4 or 5 Way Medal

[AJB328]

I was wondering if anyone here wears a 4 or 5 way medal and if there are any prayers or specific blessings associated with it. Or more accurately, with the individual medals it contains.

I thought I remembered something about there being a special blessing for the Miraculous medal, but can’t seem to find anything. I currently where a St. Benedict Crucifix and I had that blessed with the exorcism associated with the St Benedict medal.

Just want to make sure I do everything according to the book.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I was wondering if anyone here wears a 4 or 5 way medal and if there are any prayers or specific blessings associated with it. Or more accurately, with the individual medals it contains.

I thought I remembered something about there being a special blessing for the Miraculous medal, but can’t seem to find anything. I currently where a St. Benedict Crucifix and I had that blessed with the exorcism associated with the St Benedict medal.

Just want to make sure I do everything according to the book.

There is, in fact, a special formula that can be used for the blessing of the Miraculous Medal. You may ask a priest or deacon to use it when blessing that part of the 4 way/5 way medal…though the medal is blessed if the priest or deacon makes the sign of the cross over it.

The 4 or 5 Way Medal also includes the scapular medal. According to the provision of Pope Saint Pius X, the scapular medal must be blessed once for each scapular you are using the medal to substitute for a cloth scapular in which you have been duly invested.

Supposing you had been invested in the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Red Scapular of the Passion, the Blue Scapular of the Immaculate Conception, the White Scapular of the Holy Trinity and the Black Scapular of Our Lady of Sorrows, for example, and wished to substitute the medal for all of them, then the scapular medal would need to be blessed five times. A sign of the cross suffices for each blessing.

Please note that a blessing transfers from cloth scapular to cloth scapular as it does for a religious habit – and the scapular, of course, is a miniature form of the habit. That does not apply to a medal and a new medal would need to be blessed anew as the blessing does not transfer from the medal it replaces.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

BLESSING AND INVESTITURE WITH MIRACULOUS MEDAL
FROM ROMAN RITUAL

[Priest vests in surplice and white stole]

+. Our help is in the name of the Lord
R. Who made heaven and earth
+. The Lord be with you
R. And also with you

Let us pray.

Almighty and merciful God, Who by the many appearances on earth of
the Immaculate Virgin Mary were pleased to work miracles again and
again for the salvation of souls; kindly pour out Your blessing + on
this medal, so that all who devoutly wear it and reverence it may
experience the patronage of Mary Immaculate and obtain mercy from
You; through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

[Priest sprinkles Miraculous Medal(s) with Holy Water, then presents
it to person(s) saying:]

Take this holy medal; wear it with faith, and handle it with due
devotion, so that the holy and Immaculate Queen of Heaven may protect
and defend you. And as she is ever ready to renew her wondrous acts
of kindness, may she obtain for you in her mercy whatever you humbly
ask of God, so that both in life and in death you may rest happily in
her motherly embrace. AMEN.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father, . . .

+. And lead us not into temptation
R. But deliver us from evil
+. Queen conceived without Original Sin
R. Pray for us who have recourse to thee
+. O, Lord, hear my prayer
R. And let my cry come unto thee
+. The Lord be with you
R. And also with you

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, Who willed that Your Mother, the Blessed Virgin
Mary conceived without sin, should become illustrious through
countless miracles; grant that we who ever seek her patronage may
finally possess everlasting joys. We ask this of You, Who lives and
reigns forever and ever. AMEN.

 

[mlz]

This was helpful to know as I just purchased a 5 way Medal. I did so only because my brown scapular had to be replaced repeatedly since I excercise and it becomes unusable. This way when I excercise I can wear the medal.

Blessings to you all,
mlz

 

[AJB328]

There is, in fact, a special formula that can be used for the blessing of the Miraculous Medal. You may ask a priest or deacon to use it when blessing that part of the 4 way/5 way medal…though the medal is blessed if the priest or deacon makes the sign of the cross over it.

The 4 or 5 Way Medal also includes the scapular medal. According to the provision of Pope Saint Pius X, the scapular medal must be blessed once for each scapular you are using the medal to substitute for a cloth scapular in which you have been duly invested.

Supposing you had been invested in the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Red Scapular of the Passion, the Blue Scapular of the Immaculate Conception, the White Scapular of the Holy Trinity and the Black Scapular of Our Lady of Sorrows, for example, and wished to substitute the medal for all of them, then the scapular medal would need to be blessed five times. A sign of the cross suffices for each blessing.

Please note that a blessing transfers from cloth scapular to cloth scapular as it does for a religious habit – and the scapular, of course, is a miniature form of the habit. That does not apply to a medal and a new medal would need to be blessed anew as the blessing does not transfer from the medal it replaces.

Thanks, that’s really helpful.

Does anyone else use this type of medal in place of the brown scapular? I’ve read about it in the past and I thought I remembered that it could only be done in certain cases.

The following is from Sistersofcarmel.com

1. May I wear a Scapular Medal as a replacement for my Scapular?

No. However, our modern Popes, notable St. Pius X and subsequent Popes, have declared that in necessary cases such as in foreign or tropical climate missions, the Scapular Medal may be worn instead of the wool Scapular. But if the Scapular Medal is worn for insufficient reason, such as vanity or convenience, the wearer runs the risk of not receiving the benefit of the Scapular promise. It is important to remember that the small Scapular worn by the lay faithful is meant to be a miniature version of what the Carmelites wear as part of their Religious Habit, which is never substituted for anything else.

Does anyone know if this information is accurate?

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Thanks, that’s really helpful.

Does anyone else use this type of medal in place of the brown scapular? I’ve read about it in the past and I thought I remembered that it could only be done in certain cases.

The following is from Sistersofcarmel.com

1. May I wear a Scapular Medal as a replacement for my Scapular?

No. However, our modern Popes, notable St. Pius X and subsequent Popes, have declared that in necessary cases such as in foreign or tropical climate missions, the Scapular Medal may be worn instead of the wool Scapular. But if the Scapular Medal is worn for insufficient reason, such as vanity or convenience, the wearer runs the risk of not receiving the benefit of the Scapular promise. It is important to remember that the small Scapular worn by the lay faithful is meant to be a miniature version of what the Carmelites wear as part of their Religious Habit, which is never substituted for anything else.

Does anyone know if this information is accurate?

No. This information is not correct.

Tragically, these “Sisters” are traditionalist dissidents who are not in communion with the Holy See or the bishop of their diocese or the Prior General of either Carmelite observance; they obscure that information as they run a lucrative religious goods business. They reject lawful ecclesiastical authority.

Pope Saint Pius X, as every pope, has power over sacramentals. The pope may alter them…and he did regarding the wearing of the scapular, using the power to commute. While it is true that his motivation was especially because of the situation in the tropics, he did not limit the commutation to those in the tropics. Any Catholic may legitimately avail themselves of this grant. The scapular medal is perfectly valid although you will read articles by people who assert it is not.

You may find this article useful, although because of its age, it is dated as blessings are no longer reserved and indulgences are not attached to religious objects since the pontificate of Blessed Paul VI. It speaks of the distinction between large scapulars and small scapulars. Large scapulars are those worn by members of Third Orders Secular and, since the scapular is their proper habit, they must follow the norms of their secular order.

newadvent.org/cathen/13508b.htm

*The scapular medals

Since 1910 and the regulation of the Holy Office of 16 December of that year (Acta Apost. Sedis, III, 22 sq.) it is permitted to wear, instead of one or more of the small scapulars a single medal of metal. This medal must have on one side a representation of Jesus Christ with His Most Sacred Heart and on the other an image of the Mother of God. All persons who have been validly invested with a blessed woollen scapular may replace such by this medal. The medal must be blessed by a priest possessing the faculty to bless and invest with the scapular or scapulars which the medal is to replace. The faculties to bless these medals are subject to the same conditions and limitations as the faculties to bless and invest with the corresponding scapulars. If the medal is to be worn instead of a number of different scapulars, it must receive the blessing that would be attached to each of them, i.e. as many blessings as the number of scapulars it replaces. For each blessing a sign of the Cross suffices. This medal must also be worn constantly, either about the neck or in some other seemly manner, and with it may be attained all the indulgences and privileges of the small scapulars without exception. Only the small (not the large) scapulars may be validly replaced by such medals. *

 

[AJB328]

No. This information is not correct.

Tragically, these “Sisters” are traditionalist dissidents who are not in communion with the Holy See or the bishop of their diocese or the Prior General of either Carmelite observance; they obscure that information as they run a lucrative religious goods business. They reject lawful ecclesiastical authority.

Pope Saint Pius X, as every pope, has power over sacramentals. The pope may alter them…and he did regarding the wearing of the scapular, using the power to commute. While it is true that his motivation was especially because of the situation in the tropics, he did not limit the commutation to those in the tropics. Any Catholic may legitimately avail themselves of this grant. The scapular medal is perfectly valid although you will read articles by people who assert it is not.

You may find this article useful, although because of its age, it is dated as blessings are no longer reserved and indulgences are not attached to religious objects since the pontificate of Blessed Paul VI. It speaks of the distinction between large scapulars and small scapulars. Large scapulars are those worn by members of Third Orders Secular and, since the scapular is their proper habit, they must follow the norms of their secular order.

newadvent.org/cathen/13508b.htm

*The scapular medals

Since 1910 and the regulation of the Holy Office of 16 December of that year (Acta Apost. Sedis, III, 22 sq.) it is permitted to wear, instead of one or more of the small scapulars a single medal of metal. This medal must have on one side a representation of Jesus Christ with His Most Sacred Heart and on the other an image of the Mother of God. All persons who have been validly invested with a blessed woollen scapular may replace such by this medal. The medal must be blessed by a priest possessing the faculty to bless and invest with the scapular or scapulars which the medal is to replace. The faculties to bless these medals are subject to the same conditions and limitations as the faculties to bless and invest with the corresponding scapulars. If the medal is to be worn instead of a number of different scapulars, it must receive the blessing that would be attached to each of them, i.e. as many blessings as the number of scapulars it replaces. For each blessing a sign of the Cross suffices. This medal must also be worn constantly, either about the neck or in some other seemly manner, and with it may be attained all the indulgences and privileges of the small scapulars without exception. Only the small (not the large) scapulars may be validly replaced by such medals. *

Ok, thanks. That clears a lot of things up. I’m going to get the medal blessed this week. I didn’t even realize the 5 way medal doubled as a scapular. This will really simplify things for me.