Saint Nicholas

Dear sisters & brothers in Christ,

I pray that you are blessed and eagerly preparing for the arrival of our Savior. This is such a wonderful time of year. Just imagine what all the cold & dark, the ice & snow would be like if we didn’t have Christmas, and all that goes with it, to cheer us up and get us through the gloomy days. While most of us are affected in some way by the shorter days, some people really find the longer night difficult to deal with. Of course, the birth of our Savior, Christ The Light of The World, is not on December 25th by mere coincidence. Just as Christ comes into the world to banish the darkness of sin & evil, at the end of December, the earth and sun mirror that cosmic battle between good & evil in their heavenly dance, as the nights begin to grow shorter and the days longer.

Likewise, our liturgies also reflect this transition. “Advent” means the anticipated arrival of a great person or object. The time right before sunrise is sometimes referred to as the “advent of dawn.” If you have ever watched a sunrise you may have noticed that the color of the sky is not black, it is a very dark purple which used to be called “advent-blue.” Thus, the color of our vestments and decorations are a dark purple. We signify the coming of The Light by lighting an additional candle each week. We also refrain from singing the Gloria, as we reserve that for the great and joyful celebration of Christmas.

For those who see Santa Claus as a secular interloper, you should know that he has his original roots in the Catholic bishop Saint Nicholas, whose feast we celebrate on December 6th. His parents died in an epidemic making Nicholas a wealthy man. Obeying the command that Jesus gave to the wealthy man in Scripture, he gave it away to the poor. While there are many stories of St. Nicholas’s generosity, especially for children and sailors, one memorable story was that he would put gold in the drying stocking of poor girls who could not afford the needed dowry to get married. To this day, many cultures celebrate St. Nicholas Day by hanging stockings by the fireplace so that St. Nicholas can leave treats for children. The gold is now often symbolized by the gift of tangerines. The Dutch who would leave carrots in their shoes as a treat for St. Nicholas’s horses called him, “Sinterklaas” which gave rise to “Santa Claus.” Various cultures and nations added stories and traditions of their own. Since gift-giving was such a significant part of the St. Nicholas tradition it only made sense to move the celebration to the night of the greatest Gift of all. Even the humble candy-cane has Chris- tian roots, but if you are unfamiliar with it, I will let you do your own research. While you are at it, I recom- mend reading up on St. Nicholas and the many wonders and acts of charity that are attributed to him.

I pray this Advent season is filled with joy and excitement for you and your loved ones at the Advent of our God. As we await the dawn of our Savior, let us reflect on all the wealth of blessings we have received. Let us follow the example of St. Nicholas and share those blessings with others, especially those less fortunate than ourselves. For no matter how unsure our financial futures may be, we know what glory the dawn will bring. Have a blessed Advent!

In the Redeemer, Fr. Rick