Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Slow Advent: Day 4 - Feast of St. Nikolas

The Feast of St Nikolas




The day we found out that we were pregnant was December 6, 2006 - eleven whole years ago. It was after more than a year of hoping for an addition to our family. I was convinced that the date of this discovery being the feast o St. Nikolas was not a coincidence. He is after all the patron of children. Why wouldn't he bring the good news of pregnancy to a hopeful couple?

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Nikolas, Bishop of Myra, was a man of the people. In order to care for his people in many ways - protecting the dignity of young women, vying for the innocent, feeding the hungry - he had to know them well enough to know their needs. He life with his flock as the Good Shepherd does. he knew them by name, he knew their ares and worries. Nikolas relied on the Holy Spirit to work in him so as to be the person he was meant to be.


O God, hep us follow the example of Nikolas, 
who loved the poor, weak, and the young, 
giving what he had to those who had little.
May we too walk in the way that leads to life: 
loving you with all our heart, 
and our neighbors as ourselves, 
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
Amen

 This full article can be found @The Visitation


1 comment:

The Davidson's said...

My grandmother believed that St. Nikolas was the patron saint of her family. They always asked for his intercession during very dark times. One story goes that while living in a DP camp in Germany, my grandmother wanted to be able to have a small tree for her young daughters at Christmas. She knew could consign baked goods at the local bakery. With very little sugar and just a bit of flour, she did the best she could and headed with little hope to the bakery. She dropped off 6 small rolls in the morning and then said a prayer asking for St. Nikolas to help. Before lunch she learned that all of the rolls were sold, they would have a little money to celebrate Christmas despite their poor conditions. Busia continued to make these simple "St. Nikolas" rolls but, when she could, added sugar and raisins. I can still remember the smell of them rising on the radiator and baking in the oven. He truly is a saint of the children and the poor.