When the Homily is about Immunology

Bishop Nicholas kicks ass at Nicea

Today is the feastday in which we remember the first great Ecumenical Council of Nicea.

The problem begins with a priest in Alexandria named Arius who disobeys his Bishop (St. Athanasios) and continues preaching his belief that Jesus was a created being - the first and greatest of all God's creation. He has a host of proof-texts from Scripture with which to back his claim and before long has made for himself quite a following. Not at all unlike a preacher on TBN.

Saint Athanasios soon finds himself overthrown by the rebellious lot and is shortly thereafter exiled. The Church is in utter turmoil as Arianism spreads throughout the Christian world.

Now, recall that Christianity had just been made a legal religion (as proclaimed by the Edict of Milan), and so for the first time ever the Church was able to gather en mass for a council to settle the Arian controversy. Three hundred bishops and numerous others would attend, many of them still bearing the scars and maimings of the torturous persecution headed up by the former emperor Diocletian.

Once all of the debates and arguments were finished, the council denounced Arius' heresey and proclaimed the great "Symbol of Faith" known as the Nicene Creed, in which the divinity of Christ is upheld and the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is protected.

In attedance at the council was one Bishop named Nicholas from Myra, who it is said that upon being able to no longer stand hearing the heretical words of Arius referring to Christ as created, arose and promptly struck Arius in the face. The act would nearly cost Nicholas his bishopric, but in the end Bishop Nicholas' careless loss of temper at Nicea would be overshadowed by his extreme life of selflessness, strong leadership, and miracles. He would become known as Saint Nicholas.

Today we have turned him into Santa Claus, and few of us have ever taken the time to find out who the real St. Nicholas is.

Holy Father Nicholas and all the saints of Nicea, please pray unto God for us!