Monday 6 December — St Nicholas of Myra

In A Old Church, by Joseph John Taras Kushnir.

St Nicholas

Ioana Popescu, Romania. Icon of St Nicholas. 2002.
In the pattern of the Faragas region.
Reverse painting on glass, with goldleaf.

Cerulean shadows grow
in the old byzantine church,
glowing hue waxes command
to lurking blues and purples.

The setting sun passes through
brightly painted glass windows.
golden pigment radiantly shines
for a encore in the daily show.

A wizened pale hand,
reaches out to light a beeswax candle,
the slender stick holds flame
that burns into feeing darkness.

The yellow candle glows brightly,
casting orange light onto the illuminated face
of the Bishop of Myra,
receiver of mounting problems

A leather book is pried,
cards of Basil and Lucy,
lined with years of age,
fall to the tile floor.

A rosary is softly said
in gratitude of Nicholas,
healing is granted
to a sickly granddaughter.

Wooden beads of cheery
count out how Mary
is hailed by all,
a smile is crafted on babusha's face.

Isaiah 35:1-10

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
   the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,
   and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
   the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
   the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands,
   and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
   ‘Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
   He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
   He will come and save you.’

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
   and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
   and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
   and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
   and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
   the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

A highway shall be there,
   and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,
   but it shall be for God’s people;
   no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray.
No lion shall be there,
   nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
   but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
   and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
   they shall obtain joy and gladness,
   and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Psalm 96.7-13

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
   ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
   bring an offering, and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in holy splendour;
   tremble before him, all the earth.
Say among the nations, ‘The Lord is king!
   The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
   He will judge the peoples with equity.’
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
   let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
   let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
   before the Lord; for he is coming,
   for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
   and the peoples with his truth.

Luke 5:17-26

One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Just then some men came, carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, ‘Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you”, or to say, “Stand up and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the one who was paralysed—‘I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.’ Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today.’

The Story of St Nicholas — two brief accounts:

There is much more at the St Nicholas Center of the Virginia Theological Seminary.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who at your first coming sent your messenger to prepare your way before you: grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready your way by turning the hearts of the disobedient to ‘the wisdom of the righteous, that at your second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in your sight; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: grant us to perfectly know your Son Jesus Christ as the way, the truth and the life, and that, following in the footsteps of friends like Nicholas who loved the poor, the weak and the young, and who gave what he had to enrich those who had but little, we may faithfully walk in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Gaudeat Ecclesia. A rondellus in praise of St. Nicholas, Paris 13th century. Ensemble Peregrina, dir. Agnieszka Budzińska-Bennett.

Gaudeat ecclesia / Praesulis solemnia / Colens et praeconia.
Let the church rejoice / in the prelate's solemnity / the worshipers, and the heralds.
      Refrain: Nicolae, propera, / Nos fove, nos libera, / Purga cordis scelera.
      Nicholas, hasten. Cherish us, deliver us, purge the wickedness of the heart.
Vita sancti praesulis / Claruit miraculis / Vinctus in cunabulis.
The life of the holy bishop: he was famous for miracles; a captive from the cradle.
Tener in infantia / Servavit jejunia, / Non incurrit vitia.
As a young child / he kept his fasts / he shunned vices.
Hic tribus virginibus / Opibus carentibus / Subvenit muneribus.
Three virgins / in need and homeless / he rescued with gifts.
Ergo festum colite, / Laudes Deo dicite / Deo benedicite.
Therefore celebrate the feast / Sing praises to God / Blessed be God.

May the Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting. Amen.