Saints Alive: Nicholas of Myra—An Advent Saint

by The Rev. Alex Gondola, St. Paul United Church of Christ, Wapakoneta, Ohio

Text: Isaiah 35.1-6, 9-10

One thing I like about our new Chalice Hymnal is it has a lot of Christmas music. There are about fifty-five Christmas carols in all. These songs lift up Jesus as "the Reason for the Season" and help us put Christ back in Christmas. But aren't there lots of Santa Claus songs, too? These are tunes you hear in stores or on the radio. Favorites like "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (something I pondered as a child), "Up on the Housetop Reindeers Pause," "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Jolly Old St. Nicholas," "Must Be Santa," that classic, "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer," "Here Comes Santa Claus" or "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."

This time of year there's lots of emphasis on Santa. So much we might forget his origin as a Christian saint. It's his story I want to tell as our "saint of the month." St. Nicholas is called "the Advent Saint" because his Saint's Day, December 6, comes early in Advent. Nicholas is an excellent example of faith, courage and commitment in the Christian life.

I mentioned all the Santa songs we hear in this season. Turns out there are St. Nicholas hymns as well—about twenty. They're sung mostly in Europe, where his feast day is a holiday.

Some are quite lovely and are sung to familiar tunes, like "The Holly and the Ivy," "Angels We Have Heard on High," "Jesus Shall Reign Where'er the Sun" and even "The Battle Hymn of the Republic!"

That last one seems odd, doesn't it? A battle hymn for a saint? Turns out jolly old St. Nicholas could be combative. That I'll explain in a few minutes. Just so you'll know one of these hymns is like, I've added a St. Nicholas carol this morning. We'll sing four hymns instead of three. The words are printed in your bulletins. The tune will be familiar.

Nicholas was born around 270 AD in what today is southern Turkey. His wealthy parents were devout Christians, and raised their son as one. Unfortunately they both died in an epidemic when Nicholas was young. So, he was raised by his uncle, who was an Abbot.

Taking Jesus' words to the Rich Young Ruler literally, "Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven" (Mk. 10.21, NRSV), Nicholas set about giving his inheritance away. In the words of an ancient Greek hymn about him, "by poverty he gained wealth." His generous giving gave rise to St. Nicholas legends.

In one story a poor man lacked money for dowries for his three daughters. Without a dowry they were unlikely to find a husband. With no husband, poor as they were, they might end up as slaves. On learning this, Nicholas tossed three small bags of gold coins through the window at night. He did so secretly, to save the father's pride. Each bag was a dowry for one daughter. As the legend goes, the bags landed in socks the girls had hung on the mantle by the fire to dry. That's why children hang stockings by the fireplace on Christmas Eve. The incident tells us a lot about Nicholas' generous giving: also about the sensitivity and humility of this saint.

Nicholas tried to do what our lesson from Isaiah says. He sought to "(s)trenthen the weak hands . . . make firm the feeble knees." He said to the fearful of heart, "Be strong," do not fear, too. He sought to bring "joy and gladness" so "sorrow and sighing" would "flee away" (Isaiah 35.3-4a, 10b, NRSV). He was a good man, which his fellow Christians recognized early. They made him a Bishop, even though he hadn't first become a priest. This is attested to in several sources and was unusual. Nicholas served as Bishop with courage and honor.

When he was in his early thirties, the Emperor, Diocletian, launched a persecution of Christians. All church buildings were ordered destroyed. Every Christian book was to be burned. Many believers were tortured. Some were martyred. Many, like Bishop Nicholas, landed in jail. This persecution lasted, off and on, for ten years. But St. Nicholas refused to deny his faith.

Eventually the Emperor died and the firestorm ended. Nicholas was released. He went back to serving the church. Part of his duties included travel from parish to parish. Maybe this is where the idea of Santa as a traveler started. St. Nicholas didn't have reindeer and a sleigh. But he did have adventures. On one occasion, according to legend, he calmed a storm that was sinking his ship. That made him the patron saint of sailors and got his name and fame spread throughout the world. Everywhere seafarers went they built chapels to St. Nicholas. Another time, according to legend, he saved three children. So St. Nickolas came to be recognized as the patron saint of children, too. This has an obvious connection to today's Santa Claus.

But it's his giving like the gift of dowries for three daughters, that captured Christians' imaginations. As far back as the Middle Ages, nuns used to celebrate his Saint's Day, December 6, by depositing baskets of food and clothing on the doorsteps of the poor. Much gift giving by believers around Christmas is in the spirit of St. Nicholas. In fact, in the United States, 30 percent of all gifts to charity are made in December. We give because we first have received, blessing upon blessing, through God's Son.

Nicholas wasn't only a gift giver—like some holly, jolly Santa. He also was a fierce defender of the faith. He attended the Nicaea Council in 325 CE—the first great, worldwide Council of the Church. The theological debates got hot and thick. Nicholas was outraged by the heretic Arius, who contended Christ was not fully divine. They fell to blows. In the process, according to the story, Nicholas hit Arius, knocking him down and breaking his nose. So, St. Nicholas could be something of a scrapper, too, in pursuit of a righteous cause!

In spite of his persecution, imprisonment, adventures, and occasional fighting, Nicholas had a rich, full life. He lived to near eighty. After he died, his body was preserved. Originally it rested in his hometown in [Lycia}. But around 1100, sailors moved his body, when his homeland was conquered by Muslims. They wanted to protect Nicholas as he protected them. Remember, he's the patron saint of sailors.

They took him to Bari, Italy, where his bones now rest. What's unusual about St. Nicholas is he's all in one piece. Saints usually got divided up: a bone chip here, a scrap of hair there. For example, at the National Marian Shrine of the Holy Relics at Maria Stein, Ohio, they display relics of almost 1,200 saints, but not very much of any one, often just a chip of bone. But St. Nicholas is complete. With the Pope's permission, scientists have studied Nicholas. They discovered he was barely five feet tall: shorter than average. Ironically, Nicholas himself also had a broken nose!

Seventeen hundred years after he lived, Nicholas of Myra is recognized worldwide. For example, he's a favored saint in Albania. Albanians swear oaths by saying "May I see Holy Saint Nicholas." They celebrate his day, December 6th, with a feast. On the eve of his feast they abstain from meat and light a candle, but also prepare roast lamb and pork. At the start of the new day, they greet each other with "May the Night of Saint Nicholas help you." Then they sit down to a huge midnight meal. It's a custom Mother Teresa, who grew up in Albania, would have known.

Of course, in America, St. Nicholas has morphed into Santa. This trend is growing worldwide. Several years ago, in his hometown in Turkey, the Mayor replaced a beautiful bronze statue of a solemn St. Nicholas with a giant, red-suited plastic Santa. The traditional St. Nicholas was pushed to a corner. The Mayor wanted a St. Nicholas tourists would recognize. In spite of this trend, we need not push this saint aside!

As I said, there are many St. Nicholas hymns. I'll introduce you to one. It's "Good St. Nicholas of Myra, written by J. M. Rosenthal in 1999. It can be sung to the familiar tune Regent Square, or Angels We Have Heard on High:

Good St. Nicholas of Myra
deeds and legends tell his fame.
Saintly bishop, friend of children
Bari pilgrims chant the name:

Bless'd Nicholas, Bless'd Nicholas
He loved all in Jesus' name.

Miracles and signs and wonders'
he performed to praise the Lord.
For a poor and weary people
source of care and joy out poured:

REFRAIN

Sailors, nations, people thank him
for the message that he brought.
Young and old now hail the memory
Of the lessons that he taught:

REFRAIN

May his ways of true devotion
guide us on our earthly way.
Challenge us to be more like him
as Christ's gospel we obey:

REFRAIN

Father, Son and Holy Spirit
bind us in community,
so that we with holy Nicholas
might eternal glory see:

REFRAIN

That fourth verse is a good idea to end on, as we think of the meaning of Christmas and the saint behind Santa: May (St. Nicholas') ways of true devotion guide us on our earthly way. Challenge us to be more like him, as Christ's gospel we obey. Bless'd Nicholas, Bless'd Nicholas (May we love )all in Jesus' name. Santa Claus may have lots of gifts to bring us. But St. Nicholas gifts us, too: his example of faith, courage and commitment in the Christian life.

By the Rev. Alex Gondola, United Church of Christ, retired, Amherst, New Hampshire. Permission pending.

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