Saint Nicholas –Image Courtesy: St. Paul Street Evangelization
(Franciscan Media) The absence of ‘hard facts’ of history is not necessarily an obstacle to the popularity of Saint’s as the devotion of Saint Nicholas shows.
Both the Eastern and Western Churches honor him and it is claimed after the Blessed Virgin Mary, he is the Saint most pictured by Christian artists and yet historically, we can pinpoint only the fact that Nicholas was the 4th Century Bishop of Myra (modern day Turkey) that he was generous to the poor writes SQPN and special protector of the innocent and wronged.
Stories have grown up around him, prior to him becoming associated with ‘Santa Claus’ perhaps the best known story of Nicholas concerns his charity towards a poor man who was unable to provide dowries for his three daughters of marriageable age.
Rather than see the three young Women forced into a life of prostitution, Nicholas secretly tossed a bag of gold through the poor man’s window on three separate occasions, thus enabling the daughters to be married.
More here from Cristy Li -2014 and here from Catholic News Agency
Tweet