Posted on 10/06/2010 11:15:11 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
Dealing with Byzantine sailors was a hands-on job. St. Nicholas, hardened by his imprisonment under Diocletian, knew how to handle himself in a fight. Modern forensic facial reconstruction of the relic-skull of St. Nicholas, now in Bari, Italy, reveal a stout man with a bent nose, the result of several breaks. Being the genuine man of his roots, St. Nicholas didn't leave his common ways behind when attending to Church matters.
Constantine convened the Council at Nicaea in 325 to settle the Arian controversy. During a heated debate with Arius, Nicholas, indignant at Arius' unyielding obstinacy, punched him in the face. Though secretly thankful, the emperor had no choice but to strip Nicholas of his bishopric.
The Greek name for St. Nicholas is Agios Nikolaos which means "victory of the people" or "the people's champion." The real St. Nicholas lived up to his name every day of his life. When famine threatened Myra, St. Nicholas persuaded the ships in port to each donate a portion of their grain shipment bound for Alexandria. It is likely he demanded the donation since the ships may have been his own. The grain saved Myra from starvation and, if the legend is to be believed, the ships arrived in Alexandria with their holds missing no grain.
Generous to a fault, the real St. Nicholas spent his life in service to his community. He defended his faith even if it meant a punch in the face. If you get boxing gloves for Christmas, the giver knows the history of the broken-nosed Bishop of Myra.
(Excerpt) Read more at associatedcontent.com ...
“You better not shout, you better not cry,
you better not pout, I’m telling you why.
Santa Claus is smacking upside the head!”
“He knows when you are sleeping,
“He knows when you’re awake.
“He knows if you’ve been bad or good,
“And he’ll pop you one right in the face!”
One of my favorite bishops of the era is(St.) Lucifer. Yes, there was a bishop named Lucifer. He was a bishop in Sardinia and was tough as nails. He chewed out the emperor in front of other bishops and the emperor’s flunkies for being weak in opposing Arianism. For that he was exiled. He was later said to be excommunicated for consecrating a man when he had no right to do so. The people of Sardinia believe he reconciled with the Church. There he is venerated as a saint.
That admission may come back to haunt you, my FRiend...jus’ sayin’ ;o)
No, actually it won’t.
The way in which Christ’s birthday is celebrated in American cities is really terribly commercialised. And a lot of it is with this Santa Claus character, who as you point out, differs considerably from the REAL Saint Nicholaus
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