Thursday, December 22, 2011
Nicholas was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the
area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents,
who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was
still young. They taught Nicholas to be a giving person. Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick,
and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young
man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the
those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships. Perhaps his most famous act of kindness was helping three sisters. Because their family was too poor to pay for their wedding dowry, three young Christian women were facing a life of prostitution until Nicholas paid their dowry, thereby saving them from a horrible life of sexual slavery. Following his death on December 6, 343, he was canonized as a saint. The anniversary of his death became the St. Nicholas holiday when gifts were given in his memory. He remained a very popular saint among Catholic and Orthodox Christians, with some 2,000 churches named after him. The holiday in his honor eventually merged with Christmas, as they were celebrated within weeks of one another.While we can appreciate and emulate the giving spirit of Nicholas, the focus of Christmas is Christ. This is probably what the Bishop of Myra, Nicholas, would have wanted.
O come let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord!
Merry Christmas!
Pastor Tim
Post a Comment