St. Nicholas and Giving

Santa Claus appears everywhere these days, but St. Nicholas, from whom he is derived, appears only in Churches, it would seem.  Yet how many people do you know with the name of Nick? In the Eastern Orthodox Church, he is the greatest saint after the Apostles.  A monk and later an Archbishop, he remains so widely venerated and "legendized" because of his charity to the poor, a quality which, so close to the message of Jesus and now, Pope Francis, that it has to be recognized as one of the most enduring qualities we can have,  "Everyone loves a cheerful giver", a household phrase, and undeniable truth.  We give gifts at Christmas inspired by the Gift given to us by our Heavenly Father; we follow the example of St. Nicholas, (even if we associate Christmas giving more with Santa than with St. Nick), but we can also bestow the gift of ourselves and our time to others.  Some people I know, in seeking to give a meaningful gift to people who "have everything", are making donations to organizations that will provide goats, chickens or cows to people in the poor countries of Africa; others are give hours of their time to soup kitchens, or nursing homes.  They indicate on a card to the receiver, "At such and such a time in such and such a place, I will donate son many hours in your name as my Christmas gift to you,"  This practice might relieve the tensions surrounding Christmas shopping and be an inspiration to the person who receives it, as a meaningful gift truly in the spirit of Christmas.
A college age yet very spiritually mature friend of mine recently wrote, "The only way to find happiness is to give it freely away. I am happy because I serve, because I love because I share my presence with others." ~ David Beazel   St. Nick would like this. A gift worth more than a Black Fricay bargain!
Bro. Rene