St.Nicholas Day

When we look at the clear night sky, we can easily distinguish the stars according to the strength of their radiation. Some stars shine very brightly, and there are stars that are barely noticeable. Astronomers tell us that, besides these stars, there are countless others that we cannot see with the naked eye. There are similar differences in the heaven of saints. Many people go to eternity in holiness after living an extraordinary life—albeit a low-profile and humble. They resemble stars that are not visible to the naked eye. Other saints are known only in a specific geographical area where they are honored and celebrated. But some saints shine brightly before the face of the whole Church. Saint Nicholas undoubtedly belongs among these saints – known throughout the Christian world.

The greatness of St. Nicholas grew out of consistent reception of Christ’s gospel. He was born in Patara in Asia Minor. Parental property opened the door to everything the era could offer young people. He could live a carefree and comfortable life. Saint Nicholas, however, perceived God’s call and followed it by accepting priestly service. The biography of St. Nicholas speaks immediately about his several distinctive features, which were interconnected. The main feature was the compassion that seized his heart when he encountered people’s suffering. A merciful heart made him a “good Samaritan” for them. The inheritance from his parents was a rich source for him, from which he gave it to people in need. Later, when he became a bishop, he expanded the field of his charitable activities. Saint Nicholas was a caring and merciful bishop who could help in times of need and protect in times of danger.

These features, for which Saint Nicholas is so famous, grew out of his love for God. The more his passion grew and deepened, the more the likeness with the merciful and caring heavenly Father was visible in his life. This transformation takes place in the life of every person who strives to build a warm relationship with God. The love of God is reflected directly and proportionally in the love we show to our neighbor in many ways. Today, we remember this very fact by giving small gifts. Even if their addressees are primarily children, for all of us, it should encourage passionate expressions of love in our daily lives. At the same time, however, we must realize that only the right intention can give our good deeds their value.

The legend about the vision of a certain hermit who found himself in heaven and saw how people enter eternal life is well explained by the legend. Each soul carried golden balls in the right hand and stone balls in the left. The angel took these balls and placed them on the scale. He put gold on one pan of the scales and stone on the other. When the golden orbs outweighed the stone ones, the soul was allowed to enter heaven. The hermit understood that the golden balls represent good deeds and the stone represents human sins and weaknesses.

Suddenly, he noticed a soul approaching with a large basket of golden balls. He thought, “Heaven will be opened immediately to him.” But to his great surprise, the basket was so light that it did not outweigh the evil deeds on the other side. “How is that possible?” he asked the angel. “Look,” said the angel, taking one of the golden balls and throwing it on the ground. The ball broke on the spot. It was completely empty inside. The angel explained: “This is what good deeds done for human praise look like. It is only a delicate shell because the worm of pride and selfishness has eaten away the inside. to fellow human beings, manifested by doing good deeds. Let us accept this encouragement of today’s holiday and be careful that the good we do is not just that golden and delicate shell that has almost no weight before God.