Nicholas the Wonderworker: who does he patronize and what is asked of him

A saint for everyone, capable of healing, and protecting, and repelling enemies, and protecting on a journey, and calming a storm, and giving a harvest. Nikolai Ugodnik is the most revered saint in Rus'. Not a single village, not a single town was without a chapel, a temple or simply an icon of St. Nicholas.

“There is probably no such Orthodox church, there is no red corner of the home where there would not be his icon, there is no Orthodox person who, at least once in his life, has not addressed a prayer request to him for help and intercession.”

The life story of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

The birthplace of the Great Wonderworker is the city of Patara, which existed in the region of Lycia in Asia Minor. This town was a Greek colony. Nikolai’s parents could not have a child for a long time, and tearfully asked Christ the Savior to give them a child. They themselves were very pious and religious people. They lived comfortably and did not need anything.

After the Lord heard the prayers of a childless couple, they had a wonderful baby, who was named Kolya. He grew up to be a very smart and intelligent boy. To the surprise of his parents, Nikolai was serious beyond his years. From an early age he began to honor the Lord and try to live according to his Commandments. Nikolai loved to help people, and he did it without any “show off”. He never told anyone about his good deeds.

After the death of his parents, Nicholas distributed to the poor all the wealth they possessed. This saved the whole city from starvation. He helped both in deed and in word. Later, Nikolai began to hear other people’s prayers and began to come to people’s aid more and more often. Christ Himself appointed Nicholas the Pleasant as a senior Saint. There is an opinion that the icon of the Holy Trinity depicts Christ, the Mother of God and Nicholas the Pleasant.

Those who did not recognize Christ and were not Orthodox Christians tried to kill Nicholas the Pleasant more than once. He had to experience a lot, but Nikolai did not stop believing in the Lord. On the contrary, it only strengthened my spirit. He became a miracle worker when he began to save people from incurable diseases and even resurrect them after death.

Many people associate Nikolai Ugodnik with Santa Claus. For this we must say thank you to the chance of saving three girls from the death of sin. Nikolai threw money out the window to the desperate father, who decided to give his daughters to harlots. Santa also currently arrives with gifts for Christmas.

Nikolai Ugodnik died at the age of approximately 80 years. And his relics do not cease to exude miraculous power to this day. After his death, the Saint began to help the people even more. Therefore, the day of his death, December 19 according to the new style, is honored and spent not in sorrow, but in joy. He went to the Lord, there Nikolai is calmer, his soul rejoices. There is now no persecution from non-believers, and he completely devotes himself to helping us Christians.

Many temples and churches were built in honor of St. Nicholas the Pleasant. In every monastery of the Lord there is an icon with the image of this Saint. It exists in almost every Christian home. They pray to this Saint not only for the gift of health, but also in the most difficult situations, where one can only count on a miracle to unravel the issue.

What do we know about St. Nicholas the Wonderworker?

Year of birth: approx. 270 AD
Year of death: approx. 340 AD
Place of birth: city of Patara (Lycia), modern. Türkiye, Antalya
Where he died: Myra (Lycia), modern. Türkiye, Demre
Burial: initially he was buried in the city of Myra. In 1087, part of the relics was moved to Bari (Italy); in 1098, part of the relics was moved to the island. Lido (Italy), later fragments of the relics were taken to churches around the world.
Greek by nationality
Height: about 168-170 cm. Anthropologists established this from the remains of the relics.

Why is St. Nicholas the Wonderworker called the Wonderworker?

During his lifetime, Saint Nicholas performed many real deeds that can rightfully be considered a miracle. From his earliest years he devoted himself to serving Christ. This Saint was such a selfless person that he gave away everything he had. He thought and worried about every Christian believer. Nikolai could not imagine his life without helping other people.

There is a known case of a baby who drowned in the sea, and the parents were already desperate to look for his body. They tirelessly prayed to Nicholas the Wonderworker and believed that he would help them. And so it happened - the Saint heard their prayers. He was able to find the child’s body in the bottomless sea and, surprisingly, Nikolai revived him. The saint brought the baby to the Temple and placed it next to the icon with his image.

When the grief-stricken parents came to the Temple once again to pray for the salvation of their child, they were shocked. They looked at their living baby and couldn’t believe their eyes. Then the people began to honor and respect St. Nicholas even more.

There were many such miraculous cases. Nikolai helped a huge number of people defeat death and move on with their lives. He once saved a sailor who drowned during a storm and almost ruined the lives of the people sailing with him on the ship. He saved many people who were terminally ill and were ready to set off on the journey to heaven from death.

His miraculous power also lay in his ability to hear people’s prayers and quickly help them. He saved many innocently convicted prisoners from prison and the death penalty. The prayers of the prisoners reached Nicholas’s ears from anywhere in the world, and the Saint quickly came to the rescue.

Even if it is a collective image, it is dear to the heart

And even the fact that the lives of the saints cannot be perceived as a historical document is not so important. “Lives in general are characterized by the migration of some plots from one to another,” says reader Kirill Aleksin. – There is a point of view that in the life of St. Nicholas, which we know, the biography of two saints is combined: Nicholas of Myra, whose memory we celebrate, and St. Nicholas from the city of Patras. So some of the acts attributed to Nicholas of Myra may, in fact, have been committed by another saint. But this shouldn’t cause us any embarrassment.”

According to Professor Alexander Kopirovsky, all these stories about St. Nicholas, dear to the hearts of the common man, indicate that this, albeit largely collective, image of a Christian is an image of a living person, who is in the thick of life, for whom the gospel ideal is not something something speculative, and something that he embodies in specific situations. This is the image of a people's defender, very dear to my heart.

“Nicholas of Myra is a saint to whom we pray in all sorts of everyday difficulties, and they visit us very often, in fact accompany us all our lives,” says reader Kirill Aleksin. “Therefore, in the ‘popular hierarchy of saints’ he really ends up very high.” According to the theologian, this is also manifested in how often the name Nikolai was given (and is still given) to children. And in terms of the number of St. Nicholas Temples - in Russia: there are a lot of them, as well as in the Christian East, in the eastern Mediterranean. All this shows us how a person who once lived a very, very long time ago can nevertheless leave a memory of himself precisely because of his kindness and responsiveness. People remember such things even after a person’s death. A living connection with him is preserved because, as we know, with God, everyone is alive.

Why is Nicholas called the Pleasant?

This Great Saint is called the Pleaser from the word please. But this word does not always sound in a pleasant moment. For example, pleasing people can be regarded as bad manners and even a sin. After all, in this matter, it’s as if you are betraying yourself and starting to live the way one of the people wants. Living to please someone is not good.

But Saint Nicholas, during his life on our sinful earth, pleased not a specific person and not a crowd of them, but precisely our Lord Jesus Christ. He lived as the Lord told him and as his heart felt. Nikolai was a very merciful person, this is what the Lord expects from us most of all

Every Orthodox believer should not think about pleasing, first of all, his superiors, his wife or husband, his children or some influential people. When committing any action, he must think about how Christ will look at it all. There is no need to be afraid or worry about what people will think of you in a given situation. Better imagine how you will look in the eyes of Christ, our main judge of life.

No wonder there is a phrase: “Lord, bless!” It is pronounced before an important matter that will not harm anyone. Try saying it, for example, when you are about to cheat on your wife or husband. It is unlikely that you will succeed. Right? Because this is a sinful thing - treason. Before every action, remember this phrase and think about pleasing the Lord, then you will be happy.

“It’s not a shame to ask him for help in everyday difficulties”

“St. Nicholas is known as a people’s helper and a miracle worker,” says reader Kirill Aleksin, a teacher at the theological faculty of the Orthodox St. Tikhon’s Humanitarian University.

. – There are many episodes in his life because of which he is considered such a saint that he is not ashamed to ask for some everyday things. Indeed, if the lives of many saints mainly tell about their stoic exploits, then St. Nicholas became known for various everyday episodes. Such that rarely appear on the pages of the lives of saints: these are not the works of stylites, not signs, but something very close to the needs of the common man. Including – rescuing people from financial difficulties, from unjust trials, and so on.”

“The life of St. Nicholas, which gradually took shape from many parts, depicts him as a man amazing in his simplicity,” says Alexander Kopirovsky, a specialist in church art, professor at the St. Philaret Orthodox Christian Institute

. “He can look for a dowry for poor girls, whom their father, in complete desperation, already wanted to release to the panel, because there is nothing to live on, and no one will marry them.” And so Saint Nicholas, having heard this, threw them some money out the window. And when three nobles were sentenced to execution, he appears to the emperor in a dream, asking for their release. And when the emperor does not heed his word, Saint Nicholas himself finds himself at the place of execution and stops the executioner with the power of his spiritual and moral authority. Many similar stories are captured in the hagiographies of the icons of St. Nicholas.”

Photo: Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

Why is St. Nicholas the Wonderworker called pontiff?

In those distant times, when Nikolai Ugodnik lived in the white world, the Roman emperors were not very well disposed towards Christians. But there was a period when the persecution of them was reduced, then Nicholas the Wonderworker ascended the episcopal throne in the city of Mira. For this they also call St. Nicholas the Pontiff.

During his reign as a bishop, Nicholas the Ugodnik was fair, and the people loved him very much for this. Nikolai did not ignore any request. He delved into the problem of each person, passing it through his soul and heart. Even though the request was the smallest, and seemingly funny, Nikolai took it seriously and did not ignore it.

Nicholas the Wonderworker - Defender of Orthodoxy

The end of the 3rd and beginning of the 4th centuries, when Saint Nicholas lived, was also a time when Christianity went through the difficult path of formulating doctrinal truths.

What does it mean?

All spiritual definitions (and the Creed at their core) and all the dogmas by which the Church now lives were formulated precisely then. It was necessary to do this, since Christianity was covering ever larger territories. The Christian communities and peoples who were baptized became increasingly fragmented and diverse. Increasingly, teachings began to arise that distorted one or another Christian truth.

These heresies arose not due to any evil intent, but precisely due to the lack of formulated dogmas. For example, some bishop taught his flock the way he himself felt the Christian faith. Somewhere he could be mistaken and thus broadcast his delusions to entire cities: he had students and followers who, in turn, taught people, etc. At times, heretical teachings could cover territories no smaller than Orthodoxy.

Nicholas the Wonderworker was one of the most ardent defenders of Orthodox truths. Sometimes he could be overly emotional - at one of the Ecumenical Councils, where the dogmas were being formulated, he even slapped his opponent - for which he was immediately expelled for disciplinary purposes.

Nevertheless, for all his integrity, Saint Nicholas was not reckless. For example, when Christianity was not yet an official religion in the Roman Empire, Saint Nicholas did not destroy pagan temples - as he began to do later. Because he understood that by doing this, he would bring wrath not only on himself, but also on his entire flock.

Why is Nicholas the Wonderworker the most revered saint in Rus'?

The Russian people love St. Nicholas the Wonderworker very much, honor him and firmly believe in his power. This Saint did a lot for the Russian land. He was not only a man who walked the path of the Lord, but also a brave warrior. This Saint was not soft-bodied; he could also show a stern disposition. Nicholas boldly entered the battle for the Russian land. Many military leaders and ordinary soldiers during wars with enemies sent prayers to Nicholas the Wonderworker, and he helped our people defeat the enemy.

Nicholas the Wonderworker is close in spirit to the Russian people. Many of us are generous and merciful. Our people have a great desire to help others, even to their own detriment. This is exactly what Nikolai Ugodnik was. After the death of his parents, who were very rich, the Wonderworker distributed all the money to the needy, thereby saving numerous people from starvation. It is worth noting that Nikolai provided help to the people secretly.

There is a known case when Nikolai Ugodnik heard the prayers of the father of three daughters. This man was once rich, but then he went broke, and he did not have a penny to somehow feed his three daughters. In his prayers, this former god asked for forgiveness for what he had planned. He wanted to give his little blood to harlots, thereby saving them from starvation.

Hearing these words, Nikolai Ugodnik decided to help the unfortunate father of these three innocent girls. He secretly crept up to the man's house and threw a bag of gold to the eldest daughter through the window. The next morning the former merchant saw the money, rejoiced, and after a while he successfully married his daughter.

Then the poor man decided to give his second daughter to a harlot out of hopelessness. Then again Nikolai Ugodnik helped and threw gold through the middle daughter’s window, thereby saving her from debauchery and sin. The second daughter was soon also given in marriage to a good, wealthy man, whom she fell in love with and was happy in cancer.

Then the poor man wanted to know who his savior was. When the story repeated itself with the third daughter, the desperate father finally managed to lay in wait for the Holy Helper. He suspected that it might be St. Nicholas the Wonderworker himself. The man rushed to the feet of the Saint and kissed him with praises and words of gratitude.

Nicholas the Wonderworker became a role model and ideal for the Russian people. All Orthodox Christians tried to be like him. People and their children taught that they need to help each other, then the world will become a better place. In Rus' it was very common to name your children Nicholas, and it was in honor of this Great Saint that this was done.

Saint Nicholas in Dutch is Santa Claus.

This is the western brother of our Santa Claus. One of the legends about St. Nicholas tells how he helped a merchant who fell into poverty. He was completely ruined and was about to send his three daughters out of the house to earn a piece of bread with their beauty. To save the beauties from dishonor, Nikolai crept up to their house at night and threw three gold coins into the chimney. By amazing chance, they fell right into the girl’s shoes, which were drying by the fireplace. The happy father bought a dowry for his daughters with this money and successfully married them off. This amazing story gave rise to the custom in Europe of putting gifts in children's socks and shoes at Christmas. Our gifts under the tree are distant greetings from St. Nicholas.

Wonderworker icon photo

The photo we presented shows the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. It can be found in many homes of our Orthodox people. There is not a single believer who has not at least once heard the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. This icon can stand with the others in the red corner of the house. This corner is usually located in the bedroom or living room. To install icons, choose the far right corner of the room.

Prayers in front of the icon of the Wonderworker can be read in the mornings and evenings. You can ask for healing not only of your sinner’s body, but also of your soul. For many in the modern age, it is not the body that hurts, but the soul. There is a lot of depravity all around and people have more sinful thoughts. This is why the soul suffers. Often souls are sick because a person suffers after the death of a loved one. In these cases, the Wonderworker also helps.

Where are the relics of St. Nicholas kept?

After the death of Saint Nicholas, his body rested in Myra. Later the relics were transported to the city of Bari in Italy. Since 1087, most of the relics have been located in the city of Bari to this day, but some particles of relics are found throughout the world. In Russia alone there are 25 churches where there are particles of the saint’s relics.

There is an icon of the saint in any Orthodox church. If you visit a temple, be sure to light a candle in front of the saint’s face, ask for intercession and help, he will definitely hear your prayers.

Nicholas the Wonderworker is a real person who helped people not only with his God-given abilities. He helped the common people with simple things that we can also do. Not everyone can lead a strict lifestyle, but each of us can become a little kinder and more sympathetic, lend a helping hand to our neighbors, help out money to relatives or people in need. There is a high reward for good deeds. We hope this article was useful to you.

Icon Nicholas the Wonderworker history

Icons of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker began to be painted in the 8th century. The oldest of them is the icon painted on the walls of the Church of Santa Maria Antiqua, which is located in Rome.

The Pleasant was depicted not only standing, at full height, but also waist-deep. In the version where Nicholas flaunts his full height on the icon, the Gospel is in his left hand. It is shown open. Here you can also consider the tithe, which blesses.

In the version of the writing on the icon of Nicholas only up to the waist, the Gospel is also located in the left hand, but closed. The most ancient version of such an icon was brought by Ivan the Terrible from Novgorod and given to the Smolensk Novodevichy Convent. And these days you can admire it within the walls of the Tretyakov Gallery.

Also, icons were subsequently painted depicting St. Nicholas the Pleasant in various scenes from life. There he no longer showed off alone, but surrounded by other Saints and in the company of Jesus Christ himself.

The icon of Nikola Mokroy also went down in history. It was to this icon that a drowned child was brought out of the sea and resurrected by Nicholas the Wonderworker. The icon was kept in the St. Sophia Cathedral, but after the end of the Second World War, it still cannot be found - it disappeared without a trace.

There is also a known case of not painting an icon with the image of the Wonderworker, but creating a wooden statue of him. It was made in Mozhaisk, after an enemy attack on this city. According to legend, during the invasion of enemy troops, the intercessors saw St. Nicholas the Pleasant himself above the local cathedral. Nicholas stood above the dome, and in his right hand was a sword. In his left hand was a model of the cathedral, surrounded by a high fence. The enemies also saw this image, so they hastened to retire to their territory. After this, a protective statue was created, which was named “Nikola Mozhaisky”. Nowadays this Shrine can be seen in the Tretyakov Gallery.

There is also a very interesting round icon with the face of St. Nicholas. Her name is “Nikola Dvorishchsky”. She has an unusual story. Once upon a time, the Novgorod prince became seriously ill and asked Nicholas the Wonderworker to heal himself in prayers. Then Nicholas appeared to the prince in a dream and asked to transport his image from Kyiv in a round shape, on a board. The prince sent messengers to fetch the image on a ship, but they were caught in a storm. While waiting out bad weather on the island of Lipno, the ministers saw the icon itself floating towards them. Later it was placed in the St. Nicholas Cathedral at Yaroslav's Courtyard. This is where the icon got its name from.

How does Nikolai Ugodnik help?

The saint is considered one of the main helpers of believers, and different people can turn to him with their problems.

The icon of St. Nicholas the Pleasant helps people who have problems at work or cannot find a suitable place for themselves.
Prayer requests attract good luck in life, with the help of which you can cope with various life problems and reach new heights.
He is considered the patron saint of warriors, as evidenced by cross amulets with the image of the Wonderworker, which were worn by men going into battle.
You can ask for help in your personal life. Parents offer prayers to him for a successful marriage for their children. People in the family ask the saint to maintain happiness and improve relationships.
There are prayers that promote both physical and mental healing.
Nikolai Ugodnik is the patron saint of sailors and travelers, so it is recommended to have the image of the Wonderworker in the interior of your car. You can turn to him with prayers for a safe journey and a happy return.

Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

Nikolai Ugodnik has three memorable days. All celebration dates are fixed and are celebrated on the same date year after year. These days are called Nikola Winter, Nikola Spring and Nikola Summer. One day is celebrated in winter - December 19th. This is the date of the Saint's death. On this day, adults and elderly people gather at one table and have long conversations about the life of this Saint. Pies, sauerkraut, potatoes, various preparations and mash are placed on the table. On this day, young people sled down the hill and make snow women.

Nikola Veshny is celebrated on May 22. On this date the relics of St. Nicholas were transferred to Bari. On this day, festive tables are also gathered, and young people were allowed to sing songs and dance in circles on this holiday. And on St. Nicholas of the Summer on August 11, the Orthodox people gather and have gatherings with delicious dishes. All these days are accompanied by prayers in front of the icon of this Saint, and in memories of the correct peaceful life of this Great Man.

The people always praised St. Nicholas the Wonderworker for the fact that he could act on nature and the elements. The saint could stop the most evil hurricane with his prayer. In spring and summer, the celebration of the day of memory of St. Nicholas could be accompanied by a religious procession to the first well. There prayers were read to the Wonderworker and requests were sent for the gift of rain. If spring and summer were rainy, then this traditional ceremony was dispensed with.

Holidays

The Orthodox Church celebrates two main holidays of the year dedicated to the Saint:

“Nikola Summer” - May 22. They honor the transfer of the relics of the wonderworker from Myra in Lycia to Bar (1087)
“Winter Nikola” - December 19 (December 6, O.S.). They commemorate Saint Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, wonderworker (about 345). Day of death.

There is another holiday revered by the Russian Church.

The Nativity of St. Nicholas is August 11 (July 29, O.S.). This day is not noted in the month of the month, but it is celebrated by Orthodox believers.

Prayer to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker

You can send prayers to the Holy Saint not only those that are in the prayer book. We will provide you with one of the Orthodox prayers in the form of a picture for better understanding. But you can pray in your own words. Clearly formulate your problem, carry every word of prayer through your heart, then Nikolai Ugodnik will certainly hear you and help you.

The words of the prayer could be as follows (an example for a patient’s request for health): “Our Saint Nicholas, thank you for coming to the aid of all believers. You don’t leave anyone in trouble, so don’t leave me alone with your grief. I want to ask for health for myself, it is letting me down a lot, and medical treatment is not helping me well. The doctors want to give me up; they say that I am terminally ill. I have all my hope only in you. Please help me live at least a little longer in this world so that I can know the joy for my children and grandchildren. It will be difficult for them without me. Give me strength to live and continue to help my children in their good deeds. Hear my prayers, O Saint Nicholas the Pleasant! In the name of the Father. Son and Holy Spirit! Amen!".

Nikolai Ugodnik provides the greatest assistance in the following matters:

in granting health to incurable patients;
in the successful conception of a healthy baby in a childless family;
for problems related to unlawful deprivation of liberty;
when your point of view is not understood by loved ones;
during serious disagreements with husband or wife;
during exacerbation of chronic diseases;
with strong grief for a loved one who has died;
in expelling damage and the evil eye;
when enemies and envious people slander you.

These are the miracles Nikolai Ugodnik performed during his lifetime, and continues to perform them to this day.

Miracles for which Saint Nicholas became famous

Wonderful stories about good deeds performed by Nikolai Ugodnik are passed on from mouth to mouth.

The story of how Nicholas the Wonderworker helped unmarried girls

One poor man had three daughters. He could not provide them with a dowry; no one took girls in marriage. In desperation, the man decided to send all his daughters to a brothel. In this way he wanted to earn money for a living.

Nikolai learned about this decision and decided to help the man. At night, he threw three bags of money through the open window of his house. When the family discovered the find in the morning, they were glad and happy. But they did not know who their benefactor was. So Saint Nicholas, in a completely earthly way, saved three girls from a terrible and bitter fate.

Saint Nicholas helps unmarried people

The story of how Nicholas the Wonderworker helps those unjustly convicted

This story is about the rescue of prisoners, which also happened during the life of the Wonderworker. Three convicts were to be executed in the city square. Nicholas the Wonderworker suddenly appeared. He took the executioner's hand and prevented the death of the prisoner, who was within a hair's breadth of it. The executioner and everyone who was there did not argue with Nikolai, because he was a respected clergyman.

It later turned out that these prisoners were sentenced to death unfairly. Thus, the Lord, through Saint Nicholas, sent salvation to these people.

All prisoners turn to Nicholas the Wonderworker for help, even if they ended up in prison on merit. After all, every person, even if he has stumbled or made a mistake in life, has the right to forgiveness.

This incident is reflected in a painting by artist Ivan Repin.

Saint Nicholas saves those sentenced to death

The story of how Nicholas the Wonderworker helps non-believers

This event occurred after the death of the saint. In a Chinese village, a fisherman suddenly began to drown. The wave covered him. He screamed and called for help, but understood that this was the end. Suddenly he remembered the icon that he had seen among Russian emigrants and began to ask: “Old man, save me!”

After that, he regained consciousness on the shore. After his salvation, this man converted to Orthodoxy and told everyone that the saint had saved him.

The story of St. Nicholas's help to sailors

Travelers have considered Nicholas the Wonderworker their protector since he saved the sailor. The saint was forced to set sail on a ship. During this journey, a terrible tragedy occurred - a sailor fell from the mast and died. Nikolai began to fervently pray to the Lord, and He performed a miracle - the sailor was resurrected. No one expected such a miracle; everyone was amazed.

Not only sailors, but also all other travelers can turn to the Saint for help. When you are driving or walking far, it would be useful to pray to the saint for returning home.

Saint Nicholas helps travelers