THE CRUCIFIX MEDAL OF ST. BENEDICT
Among the numerous mediums Holy Mother Church offers to bring help to the dying, She certifies the Cross of a happy death and the Medal of St. Benedict. The Popes have granted a Plenary Indulgence to this Combination.
To facilitate the gaining of this Indulgence, we have the placement of the smaller Cross of a Happy Death supporting the Medal of St. Benedict which is placed in the center on the back of the Cross.

St. Benedict died, hands raised to Heaven to the surface of an altar, even to the Body and Blood of the Savior as afterwards he would receive. In this manner, one unites one’s death with that of the Savior, because the Eucharist is certainly the Representation of the death on the Cross of Jesus on Calvary. Thus, the Medal of St. Benedict on the Cross calls to our mind this Saint’s glorious death. Besides, this Saint, as the safeguarding Patron of a happy death, repeatedly calls (us). As he said, appearing to St. Gertrude: "Whosoever reminds me each day of this time when the Lord chose to honor and sanctify me with this great dignity, so will I stand fast by such a one in his hour of death and bestow on him a triumphant death, thwarting all of the assaults which Satan will direct against him. Through my protective presence he will enter into eternal gladness."

One of the inscriptions on the Medal brings this wish in prayer form to mind: (Ejus in obitunostsro praesentia muniamur) "We desire you in our hour of death to be our armor by your property and presence."

The Cross of a Happy Death must be blessed by a priest who has the power for this purpose; who has the same prerogative for the Medal of St. Benedict. This Combination loses its value if one puts it up as a sales item.

Still, in addition, there is something of a certainty in regard to the Plenary Indulgence one can then gain if one is wearing the Cross of a Happy Death and Medal of St. Benedict in his hour of death.

What must one have to understand about a Plenary Indulgence?

The soul is before God, before Whom she will appear, indebted, since she has offended Him. Sin has brought about a two fold damage --- The guilt and the punishment due to sin. (reatus cupae, reatus paenae).
An act of perfect love for having offended Him, bound up with the will to go to Confession as soon as one is able, so that the guilt and all sins are forgiven and the soul is again transformed into sanctifying grace; thereupon she first proceeds toward Confession, however (of grievous sins) from which this Sacrament absolves. The Church admonishes us to do this as quickly as possible. Following the disposal of the guilt of sin, there remains the punishment due which the soul must compensate through repentance. While full compensation for the guilt of sin is accomplished, it is rare that repentance is sufficient to attain full remission of all of the punishment due to it.

This, from the Divine Justice will not confer complete remission by means of Divine Visitation from which the cleansing operation fro our impatience all too often raises. Just as little are we capable of voluntary mortification to which a transitory earnestness inspires us, to liberate us from the entire punishment due to sin. We shall lay claim to the same infinite Merits of Jesus and those of the Saints provided out of the treasury of the Church.

The Pope and the bishops, from Whom this spiritual depository is maintained, grants the same Indulgence in which the indebtedness is repaid by the Divine Justification. We are baptized and are in the state of grace, so we know we have a share in the superabundance grace provides us to be participants in the Mystical Body of Christ and share in the common benefits of the Saints. "One of the dead is no longer an established member to the influx of the living membership of the Church." (St. Thomas)

Consequently, one who is not in the state of grace has no portion in the operation of Christ on this Indulgence. The Indulgence is outside the Sacramental release of the temporal punishment due to sins truly forgiven.

Through Ecclesiastical Authority, however, She draws what is profitable out of the infinite treasury of the mutual participation of the Saints, as the Canon (of 1917) says (Canon 911).

What one member has more than enough in profitable accumulation, the excess comes to another, being in the need thereof. The Indulgence is either Plenary or Partial, according to the circumstances, if the Church wants the full remission of the temporal punishment or only a part thereof omitted. It is dependent on our disposition if one gains himself a Plenary Indulgence in its full effectiveness. The freewill inclination to weigh our sins to lighten them already hinders us in gaining a Plenary Indulgence. In this decline, one will gain only a Partial one. The Church, therefore, knowing our weakness and imperfections, on this account propagates the number of Plenary Indulgences, making it possible to gain one --- it only a Partial Indulgence.

With regard to Indulgences (Plenary or Partial) there are likewise Prayers, Spiritual exercises, as the Cross, Rosary, Medals, and so forth; provided they brought no harm and will not be sold. The Indulgence of the Crucifix has been centered or bound to the Corpus, that of the Rosary on the beads. The remainder (to B. The Chain) can, by not being permanent, take other forms.

The Plenary Indulgence of the Cross of a Happy Death

In regard to the temporal punishment the dying are obliged to endure in the Cleansing Flames the Cross of a Happy Death has mentioned. They are provided with a Plenary Indulgence, that one can gain in the hour of death.
Pope St. Pius X says: "That true believer which, if such blessing of the Cross, is not even appertained to him, kissed or otherwise touched, one can gain a Plenary Indulgence, under the stipulation that he had confessed and received Holy Communion, or was prevented ---at least repents his sins; that he called the Holy Name of Jesus with devotion and accepts death with resignation from the Hand of God as atonement for his sins." (Holy Office, June 11, 1914)

This Cross is likewise for a lifetime and is particularly useful in sickness if it teaches us to unite our sufferings with those of the Savior and offer them with Him as a sacrifice to the Father.

Ammerkung (Remarks): This Indulgence, as already mentioned, how it is centered on the Corpus, thus displayed; if this Corpus becomes despoiled or defaced its effectiveness has expired. The Cross is constructed of leasing material, but it can become impaired, however without loss of the Indulgence. But the Corpus must be made of durable material. Lead, tin, glass or pewter are strictly out. Therefore the substantial material is used in its construction as you would desire.

The Cross Medal of St. Benedict and Their Indulgences

The Medal of St. Benedict is very old. It is particularly thought to be from the Eleventh Century, owing to the recovery of a youth named Bruno, a monk at the Benedictines, who would later become Pope St. Leo IX.

On one side of the Medal is the picture of St. Benedict, with a Cross impressed in the hand. On the other side a larger Cross with a beginner’s book with several Latin words. While the supporting frame is the main element, it will be referred to as the Cross-Medal of St. Benedict.

Frequently one associates the Saint with a cup thereby and a serpent which comes thence from within. Therewith one calls to mind how close the Saint came to death with the cupful of poison before him, as he had reached for it, that one observes the power of the Sign of the Cross he made over it. To bring "That death poison knew the Cross, not to oppose the Lifesign made over it, and the glass mug shattered as if a stone had violently struck it, " says St. Gregory. And likewise to bring to mind this Miracle the letters are placed on the Cross medal. The St. Benedict’s Medal will be used effectively with Faith in all spiritual and material instances as the instances take place. It is particularly effective against contagious disease, poison, determined sickness, witchcraft and temptations of the devil. It has become spread by the missionaries all over the world.

A plenary Indulgence at the hour of death will protect those who wear the Medal of St. Benedict and who subsequently fulfill the stipulations.

1. To commend the soul to God.
2. To confess and receive Communion, or if that is not possible to call out the Name of Jesus with a heart felt repentance.

Of the other Indulgences, this Medal has preserved, which Pope Benedict XIV in his letter of March 12, 1742 takes notice of, "We solely agree" A Plenary Indulgence, under the usual stipulations (Confession, Communion, Prayer for the Holy Father) on all great feasts: Christmas, Epiphany, Candlemas, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi, The Assumption, The Immaculate Conception, The Birthday of the Blessed Virgin, Feast of All Saints, Feast of St. Benedict, (March 21st).

If one has the custom of once a week :

1. To pray the Rosary, or
2. To teach the Faith, or
3. Visit the sick, or
4. Give alms to the poor,
5. To attend Holy Mass.

Numerous Partial indulgences, for example:

1. 200 days Indulgence, as often as one visit’s the sick, or makes visits to the Church, or teaches his children the Faith at home, or to underprivileged relatives;
2. 7 years and 7 quarantines, if one celebrates the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass or he is present and for the welfare of Christian sovereigns or prays for their governments;
3. 7 years, if one devoutly accompanies the sick on All Saints’ Day;
4. 100 days, if one performs some prayers before Holy Mass or before the reception of Holy Communion;
5. Whosoever by his counsel or example converts a sinner, obtains the remission of a third of the punishment due to his sins;
6. Whosoever on Maundy Thursday or on Easter, after a good Confession and reception of Holy Communion, prays for the exaltation of the Church and for the welfare of the Pope, on this day on which his blessing is attached, gains that Indulgence;
7. Whosoever prays for the extension of the Benedictine Order, receives a portion of all the good works which will be performed in this Order.

The Crucifix Medal of St. Benedict

We have now written about advantages of the Cross of a Happy Death and the Medal of St. Benedict. To understand more extensively about it one has the unique two-fold Subject joined into one. We get ourselves one of the Cross-Medals and we kiss it with respect and love the Savior Who hangs on this Cross and the Medal which represents St. Benedict.

Upon that Cross is pronounced the great exorcism, in any case the dedication and Blessings is repeated. It is very commendable at the Blessing with the Benedict Cross to pronounce the little exorcism.

Little Exorcism

Oh my Jesus, through the Sign of Thy Holy Cross let all of the evil spirits withdraw from us . . .In the Name of the Father +, and of the Son +, and of the Holy Ghost + . Amen.

We ought to use this Cross daily to worship the Savior and to beg for the support of St. Benedict against the devil.

St. Benedict Crucifix - Large - 3 1/4" x 1 1/2"