Feast of Saint Hierarch Nicholas at the Patriarchal Cathedral

On 6 December 2014, the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrates Saint Hierarch Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra Lychia. On this great feast day, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral assisted by a group of priests and deacons.

Saint Hierarch Nicholas is a model of mercy and lowliness

The Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church showed in the sermon delivered that Saint Hierarch Nicholas is a model of mercy and lowliness: “He was very much loved by faithful because he was a kind, devoted, good hearted man. He helped a lot of poor people and made wonders just during his lifetime. He was a defender of faith, as well as a miracle worker helping the poor, and those in danger. Saint Hierarch Nicholas is a protector of the poor children, a merciful helper of the orphans, widows, of the people in danger, in distress.

Saint Nicholas – defender of the right faith

Saint Nicholas participated in the first Nicene Synod in 325, as bishop, where he defended the right faith against Arie’s heresy. “He participated in the Ecumenical Synod I of Nicene, in 325, as confessor of the right faith. This synod combated the wrong teaching of Arie, the priest from Alexandria, who said that the Son was not of one being with the Father, but His first creature. This is why the Synod of Nicene confessed that the Son is of one being with the Father and true God of true God, begotten, not made. Saint Nicholas defended with much zeal the right faith, scolded Arie and he is said to have slapped him twice, which fact grieved the emperor who took away from him the Gospel and omphorion which the hierarchs gathered at Nicene solemnly hold and worn. But the Saviour gave him the Gospel back, by wonder, and the Mother of God his omphorion, showing in this way that Saint Nicholas did that gesture out of holy endeavour to defend the right faith”, underlined His Beatitude.

His holy relics were moved from Myra to Bari, in 1087, and his right hand is at the church of Saint George the New of Bucharest. The Patriarch of Romania showed in his sermon that Saint Nicholas is venerated with great devotion both in the East and in the West.

Saint Hierarch Nicholas is a model of unity among Churches, and among people, both good and bad

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel showed that the generosity of Saint Nicholas has become a source of devotion and generosity for the entire Christianity: “The feast of Saint Nicholas created a conscience and culture of generosity in Christianity. The more human man is, the more merciful, kinder and generous he is. The more generous he is, the closer to the Merciful God he is. This generosity, of Saint Nicholas has become a source of devotion and generosity for the entire Christianity. Saint Nicholas is so much the more topical in a world selfish and possessive where some people gather wealth and money forgetting about the poor, orphans, and distressed. This is why the gifts offered to children by Saint Nicholas cultivate an education of generosity, to teach the children and young people to be generous, because a gift given from another gift makes heaven, namely giving what you received as a present or because you have received a present makes communion, joy. This happiness when seeing somebody happy because you gave him/her a present is a happiness of communion, a happiness of the merciful love, a happiness of the devoted love, so that Saint Nicholas is a source of culture of generosity.”

To end with his speech, the Patriarch of Romania congratulated all those named Nicolae or Nicoleta.

During the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel ordained deacon Florin Marica priest, and deacons Constantin Hurjui and Eloi Siluan archdeacons.
Source: