Comments on: Saint Nicholas Tradition

By: G. Arthur Kapellas

G. Arthur Kapellas — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 21:39:17 +0000

Gentlemen: Curious to note your article about the Sainted NICHOLAS Miracle Worker and Bishop of Byzantine Myra mentions the non-existent, at the time, Roman Catholic and Episcopal Churches but not the GREAT CHURCH OF CHRIST AT CONSTANTINOPLE from which the Venerable NICHOLAS was a hierarch of.

By: b-rad

b-rad — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:52:28 +0000

my mom told me she was saint nicholas

By: Carol Weaver

Carol Weaver — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:27:54 +0000

Thank you so much for this post, it is very neded, and important to get this word out about St Nicholas to as many as possible and bring hope and light into the childrens eyes and yet allow them to know that this is truly a Christian St nicholas not like the one( Commercial one) they have seen for so long. . I for one did know of St Nicholas and his legend but so many do not.. Thanks to Fr Rosenthal we do have this story brought into the light

By: Lisa Pippin

Lisa Pippin — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:14:36 +0000

In the Orthodox Church, Saint Nicholas has always been venerated and is indeed one of the most popular of the saints. Indeed, his feast day is on December 6 and services are held (vigil the night before and liturgy the day of). God is wonderful in His saints! Christmas, of course, isn’t about Saint Nicholas, it is about Christ, but introducing children to the real Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, is introducing them to the “real” Santa Claus. He devoted his entire life to Christ and the service of His church – and cared for all of the flock given to him.

By: Mark Harrison

Mark Harrison — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 07:06:19 +0000

I believe that what Canon Rosenthal was trying to say was that St. Nicholas lived before the Reformation or even before the Great Schism that divided Christendom. Orthodox revere him as a saint, who had been an Orthodox bishop too, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a Catholic saint and bishop, because there was no difference at the time. He lived in the fourth century, at the time of the Council of Nicaea (325 AD). He is the patron saint of Russia, and of some Western European countries. There are numerous Orthodox churches in Alaska, originally established by the Russian Orthodox, dedicated to St. Nicholas. Truly, he is a saint for all Christians who would love him, ask his prayers before the Throne of God, and celebrate his holy memory. For all such people, St. Nicholas won’t detract from the Jesus Christ, but will point to Him and to the celebration of His Nativity in the flesh.

By: Andrew Lukashonak

Andrew Lukashonak — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 05:32:14 +0000

Comments #19 and 9 should put aside the polemics. If one knows church history, the “one church” consisted of eastern & western halves that would eventually become divided and form the Roman Catholic west and the Orthodox east. St. Nicholas was the bishop of a Greek community in the eastern half of the empire. Very good article on a topic that needs more emphasis.

By: Priest Gregory Bruner

Priest Gregory Bruner — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:53:25 +0000

This was a nice article to watch, as my wife and I decided prior to the birth of our son to celebrate St. Nicholas as opposed to Santa Claus in our family. I was disappointed to see that the Orthodox were not represented beyond a number of (quite lovely) icons in the piece. As St. Nicholas was a priest and Bishop in a province of the Eastern Empire, he veneration among the Orthodox Christian nations is staggering. St. Nicholas is one of the most popular patrons of Orthodox Churches and individuals (that is the church or person bears the saint’s name) and, at least in the Slavic tradition, St. Nicholas comes to Church following the Liturgy on his Feast Day to visit the children and bring gifts. It is nice to see that Western Christianity and Orthodoxy are beginning to share this additional common ground.

By: John Victor

John Victor — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 16:10:30 +0000

Great story!!! As a person who is from the “One Church” mentioned in this piece (the Catholic Church) I am grateful that someone sees the importance of telling this story. Remarkable that it is an Anglican and not a Catholic. But frankly speaking if a Catholic pastor pushed the story of St. Nicholas I doubt it would get the air time. I have known Catholic priest who have tried to set the record straight over the years and it seems thier cause for the matter gets very little press attention.

By: susan rivera

susan rivera — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:31:35 +0000

I REALLY NEEDED THIS ARTICLE THIS IS HOW I KNOW AND THIS IS HOW I EXPLAINED IT TO MY 4YR OLD DAUGHTER.SOME PEOPLE SAY IM WRONG FOR IT.

By: mengis sereke

mengis sereke — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 01:24:51 +0000

What a great story, beang a christian emigrant from ethiopia santa claus is a new culture to me.
Now I will be able to tell my canadian born children about saint nicholus.
God bless you