Orthodox Metropolis of Zambia
From the feast of Saint Nicholas in the Orthodox Church in Sasamambo, Tanzania (here)
Saint Nicholas is one of the most beloved saints of the Orthodox
Church. He is remembered for the miracles he worked, his generosity,
and for the love he had for his flock.
Nicholas was born around
270 AD in the village of Patara in Lycia, Asia Minor. His parents were
wealthy and raised him to be a good Christian. When his parents died,
Nicholas shared his inheritance with the poor, sick, and suffering
people of his community. He continued serving in the church, eventually
being ordained a priest by his uncle Nicholas who was also a bishop.
At the ordination, his uncle said, “I see a new sun rising above the
earth. Fr. Nicholas shall comfort and console the afflicted and shall
dispatch many souls to the kingdom of God.”
These words came
true, such as on the day when divine grace revealed to Fr. Nicholas the
situation of a debt-ridden man who had no money to support his daughters
nor to offer a dowry for each of them to get married. So, the
debt-ridden man planned to sell his daughters into slavery. Fr.
Nicholas, not one to let such things occur, took a purse of 300 gold
coins and dropped it through an open window at the man’s house.
The debt-ridden man rejoiced upon finding the gift as it would allow his
first daughter to get married to a good man. Some time later, the same
man found another purse of coins just like the first. He wondered at
just who could have given such a gift as it now would allow his second
daughter to get married.
Again some time later, Fr. Nicholas
returned and threw another purse of coins through the open window. But
this time the debt-ridden man saw Fr. Nicholas and, having caught him,
fell down at his feet and thanked God and Fr. Nicholas for such
generosity as it had saved his daughters. But Fr. Nicholas sought not
the praise of men and so he asked him to say nothing of this event
during his lifetime.
The Grace of God working through this holy
man shone through again when one day, Fr. Nicholas went to the Holy Land
on a pilgrimage to visit the sacred sites. On the way there, his ship
encountered a terrible storm and was in danger of sinking. Fr. Nicholas
prayed, and then suddenly the surrounding sea went calm. Now out of
danger, the ship sailed on safely to Jerusalem. All the sailors thanked
God for the miracle they received through His servant Fr. Nicholas.
In the Holy Land, Fr. Nicholas lived in a cave near Beit Jala for
several years. He wanted to remain as a hermit, but in a dream he
learned that God wanted him to return home to serve as a bishop.
Fr. Nicholas returned home and was soon after elected Bishop of Myra
when Bishop John died. He served the people of Myra for many years,
often being heard to say, “I am the slave of God. I live not for
myself but for others.”
In the early fourth century, the great
persecution of the Christians began under the Emperors Diocletian and
Maximian. Christian gatherings were forbidden and churches and sacred
books were destroyed. Bishop Nicholas and many other Christians were
arrested, tortured, and cast into prison. He suffered greatly for the
faith but remained steadfast, teaching his fellow inmates about Christ.
When Constantine finally became the Emperor, Nicholas and all the
Christians were released.
But then a new threat emerged, the
Arian heresy, which falsely taught that Christ was a created being and
not divine. The Emperor Constantine called for a council to be held in
Nicea in 325 AD which came to be known as the First Ecumenical Council.
Bishop Nicholas was one of the 318 bishops that attended this council
where the false teaching was condemned and the first eleven articles of
the Creed were confirmed.
St. Nicholas served his flock for many
more years until his repose in the mid-fourth century. But even after
his death miracles continued to occur when people sought his
intercessions. Such a miracle involved a man from Constantinople who
went on a voyage across the sea. When the ship he sailed on encountered
a storm, the man fell into the sea. He began praying, “St. Nicholas,
please save me! St. Nicholas, please save me!” Then suddenly, the man
found himself back in his house in Constantinople. He was safe again on
dry land but still dripping wet with seawater. He went straight to the
Church of St. Nicholas and fell prostrate before the saint’s icon to
give thanks to God for such a miracle.
We remember Saint Nicholas
every year on his feast day on December 6th. He is the patron saint of
sailors and fishermen. People still visit the church in his home town
of Myra of Asia Minor, which is now in the city of Demre, Turkey.
Although most people think of Santa Claus when they hear the name St.
Nicholas, Orthodox Christians remember him as a model for bishops and
great defender of the Orthodox Faith.
St. Nicholas, please pray for us!