Revd Dr Canon Jim Rosenthal, Priest-in-Charge at Christ The King, Salfords and founder of the St Nicholas Society writes about the true joy and spirit of St Nicholas.
Yes, there is a Santa Claus but alas, his name is actually Nicholas, yes St Nicholas a Bishop, a friend of sailors and patron saint of children and the total embodiment of that which is good in our busy world of today. His name means ‘victor of the people’.
Nicholas is the saint of compassion and generosity. His legends are bold, he is indeed our special friend in heaven, yes the real one as we say. A real person, born in what is now Turkey his relics (his body) are buried in a glorious basilica in Bari, Italy.
Thousands arrive on his feast days, to keep the memory alive and to inspire us to be like him and the Lord he loves, thus living out the gospel and by being the holy agent of leading us to the humility of the birth of his Lord in the cave in Bethlehem. Here is where true joy is found, here we become, like Nicholas, a bearer of good news.
I truly believe there is a bit of the spirit of St Nicholas in all of us.
In the United Kingdom there are over 450 churches named for St Nick, including several in the Diocese of Southwark.
The next time you see a person dressed in a red costume with a massive beard – simply say to them in their ear, I know your real name. You are Nicholas.
Why not visit www.stnicholascenter.org to learn more about the truth behind the real person we cherish at this time of the year. Our companion in Advent. You will not be disappointed and you can unashamedly tell the truth and relish this great man of God as a friend forever. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:1 that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses and I believe Saint Nicholas of Myra is surely there for us.
Find out more about a special mass with a visit from St Nicholas on Tuesday 5 December at St John, Redhill and Wednesday 6 December at Christ The King, Salfords here.
