In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit. Glory to Jesus Christ. A
joyous St. Nicholas Day to one and all. When
you think of St. Nicholas, what do you think
of? Perhaps you think of the story of the daughters
whose father was going to sell them, and how
St. Nicholas, he paid for their freedom. with
gold. Perhaps you think of the first ecumenical
council and his contributions there and how he
stood up against Arius and the false teachings
of heresy. Perhaps you think of after he had
died. Perhaps the story that we are told through
sailors who survived because of the intervention
of St. Nicholas to save their lives. Perhaps
you think of what happened at my house this morning
when I got up and found shoes that were filled
with little special things. Or perhaps you remember
our church Christmas play, which unfortunately
we can't look forward to in 2020. But we can
remember, Oh, who loves Nicholas the Faithful?
And it has that word in it with St. Nicholas,
faithful. The song that we sing and we love every
year has that word faithful. And that is how
St. Nicholas came to be who he is. One that's
filled with the love of God that overflows to
everyone. Even after his death, it overflows
to us all. Well, St. Nicholas is not the only
one that has ever achieved that. Perhaps you've
thought to yourself, well, I could never do that.
But you know, each one of us are on our way there.
We may not be like St. Nicholas. But we're on
our way there. We're being sanctified. We're
being changed. St. Nicholas began, well, we don't
know exactly when he began, but we know he achieved
highly in it. I want to tell you a little story,
just one, of St. Nicholas, which shows courage.
There was a governor. where he served the people.
And that governor had been bribed. And three
men, because of that bribery, had been unjustly
accused and condemned and were actually ready
to be executed. An executioner with a sword stood
there. And St. Nicholas, bravely, with courage,
walked up. and took the sword away from the executioner
and talked to the governor right to his face
and denounced him for his wrongdoing. Such courage.
And yet the result we see was not just the three
that were accused who were going to be killed
being saved, but that governor repented and begged
for forgiveness. And that's what each of us need
to do, just like that governor did. St. Nicholas
lived a God -directed life. He listened to God.
He kept his commandments. Well, one of the gospel
readings for today speaks of a leper, actually
ten, but then it's down to one. Jesus entered
a village, and standing afar off, ten men who
were lepers met him. Of course, with leprosy,
they were not allowed to be a part of the community,
a contagious skin disease. They were away, isolated.
They said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And
Jesus said, go show yourself to the priests.
And they went, and as they went, they were cleansed.
And one of them returned, glorifying God with
a loud voice. prostrating himself at Jesus' feet
and giving him thanks. And Jesus asked, where
were the other nine? And then told the one, arise,
go your way. Your faith has made you whole. Spiritually
speaking, you and I are like those lepers. We
are spiritual lepers. We have sin in our life.
have died and we're alienated now from God and
from his angels as those lepers were separated
unless we do as those lepers did and spiritually
cry out Jesus master have mercy on us and Jesus
does have mercy on us and has made possible our
salvation through the cross, the tomb, the resurrection
on the third day, the ascension into heaven,
the sitting at the right hand, and the second
and glorious coming. And Jesus saves us and heals
us of spiritual leprosy and restores our fellowship
with God and grants us eternal life. And how
can we not be like that one leper and give thanks
and fall in prostration before our Savior and
call out with a loud voice and give thanks for
our healing, for our salvation, for God's love
for us, who when we had fallen into sin, raised
us up again. God for loving us so much for caring
for us even when we were lepers and as we do
that the Lord says arise just like he did to
that leper arise go your way your faith has made
you whole faith in Jesus faith that says from
the heart Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And
as we Orthodox Christians say, Lord, Jesus Christ,
Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. And we
have faith, just as that leper did. Hebrews 11
.6 says, But without faith it is impossible to
please him that is God, for he who comes to God
must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder
of those who diligently seek him. And St. John
Chrysostom says, Faith needs a generous and vigorous
soul, and one rising above all things of sense,
and passing beyond the weakness of human reasonings.
For it is not possible to become a believer otherwise
than by raising oneself above the customs of
the world. And when those in the world say something
about Christ that makes him less than the Savior,
maybe just the words, he was a great prophet,
maybe something that limits him. to mere humanity,
we reject that because we have faith and we know
that he is the Son of God and our Savior and
that he will return again. Well, this faith,
this is what St. Nicholas has. When we say, oh,
who loves Nicholas the faithful, Nicholas shined
as a saint of the church because of that faith.
He is our example of a life filled in faith,
letting the Holy Spirit shine through him, blessing
not only himself but all others around him. Let
us, too, live a life of faith. Let us emulate
St. Nicholas. Holy Father Nicholas, pray to God
for us. Amen.