Recently, Fr. Bob Mills told the story of Saint Nicholas, but he left out my favorite story. I will take a moment right now and add it here. As it was already mentioned, St. Nicholas was, in his own day, Nicholas, the bishop of the city of Myra in Asia Minor. Nicholas was the bishop of the city when the Emperor Constantine summoned together all of the bishops in Christendom to gather in the city of Nicaea to “settle” the issue of the Arian heresy. The Arians argued that Jesus Christ was not of the same substance of the Father, but rather He was not God at all. This heresy persists in organizations like the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The story goes that during the council the arch-heretic Arius himself took the floor to argue his position. According to the story, Bishop Nicholas was so outraged by the heretical filth spewing forth from the heretic’s mouth that he took the floor. Overcome by a godly rage, St. Nicholas punched the heretic Arius in the face and laid him out on the floor of the council of Nicaea.
How’s that for your “jolly old elf”?
Good morning Fr. Scott,
I pray you had a blessed Christmas. One of the gifts I received was William Bennett’s book “The True Saint Nicholas”. I found it to be very interesting. He divides the book into threr parts, “The Life of Nicholas”, “The Legends of Nicholas,” and the “Legacy of Nicholas”.
To finish the story of the “nauty elf”. For his actions of slapping Arius, the other bishops stripped St. Nicholas of his clelircal garments and placec him under guard for the rest of the meeting. In the end Nichols got the result he wanted. The council rebuked Arius for his beliefs and The Nicene Creed became the result of this gathering. Nichols must have had some friends and supporters in high places, because when the Couhcil fo Nicaea concluded, he was set free and his clerical robes were restored.
I have enjoyed this little book. It has certainly changed my thoughts on this lively little “elf”.
God bless,
Fr. Bob
Comment by Fr. Bob — December 26, 2009 @ 5:29 pm |