July 25 + Saint Christopher

Born in the third century in Asia Minor, Reprobus (as he was originally named which means rejected or condemned) was known as a thief, a robber and extraordinarily large in size. He was a fierce man who dedicated his life to seeking out the most powerful prince to serve. Looking for the strongest and boldest ruler to follow, he courted Satan. When his new master cowered at the sight of a holy cross, Reprobus abandoned Satan and came to believe that Christ was the greatest of all princes. After being instructed in the Christian Faith by a hermit, he was baptized and given the name Christophorus aka Christopher (which means bearer of Christ).

The hermit who had instructed Christopher gave him the task of carrying travelers across a local river — a job easily done because of his great size and strength. One day, he began to help a child to cross the river. Carrying the boy on his shoulders, he began to feel a weight so great that he was bowed down by it. As he reached the bank of the river, Christopher said, “Child, thou hast put me in great peril; thou weighest almost as if I had all the world upon me: I might bear no greater burden.”

“Christopher,” the Child responded, “thou hast not only borne all the world upon thee, but thou hast borne Him that created and made all the world, upon thy shoulders.”

The Christ-Child instructed Christopher to cross the river again and plant his staff in the ground, telling the ferryman that life would spring forth. By morning, his staff had taken root and bright flowers and fruit grew from it.

Christopher went on to bring many to Christ. He was eventually imprisoned, shot with arrows, burned and then beheaded sometime between 249 and 251 AD.

Christopher bore Christ in four ways. Namely, on his shoulders when he carried Him across the river, but also in his body by mortification, in his mind by devotion, and in his mouth by professing Christ and preaching about Him.

Although the details of his life are very limited, in a sense we know all that we need to about Christopher: he carried Christ in the world. And, in this sense, every Christian is a “Christopher” who carries Christ in their hearts, making Him present through our acts of kindness and love. The presence of Christ within us is the great gift of the Sacrament of Baptism and it is nurtured through the gift of the Eucharist. Each one of us has the privilege of sharing the presence of Christ that dwells within us with a world that is hungry for the peace, justice, joy and truth that only Christ can bring. We can also share in Christopher’s final witness — his martyr’s death — when we carry our crosses with gratitude, make sacrifices of our time and gifts by praying for others, supporting good works, and lifting up those who are weak.