Saint Christopher medal Meaning

Christopher of Lycia, known to all as Saint Christopher, is an important figure in Christianity. He is often referred to as the patron saint of travelers. However, official sources about his life are seriously lacking in information. This is certainly why the Catholic Church removed the day dedicated to him, July 25, from the calendar. Despite this, Christians continue to wear the medal in his effigy thanks to its symbolic power. 🙏

There are many mysteries surrounding the true identity of Saint Christopher. So we decided to do some in-depth research into the life of this rather intriguing character to help you get to know him better. Who really is Saint Christopher? What is the significance of the Saint Christopher medal? When can or should you wear a Saint Christopher medal? Find out all the answers in this article.

If you have friends or acquaintances who would also like to know the meaning of the Saint Christopher medal and thehistory of the Patron Saint of travelers, please feel free to share this article with them! 😇

Let's take a look at:

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

Let's get started!

The origin of the Saint Christopher medal

You're 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 of particular importance to believers?

Who is Saint Christopher?

To find out about the origin of the Saint Christopher medal, you first need to know about the saint in question. For Christians, he is both the Patron Saint of travelers and the Protector of children. This is why Saint Christopher medals are often found in cars, and why many parents and godparents give this religious jewel to their child or godchild on the occasion of his or her baptism. Etymologically, Christophe means “he who carries Christ”. But it turns out that the saint's real name is Offerus. He is said to have come from a royal family in Canaan or Arabia. In any case, he was very strong and imposing in stature.

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 frightened at the mention of the devil. Consequently, he decided to seek out 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 set about providing him with his services. But he soon realized that the devil was afraid of the cross. So he realized that, in reality, he feared Jesus, whom he decided to serve. As you can see, St. Christopher only served the strongest, certainly to make sure he won.

In his search for Christ, he came across a hermit who told him all about the Christian faith. The hermit told him that to serve Jesus Christ, one must pray and fast. The robust man, accustomed to using his physical strength, thought this would not suit him at all. So the hermit offered him another alternative: tohelp people cross a tumultuous river. Christophe agreed! One day, St. Christopher carried a little boy on his shoulders, a stick in his hand. But unlike the people he had been helping, the child grew heavier as they crossed the river. The two of them almost drowned several times. St. Christopher struggled to get him through the murky waters, but succeeded nonetheless.

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. That's when he became the patron saint of travelers.

Devotion to Saint Christopher

Everything we know about Saint Christopher is based on this legend. We accept that there is no proof of the biographical details of the character or of what he actually experienced. But we must admit that the story is an inspiring one. In particular, it has given rise to a devotion of its own in church history. This is reflected in the particular 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 St. Christopher and to benefit from his protection. Generally speaking, Saint Christopher is one of the saints of protection. But he is best known for protecting us on long journeys. This is one of the reasons why 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 St. Christopher medal

The St. Christopher medal is certainly one of the most popular pieces of religious jewelry. It accompanies a believer from early childhood, often on the occasion of his or her baptism, right through to adulthood. Now, let's take a look at what the Saint Christopher medal really means.

The Saint Christopher medal symbolizes strength

Offerus was endowed with extraordinary physical strength. And, as we've already explained, he would only put this strength at the service of whomever he found most powerful. It took him a long time to realize this, and he even lost his way along the way, but he came to understand that our Lord is stronger than all. Similarly, wearing a St. Christopher medal indicates that you have inherited this impressive strength, that you are strong thanks to God. On the other hand, it's 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 realized 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 to the end of his life, this shows that nothing and no one is above the Lord, our Master. Moreover, his mission tohelp people cross a tumultuousriver is the greatest sign of courage there is.

The Saint Christopher medal symbolizes humility

As you may have noticed, St. Christopher has always put himself at someone else's service. This means that, despite his strength far exceeding that of his fellow men, he never considered himself the strongest. In the end, he accepted that Jesus was not only stronger than he was, but also stronger than everyone else, including the devil.

The Saint Christopher medal symbolizes dedication to Christianity

Once St. Christopher became a servant of God, he dedicated all his energy and being to Him. He took his mission very seriously. He even succeeded in converting thousands of people to Christianity before dying a martyr's death. He carried and protected his travelers, including Jesus himself, from the tides. It was the saintly porter 's dedication to our Lord that saved all those lives despite the danger. By wearing a Saint Christopher medal, you show that you follow his example of service and total dedication to God.

The Saint Christopher medal symbolizes the security of divine protection

When accompanied by St. Christopher, people who had to cross this famous river felt safe, which was indeed the case. Christopher is also the patron saint of gardeners, sailors and transport workers. He also protects people from all dangers, including drowning, of course, but also diseases such as the plague and epilepsy, storms and even lightning. Some believers even erect a statue of St. Christopher 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 found in cars. This is only natural, since he is the patron saint of travelers. The medal will help protect you from road accidents. Of course, caution and respect for the law remain essential, but you'll be even safer with an engraved Saint Christopher medal in your vehicle. Even if the journey is long and full of pitfalls, you'll arrive safely at your destination under the protection of Jesus Christ, backed by Saint Christopher.

Wearing a Saint Christopher medal means carrying your cross

In a sense, wearing a Saint Christopher medal is the same as carrying your cross. When Christopher asked the child why he was getting heavier and heavier, he introduced himself as Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He explained that it was the weight of man's sins. During the extremely perilous journey, Jesus shared this heavy burden with his bearer, who successfully (but not without difficulty) crossed the river. So, wearing a Saint Christopher medal means you accept to carry your cross.

As we've already explained in our article dedicated to this subject, carrying your cross means 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, the Lord will always give you the strength to bear them, and you will always emerge victorious. Remember Christ's Passion: he carried his cross, which symbolized our sins, with humility and in the greatest of sufferings. But in the end, he rose again, proving to the whole world that with our Lord, evil never triumphs. So, suffering is part of life, but if you accept Jesus in your heart, you'll overcome it no matter what.

What are the uses of the Saint Christopher medal?

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

Giving a Saint Christopher medal at a baptism

For Christians, it's customary to give a gold or silver Saint Christopher medal necklace to a child for his or her baptism. This choice is not insignificant, as the child will grow up under divine protection. St. Christopher is the protector of children and travelers. And a human being's greatest journey is none other than his or her own life. As a parent, godmother or godfather, giving a Saint Christopher medal to a child to be baptized is a powerful act, because you are offering him or her protection for the rest of his or her life.

Putting a Saint Christopher medal in a car

You've probably already noticed small circular Saint Christopher medals stuck to cars. They're supposed to protect them from road accidents. The more aesthetic alternative is tohang a Saint Christopher medal on your car's rearview mirror. It will always have a protective effect against accidents and other road hazards. Once again, caution is essential.

Wearing a Saint Christopher medal as a Christian

Children aren't 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've learned more about the meaning of the saint Christophe medal after reading this article. We've seen its history and philosophy of life. St. Christopher served only the strongest and bravest. That's how he ended up as a servant of God. His mission was to help people through troubled waters. One day, it was Jesus himself that Christophe carried on his shoulders as a child. Christ became heavier and heavier along the way, as He bore the weight of our sins. Thus, the St. Christopher medal symbolizes: strength, courage, humility, devotion to our religion, security and divine protection.