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Today we celebrate the feast of a priest, an abbot and
a bishop all found in the person we know of as St. Nicholas of Myra, Lycia (modern
Turkey). This iconic figure,
Nicholas of Myra, enjoyed a reputation for piety and pastoral zeal. He was
imprisoned during the Diocletian persecution in 303, and was later present at
the Council of Nicea (325), where he
joined in the condemnation of Arianism, the heresy that denied the full
divinity of Christ. Nicholas was very generous to the poor and special
protector of the innocent and wronged. Many stories grew up around him prior to
his becoming associated with Santa Claus.
For example:
·
Upon hearing that a local man had fallen on
such hard times that he was planning to sell his daughters into prostitution,
Nicholas went by night to the house and threw three bags of gold in through the
window, saving the girls from an evil life. These three bags of gold,
generously given in time of trouble, became the three golden balls that
indicate a pawn broker’s shop.
·
He raised to life three young boys who had been
murdered and pickled in a barrel of brine to hide the crime. These stories led
to his patronage of children.
·
During a voyage to the Holy Lands, a fierce
storm blew up, threatening the ship. When Nicholas prayed about it, the storm
calmed – hence the patronage of sailors and dock workers, and those who work on
the sea.
Nicholas
died of natural causes in 346 at Myra, but his relics were moved
to Bari, where a basilica was built to honor him.
St.
Nicholas was one of the willing disciples Jesus mentioned in the
gospel today: both Jesus and his disciples were prophesied by Isaiah to bring release to prisoners, comfort to
the afflicted and spiritual insight to those who were morally blind; a true
disciple goes where he is told and does what he is specially equipped by the
Spirit of God to do: Nicholas had his talents and gifts: we have ours: we must
use them generously to bring love, and peace and justice to the world we find
ourselves living in. May we do so this day, strengthened by this Eucharistic
feast we celebrate in honor of the truly generous Nicholas of Myra!
The
Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives.
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