December 5, 2013

Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas of Myra is the patron of children, sailors, and pawnbrokers — as well as many another town or nation. No wonder he is considered a jolly saint, to be patron to such a jolly bunch.

Many legends surround him, including calming storms, reviving pickled boys, and saving girls from life on the game by tossing bags of money down the chimney — whence we derive a good part of the current secularized job description. There is no indication in the legend that he was Bishop of the Arctic!

Herewith, however, I add my own contribution to the legend with an icon modeled on my Brother-in-Christ Nathanael Deward — a musician and director of choirs. If anyone learns the gentle art of addressing fallen humanity, including children and sailors, it is a skilled director of choirs, especially church choirs. So here is a gentle face that draws you to do better than you think you can, inspiring you to be as "good" as possible! Remember, he knows if you've been bad or good, so be good, for goodness sake!

Tobias Stanislas Haller BSG

10 comments:

  1. Tim ChestertonDecember 06, 2013

    'Bishop of the Arctic' - hah, yes, I was ordained deacon by the third Bishop of the Arctic, and there was no sign of any Nicholas in the records ahead of him...!

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  2. FranDecember 06, 2013

    This is so lovely! Thank you Tobias, you share your gifts with great generosity.

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  3. Tobias Stanislas Haller BSGDecember 06, 2013

    Thanks, Tim... always good to check the records! ;-)

    You are welcome, Fran. I've been very much enjoying this "living saints" project.

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  4. PseudoPiskieDecember 06, 2013

    Your icons have become wonderfully lifelike depictions of human history. Thank you.

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  5. MadPriestDecember 06, 2013

    And who are you, Tobias? Father Krampus?

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  6. Tobias Stanislas Haller BSGDecember 06, 2013

    Jonathan, I'm definitely in the Elf division...

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  7. Tobias Stanislas Haller BSGDecember 06, 2013

    Thanks, PP. The whole "real people" approach is, I think, close to what icons were originally meant to be...

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  8. JCFDecember 08, 2013

    "saving girls from life on the game"

    life on the game?

    I loved singing, back in seminary, about St Nicholas "unpickling" those boys.

    Another lovely icon, Tobias.

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  9. Tobias Stanislas Haller BSGDecember 09, 2013

    Thanks, JCF. The "life on the game" is a reference to the young women who otherwise would have been pimped by their father because they had no dowries -- and S.N. provided three bags of gold... later transmogrified into the pawnbroker's orbs.

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  10. PaulDecember 09, 2013

    A wonderful icon, Tobias. How can one not smile when seeing that face? So approachable and yet, as you note, calling us to do better. Thank you, I really enjoyed seeing this as I returned to work today.

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