Saint Benedict of Nursia, Father of Western Monasticism, shaped the foundation of communal religious life in the West. Renowned for his wisdom, he was sought after for spiritual guidance throughout his life. Here are four powerful prayers to this great saint, drawn from The Life of Saint Benedict: The Great Patriarch of the Western Monks—his inspiring biography.
St. Benedict Medal Prayer
May the intercession of the Blessed Patriarch and Abbot Benedict render Thee merciful unto us, O Lord, that what our own unworthiness cannot obtain, we may receive through his powerful patronage. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen
(This prayer may be said when using the Medal for any pious purpose.)
A Prayer in Honor of St. Benedict For a Happy Hour of Death
O holy Father blessed by God both in grace and in name, who while standing in prayer with thy hands raised to Heaven didst most happily yield thine angelic spirit into the hands of thy Creator, and who hast promised zealously to defend against all the snares of the enemy, in the last struggle of death, those who should daily remind thee of thy glorious departure and thy heavenly joys, protect me, I beseech thee, O glorious Father, this day and every day, by thy holy blessing, that I may never be separated from our blessed Lord, from thy company, and from that of all the blessed, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
(Once St. Gertrude reminded St. Benedict of his glorious death; thereupon the holy Patriarch gave her the following assurance: “All who invoke me, remembering the glorious death with which God honored me, shall be assisted by me at their death with such fidelity that I will place myself where I see the enemy most disposed to attack them. Thus being fortified by my presence, they will escape the snares which he lays for them and depart happily and peacefully to the enjoyment of eternal beatitude.”)
A Prayer of St. Gertrude in Honor of St. Benedict
I salute thee, through the Heart of Jesus, O great St. Benedict! I rejoice in thy glory, and I give thanks to Our Lord for all the benefits which He has showered upon thee; I praise Him and glorify Him and I offer thee, for an increase of thy joy and honor, the most gentle Heart of Jesus. Deign therefore, O beloved Father, to pray for us, that we may become according to the Heart of God. Amen.
Novena Prayer to St. Benedict
O glorious St. Benedict, sublime model of virtue, pure vessel of God’s grace! Behold me humbly kneeling at thy feet. I implore thee, in thy loving kindness, to pray for me before the throne of God. To thee do I have recourse in the dangers that daily surround me. Shield me against my selfishness and my indifference to God and to my neighbor. Inspire me to imitate thee in all things. May thy blessing be with me always, so that I may see and serve Christ in others and work for His kingdom.
Graciously obtain for me from God those favors and graces which I need so much in the trials, miseries and afflictions of life. Thy heart was always full of love, compassion and mercy toward those who were afflicted or troubled in any way. Thou didst never dismiss without consolation and assistance anyone who had recourse to thee. I therefore invoke thy powerful intercession, confident in the hope that thou wilt hear my prayers and obtain for me the special grace and favor I earnestly implore. (Name your petition.)
Help me, great St. Benedict, to live and die as a faithful child of God, to run in the sweetness of His loving will and to attain the eternal happiness of Heaven. Amen.
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This article is taken from a chapter in The Life of Saint Benedict: The Great Patriarch of the Western Monks by St. Gregory the Great which is available from TAN Books.
