Saint Nicholas....the original

Gold  coins, candy and oranges are all a part  of this story, the story  of a faithful believer who was filled with love.

Long ago, in the 4th century, lived a man who treasured the love he had come to know in Jesus. Love filled his heart; it's  the only  explanation  I have for  the great  compassion and  generosity  that filled  his days.

As the story  goes, Nicholas worried about the children  who had nothing.  There were 3 daughters of a poor man who couldn’t  marry because  they  lacked  dowries.  One night Nicholas slipped some gold coins into their shoes as they  slept.  That  is how  it all started.

Once a year children would  then  be sure to leave their shoes by the  hearth so Nicholas  might come and leave a coin or two. After Nicholas  died the practice  continued  although some substituted  gold wrapped candy and eventually an orange.

Nicholas was made a Bishop of the early church and was a participant in the council that gave us the Nicene Creed.  He was  called a saint long before Rome had  an application process and December  6th is his feast  day.  Especially in Germany, children observe his day by shining their shoes and leaving them out overnignt  to receive his small gift.

Once you  see pictures of him in his bishop's outfit it is easy to see how a little imagination and a lot of retailing  resulted  in the Santa Claus (Saint Claus) we know today.

For me, the heart  of the story  is the heart of the  man which was filled with the  love  of Jesus for  others.   As we who are believers today work to shape the faith  of our children and grow in faith ourselves, St. Nicholas offers us an opportunity  to  re-focus our Decembers.  With Jesus at the center, and focusing on his love for us, we can use this time to generously   reach out to strangers.

The gift of the season is the Christ child; may we follow  him as we gift others.