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December 6th, 2021 Mikołajki / Feast of St. Nicholas St. Nicholas Church, Kościół Mikołaja, Lubliniec, Poland Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet First readingIsaiah 35:1-10 ©The return of the redeemed through the desertLet the wilderness and the dry-lands exult,let the wasteland rejoice and bloom,let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil,let it rejoice and sing for joy.The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it,the splendour of Carmel and Sharon;they shall see the glory of the Lord,the splendour of our God.Strengthen all weary hands,steady all trembling kneesand say to all faint hearts,‘Courage! Do not be afraid.‘Look, your God is coming,vengeance is coming,the...

thenationalherald.comSt. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was the only place of worship destroyed in the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Since then, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has been working on rebuilding the structure as both a church and a national shrine. In honor of the victims of the terrorist attack, the St. Nicholas Church, still under construction, was lit up for the first time ever on Friday night, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of that sorrowful day. Members of the Greek-American community, local politicians, representatives of Hellenic associations and organizations, and relatives of Greek Americans who lost their lives...

Having just turned five years old, I was a little young (at least back then) to question the “holiday” law-of-the-land. Of course five-year-olds believed in Santa Claus! But it was back in the day when several ages of neighborhood kids used to hang around together, and I was running with some seven- and eight-year-olds who were feeding me some pretty good reasons not to believe in that benign big man. Most of you are at least vaguely familiar with the various Protestant Reformation (and later secular) traditions that transformed Saint Nicholas into Santa Claus, so it is not necessary to...

It's that time of year for us to realize how far societies tend to veer from the true essence of things. We live in a desperately superficial culture that is too often satisfied with veneers. If it's shiny, new and untouched by real life, it strangely gives us the false assurance that it will last forever. Anyone can package up junk, put a nice shimmery bow on it and pass it off as the got-to-have-it-or-you'll-die item of the season. Even when what's inside is genuine and something we truly need, too many are content with the outer misleading packaging. We've...

....The legend behind Santa Claus is Saint Nicholas, the fourth-century bishop of Myra. His hat was the bishop’s mitre. Nicholas was born in modern day Turkey to a rather wealthy family. Losing his parents at a young age, Nicholas dedicated both his fortune and his life to the Christian church. Very quickly he was appointed the bishop of Myra, on the southern coast of modern day Turkey.

Today (Dec 6) is the Feast of St. Nicholas. The real St. Nicholas was nothing close to the St. Nick (Santa Claus) of the modern age. He was a thin curmudgeonly man with a zeal for the Lord that caused flairs of anger. Compromise was unknown to him. The slow transformation of him into “Jolly ole’ Saint Nicholas is a remarkable recasting of him centuries in the making. Some years ago the Washington Post featured an article entitled Poles Apart: Nicholas of Myra; How a 4th-Century Bishop Achieved Fame 1,500 Years Later, With a Whole New Attitude.On this feast of...

<p>You may think you know Santa, but there's a lot more to the legend than a bag full of presents. What follows is a selective history of St. Nick and how he came to be known as the jolly round man in the iconic red suit.</p>

As a non-Christian with a deep affection for Christmastime, I've always felt a little left out around this time of year, but not in the way you might think. I've always felt a bit out of place with the venerable conservative tradition of denouncing the "war on Christmas." I should offer some background. When I was a kid, my parents cut out a jokey headline from a local newspaper that read "Santa Knows We're Jewish" and put it on a cardboard Christmas tree ornament. My father insisted I be raised Jewish. (I went to a Jewish day school and was...

The reign of Constantine proved to be a turning point in history. The Edict of Milan helped transform Christianity from a persecuted religion into a popular faith. Christianity spread faster than ever before. Jesus’s message offered comfort in a world full of peril and suffering. His call to love God and neighbor gave meaning to hard lives.Constantine’s own enthusiasm for Christianity helped promote it through all classes of society. The emperor bestowed presents and property upon Christian congregations. He funded the construction of churches and basilicas, including St. Peter’s in Rome. He declared Sunday a day of rest, placed Christian...

Better than Santa Claus Meet St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker. By: Louise Perrotta A friend was struggling. You could see it in his eyes and in his growing estrangement from his family and from church. I prayed for him, sensing he was headed for deep trouble. And since the need was so great and the crisis so near, I entrusted my friend to the care of St. Nicholas of Myra. This bishop of the early church—the real person behind the figure of Jolly Old Saint Nick—might not strike you as an obvious choice when it comes to interceding for a...

Today is the Feast Day of St. Nicholas of Myra. He was a real man, a bishop (circa 343 AD), a servant of Christ. He did not have reindeer.

WHAT WOULD Santa drink? Listen, kids, contrary to the tales Mom and Dad told you, Father Christmas did not get that round belly and red nose from gulping down glasses of skim milk. Not to destroy your innocent visions of sugar plums and candy canes, but when it comes to treats on a long winter's night, if it's all the same to you, Santa Claus would rather have a beer. Sacrilege, you say? The very symbol of childhood innocence guzzling alcohol? What's next, Frosty the Snowman doing Jell-O shots? In fact, from the very beginning, Santa Claus was a man...

www.catholicnewsagency.com German diocese creates ‘Santa-free zone’ Related articles: Santa ClausAdvent Christmas Tree BlessingHail to Thee, True BodyChristmas Tree Speyer, Germany, Nov 11, 2009 / 05:09 pm (CNA).- In an effort to encourage people to replace the commercialization of the Christmas season with a true devotion to Advent, Christmas and the “true Santa Claus,” several groups within the German Diocese of Speyer have initiated a “Santa-free campaign.” The Federation of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ) of Speyer has partnered with other organizations to champion the cause of St. Nicholas of Myra, a friend and helper of children and those in trouble....

With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the House (and the Senate) Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care In hopes that a stimulus soon would be there. The voters were nestled all snug in their beds While visions of "hope" and "change" danced in their heads. The winners completed their victory lap, And we all settled down for our long winter's nap. For this year the markets had caused such a clatter-- Mortgages--credit crunch--what was the matter? With th'economy hitting new...

BERLIN (AFP) — Santa beware! Activists in Germany are waging an international campaign to do away with old Father Christmas and say they are gaining ground thanks to the global economic meltdown. Armed with child-friendly stickers, web-savvy promoters and chocolate figurines, the "Santa-Free Zone" movement says it is gathering steam this year against what it calls the hollow commercialisation of Christmas. Launched by a German Catholic priest in 2002, the campaign aims to knock Santa off his pedestal and replace what they see as a cheap, American import with the real thing: Saint Nicholas. "The movement is intended to raise...

Given the decision making power of Santa Claus on the matter of gifts, my children make sure they leave Mr. Claus some seriously good cookies on Christmas Eve. However, most children don't know that there is much more to the real Saint Nick than toys and cookies. In addition to being generous, the jolly fellow could easily be considered the patron saint of purity. Recently looking into the legend of Saint Nick, I learned that Saint Nicholas lived early in the fourth century in what is now Turkey. Orphaned as a young boy, he was left with substantial financial means...

    No more lap sitting for kids Banned From Santa's Lap Updated: 14:55, Tuesday November 15, 2005 Santas in Switzerland have been banned from sitting children on their laps amid concerns about paedophilia.Calls from worried parents prompted the country's Society of St Nicholases to tell their members not to sit youngsters on their knees in the traditional manner.In Switzerland it is St Nicholas rather than Father Christmas who delivers presents to children.It is customary for men dressed as "Samiklaus" to put children on their knees before asking them whether they have been good.However, the society said it had taken...