St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra
Catholic and Orthodox ping!
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....
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.
btt
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!
An "Anglican World" Christmas Special: St. Nicholas, a Saint For Today
Saint Nicholas of Myra, By Ilya Repin
How St. Nicholas Became Santa Claus: One Theory
An Orthodox priest at Bari; the story of St. Nicholas' bones
Turkish Town Exchanges St. Nick for Santa (Former Myra, hometown of St. Nicholas)
The Real St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas belongs in any reclamation of Christmas
Don't forget: St. Nicholas' Day is tomorrow [today] (get your shoes out!)
Life of Saint Nicholas the Bishop, from The Golden Legend compiled by Jacobus de Voragine
Yes, There Really is a St. Nicholas !
The Byzantine Orthodox choral music dedicated to Saint Nicholas on this site is particularly ethereal:
http://ancient-anatolia.blogspot.com/2009/10/saint-nicholas-of-myra.html
Well what do you know...somehow the Saint’s relics made their way to...Ireland!
ping