Official feasts used to be an important part of the human community. People would gather together to remember something sacred, express their faith and hope for the future, and / or just be together formally, recognizing each other as being part of a shared community. Few things express a desire for shared companionship and social intimacy more than dining together. Sadly, the gathering together for feasting is increasingly a relic of the past – at least here in the West.
It need not be so! Today we will remember the ancient feasts.
The Feast Day of ST. CHristopher
This Feast Day of St. Christopher is a Christian religious celebration of St. Christopher, a Third Century Canaanite Christian martyr, commonly depicted as either a giant, or even a dog-faced giant, today considered a patron saint for many things, including athletics, bachelors, transportation (drivers, sailors, etc.), traveling (especially for long journeys), surfing, storms, Brunswick, Saint Christopher's Island (Saint Kitts), Island of Rab, Vilnius, Havana, epilepsy, gardeners, and toothache.
Who is St. Christopher?
Saint Christopher (Greek: Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος, Hágios Christóphoros, lit. 'Christ-bearer'; Latin: Sanctus Christophorus) is venerated by several Christian denominations as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman emperor Decius (r. 249–251), or alternatively under the emperor Maximinus Daia (r. 308–313). There appears to be confusion due to the similarity in names "Decius" and "Daia". Churches and monasteries were named after him by the 7th century.
His most famous legend tells that he carried a child, who was unknown to him, across a river before the child revealed himself as Christ. Therefore, he is the patron saint of travelers, and small images of him are often worn around the neck, on a bracelet, carried in a pocket, or placed in vehicles by Christians.
Historicity
Probably the most important source of the historicity of Christophorus is a stone inscription published by Louis Duchesne in 1878.
The copy of the stone inscription and the first publication took place on 7 April 1877 by Matthieu Paranikas in the Anatolia magazine in Constantinople. The stone of the size of 2 m × 1 m (6 ft 7 in × 3 ft 3 in) was found in the ruins of a church in the ancient Chalcedon. The inscription bears witness to the laying of the foundation stone, the construction and the consecration of a church in the name of "Saint Christopher's Martyrdom". The inscription also bears witness to the chronological dates from the laying of the foundation stone to the consecration of the church; the construction of this Christophorus church dates back exactly to the time of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, the Council of Chalcedon. The inscription also mentions the names of the state ministers of the Byzantine Empire and those church ministers who were involved in the laying of the foundation stone, the construction or the consecration of the church. The inscription reads:
With God was laid the cornerstone of the martyrdom of Saint Christopher in the third indiction in the month of May under the Consulate of the illustrious Protogenes and Asturius under the Emperor Theodosius II and Bishop Eulalios of Chalcedon. But it was built by the venerable chamberlain Euphemidus, and the consecration took place at the end of the fifth indiction in the month of September, on the 22nd., under the consulate of the illustrious Sporacius and Herculanus.
The German archaeologist Carl Maria Kaufmann writes:
The construction of this church, erected in honour of Saint Christopher, lasted from May 450 to Sept 22nd 452, where the consecration and dedication took place. The names of the mentioned personalities, the consuls, of Bishop Eulalius, are known from the history of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, which met during the construction period on the same ground to which our inscription belongs (Chalcedon, 451). Theodosius II died two months after construction began. The church inscriptions commemorate the cubicularius Euphemius, often the founder or builder as the architect or construction leader.
Not far from the Church of St Christopher, which was under construction at the time, was the Basilica of St Euphemia, in which the Council took place; the consuls Protogenes and Sporacius, mentioned in the stone inscription, are mentioned in the Council Acts.
This inscription attests to the veneration of Christophorus in the 5th century in Chalcedony and, consequently, the existence of Christophorus, who probably in the period of the Great Persecution in the 4th century suffered the martyrdom.
Then for the year 553 a bishop of Arkadiopolis in Lydia is testified, who had taken the name Christophorus. A nunnery in Galatia was consecrated to Saint Christopher around the year 600.
Epic
Epics about the life and death of Saint Christopher first appeared in Greece in the 6th century and had spread to France by the 9th century. The 11th-century bishop and poet Walter of Speyer gave one version, but the most popular variations originated from the 13th-century Golden Legend. According to the legendary account of his life Christopher was initially called Reprobus. He was a Canaanite, 5 cubits (7.5 feet (2.3 m)) tall and with a fearsome face. While serving the king of Canaan, he took it into his head to go and serve "the greatest king there was". He went to the king who was reputed to be the greatest, but one day he saw the king cross himself at the mention of the devil. On thus learning that the king feared the devil, he departed to look for the devil. He came across a band of marauders, one of whom declared himself to be the devil, so Christopher decided to serve him. But when he saw his new master avoid a wayside cross and found out that the devil feared Christ, he left him and enquired from people where to find Christ. He met a hermit who instructed him in the Christian faith. Christopher asked him how he could serve Christ. When the hermit suggested fasting and prayer, Christopher replied that he was unable to perform that service. The hermit then suggested that because of his size and strength Christopher could serve Christ by assisting people to cross a dangerous river, where they were perishing in the attempt. The hermit promised that this service would be pleasing to Christ.
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.
Christopher later visited Lycia and there comforted the Christians who were being martyred. Brought before the local king, he refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods. The king tried to win him by riches and by sending two beautiful women to tempt him. Christopher converted the women to Christianity, as he had already converted thousands in the city. The king ordered him to be killed. Various attempts failed, but finally Christopher was beheaded.
The name Christopher, as used in the Anglophone world, is the English version of the Greek name Χριστόφορος (Christóphoros or Christóforos). It is formed from the word elements Χριστός (Christós, 'Christ'), and φέρειν (phérein, 'to bear'), together signifying, "Christ bearer". Widely dispersed into other languages and cultures from the Greek, many native forms of Christopher are used both to refer to the saint and as a personal name.
Iconography
Because St. Christopher offered protection to travelers and against sudden death, many churches placed images or statues of him, usually opposite the south door, so he could be easily seen. He is usually depicted as a giant, with a child on his shoulder and a staff in one hand. In England, there are more wall paintings of St. Christopher than of any other saint; in 1904, Mrs. Collier, writing for the British Archaeological Association, reported 183 paintings, statues, and other representations of the saint, outnumbering all others except for the Virgin Mary.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, certain icons covertly identify Saint Christopher with the head of a dog. Such images may carry echoes of the Egyptian dog-headed god, Anubis. Christopher pictured with a dog's head is not generally supported by the Orthodox Church, as the icon was proscribed in the 18th century by Moscow.
The roots of that iconography lie in a hagiographic narrative set during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian, which tells of a man named Reprebus, (also, Rebrebus or Reprobus; 'the reprobate' or 'scoundrel'). He was captured by Roman forces fighting against tribes dwelling to the west of Egypt in Cyrenaica and forced to join the Roman numerus Marmaritarum ('Unit of the Marmaritae'). He was reported to be of enormous size, with the head of a dog instead of a man. This was in line with the cultural beliefs of the time, which held that typical Marmaritae were tall, strong, and rascally; being a cynocephalus was also consistent with this image. Roman writer Pliny the Elder reported that the "Cynamolgi [cynocephali], of Ethiopia were men with the heads of dogs." Pliny's work, The Natural History was, during the first century A.D., a well-respected compendium of Roman science. It reports accepted "knowledge" about people from Cyrenaica. Pliny notes that these "dog-headed men" resided in "Ethiopia"—a name used to encapsulate areas of Africa West and South of Alexandrian Egypt by contemporary Romans. Reprebus and the unit were later transferred to Syrian Antioch, where bishop Peter of Attalia baptised him and where he was martyred in 308.
It has also been speculated that this Byzantine depiction of St. Christopher as dog-headed may have resulted from a misreading of the Latin term Cananeus, 'Canaanite' as caninus, that is, 'canine'. Scholars judge the association with cynocephaly as more likely.
According to the medieval Irish Passion of St. Christopher, "This Christopher was one of the Dog-heads, a race that had the heads of dogs and ate human flesh." It was commonly accepted at the time that there were several types of races, the Cynocephalus, or dog-headed people, being one of many believed to populate the world. The German bishop and poet Walter of Speyer portrayed St. Christopher as a giant of a cynocephalic species in the land of the Chananeans who ate human flesh and barked. Eventually, Christopher met the Christ child, regretted his former behavior, and received baptism. He, too, was rewarded with a human appearance, whereupon he devoted his life to Christian service and became an athlete of God, one of the soldier saints.
For a very interesting short video on this mysterious Saint and martyr, I recommend that you spend a few minutes and view the video below:
Due to this Saint's legend, you will often see Christians who carry a St. Christopher pendant when they travel
(via catholicshop.com)
Catholic Shop offers beautiful 14K gold, Sterling Silver and 12K gold-filled St. Christopher Medals. St. Christopher is known as the patron saint of travelers, making these pendants the perfect gift for anyone who spends a lot of time on the road, in the air or just simpy going places.
St. Christopher is a beloved figure in the Catholic faith and is often depicted as a very tall man carrying a child across a river. This is because he is said to have dedicated his life to carrying people across a dangerous river and, one day, he carried a child who later revealed himself to be Jesus Christ.
The story of St. Christopher became popular in the Middle Ages, and he became known as the patron saint of travelers and drivers. Many people began to pray to him for protection during their journeys, and St. Christopher medals were created as a way to carry his protection with them. To learn more, read our full St. Christopher story.
All of the religious goods at Catholic Shop, including our line of St. Christopher medals, are made of high-quality materials and feature our Satisfaction Guarantee. All orders over $40 ship free, making this the perfect time to buy a St. Christopher charm for you or your loved one. Also see our St. Christopher gifts.
What does one eat to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Christopher?
As Saint Christopher is an early saint, and quite popular since the Middle Ages, there are a lot of various customs and traditions associated with him. I have followed the lead of saintsfeastfamily.com and chosen a Croatian dish for this celebration:
Kroštule
makes approximately 25
- 1½ cups plain flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- 2 TBSP sour cream
- 2 TBSP rakija* (Rum)
- 1 TBSP vanilla
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
- Cooking oil, for frying
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
Directions:
- Place the flour onto a clean work surface, sprinkle with the salt and form a well in the centre. Place the egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of caster sugar, sour cream, rakija, vanilla and lemon rind into a bowl and mix with a fork. Pour this into the well and, using your fingers, gradually mix the wet ingredients with the flour to form a dough. Alternatively do this in a large mixing bowl.
- Knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth. If the mixture is too dry, add a little water. If it's a bit wet, add a little more flour. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for half an hour.
- If you have a pasta machine, pass the dough through the settings from thickest and gradually down to 2-3 mm thickness. Alternatively use a rolling pin. Once the dough is rolled, cut it into 15 cm x 2 cm strips using a crimped pasta cutter. Tie each strip into a knot, cover with a tea towel and set aside as you heat the oil.
- Heat the oil to 190° C in a large saucepan. Place a few knots of pastry into the oil and allow to cook on both sides until lightly golden. Drain well on kitchen paper while you cook the remaining dough.
- Combine the 2 tablespoons of caster sugar and icing sugar in a large bowl. While the kroštule are still hot, toss them very gently in the sugar to coat well. Allow to cool before serving. They can be stored in an airtight container, but they're always best eaten the same day.
* Rakija is a distilled spirit made from a variety of fermented fruits. Kroštule often contain rum, so use it if you like.
If you have any questions about the recipe, there is more detail at the link. I recommend their other recipes, too.
What is a prayer you might say for the Feast Day of St. Christopher?
(via hallow.com)
"Dear Saint Christopher,
protect me today
in all my travels
along the road's way.
Give your warning sign
if danger is near
so that I may stop
while the path is clear.
Be at my window
and direct me through
when the vision blurs
From out of the blue.
Carry me safely
to my destined place,
like you carried Christ
in your close embrace."
Amen.
When is the Feast Day of St. Christopher celebrated?
The Feast Day of St. Christopher is celebrated 24 July (German-speaking dioceses), 25 July (General Roman Calendar), 9 May (Eastern Churches), 2 Parmouti (Coptic Church)
I hope everyone who celebrates has a wonderful day!
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