The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus by Adam C. English is a hagiography of Saint Nicholas of Myra, a Byzantine Saint who lived through the Christian peThe Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus by Adam C. English is a hagiography of Saint Nicholas of Myra, a Byzantine Saint who lived through the Christian persecutions, and the reign of Emperor Constantine, a Christian ruler who mandated Christianity to be the state religion of the Roman Empire. He is also said to have been in attendance during the first Catholic conferences at Nicea, wherein the tenants of the faith were solidified, and where the Nicene Creed was established (Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed of 381 B.C.). It may come as a surprise to many that the Jolly Old Elf of Coca-Cola commercial fame, was actually a staunch defender of justice, and had no fear of the occasional brawl with fellow Bishops when there was a theological disagreement.
The biography covers the many myths and the best available histories of this beloved Saint. Saint Nicholas is known throughout the world by many names, and is beloved for many reasons. He is not just the benefactor of children, or the merry old elf of Christmas tales but is the patron of mariners, soldiers, knights, dock workers, seminarians, brewers, and lawyers, just to name a few.
Adam English writes that the legends surrounding Santa Claus may well stem from the confusion between two Saints with the same names, living in close proximity to each other, and almost in the same historical time frames: Nicholas of Myra and Nicholas of Sion.
Nicholas of Myra is said to have rescued three young maidens from being sold into a brothel by their father, because he was poor and could not afford them dowries. On three separate occasions, Nicholas went to the man’s home in the dead of night, and three bags of coins were dropped, thrown and hurled through an window, down a chimney, and lastly, landing in a sock placed on the mantle to dry. On the third time, the man was waiting, and to his surprise found their secret benefactor to be none other than their Bishop.
Another occasion Nicholas is said to have interceded for three young soldiers, “innocents” as they were called, which lead to other myths of three young murdered children being miraculously resurrected.
Nicholas lived through the transition from a pagan society to a Christian one. He is said to have personally toppled the great local shrine to the deity Artemis (Diana) that had held sway in the minds of local popular superstition for centuries.
When Nicholas’ body was laid to rest in Myra, it exuded the most fragrant odor of sanctity that could be smelled for miles, even across the ocean. Every year monks would open tomb to collect the “myrrh” of Saint Nicholas, said to heal all manner of illness. In 1087, the shrine was in danger of desecration by Seljuk Turks. A company of seafaring Barian Venetians, entered the shrine, broke open the reliquary, and bore off the bones of the beloved Saint to their home town of Bari, where it remains today.
Nicholas comes down us as Santa Claus, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, and a wealth of other affectionate names. He is the first Saint to achieve such merit. His is a worldwide fame engendering the great charity of the Christmas Season. He single-handedly created the mold for Christmas cheer, charity, and gift giving. It is also a model for the world to hold such charity in our hearts for all other seasons of the year.
I cannot praise this book enough. It is an excellent model for those that are the believing spouse, unevenly yoked with an unbeliever.
It is rare to fiI cannot praise this book enough. It is an excellent model for those that are the believing spouse, unevenly yoked with an unbeliever.
It is rare to find a book of such vital import that it changes one's life. But the journal kept by Elisabeth Leseur is surely one of the most compelling books I have read in many years. It ranks with the great works of the Carmelite Saints: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Therese of Lisieux.
For many years now I have kept Elisabeth as my companion during Lent; a great Spiritual Director in an age of darkness. She holds the light of Eternal Truth and points out the way with calm assurance.
Elisabeth experienced an extreme degree of spiritual isolation owing to the timbre of her times in Paris high society. Her husband was aggressively atheist, as were many of his friends and associates. She kept the love of God deep in her heart, and it was to the Heart of Jesus to whom she turned for daily solace.
At Elisabeth's death her husband, Felix, found her secret journal; and as he read the pages of the journal, his heart turning to remorse, the last vestige of his hatred for the Catholic Church was swept away in the tide of his beloved wife's counsel. Reconciling to the Church, Felix Leseur entered a seminary and became a Catholic priest. Elisabeth's cause for Canonization is now open at the Vatican. ...more
"'They Bore the Wounds of Christ: The Mystery of the Sacred Stigmata,' is the most comprehensive treatment ever done on the Sacred Stigmata..."
So begi"'They Bore the Wounds of Christ: The Mystery of the Sacred Stigmata,' is the most comprehensive treatment ever done on the Sacred Stigmata..."
So begins the description of this succinctly written, carefully researched and thoroughly annotated treatise on the Sacred Stigmata. I personally learned many more things about stigmata that may be little known.
The focus of this work is on the meaning behind "these sacred wounds and the role they play for the lives of the faithful." What I found remarkable about this book was its scholarly approach to an extraordinary mystical gift given to chosen souls through the history of the Catholic Church. I was also amazed to learn that there are two types of stigmata: visible and hidden, and many times only partial.
There are approximately 320 authentic stigmatists recorded throughout history, St. Francis of Assissi being the first recorded. It is also conjectured in Mr. Freze's treatise that St. Paul also may have been blessed with the stigmata. An extensive study is made of Padre Pio and Therese Neuman, as well as others: St. Gertrude the Great, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, to name a few.
Special phenomena associated with this sacred gift are ecstasy, rapture, mystical flights, visions, supernatural communions, inedia, transverberation, divine union and mystical marriage.
Mr. Freze skillfully works through the teachings of the Magisterium, sacred scripture, the Doctors of the Church and other writings of the Saints regarding this mystical theology. This book shows the importance the stigmatist holds in co-redemptive activity for the salvation of souls, bringing attention to the fact that it is the duty of all Christians to become aware of these gifts, and the graces associated with them, that the Lord gives to His people. It is for this reason that this book comes highly recommended. ...more
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