Bearing the World’s Weight: Divine Aid, St. Christopher, and Apostle James

Left to right: Constitutional Convention, Christopher, Signing Declaration of Independence, James

Today in the Catholic Church is the feast of the Apostle St. James the Greater and of St. Christopher, an early saint famed for his great physical strength, for his care of travelers, and for carrying Christ—and the weight of the world—on his shoulders.

Christopher once carried a Child across a river and was mystified at how terribly heavy the Child was. But all became clear when the Child revealed He was Jesus, carrying the sinful world’s weight.

Spiritually, we certainly cannot hope for joy and victory either on this earth or in the next life unless we take up our crosses (Matt.16:24). Even from a purely material perspective, we can accomplish great things only if we are willing to take risks and endure pain. The Founding Fathers, for instance, risked being executed as traitors. Many of them lost property or friends or relatives, and some lost their lives. But they believed in something greater than themselves, and so they sacrificed and achieved victory. But it is key to know that they, like Christopher, understood their victory could only come through divine aid, through the help of Him Who carried the world’s weight so we wouldn’t have to.