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.

October 21—St. Ursula, Virgin and Martyr

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Wasn’t she removed from the Roman calendar along with St. Christopher and St. Barbara back in the late 60’s? There are some saints whose feast days are no longer promoted in the General Roman Calendar, including St. Ursula, because there is not enough historical information to corroborate their lives. However, she and her companions are still listed in the Roman Martyrology, which is the official list of saints recognized by the Catholic Church. It says: “At Cologne in Germany, commemoration of virgin saints who ended their life in martyrdom for Christ in the place where afterwards the city’s basilica was built, dedicated in honour of the innocent young girl Ursula who is looked on as their leader.” 

Therefore, let us honor the legend. According to legend, St. Ursula was from Britain who was sent to marry a pagan governor in Brittany, France. Before she would wed him, she declared she would take a pilgrimage throughout Europe. She set off for Cologne and she and her handmaidens were martyred by the Huns. St. Ursula was shot and killed with an arrow by the Huns’ leader on October 21, 383. 

So why is she recognized and honored? St. Angela Merici founded the Order of Ursulines in 1535 to teach young girls and thus St. Ursula became the patron saint of schoolgirls, spreading her name throughout the world. The Virgin Islands were named in her honor by Christopher Columbus. Even though she and her companions are legendary, what they stand for is not. They are portrayed as martyrs of the faith, who exist in every age and in every land. Martyrdom is the supreme sacrifice one can offer in witness to the love one has for God. St. Ursula and her companions, legendary or not, are symbols of faith. That works for me!

*https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/97/Grandes_Heures_Anne_de_Bretagne_-_Ursule_f199v.jpg/440px-Grandes_Heures_Anne_de_Bretagne_-_Ursule_f199v.jpg

April 23—St. George, Martyr

So, there’s this dragon outside a city, and there’s a pretty maiden who’s going to be eaten by it, and then there’s this soldier on a horse who kills it in the name of God, and he’s St. George, right?  Wrong!  The legend comes to us from the crusaders who told it in the manner of a medieval romance.  Nonetheless, there are elements of truth, even in legends.  What we know of St. George is that he was a martyr during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, who persecuted the Church severely in about the late 3^rd century.  It was a requirement by Diocletian that all Christian soldiers either renounce their faith or be executed.  St. George accepted execution.  But what about the dragon?  The dragon is a common symbol for Satan.  Therefore, we can see that St. George defeated Satan through his faith, suffering, and death.

St. George is the patron saint of soldiers.  Many people wonder how a Christian can be a soldier, one who takes the lives of others.  A soldier may take life, but only in defense of life.  It is a common principle of the Just War Theory, started by St. Augustine and expanded upon by St. Thomas Aquinas, that defense of life may involve the taking of another life, but only as a last resort and not intended in itself.  This means that soldiers may enter into war with other combatants, but not with non-combatants, such as civilians or prisoners of war.  War is never a desired activity, but it may be necessary in the manner of defense.  Soldiers defend.  We offer our prayers for the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way for our defense and for others.