Prayer to St. Benedict for Protection
This prayer is often known as the “Prayer to St. Benedict for Protection and Guidance.” It is a beautiful invocation of St. Benedict, the great patriarch of Western monasticism, celebrated for his holiness, wisdom, and virtue. In the prayer, the faithful implore his intercession for protection against spiritual enemies and temptations, as well as for the strength to avoid sin and live a God-centered life. The prayer also highlights St. Benedict’s compassionate heart and faith, calling upon his aid in trials, afflictions, and the challenges of life. It culminates in a request for the grace to follow God’s will and achieve the ultimate goal of eternal union with Him in Heaven. This is a powerful prayer of trust, guidance, and protection under the patronage of one of the Church’s most beloved saints.
O glorious St. Benedict,
sublime model of all virtues,
pure vessel of God’s grace!
Behold me, humbly kneeling
at thy feet. I implore thy
loving heart to pray for me
before the throne of God.
To thee I have recourse
in all the dangers which
daily surround me.
Shield me against
my enemies, inspire me
to imitate thee
in all things.
May thy blessing be with
me always, so that I may shun
whatever God forbids and
avoid the occasions of sin.
Graciously obtain for me
from God those favors and
graces of which I stand
so much in need, in the
trials, miseries and
afflictions of life.
Thy heart was always so
full of love, compassion,
and mercy towards 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,
in the confident hope that
thou wilt hear my prayers
and obtain for me the
special grace and favor
I so earnestly implore,
(mention it)
if it be for the
greater glory of God
and the welfare of my soul.
Help me,
O great St. Benedict,
to live and die as a
faithful child of God,
to be ever submissive
to His holy will, and
to attain the eternal
happiness of heaven.
Amen.
