Feast of St. Nicholas

Image via WikipediaJoyous Feast!

Today is the Feast of St. Nicholas. Last night, we had a combined Vespers & Liturgy to commemorate St. Nicholas. I took 3 year old with me, and left the wild and crazy 1 year old at home with Daddy.

Who was St. Nicholas?

St. Nicholas was a bishop who gave presents to disadvantaged children. This is where we get our modern-day Santa Claus from.

However, a more interesting and heart warming story is that St. Nicholas helped a family escape starvation and slavery.

A man with three daughters could barely survive. They had little to no food, and although is daughters were of marrying age, he had no dowry to give their future husbands. As a result, this man would have to marry his daughters off to less than righteous men, who would most likely treat his daughters like slaves and make them into prostitutes.

But St. Nicholas wouldn't allow this to happen, and although he knew the man wouldn't accept charity, he insisted on helping him, and doing so in secret. During the night, he went by and threw a sack of gold through the window, and in the morning, the poor man praised God that he could provide a dowry for his daughters and save them from starvation and slavery.

The important parts of the story are that St. Nicholas gave to the family in secret without expecting anything in return, not even recognition. Why? Because such thanks and recognition should go to God, which is the second important point to the story - the man thanked God for this blessing, for all blessings are from Him. We are merely messengers.

If you ask my 3 year old what St. Nicholas did, he will tell you, "He throwed money! That's not nice! Nicholas, you go in time out!" LOL

Once again, Joyous Feast!

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