Feast of St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas is a popular saint. He was a 4th century Bishop with a reputation for helping children. One story tells how he helped a farmer who had three girls but no money for a dowry. Nicholas supposedly tossed three bags of gold through their window. I am not sure where the tradition of putting out your shoes on his feast began, but it was alive in some of the communities I have lived in and I am tempted to continue it. We all put out our shoes and found something good in them in the morning. 

 Let us pray today for all children. So many refugees are being held apart from their parents and the camps are overcrowded and the children suffering from lack of attention.

Today is also First Friday and we have the "Welcome of the Ashes" of one of our sisters whose funeral will be tomorrow.