The most famous story about St. Nicholas concerns a man who, because of extreme poverty, had agreed to sell his three daughters into slavery. St. Nicholas heard about it and came in the night, leaving behind him a bag with enough gold in it to save one of the children. Three times he came secretly so that the man would not know from where the money came. On the third night, the man saw him and asked for the Saint's forgiveness because he had nearly sold his children as slaves. Because of this and similar acts, St. Nicholas became the patron saint of children and the type of the cheerful giver of good gifts.
In the Protestant West, which suppressed the invocation of saints, Saint Nicholas became popularly known as Santa Claus.
In accordance with early Christian tradition, saints are remembered in the Orthodox Church on the date of their passing from this life into the next. Saint Nicholas is thus remembered on December 6.
Orthodox Christianity maintains that even though people are dead according to this life, that they are alive in the spiritual realm, and continue to pray for us. Our "prayers to the saints" are actually requests that they pray to God for us, much as we ask believers who are still alive in the flesh to pray for us. [source]
My Other Posts about St. Nicholas:
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I love this post. When I was a little girl a neighbor told me how in Holland where she came from,you put your shoes out and St Nicholas leaves a surprise.
ReplyDeleteJoan
He cared about children, too. I know it seems so simple, but my kids notice when an adult takes time to talk to them, and really take an interest, not talk down to them...and I think St. Nicholas was like Jesus in that he really spent time with children.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great day. we exchange little gifts with each other.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn
Thank you fro this informative post on St. Nicholas. We give each other small gifts.
ReplyDeleteMarion