Holy Angels and St. Benedict and his Medal

ST. BENEDICT'S VISION...

"GLOBE AND THE THREE ANGELS"

Traditional Feast Day of St. Benedict

July 11th 

St. Benedict was very focused on God alone... many believe this to be why he was able to have this vision of the Globe and the three Angels.  

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"SAINT BENEDICT'S VISION... The saint’s soul was so focused on God alone it was allowed to see the world as its Creator sees it. The episode suggests the ability Benedict displayed throughout his life to discern the dynamic interplay between the spiritual world and the material universe." Quoted from SimplyCatholic.com

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Video from St. Joseph's - The St. Benedict Medal

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"St. Benedict was the father of Western Monasticism. He was born in Nursia, Italy, in 480. Beginning in 520, he founded twelve monasteries in the region of Subiaco. The foundation at Monte Cassino (529) became the cradle of his Order. His twin sister was St. Scholastica. Benedict died March 21, 542." "St. Benedict had a profound veneration for the Holy Cross and for our Savior Crucified. In virtue of the Sign of the Cross he wrought many miracles and exercised great power over the spirits of darkness." "In consequence of the great veneration in which St. Benedict was held from the early middle ages, it followed that a medal was struck. His medal has exceptional powers against the demons of Hell." "The Medal of Saint Benedict is one of the Sacramentals of the Church. The value and power of the Medal must be ascribed to the merits of Christ Crucified, to the efficacious prayers of St. Benedict, to the blessing of the Church, and specially to the faith and holy disposition of the person using the Medal."                                                                 "On the front of the medal it 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 these 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 used it to drive away demons. The vertical beam of the Cross has five letters: C.S.S.M.L., meaning Crux Sacra Sit 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 (Let not the dragon 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 (Begone Satan! Suggest not to me thy vain things). 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 drink you offer is evil; drink that poison yourself).  At the top of the circle is the word PAX (Peace)." "There is no special way of carrying or applying the Medal is prescribed. It may be worn around the neck, attached to the scapular or the Rosary or simply carried in one's pocket. Often it is placed in the fields, the foundations of buildings or attached to automobiles to call down God's blessing and the protection of St. Benedict. No particular prayer is prescribed, as the devout wearing itself is a continual silent prayer." Reference Site: http://www.sancta.org/medal.html                                                                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Prayer and Blessing:  "A Saint Benedict medal is a sacramental. It may be blessed by any priest or deacon. Here is a suggest blessing. V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who made heaven and earth. In the name of God the Father + almighty, who made heaven and earth, the seas and all that is in them, I exorcise these medals against the power and attacks of the evil one. May all who use these medals devoutly be blessed with health of soul and body. In the name of the Father + almighty, of the Son + Jesus Christ our Lord, and of the Holy + Spirit the Paraclete, and in the love of the same Lord Jesus Christ who will come on the last day to judge the living and the dead, and the world by fire. Amen. Let us pray. Almighty God, the boundless source of all good things, we humbly ask that, through the intercession of Saint Benedict, you pour out your blessings + upon these medals. May those who use them devoutly and earnestly strive to perform good works be blessed by you with health of soul and body, the grace of a holy life, and remission of the temporal punishment due to sin. May they also with the help of your merciful love, resist the temptation of the evil one and strive to exercise true charity and justice toward all, so that one day they may appear sinless and holy in your sight. This we ask though Christ our Lord. Amen. The medals are then sprinkled with holy water. Take care to learn the prayers and exhortations inscribe on the medal… May the holy cross be my light! May the dragon never be my guide! May we be strengthened by his presence in the hour of our death! Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities!   Peace.  Here is a prayer by Saint Benedict for seekers of faith... Gracious and Holy father, give is the wisdom to discover You, the intelligence to understand You, the diligence to seek after you, the patience to wait for You, eyes to behold You, a heart to meditate upon You, and a life to proclaim You, through the power of the Spirit of Jesus, our Lord. Amen Dear Saint Benedict, I thank God for showering you with His grace to love Him above all else and to establish a monastic rule that has helped so many of His children live full and holy lives. Through the cross of Jesus Christ, I ask you to please intercede that God might protect me, my loved ones, my home, property, possessions, and workplace today and always by your holy blessing, that we may never be separated from Jesus, Mary, and the company of all the blessed. Through your intercession may we be delivered from temptation, spiritual oppression, physical ills, and disease. Protect us from drug and alcohol abuse, impurity and immorality, objectionable companions, and negative attitudes. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen."  Taken from Website: https://www.zieglers.com/blog/why-the-devil-is-so-scared-of-the-saint-benedict-medal-and-crucifix/ ~~~ Benedictine Values  LOVE OF CHRIST AND NEIGHBOR Benedictine life, like that of all Christians, is first and foremost a response to God’s astonishing love for humankind, a love expressed in the free gift of God’s beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Love, the motive for monastic life and its goal, tops St. Benedict’s list of tools for good works (RB 5:10, 7:67-69, 4.1-2). Yet the Rule recognizes many ways in which monastics can fail to ground their lives in love. It sets up personal and communal practices that deal directly with human selfishness wherever it occurs and seeks to heal the resulting harm to one’s self and others. Ultimately it is the power of God’s love that is decisive. Indeed, the crowning good work for the monastic is “never to lose hope in God’s mercy” (RB 4:74). STABILITY Stability shapes a Benedictine way of life. All of its members commit themselves to seeking God. They resolve to pursue this, their heart’s deepest desire, together, day in and day out, in good times and in bad, throughout the entire span of their lives. HOSPITALITY St. Benedict sees Christ present within the monastery in Scripture and liturgy, and in the person of the abbot, prioress, the sick, and each of the members of the monastic community. However, St. Benedict accords special attention to Christ’s unexpected arrival from outside in the person of the guest, whom he describes alternately as poor and as a stranger. Christ presents himself in the outsider’s vulnerability and calls the monastic to put aside individual plans and pre-occupations in order to let the unexpected person in, to help them get established, to respond to their most pressing needs. And when the outsider comes to experience being “at home” in this new place, for however brief the stay, the monastic discovers new awareness of the common journey in which all are engaged. A blessing accompanies both the offering and the receiving of hospitality. JUSTICE AND PEACE The aim of the Benedictine life is to find peace. It is not something that we sit about and wait for - we must pursue it, work for it, set out trying to achieve it . Peace is not another word for passive or disengaged or removed from the world. It is an active ordering of life so that peace is the outcome. Benedict is offering us a way to find peace in our hearts and beyond. Peace is a feature of just communities - disharmony and injustice create tension, jealousy and annoyance. Peace cannot exist in that environment. For peace to reign, justice is fundamental. So a Benedictine community has an inherent desire to bring about justice. This means that we recognize that there is nothing in the world that is not first in the human heart. In all hearts and in our communities, we must seek peace and pursue it. OBEDIENCE Benedictine life is unthinkable without obedience, a value that cuts against the grain of much in contemporary life. It is often forgotten that the root of the word obedience is found in audire, “to listen.” When St. Benedict begins the Rule with the exhortation “Listen,” he emphasizes the stance of obedience required of all who seek wisdom. He asks for obedience not only to the spiritual head of the monastery, but to the other members of the community (RB 7:l-2). Each has something of value to say about true fullness of life. For the monastic, obedience is putting into practice what is learned by listening to the other “with the ear of the heart” (RB Prol. 1). Centuries of Benedictine experience show that such listening requires a willingness to submit to imperatives outside of the self, something that is never easy to do, but that is deeply rewarding. PRAYER Benedictine schools cultivate a fundamental attentiveness to the ways in which God is present in the human mind and heart and, indeed, in all creation. St. Benedict directs that nothing is to be preferred to prayer (RB 43.3). This daily experience of prayer is supported and deepened by individual spiritual reading, a practice that Benedictines call by its Latin name, lectio divino. Lectio divina is the slow meditative reading of Scriptures and other sacred texts with the intention of discerning how God is at work right now in the world and calling within the individual’s own heart. For a monastic, the daily movement between common liturgical prayer and lectio divino opens up new space within where qualities and virtues such as compassion, integrity and courage can develop and grow strong. STEWARDSHIP At its core the Rule seeks to foster a fundamental reverence toward the creation that God has made. St. Benedict exhorts his followers to regard all the tools and goods of the monastery as the sacred vessels of the altar (RB 31.10). Benedictine monastics do not simply use up what has been given to them, nor do they aim to live in poverty. Instead, they prize good stewardship, the respectful use of material things for the good of all, with a special eye to frugality, integrity of form and function, and the capacity of beauty to communicate the presence and power of God. COMMUNITY Benedictine monastic community is rooted in a particular place in which mutual service, especially in the mundane areas of everyday life, is demanded of all with no expectation of individual reward. It is a challenge to contribute to a living, flesh and blood community on such terms. The qualities of character that are required are nurtured by the individual community’s sense of its mission, the witness of monastic forebears and the broader communion of saints across the ages. The imagination to persevere and thrive in such a life is enriched through the example of communities across the world - monastic and nonmonastic, Christian and non-Christian, religious and non- religious - that make sustained practical efforts to foster human well-being, often in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Though directly grounded in a particular place, the commitments and aspirations of Benedictine life can only bear fruit if they stretch to horizons that are truly universal. CONVERSATIO The aim of life for Benedictines is the same as it is for all Christians - to be transformed in every part of one’s life so that God’s very image, in which each has been created, becomes palpable and transparent. The Benedictine word for this way of life is conversatio, the process of letting go in day-to-day life of self-centered preoccupations and false securities so that the divine life at the core of one’s being becomes manifest in a trustworthy pattern of living. Conversatio is a commitment to engage in practices that over a lifetime bring about conversion into the likeness of Christ and, in particular, Christ’s giving of self for others. This transformation proceeds according to small steps; and it is tested in unexpected ways over a lifetime, To come to fruition conversatio requires stability, discipline, faithfulness and resilience. DISCIPLINE Discipline is a way of focusing energy and attention on what matters most. Benedictine life is built around a fundamental discipline of prayer, work and relationships that is set forth in the Rule and that seeks to free people to take delight in God’s presence within the self, the community and the world. New members are taught how to cultivate discipline and to realize that it takes a lifetime of practice to develop fully the skills needed to live life freely and wholeheartedly on the deepest of levels. HUMILITY Humility is St. Benedict’s word for wisdom. He begins his extended description of the twelve degrees of humility by describing awe at the abiding presence of God and ends depicting a love that casts out fear (RB 7). The Benedictine way of life seeks an accurate knowledge of self, a pervasive awareness of God’s presence in their lives and their dependence on others and creation itself. They recognize their limitations without losing hope and accept their gifts without becoming arrogant because the measure of their lives is not found in themselves alone. There is always room for additional personal growth, for giving one’s self for the good of others.  (QUOTED FROM WEBSITE: https://www.saintpatricks.nsw.edu.au/about/benedictine-values/)  ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Footnote: Original Painting can be found at:  https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/saint-benedicts-vision-of-the-globe-and-the-three/862be453-a0-4561-ab59-9d9870c2c21d  Art work Print...displayed above is from... FineArtAmerica.com Saint Benedict's Vision of the Globe and the three Angels Canvas Print

The Yoke

"The Yoke"
Surrendering our heavy burdens...

Prayer: 
Thank You Lord, for bringing us together and for the ability to share with each other.  You created each one of us to be a unique individual, by Your design... whom You use as instruments to bring others to You.  Out of love for others, we often take on the world's problems.  Unfortunately, then these problems seem to become ours. We strive to live in this world, and not be of this world.  Help us to surrender these things that we have no control over and need to hand over to You.  Amen

Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom of our souls.
"The Bible along with Catholic teachings and traditions... tells us that Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom of our souls. Being a Catholic is to be happily married to Christ, for men and women alike. 
We should long for a deeper relationship with Him."

 

Revelations 19:7-9 The Marriage Supper of the Lamb 

"Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory. For the wedding day of the Lamb has come, His bride has made herself ready. She was allowed to wear a bright, clean linen garment.” (The linen represents the righteous deeds of the holy ones.) Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those, who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And He said to me, “These words are true; they come from God."    https://bible.usccb.org                                                                   

Meditation: 
Do you feel the weight of the world upon your shoulders?  
That heaviness from concern for others' well being? 
Put on your Yoke, that you have chosen to be the visual reminder of this heavy burden. Example; a scarf, hanky, tie, string, whatever you picked,  make sure it can be left on, or at the foot of the Most Holy Cross with Jesus.

Sit now in the quiet, for only a moment with me... 

Go into the depths of your soul.

 

What are you feeling?

Where is the Lord taking you?

Do you see Him?

 

What is He saying to you?

Listen! 

Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30 
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and LEARN from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. 
For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

"My Yoke is easy" -  Did you hear Him? 

He's talking to us right now... 

"Do you realize my little children, that I am, a Bride Groom, and that you are Mine, the Church, and the littlest of littles, are all Mine... 
I call you Mine, you are My Bride... 
You're in a special relationship with Me, 
but you choose to carry what is Mine!" 

"Why?"

"I, Jesus, am the Bridegroom of your soul!"

"Give back to me the problems of this world, 
they are Mine to carry for you. 
Yes, I ask you to surrender to Me all of these Heavy burdens, now!
Release yourselves of what is Mine, to carry for you!"

"My child, surrender..."

"I ask you to take your "YOKE" into your hand, which represents these heavy burdens... put it with the Cross, now."
 
(You can drape it or lay it on or by the cross at your liking)

"But, it must stay there to remind you that 
these burdens are not yours to carry, but Mine."
~~~
Our Lord loves each one of you so very much. 
You probably have no idea or conception as to how much.

John 3:16 
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

"Rest here with me..." 

He says... 

"Now..."
"Your "Yoke" (your visual reminder) is at the Cross, 
where you can see it to remember and remind you that this is not yours to carry, anymore."

It belongs with Jesus at His Most Holy Cross.

"Come and sit with me..." 
He says... "Sit in the quiet, be still, know that I am God. Be still..." 

"BREATHE"

"Breathe in the calmness, the joy, the peace. 
Be at Peace My children..."

Feel the presence of God, Our Lord, Jesus and His Most Holy Spirit. Feel the LOVE, the LOVE... His Love for you!

"Pray, and intercede for all who need to be with Me, but do it with" 

"JOY!"

"For I have taken you to a special place, that many are not willing to come... Lift up those in need, but do not take on their burdens." 

"Give them to me!" 

"Have Faith, that I will take care of the impossible for you... 
Situations arise, and will arise... Your job is to -"
"Stop" 
"Listen" 
"Receive"

"Bring to me in prayer, those that need to hear my voice. 
Then - you go and dance with Me!"

"Breathe"

"Walk close with me as though we're together, hand in hand... walking on a beach together hearing the waves hit the sand."

Song... Click here to watch: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Aqg3-iIu6s
Dance with Me


"REMEMBER..."
"Breathe, walk close with me as though we're together hand in hand,
walking on a beach together hearing the waves hit the sand..."

"The Angles are walking just behind us, You and me." 

"For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light...."

Consider getting a medal to wear or a scapular as a reminder that His Yoke is Easy

About God's Love for us
Scripture Reference

 Paige St. James - The Messenger

Thank You Lord, for bringing us together once again

~~~

The Mirror

My Guardian Angel Saved my Mirror

Ariel M. Lovejoy

One morning, while I was in prayer, and thanking my Guardian Angel, 

I had a very strange and mystical event happen.

Much to my surprise, and right before my eyes... 
I saw my Antique Chifferobe Door Mirror just standing there,

what seemed to be standing all by it's self,  

it was pulled away from the wall... 

lopsided, at an angle, and about to crash to the floor! 

There was the Mirror, 

There was the Wall, 

There was the Carpet Floor, 

There was the Hardwood Floor... 

AND 

THERE STOOD THE MIRROR ON END

 WITH NO SUPPORT 

 AT AN ANGLE  

NOT SWAYING OR MOVING

JUST THERE!

In shock, I quickly got up and went over to the mirror, 

and just in time! 

It was as though my Guardian Angel had held it for me,

 until I could get there to catch it.

I believe it was my dear feline friend, Sammy, who had pushed it away from it's normal resting place, while he was on his playful hunt searching for his treat... 

 I do truly believe that it was my Guardian Angel, 

that came to my aid and prevented a major disaster!

I BELIEVE IN ANGELS! 

"Angel of God's light, whom God sends as a companion for me on earth, protect me from the snares of the devil, and help me to walk always as a child of God, my Creator. Angel of God's truth, whose perfect knowledge serves what is true, protect me from deceits and temptations. Help me to know the truth, and always to live the truth. Angel of God's love, who praises Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who sacrificed His life for love of us, sustain me as I learn the ways of Divine love, of sacrificial generosity, of meekness and lowliness of heart. Thank You, my heavenly friend, for your watch full care. At the moment of my death, bring me to heaven, where the one true God, Who is light, Truth and Love,

lives and reigns forever and ever."

Amen.

~~~

Oh yes, the Mirror has been situated so it won't be so easy for 

dear Sammy to move it from the wall... 

Please remember the little things that happen... 

God loves you so much, you have no idea just how much, 

and how many times His Guardian Angel has helped to protect you... 

Arwyn: My Guardian Angel 

 

Sundown Angel

 So Peaceful...

As I set and mediate on a Saturday night... 

Much to my surprise I look up and see this beautiful 

Angel over the River at Sundown...

I was immediately filled with God's joy and peace.

"Spend all your time waiting for that second chance For the break that will make it ok There's always some reason to feel not good enough And it's hard at the end of the day I need some distraction oh beautiful release Memories seep from my veins They may be empty and weightless and maybe I'll find some peace tonight In the arms of an Angel fly away from here From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie You're in the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here So tired of the straight line, and everywhere you turn There's vultures and thieves at your back The storm keeps on twisting, you keep on building the lies That you make up for all that you lack It don't make no difference, escaping one last time It's easier to believe In this sweet madness, oh this glorious sadness That brings me to my knees In the arms of an Angel far away from here From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie In the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here You're in the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here"

Lyrics from: Sarah McLachlan - Angel (Video) on YouTube

Article inspired from: Ariel M. Lovejoy

Nature, as Angels Exalt the Lamb

Sunday "June 13, 2021"  

Ez 17:22-24
Thus says the Lord GOD: I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, and plant it on a high and lofty mountain; on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it. It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs. And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom.  As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.

 

''every winged thing in the shade of its boughs" 

For God planted this tree for every creature...

Is there a connection with the Cicadas, Brood X, 

that are living in the trees

??? 

In the USA, from the Eastern Seashore to the Midwestern States are trillions of Cicadas which only emerge every 17 years...

wikipedia.org Link about Brood_X

FACTS

Cicadas are not Locusts... 

Locusts are talked about in the Holy Bible.  Locusts can be destructive creatures that eat everything insight.  Scientist say, Cicadas are not so destructive and are actually beneficial to us and the Earth. 

So different but have similar stages of life... 

• "Locusts and cicadas are two different insects. Cicadas and locusts are often confused as being the same insect although they belong to different orders. During summer and winter, all kinds of insects become common making it perhaps the best time to interact and study their behaviors." See the link... Cicadas vs Locust 

  Below, is a Radar map link that has detected Cicadas intense swarm. 

Link to Radar Map at CBS/Twitter

Come with me... 

As I lead you to a deepening understanding of this reflection...

Now 💭 Cicadas and an 

Angel Accord...

"Imagine, that these winged creatures are

The Heavenly Choir of Angles.  

You see them flying all around you. 

Some perched in the trees, high above watching over.

You hear them singing, day and night. 

Far away their song is much delight... 

You listen intently as they vibrate the forest floor... 

and their echo waves a distinct accord.

There are so many singing, that they can't be counted. But, how many, oh how many to make this concord? 

The song they sing is but, of a heavenly design... 

Listen, what are they singing to you?" 

~ ~ ~ 

Do you know how many Holy Angels there actually are? 

Angels Exalt the Lamb  REVELATION 5:11 

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands...

~ ~ ~

MORE CONNECTIONS 

Some say that the number 17 in Biblical Terms means - 
"Overcoming the Enemy" and "Complete Victory."

And, some also say that the word "Cicada" symbolizes who we once were as young and naive children, small, like a nymph, and then given the glory of becoming a full blossom that sings with wisdom, and growth to wiser beings... 

Be a wise steward for God and His Glory.

~~~

 How wonderful is this message... 
That God could have sent the Cicadas to give us HOPE!

~~~

FAITH OF THE size of the MUSTARD SEED. 

Spread your FAITH in the blowing wind... like a tiny mustard seed traveling in search for a place to grow... 

"Blowing In The Wind" 

 Find your place...

 A "True Faith" and "Understanding of God" and 

"His Holy Angels" as we "Trust in HIM"

Our FAITH is blowing in the wind like Nature, 

as the Angels Exalt the Lamb!

~~~

just, Paige St. James