By Mary Kizior
You’re probably well acquainted with the jolly, red-suited version of Santa Claus. Some of you might even know Santa by his real name, St. Nicholas of Myra. But do you know that St. Nicholas and the pro-life movement have something in common?
We recognize St. Nicholas as a pro-life role model because he went out of his way to help those who had no one else to help them. We all remember the story of St. Nicholas giving money to a poor father to help him keep his daughters from being sold into slavery, but did you also know that legend has it that he brought three children back to life? These reasons are why he is the patron and protector of children!
As pro-lifers we can learn from the example of St. Nicholas. We are called every day to care for those who cannot care for themselves—preborn babies, people with disabilities, senior citizens, and people who are excluded from or rejected by society. Like St. Nicholas, we strive to make sure that all children—especially very young preborn babies—are protected, loved, and cherished as gifts from God.
This Christmas season, follow in the footsteps of St. Nicholas and give generously of your talents to people who will never be able to repay you. Volunteer as a family at a soup kitchen or food pantry, take your children to sing carols at a nursing home, or invite lonely neighbors over to celebrate Christmas. Give your children an example of Christian charity to follow to help them understand the true meaning of Christmas—that we are all called to love one another as Christ loves us and to give of ourselves as Christ gave of Himself for the salvation of the world.
To help you reinforce Santa’s true message this Christmas, take a look at our brand new lesson entitled Christ, the True Gift of Christmas, which teaches K-2 students the story of the first Christmas through the eyes of Santa Claus and reminds them that Christmas is about God’s greatest gift to us—His Son Jesus.
The lesson uses the sweet picture book Santa’s Secret Story by Cornelia Mary Bilinsky, which tells the story of Saint Nicholas while retaining the magic of Santa Claus. Don’t worry, we keep the Santa secret safe! Students learn the story of Saint Nicholas and why we exchange gifts with each other at Christmastime. We celebrate the feast of Saint Nicholas on December 6.
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Mary Kizior is a content developer for American Life League’s Culture of Life Studies Program, which stresses the culture of life as an integral part of every academic discipline. CLSP is dedicated to helping students become effective communicators of the pro-life message. Sign up for our e-mail newsletter to see how we can help you foster a culture of life at home and in school.
image: Eric Decossaux via Flickr | CC-2.0