Saint Nicholas

A Creative Giver

Saint John wrote the above words to the church at Thyatira in Asia Minor, but they could well have been spoken personally to Saint Nicholas, who lived in the same area a few centuries later. To this day the church remembers his deeds of charity and giving. Every year, the tradition of "Santa Claus" expands on his acts of kindness and love.

Not much of Nicholas' personal history is known, except that he served as bishop at Myra, a city in Asia Minor (now Turkey), in the fourth century and that he is remembered for being both generous and selfless. When he was very little he lost his mother and father by death and was left a lonely, but wealthy, orphan. When he had grown to young manhood he decided to devote his life entirely to the service of God and to use his inheritance to help people in need. Quite often, he helped poor children by putting gifts of money through their windows during the night, when nobody could see him.

The most famous story told about St. Nicholas has three happy endings. In the town of Myra, a very poor man had three daughters of marriageable age. Because they had no dowry money for any young man who might want to marry them, the girls anticipated lives as spinsters or even prostitutes. One night a bag of gold was thrown into the room where the three girls slept. The oldest daughter used the money for her dowry and married well. Soon after, another nighttime bag of god came through the girls' bedroom window, and the middle daughter also married prosperously. When a third bag of gold was thrown through the window for the final daughter, the father discovered Nicholas providing the dowry money. He was overwhelmed by the kindness of the generous bishop.

The name of Saint Nicholas soon became associated with giving special gifts. Through the Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam, who remembered the bishop as Sinter Klaas, the legend came to America, where Santa Claus is still known as the kind bringer of gifts.

Devoted to charity, Nicholas was also dedicated to doctrine. According to some writers, he attended the Council of Nicaea and spoke on behalf of orthodox Christian teaching and against the heresies of that era. Imprisoned during the time of persecution ordered by Emperor Diocletian of Rome, he witnessed boldly to his faith in Jesus. He preached to all people and instructed the children in the Christian faith. Having been an orphan himself, he became the beloved father of orphans. After teaching the children he would often delight them with many little gifts.

Every account about Nicholas describes a likeable and benevolent man who found life's riches in Jesus, the Savior from sin. Nicholas used his wealth and all of his life as an offering of thanks to God. Although his church calendar day, in the Roman Catholic church, is December 6, "jolly old Saint Nicholas" is an example for us every day of the year.