by Sister Therese Sonnenfeld, C.S.S.F.
There are many legends about St. Christopher (c. third century), but there is very little historical evidence of him. Thus, his feast day—July 25—is no longer part of the Catholic calendar. Many people, especially travelers, still embrace St. Christopher as a patron saint.
This simple dramatization can help your students learn about St. Christopher. You can read the dramatization and have students participate by repeating Christopher’s responses, or you can be more creative with props and costumes and have the students act it out. If you want students to act out this dramatization, you will need a narrator and the following characters: Christopher, the woodcutter, the carpenter, the soldier, the king, Satan, the Child.
Narrator: Christopher was a very strong man. He wanted to work for the most powerful person in the world. One day in the forest, he saw a woodcutter with huge muscles. Christopher said to the woodcutter:
Christopher: I’ll stay. I’ll work for you.
Narrator: A short time later, a carpenter came to buy some wood. He had bigger muscles than the woodcutter. Christopher said:
Christopher: So long. Gotta move on.
Narrator: Christopher joined the carpenter and offered his help.
Christopher: I’ll stay. I’ll work for you.
Narrator: In town, a soldier friend of the carpenter bragged about the power of the king. Christopher was all ears. He told the carpenter:
Christopher: So long. Gotta move on.
Narrator: Christopher met the king. Christopher told him:
Christopher: I’ll stay. I’ll work for you.
Narrator: The king was so impressed with Christopher that he made him his bodyguard. Christopher lived in the palace a long time. One evening the court jester (clown) told a story about the power of someone named Satan. The king turned pale. Christopher thought to himself that Satan must be more powerful than the king and so he told the king:
Christopher: So long. Gotta move on.
Narrator: Christopher began looking for Satan. One day a sinister-looking person was riding a horse down a road. A companion called the person Satan.
Christopher: I’ll stay. I’ll work for you.
Narrator: Satan laughed a loud, frightening laugh and said to Christopher:
Satan: Come along then.
Narrator: Christopher followed the evil leader everywhere. As they rode along, they discovered a cross on the side of the road. Satan stopped in the middle of the road and turned the horse in the opposite direction. Christopher saw that Satan was afraid of the cross, so he announced:
Christopher: So long. Gotta move on.
Narrator: Christopher built a little hut near the bank of a raging river. The water was deep, swift, and cold. Christopher was tall and strong. He spent his life carrying people across the river but didn’t meet the person who could tell him about the cross.
One day Christopher heard a child crying. He went outside and saw a small boy who wanted to cross the raging river. Christopher thought that the child would be easy to carry, so he put the boy on his shoulders and started to cross the river. But as Christopher walked, the child became heavier and heavier. They both sank down, down, down until Christopher could not move. Christopher wondered who this child was.
Child: I am Jesus for whom you have been searching.
Narrator: Jesus traced the sign of the cross on Christopher’s forehead. Jesus told him:
Child: I am the Son of God who died on the cross for the sins of the world. As you carry me, you feel the weight of all those sins.
Narrator: Christopher cried with joy. He had found the strongest person in the world.
Christopher: I’ll stay! I will work for you forever!
Narrator: And he did. At Baptism, we are called to be Christ-bearers. We are to carry Jesus everywhere we go. Through his death on the cross, Jesus defeated Satan. He saved us from our sins. Every time we make the sign of the cross, we grow in grace. Let’s trace the sign of the cross on each other’s foreheads and pray:
All: Jesus, with all our hearts we promise to work for you. Help us be Christ-bearers and grow in grace.
Sister Therese Sonnenfeld, C.S.S.F., is the DRE of St. Stephen Parish in New Boston, MI. Over the past 35 years she has served as a pastoral minister and retreat director.
Copyright 2011, Bayard, Inc. All rights reserved. This article is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, redisseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of Bayard, Inc.
This article was written by the Catechist Staff and appeared in Catechist magazine, March 2011.
Image Credit: jorisvo/Shutter Stock 544541167
