St. Nicholas was born of a noble family at Patara, in the province of Lycia. His birth was the fruit of his parents prayers. Evidences of his great future holiness were given from his very cradle. legend has it that as an infant, he would take his food only once on Wednesdays and Fridays, and then not till evening; whilst on a all other days he frequently took the breast: he kept up this custom of fasting during the rest of hi life. Having lost his parents when he was a boy, he gave all his goods to the poor. Of is Christian kindheartedness there is the following noble example. One of his fellow-citizens had three daughters; but being too poor to obtain them an honorable marriage, he was minded to abandon them to a life of prostitution. Nicholas having come to know the case, went to the house during the night, and threw in by the window a sum of money sufficient for the dower of one of the daughters; he did the same a second and a third time; and thus the three were married to respectable men. Having given himself wholly to the service of God, he set out for Palestine, that he might visit and venerate the holy places. During this pilgrimage, which he made by sea, he foretold to the mariners on embarking,though the heavens were then serene and the sea tranquil, that they would be overtaken by a frightful storm. In a very short time the storm arose. All were in the most imminent danger, when he quelled it by his prayers. His pilgrimage ended, he returned home, giving to all men example of the greatest sanctity. He went, by an inspiration from God, to Myra, the metropolis of Lycia, which had just lost its bishop by death, and the bishops of the province had come together for the purpose of electing a successor. Whilst they were holding council for the election, they were told by a revelation from heaven, that they should choose him who, on the morrow, should be the first to enter the church, his name being Nicholas. Accordingly, the requisite observations were made, when they found Nicholas to be waiting at the church door: they took him, and, to the incredible delight of all, made him the bishop of Myra. During his episcopate, he never flagged in the virtues looked for in a bishop; chastity, which indeed he had always preserved, gravity, assiduity in prayer, watchings, abstinence, meekness in exhortation, severity in reproving. He befriended widows and orphans by money, by advice, and by every service in his power. So zealous a defender was he of all who suffered oppression, that, on one occasion, three tribunes having been condemned by the emperor Constantine, who had been deceived by calumny, and having heard of the miracles wrought by Nicholas, they recommended themselves to his prayers, though he was living at a very great distance from that place; the saint appeared to Constantine, and looking angrily upon him, obtained from the terrified emperor their deliverance. Having, contrary to the edict of Diocletian and Maximian, preached in Myra the truth of the Christian faith, he was taken up by the servants of the two emperors. He was taken off to a great distance and thrown into prison, where he remained until Constantine, having become emperor, ordered his release, and the saint returned to Mrya. Shortly afterwards, he repaired to the Council which was being held at Nicaea; there he took part with the three hundred and eighteen fathers in condemning the Arian heresy. Scarcely had he returned to his see, than he was taken with the sickness of which he soon died. Looking up to heaven, and seeing angels coming to meet him, he began the psalm, In thee, O Lord, have I hoped; and having come to those words, Into thy hands I commend my spirit, his soul took its flight to the heavenly country. His body, having been translated to Bari in Apulia, is the object of universal veneration. fisheaters/customsadvent3.html catholicharboroffaithandmorals/St.%20Nicholas.html catholictradition.org/Children/saint-nicholas.htm salvemariaregina.info/SalveMariaRegina/SMR-178/Nicholas.htm allthesaintsandpeterandpaul/st-nicholas.html magnificat.ca/cal/en/saints/saint_nicholas.html traditionalcatholic.net/Tradition/Calendar/12-06.html sacred-texts/chr/lots/lots375.htm nobility.org/2013/12/05/st-nicholas/
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 16:00:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015