From the biography of Saint Nicolas to the caricature of Santa Claus at Christmas

1. SAINT NICHOLAS - SANTA CLAUS
+ CHRISTMAS

2. Saint Nicolas was born in Parara de Licia,
280 a.d. an ancient province of Asia Minor.

3. He lived in the
4th century in
Anatolia, in the
Lycian valleys
(in present-day
Turkey)
His uncle was
Bishop of
Myra.

4. Moved by the unfortunate situation of his people in the face
of the plague, he distributed his goods among the needy

5. and he left for Mira to live with his
uncle and be ordained a priest,
which he achieved at the age of 19.

6. in his youth
he made a
pilgrimage
to Egypt and
Palestine.
A short time
later when his
uncle died, he
was appointed
bishop of Mira,
capital of Lycia

7. Thrown into prison during the persecution of Diocletian for confessing his
faith, he was released when Emperor Constantine ascended the throne

8. Possibly Saint Nicholas participated in the Council of Nicaea in
325, where the Arian heresy that questioned the divinity of Jesus
Christ was condemned and the Vincentian creed was instituted.

9. Saint Methodius
affirms that
"thanks to the
teachings of
Nicholas, the
metropolis of
Mira was the only
one that was not
contaminated
with the Arian
heresy and firmly
rejected it

10. Saint Nicholas also took severe measures
against paganism and fought it tirelessly.

11. He is exemplary for his justice - When Governor Eustacio had been
bribed to convict three innocents, Nicholas appeared at the time
of execution, stopped the executioner and released the prisoners

12. He died on December 6, 345 or 352. His legendary charity is the origin of
the character universally known as "Santa Claus" or "Father Christmas."

13. DEVOTION TO SAINT NICOLAS - In Germany the devotion
to Saint Nicholas began under Otto II, possibly by his
wife Theophano, who was Greek. Bishop Reginald
of Eichstaedt (991) wrote "Vita S. Nicholai."

14. On May 9, 1087
his relics were
rescued from Mira
which had fallen
under the Muslim
invasion. They
took them to Bari,
on the Adriatic
coast of Italy.

15. In Mira, it was said that
"the venerable body of the
bishop, embalmed in the oil of
virtue, sweated a soft myrrh that
preserved it from corruption
and cured the sick.

16. The phenomenon was not
interrupted by the transfer of the
remains; An oil known as Manna
of St. Nicholas is said to continue
to flow from his body.

17. The crypt of
St Nicholas
in Bari, Italy

19. Bari , Italy on the Adriatic Sea

21. He is the patron saint of Greece,
Turkey, Russia and Lorraine (France).
.

22. MIRACLES OF SAINT NICHOLAS
During a famine, the saint asked that a fleet be prepared
to bring grain to a famine stricken town. The fleet survived
a terrible storm thanks to the blessing of the bishop.

23. Sailors invoked Saint Nicolas in the middle of a storm
and were saved. He is the patron of sailors.

24. It is said that once when
someone stabbed several
children, the saint prayed
for them and they
were cured almost
immediately.

26. ORIGIN OF HIS FAME AS A BRINGER OF GIFTS - It is said that
an impoverished man, father of three daughters, could not marry them
because he did not have the necessary dowry. The girls lacking the dowry,
seemed doomed to be "spinsters." Aware of this, Nicholas gave each of
them a bag full of gold coins upon reaching the marriageable age.

27. It is said that all this was done in secret by the
priest, who entered through a window and put
the bag of gold inside the girls' socks,
which were hung over the fireplace to dry.

28. THE TRADITIONS OF GIFTS TO CHILDREN - In ancient times, in Rome
parties were celebrated - in mid-December - in honor of Saturn (Chronos for the
Greeks), at the end of which the children received gifts from all the elders

29. Italian children
receive gifts from
a "fairy" named
Befana.

30. Dutch immigrants who founded the city of New Amsterdam, later called
New York, had the custom of Sinterklaas, (St Nicholas), the feast of their
patron (whose holiday is celebrated in Holland between December 5 & 6)

33. In American
literature, the
writer Washington
Irving with his
"History of New
York" 1809 and
Clement Clarke
Moore with his
poem about Santa
Claus in 1823 have
contributed to this
fame of Saint
Nicholas.

34. Around 1863, he
acquired the present
physiognomy of a
good-natured bearded
fat man. This was
thanks to the German
cartoonist Thomas
Nast, who designed
this character for his
Christmas strips in
Harper's Weekly.

35. At the end of the 19th century, the tradition that
Santa Claus would come from the North Pole
was created, based on an American advertise-
ment for the Lomen Company, and the
Christmas reindeer were completely popularized
as a means of transport. Others associate Santa
with Lapland in Northern Sweden or Finland.

37. A BRIEF REFLECTION - Nicolas' charity and holiness is a reflection of
God's love and generosity for men. The greatest gift men receive is the
grace and mercy of God. Because of his goodness, the saint is associated
with Christmas, when God gives us his Son, Jesus, as the redeeming
Christ. Santa Claus is an image of that goodness of God for all humanity.

38. Wishing a Merry and Holy Christmas,
full of Peace and Love, to all men
and women of Good Will.

39. JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

40. LIST OF PRESENTATIONS IN ENGLISH
Revised 24-11-2021
Advent and Christmas – time of hope and peace
All Souls Day
Amoris Laetitia – ch 1 – In the Light of the Word
Amoris Laetitia – ch 2 – The Experiences and Challenges of Families
Amoris Laetitia – ch 3 - Looking to Jesus, the Vocation of the Family
Amoris Laetitia – ch 4 - Love in Marriage
Amoris Laetitia – ch 5 – Love made Fruitfuol
Amoris Laetitia – ch 6 – Some Pastoral Perspectives
Amoris Laetitia – ch 7 – Towards a better education of children
Amoris Laetitia – ch 8 – Accompanying, discerning and integrating weaknwss
Amoris Laetitia – ch 9 – The Spirituality of Marriage and the Family
Beloved Amazon 1ª – A Social Dream
Beloved Amazon 2 - A Cultural Dream
Beloved Amazon 3 – An Ecological Dream
Beloved Amazon 4 - An Ecclesiastical Dream
Carnival
Christ is Alive
Christ the King
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 1 – Church and Family today
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 2 - God’s plan for the family
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 1 – family as a Community
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 2 – serving life and education
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 3 – mission of the family in society
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 4 - Family in the Church
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 4 Pastoral familiar
Football in Spain
Haurietis aquas – devotion to the Sacred Heart by Pius XII
Holidays and Holy Days
Holy Spirit
Holy Week – drawings for children
Holy Week – glmjpses of the last hours of JC
Inauguration of President Donald Trump
Juno explores Jupiter
Laudato si 1 – care for the common home
Laudato si 2 – Gospel of creation
Laudato si 3 – Human roots of the ecological crisis
Laudato si 4 – integral ecology
Laudato si 5 – lines of approach and action
Laudato si 6 – Education y Ecological Spirituality
Love and Marriage 12,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
Lumen Fidei – ch 1,2,3,4
Martyrs of North America and Canada
Martyrs of Vietnam
Medjugore Pilgrimage
Misericordiae Vultus in English
Mother Teresa of Calcuta – Saint
Pope Franciss in Thailand
Pope Francis in Japan
Pope Francis in Sweden
Pope Francis in Hungary, Slovaquia
Pope Francis in America
Pope Francis in the WYD in Poland 2016
Querida Amazonia
Resurrection of Jesus Christ –according to the Gospels
Russian Revolution and Communismo 3 civil war 1918.1921
Russian Revolution and Communism 1
Russian Revolution and Communismo 2
Saint Agatha, virgin and martyr
Saint Albert the Great
Saint Anthony of Padua
Saint Cecilia
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Saint Francis of Assisi
Saint Ignatius of Loyola
Saint James, apostle
Saint Joseph
Saint Maria Goretti
Saint Martin of Tours
Saint Maximilian Kolbe
Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta
Saint Jean Baptiste MarieaVianney, Curé of Ars
Saint John of the Cross
Saint Patrick and Ireland
Saints Zachary and Elizabeth, parents of John Baptis
Signs of hope
Sunday – day of the Lord
Thanksgiving – History and Customs
The Body, the cult – (Eucharist)
Valentine
Vocation – mconnor@legionaries.org
Way of the Cross – drawings for children
For commentaries – email – mflynn@legionaries.org
Fb – Martin M Flynn
Donations to - BANCO - 03069 INTESA SANPAOLO SPA
Name – EUR-CA-ASTI
IBAN – IT61Q0306909606100000139493

41. LISTA DE PRESENTACIONES EN ESPAÑOL
Revisado 24-11-2021
Abuelos
Adviento y Navidad, tiempo de esperanza
Amor y Matrimonio 1 - 9
Amoris Laetitia – ch 1 – A la luz de la Palabre
Amoris Laetitia – ch 2 – Realidad y Desafíos de las Familias
Amoris Laetitia – ch 3 La mirada puesta en Jesús: Vocación de la Familia
Amoris Laetitia – ch 4 - El Amor en el Matrimonio
Amoris Laetitia – ch 5 – Amor que se vuelve fecundo
Amoris Laetitia – ch 6 – Algunas Perspectivas Pastorales
Amoris Laetitia – ch 7 – Fortalecer la educacion de los hijos
Amoris Laetitia – ch 8 – Acompañar, discernir e integrar la fragilidad
Amoris Laetitia – ch 9 – Espiritualidad Matrimonial y Familiar
Carnaval
Cristo Rey
Cristo Vive
Dia de todos los difuntos
Domingo – día del Señor
El camino de la cruz de JC en dibujos para niños
El Cuerpo, el culto – (eucarisía)
Espíritu Santo
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 1 – iglesia y familia hoy
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 2 - el plan de Dios para la familia
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 1 – familia como comunidad
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 2 – servicio a la vida y educación
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 3 – misión de la familia en la sociedad
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 4 - participación de la familia en la iglesia
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 4 Pastoral familiar
Fátima – Historia de las Apariciones de la Virgen
Feria de Sevilla
Haurietis aquas – el culto al Sagrado Corazón
Hermandades y cofradías
Hispanidad
Laudato si 1 – cuidado del hogar común
Laudato si 2 – evangelio de creación
Laudato si 3 – La raíz de la crisis ecológica
Laudato si 4 – ecología integral
Laudato si 5 – líneas de acción
Laudato si 6 – Educación y Espiritualidad Ecológica
Lumen Fidei – cap 1,2,3,4
Madre Teresa de Calcuta – Santa
María y la Biblia
Martires de Nor America y Canada
Martires de Vietnam
Medjugore peregrinación
Misericordiae Vultus en Español
Papa Francisco en Bulgaria
Papa Francisco en Rumania
Papa Francisco en Marruecos
Papa Francisco en México
Papa Francisco – mensaje para la Jornada Mundial Juventud 2016
Papa Francisco – visita a Chile
Papa Francisco – visita a Perú
Papa Francisco en Colombia 1 + 2
Papa Francisco en Cuba
Papa Francisco en Fátima
Papa Francisco en la JMJ 2016 – Polonia
Papa Francisco en Hugaría e Eslovaquia
Queridas Amazoznia 1,2,3,4
Resurrección de Jesucristo – según los Evangelios
Revolución Rusa y Comunismo 1, 2, 3
Santa Agata, virgen y martir
San Alberto Magno
San Antonio de Padua
San Francisco de Asis 1,2,3,4
Santa Cecilia
Santa Maria Goretti
San Ignacio de Loyola
Santa Isabel de Hungria
San José, obrero, marido, padre
San Juan Ma Vianney, Curé de’Ars
San Juan de la Cruz
San Martin de Tours
San Maximiliano Kolbe
Santa Teresa de Calcuta
San Padre Pio de Pietralcina
San Patricio e Irlanda
Santiago Apóstol
Santos Zacarias e Isabel, padres de Juan Bautista
Semana santa – Vistas de las últimas horas de JC
Vacaciones Cristianas
Valentín
Virgen de Guadalupe
Vocación – www.vocación.org
Vocación a evangelizar
Para comentarios – email – mflynn@lcegionaries.org
fb – martin m. flynn
Donations to - BANCO - 03069 INTESA SANPAOLO SPA
Name – EUR-CA-ASTI. IBAN – IT61Q0306909606100000139493