The Saint Benedict prayer is the short Latin prayer written in initials on the Saint Benedict medal. It asks that the Holy Cross be our light and tells the devil to go away, trusting that God is stronger than every evil.
The Holy Cross be my light. Let not the dragon be my guide. Begone, Satan, do not suggest to me thy vanities. Evil are the things thou profferest; drink thou thy own poison.
The Latin prayer on the Saint Benedict medal, in the translation of the Catholic Encyclopedia (1912).
Pray it with Clara at bedtime, in the Little Prayer Stories app.Get the app →The medal has two sides. On the front, Saint Benedict holds a cross in his right hand and his Rule in his left, with a cup on one side and a raven on the other, from two stories of his life. On the back is a cross covered in letters: each group is the first letters of the Latin words of the prayer.
What many people call the Saint Benedict cross is that same cross, or a crucifix with the medal set in its center.
“The Holy Cross be my light” is a whole prayer for a small child. Trace a little cross on their forehead as you say it.
It speaks to the devil, so explain it simply: Jesus is stronger than every evil, and with his cross we don’t need to be afraid.
If you have a medal, look for the letters together and match each group to its words below. Older children love the puzzle.
No. It’s a sacramental: a blessed object that reminds us to pray and to trust God. It has no power of its own; the protection we ask for comes from God. A priest can bless it.
Its letters were found painted on old crosses at the Abbey of Metten, in Bavaria, in 1647, and an old manuscript there explained them. The medal spread from the Benedictine monasteries to families everywhere.
Yes. Many families put one on a child’s chain or hang one by the door. For small children, a medal sewn into a bag or hung by the bed avoids a chain around the neck.
