Saint Nicholas of Myra was born in the 3rd century in the village of Patara Licia. He was an only child and his parents, Teofane and Nonna, who had sworn to dedicate him to God, were both rich. Throughout his childhood, his parents raised him as a devout Christian. Nicholas was a very educated child for his time (Myers). Even when Nicholas was a child, he did some miraculous things. According to Catholic Online, “He was raised very well by his parents and followed in their footsteps devoutly. “ As Nicholas grew up, he regularly went to study and learn with his teacher. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay One day, while he was going to study with his teacher, he came across a woman with a withered hand. Stopping, he approached her, placed his hand on her, prayed to God and crossed himself. The hand miraculously became intact. This was the first miracle attributed to Saint Nicholas. Another miracle that Nicholas performed when he was young was when Nicholas embarked on a journey to walk where Jesus walked. There, as he walked where Jesus walked, he sought to more deeply experience the life, passion and resurrection of Jesus. Returning by sea, a strong storm threatened to wreck the ship. Nicholas prayed calmly. The terrified sailors were amazed when the wind and waves suddenly calmed, sparing them all. And therefore Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors and travelers (Myers). Unfortunately, Nicholas' parents later died due to an epidemic when he was young. Leaving Nicholas well, he was raised by his uncle, the bishop of Patara. Nicholas was dedicated to using his inheritance for charitable work, and his uncle mentored him and later ordained him as a priest (Catholic Online). After Nicholas' uncle ordained him as a priest, he soon had the opportunity to use his inheritance for the greater good. Nicholas was informed that a citizen of Patara had lost all his money and needed to support his three daughters who could not find husbands due to their poverty. The father thought of giving them to prostitution and so Nicola threw a bag full of gold into the man's house. At intervals Nicola did the same with the other two daughters. On the third night, the father was on watch and recognized the man who was throwing the bags of gold into their house. According to Catholic Online, “The father then thanked Nicholas for his kindness. ” (Catholic online). Arriving in the city of Myra while the clergy and people of the province were meeting to elect a new bishop, Saint Nicholas was indicated by God as the man to choose (Catholic Online). When Nicholas was ordained bishop of Myra, Christians were ruthlessly persecuted by the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests and deacons that there was no room for real criminals such as thieves, murderers and thieves (Myers). They were later released under the rule of Constantine the Great (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the country for his generosity to the needy, his love for children, and his concern for sailors (Myers). After Nicholas' release, he attended the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The Council of Nicaea was the first ecumenical council of 325 AD, called to preserve the unity of the church which was threatened by competition over claims about the nature of Jesus Christ (Myers ). Several sources state that Saint Nicholas is believed to have died on December 6, 343 (Biography.com). After St. Nicholas' death, stories of his miracles and work on behalf of the poor spread to other parts of the world. He became known as the protector of children and sailors..
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