Fond Memories of the Feast Day of St. Nicholas #Catholic

When I was a child, I remember looking forward to December for several reasons. Of course, we had Christmas, but we also had a special day early in December called "St. Nick's Day." On that day, my brother and I would return from school to find a stocking near the door, filled with fruit, candy, and perhaps a small toy or two. My Italian mother explained to us that "St. Nick" left it there for us to enjoy. I admit at times that "St. Nick" would meld with "Ole' St. Nick," which was a common nickname for Santa Claus, but I didn't really understand the difference until I was older. (And mom no longer made stockings for us.)

Yesterday was the feast day of St. Nicholas, who has a wonderful legacy of being generous to those in need.

One of the most famous stories of the generosity of St. Nicholas says that he threw bags of gold through an open window in the house of a poor man to serve as dowry for the man’s daughters, who otherwise would have been sold into slavery.

The gold is said to have landed in the family’s shoes, which were drying near the fire. This is why children leave their shoes out by the door, or hang their stockings by the fireplace in the hopes of receiving a gift on the eve of his feast.

St. Nicholas is associated with Christmas because of the tradition that he had the custom of giving secret gifts to children. It is also conjectured that the saint, who was known to wear red robes and have a long white beard, was culturally converted into the large man with a reindeer-drawn sled full of toys because in German, his name is “San Nikolaus” which almost sounds like “Santa Claus.”

St. Nicholas, the 'Original' Santa Claus

I suppose there is an extra connection there for my mother and her family. According to history, after the Muslims conquered Turkey in 1807, St. Nicholas' relics were taken to Bari, Italy. Bari, is the hometown of my great-grandmother on my mother's side.

I was ill yesterday and totally forgot about St. Nicholas, but perhaps he left a little something in your stocking. :-)

Feast Day: St. Pio of Pietrelcina - and the Gift of Prophecy

I remember when I heard about Padre Pio for the first time. Somewhere in the midst of the many Catholic sites I was visiting, Padre Pio's name popped up and I started to investigate why this humble priest was so popular; and what made him a saint.

Since my background within the non-denominational church was full of prophetic training and teaching, I was especially intrigued by Padre Pio's confessional. From Catholic.org:

Padre Pio had the ability to read the hearts of the penitents who flocked to him for confession which he heard for ten or twelve hours per day. Padre Pio used the confessional to bring both sinners and devout souls closer to God; he would know just the right word of counsel or encouragement that was needed.

This was amazing to me. I haven't written much about this but if you're familiar with the early history of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship, you'll remember it was founded on operating in "the gifts of the Spirit." This included the prophetic gift, which could be either foretelling future events or having a "word of knowledge" about someone that was divinely given. During my time in Charlotte, North Carolina, I trained with a ministry to grow in these gifts. Aside from the many pitfalls and distractions that some experience while doing this, I still believe it is a good thing to pursue our spiritual gifts and use them for the propagation of the Gospel.

It surprised me to see this spiritual gift exercised so boldly in the Catholic Church - and what better place for it to happen than within the confessional! This, to me, was what the spiritual gifts were meant to do! Draw people closer to God!

A little more background on the prophetic: This area is probably one of the most misunderstood and most abused spiritual gifts in the Church today. Some have looked at this gift as a way to prophesy glorious future events for their lives. I first discovered spiritual gifts in my early twenties. I remember feeling very excited about it. Who doesn't love gifts?! But I realized early on that spiritual gifts were meant to do one thing - bring us closer to God. It could either be something to exhort the believer to hang on, don't give up, believe God has everything in control; or it could be something that would convict a non-believer that yes, God does exist and sent His Son Jesus Christ to save him.

One time, I was in a Bible study group, meeting in someone's home. After I prayed with someone, a girl said to me, "You have the gift of prophecy."

I looked at her. "Really? I guess I need to learn more because I don't know anything about it." She smiled. So that started my long journey toward studying about the spiritual gifts. There is much said about them in the New Testament, primarily by St. Paul. But for prophecy, there are many examples in the Old Testament as well. (Hence the "Major" and "Minor" prophets. Also, there is a difference between the office of a prophet and a prophetic gift.)

Prophetic people are intense. We can see these in many of the Old Testament prophets and, with our modern ones, such as Padre Pio. You don't mess around with a prophet. They see things pretty much in black and white. There isn't much gray to them because they see God's directives as being as plain as the nose on your face. And because of that, prophetic people are not the most diplomatic folks in the church. However, they are a gift to the Church and I would love to see more of it within the Catholic Church. I know it's there, I just want to witness it myself.

Padre Pio wasn't known for his tact. He was known for hitting the nail squarely on the head time and time again. I also think the reason his confessional was so popular was because people have a deep-seated need to be known. It blesses us to no end to realize God indeed knows our hearts, our fears and desires, and wants to draw us to Him. Even being chastised is better than not being known at all.

I also have to chuckle when I think of an Italian having this gift. Since I'm half-Italian, I can knock my heritage a bit. (smiling) Italians are very passionate people. They love passionately, and fight passionately. Tempers flare pretty quickly but then an Italian will settle down and move on to what's next. So with Padre Pio being in a confessional for ten to twelve hours a day, it's not hard to imagine that on occasion he would come down hard on a few folks. Some probably needed it.

I don't know what it is about the tough exterior of a person that makes us want to either make him smile or soften, but I'm sure many were drawn to Padre Pio's strict, no-nonsense approach and loved seeing him laugh. Those who are no-nonsense have a way of making us stand up a little straighter in our seats and pay attention to our lives. Padre Pio was certainly such a person and I am very grateful we had him. I'll end with a prayer for his intercession. Also, on this same page is a prayer I've often prayed after receiving Communion. It is beautiful.

Dear God, You generously blessed Your servant, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, with the gifts of the Spirit. You marked his body with the five wounds of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness to the saving Passion and Death of Your Son. Endowed with the gift of discernment, St. Pio labored endlessly in the confessional for the salvation of souls. With reverence and intense devotion in the celebration of Mass, he invited countless men and women to a greater union with Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Through the intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, I confidently beseech You to grant me the grace of (here state your petition). Amen. Glory be to the Father... (three times).

Feast Day: St. Mary Magdelen

Today is the Feast Day of St. Mary Magdelen. I have always been touched by her story because her story can truly be our story. She was a wounded woman, filled with agonies brought on by the seven demons Jesus Christ expelled from her. Can you imagine the peace she felt once those demons were gone? The sense of safety she felt as she realized she was held in the palm of God's hand? No wonder she anointed Jesus with perfume and washed His feet with her hair.

I can only imagine her self-loathing before she met the Messiah. The shame, the guilt - all washed away by His words and the divine power of forgiveness. She is a reminder to us all that no matter how deep we fall, no matter how far away we've gone, we have an Advocate in heaven who implores us to come home, and rest in Him.

St. Mary Magdelen is the patron saint of those who struggle with sexual temptation, for druggists, hairstylists, and reformed prostitutes. And for contemplatives. Quite a group!

What I Love About Catholicism: Saints

Today, we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Bernard of Clairvaux Abbot, Doctor of the Church — 1153

When Bernard finished his schooling at nineteen or thereabouts, he had, in addition to the advantages of noble birth and natural talent, the sweetness of temper, wit, and personal charm that make for popularity. Subject to strong temptations of the flesh, he often considered giving up the world, and even forsaking the study of literature, which was one of his greatest pleasures. He felt attracted to the Benedictine monastery at Citeaux,[1] founded fifteen years before by Robert of Molesme, Alberic, and Stephen Harding. One day Bernard knelt in prayer in a wayside church, to ask God's guidance as to his future. On arising all doubt had vanished and he was resolved to follow the strict Cistercian way of life. His uncle, Gaudry, a valiant fighting man, and Bernard's younger brothers, Bartholomew and Andrew, declared they would accompany him, and an appeal was made to their eldest brother, Guy. He, however, had a wife and two children; but when his wife soon after entered a convent, he also joined them. Gerard, another brother, was a soldier, engrossed in his calling; still, after being wounded and taken prisoner, he also heard God's call, and on his release followed the others. Hugh of Macon was also won over, and others who had previously given no thought to the religious life. Such was Bernard's eloquence that within a few weeks he had succeeded in persuading thirty-one Burgundian nobles to go with him to Citeaux. Bernard and his brothers gathered to bid their father farewell and ask his blessing. Only one son was left behind, Nivard, the youngest, and as the party rode away, Guy called to him, "Farewell, little Nivard! You will have all our lands and estates for yourself." "Oh," answered the boy, "then you are taking Heaven and leaving me only the earth! The division is too unequal!" Such was the pervasive spiritual atmosphere of this age of faith. (source: EWTN)

It has taken me some time to embrace the saints of old. One of the earlier lessons I learned from my non-Catholic churches was that Catholics "worshiped Mary and the saints" and this was not Biblical.

Because I had little instruction on how to defend my Catholic faith, I surrendered it. The Bible said that Jesus Christ was the mediator between God and man, so why would we need anyone else? I didn't realize how to distinguish Jesus' role as Redeemer from a saint's intercessory role. It still is taking me some time to absorb this, but I think I'm finally getting it.

Because of Adam's sin, man was separated from God. Throughout the Old Testament, God patiently led His chosen people, Israel, to a carefully prescribed set of laws so that they could repent and make reparation for this sin. As we all know, the Jews had a difficult time keeping the Law. They would fail time after time; and then a godly leader would arise, leading them back to their Adonai.

God, in His infinite mercy, sent His Son, Jesus Christ to do what man would never be capable of doing - redemption. Only Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, was able to be sacrificed in order to take away the sin of the world.

Saints are men and women who have forsaken the world, took up their cross, and followed Him. They persevered through trials and tribulations, always seeking to glorify God with their heart, mind, and soul. We are all called to be saints.

Now praying to a saint, in my mind, used to mean I was elevating them to the same level of Jesus Christ. Prayer automatically meant worship. But the more I've thought about this, the more I'm beginning to see that prayer is a communication from me, a request or a petition. We are told to make our requests be known to God with confidence, as St. Paul wrote to the Hebrews:

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

I heard an argument for praying to the saints that went like this: do you ever ask for help from a friend? Do you appreciate it when they think of you and send a letter or call you on the phone? Such is our relationship with saints. We are asking for help because God knows we need it. When I pray to a saint, I am not worshiping that saint for worship is only for God. But I am asking for help, knowing that we are a very large family and all in this struggle for holiness together.

One of the benefits of returning the Catholic church has been this new awareness of the saints. In Hebrews, we are told that a great "cloud of witnesses" surround us.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1)

I find it very interesting that right after mentioning we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, we are reminded that it Jesus who is the supreme authority of our faith; not a saint. Can't get any more clearer than that!

Still, we're surrounded by a multitude of witnesses, watching us complete the race, enduring the exercise and overcoming any obstacles toward finishing what we started. We have Jesus Christ, who did finish what He begun when He took the form of man.

Since we are in the midst of the Olympics, what do people do when watching a race? Sit quietly and observe? Of course not. They stand, they cheer, they scream encouragement toward their chosen runner, pressing them on for a victory. When their runner finally crosses that finish line as the winner, they rejoice, savoring that victory almost as much as the one who ran the race.

Our saints know how difficult this life can be. They are encouraging us by their intercession for our needs. In the book of Revelation, we're told that the prayers of the saints fill the bowls brought before the throne of God. (Rev. 5:8, 8:3,4) I will attest to their efficacy. It has been surprising to me how I now truly feel "covered" - a term often used by non-Catholic Christians who covet the intercessory prayers of others. How ironic that after all my years of involvement with intercessory prayer, I now accept the intercession of the heavenly saints.

Intercession doesn't stop at the grave. Thank God for His saints, who continue to petition His throne for our good.