🕁 Our Holy Father Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia.
All-Night Vigil Feast. [UGCC – A day when the faithful are highly encouraged to participate in the Divine Liturgy.] Nativity Fast.
Hebrews 13:17-21; Luke 6:17-23.
Read Luke 6:17-23
St. Nicholas stands in Christian commemoration not merely as a beloved figure of gift-giving, but as a radiant icon of radical charity. Born in third-century Myra, he lived the Gospel with such intensity that charity became the very virtue most associated with his life. He shows us that charity is not optional in the Christian life, but that it is its very heart.
The Fathers of the Church consistently affirm this truth. As St. John Chrysostom teaches, “Charity is the root of all good works” (Homily on 1 Cor.). Nicholas’ deeds were marked by a love that preferred hidden sacrifice over recognition—secretly providing dowries for the poor or defending the vulnerable in times of injustice. He was motivated by the love of God and not by a self-seeking or calculated generosity.
St. Basil the Great reminds us that “The bread which you keep belongs to the hungry; the cloak in your closet belongs to the naked” (Homily on Luke 12). Nicholas lived as though these words were spoken directly to him. His life encourages us to see our resources—material, spiritual, and emotional—not as possessions but as gifts entrusted to us for the sake of others.
St. Nicholas invites us to rediscover the truth that charity, when given freely and without personal benefit, is most pleasing to God. It blesses both giver and receiver. His memory calls us to allow compassion to direct our decisions, our habits, and the very rhythm of our daily lives, for love is the very essence of our faith.