Living Catholicism: St. Nicholas, Patron Saint of Children

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July 16, 2005

St. Nicholas, Patron Saint of Children

One of my favorite Saints just so happens to be the patron Saint of Children: St. Nicholas. And this acclaim comes with some merit, since there are many stories of children being saved either by St. Nicholas while he was alive or through his intercession after his death.

And yet, we tend to think of St. Nicholas as the fat guy in red at Christmas. What’s the true story about St. Nicholas?

History of St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas was a priest who became the Bishop of Myra (now called Demre in Turkey) in the early Church (around 300 – just after the Bible was compiled). Just after being made Bishop of Myra, he was imprisoned by Diocletian during Christian persecution. When Constantine converted, St. Nicholas was freed and returned to Myra. Very little historical information is known about St. Nicholas, but stories proliferate.

There are many tales of God’s intervention associated with him – it’s difficult to tell which are true. For example, rumor has it that during the council of Nicea, he slapped Arias (the man responsible for arianism) and was stripped of his bishopric. However, Christ appeared that night with Mary and restored St. Nicholas to his position. Unfortunately none of the early lists of people at that Council includes him. Other stories have him saving Myra from famine and stopping the unjust death of innocents through miraculous intervention (while on earth). For almost a century after his death, St. Nicholas’ tomb was a popular pilgrimage site.

Interestingly enough, St. Nicholas’ remains were stolen by concerned Christians when the Christian rulership of Myra was taken away. St. Nicholas’ body was moved to Bari in Italy and he is often referred to as the Saint of Bari. His body is still said to give off an oily substance known as the “manna of St. Nicholas” that is revered for its healing powers.

However, if you are interested in knowing how the patron Saint of children became Santa Claus, I recommend < http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=35 >this article at the Saint Nicholas center.

What can we do to honor St. Nicholas?
He is traditionally honored on December 6th, which provides parents a perfect opportunity to straighten out the truth behind the Santa Claus myth. St. Nicholas was known for his generosity, so consider having your children give away old toys on the 6th of December, which serves two purposes: it gives poor children toys for Christmas and it clears the way for new presents at Christmas.

Prayer to Saint Nicholas

Wonder-working follower of Christ,
From your early years you practiced fasting
And were outstanding in generosity.
You quickly distributed to the poor
What you had inherited from your parents.
Traveling to Palestine, you became a bishop
And dared to preach the Gospel
For which you were thrown into prison.
As “Santa Claus” you are still loved today.
Teach us to be generous like you!

God bless,
Jay

Posted by jay at July 16, 2005 09:13 AM