Homily on Saint Nicholas
By: Andrew Bohush
Saint Nicholas
In the name of the Father, and the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Glory forever!
A bishop in the Church is one who is the successor to the apostles, and a shepherd that tends to his flock. Most people believe that bishops are just priests, who become monks and then subsequently become bishops who go and make archpastoral visits to parishes and you only see then once in a while and does nothing else between visits.
Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Nicholas, the Archbishop of Myra and Lycia. Saint Nicholas is a special Saint in the Church.
Saint Nicholas was and is a great hierarch and as the other Great Hierarchs of the Church, such as Saints John Chrysostom, Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian; all four have given great contributions to the Church to be numbered and remembered specifically outright during the Proskomedia. Even on Thursday mornings, the Liturgy is dedicated to Saint Nicholas and during the prayers of Intercession at Litya and after Psalm 50 during Resurrectional Vigil we remember Saint Nicolas.
Why is this important? Why is Saint Nicholas more important? Why is Saint Nicholas given multiple feast days during the year; once during the summer and once in winter? And why is Saint Nicholas both a high hierarch both in heaven and earth?
Saint Nicholas was an only child and devoted his life to God. By devoting oneself to God, it is a virtue that was being done. A virtue that is instilled upon a person at birth, that virtue is Love.
As I said before the love that Saint Nicholas had for God when he gave his life to God was not just a simple love, it was a love that Saint Nicholas has in his heart was that of love. With this love Saint Nicholas was given grace from God to be one who is to be truly glorified.
Saint Nicholas was just not an ordinary bishop. In today’s epistle reading we are reminded that we are to “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”
When we hear these words we hear that we need to be obedient to the hierarchy of the Church. Which is true, where the bishop as the Chief Shepherd of his diocesan faithful is accountable for the people that he rules over. When we go before the kingdom of God, we all will be judged for what we have done, whether it was done involuntary or voluntary, word, deed thought, and any of the five senses we have been given. By a bishop being accountable for his flock, he has a special love for those that are under him. It is not a conditional love, but a unconditional love.
As a bishop, Saint Nicholas was one who had a special blessing given to him, that no one else except for the Twelve Apostles had and that was to perform miracles. One of Saint Nicholas’ greatest miracles that he performed was the liberation of three men from death. These men were wrongfully judged by the Governor who was bought off with money.
Saint Nicholas was a man with many guts who went and grabbed the sword of the man who was to kill the three men and took it away from him. The Governor was furious with Saint Nicholas, and Saint Nicholas condemned the Governor for his misdeed. The governor asked for mercy and repentance. This miracle was witnessed by many and those that witnessed it went to Saint Constantine. Later, Saint Nicholas, being the man he was, appeared in Saint Constantine’s dream and told him to reverse the unjust execution of the three men.
This is the reason as to why Saint Nicholas was given the title of being a “Wonder-worker”. Saint Nicholas is such an important and one of the most highly regarded Saints that his name is known through all ends of the earth and every continent honors His holy name. In Holy Russia, Saint Nicholas is so important to people that almost every city has a Church, chapel or monastery consecrated in honor of his holy name.
During Molebins and at Great Compline the priest says special petitions of intercessions asking for prayers and at the end where it says for us to add other Saints; Saint Nicholas is the most popular among the saints to ask for prayers from. Holy Hierarch Father Nicholas, pray unto God for us. Amen.