Feast Day of St Benedict

Statue of St Benedict, Abbey of the Three Fountains

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July 11th is the feast day of St Benedict of Nursia (480-547), who is widely acclaimed as the father of Western Monasticism. 

Benedict, who was born in the Umbrian town of Norcia, founded the monastery at Monte Cassino, where he promulgated the Rule of St Benedict, which in time became the basis for western monastic rule, requiring vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.  

A statue of St Benedict stands at the entrance to the Abbazia di Tre Fontane (Abbey of Three Fountains). He holds a finger to his mouth entreating silence. In his left hand he carries a book inscribed with the word REGOLA. At his feet sits a raven with a loaf of bread in its beak, a reference to the attempt by an envious priest to poison him. Benedict guessed that his bread was poisoned and ordered a raven to remove it.  

St Benedict's Medal

The niche in which the statue stands is crowned with an image of the front of St Benedict's Medal. 

The cross contains the letters C S S M L and N D S M D, the initials of the words CRUX SACRA SIT MIHI LUX NUNQUAM DRACO SIT MIHI DUX (May the holy cross be my light. May the dragon never be my overlord). The letters in the four circles - C S P B - stand for CRUX SANCTI PATRIS BENEDICTI (The Cross of Holy Father Benedict).

The outermost letters V R S N S M V - S M Q L I V B stand for VADE RETRO SATANA NUNQUAM SUADE MIHI VANA SUNT MALA QUAE LIBAS IPSE VENENA BIBAS (Begone Satan. Never tempt me with your vanities. What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself).  At the top of the disc is a single word - PAX.  

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