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A friend was struggling. You could see it in his eyes and in his growing estrangement from his family and from church. I prayed for him, sensing he was headed for deep trouble. And since the need was so great and the crisis so near, I entrusted my friend to the care of St. Nicholas of Myra.
This bishop of the early church—the real person behind the figure of Jolly Old Saint Nick—might not strike you as an obvious choice when it comes to interceding for a desperate case. But Nicholas has long been the most beloved of the “wonderworker” saints honored by Eastern Christians.
Pretty much everything about Nicholas is a wonder. His legendary generosity and compassion for the poor. The miracles of healing and protection that he worked, sometimes from a distance. Even his bones are wondrous. Ever since his death in the fourth century, they have secreted a liquid that has been associated with many physical and spiritual healings.
Generous Giver. A certain mystery surrounds the life of Nicholas. This is because early biographers, wanting to emphasize his holiness, tended to embellish the facts and the stories people were telling about him. Historians…
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This article is very informative! Thank you!
I love articles like this that bring important saints to life. I have added Saint Nicholas to my prayer list. He is an inspiration and I am comforted to know that he is there for me.
My wife read this and recommended it to me. I loved it. My birthday is Dec 5th and now I have a new inspiration to give anonymous gifts of treats to children on my birthday.