Once a Saint, Always a Saint

 

   A friend recently gave me what she thought was a Catholic money clip. The front of the clip has two medallions, one of Saint Christopher and the other of Our Lady of the Highway. This "money clip" brought me back to my childhood when most of the cars in Boston had either a statue of St Christopher on the dash or one of these clips on the windshield visor.

   St. Christopher was born in Canaan in the third century A.D. His birth name was Reprobus and he was 7.5 feet tall and had a fearsome face. He decided to serve the greatest king on earth. When he discovered this king feared the devil, he went to serve the devil. But he found the devil feared Christ so he went in search of Christ.

   A hermit converted Reprobus to Christianity and told him he could serve Christ by using his great size to carry people across a dangerous river nearby. One day a little child asked to be carried the across. As they crossed the river the child grew heavier and heavier and they almost didn't make it. Reprobus told the child it felt like he had been carrying the whole world. The child said "You were carrying the one who made the world," and disappeared.

   Reprobus changed his name to Christopher or "Christ bearer." He moved to an area where Christians were being persecuted. He comforted the Christians and refused to worship the local gods. The king tried to win him over with riches and by sending him two beautiful women. Christopher converted the women to Christianity. The king tried to kill him but could not. The king made many attempts, until beheading was finally successful.

   Christopher was soon made a saint. He is patron of ferrymen of course, as well archers, bachelors and bookbinders, and, most especially, travelers. Whenever a traveler set off on a long journey, he carried a St. Christopher medal if he was smart. Once the automobile caught on, it made sense to have St. Christopher as a passenger.

   But it all came crashing down one day when our teacher, Sister Eubestrabius, gathered us in a circle and whispered that St. Christopher was no longer a saint! There were gasps among my classmates. Sister said that smart men at the Vatican had told the pope that Saint Christopher was only a legend so he could no longer be a saint. I learned later that Christopher had not been de-sainted but only downgraded. The worst part of it was that his name would no longer appear on the Church Calendar of Saints on his former feast day of July 25. 

   Catholics were still encouraged to pray to St. Christopher for protection, but the damage was done. When Catholics bought new cars, they no longer ordered the St. Christopher package and visor clips like the one I have before me began their long journey to the thrift store.

Blessed iPhone