Saint Nicholas

Published on December 11, 2005 By pseudosoldier In Religion

While having just passed the Feast of Our Holy Father, Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, the Wonder-worker, the Sixth of December, and being hounded by my family for my yearly Christmas gift wish list, I began to wonder...

Is Saint Nicholas really the one who I'd ask to intercede for the things that I want?

I came across a most wonderful site Link, which says a lot of things, most of which I'm not taking the time to corroborate before regurgitating them here, so take the info-vomit with a grain of salt or a smidgeon of fact-checking, please.

Patron Saint of Military Intelligence? (A pamphlet from the US Military Academy says it's St. Jude, but there's a lot of overlap... it's not like it's a semi-rigid pantheon like the Greeks had.) That might help me out.

Patron Saint of Sailors? (Another source said they thought it to be Julian, but a list Link says it's any one of twenty, with both of those making the cut.) That fits.

The Protector of Children? Certainly.

(Aside: Woah! This Link is pretty darn cool information about Patron Saints.)

I suppose I could ask him for some things for Christmas after all...

Comments

kingbee

on Dec 11, 2005

until we moved from southeasten wisconsin to michigan when i was bout 7--so just enough years i can remember a few--st nicholas day was a sorta mini-christmas. gifts consisted of small toys, nuts, candy and tangerines.

to this day, i still getta really visceral rush from a whiff of the first tangerines of the season while passing thru an early december produce section.

pseudosoldier

on Dec 11, 2005

He is listed as "the gift giver" due to a few early legends about him... threw either bags of gold or golden balls through a window to serve as the dowries of three poor girls. The gits ended up in either stockings or shoes left by the fire to dry... eventually, the balls would come to be symbolized by oranges, or even tangerines, it seems!

I always got chocolates in my shoe, when my Christmas gift wish list was left in it on the eve of his feast.

Spc Nobody Special

on Dec 12, 2005

Patron Saint of Military Intelligence? (A pamphlet from the US Military Academy says it's St. Jude

This is funny, especially since he's also the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes.......

pseudosoldier

on Dec 12, 2005

This is funny, especially since he's also the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes.......

I thought it was more because he's also patron saint of thieves, prostitutes and pawn brokers... Wait, he's the patron saint of Fort Hood?

oleteach

on Dec 12, 2005

All these replies make me laugh. Isn't it great to have a sense of humor and still not take yourself so seriously. I wish all the Saints to bless all of you with every blessing. Remember you are also a saint, one set aside to reflect the goodness of God.

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