Saint Nicholas, one of the most popular minor saints who is now traditionally associated with the festival of Christmas. * Share the story of St. Nicholas with primary students. The daughters were going to be sold as slaves because they couldn’t live at home any longer. It was here that he had a new, strange dream, that Jesus was placing a bishop’s hat on his head. How surprised he was when one of the priests came up to tell him that he was to become their next bishop! They wouldn’t be able to have families of their own. This uncle taught him all about God and His Son, Jesus. Everything about St Nicholas: stories, customs, crafts & more. Some of the stories were about his special care for children—helping and protecting them when danger threatened. Do not tell others about me.”. The little ship limped into the port at a city called Myra in Lycia. One of the most famous stories about Nicholas brings to mind three girls who couldn’t get married because their father’s business had lost all its money. Nicholas went to live with his uncle who was a priest. At first, the humble Nicholas refused their proposal, but they told him about the dreams they each had and insisted that he was the one who should become their bishop. They were frightened and prayed to God for mercy. He helped seamen in a storm and saved a child that was abducted. Very often, the third large icon on the Iconostasis in Orthodox churches is devote… Nicholas lived about 1700 years ago. Several stories tell of Nicholas and the sea. But Nicholas had hurried off to the church to give prayers of thanksgiving. He died on December 6, 343, in Myra, where he was bishop. Young Nicholas was soon ordained as the bishop of Myra. Then he told them about his earlier dream with Jesus placing a bishop’s hat on his head. In his dream, Jesus was handing him a set of priest’s vestments and a golden Gospel Book just like the one on the altar. Several times Nicholas had a strange dream that was always the same. Nicholas bought some of the man’s rugs, paying him way more than they were worth. Nicholas was that man. People were surprised when, not long after this, the girl married a good husband. St. Nicholas. He was known for his devotion to God and his zeal for Jesus. As he grew up, he remembered the teachings of Jesus…that we should “give in secret” (Matthew 6:1-4), so he learned how to be very sneaky. Reaching in, she found a small, heavy bag. It had gold inside! “It was like a miracle!” they said. How to handle it is a decision that each family must make for themselves. But there is a real St. Nicholas! This is the story of the real St. Nicholas. This is the story of the real St. Nicholas. So, the priest, Father Nicholas came up on deck and joined them in their prayer. Lots of people think that St. Nicholas is just another name for Santa Claus, but there’s more miracle to his story than most people realize. Although Nicholas was a gentle soul, he could be firm too, especially when false teachers would try to influence his churches. ParentsKidsPrayer St. Nicholas has been known by many names! People were always talking about that kind, young priest, Nicholas. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Saint Nicholas of Myra is a very prominent figure. This was during a time when Christians were being tortured for their faith in Jesus Christ. In France the story is told of three small children, wandering in their play until lost, lured, and captured by an evil butcher. This is relatively well documented. Arius’ unorthodox preaching had infected many people of that day into believing that Jesus wasn’t really God. Enough to provide food for the family and money for her dowry. In 325 AD, a large number of the Church’s leaders gathered at Nicaea for a big council. St. Nicholas appears and appeals to God to return them to life and to their families. When he was just a little boy, a great sickness swept across his hometown. He still tried hard to be sneaky in helping people. No matter what he got, he shared with his friends. After his death, the legend of his gift-giving grew. I wanted them to understand that there was a person of faith behind Santa Claus—a real person who served God and gave gifts to help others. The Real St. Nicholas. Bishops look after their people as shepherds look after their sheep. They tried and tried to convince him to deny his faith in Jesus. The traditional story of Saint Nicholas for Kids. And so St. Nicholas is the patron and protector of children. And so more and more people learned about good, kind Nicholas. At the Council of Nicea, he defended the divinity of Christ. Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (Greek: Μύρα; modern-day Demre, Turkey) during the time of the Roman Empire. “Nicholas, it is you! Then children placed their shoes or slippers out for St. Nicholas to fill with small gifts of fruit, candy, coins and treats. Nicholas had lots of fun sneaking around, helping people in secret. Nicholas heard about a man who had lost all his money. “It’s a miracle!” said the priests. It was a very long way from Nicholas’ home. In Orthodox tradition, remembering Saint Nicholas’ gold finding its way into the third daughter’s shoe (above), children all over the world put their shoes outside their door on the night before his feast day December 6th. They had been there praying for guidance, and each had the same dream the night before. Some of the sailors were swept overboard by the waves, and the three sailors who were left on the ship were terribly afraid the ship might soon be overturned or crash on the rocks. The real St. Nicholas lived a long time ago in a place called Asia Minor. He always tried to help secretly. Because of this passionate act of outrage, the other bishops there voted to remove Nicholas as bishop. When Saint Nicholas was a little boy, he shared all of his toys and gifts happily. He loved the people under his care…most especially the children. It’s the St. Nicholas Center, a website resource center honoring the saint celebrated today.She writes, I first became interested in St. Nicholas when our children were small. The church leaders walked up to Nicholas, still kneeling, and said, “You are to be the Bishop of Myra! Two of the daughters would now be saved. There was a new emperor whose name was Constantine. In the morning they discover that Saint Nicholas has come to fill their shoes with chocolate coins and little treats and gifts. Learn more about Nicholas in Nicholas: God’s Courageous Gift-Giver, a book in The Voice of the Martyrs’ Courageous Series for kids, available at vombooks.com. Quickly he jumped up and ran out the door. So, Nicholas then went to live with his kind uncle, who was the leader of a large group of monks at a nearby monastery. However, his good deeds were so plentiful that sometimes people caught him in the act. Nicholas, the young man who lived with his uncle. Sneaking around to do good is the most fun! St. Nicholas is not only the saint of children but also of sailors! His remains ended up in another seaport town — Bari, in the heel of Italy’s boot. The name “Nicholas” means “people’s victory” in Greek. Rotating images: Gabrielle Haymoz, Musée d’art et d’histoire, Fribourg, Switzerland. His wife and children had no food. Saint Nicholas was suspicious that they were about some wickedness, and he knew well that in some way or other the barrel was connected with the dreaded harm of which the children’s whistle had told him, and he thought that perhaps the children were hidden in it. However, Jesus told each of them in dreams that Nicholas had acted righteously and so they restored Nicholas as bishop. Late at night he tossed a sock full of gold coins through the oldest daughter’s bedroom window. He is an example of how we should live. Print on either letter or A4 paper with either Western or Eastern image. But these girls’ father didn’t have money for a dowry. The Life of Saint Nicholas St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children, sailors, merchants, thieves, and pawnbrokers. How did he influence the early church? However, Nicholas warned them not to touch the meat and remarkably called them back to life, which resulted in Nicholas gaining a reputation as protector of children. His family was Greek and his name was Nicholas. Address: 6430 Bose Lane, San Jose, CA 95120 | Phone: (408) 268-3214 | Email: frboyd.stbasil@gmail.com. He was of Greek descent and was born during the third century in the village of Patara. Whenever Nicholas gave money to people, he would sneak around so they wouldn’t know where the money came from. BasilContact UsJoin Mailing List, The Saint Basil ExperienceCry RoomUpcoming EventsAdult ClassesKids in Worship. Who did he catch ducking around the corner? Nicholas went on a trip to see Bible Lands. Then all of them went to sleep—the father and the three daughters. He traveled to Palestine to see the places where Jesus had walked. But a few nights later, when Nicholas crept up to the house with a sock full of money for the third daughter, he found all the windows were shut. His parents were really wealthy, and they bought wonderful things for him. —Carol … The Feast of the … And the next night, the father planned to stay awake to find out who was helping his daughters. Part of a four card set that includes: Jesus Loves You, Children's Prayers, & Alphabet Book. Nicholas and the other Christians were soon set free from prison. Available through crossplace.com. So, the only option for these girls was to be sold into slavery or worse. He dozed off, but heard a small “clink” as another bag landed in the room. Nicholas continued helping people. When Nicholas told his uncle of these dreams, his uncle told the devout young man that Jesus must want him to become a priest. $5.00 per set If the story sounds a lot like Santa Claus with a list that he checks twice and presents for children, you are on to something! He was hungry and cold and wearing chains, but he still kept teaching the other prisoners and his jailers about Jesus. Years passed and he was chosen to be a bishop. Through Nicholas’ loving ministry, many people were converted to Christianity and were baptized. In this post, we tell how our family has gone about explaining Santa to our kids.. Born all the way back in the third century, St. Nicholas was known for his generosity to those in need and his love for children, according to the St. Nicholas Center. May be printed as two-columns on one sheet, or as a two-sided half-sheet. He cared equally for the poor and needy, helping those in trouble…often still helping people in secret. Such joy! It is now the country of Turkey. Saint Nicholas was a Christian bishop who helped the needy. If you want to know the truth, it’s a lot more fun learning the story of the real St. Nicholas, whose feast day is December 6th. Oh, how happy they were! He is Father Christmas for the British children, for the French he is Pere Noel, for the Germans he is Kris Kringle and for many others worldwide he is Santa Claus or just Santa. He was kind to them despite all of the mean things they said and did to him. The priests and bishops and deacons at this council were gathered to discuss the bad teaching of a popular false-teacher named Arius. Because he loved Jesus so much, Nicholas resolved to give his money to those he found in need…and especially to other children who also suffered terrible misfortune. Nicholas was much older now, his beard white, his face wrinkled, and he now had many scars on his body from his tortures in prison. Soon after this, Nicholas again tossed another sock full of money through the second daughter’s window. Less documented deeds of his include saving children from drowning. He changed the law, so that it would be legal to be a Christian. Nicholas heard about this poor family and came up with a plan. Some of the stories were about his special care for children—helping and protecting them when danger threatened. Saint Nicholas was born in Lycia (modern day Turkey) in the fourth century AD and went on to become the bishop of a town called Myra (that’s why he’s sometimes referred to as Saint Nicholas of Myra). Saint Nicholas was always looking for ways to help people. The depictions of Saint Nicholas are a bit of a hybrid between a bishop and the secular modern "Santa," but as the images are so simple, it is not going to be confusing for young Catholics - he looks similar enough to, say, the Shining Light dolls version to make sense to young children. Nicholas’ parents died when he was a teenager. Constantine had a dream that the cross of Christ was what conquered all, and so the Emperor Constantine wanted to help Christians. The storm tossed the ship roughly about and tore up its sails. So, he did what sneaky boys sometimes like to do; he climbed up on their roof and dropped it down the chimney, landing in the girl’s shoes, which had been set right up against to the fireplace to dry. But in those days young women had to have money in order to get married. When they arrived very early in the morning, the three sailors told others in the city how their ship had been saved when young Father Nicholas the priest had prayed. There were several priests at the church that morning. Today we honor St. Nicholas on December 6. So, he made sure that Nicholas was soon ordained to the priesthood. But soon Nicholas was arrested and thrown in prison. To this day people say that St. Nicholas, or Santa, is the special friend of children. One story tells of him helping some sailors that were caught in a bad storm off the coast of Turkey. Saint Nicholas was a kind man, known for his good deeds and selfless acts of charity. Carol Myers has a labor of love. They wanted to be like him. There were several jailors guarding Nicholas. St. Nicholas Center All rights reserved. This was around 310 AD. The new Roman Emperor hated Christians and was determined to hunt them down and kill them or make them deny their faith. The night before the oldest daughter was to be sold, she washed her stockings and put them in front of the fire to dry. Nicholas loved God so much that he also wanted to become just like his uncle when he grew up. Saint Nicholas died peacefully after a long life of faithful service to Jesus Christ, and offering many kind deeds. When there wasn’t any food, he found wheat; so no one went hungry. Thank you for helping us—I hardly know what to say!” Nicholas said, “Please, do not thank me—thank God that your prayers have been answered. Saint Nicholas Written and illustrated by kids for kids From Saints for Kids by Kids. When he was on his way back home from the Bible Lands, his ship was caught in a terrible storm. There are few facts that we really know about him. He is an example of how we should live. Some sources state that he attended the Council of Nicaea, … Discovering the truth about Santa Claus In the midst of the council’s discussions, it’s said that Nicholas actually struck Arius in the mouth for guiding people astray with his false teaching. He is one of the patron saints of children and of sailors. Today, he is thought of mainly as the jolly man in red, but his story stretches all the way back to the 3rd century. MissionHistoryMeet Our PriestSt. If you didn’t have dowry money, you didn’t get married. The Annunciation; The Collect & the First Reading They tortured him. In those days, the only way a girl could get married is if her parents had a big sum of money to give, called a dowry. The storm was raging around them and all the men were terrified that their ship would sink beneath the giant waves. And that is why he is a saint. Nicholas, a stranger in Myra, and still only a young priest, was the first to arrive. A St. Nicholas Story—Fiercest Little Animal in the Forest. We imitate St. Nicholas when we share the gift of love and friendship with everyone we know, and when we help people in need. There, Nicholas visited with many Christians and churches along the way and inspired them to also help the poor and needy. All his life Nicholas showed people how to love God and care for each other. In the story of St. Nicholas, it is said that there were three poor girls that could not get married because they had no dowry, and St. Nicholas came and secretly left gold for all 3 girls at night in their shoes, which were drying by the fireplace. https://www.stbasil.com/news/2019/12/5/the-story-of-saint-nicholas-for-children In the 1950s, Italian scientists examined the bones enshrined in the Basilica di San Nicola, seeking evidence of authenticity. There, in this city of Myra, where Nicholas and the sailors arrived, there used to be a bishop who was very old and had recently died. Sadly, both of his parents soon got sick and died. Just then the storm stopped and the waters became calm. As a priest, Nicholas was even more enthusiastic than ever to tell people about Jesus…and he was always looking for ways to help people in need and especially help children in trouble. When she married she told everyone she’d found a dowry just lying in her shoe. They were very sad. And so more and more people learned about good, kind Nicholas. In the Netherlands, kids and families simply refused to give up St. Nicholas as a gift bringer. They had each dreamed that the first worshipper who came for morning prayers was to become the new bishop. Over time, St. Nicholas has become a secular tale. Sailors took these stories about Nicholas everywhere they went. It was one of the greatest persecutions of the Church, and many Christians were cruelly murdered. His hair and beard grew long and shaggy, but he trusted Jesus to protect him, and he prayed for the other imprisoned Christians to stand firm. The Crosiers. He always helped people in trouble. But his eyes always sparkled when he talked about Jesus, and he always had some way to help the poor and needy. They Since Nicholas’ parents died wealthy, they left him a very large sum of money. This family was so poor they had nothing left to eat. And that is what Nicholas did. Imagine! MISSION: As bishop of Myra, Nicholas devoted himself to caring for the poor and defending children. In the morning the daughter saw a lump in her stocking. In many countries children receive gifts on December 6, St. Nicholas Day. People were amazed and said to one another, “This was truly some kind of miracle!”. So, Bishop Nicholas went back to his people in Myra. Used by permission.Illustration: © St. Nicholas Center, Copyright © 2002–2021 Myra was a large and important city and Nicholas was a good bishop. And that is why he is a saint. The next morning, another bag with gold was found. Sunday Orthros/Matins begins at 8:30 am, followed by Divine Liturgy at 9:30am. And they would have to be slaves—no longer able to decide where they would live or what they would do. His parents were relatively well-off. They left him a lot of money which made him a rich young man. LIVED: Nicholas was born to wealthy Greek parents in the year 270 on the coast of what is now Turkey. Then Nicholas made up an excuse and returned the rugs to the man’s wife without getting his money back. Saint Nicholas; Saint Padre Pio; Saint Patrick; Saint Thérèse of Lisieux; Saint Valentine Coloring Sheet; Saint Zoe; Saints Perpetua & Felicity; Servant of God Thea Bowman; Shop; St. Charles Borromeo Story & Coloring Sheet; Subscription; subscription old; Success! He didn’t want any attention or thanks. Then a miracle happened. Because of such troubled times, the priests could not agree on whom to elect as their new bishop. December 4, 2018 By Lacy. Another story … One-page story for children introduces Saint Nicholas as the real Santa Claus and special friend to children. Then many more people were converted to believe in Jesus. Everyone loved Nicholas. Nicholas is said to have distributed his fortune among the poor. To this day people say that St. Nicholas, or Santa, is the special friend of children. Test; Thanks for Subscribing! Reading Time: 5 minutes Explaining Santa Claus and telling your kids about St. Nicholas can be tricky. Soon, she also married. Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. This money was a “dowry” and it was used to help the new family get started. For example, one day, a man was selling rugs to pay his debts. They wanted to be like him. He had three daughters who were old enough to get married. Show the children a calendar and have them find Nicholas’ feast day on … When he taught about the Good News of Jesus Christ, people said it was like precious gems coming out of his mouth. She told them that she was able to marry because she found a dowry in a sock on her floor. After he died, they told stories of the good and kind things Nicholas had done. Many Catholic children around the world celebrate Saint Nicholas day!
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