The persecutions, which now were a tremendous force in Palestine and the reason for Saint Louis' presence there, caused so many of the 'Carmelites' to move West that a Vicar General had to be appointed there. Simon Stock received this honor. He found himself at the helm of Mary's bark, in more than usually turbulent waters. By the time he was made General of the entire Order, six years later (1245), it became apparent that nothing less than heroic faith was required to pilot the sea fearlessly.

Adapting the heretofore contemplative Order to a mixed life, in a seeming awareness that a marked change was about to take place in the body of Mary's special sons, the saint sent the younger men to the Universities. He thereby alarmed the old men who had led lives of utter solitude on Carmel. However, he recognized that they had been providentially forced from Carmel and, guided by Mary, he braved the ugly dissension that his policy evoked.

But this inward cancer was not the only affliction. Outside the Order, the whole secular clergy was raising a din at the sight of another group joining the ranks of the odious mendicant friars; not only did they persecute the men from Carmel everywhere, but they carried their cries to Rome, demanding the suppression of these "newcomers." Moreover, strange as it may seem, the barred-cloak, which these Palestinians wore, seemed violently to irritate western sensibilities. Saint Simon thought to change it because the unpopularity of the Elian garb was hindering the growth of his family of Mary; he refrained in deference to the views of the older members who naturally loved their ancient cloak, redolent of Elian traditions.

For the first five years of his generalship, the opposition from within and without grew daily stronger. Hence, in the year of 1251 we find Simon retiring to the Cambridge monastery, weighed down by his ninety years and a trial well beyond the strength of even a far younger man. He seems to be seeking the solitude of his cell even as he had been wont to retire to his tree-trunk, in his youth, to pray. Probably he is thinking to himself, as Saint Teresa of Avila said later, "Can the hand of God be shorter for the Order of His Mother than for other Orders?" And it is not merely a question of removing obstacles that confronts the Saint now; it is a question of preserving the Order's very life.

This sickness of the Order that was "fomented by Satan," as a contemporary of St. Simon describes, may put one in mind of a certain "Little Flower's" childhood sickness. Carmel is Mary's Flower, She its blossoming vine; now the Flower droops her head. Let us apply the words of Therese;

"It was an illness in which Satan assuredly had a hand . . . He wished in his jealousy to avenge himself on me for the grave mischief my family was to do him in the future . . . He little knew, however, that the Queen of Heaven was keeping a faithful and affectionate watch from above on Her Little Flower, and was making ready to still the tempest just as the frail and delicate stem was on the point of breaking,"

Yes, the Order of Carmel, Mary's Flower, sinks and droops her head; dissension and persecution, fomented by Satan who hates Mary and Her seed, are the raging sicknesses that stretch her upon a bed of death. Since the worst suffering takes place in the head of a body, the aged General and Saint is the most cruelly weighed upon by the multiple afflictions that beset his Order of Mary. Kneeling in his tiny cell, he pours forth his soul with deep and longing sighs in what has been often called "after the Hail Mary, the most beautiful of all Marian prayers":

"Flower of Carmel,
Vine blossom-laden,
Splendor of Heaven,
Child-bearing maiden,
None equals thee!
O Mother benign,
Who no man didst know,
On all Carmel's children Thy favors bestow,
Star of the Sea!"

As the Saint lifts his tear-dimmed eyes, the cell is suddenly flooded with a great light. Surrounded by a great concourse of angels, the Queen of Heaven is descending towards him, holding forth the Brown Scapular of the friars and saying: "RECEIVE, MY BELOVED SON, THIS HABIT OF THY ORDER: THIS SHALL BE TO THEE AND TO ALL CARMELITES A PRIVILEGE, THAT WHOSOEVER DIES CLOTHED IN THIS SHALL NEVER SUFFER ETERNAL FIRE.""

The purpose, the raison d'etre of that long established and special "family of Mary" stands revealed.

"O Mary, who from that hour (that Elias beheld the foot-shaped cloud over Carmel) didst preside over the watches of God's army, without ever failing for a single day: now that the Lord has truly come through thee, it is no longer the land of Judea alone, but the whole earth that thou coverest as a cloud, shedding down blessings in abundance. Thine ancient clients --the sons of the prophets—experienced this when, the land of promise becoming unfaithful, they were forced to transplant their customs and traditions to other climes; they found that even into our far West the Cloud of Carmel had poured its fertilizing dew, and that nowhere would its protection be wanting to them . . . Since their tents have been pitched around the hills where the new Sion is built upon Peter, the cloud has shed all around showers of blessings more precious than ever, driving back into the abyss the flames of Hell. . ." DOM GUERANGER

"This most extraordinary gift of the Scapular— from the Mother of God to Saint Simon Stock-brings its great usefulness not only to the Carmelite Family of Mary but also to all the rest of the faithful who wish, affiliated to that Family, to follow Mary with a very special devotion."  Pius IX

     Ten years after the manifestation of the Miraculous Medal to St. Catherine Laboure, the Blessed Virgin Mary, on September 8, 1840, the Feast of her Nativity, entrusted the Green Scapular of her Immaculate Heart to Sister Justine Bisqueyburu, a religious of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Our Lady promised that this new Scapular would contribute to the conversion of souls, particularly those who have no faith, and would procure for them a happy death.The Green Scapular is a single piece of green felt and braid – with a picture of the sword and dripping blood, surmounted by a cross and encircled by the words: "Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death."

The Green Scapular is truly a remarkable piece of cloth. The devil has no power over whoever makes it, wears it or spreads devotion to it. All who wear the Green Scapular confirm to the evil one, that they are agents of the Mother of God and the devil knows he is powerless to hurt them. God wills the Green Scapular to become a badge . . . a most sure barrier to the evil one's assault upon the soul. The manner of using the scapular was indicated by the Blessed Virgin. Since it is not the emblem of a confraternity but simply a double image attached to a single piece of cloth, no investiture is necessary. The only requirement is that the Green Scapular be blessed by a priest and worn or carried by the person wishing to benefit by it. If however, the person in need of grace is obstinate, the Green Scapular may be placed secretly inside his clothing, home or possessions, and the giver should say the prayer instead. The only prayer necessary, which may be said many times daily, but should be said at least once a day is: "Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death." Although many graces are obtained, they are proportionate to the confidence with which it is given.

The Green Scapular was approved by Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1863 and again in 1870. He said: " write to these good Sisters that I authorize them to make and distribute it." Rev. Leo Steinbach’s experiences with the Green Scapular of the Immaculate Heart of Mary When I first came in contact with this devotion, I read an explanation which seemed to give the impression that it was intended only for lax Christians. I thought it might be useless for me since I had very little contact with Christians, be they good, bad or indifferent. My contacts were mostly with Buddhists and Shintoists whom I was trying to christianize. However I put a few scapulars in my pocket and decided to try one out. That very day I went to a nearby hospital where I discovered a non-Christian woman patient who had been unconscious for 10 days previously. The doctor explained to me that she would very probably die within three days without regaining consciousness. He and a nurse escorted me to the room. I addressed the sick woman but she gave no indication whatsoever that she understood a word I was saying. Thereupon I took a green scapular from my pocket, applied it to her forehead and repeated the invocation, "Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death." And what happened? The woman immediately regained consciousness, joined her hands and very devoutly asked God to forgive her sins. I was amazed. The doctor and the nurse both non-Christians were also flabbergasted. I immediately instructed and baptized the dying patient that same day much to her joy. She remained perfectly conscious for three days more during which time she very devoutly received Holy Viaticum. She breathed her last while praying to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Another incident is related: An 80-year-old non-Christian lady said she would like to visit the church in her vicinity but she was unable to walk because of arthritis. Every winter both her ankles and wrists were swollen and very painful. She was given a green scapular which she applied daily but since she could not remember the prayer she merely asked the Mother of Christ for help. Within a few days she was completely cured. After a brief instruction and Baptism, she attended mass daily and always received Holy Communion. She kept up this habit for two years until she was called to her reward. During this interval she converted her aged friend who lived just across the street from her home and she had the happiness of being her godmother. Her good husband, a staunch Shintoist, also treasured his green scapular but no one could induce him to become a Christian. However, just three days before he died, he had a change of heart. He died very happily after receiving the sacraments.

There is indeed no medal which possesses such wonderful power and none so highly esteemed by the holy Church as the Medal of St. Benedict. Whosoever wears this medal with devotion, trusting to the life-giving power of the holy Cross and the merits of the holy Father St. Benedict, may expect the powerful protection of this great Patriarch in his spiritual and temporal needs.

Origin and Explanation of the Medal St. Benedict (born at Nursia, Italy, in 480) had a profound veneration for the holy Cross and for our Saviour Crucified. In virtue of the Sign of the Cross, he wrought many miracles and exercised great power over the spirits of darkness. In consequence of the great veneration held for St. Benedict, a medal was struck which may date back to the time of St. Benedict himself. In 1880, the Jubilee Medal was struck under the supervision of the monks of Montecassino, Italy, to mark the 1400th anniverary of St. Benedict's birth.

One side of the Jubilee Medal represents St. Benedict holding the Cross in one hand and the Holy Rule in the other. Around the image of St. Benedict are these words in Latin: Eius in obitu nostro praesentia muniamur – "May his presence protect us in the hour of our death." St. Benedict has ever been the patron of the dying, because of the circumstances attending his own most glorious death, for he breathed forth his soul while standing in prayer before the Most Blessed Sacrament. On a pedestal to the right of St. Benedict is the poisoned cup, shattered when he made the sign of the cross over it. On a pedestal to the left is a raven about to carry away a loaf of poisoned bread that a jealous enemy had sent to St. Benedict. Above the cup and the raven are the Latin words: Crux S-Patris Benedicti (initials on reverse side – see below). Below St. Benedict we read: Ex S M Cassino MDCCCLXXX – "From the Holy Mount of Cassino - 1880".

The reverse side of the Medal shows the image of the Cross at the top of which will be the word PAX (peace) or the monogram I H S (Jesus). Around the margin beginning at the right hand on top, we have the following letters: V.R.S.N.S.M.V.--S.M.Q.L.I.V.B. which form verses supposed to have originated with the holy Father Benedict himself: Vade Retro, Satana! Nunquam Suade Mihi Vana Sunt Mala Quae Libas Ipse Venena Bibas: "Begone, Satan! Suggest not vain things to me. Evil is the cup thou offerest; Drink thou thine own poison." In the angles of the cross are found these four letters: C.S.P.B.: Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti – "The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict." On the vertical bar of the cross itself are found the letters: C.S.S.M.L., and on the horizontal bar of the cross: N.D.S.M.D. They signify: Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux, Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux – "May the holy Cross be my light, Let not the dragon be my guide."

Use The medal can be worn around the neck, attached to the Scapular or the Rosary, or otherwise carried about one’s person. The devout wearing of such an object, together with the Church's powerful blessing and intercessory power, make it into an unspoken prayer which has been shown to be of great help in maintaining holy purity, bringing about conversions, protecting against inclement weather and contagious disease. Often it is placed in fields, the foundations of houses and buildings, on the walls of barns and sheds or in one's home, car or place of business to call down God’s blessing and the protection of St. Benedict.

Power and Efficacy of the Medal The Medal of St. Benedict is one of the Sacramentals of the Church, and as such it must be used. The value and power of the Medal must be ascribed to the merits of Christ Crucified, to the efficacious prayers of St. Benedict, to the blessing of the Church, and especially to the faith and holy disposition of the person using the Medal.

The following is a partial list of the many favors obtained through the devout use of the St. Benedict Medal.

1. The Medal is powerful in obtaining for sinners the grace of conversion, and of overcoming evil habits such as drunkenness
2. It obtains protection and aid for persons tormented by the evil spirit, and in temptations against holy purity.
3. It procures assistance in the hour of death.
4. It has often proved an efficacious remedy for bodily ills, a means of protection against contagious diseases and to destroy the effects of poison.
5. The Medal is a powerful means to destroy witchcraft and all other diabolical influences.
6. It secures for expectant mothers special assistance from heaven.
7. Frequently this Medal has been found to be a marvelous protection against fire, tempests and storms on land and sea.
8. Even domestic animals have been visibly aided by it when sick or injured.

Prayer to St. Benedict 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 any one 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.