Ornaments of Grace - St. Nicholas

Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared: Then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the dumb will sing. Isaiah 35:4-6 While St. Nicholas was a Bishop, many tend to think of him during the Advent Season as another kind of jolly Santa. We do not know much about St. Nick. As with many holy people, legends grow up around them and Nicholas is no exception. He was born in the 3rd century and served as Bishop of Myra in Lycia, a commercial town in what would be Turkey today. He was known for his generosity and kindness. One legend says that there were three girls in a family who could not get married because they were too poor to have a dowry, a requirement for an honorable marriage. Nicholas is said to have dropped three sacks of gold at their home during the night, saving them from a lifetime of being sold as sex slaves or worse. He apparently tossed the sack through an open window, and one sack landed in the shoe of one of the girls. So, some people still put their shoes out for St. Nick on December 6. This is just one story showing how he became associated with the Santa Claus figure; that is, someone coming silently into homes at night and leaving gifts for the young. Another legend has Nicholas saving sailors’ lives by calming the sea during a storm that was threatening to rip the ship to shreds when he was traveling to the Holy Land. That caused St. Nicholas to be seen as the patron of sailors and travelers. St. Nicholas is also remembered for saving three innocent men from execution. They had been condemned to death but, as they were about to be killed by the sword, Nicholas appeared and pushed the sword away. Then he faced the juror who had been bribed into accusing them falsely and released the chains holding the innocent men. Perhaps these are all legends, but they probably originated with a very generous bishop who was watching out for all his people. The important thing is that we face some of these same situations today, and we can follow the example of even a legendary holy man. We can work to save children from sex trafficking, a huge problem currently. We can pray for people who are far from their homes to have safe journeys. We can bring Jesus’ calming love to help ourselves and others in the midst of life’s storms. We can work to save all people, even those justly accused, from execution. When we act as St. Nicholas did, then our eyes will see what is truly God’s vision for all. We will not be blinded by selfishness. Our ears will be open to hear God’s loving voice. We will know the joy of God’s saving grace. And, it wouldn’t hurt to help our little ones savor the sweetness of the Lord with some secret delight in their shoes on the Feast of St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas is today’s Ornament of Grace. OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS 1. Why do you think legends grow up around certain saints? 2. How do you celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas?