The Vision of St Nicholas

 

The feast of St Nicholas!  In previous years I have reflected on St Nicholas's passionate defence of the divinity of Christ which led to his losing the run of himself and bashing Arius at the Council of Nicea. As you know, Nicholas spent some time cooling off in a gaol cell.

 

Well interestingly, last year at the Belfast Christmas Market at City Hall, I fell across a lovely icon of St Nicholas (see above), and in the two top corners are the figures of Jesus and Mary portrayed in the way they appeared to him as he was languishing in prison.  Draped over Our Lady's arm is the omophorium, the symbol of a bishop in the Eastern Church.  Nicholas regretting his rash actions prayed for forgiveness, and in response to  his prayer he received this vision and the grace of Our Lady herself returning his episcopal robe to him.  (You can read the whole story here on this site dedicated to the saint).

 

While we might secretly take delight in the saint's action - it reveals his humanity, and we can reflect on the many stories from his life, but I think this prison vision is the most wonderful event in Nicholas' life.  He made a mistake - he was right in his defence of the faith, but wrong in resorting to violence even if Arius probably deserved a good beating.  He prayed for forgiveness, and he found it revealed in what is a tender vision.  Jesus, revealed in his divinity and humanity, and Mary coming as a loving mother to her child. 

 

This is most consoling for us.  This event in Nicholas's life can inspire us not to fear God when we have sinned, but rather to return to him and ask forgiveness: if we do so, we will certainly experience his tenderness and love.  If God decided, out of love for us, to become man and to die on the cross for us, then he will certainly be open and welcoming to those who come to him seeking forgiveness.

Good Old St Nick: The Real One

O to be in Galway today!  Why Galway I hear you ask?  Well in the city of Galway the feast of St Nicholas is celebrated as a solemnity, since he is the patron of the city.  He is one of the few non-Irish Saints who has the patronage of an Irish town, region or diocese. 

Today's feast is a wonderful one.  The real St Nicholas of Myra (or of Bari if you are an Italian) is so much better than the pale imitation the commercial world has created.  Last year I recounted the story of his striking the heretic Arius at the Council of Nicea - from this we may discern that the Bishop Nicholas was a man's man, a passionate figure who at times transcended the complexities of theological debate for a more sturdy, earthy form of dialogue.  Indeed!  He was quite forceful in putting his point across.

Many are the legends and the stories of St Nicholas concerning his boundless charity, and many testimonies assure us of his continued assistance for people after his death.  He worked numerous miracles for sailors, hence his patronage of sailors and of Galway City which is a port city.   That patronage may also be enhanced by the tale of the "translation" of his relics from his bishopric in Myra to the Italian seaport of Bari in 1087.  That "translation" might also be known by another word: stealing.  Italian sailors nicked St Nicholas (forgive the pun) in order to establish a shrine in their city.  Ah, the simple days when you wanted to draw in tourists you just robbed the neighbour's Saint. 

A little known fact about the Saint: his relics exude a liquid which has the fragrance of rosewater.  This phenomenon was recording when the body was in Myra, and it continues right up to today.  Each year on the feast day - today, the liquid is collected and bottled and distributed to the faithful and is said to have been responsible for numerous favours.   This phenomenon is not unique, it is known to exude from the relics of a number of Saints, and the liquid is called the "manna of the Saints".  So if you ever get over to Bari, pop into the shrine of St Nicholas and see if you can get a bottle of the manna: you might just think of this poor priest here and pick up one for him too: God bless you if you do!

A sad story from Pakistan as a young Catholic girl has been put to death for her faith.  Amariah Masih, 18, was shot dead as she resisted a Muslim man who tried to abduct her and rape her.  The story is here.  It seems there may be more to it than a simple attempt to abuse her: it seems this guy had tried to convert her to Islam and make her his wife and she refused.   At her funeral her parish priest has referred to her as a martyr.  Another Catholic, perhaps, to join Shahbaz Bhatti among the martyrs of Pakistan: there are enough of them to form a group of companions for the introduction of a Cause for all of them.  We pray for Amariah's family.  For her fidelity to her faith and her virginity, may she now find a place among St Maria Goretti, St Lucy and all the Virgin Martyrs.

The whinging about the new translation of the Mass is still going on: I was going to link to a few articles on it, but my computer froze during downloading, so I'll take that as a sign from God - let them at it and just get on with it.  The image of the goblins or dwarves in the last book of the Narnia series comes to mind (The Last Battle): when the battle is over, this lot just sit around in a huddled circle and try to ignore everyone and everthing.   

Finally, on this joyful feast: as we prepare for Christmas, perhaps the words of carols are running through our minds.  That lovely carol sung by Nat King Cole, "Chestnuts roasting on a open fire" comes to mind as I read this story of an enterprising crematorium owner who is seeking to harness the energy from cremations (I kid you not, people!). Up in Durham, England, turbines are being installed in the crematorium to generate electricity.  It seems one corpse can power 1,500 televisions for an hour.  What a tribute!    

A few notices:

There will be a demonstration against the government's decision to close the Irish embassy to the Holy See outside Leinster House, on the 8th December, from 2pm to 4pm.

The London Prayer Group will meet at 8pm on Thursday evening in Corpus Christi Church, Maiden Lane - an hour later than usual due to a Mass at 6.30pm.

The Drogheda Prayer Group will meet on Monday next at 8pm in St Mary's Church, a week earlier than usual due to various ceremonies in the church next week. 

Another date for you diary:  Tuesday, December 20th, Dublin Film Club, at Ely House, Ely Place, at 7pm. This month's movie, the comedy Nativity starring Martin Freeman.

St Nicholas Loses The Cool

I love to scandalise the faithful today. Well, not in a sinful way.  The one we celebrate today is so different from the image we have built up of him, and I like to upset, just a little, the sanitised image of St Nicholas of Myra.  St Nicholas was very much like St John the Baptist, and while we have so many wonderful stories and legends of his charity and kindness, we also have one which reveals his true colour - and yes, it was red - but the red of righteous anger.

St Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, renowned for his holiness, charity and defence of orthodoxy.  He had suffered for the faith, imprisoned during the persecution of Diocletian.  He attended the Council of Nicea which met to deal with the heresy the priest, Fr Arius, was preaching.  Nicholas may have been one of those holy confessors referred to by historians, who bore the scars of their suffering and met with Constantine at the beginning of the Council symbolising the reconciliation between the Roman Empire and the Church.  Anyway, if he was scarred, he lost none of his fire.  According to accounts which may be legend (but who cares it's a great story) during one of the debates, so fired up with zeal for the orthodox faith, Nicholas set upon Fr Arius and gave him a good slap (good man Nicholas!).  For his zeal, the venerable Bishop of Myra, on orders from the Emperor and his fellow bishops, ended up in the clink for a few days to cool off (that reconciliation was short lived!).  He had to eat humble pie, and ask forgiveness for his violent act. 

So Nicholas was no cuddly grandfather sipping the whiskey as he trots around the globe shedding gifts - he was in the style of the great Bishop defenders of the Church - of Basil and Gregory, of Augustine and Ambrose, of Hiliary and Martin.  That makes him an even more interesting and attractive figure.  Now I would not recommend that we should go around clocking the heretics in our midst, if any should exist, of course.  But his zeal might be no harm to emulate.  That zeal was fueled by his intense love of Christ whom he knew to be God and man. 

St Nicholas reminds us that the Saints cannot be sanitised, or dismissed - they are more that the categories we like to create for them.  They are more complicated, yes they were sinners, but they were also great lovers, and that love transformed them so they saw that being a disciple of Christ was not a humdrum, stale or respectable affair - it is an adventure!  That's a good Advent message for us all.

One interesting detail of the story of Nicholas at Nicea tells us that during the night, as Nicholas was reflecting on his behaviour, Jesus and Mary appeared to him.  "Why  are you in jail?" they asked him.  "Because of my love for you", he said.   Jesus then gave him a book of the Gospels, and Our Lady gave him the omophoron - he stole of a bishop. Consolation indeed, forgiveness too.  Dare we say, also a pat on the back?  Dear me, no!