Celebration was the order of the day as St Nick himself took part in a Saturday Eucharist at St. Clare- in- the -Cove on December 4. Children of all ages took in the saint’s message about Christmas being a time of giving and sharing.
An enthusiastic group of young people – mostly under five years of age – were able to get up close and personal with St Nick as he shared his story with them and gave them ‘gold coins’ symbolizing the joy of giving.
As the children gathered around Rev. Dr. Lynne McNaughton for the acts of consecration, St Nick was not far away. “I’m reclaiming St Nicholas Day and the Christmas season for our saint who teaches us to give in the name of Christ,” said McNaughton. “St. Nicolas has a lot to teach us about the central purpose of God coming to us in the person of Jesus.”
The service was followed by a community meal during which St Nick could sit down with a couple of young men and discuss their love of transformers and robots. Truly out of his league with this conversation, St Nick nodded wisely as he listened intently.
Each child and family also got a picture taken with St Nicholas, courtesy of Pamela Westerman, a professional photographer and one of the organizers of the St Nicholas Day celebrations.
“St Clare’s is a lively family and child centred Christian community”, Westerman observed. St Nicholas himself left knowing just how true this is and thinking about how his heart was warmed by his visit to St Clare’s.