A Collect for St. Nicholas

Almighty God, who in thy love didst give to thy servant Nicholas of Myra a perpetual name for deeds of kindness both on land and sea: Grant we pray thee, that thy Church may never cease to work for the happiness of children, the safety of sailors, the relief of the poor, and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.^[1]

If you have had the chance to get to know me over the past few months you may have noticed that I enjoy a good celebration. The seasons of Advent and Lent are particularly important to me because they provide moments for reflection. As someone who is always able to find joy, it is helpful to remember a few saint days to celebrate during a season of reflection. Of course, my favorite saint of the season is St. Nicholas. He was known in his life for providing little gifts to others. I like to think that he did this in order for the love of Christ to be known through giving those gifts.

This is why I am grateful that our parish is having breakfast with St. Nicholas on December 11 from 9am to Noon. We will have an opportunity to learn about St. Nicholas, children can do crafts, and children visit with St. Nicholas and share their wishes with him! This event is extra special because it features the filling of Christmas gifts for Seafarers. We want this experience to reflect the generosity of St. Nicholas. To do so, one must understand St. Nicholas.

St. Nicholas is celebrated as the saint of seafarers and children. During our time this might seem a greater stretch, however, as I sit in my office and ponder the life of sailors, I am reminded that several sailors in years past were in fact children. These children made “careers” for themselves on the sea. They were also the ones in need of guidance and rescue. Though we do not know much about St. Nicholas, it is notable that he lived at a time when Christianity was newly legalized. In many ways, Christianity has become a secular religion. Even those who wish each other a merry Christmas are not coming to a Christmas Eve service. The Christianity of St. Nicholas’ day was one shrouded in fear and uncertainty. There were still those who believed Jesus could not be fully divine and fully human. Perhaps there are still some today with this same belief, but then there was great controversy. We do not know how St. Nicholas ended up as the jolly man with a red suit, however, we do know he was adamant about the importance of who Christ truly was at that time.

Fr. Roman rightfully pointed out in his sermon on Sunday that saints are not to be put on a pedestal. They are people who we model our lives after and are part of us. This is no less true of St. Nicholas. We know he was a passionate man. Legend said he went to the Council of Nicaea and punched Arius for his belief that Jesus was not equal to God. This may not be factual, however, what remains factual is the idea that Nicholas had a deep faith in Jesus’ divinity and equality within The Trinity.^[2]  I hope that by coming to Breakfast with St. Nicholas, you can remember your own passion for Christ and I hope you invite friends to experience this devotion with you.

For His Sake,

Beth Anne

^[1] Lesser Feasts and Fasts (2003). Nicholas Bishop of Myra. New York: Church Publishing. pp.96-97

^[2] Lesser Feasts and Fasts (2018). Nicholas Bishop of Myra. New York: Church Publishing. pp.612-613