Everything You Need to Know About the Blessing of Medals
The Catholic Church encourages the faithful to make use of sacramentals and devotions, which exist precisely to protect them from evil. Sacramentals and blessed objects are gifts that the Lord gives us through the Church to grant us graces, blessings, and effective protection against the evils of the soul and the body. That is why it is good to carry a blessed object with you, especially a medal that can be worn around the neck. Learn more about what a scapular is and how it is worn.
What is the purpose of a medal?
Many Christians wear medals; there are thousands of them, as they come in an endless variety: medals of the Virgin and Child, of Christ, of Saint Joseph, of the Infant Jesus, of the saints, and so on. It is customary to give a medal as a gift for a baptism; you can have the name of the newly baptized person and the date of their entry into the Christian life engraved on it. First Communion, Confirmation, marriage—there is no shortage of occasions to give a medal. However, not everyone thinks to have this religious object blessed. To clearly distinguish between a piece of jewelry and a religious object, it is important to understand that one does not wear a medal “just to look nice.” The medal features the image of a saint, the Virgin Mary, or even a Person of the Holy Trinity. It signifies our devotion to that person, or even our consecration to them. There is a deeper meaning behind the image: if one wears a Holy Spirit medal, it expresses one’s desire to be accompanied by the fiery power of the Holy Spirit. The more aware a person is of the grace that accompanies them through the medal, the more benefits they receive from it.
How do you have a medal blessed?
As a religious object imbued with spiritual significance, the medal must be blessed by a priest. Through the blessing, a person asks God to come and bestow blessings. Anyone can offer words of blessing, which each time call upon the Lord to bestow blessings through the object being blessed. A priest’s blessing is far more powerful because, through his priestly ordination, the priest receives the power to bless. The priest represents Jesus on Earth; when he blesses, it is Jesus himself who blesses. In the Catholic Church, only an ordained minister has the authority to bless something (a religious object, food, a person, an animal, a place, a vehicle, a work tool, etc.). To bless a medal, the priest recites a specific prayer intended for that purpose. This blessing then remains on the object, which will henceforth bear God’s benevolent presence.
Why is it good to wear a blessed medal?
By wearing a blessed medal, a person allows themselves to be accompanied by God’s benevolent presence, which remains upon them. They do not necessarily know what graces they receive from it, as this is left to God’s own discretion. A blessed medal can offer protection against accidents (by preventing them or mitigating their effects), healing, or defense against illness, as is the case with the Miraculous Medal. It can offer protection against Satan and demons; this is the role of the Medal of St. Benedict, in particular. The medal also helps Christians walk faithfully on the path to holiness and gives them the strength to renounce sin. During the apparitions on Rue du Bac in Paris, the Blessed Virgin said to Saint Catherine Labouré: “Have a medal made according to this model. All who wear it around their neck will receive great graces. Graces will be abundant for those who wear it with confidence.” Several lessons emerge from these words: it is important to wear the medal around the neck, and it is important to have great confidence in its benefits.
The Different Types of Medals
The most common medals depict Christ and the Virgin Mary, but there are a multitude of other representations: medals of the Holy Spirit, angels (guardian angels, Saint Michael the Archangel). Many medals depict saints: Saint Joseph, Saint Christopher (patron saint of travelers), Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint George, Saint Teresa, etc. Others depict scenes from the Gospel: the Nativity, the Presentation in the Temple, the calming of the storm, etc. Still others highlight a symbol: the tree of life, the dove, the holy star, the heart, etc. Finally, there are devotional medals: the Miraculous Medal, the Medal of St. Benedict, the Scapular Medal, etc.
Pray with Hozana to receive the Lord’s protection and blessing
- Take nine days to place yourself and your family ! For nine days, pray with Saint Anne to place yourselves under the divine protection of our most loving Father.
- Pray the . Through these nine days of prayer, ask for the grace of special protection from Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal!
- Pray the for you and your loved ones. Pray for nine days that Saint Michael may defend you against evil, protect the Church, and strengthen souls!
