By Mildred Corell Luckhardt

Christmas is the feast of giving. On the first Christmas, God gave the human race His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. And thereupon came three kings from the East, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

To a third-century young boy named Nicholas, this generosity was marvelous—wonderful treasures offered by men who did not give their own names, but only returned quietly to their homes. In time, he would follow their example. As a bishop, Nicholas of Myra secretly gave away many gifts. Like the Magi, he knew that the right response to God’s perfect generosity is to give good gifts in our turn: first to God, with loving praise and thanksgiving, and then to one another, with tokens of kindness, affection, and Christian charity. 

“Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above,  coming down from the Father of lights.” (Epistle of Saint James)

Illustrated by Gordon Laite and based on a wide reading of history and legend, Mildred Corell Luckhardt’s The Story of Saint Nicholas is an absorbing account of the Wonderworker’s life and deeds, to which is added a summary of the legends and their fruits—most popular among which (of course) is Santa Claus. 

First published in 1960, The Story of Saint Nicholas is a proper introduction to the saint whose silent giving, faithful first to the wondrous gift of God’s Incarnation, has inspired Christmas joy down through the ages.

Mildred Corell Luckhardt (1898–1990) was an American Christian author, educator, and lyricist. Luckhardt wrote and edited over a dozen books, including Christmas Comes Once More: Stories and Poems for the Holiday Season (1962) and Thanksgiving: Feast and Festival (1966). Her 1964 story Good King Wenceslas is now available from Cluny in its ALLTA Collection.

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Hardcover: 128pp.

ISBN: 978-1685954444

ALLTA Collection | Book Seven