Isaiah 40:1-11 / Matthew 18:12-14
If a baby is born today and if the parents are still thinking of a Christian name for the baby, then they may want to consider the saint that the Church honours today.
Today the Church honours St. Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, which comes from the Dutch name Sinterklaas.
And with the festive season coming around, it would be good to be reminded of his influence in this particular season.
St. Nicholas lived in the 4th century and he used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra (part of modern-day Turkey) while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his protection for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.
Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known in the East as Nikolaos the Wonderworker .
He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of poor children and the needy, and thus became the model for the modern day Santa Claus. The golden decorative balls on the Christmas tree are symbols of those gold coins given out by St. Nicholas.
St. Nicholas and all the other saints throughout history are the embodiment of God's promises to His people from age to age.
The 1st reading says this: "Console my people, console them," says your God. And it goes on to say: Here is your God. Here is the Lord coming with power, His arm subduing all things to him
That promise of God was reiterated in the gospel parable told by Jesus of the man who left the ninety-nine sheep to look for the lost one, and His teaching that it is never the will of God our Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
In all this, the Good News of God's promises are proclaimed and fulfilled.
So it was in the past and so it will be now. May this season of Advent and the prayers of St. Nicholas remind us of God's promises and prepare us for Christmas as God's promises will be fulfilled again.