St. Nicholas Day 2020 Fr. Nicholas Carr

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.