3. A Lesson From Saint Nicholas

Spring, AD 320: Constantine, Emperor of Rome, convenes an ecumenical Council at Nicaea. The mission of this first ecumenical council is to heal the greatest wound in the Body of Christ: the question of Jesus. Then as now, the true nature of Jesus Christ and His relation to the Father and Holy Spirit remained a subject of intense, often acrimonious, debate. The two main positions were irreconcilable: Arius, a theologian from from Egypt, argued that Jesus was a created being, not equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Against this "Arian" theology stood the party of orthodoxy, which held the traditional position that Jesus is the Second Person of the Trinity, being "of one substance" with the Father and the Holy Ghost, as the one and only God.

Among the most beloved of the orthodox bishops was Nicholas of Myra -- a man who had become known as "the Wonderworker". So close was Nicholas to God that the Almighty had worked many miracles through him. He was also well-known as a generous giver of gifts and a benefactor of the poor. But the most important thing about Bishop Nicholas of Myra was that he loved Jesus Christ and His mother Mary with all his being.

And now,  as the Council ground on, Nicholas was forced to sit and listen politely as Arius made his play. Over and over again, Arius insisted that the same Jesus whom Nicholas adored with all his heart was a mere creature -- the greatest of all creatures, to be sure, but a creature just the same. And Jesus' mother, asserted Arius, was no immaculate and blessed virgin, but just another carnal woman who bore Jesus -- a man only, not the Son of God -- through natural means.

On and on went Arius. Nicholas' anger grew and grew -- until finally he could hear no more.

And what did Nicholas of Myra, the kindly giver of gifts, do then?

Did he rise and politely but firmly refute Arius' specious reasoning? No, he did not. He knew it would be futile to try.

Did he reach out charitably to his errant brother, gently guiding him back to the truth with sweet words of love? no, he did not. He knew that sweetness and light have nothing to do with true charity.

Did he offer Arius a compromise, accepting that there is truth in all points of view? No, he did not. He did not believe that there was any truth except the Truth handed down from Christ by the apostles.

So what did he do? This is what he did: Nicholas, the wonderworker, the great and holy Bishop of Myra, stood up from his chair, strode across the council chamber, and confronted Arius. Then, in front of the astonished eyes of three hundred bishops, Nicholas of Myra drew back his fist and knocked the arch-heretic Arius to the floor with a single mighty blow.

The other bishops were scandalized, but Nicholas was unrepentant. How dare this upstart from Aftica impugn the divine majesty of Christ with his filthy heresy? Nevertheless, even as Arius was being pulled from the floor, Nicholas was being condemned for his deed. Never mind Arius' insults to the name of Jesus and His mother Mary -- Nicholas obviously had no right to resort to violence in the name of God! As punishment, the Council brought Nicholas up on charges and hauled him before the great Emperor for judgment. Constantine judged him guilty, but left sentencing up to the Council. They stripped Nicholas of his authority as bishop, taking from him his badges of office: his stole-like pallium and his hand-copied Gospel. Then, the great wonderworker of Myra was stripped, chained, and was thrown into a dungeon like any common criminal, while Arius walked free. All opinions were united: Nicholas had gotten what hes deserved.

But God 's opinion is the only one that counts.

One night, while Nicholas sat praying in his cell, another miracle occurred. Christ and His mother suddenly appeared in front of Nicholas' awestruck eyes. "Why are you in jail?" they asked him.

The astonished former bishop could only answer truthfully:  "Because of my love for you"

A book appeared in Jesus' hand: Nicholas' Book of the Gospels -- the same book the Council had taken from him, the same book that was safely stored elsewhere. to Nicholas. From Mary's hands came his pallium. As he accepted these gifts, Nicholas chains fell from him. His ecclesiastical robes somehow appeared upon his body. Then he was alone again in his cell. He spent the rest of the night praising God for this astonishing miracle.

The next morning, the guards found Nicholas dressed in robe and pallium, reading the Gospel -- every inch a bishop once more. This was reported at once to the Emperor. Constantine, who had benefited from a miracle himself some years before, knew at once that Nicholas had been vindicated, and sent word to the Council to restore Nicholas to his former dignity.

Stacked against a miracle, Arius' clever heresy was revealed as the fraud it was. The Council of Nicaea agreed with Nicholas' views, deciding the question against Arius. The end result was a statement of belief binding upon the whole Church, a statement affirming the traditional teaching that Jesus Christ was and is of one substance with the Father. This great statement of belief, known today as the Nicene Creed, is to this day held and repeated daily by Christians all over the world.

The heresy of Arius did not end with Nicholas' fist to the face. It continued, and eventually grew until most of the Church was deceived by it. Many great saints suffered and died to defeat the Arian Heresy, but in the end -- like all lies -- it was cast aside by those who love the truth. Arius himself died a horrible death some years later, lying in his own blood and filth behind the Forum of Constantine after his bowels and other internal organs suddenly and mysteriously exploded out of his own anus.

And as for Nicholas? He lived on, still beloved, still renowned as a wonderworker. He died in his hometown of Myra at the age of 73. So great was Nicholas' reputation for miracles, generosity and kindness that he came to be regarded as the patron saint of children, coopers, sailors, fishermen, merchants, broadcasters, the falsely accused, repentant thieves, pharmacists, archers, and pawnbrokers. And of course he is remembered by billions -- Christians and non-Christians alike -- as the model and prototype of the beloved folk figure of "Saint Nick", the gift-giving, child-loving Santa Claus.

But the real lesson of Saint Nicholas is not his generosity, not his kindness, not his miracle-workings. The real lesson Nicholas of Myra teaches us is that heresy must always be opposed forcefully. Our Lord showed us by example that the best way to deal with those who turn God's house into a den of thieves is a whip of small cords. Nicholas' example likewise shows us that the best response to those who teach error as truth is -- sometimes -- a righteous fist to the face.

Happy Saint Nicholas' Day!