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How the St. Benedict medal became a shield against the powers of darkness

July 11, 2026 · 1 min read

Temptations in a fallen city, memories of a beautiful woman, a poisoned chalice, the attacks of an envious priest, curses from a pagan priest, a rock that won’t budge and another that falls on a young monk, a kitchen in flames, a dragon that lurks to devour a fleeing monk, threats from Gothic warlords, and the prospect of a destroyed monastery.

These are some of the attacks that St. Benedict, whose feast the Catholic Church celebrates on July 11, endured throughout his life.

Benedict even had to use force to manifest his authority as abbot over his monks oppressed by the enemy, as related in Father Robert Nixon’s book “ The Cross and Medal of Saint Benedict: A Mystical Sign of Divine Power ” (TAN, 2024):

“Benedict found this monk outside wandering around aimlessly when he should have been in the oratory in prayer. With a certain degree of paternal severity and charitable discipline, he reprimanded him for his lack of wisdom and discernment and struck him with his staff. At this, the monk fell down, motionless. And after that, the devil ... never troubled him again. It was as if the staff of Benedict had not struck the hapless monk but had rather driven away the wicked…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

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Юлія Гончар

I wonder how exactly that staff of Benedict drove the devil out of that monk. I remembered the moment with the poisoned cup and the stone that did not want to move - this is straight from his life. Thanks for the article, now I want to re-read Father Nixon's book.

Ilie Radu

Yes, the moment of the poisoned glass and the unmovable stone are classics of his life. But what stayed in my head is how he struck with the staff and the devil left the monk on the spot, without any show. Nixon's book seems to explain this part about the power of the cross well. Worth a read.

Ирина Андреева

I was stuck at that moment with a broken cup and a stone that didn’t want to crumble. And from the story with the staff and the monk, who was hit by heaven, but in reality the devil was driven away, it was forgotten in a completely different way, without any respect for the theater. Yes, now I also want to read Nixon’s book.

Галина Беляева

That moment with the broken cup and the stone, which does not want to crumble, is still stuck in my head. And the story with the staff and the monk turned out to be completely simple, without any effects - just hit and the devil entered. So, I wanted to take Nixon’s book and re-read everything about it calmly.

Katarina Simić

I always keep the part with the poisoned glass and the stone that wouldn't budge, just like you all mentioned. And the one with the staff and the monk surprised me - simple, without any drama, just hit and the devil leaves. Now it just occurred to me to pick up Nixon's book and read exactly how it went with that stick.

Дмитрий Соловьёв

Yes, the story with the cup and that stone also sits firmly with me - as if ordinary things suddenly become an obstacle. But with the staff, everything really happened simply, without thunder and lightning. I’ve also been planning to re-read Nixon’s book for a long time, especially about how Benedict dealt with the Goths.