THURSDAY, DECEMBER 06, 2007
A
Saint for More Than Once-A-Year
You
revealed yourself, O saint, in Myra as a priest, for you fulfilled the Gospel of Christ.
By giving up your soul for your people, And saving the innocent from death. Therefore you
are blessed as one become wise in the grace of God.
--Kontakion
for St. Nicholas
Saint
Nicholas, the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia is famed as a great saint pleasing
unto God. He was born in the city of Patara in the region of Lycia (on the south coast of
the Asia Minor peninsula), and was the only son of pious parents Theophanes and Nonna, who
had vowed to dedicate him to God.
As the fruit of the prayer of his childless parents, the infant Nicholas from the very day
of his birth revealed to people the light of his future glory as a wonderworker. His
mother, Nonna, after giving birth was immediately healed from illness. The newborn infant,
while still in the baptismal font, stood on his feet three hours, without support from
anyone, thereby honoring the Most Holy Trinity. St Nicholas from his infancy began a life
of fasting, and on Wednesdays and Fridays he would not accept milk from his mother until
after his parents had finished their evening prayers.
From his childhood Nicholas thrived on the study of Divine Scripture; by day he would not
leave church, and by night he prayed and read books, making himself a worthy dwelling
place for the Holy Spirit. Bishop Nicholas of Patara rejoiced at the spiritual success and
deep piety of his nephew. He ordained him a reader, and then elevated Nicholas to the
priesthood, making him his assistant and entrusting him to instruct the flock.
In serving the Lord the youth was fervent of spirit, and in his proficiency with questions
of faith he was like an Elder, who aroused the wonder and deep respect of believers.
Constantly at work and vivacious, in unceasing prayer, the priest Nicholas displayed great
kind-heartedness towards the flock, and towards the afflicted who came to him for help,
and he distributed all his inheritance to the poor.
There was a certain formerly rich inhabitant of Patara, whom St Nicholas saved from great
sin. The man had three grown daughters, and in desparation he planned to sell their bodies
so they would have money for food. The saint, learning of the man's poverty and of his
wicked intention, secretly visited him one night and threw a sack of gold through the
window. With the money the man arranged an honorable marriage for his daughter. St
Nicholas also provided gold for the other daughters, thereby saving the family from
falling into spiritual destruction. In bestowing charity, St Nicholas always strove to do
this secretly and to conceal his good deeds.
The Bishop of Patara decided to go on pilgrimage to the holy places at Jerusalem, and
entrusted the guidance of his flock to St Nicholas, who fulfilled this obedience carefully
and with love. When the bishop returned, Nicholas asked his blessing for a pilgrimage to
the Holy Land. Along the way the saint predicted a storm would arise and threaten the
ship. St Nicholas saw the devil get on the ship, intending to sink it and kill all the
passengers. At the entreaty of the despairing pilgrims, he calmed the waves of the sea by
his prayers. Through his prayer a certain sailor of the ship, who had fallen from the mast
and was mortally injured was also restored to health.
When he reached the ancient city of Jerusalem and came to Golgotha, St Nicholas gave
thanks to the Savior. He went to all the holy places, worshiping at each one. One night on
Mount Sion, the closed doors of the church opened by themselves for the great pilgrim.
Going round the holy places connected with the earthly service of the Son of God, St
Nicholas decided to withdraw into the desert, but he was stopped by a divine voice urging
him to return to his native country. He returned to Lycia, and yearning for a life of
quietude, the saint entered into the brotherhood of a monastery named Holy Sion, which had
been founded by his uncle. But the Lord again indicated another path for him,
"Nicholas, this is not the vineyard where you shall bear fruit for Me. Return to the
world, and glorify My Name there." So he left Patara and went to Myra in Lycia.
Upon the death of Archbishop John, Nicholas was chosen as Bishop of Myra after one of the
bishops of the Council said that a new archbishop should be revealed by God, not chosen by
men. One of the elder bishops had a vision of a radiant Man, Who told him that the one who
came to the church that night and was first to enter should be made archbishop. He would
be named Nicholas. The bishop went to the church at night to await Nicholas. The saint,
always the first to arrive at church, was stopped by the bishop. "What is your name,
child?" he asked. God's chosen one replied, "My name is Nicholas, Master, and I
am your servant."
After his consecration as archbishop, St Nicholas remained a great ascetic, appearing to
his flock as an image of gentleness, kindness and love for people. This was particularly
precious for the Lycian Church during the persecution of Christians under the emperor
Diocletian (284-305). Bishop Nicholas, locked up in prison together with other Christians
for refusing to worship idols, sustained them and exhorted them to endure the fetters,
punishment and torture. The Lord preserved him unharmed. Upon the accession of St
Constantine (May 21) as emperor, St Nicholas was restored to his flock, which joyfully
received their guide and intercessor.
Despite his great gentleness of spirit and purity of heart, St Nicholas was a zealous and
ardent warrior of the Church of Christ. Fighting evil spirits, the saint made the rounds
of the pagan temples and shrines in the city of Myra and its surroundings, shattering the
idols and turning the temples to dust.
In the year 325 St Nicholas was a participant in the First Ecumenical Council. This
Council proclaimed the Nicean Symbol of Faith, and he stood up against the heretic Arius
with the likes of Sts Sylvester the Bishop of Rome (January 2), Alexander of Alexandria
(May 29), Spyridon of Trimythontos (December 12) and other Fathers of the Council.
St Nicholas, fired with zeal for the Lord, assailed the heretic Arius with his words, and
also struck him upon the face. For this reason, he was deprived of the emblems of his
episcopal rank and placed under guard. But several of the holy Fathers had the same
vision, seeing the Lord Himself and the Mother of God returning to him the Gospel and
omophorion. The Fathers of the Council agreed that the audacity of the saint was pleasing
to God, and restored the saint to the office of bishop.
Having returned to his own diocese, the saint brought it peace and blessings, sowing the
word of Truth, uprooting heresy, nourishing his flock with sound doctrine, and also
providing food for their bodies.
Even during his life the saint worked many miracles. One of the greatest was the
deliverance from death of three men unjustly condemned by the Governor, who had been
bribed. The saint boldly went up to the executioner and took his sword, already suspended
over the heads of the condemned. The Governor, denounced by St Nicholas for his wrong
doing, repented and begged for forgiveness.
Witnessing this remarkable event were three military officers, who were sent to Phrygia by
the emperor Constantine to put down a rebellion. They did not suspect that soon they would
also be compelled to seek the intercession of St Nicholas. Evil men slandered them before
the emperor, and the officers were sentenced to death. Appearing to St Constantine in a
dream, St Nicholas called on him to overturn the unjust sentence of the military officers.
He worked many other miracles, and struggled many long years at his labor. Through the
prayers of the saint, the city of Myra was rescued from a terrible famine. He appeared to
a certain Italian merchant and left him three gold pieces as a pledge of payment. He
requested him to sail to Myra and deliver grain there. More than once, the saint saved
those drowning in the sea, and provided release from captivity and imprisonment.
Having reached old age, St Nicholas peacefully fell asleep in the Lord. His venerable
relics were preserved incorrupt in the local cathedral church and flowed with curative
myrrh, from which many received healing. In the year 1087, his relics were transferred to
the Italian city of Bari, where they rest even now (See May 9).
St
Nicholas is also commemorated on May 9 (The transfer of his relics) and on July 29 (his
nativity).
--From
OCA Feasts & Saints
