After Monday's cardiac arrest-inducing battle between Pandita Ramabai and Damien of Molokai, it was a bit easier on our Lenten hearts to have a close-but-not-too-close contest to determine the Battle of Rome yesterday. Paula of Rome came out on top, defeating Marcella of Rome 57% to 43% to advance to the Saintly Sixteen, where she'll face Gobnait.
Today, in the 16th and final pairing of the Round of 32, it's the long-anticipated Santa vs. Rudolph Showdown, as Nicholas of Myra faces Rudolph of Gubbio. After this battle is complete, will Nicholas remain jolly with his belly shaking like a bowlful of jelly? Will Rudolph's nose remain bright or will he no longer be allowed to join in any reindeer games? These are the questions of the day as we continue to whittle down the field of saintly souls.
Tomorrow, the Saintly Sixteen begins as Martha of Bethany takes on Nicodemus. But that's a contest for another day. Let's go finish up this first round, shall we?
Nicholas of Myra
Telling the story of Nicholas presents a unique challenge because of the sheer volume of historical record, legend, facts, and rumors about his life and impact. It is probably impossible to fully untangle the facts from the legends—and perhaps we don’t want to.
The bare facts are these. Nicholas was born in 270 CE to a wealthy Greek Christian family in Asia Minor. Following the loss of his parents, he went on a pilgrimage to Egypt and Palestine and was likely briefly imprisoned during an outbreak of Christian persecution. On returning from this journey, Nicholas was made the bishop of Myra, and in this role, he likely attended the Council of Nicaea. Nicholas died in 343, and shortly after his death he begins to be venerated for his kindness, generosity, and compassion.
In one of the best-known legends, Nicholas encountered a man with three daughters whose poverty did not allow him to provide them a dowry. Without a dowry, the young women would likely be sold into slavery. And so Nicholas secretly gifted the gold for their dowries—and according to legend, threw the gold through the window whereon it landed on their socks or shoes.
Again and again, the stories of Nicholas’s life come back to this theme of generosity and gift-giving. Whether it is the resurrection of the three youths, sparing the lives of those falsely accused, or returning children to their parents, Nicholas is remembered as the protector of the innocent, especially of children.
Within just a few short generations after Nicholas’s death, churches began to be dedicated to the memory of this kind and generous bishop. As his veneration spread across Europe, the traditions of Saint Nicholas combined with other local traditions, giving us the historical roots for Santa Claus. The remembrance of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker—patron of children, sailors, the falsely accused, and many others— continues to be observed on December 6.
Regardless of where one chooses to draw the line between the history and the legend of Saint Nicholas, his story has inspired generations of faithful women and men to acts of kindness, generosity, and compassion. Nicholas reminds us to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and to act on behalf of those who have no defender.
Collect for Nicholas of Myra
Almighty God, in your love you gave your servant Nicholas of Myra a perpetual name for deeds of kindness both on land and sea: Grant, we pray, that your church may never cease to work for the happiness of children, the safety of sailors, the relief of the poor, and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Rudolph of Gubbio
Rudolph of Gubbio was born in 1034 just outside of Gubbio, Italy. His father was a feudal lord. When he was about 17 years old, Rudolph encountered Saint Peter Damian and was converted to Christianity. He, along with his mother, now a widow, and brothers, decided to give their castle and possessions to the church. He became a disciple of Saint Peter Damian and joined the Benedictine Order.
While in the monastery, he studied philosophy and theology and excelled in Latin. He became a priest and practiced a rigorous asceticism. Rudolph wore a hair shirt and avoided meat, eggs, and cheese. He slept on a wooden board without blankets. Self-torture was routinely engaged. His body was so weakened by the ascetic practices that he developed a system of ropes to support him as he recited the psalms.
Rudolph’s piety was so well-known that although the church law said he was not yet old enough, Rudolph was made bishop of Gubbio at around age 25. Rudolph reluctantly accepted the charge, but his elevation to bishop did not change his piety. He continued to live humbly and austerely. He would only eat the food that was given to servants. He would often walk barefoot, using wooden clogs only in the winter. As bishop, he paid particular attention to those who were poor and vulnerable. His concern for those in need led one of his biographers to call him a “miracle of unselfishness.”
His long fasts and the severe treatment of his body ultimately took their toll. On October 17, 1066, still in his early 30s, Rudolph died. He was buried in the Cathedral of Gubbio. His body disappeared when the cathedral was renovated in 1670.
Collect for Rudolph of Gubbio
O God, whose blessed Son became poor that we through his poverty might be rich: Deliver us from an inordinate love of this world, that we, inspired by the devotion of your servant Rudolph of Gubbio, may serve you with singleness of heart, and attain to the riches of the age to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
[poll id="254"]
182 comments on “Nicholas of Myra vs. Rudolph of Gubbio”
It's Nicolas of Myra for me. When in doubt choose kindness.
Who votes against Santa Claus?
I have always had a hard time trying to reconcile extreme mortification of the flesh with the idea that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. The body is not evil; after all, God created us, body & soul.
Nicholas for the Golden Halo! Poor Rudy. I feel sorry for him in a strange way. He was his own worst enemy. Hair shirts, starving, torture. Good heavens! It was an easy choice to go with kind and loving Santa. Nice write ups by the Davids.
I do not think either of these men will reach the halo bracket. Although True Saints They Both Did NOT Follow God's teachings. Rudolph Hurt His Own Body When God told us to take care of our bodies. Much of Nicholas gift giving was inherited and/or done in secret(legend)
We need more compassion and kindness in this world and these men truly exemplify these traits.
How did Nicholas not follow God’s teachings?
How can you not vote for Santa Claus!
"Lenten Madness" or the Forward Movement or somebody needs to publish the Collected Saintly Limericks of John Cabot!
I always think that the character of the legends that accrue around a person are clear evidence for the kind of person they were. Nicholas' legends all involve, as David Hansen writes, "kindness, generosity, and compassion." Plus modesty, and a gentle sense of humor. The key element in the story of the dowries tossed through the windows at night is that he didn't want any credit for making the gift. Nicholas is an inspiration!
Really looking forward to the Kitsch round on this one!!
I voted for St. Nicholas (who is definitely not Santa Claus) - he's one of my saints for obvious reasons. Also, he's inspirational for his faith, generosity, kindness and compassion. I love him.
As for St. Rudolph, I can imagine that he was well regarded and respected during his day when extremes such as his were seen as deeply pious. I don't want to judge him from the perspective of my own culture. I also don't find enough specifics about what distinguishes him beyond his asceticism.
With a surname like mine, it wasn't a tough choice. Better to celebrate someone who lives generously, than someone who engages in self harm and calls it piety.
I applaud your gentlemen's efforts at digging up these saints for comparison. It is rather enlightening to read about all of them. Just curious how many saints have been so designated by the church. I guess I could go look it up on google. Or maybe there are categories of saints.
My mother was born on St. Nicholas's Day--Dec. 6. She was a great Santa Claus fan, although at that time in my life we didn't pay attention to saint's days. I'm not a big fan of extreme ascetics--they make me think of extreme anorexics. So St. Nicholas gets my vote.
Self-torture.
What else needs to be said?
Perhaps by coincidence, though we should never underestimate the deviousness of the Supremes, Gubbio boasts the world’s biggest Christmas tree, an array of lights up the side of the mountain that overlooks the city. It is, however, dedicated not to San Rodolfo but to Sant’Ubaldo or, if you will, St. Hubald, the city’s patron. (AHA, evil spellchecking demon, you changed “Hubald” to “Hubble,” but I caught you at it!)
I wonder what, if anything, is dedicated to St. Rudolph? Gubbio has a small museum of torture instruments, but it’s secular.
http://www.bellaumbria.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Albero-di-Natale-Gubbio.jpg
Ah, we can always count on your clarification of things Italian. Thank you!
Kindness to others vs. Self-Mortification - an easy choice. I appreciate the SEC for the "fun" matchup of Santa vs. Rudolph, but this is a pretty obvious choice. Besides, Nicholas (Nicole) is my Saint's name from when I was baptized - my birthday is near Christmas. As a child, my birthdays were always held near Dec. 6th and involved Christmas activities. So, I'm very pleased to cast today's vote for my Patron Saint!
“He only ate the food given to servants”
Yes, I voted for St Nicholas but there is something saintly about Rudolph ‘s diet. How much meat, cheese, eggs were /are provided to the slaves of America? The captives in WWII concentration and work camps? The homeless and refugees of today’s world? Where do they get their protein smoothies? Lean meat and fish? Fresh cheese? Three egg omelets?
That's the origin of soul food. The slaves took the scraps and refuse and made it taste good.
And I think you make a great point. Rather than focus on the negatives of Rudolf, perhaps we should think about what we can learn from him. I love cooking and eating good food but is my stomach my god?
Cheeses/Jesus, Michael? Brilliant.
I'm not such an appreciator of self-Torture for God, so I went with Nicholas, who is one my favorites anyway.
Nicholas, in spite of the story about his losing all patience with Arius and decking him at the first Council of Nicaea. While I don't approve of St. Nick's way of expressing his disagreement, I understand his distaste for bad theology, which led to my years at Perkins. Here's a link to an especially cute bobblehead representation of the conflict:https://www.facebook.com/franco.nessa/videos/vb.100000930877704/1796523827055296/?type=2&theater
https://www.facebook.com/franco.nessa/videos/vb.100000930877704/1796523827055296/?type=2&theater
Thought I'd see if this link would generate a picture.
Oh, well. Too bad. This would be a great picture for the Saintly Kitsch Items part of the bracket.
It loads and I see it but the video is only a second or so long.
Those who want to be on the naughty list?
Perkins? As in SMU Perkins?
I did my undergrad at SMU Meadows (Class of '13) and lived Moore Hall right next to Perkins Chapel.
Nicholas has 93% of the votes so far (about 9:30AM, west coast time). No contest, today. When reading about poor Rudolph I was reminded of Psalm 107, which I was surprised to see has a description that sounds like anorexia nervosa, which I had thought was a modern affliction. See v.18 ("They abhorred all manner of food / and drew near to death's door.") In later verses the afflicted cry out to the Lord, and he "heals" them, saving them from the grave. I'm sure Rudolph's heart was sincere, but his example is not one I'd encourage people to follow.
no comment today
I went with Nicholas of Myra because his fest day is my mother's birthday.
-God Bless all
Went along with the crowd today in voting for Nicholas. Yes, the Britten St. Nicholas is wonderful too.
While I love St. Nicholas, I'm going for the vegetarian again: Rudolph. (Reindeer are vegetarian, too, by the way.)
Being Vicar of St. Jude’s in North Pole Alaska, I have the opportunity to Chat with St. Nick at the Santa Clause house in North Pole, last summer I dumbfounded when he told me he belonged to the Church of the Nazarene. Nevertheless, in the spirit of ecumenism, he gets my vote.
So, looking at the numbers as of 1:40 EDT, I'm wondering if there is a skunk rule.
Being in my early 30s and learning the difference between humility and masochism the hard way, my body and mind bearing witness to trauma and mismanaged stresses, I’m going against the grain today and voting for Rudolph. May his extreme asceticism and early demise remind us we must replenish our bodies and souls in order to share life with others. There’s no point in crucifying ourselves for our sins, perceived and real. It is finished.
With Paula's win yesterday, I reached the zenith of success with my first unbroken bracket EVER; I can live the rest of my life in peace. Had to vote for Nicholas - simply had to.
I was ordained on December 6th. Enough said, Nicholas it is for me.
Nicholas, mostly because this same Catholic priest keeps popping up telling me I've used too many of their sites and now need to make a donation. That isn't about to happen. I was already mad over Stephanie Borowicz' prayer. Another judgmental, raging self described, uneducated Christian who will give us a very bad name. I'd much prefer the all genders and gay ordaining, bishop consecrating, same sex marrying, rainbow flag waving Episcopal "bad" reputation I'm currently so proud of. Besides that, I don't know all these show tunes, however, the lyrics work just as well as Gregorian chants.