‘Dominic Prentice

Mr. Campbell

12/15/2017

Religion II

Saint Christopher

Saint Christopher is known to be one of the most popular of all the saints and he is also

listed as a martyr. He was born in Canaan and his birthdate is unknown, but his death was

believed to be in 251 A.D. under the Roman Emperor Decius. His name may also be Reprobus,

but most Catholics still refer to him as Saint Christopher. He was an extremely tall man and it

even says he had a significant physical structure. He was referred to as a giant in real life, but

also a spiritual giant as well because he was such an inspiration to the Catholic faith.

One of my favorite stories of Saint Christopher was how he encountered the Catholic

faith. Saint Christopher was seeking the most powerful king that he could find, so he could serve

him. So, he went to his local ruler who told him that the Devil has much more power than he

does. So, he decided he wanted to serve the Devil since he is so powerful. When he saw a band

of thieves who claimed the Devil as their leader, the sight of a cross frightened them. At this

moment he knew that there was someone who was even more powerful than the Devil enough to

make him scared at the sight of a cross. St. Christopher went to a hermit who taught him all

about Christ. The hermit suggested that he should go into a life of prayer and fasting, but he

refused to do so. Then it was suggested to him that he should work at a nearby river and help
travelers cross. Many people who were to weak had drowned trying. One day while working a

child appeared and asked if he could help him cross the river but, the child’s weight grew, and

Saint Christopher had to use all his strength to get the child safely across. He then asks the child

why he was so heavy, and the child revealed that he was Christ and when he carried him he also

carried the weight of the world on his shoulders then he vanished.

Other legends about St. Christopher are that he traveled around evangelizing thousands of

people. Then one day he was ordered to offer a sacrifice to the emperor, but he refused. They

tried to persuade him with women, so they sent two women to seduce him. St. Christopher

converted them to Christianity instead. Then it was decided to have him killed. They tried

assassinating him but there were many failed attempts to do so. Eventually, he was arrested and

beheaded.

The name Christopher means Christ-bearer and alludes to the legend of him carrying

Christ across the river. He became popular in the 7th century and many churches were named

after him. St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers and children. His feast day is July 25th

and because the church does not officially recognize him he has no canonization date. Overall,

St. Christopher’s story is very inspirational and shows us that God is the most powerful. I find

this story very interesting to see that he was seeking the most powerful king and eventually sees

how the Devil was afraid of the cross, showing him how Christ is the true King of kings.
Saint Christopher, holy patron of travelers, keep me safe today as I

journey down this long road. Help me to be strong on my journey

and carry me safely to my destination just as you carried Christ

across the river in your strong embrace. With his help, grant me

Lord steady hands and watchful eyes so that I may cause no harm

on my journey and no one causes harm on others during theirs.