Someone wears them around the neck, someone as bracelet charms, most Catholics love to wear Saints’ Medals all the time. We have medals of all sorts, representing different Saints, with different designs, images, and graces. Yet, why do we do that? Where does this practice come from? And which are most popular Saints’ Medals and their meaning?
The custom of wearing a medal dates back to ancient Greeks and Romans, who used to wear amulets to honor pagan gods. Similarly, Catholic medals are tools encouraging devotion to the Lord. When blessed, religious medals became capable of performing amazing miracles.
Saints’ Medals can also have beautiful prayers inscribed on them or associated with them. Wearing them, we invoke the intercession of the depicted saint.
Why do we Wear Saints’ Medals?
For several reasons: sometimes, because the saint is our patron. Sometimes, we wear them for protection. Some people wear a saint medal as a devotion or a reminder of it. Sometimes, we receive our Saint Medal for Baptism or Confirmation, and we treasure it as a precious memory of the Sacrament.
No matter why do we wear Saints’ Medals, but if we wear them, we hardly take them off. We wear them all the time and treasure them with the utmost care and devotion.
Three Very Popular Saints’ Medals
Miraculous Medal
Learn the meaning and history of the Miraculous Medal in our previous article.
MIRACULOUS MEDAL COLLECTION >
Saint Benedict
Saint Benedict medal was designed in 1880 in Montecassino to commemorate the 1400th anniversary of the birth of the Saint. Although this medal is considered particularly complex and mysterious, it is one of the most popular, too. Here, we took a closer look at some details.
Saint Christopher
The medal depicts the Saint hermit who, taking advantage of his height, helped pilgrims to cross rough rivers. Saint Christopher is the Patron Saint of America, he is also the protector of drivers, motorcyclists and is invoked against accidental and sudden deaths.
Related Articles:
A Piece of Our Heritage: the Art of Medal Making→
St Catherine Labouré and the Miraculous Medal→