Saint Nicholas of Myra

The fierce love of St. Nicholas, the Wonderworker, of Myra was so striking and impactful that many cultures around the world have some type of mythical figure based on him over 1,700 years after he lived. While there are many disputed facts about his life, the most important thing in the stories of the lives of the saints is not factual accuracy but rather what we can learn from them about how they embodied Christ. St. Nicholas, from all accounts, was a deeply good man who was extremely generous. The best-known account of his generosity tells of a man with three daughters he no longer could afford to care for. St. Nicholas is said to have thrown a stocking of money through the man’s doorstep every night for three consecutive nights, the last of which he was caught and thanked profusely by the grateful father. This story is where the tradition of hanging stockings originated. While Nicholas was a celibate priest who became an archbishop and never had any children of his own, he was known to be a provider and protector for many children. He was also known for speaking up on behalf of prisoners, especially those wrongfully imprisoned, and stopping executions as they were about to happen. There is also a popular story that says St Nicholas struck Arias when Arias was speaking heresy against Christ and the Theotokos at the council of Nicea, that he was briefly removed as bishop following the incident, but then restored when Christ and the Theotokos revealed to church leaders that Nicholas’ action was based out of deep love for them. I am convicted by this story, because my own anger most often is not born out of deep love. While he may not have been the jolly, red-suited figure that the world thinks of when they hear his name, his life certainly embodied the virtue of generosity he is known for today. It is a tradition in many Orthodox countries to sneakily leave chocolates or oranges in people’s shoes for them to find on December 6th, St. Nicholas Day. May we learn from St Nicholas how to be extravagant and creative in generosity.