Saint Benedict Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux

Do you know what Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux  means?

On the back of the St. Benedict medal is a beautiful prayer which starts like this in Latin:

Crux sacra sit mihi lux! Nunquam draco sit mihi dux! which means May the holy cross be my light! May the dragon never be my guide!

Saint Benedict of Nursia was a man who spent his life fleeing temptation. It is said that the He once threw himself into a thorn bush in order to avoid a particularly strong temptation which almost caused him to give his chaste life. But he recognized that only God’s grace could help him avoid falling into temptation.

Saint Benedict of Nursia has been recognized as the Father of Western Monasticism and in 1964 he was named the Patron Saint of Europe by Pope Paul VI. The Rule of Saint Benedict, which is a book of guidelines for monks, has been used continually in monasteries around the world for more than 15 centuries.

Crux sacra sit mihi lux is a phrase we all should learn and say on a regular basis. If we keep our gaze fixed upon the Cross, our path through this dark world will be illuminated. The dragon will never prevail so long as we put our trust in God.