The Medal of Saint Christopher, its Legend and its Effects
The Saint Christopher medal is one of the most used lucky charms in the Christian religion.
A symbol of protection for travelers par excellence, this object is linked to an astonishing legend featuring Saint Christopher (makes sense!) and Christ himself.
This story, transmitted through the ages by the tradition of the Church, we are going to discover today together to try to discover what is so special behind the medal of Saint Christopher!
Contents :
Benefits and properties of the Saint Christopher medal
The legend of Saint Christopher
The historic Saint Christopher
Saint Christopher: patron saint of travelers… and many others!
Why wear a medal?
Wearing religious medals as a good luck charm is an idea that is not new.
The reasons for this are numerous, both historical and spiritual, and we will now discover them.
History of this type of lucky charm
Thousands of years ago, the pagan peoples of Antiquity (Greeks, Romans, Celts and many others) wore small medallions representing their deities. For some historians, the tradition of Christian medals would therefore arise directly from this type of custom.
The meaning and use of these jewels are, however, very different from what our ancients could have done with them!
Indeed, the Catholic Church rigorously stipulates that a lucky medal will not help its wearer with any magical power whatsoever, but not a reminder of his faith, certain messages from the Gospels and his link to God..
Quite a program, isn't it?
If these kinds of considerations resonate with you, you should take a look at our collection of religious medals. We've rounded up some of the most powerful ones, and tell a little history about each one!
Medals in the history of the Church
In short, the fact is that medals have been worn by Christians since the very beginning of this religion. Archaeologists have thus been able to find examples of the effigy of Saint Peter or even Saint Paul, from the 2nd century AD.
A few centuries later, in 1566 to be exact, the tradition even became official when Pope Pius V officially supported that the medals could help believers remember the obligations linked to the faith.
Medals today
Today, Christians around the world use these lucky jewels to get closer to God and to the model that certain saints in history may have been.
Religious medals are in fact so accepted by the Church that they appear among the sacramentals, to include "sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments and which have effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, specific to the phenomenon of spiritual intercession of the Church. »
Benefits and properties of the Saint Christopher medal
You now know why religious medals are so appreciated by the Christian faithful... but what about the Saint Christopher medal?
You will understand him better when you discover his legend (don't worry, that's the next point), but the fact is that this character is linked to journeys and, more particularly, to the assurance that they will take place no problem.
Many properties are associated with the medal of Saint Christopher (here is a copy that we offer on our site ), properties which we will now talk about.
Protect us when we travel
If Saint Christopher is the patron saint of long-term travelers, he is also for those who undertake shorter journeys... or even those who simply move a few kilometers.
Concretely, its medal is supposed to protect its wearer from car accidents or incivility on public transport.
Many people decide to hang a copy on the rearview mirror of their car to provide protection and safety.
Be careful, however: while the Saint Christopher medal can be a help, it will not protect you from all your mistakes or from dangerous driving!
A protective aura
Typically, Christian medals are surrounded by a strange feeling of mystery and sacredness. Some people like to talk about an aura.
The medal of Saint Christopher will therefore have one capable of bringing us a feeling of security and safety.
It's a bit as if wearing it around your neck brings us closer to a just model of life, a model of life capable of guaranteeing us happiness... and that's what we feel anyway.
A guaranteed return home
More than just a good trip, our medal would also ensure a safe return home.
Wherever you go, whatever you do: you will always find your way back.
If in addition your lucky charm was given to you by one of your loved ones, you will find this emotional connection that will remind you of home.
When you return home, your medal will remind you of the journey undertaken, the many adventures that took place there and all the memories linked to them.
A nice gift for your traveling friends
Saint Christopher medals make fantastic gifts, not only for “physical” travelers…but also for “spiritual” travelers.
If one of your loved ones seems to be starting a new path, looking for a new path and asking questions, giving them a Saint Christopher medal can be a way to help them not get lost.
Sometimes also, some parents like to give them to their child to protect them in this great journey that is life on earth.
A sign of devotion
Last but not least the interest of the Saint Christopher medal: wearing one is a wonderful sign of devotion.
Followers of the Catholic faith like to wear sacred medals to protect themselves from a variety of things. For some, it will be the disease that will be fought. For others, it will be sadness or loneliness. With that of Saint Christopher, it will be the risks linked to travel (of all types, you will have understood) which will be annihilated.
Far from possessing any magical or esoteric power whatsoever, the power of these lucky charms reminds us of those of God. They remind us of his graces and the many benefits that he offers us in our lives if we are faithful to him.
Wearing a medal is in this sense an act of faith, proof that we believe in the Lord's abilities to bring us positive things.
The legend of Saint Christopher
The story of Saint Christopher is above all that of a man who made the choice of conversion to dedicate his life to Jesus Christ. This is so true that he even ends up dying as a martyr, refusing (like many early Christians) to bow to the political power of the time.
However, Saint Christopher did not always live an upright life, and the reason for his conversion is the source of an astonishing legend... a legend that we will now discover.
A true titan
One day a child named Reprobus (or “Reprobate”, depending on the version) was born in the region of Canaan. Quickly, he began to grow in an exceptional manner, giving a few years later a man of extraordinary size, strength and stature.
Aware of his physical power, Reprobus decided to serve the greatest king in the world, and to be his best warrior.
He then set out in search of this king and quickly came across a local sovereign whom he joined. Despite his impressive army and great wealth, this king feared only one thing: the devil, demons and the forces of evil.
Following his logic, Reprobus then decided to serve the evil one.
Only here... There was apparently one person whom the devil feared more than anything: Jesus Christ.
A unique passenger to say the least
Thus began the spiritual quest of Reprobus who went to the local bishop, and asked him how he could best serve Christ.
The man of the Church replied that to serve God, it was necessary above all to serve men. Given the stature of Reprobus, he was given the role of ferryman carrying people on his shoulders to take them across rivers.
While he had been carrying out his task for a few days, a child came alone to ask him to cross.
Reprobus accepted and took the little one on his back. He then stood across the stream and, step by step, it seemed to him that the child was becoming heavier and heavier.
At one point, the load was so heavy that he could barely move forward and almost got swept away by the current. It was only after immense efforts that he finally managed to reach the other bank, the child still on his back.
The promise of the child Jesus
When the ferryman asked the child why he was so heavy, he simply replied that he had "carried the whole world and its Creator on his back." In this sense, the child had just revealed himself to be Christ.
To prove his words, the Lord invited Reprobus to plant his walking stick in the ground. When he returned the next day, the stick had grown into a magnificent tree full of fruit.
In short, from that day on, Reprobus was known as Christophe, which literally means “Christ-bearer”. (In ancient Greek, “Khristos” and “phorein” mean Christ and bear)
The anger of men
Saint Christopher was thus converted at a time when few men and women had already accepted Christianity.
Many of his contemporaries took a dim view of his conversion, particularly the king he was supposed to serve.
He had sought the most powerful ruler and he had found him: merciless, the man demanded that he abandon Christ and return to his service.
Saint Christopher refuses, which was the reason for his execution and his martyrdom.
The historic Saint Christopher
There are actually many variations to the legend of Saint Christopher.
By cross-checking them and analyzing certain details of the story (which we have not told here so as not to make the story heavier), historians agree that he would have lived around the year 250, under the reign of the Roman emperor Decius.
He would thus have been born in the province of Canaan and, yes, would have measured an impressive height. While some accounts tell us of a man being 1m90 tall (which was already enormous for the time and the region), others go up to 2m30 (which is undoubtedly fanciful).
Regardless, the legend of Saint Christopher remains shrouded in a veil of mystery.
Unlike many saints, he is not mentioned in the Bible or in any official clerical act.
Over time, many details of its history may have been lost or changed.
So, even though Saint Christopher is one of the most popular saints, we have little certainty about him.
Saint Christopher: patron saint of travelers… and many others!
Because he was able to transport the whole world across a river, Saint Christopher is the patron saint of all travelers. You will have understood, this is even the main reason to wear your lucky medal.
However, this is not his only area of predilection. In fact, the Catholic Church grants it a whole bunch of patronages, of which here is a small list:
- Explorers
- Seamen
- Surfers
- Epileptics
- The soldiers
- The train, and those whose work connects them to it
- The car drivers
- Bad weather and natural disasters (alongside other saints)
- Certain illnesses (alongside other saints)
It is clear: Saint Christopher is one of the most popular heroes of the faith and he brings us protection in many areas of our lives.
He is even venerated as one of the 14 holy auxiliaries (or helpers), a term derived from the Latin “auxilium” which means “to come to the aid”.
Concretely, Saint Christopher is part of a group of particular saints who are called to fight illness and epidemics of all kinds.
If you are curious and want to learn more about them, here are a few words from the site aleteia.org that will teach you more about them.
This saint in the Christian tradition
Saint Christopher is arguably one of the most famous religious figures in the world. Many currents of Christianity recognize it as such.
Obviously, Catholics know the story of Saint Christopher. This is largely the subject of this article. His feast day is July 25 and many towns and villages devote particular worship to him.
Further east, the Orthodox also venerate this saint, notably through certain illuminated icons of which they have the secret. His feast day is rather celebrated on May 9.
In the Greek tradition in particular, effigies (statuettes, paintings, mosaics or others) of Saint Christopher are often placed at the entrance to churches so that when going to or leaving the building, the faithful are blessed and the path The return home goes smoothly.
There is even a Greek Orthodox expression which, translated into French, would go something like “When you see Christophe, you can walk in safety”.
When we turn to Protestants, the question of Saints immediately becomes more complicated. Protestantism actually denies their sacred character and refuses to recognize them.
From their point of view therefore, Saint Christopher will be nothing more than a man like any other.
To learn more about the place of saints in Orthodox and Protestant traditions, here is an interesting article from la-croix.com which will tell you about it in more depth.
And so, who can benefit from this medal?
The medal of Saint Christopher linked to the Christian religion, that is clear… but it is also a powerful lucky charm.
Even if you are not a believer, nothing prevents you from wearing one to benefit from all its powers and protection.
Taking lucky charms with you when traveling is a practice that transcends people and times. There are hundreds of different models (this is the subject of our site), all having unique effects.
In the case of the Saint Christopher medal, we are facing something ideal for travelers who want to return home safe and sound. Let's face it: it constitutes the majority of them.
If you are more of a homebody, however, this lucky charm will also be of interest. By inviting you to travel, the Saint Christopher medal can be a driving force that will push you to action and adventure.
We should all step out of our comfort zone, no matter how.
Wearing such a medal is very clearly a way to do it more easily, due to the assurance it gives us that nothing fundamentally bad can happen to us.
Lucky charm featured in this article
Medal of Saint Christopher
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