 1168). Also, Dom Gueranger states that the Medal is powerful even without the special Benedictine blessing. – Publisher, 1995]. There are three solemn prayers of the Church for the blessing of the Medal.

The first prayer is an exorcism of the wicked spirit, to make void his evil influence, with the earnest petition that the Medal be for the welfare of the body and soul of the wearer.The second prayer is a fervent petition:

O Almighty God, the Giver of all good gifts, we humbly beseech Thee that Thou wouldst bestow, through the intercession of the holy Father St. Benedict, Thy blessing upon these Medals, their letters and characters designed by Thee, that all who wear them and strive to perform good works may obtain health of body and soul, the grace of salvation, the indulgences conceded to us, and by the assistance of Thy mercy, escape the snares and deceptions of the devil and appear holy and stainless in Thy sight. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen

The third prayer is very impressive in virtue of the detailed and solemn commemoration of the agony, sufferings and death of Our Lord.

After the blessing, the Medals cannot be sold; otherwise, the blessing is lost. Medals must be bought before they are blessed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MEDAL

We distinguish two types of the Medal of St. Benedict: the ordinary medal, and that of Monte Cassino, which is known as the Jubilee [or Centenary] Medal. We describe here only the Jubilee Medal.

The Jubilee Medal was struck in 1880 under the supervision of the monks of Monte Cassino, Italy, to mark the 1400th anniversary of the birth of St. Benedict. Monte Cassino was given the exclusive right to strike this medal, and special Jubilee indulgences were added. The design of the Jubilee 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 Monte Cassino.
St. Benedict Medal

On one side, the Medal has a cross, the sign of our redemption, the protecting shield given us by God to ward off the fiery arrows of the evil spirit. At the top of the cross usually stands the word PAX (peace) or the monogram I H S (Jesus).

In the angles of the cross are found these four letters: C.S.P.B. They stand for the words: Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti – " The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict."

On the vertical bar of the cross itself are found the letters: C.S.S.M.L., and on the horizontal bar of the cross: N.D.S.M.D. They signify:

Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux,
Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux
This means:

May the holy Cross be my light,
Let not the dragon be my guide.

Round the margin of the Medal, beginning at the right hand on top, we have the following letters: V.R.S.N.S.M.V.--S.M.Q.L.I.V.B., They stand for the verses:

Vade Retro, Satana!
Nunquam Suade Mihi Vana.
Sunt Mala Quae Libas
Ipse Venena Bibas.

The English words are:
Begone, Satan!
Suggest not vain things to me.
Evil is the cup thou offerest;
Drink thou thine own poison.
St. Benedict Medal
The reverse of the Medal bears the image of St. Benedict holding in his right hand the Cross, in the power of which he wrought so many miracles, and in his left hand bearing the holy Rule, which leads all its followers by the way of the Cross to eternal light.

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. Above the cup and the raven are the Latin words: Crux S-Patris Benedicti. [The initials C.S.P.B. are found on the reverse side – see above.]

Round the margin is the inscription: Eius in obitu nostro praesentia muniamur – "May his presence protect us in the hour of our death."

Below St. Benedict we read: ex SM Casino MDCCCLXXX (from holy Monte Cassino, 1880).

THE POWER AND EFFECTS OF THE MEDAL

Let us state here that we do not ascribe any unknown or hidden power to the Medal, a power which the superstitious ascribe to their charms. We know wherein its power lies, and we protest that the graces and favors are due, not to the gold or the silver, the brass or aluminum of the Medal, but to our faith in the merits of Christ crucified, to the efficacious prayers of the holy Father St. Benedict, and to the blessings which the holy Church bestows upon the Medal and upon those who wear it. This Medal excludes every power or influence which is not from above.

Through the pious use of the Medal of St. Benedict thousands of miracles and wonderful cures have been obtained. We would here mention that in the last few years we have received a number of letters relating most remarkable cures and extraordinary favors obtained by the devout use of the said Medal. It is, indeed, edifying to see how that faithful love and venerate this highly blessed Medal and how anxious they are to obtain this holy article, which has proved to be a remedy to almost every evil.

The Medal of St. Benedict is powerful to ward off all dangers of body and soul coming from the evil spirit. We are exposed to the wicked assaults of the devil day and night. St. Peter says, "Your adversary the devil, as roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8). In the life of St. Benedict we see how the devil tried to do harm to his soul and body, and also to his spiritual children. Father Paul of Moll, saintly Flemish Benedictine wonder-worker (1824-1896), frustrated the evil doings of the spirit of darkness chiefly through the use of the Medal of St. Benedict, which has proved a most powerful protection against the snares and delusions of the old enemy. Missionaries in pagan lands use this Medal with so great effect that it has been given the remarkable name, "The devil-chasing Medal."

The Medal is, therefore, a powerful means:
  • To destroy witchcraft and all other diabolical influences.
  • To keep away the spells of magicians, of wicked and evil-minded persons.
  • To impart protection to persons tempted, deluded or tormented by evil spirits.
  • To obtain the conversion of sinners, especially when they are in danger of death.
  • To serve as an armor in temptations against holy purity.
  • To destroy the effects of poison.
  • To secure a timely and healthy birth for children.
  • To afford protection against storms and lightning.
  • To serve as an efficacious remedy for bodily afflictions and a means of protection against contagious diseases.
Finally, the Medal has often been used with admirable effect even for animals infected with plague or other maladies, and for fields when invaded by harmful insects.

THE USE OF THE MEDAL

It may be worn about the neck, attached to the scapular or the rosary, or otherwise carried devoutly about one's person. For the sick it can be placed on wounds, dipped in medicine or in water which is given to them to drink.

The Medal is frequently put into the foundation of houses or in walls, hung over doors, or fastened on stables and barns to call down God's protection and blessing. It is also buried in fields, as the saintly Father Paul of Moll advised his friends to do.

No particular prayers are prescribed, for the very wearing and use of the Medal is considered a silent prayer to God to grant us, through the merits of St. Benedict, the favors we request. However, for obtaining extraordinary favors, it is highly recommended to perform special devotions in honor of the holy Father St. Benedict, for instance, on Tuesday, on which day the Church commemorates the death of the holy Patriarch. The Way of the Cross is also highly recommended or a novena to St. Benedict. His feast is celebrated March 21st, two days after the feast of St. Joseph.



St. Benedict Medal Prayer

May the intercession of the Blessed Patriarch and Abbot Benedict render Thee merciful unto us, O Lord, that what our own unworthiness cannot obtain, we may receive through his powerful patronage. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen
(This prayer may be said when using the Medal for any pious purpose.)

Novena Prayer to St. Benedict

O glorious St. Benedict, sublime model of virtue, pure vessel of God's grace! Behold me humbly kneeling at thy feet. I implore thee, in thy loving kindness, to pray for me before the throne of God. To thee do I have recourse in the dangers that daily surround me. Shield me against my selfishness and my indifference to God and to my neighbor. Inspire me to imitate thee in all things. May thy blessing be with me always, so that I may see and serve Christ in others and work for His kingdom.

Graciously obtain for me from God these favors and graces which I need so much in the trials, miseries and afflictions of life. Thy heart was always full of love, compassion and mercy toward those who were afflicted or troubled in any way. Thou didst never dismiss without consolation and assistance anyone who had recourse to thee. I therefore invoke thy powerful intercession, confident in the hope that thou wilt hear my prayers and obtain for me the special grace and favor I earnestly implore. (Name your petition.)

Help me, great St. Benedict, to live and die as a faithful child of God, to run in the sweetness of His loving will and to attain the eternal happiness of Heaven. Amen.

How to Protect Yourself Against Demonic Spirits

How to Protect Yourself Against Demonic Spirits

Where there is light, there is also darkness. In the realm of the spiritual and paranormal, agents of darkness and evil are referred to as demons. These wicked spirits seek the ruination of all humankind. They thrive on fear and chaos, and exist to spread both across creation. In this guide, we will look at prayers and other ways to protect yourself from these evil beings.


Protection Prayers to ward off evil or demonic forces or entities, protection prayers are recited. These prayers are not necessarily considered to remove demons that are already present. Instead, they are meant to prevent demonic entities from entering into or otherwise influencing a person, home, property, or object.


Paranormal investigators and professional exorcists often use the repetitive recitation of protection prayers as a chant to shield themselves from harm or fear whenever engaging malevolent spirits or demons. Since demons cannot really be destroyed, so to speak, but only banished from one individual or space to another, these prayers also prevent demons from “jumping.”


When demons jump, they shift from a currently possessed individual or space to a new one. Demons have been known to do this in order to temporarily fool exorcists into believing they have successfully cast them out, when in fact the targeted demons have only moved to a new space. In extreme cases, when serious mistakes are made by an exorcist, demons have even been known to attempt jumping from the possessed person or space to the body of the acting exorcist. Reciting prayers of protection can offer a protective shield against the demon being engaged.


The Circle of Light



The “Circle of Light” prayer is a very good, spiritually universal, non denominational protection prayer. Sometimes, this prayer is recited after lighting a blessed (or just a normal) candle. The individual, before reciting the prayer, first envisions that he or she is completely surrounded by a strong circle of protective light.
Some alternate versions of the prayer are available (some only recite the first four or five lines), but the majority of them are similar to the following:
The light of God surrounds us (me).
The love of God enfolds us (me).
The power of God protects us (me).
The presence of God watches over us (me).
Wherever we are (I am), God is.
And all is well.


The Prayer to the Archangel Michael


One of the most powerful prayers of protection against demonic forces is the “Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel”. There are several known alternate versions of this prayer. The longest version is also the original, which Pope Leo XIII issued and ordered to be used as a protective exorcism prayer against Satan and other demonic forces.


Three primary versions are most commonly used by today’s exorcists, mediums, and paranormal investigators. Those who regularly deal with demons and malevolent spirits usually memorize the shortest version and believe they gain strength when a group recites the prayer in unison. This short version is as follows:
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray.
And do thou, Oh Prince of the Heavenly Host, by God’s power, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.






The second known version, only slightly longer, integrates the short version with certain important passages from the original Roman Catholic version. This second, middle-length version is as follows:
Glorious Prince of Heaven’s armies, Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle against the principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness, against the wicked spirits in the high places.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray.
And do thou, Oh Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
In the name of the Father,
And of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.


The original, Catholic version of this prayer is rather lengthy and integrates long citations of biblical passages from Ephesians and Revelations. Because of its length, memorization of this version can be slightly more difficult, and so it sometimes must be recited by reading from a written piece. This original version is as follows:


In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Oh Glorious Prince of the Heavenly Armies, Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in “our battle against the principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places” (Ephesians 6:12).
Come to the assistance of those God has created to His likeness, and whom He has redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil.
The Holy Church venerates you as her guardian and protector; to you, the Lord has entrusted the souls of the redeemed to be led into heaven. Pray, therefore, to the God of Peace to crush Satan beneath our feet, that he may no longer retain men captive and do injury to the Church.




Offer our prayers to the Most High, that without delay they may draw His mercy down upon us; take hold of “the dragon, the serpent of old, which is the devil and Satan,” bind him and cast him into the bottomless pit “that he may no longer seduce the nations” (Revelations 20:2–3).
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.


The Twenty-Third Psalm



The Twenty-Third Psalm, from the Old Testament Book of Psalms, can be recited for a variety of purposes. Therefore, some consider it a multi-purpose prayer. As a prayer for those in mourning, it is often recited at funerals of both the Judaic and Christian faiths. It also gives courage to the fearful and hope to those who suffer from despair. Additionally, it is considered a prayer of protection against evil or demonic forces.
There are various English translations of the Twenty-Third Psalm, but almost all of them basically contain the following:
The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake, and though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all of the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Amen.


Jabez’s Prayer



In 1 Chronicles 4:10 in the Christian Bible, we find the “Prayer of Jabez.” Jabez was one of Israel’s most righteous and faithful men during a rather unremarkable time in its history. However, Jabez is known for offering one simple prayer to the god of the Israelites, YHVH … and for his piety and faith, his prayer was granted. Again, many translations are available. One translation is as follows:


Oh, Lord that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from evil so that it may not grieve me.


St. Benedict Medals and Sacred Objects


The practice of wearing or using protective charms, amulets, or objects in order to ward off evil has been around since ancient times. Sometimes the wearing of blessed medals or the use of certain sacred objects, a practice that still remains very common in Catholicism, is believed to offer protection against evil spirits and demonic entities.
Many believe special medals referred to as the “Medals of St. Benedict” are the most potent objects in the barring of malevolent or demonic entities. St. Benedict was the founder of the Benedictine monastic order, and many stories involving the barring or thwarting of evil or demonic forces are credited to him.
The front of a St. Benedict medal portrays him holding a cross in his right hand and an unfurled scroll on which he wrote the rules of behavior for the Benedictine monks in his left. Behind him is a cup of poison, which symbolizes a specific story regarding one of his miracles. According to the story, when a servant of evil offered St. Benedict a poisoned goblet, the man of God made the sign of the cross, and the goblet immediately shattered. A loaf of poisoned bread that the man had also offered to Benedict was then set upon by a raven that flew away with it, thwarting the man’s plan to kill the monk.
The back of a St. Benedict medal shows a cross along with a specific series of letters, VRS-NSMV-SMQL-IVB. These letters were first discovered written on crosses hung throughout the interior of the Benedictine Abbey of Metten. The discovery was made after several women who were being tried for witchcraft claimed to have been quite unable to work their spells near that building.
For some time, the meaning of the letters remained a mystery until a manuscript from 1417 was discovered. These letters, which stand for the words Benedict supposedly spoke when the agent of the devil attempted to poison him, were later used to form the following prayer of protection and exorcism:


Vade retro Satana (Step back Satan)
Numquam suade mihi vana (Tempt me not with vain things)
Sunt mala quae libas (What you offer is evil)
Ipse venena bibas (Drink the poison yourself)


Many other objects are considered effective in protecting oneself against malevolent spiritual influences. For the most part, any sacred religious object in which the wearer/holder has faith can offer protection against demonic forces.
Some of the most commonly used objects for protection against evil or demonic forces are as follows:
  • Holy water
  • Blessed salts
  • Anointment oils
  • Crosses, crucifixes, or rosaries
  • A pentagram, pointing upward (for Wiccans)
While they can be powerful, demons are in no way all-powerful. As long as humans have been aware of the demonic, they’ve also been aware of the means to battle them.