Saturday, December 4, 2004 Fish, Wine, & Oil
Great Martyr Barbara of Heliopolis
1st Vesp of St. Nicholas: Proverbs Selections Epistle: Galatians 5:22-6:2 Gospel: St. Luke 10:19-21
Proverbs 10:7, 6; 3:13-16; 8:6, 32, 34, 4, 12, 14, 17, 5-9; 1:23, especially vs. 1:23: "Behold, I will
bring forth to you the utterance of my breath, and I will instruct you in my speech." In the Christian Church, from the
earliest centuries, wisdom has been identified with the Person of Christ our God. In time, this resulted in the naming of the
Cathedral church in Constantinople, which was dedicated to Christ Himself, "The Church of Holy Wisdom." Similarly,
those who love the Lord Jesus - who especially are committed to His ways and His righteousness - themselves, like the
Lord, "bring forth" in words and deeds "the utterance of His breath," speaking always and only the wisdom and counsel of
Christ, to "instruct" others in His "speech." Nicholas of Myra, whose manner of life and love for the Lord could not be
hidden, was such a man. Wisdom took flesh in his person, so that to encounter Nicholas was to find the compassion,
honesty, and love which abound in the Master Himself.
It is said that Nicholas as a young man left his hometown of Patara and moved to Myra where he would not be known
because of his famous family. His hope was to live in anonymity and a life of quiet prayer and study of the truths of the
Lord. However, when the time came for the election of a new Bishop and chief pastor of Myra, occasioned by the repose
of the previous Archbishop, John, the assembly of Bishops who came to elect and consecrate a new Archbishop for the city
of Myra became hopelessly deadlocked in finding a candidate from among the noble and respected men of the city. But the
Lord "brought forth" to them His choice, instructing the eldest of the visiting Bishops to stand by night in the doors of the
Cathedral at Myra and observe who entered the building first for Orthros - the dawn service. Being a dedicated man of
prayer, the young Nicholas came, as was his custom, to offer prayers at the beginning of the day. God, instructing the
waiting Bishop in Divine speech, said, "That man is filled with My Spirit. Receive him with honor and make him
Archbishop; his name is Nicholas." Thus, the surprised Nicholas was elevated and consecrated to the rank of Bishop for
God's People in Myra.
At the time of the Council of Nicea, when the Bishops of the Church were faced with the popular Priest Arius and his false
teaching that Christ was not God in the flesh but a superior creature of God, Nicholas was aghast at the blatant rejection of
the experience of the Church and his own knowledge of Christ as his Lord and God. In the midst of the proceedings,
moved by the blasphemy of Arius, Nicholas slapped the heretic on his face. His fellow Bishops were horrified by
Nicholas' assault on the person of Arius, despite the Priest's grievous error. They voted to divest Nicholas of his rank as a
Bishop and to ban him from the Council. By the providence of God, several of the Fathers of the Council had a vision of
the Lord and the Theotokos restoring Nicholas as a Bishop. These God-fearing men spoke up and shared their vision and
belief that the Council had acted precipitously in stripping Nicholas of his pastoral rank, and their counsel prevailed. When
Nicholas returned to Myra, he made every effort to stamp out the false teaching of the heretic Arius that had spread even
among his own flock.
There are numerous reports of the Blessed Nicholas appearing to sailors in storms at sea to bring them safely to port, and to
kings to save the innocent from false charges - such things occurring both during his lifetime in the flesh and since the time
of his repose. As a result, Nicholas' fame was spread far and wide among ancient sailors and prisoners, so that he became a
Saint whose prayers were sought by the desperate in countries as far apart as Britain and Russia.
Let us all extol Bishop Nicholas, the great head of Shepherds and leader of Myra; for he saved many who were condemned
to die unjustly and to perish in the difficulties of this life.