Saint Christopher Medal Meaning

Christopher of Lycia, known to everyone as Saint Christopher, is an important figure in Christianity. He is often nicknamed the Patron Saint of Travelers . However, official sources about his life are seriously lacking in information. This is probably why the Catholic Church removed the day dedicated to him, July 25, from the calendar. Despite everything, Christians continue to wear the medal with his image thanks to its symbolic power. 🙏

There are many mysteries surrounding the true identity of Saint Christopher. We have decided to carry out in-depth research into the life of this rather intriguing character in order to help you get to know him better. Who is Saint Christopher really? What is the meaning of the Saint Christopher medal ? On what occasions can or should one wear a Saint Christopher medal? You will discover all the answers in this article.

If you have relatives and acquaintances who also want to know the meaning of the Saint Christopher medal as well as the history of the Patron Saint of travelers , do not hesitate to share this article with them! 😇

We will see:

• The origin of the Saint Christopher medal: who is Saint Christopher?

• The meaning of the Saint Christopher medal

• Uses of the Saint Christopher Medal

Let's start the article without further ado!

The origin of the Saint Christopher medal

You are probably familiar with the Saint Christopher medal: a piece of jewelry depicting a bearded, middle-aged man crossing a river carrying the Infant Jesus on his shoulders and a staff in his hand. Sometimes, the Latin inscription SVT. Christophorvs Protector Noster is engraved on the Christian medal. It means: " Saint Christopher, Our Protector ." But what is the origin of this accessory that holds special importance in the eyes of believers?

Who is Saint Christopher?

To know the origin of the Saint Christopher medal, you must first know the saint in question. For Christians, he is both the Patron Saint of travelers and the Protector of children . This is why we often find the Saint Christopher medal in cars and why many parents, godparents and godparents offer this religious jewel to their child or godchild on the occasion of his baptism. Etymologically, Christopher means "the one who carries Christ". But it turns out that the real name of the saint is Offerus. He would come from a royal family of Canaan or Arabia. In any case, he was very strong and imposing by his size.

Saint Christopher according to legend

To this day, Saint Christopher remains a legendary figure in the absence of irrefutable proof of his existence. According to legend, he served the new king of his country until he saw him become afraid at the mention of the devil. Therefore, he decided to look for the devil to serve him. At this point, he found a gang of criminals. One of these criminals claimed to be the devil himself, and Offerus began to provide his services. But very quickly, he realized that the devil was afraid of the cross. He therefore realized that in reality, he feared Jesus whom he then decided to serve. As you will have understood, Saint Christopher only put himself at the service of the strongest , certainly to ensure that he would win.

In his search for Christ, he came across a hermit who explained everything about the Christian faith to him. The hermit told him that to serve Jesus Christ, one must pray and fast. The robust man, accustomed to using his physical strength, considered that this would not suit him at all. The hermit therefore offered him another alternative, that of helping people cross a turbulent river . Christopher accepted! One day, St. Christopher was carrying a little boy on his shoulders , a stick in his hand. But unlike the people he had helped until then, the child grew heavier as they crossed the river. Both of them nearly drowned several times. Saint Christopher therefore struggled to get him across the troubled waters, but he still managed it.

During this perilous journey, the little child told him that he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. The child introduced himself to Christopher as Jesus Christ, his king. It was there that he became the Patron Saint of travelers .

Devotion to Saint Christopher

Everything we know about Saint Christopher is based on this legend. We assume that there is no evidence of the biographical details of the character and what he actually experienced. But we must admit that this story is inspiring. It has notably given rise to a separate devotion in the history of the church. This is reflected in particular by the special importance that believers give to the Saint Christopher medal . In any case, this legend teaches us, among other things, that our God is omnipotent.

The Saint Christopher Medal

The origin of the Saint Christopher medal is none other than this golden legend. The most common form of the medal depicts the saint carrying Christ on his shoulders in rough waters with the inscription " Saint Christopher protects us ". Christians, especially Catholics and Orthodox, wear the medal as a pendant in devotion to Saint Christopher and to benefit from his protection. Generally speaking, Saint Christopher is one of the saints of protection. But he is especially known for protecting us during a long journey . It is for this reason in particular that the religious medal representing him is often placed in cars. The Christian jewel is supposed to protect passengers from road accidents.

The meaning of the Saint Christopher medal

The St. Christopher medal is certainly one of the most popular religious jewels. It accompanies a believer from a very young age, often on the occasion of his baptism, until adulthood. Now, we will see what the St. Christopher medal really means .

The Saint Christopher medal symbolizes strength

Offerus was endowed with extraordinary physical strength. And as we have already explained, he only put this strength at the service of the one he found most powerful. It took him a while to realize it, he even got lost along the way, but he ended up understanding that our Lord is stronger than everything. Likewise, wearing a Saint Christopher medal indicates that you inherit this impressive strength, that you are strong thanks to God. On the other hand, it is no longer really about physical strength, but about the strength of our faith in Jesus Christ .

The Saint Christopher medal symbolizes courage

Saint Christopher always served the strongest but also the bravest. From the moment he noticed that his master was afraid of a person or another entity, he decided to serve the latter. Since he remained a great servant of God until the end of his life, this shows that nothing and no one is above the Lord , our Master. Moreover, his mission to help people cross a turbulent river is the greatest sign of courage there is.

The Saint Christopher medal symbolizes humility

You have certainly noticed that Saint Christopher always put himself at the service of someone else. This means that despite his strength, which far exceeded that of his peers, he never considered himself the strongest. In the end, he accepted that Jesus was not only stronger than him, but also stronger than everyone else, including the devil.

The Saint Christopher medal symbolizes devotion to Christianity

Once Saint Christopher became a servant of God, he devoted all his energy and being to Him. He took his mission very seriously. He even managed to convert thousands of people to Christianity before dying a martyr. He carried and protected his travelers , including Jesus Himself, from the tides. It was the Holy Bearer 's dedication to our Lord that saved all of these lives despite the danger. By wearing a Saint Christopher medal, you show that you are following his example of serving and being totally devoted to God.

The Saint Christopher medal symbolizes the security of divine protection

Once accompanied by Saint Christopher, people who had to cross this famous river felt safe, which was truly the case. It should be noted that Christopher is also the patron saint of gardeners, sailors and transport workers . In addition, he protects people against all dangers , including drowning of course, but also diseases such as the plague and epilepsy, storms, and even lightning. Some believers even have a statue of Saint Christopher erected in front of their house to protect their home from the forces of evil. Many Christians also wear the Saint Christopher medal as a pendant to stay safe wherever they go.

But above all, the Saint Christopher medal is most often present in cars. This is quite normal since he is still the Patron Saint of travelers . The medal therefore helps you protect yourself from road accidents . Of course, caution and respect for the law remain essential, but you will be even safer with a medal engraved with Saint Christopher in your vehicle. Even if the journey is long and strewn with pitfalls, you will arrive safe and sound at your destination under the protection of Jesus Christ, supported by Saint Christopher.

Wearing a Saint Christopher medal means carrying his cross

In a sense, wearing a St. Christopher medal has the same meaning as carrying one's cross . When Christopher asked the child why he was getting heavier and heavier, the child introduced himself to him as Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Thus, He explained to him that it was the weight of the sins of men. During the extremely perilous journey, Jesus shared this heavy burden with his bearer who managed to cross the river successfully (not without difficulty). Thus, wearing a St. Christopher medal means that you agree to carry your cross .

As we have already explained in our article dedicated to this topic, carrying your cross means that you have the strength to face difficulties with humility as well as keeping faith in God. Even if you encounter problems, no matter how serious they may seem to you, the Lord will always give you the strength to endure them and you will always come out victorious. Remember the Passion of Christ, he carried his cross that symbolized our sins with humility and in the greatest suffering. But in the end, he rose again, proving to the whole world that with our Lord, evil never triumphs. Also, sufferings are part of life, but if you agree to carry Jesus in your heart, you will overcome them no matter what.

The uses of the Saint Christopher medal?

Now that you know what the Saint Christopher medal means , it is time to see how and when you can use or wear it.

Offer a Saint Christopher medal at a baptism

For Christians, it is customary to offer a gold or silver necklace of a Saint Christopher medal to a child for his baptism . This choice is not insignificant, because the child will grow up under divine protection. We must not forget that Saint Christopher is the protector of children and travelers . And the greatest journey of a human being is none other than his life itself. As a parent, godmother or godfather, offering a Saint Christopher medal to a child to be baptized is a strong act, because you offer him protection for the rest of his life.

Putting a Saint Christopher medal in a car

You have certainly already noticed small circular plates representing Saint Christopher stuck in cars. They are supposed to protect them from road accidents. The other more aesthetic alternative is to hang a Saint Christopher medal on the rearview mirror of your car . It will always have a protective effect against accidents and other hazards of the road. Once again, we would like to emphasize that caution remains essential.

Wearing a Saint Christopher Medal as a Christian

Children are not the only ones who can wear a Saint Christopher medal. Christians of all ages who wish to benefit from God's protection through Saint Christopher can also do so. The religious jewel will protect you from all dangers. 🙏

We hope you have learned more about the meaning of the Saint Christopher medal after reading this article. We have seen his history and his philosophy of life. St. Christopher served only the strongest and the bravest. That is how he ended up as a servant of God. His mission was to help people cross troubled waters. One day, it was Jesus Himself that Christopher carried on his shoulders as a child. Christ became heavier and heavier as the journey progressed, because He carried the weight of our sins. Thus, the Saint Christopher medal symbolizes: strength, courage, humility, devotion to our religion, security and divine protection .

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