On the Feast of St. Christopher, A Message From My Heart
St. Christopher watches over travelers who have lost their way — perhaps he is the saint this nation needs most in these troubled times.
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Today, on the feast of St. Christopher (my namesake), I’m reflecting on two influences that shaped my faith when I started taking it seriously in late high school.
The first is when I was born: Holy Saturday, March 25, 1989.
Holy Saturday is that strange, silent day between the anguish of Good Friday and the hope of Easter Sunday — a day suspended between death and resurrection.
I’ve always felt that being born on this in-between day is symbolic.
It reminds me that even in the deepest silence, God’s promise of new life is quietly at work — that hope lives right on the seam between despair and joy.
The second inspiration is my name itself. Christopher literally means “Christ-bearer” – one who carries Christ.
I’m captivated by the fictional legend of St. Christopher carrying the Christ child across a swollen river, only realizing halfway across that he bore the weight of the world.
I’m no St. Christopher, but in my own very small way, I want to help carry Christ’s light across the stormy waters of our nation’s life.
Letters from Leo is my imperfect attempt to do just that.
It’s part of my “secular priesthood” — my calling to share the highest values of our faith in the public square.
Yes, the Catholic Church is deeply flawed, yet I still believe God can shine a healing light through this faith even in dark times.
Pope Leo captured this conviction when he proclaimed at his Inaugural Mass that “this is the hour of love!
If this is truly an hour of love, then our response to America’s darkest moments must be to love more fiercely. I’m convinced that our faith still has something to offer for the renewal of our nation.
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a perfect — or even particularly good — messenger.
I’m a sinner, a work in progress, and because of that, I often feel uneasy writing about my faith in public life.
Nevertheless, here I am.
In Pope John Paul I’s words, “I offer you the little that I have and am.”
I offer you my back, my mind, my heart, and my love for this Church and this country, both blessed and both broken.
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Most of all, if you’re someone who prays, I humbly ask for your prayers.
Your friendship, prayers, and good wishes are the greatest gifts you can offer me.
On this feast of the Christ-bearer, I’ll leave you with one final thought: St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers — especially those of us who have lost our way.
Our nation, I think, has indeed lost its path. So if you pray with the saints, tonight might be the night to ask St. Christopher to watch over us and guide our nation home.
Let us rise, then, fellow travelers, and continue on our way.
I’ll see you on the road.
Christopher
PS — here’s my favorite song about St. Christopher. It’s called On My Way by Michael Logen
Love this pose, for obvious reasons 😊. Thank you for your quieting words. To a better journey ahead!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about your spiritual journey. I’ve always thought of St. Christopher as only the saint to pray to when you’re actually traveling. But as you said we are on our spiritual path every single day. Now I can add him to my list of saints for my daily admonitions. We are on this road together.