Saint Nicholas

6 DECEMBER 2019. Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Nicholas of Myra, a much beloved and historically mysterious 4th Century saint. A wonderful presentation of information, believed to be historically accurate, can be found here: The Life of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker by Michael the Archimandrite.

God, Our Father, 
we pray that through the intercession of St. Nicholas 
You will protect our children. 
Keep them safe from harm 
and help them grow and become worthy in Your sight. 
Give them strength to keep their Faith in You; 
and to keep alive their joy in Your creation. 
Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. 

Amen

Saint Nicholas

6 DECEMBER 2016. Not a myth nor legend, St. Nicholas was a priest in Asia Minor (today Turkey) who was renowned for meeting the earthly and spiritual needs of his flock. We hang stockings today because of the earliest stories of St. Nicholas, who always wished to help those in need in a way so  that they did not know from whom the help had come. This was done out of humility, and the earliest stories relate to us that St. Nicholas placed gold coins in stockings hung out to dry so that those who received the help would not believe themselves indebted to the Church.

How can the renown of one bishop from the third century still have an impact on us today? Because kindness is always in demand. St. Nicholas, when it was found out what he was doing, only asked for prayers in return for his gifts. Are kindness and prayerfulness the way we celebrate Christmas today?