We tackled generosity and how it includes willing to give others money or do kind acts freely. We presented role models of great people who cared for others’ needs and offered a helping hand to all they met. Their souls were freed from selfishness enjoyed giving and serving humanity.
Engraved are the stories of generous people in sheets of history are and inscribed are their names in the heart of humanity. Christmas is few days afar, thus we present to you the true story of “Papa Noel” or Bishop Nicholas or Nikolaos of Mura or Myra, a Greek city of Asia Minor (modern-day Demre, on the southern coast of Turkey. Since his childhood, St. Nicholas was known for his love and generosity. His life was consecrated to helping the poor, the needy, the weak, the children, the cast-away and the abandoned. He drew a smile on the face of children, orphans and the widows. It is said that he also was fervently defending the wronged. One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman’s father had to offer his daughters’ prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man’s daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home, providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window. In the morning, the man got up and found the bags thus his heart was gladdened and was exceedingly joyous. The man wondered about the person who was throwing the bags of gold. Thus, at the third time he stayed awake all night to find out who was tossing the bags. Once the bag was tossed, the man hasted to look out of the window, thus he found out that St. Nicholas was the person who tossed the bags. The man thanked him profusely and was really touched by his unique generosity as he saved his family from falling in sin. However, our saint asked them to thank God instead.
Bishop Nicholas was generous with each and every person he met. He gave abundantly and without request. Though, he wanted to keep do it secretly, his villagers knew about him and his martyrdom made his deeds come to the whole world’s knowledge. He is immortal in their hearts and minds, remembered yearly. Many people are following his steps in the way of giving. He is one of the role models of generosity and giving, of people who consecrated their life for the happiness of humanity. We are still digging in the treasures of history searching for those whose generosity illuminated the whole world. To be continued….
General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
