Did Santa Claus exist? Sooner or later, every child asks this question. And you have to answer it well.
Writing (06/12/2022 10:44, Gaudium Press) Did Santa Claus exist? Sooner or later, every child asks this question. Y you have to answer it well; but Parents can easily respond to their children by telling them the beautiful story of the life of Saint Nicholas.
In shopping malls, a character in a brightly colored suit is frequently seen, arousing general curiosity, and in children the joyful expectation of gifts and sweets.
It’s ‘Santa Claus’. How was this tradition born? In reality, there was a much more important person than the legendary Santa Claus. It was St. Nicholas, who passed away as Bishop of Mira, Turkey, around the year 324. In this case, reality surpasses legend.
Few saints enjoy such popularity, there are many churches dedicated to him, and very few are attributed so many miracles. Saint John Damascene praises him as follows: “The whole universe has in you a quick help in afflictions, a stimulant in sorrows, a consolation in calamities, a defender in temptations, a remedy in illnesses.” Those are the gifts of Saint Nicholas, his powerful intercession that obtains many favors from heaven. Saint Nicholas is the real “Santa Claus”.
Y the supposed generosity of the character finds a real basis in the generosity of Saint Nicholas.
Nicholas was quite young when he lost his parents, inheriting from them a large fortune, which made it possible for him to practice charity on a large scale. An uncle of his was a bishop, and he consecrated him a priest.
the three young women
One day, she met three young people who, because they were poor, could not find a suitor to marry and the father wickedly he wanted to steer them towards a bad life. So, Nicolás went at night and threw a bag of gold coins into the man’s room. A few days later, the eldest daughter was getting married. Nicolás repeated the gesture, and shortly after the second daughter was getting married. At the moment, when he was preparing to do it for the third time, he was discovered. Coming out of the shadows where he was hiding, the father threw himself at the feet of his benefactor, weeping with regret and gratitude. Since then, he never tired of proclaiming the favors received everywhere.
On another occasion, when embarking on a ship, he informed the commander that they would have a violent storm on the way. The old sea lion received this forecast from a simple passenger with an ironic smile. However, the storm did not take long… The storm was so terrible that everyone believed that its end had come. Knowing that a passenger had foreseen what was happening, they ran to him asking for help.
Nicholas implored God and then the storm stopped, the sea calmed down and the sun appeared resplendent… Thus he became the patron saint of sailorswho invoke it in times of danger.
San Buenaventura narrates that in an inn, the owner had murdered two students who had seized his money. Horrified by this vile crime, Saint Nicholas resurrected the youth and converted the murderer.
The day he was consecrated Bishop of Mira, just after the ceremony, a woman threw herself at his feet, with a child in her arms, begging “Give life to my son!” The kid it had fallen into the fire and died a horrible death. “Have mercy on me, give him life!” Shouted her mother. Excited and sympathized with the pains of a heartbroken mommade the sign of the cross over the child, whoYoandno He rose in the presence of all the faithful present at his consecration as bishop.
Lthe story of a holy slap
There are traditions that affirm that Saint Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea, where Arianism was condemned, and that there he slapped Arius himself after he made an exposition of his heterodox doctrines. That is why Saint Nicholas is taken prisoner, who going to jail. But, there, the august visit of Jesus God and King of the Universe and his Immaculate Mother arrives for Saint Nicholas. The Lord asks him: – Why are you here?, to which the Bishop answers: – Because I love you, my God and my Lord. It is then that the Lord gives him a copy of the Gospels, and the Virgin covers it again with her paraments, in jail.
While the Arian heresy was rampant throughout the Christian world, this was not the case in Mira, due to the action of the saint.
In some European countries, it is customary for some people to exchange gifts on their feast day, December 6. To us, also Saint Nicholas, he will not stop helping us, in our needs.
Let us ask him, then, not only material goods, but above all great spiritual gifts. May he obtain from the Blessed Virgin and from Saint Joseph the grace so that this coming Christmas he may give birth in our souls to the Child Jesus – the greatest gift given to men – in order to take us to the Heavenly Homeland, for which we were created.
San Nicolás de Mira, the ‘original’ version of Santa Claus, a reality that surpasses the legend