CHRISTOPHER, MORE MIGHTY INTERCESSOR THAN MYTH

Perhaps the one thing everyone agrees on about St Christopher is that he was a huge man of hulking height. Down through the ages, sacred art has portrayed him as statuesque and strapping.  

He was born in the Middle East, sometime in the 3rd century. His given name was not Christopher - he would earn this title in time - and it is very likely he was brought up a pagan. Growing up, this strong youth wanted to put himself in the service of the most powerful man who would employ him. In time, a king hired him, and he served in his court, until a singer came to perform before the monarch. The singer's song made frequent mention of the devil. This caused the king to tremble and he made the sign of the cross because he feared the terrible tidings that would ensue after the evil's one name was sang in his presence.  The strong youth witnessed this, and he began to doubt the king's authority, if he was so mighty, why did he invoke the Cross of Christ to protect himself? The strong youth took issue with the king and left his employ so he could find a boss with more power. 

 His next move could have been his last because he put himself under the control of the prince of darkness. He sought to be satan's servant,'til such time as he saw satan scram when they came upon a cross. The strong youth saw that the cross had compelled the devil to flee and he left the devil with this parting riposte, "Then he is greater, and more mightier than thou, when thou are afraid of his sign, and I see well that I have labored in vain, when I have not found the greatest Lord of the world. And I will serve thee no longer, go thy way then, for I will go seek Christ."

The strong youth went to the desert to find a hermit who instructed him in the Faith. The hermit then inspired his vocation by telling the strong youth he could save many lives by being a people-carrier across a river that was perilous to cross, in which travelers often drowned. The strong youth went to make a home by the river and became a human boat for the people who climbed on his back so they could reach the other side of the risky river. One night, the strong youth, heard the voice of a child who wanted him to ferry him across the water. He went out and found a little Babe by the waters edge, and he took Him on his shoulders. At this moment, the strong youth became Christopher because he carried the Christ Child. Yet low and behold, the Child weighed Christopher down so much that he thought they would fall under the waves. With colossal effort on Christopher's part, he and the Babe reached the other side and the human boat asked his Passenger, why He had became as heavy as the world. It was then that Christ revealed Who He was and told Christopher that He indeed held the world in His hands. Christopher had performed a feat of great strength and had also gotten that which he always craved: to serve the most powerful Man of all. 

Some decades later, Christopher was praised by St Ambrose (the man who led St Augustine to faith) and Ambrose detailed Christopher's life in a way that argues against those who claim Christopher was a mythical figure. 

In our times there have been sniffy, scholarly types who quibble that there is not enough evidence for Christopher's life and thus he cannot be a Saint. But memory of Christopher lived on from his time in antiquity through many centuries and was passed from one generation to the next, all the while Christians enjoyed his intercessory powers against dangers and sickness. For many ages, were people praying to someone who was only a myth? From ancient times, he has been upheld as a mighty intercessor by both Eastern and Western Churches, thus he has been venerated throughout the world. Perhaps fitting for the patron saint of travelers, Christopher has certainly gotten around.

Christopher means "Christ-bearer" and thus like Michael contains the Holy Name, and it is a powerful name against the satanic forces of evil because to say it, is to utter "Christ", the Name by which we are saved and the Name that makes demons flee. It is also possible that there will be a mystic who will be given divine revelations as to the precise details of Christopher's life and martyrdom and this will make him more real for us. In the same way the Cure of Ars was privy to apparitions from Philomena, maybe a wondrous cleric will come along, and he will be have visits from Christopher.

Alas, I don't think academics and churchmen who seek to scoff at the early saints are looking at Christopher with the eyes of faith. I ask whether it really is so wise to dismiss a Saint who held Christ Himself aloft on his shoulders. I believe this by faith, the early Christians who heard Christopher relate the responsibility that God the Father had given him in allowing His Child to rest on his shoulder were either listening to a liar or they knew a man who was entrusted with an awesome assignment.  

This continues a series of posts I'm doing on the 14 Holy Helpers whose feast day is August 8th. So far, I've covered Margaret of Antioch and Dr Pantaleon and St Catherine of Alexandria. 

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This Classic paintings of St Christopher, in order of their use, were executed by Bernardo Strozzi and Domenico Ghirlandaio. This post was informed by The Golden Legend and by my personal meditation on Christopher that led me to think there may come a time when a mystic is given precise revelations as to his life and martyrdom. I learned about The Golden Legend from Adam Blai's work, and it informed my post on St Agatha.