St. Nicholas and the Golden Coin

Dear Families,

December 6th has always been an important day on our academic calendar. As many families customarily celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas, so too the MRA family honors one of the most popular saints in the Western world. For those who may not be familiar with the narrative acted out by the high school students for the elementary children, here it is:

Popular legends have involved Saint Nicholas in a number of charming stories, one of which relates Nicholas' charity toward the poor. A man of Patara had lost his fortune, and finding himself unable to support his three maiden daughters, was planning to turn them into the streets as prostitutes. Nicholas heard of the man's intentions and secretly threw three bags of gold through a window into the home, thus providing dowries for the daughters (Source: CatholicCulture.org)

And as Fr. Steve Grunow recounts, St. Nicholas' generosity for the downtrodden was likewise matched by a zeal for the truth. Another legend illustrates that we are all saints in the making:

In fact, the tale is told that at the Council of Nicea, from which the classical,orthodox formulations of the relationship of the divine and human natures in the one divine person of Christ emerge, that Nicholas was so upset with Arius for proposing a theory about Christ that was contrary to the Apostolic Faith that he socked him in the jaw (Source: WordonFire.org).

St. Nicholas exemplifies a timely lesson for all of us: truth and charity are two sides of the same coin. The truths that we accept impel the way we act.This popular saint of Advent reminds us that since God can never forget us, we shouldn't forget others. Since God became one of us, we too should be unafraid to revere the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ. He isn't merely a good example of moral living, but instead an incredible invitation to live passionately for God, with the help of his grace.

May the prayers of St. Nicholas give us greater zeal for both God and others.

Yours Truly In Christ,

Derek Tremblay

Headmaster