Saturday Ramblins, Vol. 1, No. 11 (July 25, 1998)

I sometimes wonder how Saint Christopher became the patron saint of travelers but, I thank my parents for bringing him to my attention when I received my driver's license. I received a Saint Christopher medal on that day. Being young and not having a car of my own, I soon lost it and its whereabouts is unknown to me.

After many years I gained employment as a sales representative and my driving distance was to increase to in excess of 90,000 kilometres per year. I never really gave much thought to a medal to carry then.

I was driving one day through Brisbane and stopped to go to a midday Mass at St. Stephan's Cathedral. After Mass I stayed behind to have a look around the Church. It had just had some major renovations completed on it. I saw the "shop" down a lane way to the side of the Church and went in there and looked around. I came to a bin marked Saint Christopher medals. I picked one up and bought it straight away, attached it too my keys and left. I was back at the same shop the very next day and bought five more medals and distributed them to my friends.

It must have been a week later I noticed my medal had gone missing and, so, I went to the shop again and picked up a medal and went and paid for it and left to return to my work. I noticed about three days later that the medal I had bought was not a Saint Christopher medal, but a Virgin of Carmel medal.

I was worried about this. When I got home I got out of the car and was going in the house when I dropped my car keys and, when I bent over to pick them up, I found the original medal there. It had been run over by cars it had more than likely been walked over several times by myself but, I found it and re-attached it to my key ring.

My father has great faith in Saint Christopher, and he carries with him on his key ring a medal his mother gave to him — when he rode his bike to school some 50+ years ago.

To this day, and since having this job, I have driven over 750,000 kilometres. I won't say I haven't had any accidents, because I have, but I firmly believe to this day that Saint Christopher is with me when I drive. I have lost count of the many occasions I have no answer to why I am still here but through his and God's guiding hand, keeping me safe on the highways of Australia.

A PRAYER for those who Drive
Grant me, Lord, that I may always be a careful driver.
Guide me with a steady hand and permit me not to commit any act which would harm your precious gift of life.
May I be alert and aware of others as I travel to my every destination.
Help me to obey the speed limit and shelter me, and those who travel with me, from the careless act of others.
Remind me to be a Good Samaritan when I encounter others who are in need along the way.
I have limits to my endurance and visibility, so look ahead for me and give me warning of any danger ahead.
Slow me down and tell me to stop for rest whenever I need it.
Be my constant guardian and constant companion always. AMEN

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