Why I Love Santa Claus

There once was a man who lived in Turkey who died around the year 350. He was an active leader in the Church and was part of the great Council of Nicaea (nikea) in 325, which was one of the most important Christian councils in all of history.

He was known for holiness and for his passion for Christ. He was tortured because of his faith and imprisoned for his steadfastness to live out his faith publicly. He gave almost all of his money away to the poor and he had a special place in his heart for children.

On one occasion there were three girls in desperate poverty. In those days and in that part of the world, the only way that girls could have a future was with a husband. And the only way they could have a husband was with a dowry. A dowry was (and is) a sum of money that a father would provide so that if somebody wanted to marry his daughter, she could bring money to the marriage. A girl without a dowry would likely never marry and would often face the worst of situations because there was no alternative for her. She had no other way forward in a prosperous (and even a safe) life.

This particular father had no dowry, and he was getting ready to turn his three girls over to a sure life of prostitution. Enter this gentle, Christian, giant of a man. Taking three bags of gold, he went one night and threw them into the house through some type of opening where the smoke from the fires warming the inside would exit — some sort of chimney.

He gave one bag of gold for each daughter to serve as a dowry for them, so that all three could be married. So that all three could have a future.

Over time, and because of numerous acts of generosity like this, he became known as the patron saint of children.

There was one problem however… children had trouble saying his name because “St. Nicholas” apparently has to many syllables. It soon became “Sint Klaes” and then later as his reputation traveled the known world was changed to “Santa Claus” by the Dutch.

St. Nicholas, Santa Claus, was one of heroes of the Christian faith – a true saint.

His generosity was not to take the spotlight off Christ. But to point the spotlight on Christ. May we do the same this Christmas.