These are the photographs on that site:
These were compared to one of the ancient icons of Nicholas:
When I first read the comments of “Cool” and the like as well as some of the brief explanations concerning the handling and examination of Nicholas’ skull and bones, I was appalled. But then I thought that perhaps I should learn more on the subject before reacting.
I performed a search for “reconstructed face of Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra” and found a web site with the following article: The Real Face of St. Nicholas. This site gives additional information as well as additional icons of St. Nicholas. Among the information shared was this statement:
The image and the process to create it were featured on a one-hour television documentary, The Real Face of Santa, produced by Atlantic Productions for BBC 2 and also shown on the Discovery Channel.
So I searched for The Real Face of Santa and found the following three part YouTube movies (about 15 minutes each):
REAL FACE OF ST NICHOLAS Part 1 of 3
REAL FACE OF ST NICHOLAS Part 2 of 3
REAL FACE OF ST NICHOLAS Part 3 of 3
In the third part the statement is made: “If the sixty-two sailors had not stolen the bones of Saint Nicholas, we would not have Santa Claus.”
While the doctor seems to have meant this in a positive perspective, the perversion of the notoriety of the dear saint and his gracious ministry is a travesty. It began with idolatry and greedy grasping for prosperity through desecration of the bones of saints. Worship of relics and of the saints replaced the grace of Christ that the saints proclaimed. This is the worst desecration of all. And eventually the Church becomes a house for tradition and sentimentalism and fantasy. The merits of Christ become secondary and even tertiary and finally entirely buried while works-righteousness is raised up as the way of salvation. Then such horrid doctrines as purgatory are invented and propagated so as to feign relief for those who realize the hopelessness of works-righteousness.
I find myself wondering how much of my investigation into this matter was morbid curiosity. I know that I wanted to know more about the history of the saint.
Does it matter what he looked like? Shall I put confidence in the arrogance of those who imagine themselves able to reconstruct even the hair and skin color with nothing but the shape of a skull and their presumptions regarding the people of that era and locale?
More importantly, should a saint today follow the idolatrous practices of those who save bones and other relics and direct people to pay homage to them, while stealing the pure Gospel and Sacraments from the saints?
If we want to honor the saints, why do we not listen to them regarding what is the right and holy way? Why do we make gift giving equal to the “Christmas spirit” while neglecting the doctrine by which the one true and necessary gift to mankind is received? St. Nicholas reportedly reacted violently to the theft of the true faith that Arius perpetrated among those gathered for the pure proclamation of the Gospel. The Lord Jesus acted similarly in the temple courts on two occasions. Should those professing to be of this faith today take notice of this?
What is more in keeping with the spirit of Christmas, “Ho! Ho! Ho!” or “Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!”? Whose face is the face of Christmas anyway? Whose face did St. Nicholas direct people to seek?
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2 comments:
St. Nick would not agree with your Protestant views. He was Catholic and as such venerated (not worshiped) the Saints as God's special friends. Veneration of relics is part of the honor due to Saints. Also there is merit in our good works when we are living in God's grace. Both grace and works are necessary. Good works that are not connected to the vine of Christ will not last and bear fruit into eternity. And as St. James says "Faith without works is dead." Our Lord says, "not everyone who calls out to me Lord Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven but he who DOES THE WORK of my Father.
Dear John,
If by Catholic you mean the Church of Rome and the papacy, that usurpation of the term did not occur during the life of Nicholas. Regarding veneration of dead bodies and bones, the entire corpus of the Scriptures of the Old Testament stand against it. According to the old ceremonial law, it made a person unclean and in need of being baptized. (Numbers 19) In the New Testament the Lord Jesus says to let the dead handle the dead. (Matthew 8:22 and Luke 9:60)
Regarding the works of God, how did Jesus define them?
Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” (John 6:28-29)
The quote from James is worthless if divorced from the context in which he writes it. St. Paul says the same as James when he writes:
What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:1-5)
Our works justify, but not before God. Only His work of faith, which He works in us as a gift, which is not of ourselves, saves us. (Ephesians 2) Our works justify in the sense that they show both us and others that our faith is truly of God and not of ourselves, as it produces in us that we do the will of the Father in our regenerated lives. (Matthew 7:21; 12:50 & Mark 3:35)
Now I realize that as a son of the RCC you will almost surely ignore all the Scriptural assertions listed above and shout “Works are necessary!” without any concern for what the Scriptures teach that this means. But if you actually believe the Scriptures listed above to be by the Holy Spirit, then chew on them and struggle with what they mean. As the Lord Jesus promises: The truth sets us free.
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