Happy New Year! The church's new year begins with the Advent season!
In Hungary, as in much of Europe, in addition to observing Advent most people celebrate Saint Nicholas' Day (Mikulás napja) on December 6 as the day when Saint Nicholas delivers presents to deserving children. St. Nicholas was bishop of Myra in fourth-century Turkey, who according to tradition tossed three bags of gold through the window of a family whose father was about to sell his three young girls into prostitution because he did not have money to pay their dowry.
While the hopes of today's children for treats and toys might seem far removed from those times, given what Larry and Jerry learned while in Amsterdam about the young girls from Eastern Hungary who have been sold into prostitution in that city, perhaps it would be good for us to be reminded that there is need for a protector of innocent lives today, just as there was in the time of St. Nicholas. This December 6 we invite you to pray with us about that and for the children in our countries, cities, neighborhoods, churches and families. May we pray with our hearts and our eyes open.
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