BE A ST. NICHOLAS THIS ADVENT

by Dennis J. Gerber, Jr
President, Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund

Each year on Dec. 6, our family wakes to the small joys of the Feast of St. Nicholas. Our children rush downstairs to find chocolate coins and oranges in their shoes — simple gifts, but rich with meaning. It is a tradition meant to remind us of a saint whose generosity continues to echo through the centuries.

St. Nicholas of Myra is remembered as a wonderworker, a bishop, and a defender of the faith. But what stands out most is the way he gave. After inheriting a substantial fortune from his parents, Nicholas quietly used it to help the poor, the vulnerable, and those sinking under heavy burdens.

One of the most famous stories tells of a father who could not afford dowries for his daughters. Secretly, under the cover of night, Nicholas slipped bags of gold through the window so the young women could marry with dignity. He asked for no recognition, no thanks, and no repayment.

This is the heart of Jesus’s teaching on almsgiving, “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” (Matthew 6:3-4)

Nicholas saw his wealth not as a possession but as a responsibility. His giving was intentional, strategic, and rooted in love for Christ and concern for others. He gave in a way that preserved the dignity of the recipient and kept the attention on God, not himself.

How can we follow his example today?

Nicholas’ decision to channel his inheritance toward good works mirrors how modern Catholics can use a donor-advised fund to...

Set aside a portion of their wealth specifically for charity
Support organizations over time and as needs arise
Give without recognition, focusing entirely on impact rather than acclaim
Form the next generation by making generosity a family practice

Your Charitable Fund is a way to sanctify your resources in the same spirit that animated St. Nicholas. It is a tool that frees us to support Catholic apostolates, parishes, schools, charities, and those causes we feel compelled to lift up.

When our children find chocolate coins and oranges in their shoes, they are not just receiving treats. They are receiving a reminder of St. Nicholas’s generosity and that God is calling us to generosity in our own time, in our own circumstances. We give not because we must, but because Christ has first given to us.

This Advent, Consider: Who Can I Bless in Secret?

Maybe it’s...

A parish struggling to keep ministries alive.
A Catholic school forming the next generation.
A non-profit feeding families, serving mothers in crisis, or proclaiming the Gospel.
Someone who needs hope more than anything else.

And maybe the best gifts you give this year will be the ones no one ever knows came from you.

St. Nicholas reminds us that quiet, intentional, Spirit-led generosity is one of the most powerful ways we participate in God’s work in the world. Through tools like a Charitable Fund with KCCF, we steward our blessings with the same humility and purpose that defined St. Nicholas’s life.

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