St Nicholas (Santa Claus)
On the 10th day of the Coptic month of Kiahk we celebrate the life of St Nicholas Bishop of Mora, (also commonly referred to as St Nick or Santa Claus).
Nicholas was born in the city of Myra, in the area of Lycia to a wealthy, God-fearing family. His father was Epiphanius and his mother was Tona. Before the birth of Nicholas, his parents had grown old, saddened by the fact they had never had children. God took pity on them and gave them a boy whom they called Nicholas - which means “victory of the people”.
As a gift from God, he was raised to be holy and blessed. When he reached school age, he demonstrated, through intelligence and knowledge, that he learned far more from the Holy Spirit than he did from his teachers. He learned all the doctrine and the teachings of the church in his youth as a deacon. He later became a monk in a monastery where his cousin was the abbot. Because he lived an ascetic and righteous life, they made him a priest when he was only nineteen years old. God gave him the gift to work wonders and heal the sick in the name of Jesus Christ.
There was a very rich man in the city of Myra who lost all his wealth. He had three daughters who had passed the age of marriage, and could not marry them because of his poverty. Satan caused the man to think that he should make his daughters live in sin so that they might get their food by means of fornication. God revealed to Nicholas the thoughts which were in this desperate man's head. Nicholas took one hundred dinars of his father's money and tied it up in a sack. During the night he threw the money into the window of that man's house. When the man found the gold, he was astonished and rejoiced exceedingly as he was now able to give his eldest daughter away in marriage.
During another night Nicholas threw another hundred dinars into the man's house and the man was able to give his second daughter away in marriage. The man wanted to know who this charitable person was. The third time the saint threw the gold into the house, the man was watching and immediately when he felt the drop of the sack, he went out of his house running to see who was throwing the gold to him. Upon discovering it was Nicholas, the man bowed down at his feet and paid him great homage, thanking him for saving his daughters from poverty and a life of sin. The saint refused to accept any thanks and asked them to thank the Lord Who put this thought in his heart.
Nicholas was known for driving out the devil and his demons from the people, and healing many sick people. He is also credit for blessing little bread in the name of Jesus Christ to satisfy many hungry people.
Before being selected bishop, he saw a vision with a great throne and vestments placed on it and a man said to him, "Put on these vestments and sit on this throne." And on another night he saw the Holy Theotokos giving him the vestments of the priesthood and Jesus Christ handing him the Gospels.
When the Bishop of Myra departed, the Angel of the Lord appeared to the Archbishop and told him Nicholas was to be chosen for this rank and described his virtues. When the Archbishop woke up he told the bishops what he had seen, and they all believed that vision. They knew that it was from the Lord Jesus Christ. Nicholas was made Bishop over the city of Myra.
Shortly thereafter, Diocletian reigned, and the spread of pagan worship increased. Having already arrested many believers, he heard about this saintly bishop known as Nicholas of Myra. He seized him, tortured him severely for many years. Jesus Christ strengthened him, protected him, and raised him whole from all these tortures so that he might become a mighty branch of the tree of faith. When Diocletian was tired of torturing him, he cast him into prison. Nicholas wrote to his congregation from prison until God destroyed Diocletian and the reign of Constantine began. Emperor Constantine brought out all Christian...