St Nicholas, the saint we celebrate today, is the historical inspiration for Santa Claus, the jolly fellow in a red suit who flows through the sky in a sky pulled by reindeer in order to deliver presents to boys and girls. But what is the reality behind our mythological vision of this historical character? Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra in present day Turkey during the 4th century. Nicholas was a very devout youngster who lost his parents at a very young age. All the riches that he inherited, he distributed to the poor. In fact, there are many stories told about Nicholas’ great generosity and love for the poor, exemplified by the story of Nicholas giving a bag of gold to a poor family whose daughters were going to be sold into slavery because they could not afford the dowry that would allow them to marry. After he was elected Bishop, he was exiled for standing up for the faith in the face of many heresies. In fact, legend has it that Nicholas punched the face of Arias while standing up against the Arian heresy so named after him. During Advent and during the Christmas season, the gifts that we give to others, especially those less fortunate than us, can be seen in light of St Nicholas and his generous faith.
The prophet Isaiah declares today: “a nation of firm purpose you keep in peace; in peace, for its trust in you.” May we place our trust in the Lord during our time of preparation this holy season of Advent. May we practice works of justice and charity, modeled upon St Nicholas, declaring the reign of God’s peace to the world.
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