Theo Caldwell: What would Saint Nicholas do?
Beginning on his Feast Day of Dec. 6 and continuing through the Christmas season, folks are put in mind of St. Nicholas, who comes in guises ranging from a red-suited elf to a retail pitchman. In reality, Nicholas was a fourth century Bishop of Myra, born in what is now southern Turkey, who personified the divine nature of generosity.As the patron saint of, among others, archers, bakers, bankers, mariners, merchants and pawnbrokers, he has myriad responsibilities, to be certain. But of course, Nicholas is best known as the Patron Saint of Children.
At first, this may appear an impossibly eclectic group of things for one saint to represent. In particular, the idea that the same figure can oversee both businessmen and babies might seem a stretch. But there is something to Nicholas’s combined portfolio of commerce and kindness. Simply put, the more you give, the more you get.
The National Post piece you refer to Father Tim, is an excellent reminder that it is better to give than to receive. The only challenge with giving is that the more you give, the more you receive, not necessarily in material things, but in peace, love and hope.
ReplyDeleteChristmas is a wonderful time to become charitable, to start a year long thirst for sharing of ourselves.
This year, two of our daughters came to us and asked us not to buy them presents for Christmas, but to contribute with them, the funds necessary to build a well for a third world village, to give a gift that keeps on giving, as it were.
I was just now working on making some quilted Christmas stockings that we plan to give along with gifts and food baskets to families identified by our parish office as being in need this Christmas season, to give them something of us, not just meet their material needs.
One thing that I have learned over the years is that we can never out give God, and what we give has a tendency to return to us multifold, as the Scriptures indicated.