The Story of St. Nicholas

Saint Nicholas – A story adapted by Mark Pace, Minister of Music

This sermon was shared with our congregation on December 7.  Parishioners were encouraged to show their enthusiasm with a YEAH or a BOO as appropriate, to move the story along.  Feel free to chime in at home with a YEAH when you see a word in GREEN or with a BOO for a word in PURPLE.  ENJOY!

Saint Nicholas only became a saint many years after he died.  Let’s go back to the beginning.

Nicholas was born about 300 years after the birth of Jesus, in Asia Minor, in what is now Turkey.  A LONG time ago!  His parents were wealthy Christians who were known for their good deeds.  When Nicholas was thirteen, sadly, both his elderly parents died in a plague.  His uncle, who was a bishop, became his guardian.  This probably would explain why Nicholas became a priest.

Nicholas was heir to his parents’ money and continued to do good deeds by helping needy people with food, clothing and money.  There is a famous story about Nicholas helping people.  It seems a man with three daughters had fallen upon hard times and was going to be forced to sell his daughters into slavery because he could not provide money for their marriages.  On the night before the first daughter was to be sold, Nicholas snuck to the house of the man and threw a bag of gold in the window for the daughter.  He also did this for the other daughters.  On the third night, the father of the girls stayed awake to find out where the gold was coming from.  When he heard the gold hit the floor, he started running and soon came upon Nicholas.  The father asked how he could repay him.  Nicholas only said “promise to never tell who helped you.”  This story would explain why one of Nicholas’ symbols is three money bags.

Another symbol used to represent Nicholas is a crosier, which is a big shepherd’s crook also used to represent a bishop.  The story of how Nicholas, a young priest, became a bishop is very interesting.  When the old bishop in the city of Myra died, the church fathers needed to choose another bishop.  The oldest among the church leaders went to pray for guidance.  While he was praying an angel appeared to him and told him that he should stand at the door of the church and wait for the first man named Nicholas to appear.  The angel said that this man named Nicholas would be their new bishop.  The next day at exactly 10 o’clock in the morning, as predicted, Nicholas entered the gate.

Nicholas was a kind and generous bishop known for his good deeds.  Once a terrible famine spread across Turkey and many people, both rich and poor, were starving.  Nicholas prayed to God to help him feed his people so they would not die.  One morning, several ships came into the harbor of his town.  The ships were carrying grain intended for another city.  Nicholas went to ask the captain for some grain for his people.  The captain wanted to help but was under orders to deliver the entire amount of grain to the other city.  If he did not, he and his crew would be killed.  However, Nicholas assured the captain that if he would give him some of the grain, the ships would arrive at their destination with no shortage.  The captain agreed.  When the ships delivered their cargo, the full amount of grain was present, just as Nicholas had promised, and the captain and crew were safe.  This would explain the third symbol used for Nicholas, which is a ship’s anchor.

Throughout his life, Nicholas was known for good deeds and helping others.  Even more than a thousand years after his death, people celebrate his memory by giving gifts.  One special way we remember the generosity of Nicholas is by leaving small gifts in shoes.  Children around the world leave their shoes by the door for St. Nicholas each December 6^th, and the treats they receive are a reminder of the wonderful story of St. Nicholas.