ST BENEDICT CURED BELOVED FRANK OF HIS STOMACH AILMENT

 His formal name is Francis Albert, but now he goes by Frank. Darling Frank was rescued on a college campus in Texas. He's a fine fellow, but we don't ask how he survived, what he ate or whenever he could come by some grub, and he doesn't think it gentlemanly to tell.  He likes checking my ears in case I have food hidden in them. His early years in exile have not made him sour, rather he is so warm and loving that he is empathy in canine form; when he is around another dog who is suffering, he whines like he is keening for their plight. 

Frank is small in stature of mainly Chihuahua descent, but he loves his food and eats like every meal is his last. My dear friend, she is a professional chef of some note and gives him the best home-cooked dog food. But a while ago, Frank was having trouble keeping down food; we think his digestion was debilitated during his time fending for himself. But then I remembered the St Benedict's Medal - if it is placed on a humble animal - may be very meritorious in bringing about a cure....

So I placed the St Benedict's Medal on Frank, on his tummy to be precise, and said a prayer through St Benedict. Sure enough, all vomiting stopped. He enjoys his first-rate fare without fear and frolics afterwards. It was so instantaneous as to beggar belief, but perhaps that's because it has not been tried nearly enough that the remarkable grace that come from application of the St Benedict Medal sounds too fanciful to be fact. But for centuries, the St Benedict Medal has been the sacramental that has helped animals recover from the most horrible maladies. May pet owners and farmers alike employ it liberally! 

March 21st is the anniversary of St Benedict's death, and the date held as Benedict's feast.  I don't wish to be vulgar and talk of money woes, but a key reason I believe pet-owners need to be aware of the St Benedict medal is that when it is employed and a beloved creature is cured, it reduces vet bills enormously. The cost of care can be prohibitive for people who wish to own a furry friend, especially one such as Frank who previously relied on begging from college students for some sustenance. 

Shaun McAfee's Compendium of Sacramentals showcases the St Benedict Medal, and includes the fascinating fact that all St Benedict Medals are made in the Benedictine Abbey of Monte Cassino, which means that the Medal of a monk with a cross in hand and a raven fluttering his ebony wings to his stride, the one that cured Frank was made in the Benedictine motherhouse in Italy. Thank God for St Benedict, may all shelter pups and pesky sinners like me know his intercession!