Tuesday, December 6, 2011

A saint and shoes

Did you know that Santa Claus is a saint?

The famous man in red had a fourth-century cousin who walked the world as a bishop in modern-day Turkey.  Today, the Church all over the world remembers and prays with this saint who had a reputation for secret gift giving.  People would leave their shoes out for him, and if he passed by (which he often did) he would put coins into the shoes.  Based on this habitual goodness, he provides the model for the famous inhabitant of the northernmost reaches of this country.


As at some other times in the year, both the Eastern and Western Church hold this holy man in great reverence, as do various protestant churches, including some branches of the Lutheran and Anglican traditions.

You might say that he was also a model for ecumenism, long before it was necessary.

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