Saint Nicholas of Bari, Bishop of Mira

An obedient life

Nicola nacque a Patara, una cittadina marittima della Licia, nella Turchia meridionale, nel III secolo dopo Christ da una famiglia agiata che lo educò al cristianesimo.

La sua vita, fin dalla prima giovinezza, fu improntata all’obbedienza. Rimasto orfano giovanissimo di entrambi i genitori, Nicola, memore della pagina evangelica del Giovane Ricco, usò l’intera eredità paterna per assistere i bisognosi, gli ammalati e i poveri. Fu eletto vescovo di Myra e sotto l’imperatore Diocleziano venne esiliato e imprigionato.

After being freed, in 325 he participated in the Council of Nicaea and died in Myra on 6 December 343. There are many episodes that have been handed down on Nicola's account, and they all testify to a life in the service of the weakest, the smallest and of the helpless.

Defender of the weak

Una delle più antiche storie tramandate su San Nicola riguarda un suo vicino di casa che aveva tre figlie in età da marito, ma non abbastanza denaro per assicurar loro una dote. Per salvarle da un destino di prostituzione, Nicola, una notte, raccolto del denaro in un panno, lo lanciò attraverso la finestra della casa del vicino e fuggì immediatamente per non farsi riconoscere.

Thanks to that gift, the neighbor managed to marry the eldest daughter. The mysterious benefactor repeated his generous gesture two more times, but on the third night the father delle ragazze uscì in tempo per riconoscere il misterioso benefattore, che però lo implorò di non rivelare nulla a nessuno. Un’altra storia racconta di tre giovani studenti di teologia in viaggio verso Atene.

Il padrone della locanda dove si erano fermati per la notte li derubò e li uccise, nascondendo i loro corpi in una botte. Il vescovo Nicola, anch’egli in viaggio verso Atene, si fermò nella stessa locanda ed ebbe in sogno la visione del delitto commesso dall’oste. Raccoltosi in preghiera, San Nicola ottenne il miracolo del ritorno in vita dei tre ragazzi e della conversione dell’oste malvagio.

This episode, like that of the miraculous liberation of Basilio, a boy kidnapped by pirates and sold as cupbearer to an emir (legend has it that he mysteriously reappeared at his parents' house with the gold cup of the foreign sovereign still in his hands) , contributed to spreading Nicola's patronage over young people and children.

Protector of sailors

Durante gli anni della sua giovinezza, Nicola si imbarcò per recarsi in pellegrinaggio in Terra Santa. Camminando sulle stesse vie percorse da Jesus, Nicola pregò di poter fare un’esperienza ancora più profonda di vicinanza alla vita e alle sofferenze di Jesus.

On the way back, a terrible storm arose, and the ship was in danger of sinking. Nicholas gathered quietly in prayer, and the wind and waves suddenly calmed down, to the astonishment of the sailors who feared shipwreck.

Saint Nicholas of Bari

Dopo la morte di San Nicola, la sua tomba a Myra divenne presto meta di pellegrinaggio e le sue reliquie furono da subito considerate miracolose a causa di un misterioso liquido, detto la manna di San Nicola, che ne fuoriusciva.

Quando la Licia, nell’XI secolo, venne occupata dai Turchi, i veneziani cercarono di impadronirsene, ma vennero preceduti dai baresi che portarono le reliquie in Puglia nel 1087. Due anni dopo venne ultimata la cripta della nuova chiesa, voluta dal popolo di Bari sul luogo dove sorgeva il palazzo del catapano bizantino, e Papa Urbano II, scortato dai cavalieri normanni signori della Puglia, pose le reliquie del Santo sotto l’altare dove si trovano ancora oggi.

The translation of the relics of San Nicola had an extraordinary echo throughout Europe and in the Middle Ages the Apulian sanctuary became an important pilgrimage destination, with the result of the spread of the cult of San Nicola of Bari (and not of Myra).

Santa Klaus

In the Netherlands and in general in the Germanic territories, the winter feast of Saint Nicholas (in Dutch "Sint Nikolaas" and later "Sinteklaas"), and in particular its protection of children, gave rise to the childhood tradition of waiting for gifts: on the eve of the Saint's feast, the children leave their shoes or socks on a chair, or next to the fireplace, and go to sleep confident that they will be filled with sweets and gifts in the morning.

source © Dicastery for Communication

Nicola nasce probabilmente a Pàtara di Licia, in Asia Minore (attuale Turchia), tra il 260 e il 280, da Epifanio e Giovanna che erano cristiani e benestanti. Fu cresciuto cristianamente, quindi, ma perse prematuramente i genitori a causa della peste.

He thus became heir to a rich patrimony which he used to help the needy. It is said that Nicola, having learned of a rich fallen man who wanted to send his three daughters into prostitution because he could not worthily marry them, took a good amount of money, wrapped it in a cloth and, at night, put it thrown into the man's house, so that he could honestly marry his daughters.

He later left his hometown and moved to Myra where he was ordained a priest. Upon the death of the metropolitan bishop of Myra, he was acclaimed by the people as the new bishop.

Another legend does not refer to the daughters of the impoverished rich man, but narrates that Nicola, a former bishop, resurrected three children that an evil butcher had killed and put in salt to sell their meat. Also for this episode St. Nicholas is revered as the protector of children.

Imprisoned and exiled in 305 by Diocletian, he was then freed by Constantine in 313 and resumed his apostolic activity. It is not certain that he was really one of the 318 participants in the Council of Nicaea in 325, during which he would have harshly condemned Arianism, defending Catholic truth, but the legend tells us that in a moment of impetus he slapped Arius. The writings of St. Andrew of Crete and St. John Damascene confirm the orthodox faith of Nicholas.

Nicholas also looked after the welfare of his fellow citizens, obtained supplies during a famine and obtained a tax break from the Emperor.

He died in Myra on December 6, presumably in the year 343, perhaps in the monastery of Sion, and even then it was said he performed miracles; this conviction was consolidated after his death, with the large number of legends that spread widely in the East, in Rome and in southern Italy.

His remains were kept with great devotion by the people in the cathedral of Myra until 1087. Great is the veneration paid to him by Orthodox Christians.

Quando Myra cadde in hand musulmana, Bari (al tempo dominio bizantino) e Venezia, che erano dirette rivali nei traffici marittimi con l’Oriente, entrarono in competizione per il trafugamento in Occidente delle reliquie del santo.

Una spedizione barese di 62 marinai, tra i quali i sacerdoti Lupo e Grimoldo, partita con tre navi di proprietà degli armatori Dottula, raggiunse Myra e si impadronì delle spoglie di Nicola che giunsero a Bari il 9 maggio 1087 : Nicola di Myra diventa, così, Nicola di Bari. Dopo la collocazione provvisoria in una chiesa cittadina, il 29 settembre 1089, le spoglie di Nicola trovano sistemazione definitiva nella cripta, già pronta, della basilica che si sta innalzando in suo onore.

It was the Pope himself, Blessed Urban II (Otto di Lagery, 1088-1099), who placed them under the altar in the crypt.

Since then, St. Nicholas became the patron saint of Bari and the dates of 6 December (the day of the saint's death) and 9 May (the day of the arrival of the relics) were declared public holidays for the city.

S. Nicola è famoso anche al di fuori del mondo Christian perché la sua figura ha dato origine al mito di Santa Claus(or Klaus), known in Italy as Santa Claus.

Meaning of the name Nicola: "conqueror of the people" (Greek).

source gospeloftheday.org