St.Nicholas of Myra

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St.Nicholas of Myra
was born in Asia Minor during the third century in the Greek colony of
Patara in Lycia in the Roman province of Asia- today Antalya, Turkey —
at a time when the region was Hellenistic in its culture and outlook.
Nicholas became bishop of the city of Myra. He was very religious from
an early age and devoted his life entirely to Christianity. According
to legend, Nicholas was said to have rigorously observed the canonical
fasts of Wednesdays and Fridays, even when an infant, by abstaining on
those days from his mother's breasts. Nicholas is said to have been
born to relatively affluent Christian parents in Patara, Lycia, where
he also received his early schooling.

As the patron saint also of sailors, Nicholas is claimed to have been
a sailor or fisherman himself. More likely, however, is that one of
his family businesses involved managing a fishing fleet. When his
parents died, Nicholas received his inheritance but is said to have
given it away to the poor. So was St Nicholas a working, albeit
wealthy, man who complemented his day job with caring for his
congregation, or was he a full-time bishop? The impressive list of
deeds of Nicholas seems to point to the latter. This does not mean,
however, that his appointment to priest or bishop meant a complete
rupture with his former life. More likely this was a gradual process.

Nicholas's early activities as a priest are said to have occurred
during the persecution of Christians under the reign of co-ruling
Roman Emperors Diocletian (reigned 284–305) and Maximian (reigned 286–
305) In the Eastern Empire Galerius (reigned 305–311) continued the
persecution until 311 when he issued a general edict of toleration
from his deathbed. Nicholas survived this period, although his
activities at the time are uncertain.

Following Galerius' death his surviving co-ruler Licinius (reigned 307–
324) mostly tolerated Christians. As a result their community was
allowed to further develop, and the various bishops who acted as their
leaders managed to concentrate religious, social, and political
influence as well as wealth in their hands. In many cases they acted
as the heads of their respective cities. It is apparently in this
period that Nicholas rose to become bishop of Myra. Judging from
tradition, he was probably well loved and respected in his area,
mostly as a result of his charitable activities. As with other bishops
of the time, Nicholas's popularity would serve to ensure his position
and influence during and after this period.

The destruction of several pagan temples is also attributed to him,
among them the temple of Artemis. Because the celebration of Diana's
birth is on December 6, some authors have speculated that this date
was deliberately chosen for Nicholas's feast day to overshadow or
replace the pagan celebrations.

Not only was Nicholas intolerant of pagans, he was also intolerant of
Arianism. Nicholas is listed as a participant in the First Council of
Nicaea. There according to legend he became so angry upon hearing the
views of Arius that he rushed over to the heretic and gave him a
tremendous box on his ears, sending him to the ground.

Nicholas is also known for coming to the defence of the falsely
accused, often preventing them from being executed, and for his
intercession on behalf of sailors and other travelers. The popular
veneration of Nicholas as a saint seems to have started relatively
early. Justinian I, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire (reigned 527–
565) is reported to have built a temple (i.e. a church building) in
Nicholas's honor in Constantinople.


Propers for Nicholas - Bishop of Myra


http://ohioanglican.blogspot.com/2010/12/nicholas-of-myra.html

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