St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra
Catholic and Orthodox ping!
Posted on 12/06/2009 5:48:31 AM PST by NYer
.- Today, December 6, the faithful commemorate a Turkish bishop in the early church who was known for generosity and love of children. Born in Lycia in Asia Minor around the late third or fourth century, St. Nicholas of Myra is more than just the inspiration for the modern day Santa.
As a young man he is said to have made a pilgrimage to Palestine and Egypt in order to study in the school of the Desert Fathers. On returning some years later he was almost immediately ordained Bishop of Myra, which is now Demre, on the coast of modern day turkey.
The bishop was imprisoned during the Diocletian persecution and only released when Constantine the Great came to power and made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.
One of the most famous stories of the generosity of St. Nicholas says that he threw bags of gold through an open window in the house of a poor man to serve as dowry for the man’s daughters, who otherwise would have been sold into slavery.
The gold is said to have landed in the family’s shoes, which were drying near the fire. This is why children leave their shoes out by the door, or hang their stockings by the fireplace in the hopes of receiving a gift on the eve of his feast.
St. Nicholas is associated with Christmas because of the tradition that he had the custom of giving secret gifts to children. It is also conjectured that the saint, who was known to wear red robes and have a long white beard, was culturally converted into the large man with a reindeer-drawn sled full of toys because in German, his name is “San Nikolaus” which almost sounds like “Santa Claus.”
In the East, he is known as St. Nicholas of Myra for the town in which he was bishop. But in the West he is called St. Nicholas of Bari because, during the Muslim conquest of Turkey in 1087, his relics were taken to Bari by the Italians.
St Nicholas is the patron of children and of sailors. His intercession is sought by the shipwrecked, by those in difficult economic circumstances, and for those affected by fires. He died on December 6, 346.
Catholic and Orthodox ping!
All these years, I had no idea that my kids (and my wife) were hoping for an unscheduled visit from St. Nick. I thought they just were too lazy to put their shoes where they belonged....
He is also famous for reportedly (in some accounts) slapping Arius at the Council of Nicaea. St. Nicholas was then ejected from the council but was allowed back the next day after the Virgin appeared to the Church Fathers and told them that St. Nicholas acted out of love for the Son.
Interesting story .. thanks for the post and ping.
It was really quite objective, explaining how he got his start and how his story grew into what it is today.
I might run out and get the Bennett book "The real St. Nicholas" as a gift for a young adult in my family, even thought I'm not especially a fan of Bennett...
>> He is also famous for reportedly (in some accounts) slapping Arius at the Council of Nicaea.
To be bitch slapped by Santa - now that’s some serious stuff. He shoulda kept his silly consubstantialist opinions to himself.
Synaxarion:
This Saint lived during the reign of Saint Constantine the Great, and reposed in 330, As a young man, he desired to espouse the solitary life. He made a pilgrimage to the holy city Jerusalem, where he found a place to withdraw to devote himself to prayer. It was made known to him, however, that this was not the will of God for him, but that he should return to his homeland to be a cause of salvation for many. He returned to Myra, and was ordained bishop. He became known for his abundant mercy, providing for the poor and needy, and delivering those who had been unjustly accused. No less was he known for his zeal for the truth. He was present at the First Ecumenical Council of the 318 Fathers at Nicaea in 325; upon hearing the blasphemies that Arius brazenly uttered against the Son of God, Saint Nicholas struck him on the face. Since the canons of the Church forbid the clergy to strike any man at all, his fellow bishops were in perplexity what disciplinary action was to be taken against this hierarch whom all revered. In the night our Lord Jesus Christ and our Lady Theotokos appeared to certain of the bishops, informing them that no action was to be taken against him, since he had acted not out of passion, but extreme love and piety. The Dismissal Hymn for holy hierarchs, The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock ... was written originally for Saint Nicholas. He is the patron of all travellers, and of sea-farers in particular; he is one of the best known and best loved Saints of all time.
Interestingly, today we chant Resurrectional AND Seasonal Kontakia and Apolytikia.
Resurrectional Apolytikion in the First Tone
The stone had been secured with a seal by the Judeans, * and a guard of soldiers was watching Your immaculate body. * You rose on the third day, O Lord * and Savior, granting life unto the world. * For this reason were the powers of heaven crying out to You, O Life-giver: * Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ; * glory to Your eternal rule; * glory to Your dispensation, only One who loves mankind.
Resurrectional Kontakion in the First Tone
You arose from the sepulcher in glory as God, and with yourself resurrected the world. And mortal nature extolled You as God, and death was obliterated, and Adam is dancing, O Master; and Eve, now redeemed from the bonds, rejoices crying out: O Christ, You are He who grants resurrection to all.
Seasonal Kontakion in the Third Tone
On this day the Virgin cometh to the cave to give birth to * God the Word ineffably, * Who was before all the ages. * Dance for joy, O earth, on hearing * the gladsome tidings; * with the Angels and the shepherds now glorify Him * Who is willing to be gazed on * as a young Child Who * before the ages is God.
Orthodox ping. A blessed Name Day to all the Nicholases, Nikolais, Nicoles and Nicolinas!
btt
Those Greeks sure can put words together.
“Those Greeks sure can put words together.”
Yes, even in English; we’re rather proud of that...! Somehow or other, sports page English just doesn’t cut it for liturgical chants or monastic readings.
I’m sure it’s lovely in Greek. We’ve learned the verb “to raise up” and a pile of definite articles now!
My husband was stationed in Turkey in the Air Force. We were visiting a museum and they had this bone of Saint Nick in the musueum! I was trying to push my kids through so they didn’t see it! I recall it was in a red velvet lined box.
the faithful commemorate a Turkish bishop in the early church
Saint Nicholas was a fully Hellenic Greek father of the Christian Faith.
Nothing Turkish about him except that Muslim Turks destroyed what Christians created throughout Asia Minor.
“during the Muslim conquest of Turkey in 1087”
Here is another miserable mistake. The CNS writers must be in a permanent hangover mode or have given up on fact checking.
Turkey was not conquered-—that hopeful event still remains to happen.
Byzantium was continually under attack by arab muslims then by Turk Muslims –no Turkey existed – not until Kemal Mustafa - Hitler’s teacher of genocide—took over and finished off the destruction of 4 million Christian in the 20th century.
Here is another especially self serving rewriting of history too on the part of the CNS writers:
“…during the Muslim conquest of Turkey in 1087, his relics were taken to Bari by the Italians.”
Fact:
In 1087 Italian merchants STOLE his body at Myra, bringing it to Bari in Italy.
I printed the article so I can talk about St. Nicholas in Confirmation Class today!
Had the Italian merchants not taken his bones to Italy, what do you suppose the Muslims would have done with them?
Had the Italian merchants not taken his bones to Italy, what do you suppose the Muslims would have done with them?
The fact remains that they were stolen over the objection of Christian Orthodox Monks.
I found a text of the Akathist in Spanish, while I was looking for Mariachi pieces for Our Lady of Guadalupe. If the Spanish text fits a 4/4 meter, we could ...
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