St. Christopher

The preparations for Colombia are underway; clothes are packed for storage, clothes are set aside to go, things are being sold, and slowly my posessions are dwindling down. It is a good feeling actually; to be back with the minimal amount of things. But something hit me the other day and realized there is one thing that perhaps I should look at bringing.

You see, the school I am teaching at is a Catholic school, and Colombia is a predominatly Catholic country. So where does this heathen fit in? I don't wear a cross, nor would I want to - not my style nor would I feel comfortable in portraying something I am not. A cross is just too much for me. I guess it would be like me following some principles in Buddhism and shaving my head and wearing a robe - see...too much and over the top. I figure I needed something that showed that I am not a total heathen in all senses of the word, and have some belief. Taking my Buddhist beads or Shinto amulet just wouldn't cut it in a Catholic country, so the next best alternative was to raid Dad's jewlery box.

My father used to be an alter boy many many years ago and has all sorts of medals of various patron saints stashed away. I thought about St. Christopher, the patron saint of travellers among other things, and knew it would be perfect. It is perfect in meaning and it is perfect that I can take something of my father's with me.

So there I was today, searching through the medals, and I came across St. Christopher. He was badly tarnished, but with a bit of elbow grease (thanks mom) he is now shiny and placed around my neck ready for the voyage to Colombia.

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His fame derives from the pious legend of him being a "Christ-bearer" (= Christopher). He was a powerfully built man who wandered the world in search of novelty and adventure. He came upon a hermit who lived beside a dangerous stream and served others by guiding them to safe places to cross. He gave Offero instruction in the truth of God. Offero took the hermit's place, but instead of guiding travellers, he carried them safely across the stream.

One day he carried a small child across the stream; the child's weight nearly crushed him. When they arrived on the other side, the child revealed himself as Christ, and he was so heavy because he bore the weight of the world on himself. He then baptised Offero with water from the stream. Christopher's service at the stream led to his patronage of things related to travel and travellers, people who carry things, etc.

Patronage: archers, automobile drivers, bachelors, boatmen, bus drivers, cab drivers, floods, hailstorms, lorry drivers, mariners, market carriers, motorists, porters, sailors, storms, taxi drivers, toothache, transportation, travellers, truckers, watermen