July 25--St. Christopher, Martyr

 

St. Christopher Memorial Card

Whatever happened to St. Christopher? We know that he was a martyr under the persecution of the Emperor Decius in the third century in Lycea in present-dayTurkey, but we do not know anything else about him. Because of that, the Church removed him from the liturgical calendar. However, that does not mean that the Church demoted him or denied his existence. He is still on the Roman Martyrology, the approved list of saints in the Catholic Church.

In the Middle Ages a story spread about St. Christopher. The legend states that he was a giant who wished to serve the strongest, most powerful king. He started out serving a Christian king who crossed himself whenever he heard the devil’s name. Thus St. Christopher went to serve the devil who shuddered at the sight of the cross of Christ. Thus St. Christopher went to serve Christ. He was told by a hermit he would find Christ by carrying people across a river. “After Christopher had performed this service for some time, a little child asked him to take him across the river. During the crossing, the river became swollen and the child seemed as heavy as lead, so much that Christopher could scarcely carry him and found himself in great difficulty. When he finally reached the other side, he said to the child: ‘You have put me in the greatest danger. I do not think the whole world could have been as heavy on my shoulders as you were.’ The child replied: ‘You had on your shoulders not only the whole world but Him who made it. I am Christ your king, whom you are serving by this work.’ The child then vanished.” Thus, he is the patron of travelers.

St. Christopher is still a saint! St. Christopher, pray for us.

January 14--St. Felix of Nola, Priest and Confessor

 

St. Felix of Nola @ Catholic Online.

What happens when a person is persecuted for the faith, but does not die? That person is called a “confessor”. That is our saint today, St. Felix of Nola. Nola is near Naples. He was ordained a priest by the bishop, St. Maximus of Nola, and became his right-hand man. During the persecution of the Emperor Decius in A.D. 250 the bishop went into hiding so he could better administer the diocese. However, upon not finding him, the Roman troops turned upon St. Felix, torturing and imprisoning him. According to legend, St. Felix was released from prison by an angel. He was then guided to St. Maximus, who was sick and near death, and returned him to Nola. St. Maximus died soon after the persecution ceased in 251 and the people acclaimed St. Felix as bishop. He declined, retiring to a farm where he raised crops for himself and the poor. He died around 260.

Much of what we know about St. Felix comes from St. Paulinus of Nola, who took him as his patron. St. Paulinus wrote a poem each year to celebrate Felix’s feast day: “This festive day celebrates Felix’s birthday, the day on which he died physically on earth and was born for Christ in heaven, winning his heavenly crown as a martyr who did not shed his blood. For he died as a confessor, though he did not avoid execution by choice, since God accepted his inner faith in place of blood.” 

We can learn two things from St. Felix: one, doing God’s will does not always require martyrdom, although it can involve suffering; two, we need to lean on our patron saints, men and women who intercede for us and can help us do God’s will throughout our lives. St. Felix, pray for us!