It is said that, as a child, Nicholas always wanted to bring a gift to the Christ Child. He had lost his parents when he was young, and that experience may have made him naturally empathetic to the needs of children. But Nicholas was born almost three centuries after Jesus! What could he do with his wish? Instead of trying to do the impossible, Nicholas brought gifts to children in the name of the Christ Child—often anonymously.
As he grew into adulthood, Nicholas was especially sensitive to the injustices of the world. One famous story about him involves three maidens who had reached the age when they should be married. Because their father had no money for their dowries, it was likely they would be sold into slavery. Instead, Nicholas left bags of gold for their dowries—some say that gold was found in their stockings hanging to dry at their fireplace!
Eventually, Nicholas became the Bishop of Myra, in present-day Turkey. He was present at the Council of Nicaea in 325, where our Nicene Creed was formulated. To this day, we follow the tradition of gifting to needy children, and we continue to affirm our faith with the words of the Nicene Creed. Saint Nicholas is close to us and points us to God.
Do you ever wonder how a child such as Nicholas could love God and people so much? Come to our Adult Forum on Sunday, December 15, to hear about the “Spirituality of the Child.” This is not just for parents and grandparents—it’s for all of us, and the child within us. Charlette Preslar from our diocese will help us connect with the loving young Nicholas who is a part of us all.
Mother Nina+
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