The Real St Nicholas
December 2022
The Real St Nicholas
The person we refer to as Saint Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra in the fourth century in modern day Turkey. Nicholas inherited great wealth as a young man when his parents died in an epidemic. He practiced charity his whole life and showed compassion to the poor or those unjustly treated by society.
One example of St. Nicholas’ compassion involved a father who had lost all his money. This father had three daughters and now could not afford their dowries. The father’s decision to sell his daughters into slavery or prostitution came to the attention of Nicholas. On three separate nights, Nicholas anonymously threw a bag through the family’s open window containing enough gold for a dowry for one daughter. Thereby, transforming the fates of three young women.
The character we refer to as Santa Claus is an artist’s depiction of the “fat jolly old elf” from Clement Moore’s 1823 poem, “The Night before Christmas”. This Santa became the central figure in Coca-Cola advertising for over thirty years in the early 1900’s, thus cementing the image as a world icon of commercialism.
What a contrast! St. Nicholas saw his resources as a gift from God to be shared with the poor and marginalized. Santa Claus encourages us to give only to a closed circle of friends and loved ones in the form of often unnecessary and extravagant gifts.
As J. Rosenthal & C. Myers said years ago in their piece called “Santa Claus and St. Nicholas”:
Santa Claus belongs to childhood; St. Nicholas models for all of life.
Santa Claus encourages consumption; St. Nicholas encourages compassion.
Santa Claus flies through the air—from the North Pole; St. Nicholas walked the earth—caring for those in need.
Santa Claus, for some, replaces the Babe of Bethlehem; St. Nicholas, for all, points to the Babe of Bethlehem. (www.stnicholascenter.org)
In scripture, Jesus gives us the two great commandments. The first is to love God and the second is, “You must love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:35-40). St. Nicholas is a perfect example of “loving your neighbor,” especially when in need.
Who will be our model for this Christmas season, St. Nicholas or Santa? Do we choose to share our abundance or continue to fill our lives and our families’ lives with material possessions?
I suggest that we choose to toss some bags of gold through the open windows of our neighbors.
Merry Christmas and blessings,
Tom
* This year, City in Focus has set up the 'St Nicholas Fund' where donors can give through City in Focus (please state donation is for St Nicholas Fund in message) or give through Charitable Impact which will take you to the Giving Group called St Nicholas Fund.
100% of all gifts will be given to those in most desperate need in our community. Recipients include single parents, children, senior citizens, homeless, hungry, mental health issues, refugees, immigrants and the marginalized.
City in Focus will issue an annual report of those helped (no names) to all donors who give to this fund.
City in Focus has already raised $20,000 toward this fund.