St. Nicholas of Myra +341

St. Nicholas of Myra +341

July 16th is the commemoration of the dukhrono of St. Nicholas of Myra +341 according to the Liturgical Calendar of the Syriac Orthodox Church.Mor Nicholovos or better known by the Syriacs as Mor Zokhe, was the bishop of Myra. He was born at Patara in Lycia (in modern Turkey), a province of Asia Minor. It is recorded that as soon as he was born he stood up & glorified God. When he grew up he adopted the ascetic way of life, & went on a pilgrimage to Palestine to visit the holy places. He eventually became the bishop of Myra which was an Episcopal See under the jurisdiction of Holy See of Antioch. During the rule of emperor Diocletian, Nicholas faced great persecution, torture & imprisonment. He was finally freed by Constantine. Tradition states he was among the 318 holy fathers at the Council of Nicaea in 325AD.St. Nicholas is the true personality behind the story of Santa Claus or Papa Noel, who leaves presents for children on Christmas Eve. In bestowing charity, Saint Nicholas always strove to do this secretly & conceal his good deeds. The most famous story tells of a poor man with 3 daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home, providing the needed dowry. On finding out it was Nicholas who provided them money, the man bowed down at his feet & paid him great homage & thanked him because he saved his daughters from poverty & from a life of sin. The saint refused to accept any thanks & asked them to thank the Lord who put this thought in his heart. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Over the centuries, his legend evolved into the custom of gift-giving on the saint’s feast. In the English-speaking countries, St. Nicholas became, by a twist of the tongue, Santa Claus—further expanding the example of generosity portrayed by this holy man.The name of the great saint of God, the hierarch & wonder-worker Nicholas, a speedy helper & suppliant for all hastening to him, is famed in all the ends of the earth, in many lands & among many peoples. The great veneration with which this saint has been honored for many ages & the number of altars & churches which have been everywhere dedicated in his memory are testimonials to his saintliness. He is especially venerated in the Syriac Orthodox Church. We can even read in the Coptic Synaxarium (calendar of saints) that: "On this day, [Baramouda 15] the church commemorates the consecration of the first altar that was built by the Jacobite Christians (Syriac Orthodox), who were residing in the land of Egypt for St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra." Many Syriac Orthodox Churches have his relics, including churches in Malankara (India). After 40 years of episcopal service in service of God, St. Nicholas entered into eternal rest & was entombed in his own cathedral in Myra. On his feast day, Syriac children are greeted by St. Nicholas & they receive gifts from him as they sing hymns. Oh Mor Zokhe! Plead for us before God's throne of grace. Amen.Homily on St. Nicholas by St. Jacob of Sarug: https://bit.ly/NicholasZokheSerugh http://www.soc-wus.org/ourchurch/St.%20Nicholas.htmRSoH