The St. Benedict Medal

By June Klins

   It was on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje that I first was introduced to the St. Benedict medal. A young lady on our pilgrimage insisted that my son, who was then 21 years old, needed all the protection he could get, in the spiritual battle that goes on for the souls of young men, especially those called to Medjugorje.

   Our Lady has told us a number of times to carry blessed objects with us. In 1982 She said to Mirjana, “This century is under the power of the devil…He is destroying marriages, creating division among priests and is responsible for obsessions and murder. You must protect yourselves against these things through fasting and prayer…Carry blessed objects with you. Put them in your house and restore the use of holy water.”

   I wanted to learn more about the St. Benedict medal, so I consulted the booklet, Our Lady Teaches About Sacramentals and Blessed Objects by Father Albert Shamon. Father said that St. Benedict (whose feast is July 11) often used the Sign of the Cross to ward off demons and protect himself from being poisoned.  Father wrote:

   “His medal has exceptional power against the demons of Hell and against physical evils. It also has great power in obtaining exceptional graces.

   “The front of the medal shows St. Benedict holding a cross in one hand and the book of his Rule in the other.  Flanking him on each side are the words: Crux S. Patris Benedicti (The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict). Below his feet are the words: Ex S M Casino MDCCCLXXX  (From the Holy Mount of Cassino, 1880). On that date, Monte Cassino was given the exclusive right to produce this medal. Inscribed in the circle surrounding Benedict are the words: Ejus in obitu nostro presentia muniamur ( May his presence protect us in the hour of death).

   “The other side of the medal is where the real exorcistic force reveals itself.  In the center is the Cross. Benedict loved the Cross and often used it to drive away demons. The vertical beam of the Cross has five letters: C.S.S.M.L., meaning Crux sacra mihi lux (May the holy Cross be for me a light). The horizontal beam of the Cross also has five letters: N.D.S.M.D., meaning Non draco sit mihi dux  (May the dragon never be my guide).

   “The four large letters at the angles of the Cross C S P B stand for Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti  (The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict). Encircling the Cross in a circle around the right margin are these letters: V.R.S.N.S.M.V., meaning Vade retro Satana nunquam suade mihi vana  (Get behind me, Satan; never suggest vain thoughts to me). Around the left margin of the circle are these letters: S.M.Q.L.I.V.B., meaning Sunt mala quae libas; ipse venena bibas (The drinks you offer are evils; drink the poison yourself).

   “At the top of the circle is the word: PAX (Peace). 

   “This highly indulgenced medal can be worn around the neck or attached to one’s rosary, or simply carried in one’s pocket. One’s personal devotion, together with the powerful blessing and prayers of the Church, make it a formidable weapon against the evil spirits and a mighty help in keeping pure, in bringing about conversions and in guarding against contagious diseases.”

   Of course the medal should be blessed by a priest and if possible, one should have a Benedictan priest bless it with the special exorcism blessing. There are crucifixes of all sizes in Medjugorje that have a St. Benedict medal on them. After having a bad dream one night, I now sleep with a small St. Benedict Crucifix from Medjugorje. A friend suggested that I put St. Benedict medals in all my suitcases when I travel to protect my belongings, especially since we cannot lock our luggage any more. My luggage has never been lost since I put the medals in there.

   My friend also told me that she heard on EWTN that you should put on your “desktop” of your computer the St. Benedict blessing, saved in “Word” or some other similar format. I did this right away when I got a new computer almost 4 years ago. I have had no major problems since then.

   One must be sure, when using any sacramentals, to guard against superstition, that is, treating the sacramentals as if they have magical powers.  Fr. Shamon wrote, “The power of the sacramental comes from the prayers of the Church and the faith of the recipient. Blessing one’s throat on St. Blaise Day is no infallible guarantee against a sore throat. Sometimes an illness can be more beneficial to a person than the cure. However, the blessing will help, as God sees fit. The sacramentals are not magical charms; they are a calling upon God to act.”

Editor’s note: The St. Benedict blessing to be put on a computer desktop can be found below.

Fr. Petar Ljubicic Speaks About the Secrets

The following question was asked at the Panel Discussion at the Notre Dame Medjugorje Conference on 5/27/07:

Question: Do you have any thoughts about when the secrets will be revealed?

Fr. Petar: We are in the process of patiently waiting for when that’s going to take place. From the very beginning Our Lady was preparing Mirjana how she would reveal those secrets.  I was present several times on such discussions Our Lady had with Mirjana. I saw she was crying sometimes, and my question was, “Why are you crying?”  She said,  “I am crying because what She’s announcing that would take place - it’s no good, it’s very serious.”

   As I look into the situation in which the world is today, I have the feeling that this should take place very soon. The world cannot go on as it is, under the present condition. Something has to take place. Some intervention from Heaven has to take place. It appears as though everything is going towards perdition, but we know that for those that love, God works for good in all events, because God can even write in crooked lines the right way.

What I would like to emphasize is what is most important – that we should not look for the time when it would take place, but put emphasis on: Are we ready to face it when it does take place? He who lives the Gospel in accordance to expectations of the Gospel and Christ has nothing to fear.  When Jesus comes, such a person will be ready.

   We will know 10 days before it takes place what will take place. There will be like a parchment that I will receive from Mirjana. It will be about this size (showing), 8 by 10. All the secrets are written there – where it will take place, where, when and how will be written there. Then for the next seven days it will be time to fast and pray (both Mirjana and Fr. Petar). Three days before, it will be revealed to the world what will take place.  We must say that the first two secrets are involved with Medjugorje. They will be a warning of that which is to take place, because Our Lady did appear first in Medjugorje. And the parishioners of that parish of St. James are called to live those messages and to spread them as well.  Many will be surprised because they weren’t really taking into account what will take place. And the third secret will be on the Mount of Apparitions. There will be a visible sign. That sign will be a great joy for those who were in Medjugorje and who accepted these messages and have been living them.

Question: In your opinion, would you consider situations such as 911, Katrina, tsunami, the hurricanes, disasters, the present status of the war, that it is so widespread, would you link these directly to what Our Lady has been saying in Medjugorje with respect to the chastisements?

Fr. Petar: Yes, no matter what is taking place in nature and in the world there would be different opinions about it. But we Catholics have a different kind of opinion.  We have learned and know that God is our loving Father, that He loves us, as Our Lady would say. But then take an earthly father for example. He does whatever he can do so his children will be fulfilled and happy. But, you see, the children refuse, the children want to live their own lives.  They don’t listen to the wish of the father. For tsunami maybe we can say this: “This for me is God’s call to conversion because we were saved just a few seconds from total destruction of the area where we were.  Instead of celebrating with Holy Mass the birth of Jesus, we decided to go there and enjoy life. I did not go there to sin as many others did go there to sin. All during these future holy days I shall never go anywhere, but be home.  I will pray for those who do not know that, to be converted, but I will stay here.”

   I see some of these events as a warning of God that we would convert and that we would turn to God. I desire not to say that this is God’s punishment. I would say it is a caution, a warning by God to us.  God is saying, “Man, be ready.”  Make it well with God because tonight might be too late.  That’s what’s important for us.  Many are now prophesizing that many disasters will take place in the world, but let’s not speculate about that. What’s important is that we know where we are coming from, what we need to do, and where we are geared to go.  We come from God, for God and our neighbor we live, and then we go to God. So in that manner it is important when we will encounter our Maker, but how happy we will be when He comes to meet us and takes us to be with Him for all eternity. But it’s important to emphasize to our children: “You see, dear children, there are many who are losing their lives on the road. Tsunami comes, Katrina comes, and you’re gone. Therefore, make your life right in alignment with God NOW. Your mom and your dad desire to be in Heaven with you someday and that’s not a fairy tale. That’s the truth and a fact.” 

   Therefore, during your Mass, consecrate your children and your family to God. As the priest is consecrating bread, at that moment say, “I believe, God, You are here. Now I am dedicating my life, my children, my future, my family, my troubles, my sickness to You for Your glory.”  And therefore, I dare to say, you are helping Jesus so that He and His grace may save you and your family. 

   One family had a son who was a drunkard.  They were in Lourdes and Fatima. When they came to Medjugorje finally this is what they told me: the son had encountered a car accident because he was under the influence of alcohol.  He came to Medjugorje. He was converted. He had a call to become a priest, and he became a priest.  Two years ago he was ordained, and now he’s in Romania as a missionary.  This family said, “In a special way we were praying at the moment of Consecration and lifting him up and consecrating him to Jesus so that Jesus could make him holy.  Because of alcohol he was already shaken. You see what God can do!”

  Pray!  God is ready to act!

Miraculous Image!

By Mr. Francis Tebaasoboke

   In the year 2005, we organized a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in conjunction with Radio Maria Uganda Care-of - Fr. Peter Bakka, and the battle-cry for it was “ON TO MEDJUGORJE, ON TO MEDJUGORJE.”  As “Dove Tours and Travel Agency” we had organized numerous such pilgrimages for Ugandans to the Holy Land, to Rome, Lourdes, Assisi, Fatima, etc., but never before had people reported so many heavenly favors as when the pilgrims returned from Medjugorje. And spontaneously they soon organized themselves into a group which started meeting every month.  They started calling themselves Medjugorians and friends of Medjugorians. It was the first time that such a thing was happening.  Brother Musaazi reported cure from diabetes, and Agnes, a well-to-do lady working with UNICEF and driving her own Pajero car, resigned from her job soon after returning from Medjugorje and she joined the convent. Now she is already a sister of the "Intercessors of the Lamb". She is the first Ugandan in that Congregation. One lady by the name of Mary who wanted to bathe herself with the water in which she had overnight placed the statue of Our Lady from Medjugorje, found the container empty, with the image intact, the following day. When such happenings as reported above started pouring in from various corners, we the staff of Dove Tours and Travel could not but feel cheated for apparently being left out of such favors. In our prayers we explicitly asked Mary for a sign as a token of encouragement for our services to pilgrims, not only to Medjugorje but also to the Holy Land, to Rome and other holy places.

   After one week, I got some serious flu and this made me sneeze quite a lot. In the night as I lay in bed, I developed a strong urge to sneeze. I pulled out my handkerchief which I had already been using for that same purpose during the day. As I coughed and sneezed my fingers landed on something in the handkerchief that was a bit hard. This caught my attention. I groped in that darkness with my fingers trying to find out what it was. As I quickly touched the hard spot it was extremely smooth. This at once struck me at once as something extra-ordinary.

   I jumped out of bed to find out what it was in the handkerchief that was puzzlingly hard and at the same time very smooth. To my surprise it was the image of Our Lady in plastic, tightly stuck on­to my handkerchief. Immediately I woke my wife up and told her about what I had just experienced. We both admitted spontaneously that it was the sign from Our Lady which we had asked for. I was the only one from the family who had gone to Medjugorje and I was the only one from the Agency staff who had traveled that time. I could not remember ever having seen such an image of that size and make anywhere. Neither had the staff or the members of my family seen anything like it from the many articles I had brought back home from Medjugorje.

   The following day I showed the image to my staff who were quick to welcome it at once as the sign we had been waiting for from Mary. Now we keep it in the strong room but the many people who are coming to have a look at it are making us doubt whether we are keeping it in the right place. Thank you, Mary. I promise to be your angel all my life.

Editor’s note: Francis is the Managing Director of Dove Tours and Travel in Uganda. This story is from the second issue of the Ugandan newsletter “On to Medjugorje.” The Peace-Uganda Medjugorje Center has been able to send out many copies of its newsletters to the people of Uganda thanks to the generosity of the subscribers of “The Spirit of Medjugorje” who provided them with their copier and computer. If you would like to help the people in Uganda, please contact us. They will pray for you and their prayers are powerful!