The saint expects good deeds from us, and we from him – mercy and prayers before the Lord
– Saint Nicholas is loved and honored only in the Orthodox Church? How to properly celebrate December 19? Is it enough to just give gifts to children?
– “Their speech is distributed over the whole earth and their verbs are at the end of the universe.” Not much has been written about St. Nicholas, and he himself did not write anything. However, this saint is known all over the world as a saint who pleases God. His life was so full of faith and deeds that he is known and glorified not only by Orthodox believers, but also by Catholics, Protestants, and even Buddhists! For 17 centuries, people have been coming to it, as to the Life-giving Source, from which they come overflowing with the joy of life and earthly goods .
Why? Because he helped people even in his earthly life. He stopped a poor father who, out of despair, wanted to give his daughters to a bad marriage for the sake of money, and thereby saved the family from the grave sin of fornication. Calmed the storm at sea and prevented the ship from sinking, on which people were calling to St. Nicholas. Innocently convicted governors turned to him, and Saint Nicholas saved them, appearing to the emperor in a dream. At the first Ecumenical Council, out of jealousy for God, he boldly struck the heretic Arius on the cheek, for which the other bishops removed the omophorus and the Gospel from the saint. On the same night, all the bishops who were at the Council saw the same dream: that the Lord and the Mother of God handed Saint Nicholas the Gospel and the omophorus, as evidence that the Lord Himself was not angry with Saint Nicholas.
We do not have such a city where there is no church of St. Nicholas. There is no such house of believers without an icon of St. Nicholas. Students turn to him for help in order to pass exams well, patients before surgery – and he is on time everywhere.
December 19, like any holiday, should be celebrated in the temple of God. Therefore, on December 19, we have the feast of St. Nicholas. And during the service, we will congratulate the children and give them gifts. So that modern children know that it is not some Santa Claus who helps them, but St. Nicholas! He loves and cares for every child and adult. He expects good deeds from us, and we from him – mercy and prayers before the Lord. Of course, on December 19, we will all pray the same prayer that is prayed by all Orthodox churches and monasteries around the world – for peace in our country. This is a special prayer about blocking evil and ending internecine hostilities in Ukraine.
We pray at every Liturgy for those who have received mutilations and are in hospitals, and we do not leave prayers for the dead, who laid down their lives on the battlefield for faith and our Motherland. And during the day we will bless the children, offer prayers to Saint Nicholas and ask the Lord to protect our children and our country.
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