Feast of St. Nicholas

Today, December 6th, is the Feast of St. Nicholas.  Here is a little excerpt from the Catholic Encyclopedia about this saint.

The absence of the “hard facts” of history is not necessarily an obstacle to the popularity of saints, as the devotion to St. Nicholas shows. Both the Eastern and Western Churches honor him, and it is claimed that, after the Blessed Virgin, he is the saint most pictured by Christian artists. And yet, historically, we can pinpoint only the fact that Nicholas was the fourth-century bishop of Myra, a city in Lycia, a province of Asia Minor.

As with many of the saints, however, we are able to capture the relationship which Nicholas had with God through the admiration which Christians have had for him—an admiration expressed in the colorful stories which have been told and retold through the centuries.

Perhaps the best-known story about Nicholas concerns his charity toward a poor man who was unable to provide dowries for his three daughters of marriageable age. Rather than see them forced into prostitution, Nicholas secretly tossed a bag of gold through the poor man’s window on three separate occasions, thus enabling the daughters to be married. Over the centuries, this particular legend evolved into the custom of gift-giving on the saint’s feast. In the English-speaking countries, St. Nicholas became, by a twist of the tongue, Santa Claus—further expanding the example of generosity portrayed by this holy bishop.

As a family, we celebrate this feast day.  On its eve, our children place their shoes outside of their bedroom doors.  In the morning, they spring from their beds to see what St. Nicholas has left them.  In the past, he has filled their shoes with bags of goodies and snacks.  This year, however, being open to Grandma's suggestions, he gave the kids new pajamas.

At school, the kids placed their gym shoes out for St. Nicholas to find.  This morning when they walked into their classrooms, they discovered their shoes filled with candy, blessed medals and prayer cards.

Whether the stories told about St. Nicholas are accurate or not, what is important to us are the lessons of charity and generosity that exceed this tradition; one that we embrace and love.  Happy St. Nicholas Day to all of you.  May your blessings be many, and the love you share be great.

 St. Nicholas, glorious Confessor of Christ, assist us in thy loving kindness.