St. Andrew and Advent

 

November 30th -- The Feast of St. Andrew*

St. Andrew could well be called the thoughtful Apostle.  Judging by the accounts of him in the Gospels, he seems to have been especially tuned in to the people and events around him.   Remember? Upon first meeting Jesus on the banks of the Jordan, his first thought was to run and find his brother, Peter, and drag him back to introduce him to the Messiah.  It was Andrew who called Our Lord's attention to the boy with the loaves and fishes that ended up feeding 5,000 hungry followers in the desert.

 After the  death and resurrection of Christ, having received the multitude graces of Pentecost, Andrew traveled, preaching and converting thousands through Scythia and Greece, then, after many years, won the martyr's crown in 60 A.D., following his Master to the cross in Achaia.  His death by crucifixion (on an "X" shaped cross) was of the 'common' sort, of that time -- long and agonizing, intended to be a cautionary device against the early blossoming of Christianity. As it happens, this martyrdom proved to be the opposite (as was often the case). Brave and faithful to the end, St. Andrew lingered for two excruciating long days -- but as he slowly died he continued to preach to the people gathered near him; in his agony, his final thoughts were of other souls that he might still save.  His charity was a deeply ingrained habit of life that he practiced to the moment of his death.

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So, Saint Andrew. You can't help but like the man he seemed to be: spontaneous, loving, thoughtful, loyal, faithful, humble, courageous...  But, how is it that the Church, in her wisdom chose this apostle for one of the very first meditations of the Advent season, the very first season of the entire liturgical year? I'm sure there are many reasons, and I expect The Liturgical Year would be an obvious place to find out for sure, but I've been pondering, myself, on the life of St. Andrew today, and this is what I think:

My Dad taught us that the first rule of a good life is that it pays to pay attention. St. Andrew was a master at this. He watched. He pondered. He noticed what was going on around him, really noticed. Then, he acted on what he saw. And it's clear in the Gospels how he instinctively reacted. Like he would throughout his life as an apostle, the first thing Andrew did was: run to Jesus. After first hearing Our Lord speak, Andrew immediately ran to Him and introduced himself. Then he looked to see who else he could drag over to meet Jesus, and his eyes and heart immediately found his brother, Peter, of course, who he quite literally dragged over to Jesus!  Think of it! With this simple and spontaneous act of love, he changed the world. 

 Later in the Gospels, we see that famous problem facing the disciples at the Sermon on the Mount. Andrew's sharp eyes and quick mind spied a possible solution and, true to form, what did he do, but run to Jesus -- who then turned Andrew's suggestion into a miracle that fed 5,000 people. All his life, traveling the world, Andrew continued to lead people to Jesus, converting thousands to the Faith. Even hanging on the cross, with his dying breath, he was bringing people to Jesus, and he's doing the same work in heaven today!

As we go about our extra busy lives this Advent season, it seems the Church points us toward St. Andrew to help us focus on what is truly important, no matter the problem, no matter the circumstances: run first to Jesus. Every day, every pleasure, every pain, every worry, start with Him. During Advent, the rolling out of a brand new liturgical year, St. Andrew reminds us to start with Jesus. Not Santa. Not politics. Not gift lists. Jesus. 

Dear St. Andrew, be our guide, accompany our souls on the journey through Advent; pray for us, please, and lead us close to the manger in Bethlehem this Christmas! Lend us your keen eyes during this holy season to help us pay better attention to our loved ones, our neighbors, our friends -- the mailman, the kid delivering our pizza, the clerk at Walmart, everyone! -- and help us increase our prayers, our patience, and our charity to help lead them also to Jesus.  

Novena Prayer of St. Andrew

(to be recited 15x a day from the feast of St. Andrew until Christmas)

Blessed be the hour and the moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Blessed Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold.  At that hour, vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer, and grant my petitions, through merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.  Amen.

Real Quick Link for St. Andrew's Feast Day!

 A tutorial and PDF prayer card and instructions for for the St. Andrew's Novena chaplet below!

Ye Olde Annual Advent Checklist

 NOVEMBER 29th

* If you haven't already set up your Advent Wreath, it's time to scramble, because today is the day! The first Sunday of Advent, 2020 . 

Here's one place to find and print out the Advent prayers and have handy to pray every new Sunday in the season of preparation.

NOVEMBER 30th

* On the Feast of St. Andrew, which is on a Monday this year, we begin:

 The Christmas Novena

The most common Christmas novenas
in a nutshell. 

“Hail and blessed be the hour and the moment when the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.

In that hour vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my petitions,
through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen"

We'll repeat this prayer 15 times a day until Christmas for our various special intentions, ending on Christmas Eve. It doesn't matter how it's done; you can say all fifteen repetitions at once, or split them up during the day, whichever is easiest for you. We tend to do a little of both methods, intending to split them up at mealtimes, five prayers three times a day -- but often enough, missing out and having to bunch them all together at bedtime prayers.  It doesn't matter, though, so long as you get them all in there!  Many many intentions, personal, and general to include in our Christmas novena this year so we don't want to blow it!

A beautiful "click and print" card to post somewhere obvious where we won't forget!

NOVEMBER 30th -- DECEMBER 25th
(Ongoing in our family)

* During the first week of Advent (beginning Monday!), we'll start building our Nativity Scene ! The process will continue all the way up until Christmas.  Though it's a different kind of discipline doing it for ourselves instead of cooperating with the children to build (a highlight every year in our clan!), Dan and I will still try to observe the traditional manner and order of constructing ,adding the traditional prayers and ceremonies you can find at the link.

Idea to make the creche especially interesting for Littles:  Find little critters that don't necessarily belong to the Nativity set, but which match well enough to be believable, and have the children add only one critter a day, then make a bigger production out of the placing of the "official" animals (the sheep, dogs, donkey, and cow) and shepherds on the 18th, and the Holy Family and Shepherds when everyone is together the week before Christmas.  Perhaps have Father over to bless the Creche!

Here's Dominic with one of our big Nativity Scenes. 
Before he married and started his own family, he was  the Creche
master here. Now he has one in his own home!

DECEMBER 1st

* In addition to the Christmas Novena, we'll start the daily Christmas Crib Prayers on Tuesday, the 1st.

We found copies of this sweet little devotion when our big grown up boys were tots and prayed it for years until we lost the prayers during some move or another.  But we found it again a couple years ago, reprinted by the lovely lady at House and Hold ! We were all so pleased; we love this simple devotion. It's especially good for families with little ones.

* See below for the entire read-out.

Note to self: Make a copy to put on the fridge to be mindful of it, myself, throughout every day -- even though we don't have children home any more, I can join my prayers to my grandchildren's now! And Anna (a CMD postulant and kindergarten teacher) is doing these with her little ones this Advent, too.


DECEMBER 5th

* On Saturday, begin Novena to St. Lucy (see below)! St. Lucy is the patroness of: the blind or those with eye problems, martyrs, epidemics, salesmen, throat infections and writers!

DECEMBER 6th

*  On the second Sunday of Advent this year, we come to the Feast of St. Nicholas! Catholics all over the world celebrate with goodies in the children's shoes in the morning (but no nibbling on any of it this year until we get back from morning Mass!) and  then a big batch of crockpot peppermint mocha in the afternoon.

(Note: Order holy cards and patron saint medals from Aquinas and More now, in order to get them in time to include in the children's shoes for St. Nick's Day!)

December 8th

* The Eighth of December,  which falls on Tuesday, is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. (And our grandson, Gavin's, birthday, lucky guy!) It's not a Holy Day of Obligation in the United States, but is a great feast of the Blessed Mother, and we wouldn't miss greeting her on this day for anything!  Some ideas for the day: get flowers to decorate our Blessed Mother's shrine at home and/or at church, and along with Mass that day, decorate and light a Mary Candle:

"The Mary candle: Some families have the custom of decorating a Christ candle with a blue veil on December 8th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. On this great feast, others place a candle with a blue ribbon before a statue or picture of the Blessed Virgin, whose “yes” to God enabled our Lord’s coming at Christmas. The candle is lit during meal times to serve as a delightful reminder of Mary’s eager expectation of the “Light of the World.” It can also serve as a reminder to each family member to keep their own light of grace burning as a preparation for Christ’s coming." 
(From CERC)


(Note: Get Hobby Lobby coupon to offset cost of a nice pillar candle.)

DECEMBER 10th

* The feast of Our Lady of Loreto. This feast commemorates the miraculous translation of Our Blessed Mother's home in Nazareth to Loreto, Italy, almost 1300 years after her assumption into heaven.  Read the wondrous story here!  In honor of Our Blessed Mother who is the glory of home life, and the perfect example of holy homemaking, we'll be giving the house some good "spit and polish" today.  We'll also take special care to dust and care for all of our holy images: statues, crucifixes, and hanging pictures. And we'll pray the Litany of Loreto in addition to our rosary in Our Lady's honor.

DECEMBER 13th

* On Sunday, the thirteenth of December and the third Sunday of Advent, we get to celebrate The Feast of St. Lucy, with all of its special traditions .  The novena to St. Lucy may be begun on Monday, December 5th, if you like, to finish on her feast day.

Novena to St. Lucy

St. Lucy, Your beautiful name signifies light.  By the light of faith which God bestowed upon you, preserve and increase this light in my soul, so that I may avoid evil, be zealous in the performance of good works, and abhor nothing so much as the blindness and the darkness of evil and of sin.  By your intercession with God, obtain for me perfect vision for my bodily eyes and the grace to use them for God's greater honor and glory and the salvation of all men.  St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, hear my prayers and obtain my petitions.  Amen.

(Note: For Spiritual reading for the day, try Lucia, Saint of Light)

* We never did actually make our oldest daughter bring everyone breakfast while balancing lit candles on her head. Not that they wouldn't have done it, mind you!  But I'd be a nervous wreck.  (I'm still a little traumatized by a certain daughter's First Holy Communion Day eleven years ago, when she caught her hair on fire) We chiefly celebrated this day by making Lucia Bread a couple of years and once or twice we let our oldest resident daughter be the one to decorate and hang up the Mistletoe on this day. (History and customs of  mistletoe, here.)

December 16th, 18th, and 19th

* Advent Embertide comes around again, on Wednesday, Friday in the third week of Advent (December December 16th, 18th, and 19th). Adults between the ages of 21 and 59 must fast on all three days, abstain completely on Friday (as usual), and partially abstain on Wednesday and Saturday. Ember days are a particular time to pray for our priests, and are traditionally set aside as well, for prayers for safety from natural disaster, and expecting mothers. These are also days when the Church remembers the poor and suffering.  This would be a good time to make Christmas donations to the needy! 

DECEMBER 16th

* Today, Ember Wednesday, we can begin the Christmas Novena to finish on Christmas Eve. To finish on Christmas day, start on December 17th. There are several novenas from which to choose:  One here, which is lengthy, involves the entire family and corresponds with the O Antiphons; and another one here, which is shorter and less complicated. (And certainly many more upon a google search!)

DECEMBER 18th

  
* This day marks the feast of the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, exactly an octave until the birth of Our Lord.   Originating as early as the 7th century and widely celebrated in the Spanish Church, this feast was called the feast of "St. Maria de la O," because on this day the clerics in the choir after Vespers used to utter a loud and protracted "O," to express the longing of the universe for the coming of the Redeemer.  As a mother, myself, I love this day for contemplating  Mary, the Mother of God, herself: her faith, her hope, her love -- the Christ Child kicking in her womb -- the wonder and joy of it. The expectation!  Mothers are blessed to understand and empathize in a special way.

Today, as we have since the beginning of the month, we pray our St. Andrew Novena, and meditate on our little Christmas Crib devotion. If we choose to do a nine day novena for Christmas, we will have started that already, too -- But now we ramp things up a bit more even as we approach the big day, adding the 

O Antiphons to our bedtime prayers.  

(Incidentally, today is also the day we traditionally introduced the sheep, shepherds, cows and donkey to the stable in our Nativity scene -- a big day for the children.)

 O Antiphons
* To elucidate: we begin the  O Antiphons on Friday, the 18th. These are the prayers taken from the Breviary's Vespers during the last octave before the Birth of the Savior, wherein each "stanza" begins with "O." It's this fact that names the O Antiphons. They are correctly prayed in the evening and can also be sung.

* A Spiritual Christmas Crib

The following directions show you how to build a spiritual crib in your heart for Christ. Use it to put Christ into your Christmas in a real, living way.

Start on December 1. Read the thought indicated about Christ's first crib. 

Practice it during the day. 

Do this daily during December and make your heart a worthy crib for Christ on Christmas Day.

DEC. 1 - THE STABLE

Frequently during the day offer your heart to the little Infant Jesus. Ask Him to make it His home.

--Sweet Jesus, take my heart and make it meek and pure.

DEC. 2 - THE ROOF

See that the roof of the stable is in good condition, so that the Infant Jesus is protected from rain and snow. This you will do by carefully avoiding every uncharitable remark.

--Jesus, teach me to love my neighbor as myself.

DEC. 3 - CREVICES

Carefully stop every crevice in the walls of the stable, so that the wind and cold may not enter there. Guard your senses against temptations. Guard especially your ears against sinful conversations.

--Jesus, help me to keep temptations out of my heart.

DEC. 4 - COBWEBS

Clean the cobwebs from your spiritual crib. Diligently remove from your heart every inordinate desire of being praised. Renew this intention at least three times today.

--My Jesus, I want to please You in all I do today.

DEC. 5 - FENCE

Build a fence about the crib of your heart by keeping a strict watch over your eyes, especially at prayer.

--Sweet Jesus, I long to see You.

DEC. 6 - MANGER

Fix the best and warmest corner of your heart for the manger of Jesus. You will do so by abstaining from what you like most in the line of comfort and amusement.

--Dear Mother Mary, use these sacrifices to prepare my heart for Jesus in Holy Communion.

DEC. 7 - HAY

Supply the manger of your heart with hay, by overcoming all feelings of pride, anger or envy.

--Jesus, teach me to know and correct my greatest sins.

DEC. 8 - SOFT STRAW

Also provide your manger with soft straw by performing little acts of mortification; for instance, bear the cold without complaints; or sit and stand erect.

--Dear Jesus, Who suffered so much for me, let me suffer for love of You.

DEC. 9 - SWADDLING CLOTHES

Prepare these for the Divine Infant by folding your hands when you pray, and praying slowly and thoughtfully.

--Jesus, help me love you more and more.

DEC. 10 - BLANKETS

Provide the manger of your crib with soft warm blankets. Avoid harsh and angry words; be kind and gentle to all.

--Jesus, help me to be meek and humble like You.

DEC. 11 - FUEL

Bring fuel to the crib of Jesus. Give up your own will; obey your superiors cheerfully and promptly.

--Jesus, help me do Your will in all things.

DEC. 12 - WATER

Bring fresh, clean water to the crib. Avoid every untruthful word and every deceitful act.

--Dearest Mary, obtain for me true contrition for my sins.

DEC. 13 - PROVISIONS

Bring a supply of food to the crib. Deprive yourself of some food at mealtime or candy as a treat.

--Jesus, be my strength and nourishment.

DEC. 14 - LIGHT

See that the crib has sufficient light. Be neat and orderly about your person; keep everything in its place in your room.

--Jesus, be the life and light of my soul.

DEC. 15 - FIRE

Take care to have the crib of your heart warmed by a cozy fire. Be grateful to God for the love He has shown us in becoming man; behave with grateful respect towards your parents and relatives.

--Jesus, how can I return Your love; how can I show my gratitude to You?

DEC. 16 - THE OX

Lead the ox to the crib. Obey cheerfully without making excuses and without asking "why."

--I will obey for love of You, Jesus.

DEC. 17 - THE DONKEY

Bring the donkey to the crib. Offer to the Divine Infant your bodily strength; use it in the service of others.

--Jesus, accept my service of love; I offer it for those who do not love You.

DEC. 18 - GIFTS

Gather some presents for the Divine Infant and His Blessed Mother. Give alms for the poor and say an extra decade of the rosary.

--Come, Jesus, to accept my gifts and to take possession of my heart.

DEC. 19 - LAMBS

Strive to bring some little lambs, meek and patient. Do not murmur or complain.

--Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.

DEC. 20 - SHEPHERDS

Invite the shepherds to pay homage to our newborn King. Imitate their watchfulness; stress in your speech and thoughts the idea that Christmas is important because Jesus will be born again in you.

--Jesus, teach me to love You above all things.

DEC. 21 - THE KEY

Provide the stable with a key to keep out thieves. Exclude from your heart every sinful thought, every rash judgment.

-- Dear Jesus, close my heart to all that hurts You.

DEC. 22 - ANGELS

Invite the angels to adore God with you. Cheerfully obey the inspirations of your guardian angel and of your conscience.

--Holy Guardian Angel, never let me forget that you are with me always.

DEC. 23 - ST. JOSEPH

Accompany Saint Joseph from door to door. Learn from him silently and patiently to bear refusals and disappointments. Open wide your heart and beg him to enter with the Blessed Virgin Mary.

--Saint Joseph, help me to prepare for a worthy Christmas Communion.

DEC. 24 - THE BLESSED VIRGIN

Go meet your Blessed Mother. Lead her to the manger of your heart and beg her to lay the Divine Infant in it. Shorten your chats and telephone conversations and spend more time today thinking of Jesus and Mary and Joseph.

--Come, dear Jesus, Come; my heart belongs to You."

**From: Devotions in Preparation for the Coming of the Christchild, and at the Crib, from Christmas to Purification" by Rev. Frederic Nelson, published by Marian House, Powers Lake, ND 58773

Heads Up: Remote Prepping for Advent

It's coming faster than you think!

 First thing to do:

Order your Advent candles if you don't already have them --  right now. I mean, stop what you're doing and get right on it. Due to postal delays associated, I guess, with covid and riot concerns, many companies are warning about delays. And you may find that Hobby Lobby's stock will deplete very quickly! Here are a few places to look online:

Honeycomb Beeswax candles for about $20

Traditional, tall, columnar, beeswax Advent candles under $25

TONS of Advent candles at prices starting at about $6 on Amazon

Second thing to do:

Go down to the basement or out in the barn or wherever you keep your holiday storage, find your wreath, shake it out, fluff up the evergreen boughs, and put it where you can find it in a jiffy. Maybe in your bedroom or hall closet.  If necessary, buy new ribbon decor now and keep it with your wreath. If you're like me, the first Sunday of Advent is going to sneak up on you right when you are busiest. Seriously. It always works that way! Impress your family with how organized you are and have everything you need right at your fingertips! Also, find your copy of the Advent prayers or print them out again and tuck them right in there with your wreath and ribbon. I posted one version here, but there are several acceptable versions.

Third thing to maybe do: 

A white candle is often used for the center of the wreath, waiting to be lit on Christmas day, but it's not a hard and fast rule to do it that way. Many families (including us) place a small statue in the center. If you like the idea and don't already have one you like for the center of your wreath, now is the time to go hunting and order. 

Find here

Find here

Thanks to the amazing shopping opportunities of the internet (my husband cringes. lol!), we have a world of beautiful images and statuary to inspire devotion for all the seasons of the Liturgical Year. A few years ago, we were gifted a beautiful Advent statue, St. Joseph leading a donkey carrying the Expectant Mother of God, and we just love it. It has a special place in the middle of our Advent wreath until right before Midnight Mass, when I sneak in a statue of the Holy Family, complete with Baby Jesus -- and change all the candles to white. There are a bazillion Holy Family Statues for this purpose available just for the searching. Hobby Lobby has quite a few lovely ones, as well. It's a little harder to find statues of the Expectant Mother, but more now than there used to be. Here are a few links (by the images) to get started if you like the idea.

Find here

Some countries, I understand, do not necessarily use the purple and pink candles, but the meaning behind them is perfect for the season: purple for penitence and waiting, pink for expectation and joy. Penitence Purple is appropriate; we don't party in real life until the baby is actually born, right? And I've always loved the very human "perk" of Laudate and Gaudete Sundays' pink vestments' message to us. The next to last week before Christmas and Easter, the joyous pink is like a little pat on the shoulder, saying: Hang in there! You can do it. We've almost made it; one more week! As for the candles, themselves, they don't have to be anything special, but it's an extra special bonus if' they're beeswax and you have your parish priest  bless them -- and even your Advent wreath. It's a great opportunity to have him over for dinner! (Make sure to mention your desire for the blessing ahead of time so he knows to be prepared to do that for you.)

It's traditional to use an evergreen wreath with the candles. The symbolism is beautiful: the evergreen represents God's providence, the cause for our hope, and the circular shape of the wreath symbolizes eternity, but that said, it's not a hard and fast requirement to use evergreens. Some might have need of a smaller display, and these can be beautifully done. I've seen several examples of candle holders, like the one shown here, that are meaningful all by themselves. The point of all sacramentals is to increase devotion, so whatever produces for your family a holy expectation for the birth of Christ -- that's the way to go.

I expect there are a lot of people who are already ready to lay hands on their Advent things and have already prepared ahead. God bless you! But for those of us who are blind-sided almost every year... Well, I hope this helps a little. You know, I mainly type this up for my own ditzy self! Just good to be reminded if you're me: as of today, there are only thirty days until the First Sunday in Advent! And it's going to go fast!

Who Was the Real St. Nicholas?

(Looking toward the feast of St. Nicholas, December 6th)

What Did He Look Like?

 Well...  He didn't look like this:

Rather, he would have dressed like any other ecclesiastic of the fourth century, because that's what he really was -- the bishop (actually the archbishop) of Myra, in present-day Turkey.  At that time it was a Greek province of the Roman Empire*, though its customs and traditions would have leaned to eastern.  So, His Excellency would likely have worn a semblance of robes as were common in an eastern border country under Roman rule.

Which, actually, didn't look like this, either:

You see, when officiating, the garb of a bishop wouldn't have included a bishop's miter, as it's commonly believed that miters didn't begin to be worn until after the tenth century.  And, in fact, it's likely that his clerical vestments may not have differed at all from his street clothes, as this differentiation didn't start to occur until after the time of Constantine, well into the fourth century, and wasn't regularized throughout the Church until a couple centuries after the death of St. Nicholas.

Don't be mistaken, though, as iconography and symbolism are important ingredients of our Faith, it's logical and appropriate that St. Nicholas is almost always depicted wearing red -- as it's the traditional color of all bishops -- and that he's shown with the mitre and crozier of more modern times, as his office in the Church is a key part of his identity.

But what did he look like?  Interestingly, this is something we actually do know. St. Nicholas is one of the few ancient saints whose entire skeletal relics remain intact.  During a chapel restoration in the 1950s, the Archdiocese of Bari permitted a group of carefully chosen scientists to photograph and measure the bones of  St. Nicholas.  In doing so, they discovered that he was barely five feet tall and had a broken nose.  What is also fascinating, is that, by studying the skull and using modern forensic technology, scientists have reconstructed what the St. Nicholas would really have looked like in real life!  Go here to have a look!

What Did He Do?

The real St. Nicholas was a holy and well-loved Religious of the early Church, known for his courage and defense of the Faith during the persecutions of Diocletian.  He was imprisoned, in fact, for his Faith during the reign of Diocletian, and one wonders if it was during this time that he got the broken nose!  But, after the persecutions ended, the work didn't end for the early Church leaders.  St. Nicholas, in his see at Myra, was particularly called to erase the scourge of paganism  and brought about the destruction of many pagan temples in his diocese, most notably that of the Temple of Artemis in Lycia.

 He also attended the Council of Nicaea in 325  and for his staunch defense of the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity earned the title of "Defender of Orthodoxy" which is still remembered (particularly in the Eastern Church). During the Nicaean Council, legend has it that St. Nicholas became so frustrated with the foolishness of the arguments against the Trinity, that during the debates, he flew across the room and actually slapped Arius, his chief opponent!  For this affront to the dignity of the council, St. Nicholas was put in prison to cool off, but in a miracle, he was freed of his chains by Christ, Himself, and clothed by the Blessed Mother in the omophorion, the stole that became the traditional garb of the eastern bishops.

The slap.  You can mess with
St. Nick, but don't mess with
the Holy Trinity!

But, aside from his ecclesiastical duties as a bishop and defender of the Faith, St Nicholas was known as a holy man, one especially likeable and warm-hearted.  As you might guess, he really was known for his devotion to the care of the poor, and the legend of his secret gifts to the needy appear to be perfectly true.  But, aside from his practical works of mercy, he was known, even in his day as a Wonder Worker;  many miracles are included in his biography, a large portion of which concern helping and protecting children.  He has earned for this reason the title of patron of children -- but it's more likely that when he brought gifts to needy children, it was in the way of food and warm clothing --  not toys or candy.

Where Did He Live?

St. Nicholas was born in 270 A.D., the son of wealthy parents in the Greek city of Patara, which was at that time a province of the Roman Empire. This area is now the southern coast of Turkey. When he was a young man, St. Nicholas went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where he stayed for a while, but upon returning, stopped in Myra (which is now the town of Demre), where he was elected Bishop.  He traveled in his duties, but remained bishop of the see of Myra for the rest of his life.

Why He is Sometimes Called St. Nicholas of Bari?

When St. Nicholas died on December 6th, in the year 343, his body was entombed in Myra, but in the early 11th century,  Muslims took over the town, and, in the confusion, sailors from Bari, Italy (against the wishes of the attending monks in Myra) removed the remains, taking them back with them to Bari, where St. Nicholas' relics remain to this day.   A beautiful basilica, the " Basilica di San Nicola" was completed to house the relics in the middle of the twelfth century, this becoming a great pilgrimage center in the Middle Ages.

 From the earliest days, miraculous oil or "manna" had exuded from the tomb and continued to do so after the relics' removal from Myra.The "Manna" (sometimes called "Myrrh") of St. Nicholas is reported to flow from the relics even to this day.

Is there Devotion to St. Nicholas in Our Day?

Unfortunately, regardless of  all the wonder and drama and sanctity of his life, the real St. Nicholas has gotten somewhat lost in the confusion with Santa Claus in our western world.  His feast day is on the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran calendars, but he's probably better known for one legendary act of mercy than for anything else in his long ,busy, very holy life.  Just about anyone who has any idea of  "St. Nick" can tell about the three daughters who lacked dowries to get married.  The story goes that the Bishop, hearing of their need, snuck into the family's home by night and slipped the necessary funds into the girls' stockings that had been hanging to dry by the fireplace.  This story is so ancient that the biographers of the saint believe that it has some foundation in fact.  And it is from this work of mercy that our Christmas stocking tradition proceeds.  Thus most American's single recollection of the life of our saint.

BUT...

According to the details given in Wikipedia, there are still many world wide traditions associated with St. Nicholas that aren't  connected to our American Santa Claus, though some of them represent the forerunners of his tradition.  From the Netherlands to Serbia and all over the world, December 6th is remembered in feast and custom honoring St. Nicholas.  In celebration of his reknowned charity, gift-giving is usually part of the picture, of course.

And in the Church

We remember St. Nicholas in the Mass:

 Prayer of the Collect for December 6th

 

O God, who didst adorn by the workings of countless miracles the holy bishop Nicholas: grant, we beseech Thee, that by his merits and prayers we may be delivered from the flames of hell.  Through our Lord.....

Ways To Celebrate the Feastday?

To dive into a plethora of customs and ideas for crafts and cooking to celebrate the day, you can go to The St. Nicholas Center, most especially for the true story of our saint;  this site is an amazing resource -- the one from which I derived a lot of the facts you may have read here.  And, by all means, if you have any inclination at all toward baking for St. Nicholas Day or any of the feasts of December, Catholic Cuisine is thee go-to website.  For craft ideas, try Catholic Icing or run back over to the St. Nicholas Center for some ideas.

And for coloring pages (Gotta Have Coloring Pages!), there are several really good ones at the St. Nicholas Center, but the following icon is considered to actually most favor the real St. Nicholas:

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas!

St. Nicholas, Pray for us!

*Reworded to reflect the fact that one could not actually call St. Nicholas "Turkish" as I  originally had done.  Turkey didn't exist at that time.  St. Nicholas would have more properly have been called "Greek."  Thanks for the correction, Carol!

* * Yup,  reposted from 2012!

December: Month of the Holy Infant

Some of our favorite images to celebrate the month!



I love how personal this painting (by an unknown artist) is.
See sweet Jesus' little hand on His Mother's cheek?
==sigh== Just love it.



Bouguereau.  What more can you say?  William Adolph Bouguereau.   One of our all-time favorite artists. This is a detail of the painting called "L'innocence."

"Song of the Angels" Bougeureau



"The Virgin with Angels"  Bougeureau






"The Lambs"  Bougeureau



"Virgin of the Lilies"
Bougeureau




"Madonna of the Roses"
Bougeureau



"Kissing the Face of God"  by Morgan Weistling



Unknown Artist

Another take on "Kissing the Face of God."  Beautifully real and intimate. 



Unknown Artist
Searched and searched for the artist of this painting, a particular
favorite of ours.  I love the gravity in the Blessed Mother's eyes
and how the Infant Saviour looks so much like a real infant.



"Mother and Child" by another favorite:  Charles Bosseron Chambers




Unknown Artist
Another one where the Holy Infant looks very
much like an infant.  And the Blessed Mother
looks decidedly Hebrew.  A nice change from the
ordinary.



A contemporary religious artist, Simon Dewey paints
remarkably realistic scenes from the life of Christ.
This one is called "In the Arms of Mary."

There are many, many beautiful paintings of the Baby Jesus and His Mother painted by the Masters, as well.  It's been a favorite subject of artists since the time of Christ, the image of the Mother of God tenderly holding the Infant Saviour -- and with good reason.  Could there be a more sublime scene to contemplate?

Veni, Veni, Emanuel!

Happy December, 2012

Hope everyone's having a blessed Advent so far!