Why Saint Nicholas is one of the most revered saints in the world

Life of Nicholas the Wonderworker

Many residents of Russia consider Nicholas the Wonderworker to be a truly Russian saint. However, he has never been to our country.

He was born in 270 in the Roman Empire, in the ancient Lycian city of Patara. It was a Greek colony at that time. His parents were wealthy people and deeply religious Christians. Nicholas showed his first miracle and that life belonged to God during the Sacrament of Baptism , when a baby, unable to speak or walk, stood in the font for three whole hours, praising the Creator.

Then he increasingly showed an example of faith to his parents: on fasting days, the child refused to breastfeed, as if the time of fasting had been written in his heart from birth! As Nikolai grew older, he began to pray more and more, especially at night. He was not interested in children's games; he spent most of his time in the temple. His uncle was the Bishop of Patara, he elevated Nicholas to the rank of reader and then deacon at a fairly young age, knowing about his piety.

Help a neighbor

Soon Nikolai became a priest. When his parents died, he gave away all his property to the poor. His feat is known when, at the age of sixteen, he learned about his impoverished neighbor, who decided to send his daughters to the ancient profession. Nikolai knew these girls from childhood, and he felt very sorry for them. Then he decided at night to throw a bag of gold coins that were left over from their inheritance through their window. Nikolai then watched how the owner spent the money . The delighted father used these funds to arrange a wedding for his eldest daughter.

Then the next night Nikolai again threw a bag of gold at them through the window. The father married off his second daughter, but was wondering who was helping them. He really wanted to see his benefactor, so he hid and waited for the unknown person to come throw a third bag at them through the window. So Nikolai was declassified. The father thanked the kind young man with tears.

Icons usually depict a bishop throwing a bag of gold out of a window. But in fact, Nikolai was not in office at that time. Since then, the saint has become the prototype of Santa Claus (or Father Frost), who puts gifts under the tree at night.

When the bishop died in the city of Myra, the residents unanimously wished to have Nicholas in this post, knowing about his virtuous life. Having become a bishop, Nicholas immediately issued a decree to end the persecution of Christians. He also fought against paganism and defended the faith from heresies. slapped the heretic Arius
at the Ecumenical Council

Prayer 5 to Saint Nicholas

O great intercessor, the bishop of God, the Most Blessed Nicholas, who shone miracles under the sun, appearing as a quick hearer to those who call upon you, who always precede them and save them, and deliver them, and take them away from all sorts of troubles, from these God-given miracles and gifts of grace! Hear me, unworthy, calling you with faith and bringing you prayer songs; I offer you an intercessor to plead with Christ. Oh, renowned for miracles, saint of heights! as if you have the boldness, soon stand before the Lady, and reverently stretch out your hands in prayer to Him for me, a sinner, and grant me the bounty of goodness from Him, and accept me into your intercession, and deliver me from all troubles and evils, from the invasion of enemies visible and invisible freeing, and destroying all those slander and malice, and reflecting those who fight me throughout my life; for my sins, ask for forgiveness, and present me saved to Christ and be worthy to receive the Kingdom of Heaven for the abundance of that love for mankind, to which belongs all glory, honor and worship, with his beginningless Father, and with the Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages centuries.

The death and relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

The saint reposed in 345 in Myra in Lycia. After his death, the saint’s body began to exude myrrh—fragrant oil. First a basilica and then a temple were built over his grave. In 1087 the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker were kidnapped by the Italians and transported to the Italian city of Bari, where they remain to this day. Crowds of pilgrims flock to the myrrh-streaming relics of the saint every day, where many receive healing.

Memorial Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker:

• The day of death is December 19.
• The day of transfer of relics is May 22.
• The saint's birthday is August 11.

Prayer 7 to St. Nicholas

Oh, all-good Father Nicholas, shepherd and teacher of all who flow by faith to your intercession, and who call on you with warm prayer, quickly strive and deliver the flock of Christ from the wolves that destroy it, that is, from the invasion of the evil Latins who are rising against us.

Protect and preserve our country, and every country existing in Orthodoxy, with your holy prayers from worldly rebellion, the sword, the invasion of foreigners, from internecine and bloody warfare. And just as you had mercy on three men imprisoned, and you delivered them from the king’s wrath and the beating of the sword, so have mercy and delivered the Orthodox people of Great, Little and White Rus' from the destructive heresy of the Latin. For through your intercession and help, and through His mercy and grace, may Christ God look with His merciful eye on people who exist in ignorance, even though they have not known their right hand, especially young people, by whom the Latin seductions are spoken to turn away from the Orthodox faith, may he enlighten the minds of His people, may they not be tempted and fall away from the faith of their fathers, may their conscience, lulled by vain wisdom and ignorance, awaken and turn their will to the preservation of the holy Orthodox faith, may they remember the faith and humility of our fathers, may their life be for the Orthodox faith who have laid down and accepted the warm prayers of His holy saints, who have shone in our land, keeping us from the delusion and heresy of the Latin, so that, having preserved us in holy Orthodoxy, He will grant us at His terrible Judgment to stand on the right hand with all the saints. Amen.

Time to learn Divine Scripture

It took a talented student from Lycia very little time to learn the deep wisdom of Holy Scripture.

A short biography of Nicholas the Wonderworker says that in his adolescence he did not like to spend time in empty entertainment with friends; all his free time from studying he spent in the temple.

Filled with the grace of God, led by the Holy Spirit, the youth perfected his mind and body to correspond to the Temple in which the Holy Spirit lives (First Cor. 3:16).

Seeing the youth’s dedication to Christ, his uncle, known to the laity as Nicholas of Patarsky, entrusted his God-fearing nephew with the position of reader. After the death of his parents, the future Saint distributed his entire inheritance to the poor and devoted himself completely to God.

Church of St. Nicholas

At the beginning of the 20th century, a decision was made to revive the temple, but until now the building had the status of a museum. In 2009, a group of pilgrims wanted to hold a service in the temple.

In 2010, the service was conducted by the archbishop himself.

Another church of St. Nicholas exists in the city of Bari. The main budget, which was allocated for the revival of the church in Mir (Demre), went towards the restoration of this building. In 1914, the doors of the shrine were opened to pilgrims.

Texts of prayers

During prayer, you can ask St. Nicholas the Wonderworker to help:

• with health problems;
• change destined hardships;
• support when making important business decisions;
• in promotion at work;
• about peace after the death of dear people;
• in healing the soul;
• escape from loneliness;
• get married successfully;
• find love.

Documentation

An authentic biography of St. Nicholas has not been published, since in the existing data the writings about the Myra and Pinar figures are intertwined. Nicholas the Wonderworker was mentioned in the following documents:

• legends of Metaphrastus from 1720. They were found by Phalakonius. Authorship of Patriarch Methodius;
• “Chetii-Minea” from Saint D. Rostov. Contains abbreviations of the legends of Metaphrastus (descriptions of the life of both Nikolaevs in one person);
• legends about Nicholas of Myra from the monastery of St. Sava and the Sinai Temple;
• Life of Nicholas of Pinar and Mirliki from Antonin-Kapustin.

What does the saint help with, what do they pray to him for?

Nicholas the Wonderworker enjoys special love because people turn to him for every need in life, regardless of its scale, and prayer never goes unheard, and requests coming from the soul are always fulfilled. Prayer to Nicholas the Pleasant is one of the most powerful.

• Saint Nicholas is revered as the patron saint of sailors and travelers in general. Its icon, as a rule, is always present in the interior of any vehicle. They pray to him for a safe journey, a happy return, remembering the saint’s pacification of the sea storm.
• They pray to Nicholas the Wonderworker for a successful marriage for their daughter - in memory of the help of the saint, who secretly donated a dowry for three daughters to a bankrupt father.
• In lean years, prayers are offered to relieve hunger (remember the dream of the Italian merchant).
• The saint is asked to intercede before those who offend.
• Those who demand healing, both physical and mental, come to his icon with prayer - to find peace in the soul.

God's Pleasant

To the question: “Is this the same saint or are there differences?” – you can safely answer that this is the same person. Many people are a little confused by the word “pleaser”, which in our time has a somewhat negative connotation and is associated with sycophancy, characterizing a person who strives to please, to please his superior. Why is perhaps the most beloved saint by the Orthodox called the Pleasant?

If we talk about the secular popularity of a person, then it depends on PR, and on the individual’s ability to present himself, and on the tastes of each citizen. Everything is different in the church. Here it is not a mere mortal who chooses whom to treat with greater respect, but the Lord himself, who knows which of his saints he especially favors, which of them is closest to Him. The Creator will always hear the prayers of such a saint, and they will be fulfilled.

In the world, pleasing someone for selfish reasons can be equated to sin and even called the sin of people-pleasing. After all, this is a choice of path not according to the voice of one’s own conscience, but according to the “tips” of others. But pleasing God is doing what is approved by conscience. The voice of God is identified with the voice of conscience. What can please God more than anything? Works of mercy.

What is the difference between the Pleaser and the Wonderworker? The people called him a saint, since the saint was pleasing to God. The Heavenly Father himself chose him, he himself destined the path for him. And Nicholas, in turn, pleased the Almighty. They called him the miracle worker because he performed miracles - he healed, treated, helped with all sorts of life problems.

Saint Nicholas is also the Wonderworker, he is also the Pleasant, because he pleased God with works of mercy.

Brief biography

Saint Nicholas is also called the Wonderworker, the Saint of Myra, and the Saint of Myra. For a long time, his biography was confused with Pinarski’s namesake, so some of the manuscripts can be attributed to the biography of one or another clergyman. From an early age, Nicholas the Wonderworker wanted to indulge in a hermit’s lifestyle and pray for the good of all humanity.

But divine providence forced him to move on and help people in their search for themselves and enlightenment. He was nicknamed the miracle worker because of the actions that he performed, thanks to sincere prayers and deep faith in God. There is an opinion that during baptism the future saint was able to stand for at least 3 hours in holy water without outside support.

Origin

Nicholas of Myra was born in the middle of the 3rd century AD in Patara, a province of Asia Minor at that time. There are discrepancies about the exact origin of the saint. For a long time, his biography was confused with the biography of another saint, so there is an opinion where the saint’s parents are Theophanes and Nonna. It is known for certain that he was born into a wealthy and religious family, so from an early age he was interested in the Holy Scriptures.

Life and deeds

The saint spent most of his time in the church - during the day he studied the Holy Scriptures, attended services and communicated with the clergy. At night he indulged in prayers and reading books. Most of all he was interested in spiritual knowledge. Such dedication of the boy attracted the attention of the church and Nikolai Patarsky (according to one opinion, he was his uncle) appointed him a reader at the church, and then a presbyter.

Another version says that a miraculous sign was given, and the saint was immediately elevated to the status of Bishop of Myra.

Presbyter

By his nature, Nikolai was completely surrendered to God and remained in creation alone in prayer. After accepting the rank of presbyter, he began to guide other souls in darkness to the Lord. Soon the Bishop of Patara was sent to Palestine, and left his diocese to his nephew. Nicholas of Myra took control and humbly carried out the duties of his flock. After the death of his parents, he donated his entire rich inheritance to those in need.

One of the parishioners was poor. His three daughters could not get married, since at that time girls could not get married without a dowry. Since the family had no money, the daughters washed their stockings themselves and hung them over the fireplace to dry. One evening after the service, Nikolai heard his father crying and decided to help the family. He placed a handful of gold coins in each stocking. This was enough for each of the parishioner’s daughters to get married.

Pilgrimage to Palestine

After the return of the Bishop of Patara from Palestine, Nicholas himself set off on a spiritual journey. The presbyter traveled the route to Palestine by ship. There are several versions of miracles that the Wonderworker already performed at that time:

• predicted the beginning of a storm, which he was able to pacify with the help of prayer;
• resurrected a sailor who fell from the mast, wanting to straighten the sails;
• healed people in the ports where the ship moored;
• gave consolation to those who grieved for the departed;
• drove out sinful thoughts from those with whom I had the opportunity to communicate.

In Palestine, Nicholas settled in Beit Jala, near Bethlehem. Currently, on the site of the saint’s settlement, a temple has been erected in his honor. According to one version, he lived in a cave, where the place of worship is now fenced. While living in Palestine, Nicholas wanted to pray at night, but the temple was closed.

As soon as the saint approached the door, the lock fell to give the presbyter time to read his prayers.

The saint liked living in Palestine. During the day he attended all services, and at night he communicated with people and spiritually enlightened them. He wanted to stay there so that he could spend his entire life in solitude and only occasionally help others. In a dream, the Lord appeared to the priest and ordered him to return to his homeland to continue his spiritual path. The next morning the presbyter got ready for the journey.

Hermitage in Cyprus

There is an opinion that on the way to Lycia, Saint Nicholas, together with the Monk Eutyches, erected a Sacred Monastery on the site of a former pagan temple. Manuscripts about this were found near the most sacred building.

Return to Lycia

The saint did not want worldly vanity, so he did not go to his native Patara, where he would have been greeted with honors. Instead, he went to the Zion Monastery, which was founded by his uncle. Soon after this, Nikolai again heard the voice of the Lord in a dream, who told him to go further and bring knowledge to people. The saint left the brethren. His path lay in Mira, a large city of that time. The saint continued to pray fervently, attended church daily and helped those in need. Archbishop John died soon after. The supreme bishops gathered to choose his successor. For a long time they discussed and chose, but there was no single decision.

Then in a dream they heard an instruction: to choose the first person named Nikolai who would come to serve in the church. The oldest bishop went to the entrance to the temple in anticipation of the first parishioner, who became St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. As soon as the bishop heard his name, he immediately brought him to the bishops and announced the new Archbishop of Lycia. Here Nikolai spent most of his life, instructing people on the true path in serving his flock.

Persecution of Diocletian

The period of 284-311 became the most difficult for the Christian church. Emperor Diocletian persecuted all Orthodox clergy and destroyed churches everywhere. Nicholas the Wonderworker continued to preach the Word of God, for which he was imprisoned and tortured. But even at that time he did not stop praying. Soon, the emperor's successor Galerius stopped the persecution. The saint was released and was able to resume his post.

Fight against Arianism

One of the most ardent heretics of that time was Arius, who opposed Christianity in general. In 325, the Council of Nicea was convened, at which the future fate of Arius was decided. There is an opinion that Saint Nicholas was present at this meeting and zealously opposed the words of the heretic. According to other sources, he slapped Arius, for which he was imprisoned and deprived of his privileges.

But then Jesus Christ himself came to the elder bishops in a dream and conveyed the Gospel to Nicholas. The next day, Nikolai Ugodnik was released and all his privileges were restored. However, there is no evidence of this in the manuscripts. There was only a mention of a saint who was present at the Aryan meeting, but whether it was the Wonderworker is unknown.

Activities of the saint after the Council

After the Council, Saint Nicholas returned to his flock and continued to bring faith to people. He defended the slandered and innocently convicted, and also stopped wars with peaceful words. So he heard about the impending battle between the three commanders. The saint set out on a journey to stop them. The governors listened to him and decided to end the conflict. After their return to their homeland, the king sent all three military men to prison because he heard about the betrayal. The reason for this was the king's adviser, who slandered the governor. The convicts fervently prayed for the help of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. That same night the saint appeared in a dream to the king and ordered the slandered to be released. The king did not dare to contradict and reconsidered the matter of executing the governor the next morning.

Death and canonization

Saint Nicholas died in 324 of old age. His body immediately began to flow myrrh, so pilgrims began to gather at his relics in the Church of Myra. The exact date of Nicholas's canonization is unknown.