Much of what we know about the early saints and martyrs of the church is shrouded in legend.  For example, St. Denis, the patron saint of France, was martyred sometime around the year 250.  He was beheaded by the Roman government in Paris.  According to legend, St. Denis, after he was beheaded, picked up his severed head and carried it back under his arm to church whereupon he sang the liturgy.

Now, I mean no disrespect to St. Denis or the people of France or to any who have a particular devotion to this saint, but I don’t think that the corpse of St. Denis literally carried his head under his arm, let alone the bit about chanting the Mass.  However, I think these stories often tell deep truths: Denis may have been beheaded, but the Church was not silenced.  His death, and the death of those like him, served to ‘preach’ the Good News more powerfully after he was dead than when he was living.

Today is the feast day of St. Nicholas, who inspired the character we know as the guy in the red suit who breaks into homes and leaves gifts in stockings that were hung by the chimney with care.

Nicholas was born to a wealthy family in southern Turkey.  He was deeply moved by the story of the rich young man who did not follow Jesus because he wasn’t willing to give up his wealth.  Nicholas was determined to make good use of his.  He was a generous and faithful servant of God who was imprisoned and tortured for his faith.

Just like St. Denis carrying his head, there is a story about Nicholas that encapsulates his character.

According to tradition, there was a poor man with three daughters who were destined to be sold as prostitutes because he could not afford to support them or provide doweries for them.  When Nicholas learned of this, he secretly tossed bags of gold through the open window of their house in the night.  The gold was used for doweries, allowing the daughters to be married.

This is not just a tale of gift-giving or generosity.  It is not a story about preserving the purity of virgins, either. 

It is a story of care for the vulnerable and poor.  St. Nicholas was not in the business of rewarding good little girls and punishing the naughty.  He did not initiate Christmas gift exchanges. 

Nicholas used the resources he possessed to do the very things that Jesus proclaimed as his mission: to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind and freedom to the oppressed.

The challenge of Christmas giving is not what to get the person who has everything.  Our challenge is to give to people who have nothing, to remember the forgotten, and to bring liberation to the oppressed.

Prayer:  All I want for Christmas is a heart of compassion and a hand opened to give.  Amen.