Monday of the Second Week of Advent

Scripture Readings

Today Isaiah proclaims, “Here is your God who comes with vindication.” And a saint who lived his life as God’s own vindicator was St. Nicholas of Myra, whose feast is tomorrow.

St. Nicholas was, after the Virgin Mary, the most popular saint of the middle ages. 500+ churches were named after him in England alone.

But he was hardly a “right jolly old elf.” Just ask the other bishops at the Council of Nicea. Aside from legends about this 4th century bishop giving rise to the various versions of Santa Claus, he was known as Hammer of Heretics. Literally.

At Nicea, where our creed was formulated, Nicholas defended the orthodoxy of Christ being of the same substance as the Father. Bishop Arius taught that Jesus was not fully divine, but just a really, really good guy who was somewhere between human and angelic.

Always one to put faith into action, Nicholas, becoming incensed and assaulted Arius, striking him to the floor in front of all the assembled bishops. Think Will Smith and Chris Rock. Our saint was promptly put into an ecclesiastical prison to cool off for a couple days. And there was no “ho-ho-ho” about it.

Our four children would put out their shoes on this very night. We’d read stories about the saint arriving on his white steed to fill the shoes of good children. Prominent among these were chocolate coins, in memory of his secretly providing marriage dowries for poor girls.

The Cronins received goodies from St. Nicholas, Santa on the 25th, and the magi on Epiphany. We wanted them to experience the richness of our liturgical year, including the Eve of all Saints on Oct. 31, long neglected St. Valentine on Feb. 14, St. Patrick on March 17, hot cross buns during Lent, and of course Easter. Living the liturgical year also kept Esther Price in business and helped put our dentist’s children through college.

In today’s Gospel the divinity of Jesus is on display, of which St. Nicholas defended even to the point of using his episcopal fists. Here’s a ditty by composer Dara Stockley:

Deck the floor with heretical clerics fa la la la la, la la, la, la.
Pay no heed to their hysterics fa la la la la, la la, la, la.
Let’s defend Our Lord’s divinity, fa la la, la la la, la, la la.
Second person of the Trinity, fa la la la la, la la, la, la.

Next time you recite the Nicene creed, and come to that word, consubstantial, remember Bishop Nicholas delivering that knockout punch. And say a brief prayer for poor Arius who’s episcopal slippers were always found empty on the morning of Dec. 6.

-Timothy J. Cronin