Celebrating Life

Advent & Christmas Stories

Daily Life

Love's Counterfeit

Coping with Dementia

Conquering Despair

Encouragement

Religious Understanding

Family Stories

Stories of Friendship

Valentine & Beyond

Marriage Encounter

Healing Music

Promoting Peace

School Days

Social Responsibility

Overcoming Trauma

Traute Klein Background

Healing Hug Guestbook

To send me your own Healing Hug story, email me by clicking on the mailbox graphic.

Webmaster's Bio
Meet Traute Klein, biogardener.

Related Articles

St. Nicholas, the Secret Giver

by Traute Klein, biogardener

The bishop who believed in anonymous giving would be horrified to learn that he has become the commercial symbol of Christmas presents for our time.

The Secret of Secret Giving

Right around this time of year, we Canadians add up our charitable donations of the year to make sure that we have sufficient tax receipts to claim the income tax deductions to which we are entitled. That is not the way which Jesus taught his followers to give. Here are his instructions on how to give:
Be careful not to show off your generosity in public to be noticed by people. When you give to the needy, don't wave your tax receipts before men or get your names on public donor lists to be honored by society. I am warning you. Those givers have already been rewarded in full. When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving will be in secret, and you will be rewarded by your heavenly father who sees what is done in secret. (My paraphrase of Matthew 6:1-4)

Matthew is the only writer who remembered this teaching, mainly because it was of special interest to him. He had been a tax collector before he followed the call as a disciple of Jesus. He understood the value of money and knew how difficult it is for people to part with it. Things have not changed in the last 2000 years. Many of the most talked-about donors plan their donations in order to get the most mileage out of them. They are rewarded by a boost in business, social position, or political votes.

The name of my favorite donor on public lists is "Anonymous," and Jesus would have approved of his manner of giving.

History's Best-known Secret Giver

Isn't it ironic that the person who did not want anyone to know about his good deeds is best remembered in history for just one such deed? The secret giver first became the symbol of Christmas giving which gradually gave way to the symbol of lavish spending.

That's St. Nicholas, North America's most visible symbol of commercialized Christmas. Actually, his feast day is not Christmas but December 6, the day of his martyrdom in 343 A.D. In Holland, children put out a stocking on December 5, and the next morning, they look for presents which the saint has left them in the stocking. In Germany, my family used to place a shoe or boot in front of our apartment door and we would find cookies and nuts in it the next morning. Of course, I always knew where the cookies had come from, because I had helped to bake them.

I did not know that this saint was associated with Christmas until I came to North America. In Europe, he is remembered on Nicholas Day only, and Christmas presents are brought by Père Noël (Father Christmas) in France and the Weihnachtsmann (Christmas Man) in Germany.

The Historic Anonymous Giver

Here is the story from the life of the saint which originally associated Nicholas with "giving" and in modern times with "receiving" of presents.

A family had fallen into poverty, and the father decided to let his three daughters earn the family's livelihood through prostitution. Nicholas prevented the father from carrying out his intentions by providing the needed financial assistance. He would secretly pass by the house and throw a sack of money through the window.

In some versions of this legend, each sack of money provided the necessary dowry to get the daughters married off so that the father would not have to look after them. That sack became the model for the stocking or shoe which European children put out for the saint to fill.

His generosity was discovered when the father stayed up nights until he caught and confronted the anonymous giver. Nicholas swore him to secrecy, but apparently the man broke his oath or else we would never have heard this story.

Other Articles about Saints

The Legend of St. Boniface
An Englishman by the name of St. Boniface became the Apostle of the Germans. He changed the meaning of pagan Germanic customs to teach Christian principles, especially those associated with Christmas.
The Legend of the First Valentine
Just before his execution on February 14, 270 AD, the beloved physician, Valentinus, sent a message which brought light into a blind girl's life. It was the first Valentine ever sent in this story of sacrificial, healing love by the saint who has inspired love ever since.
From Gang Leader to Channel of Peace
In pursuit of heroic fame in war, Francis of Assisi was converted to become one of the world's foremost prophet of peace. We honor him on October 4 by remembering all of God's creatures whom he loved.
What are you doing to my beautiful creation?
Ever wonder what God thinks about the way we are trying to denaturalize his wonderful creation? Listen to him share his views with St. Francis.