Oil of Saints

The Death of St. Nicholas perishable existence for the place of and the Miraculous Manna unending rest where, among the choirs of Love for Nicholas grew rapidly after his angels, one with the patriarchs, he shares death. The day was set aside in honor of the Through good times and bad, he remained their joy, ever interceding for those who one whose good works and deeds lived on in faithful to the Lord and spent his time telling invoke him with faith and piety, and the hearts of the people he had served. others about the salvation offered through especially those involved in distresses or People referred to him as a Saint long before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and public calamities.” the Church officially began to canonize helping them in their needs. early Christians. According to the Vita Per Metaphrasten by When Nicholas had grown very old and St. Simeon Metaphrastes, The people of Myra buried him in a tired, the Lord told him in a vision that he beautiful tomb within a church that became was to be allowed to rest from his labors on “Now after he had long lived in this manner, the first of hundreds to bear his name. behalf of humankind. He said farewell to his renowned for his virtuous conduct, he Stories of his generosity and miracles were people and retired to the monastery in Myra asperged the metropolis of Myra with sweet told far and wide, and pilgrims came from where he’d begun his life in the Church. It and lovely unction distilled from the long distances to visit his burial place, th was there that he received the sacraments blossoms of divine Grace. When he came to particularly on December 6 , his Feast Day. and waited with joy to leave this world. the very advance age, full of days both By the eleventh century, St. Nicholas’ was heavenly and earthly, he need must comply one of the most visited Christian tombs in “And when it pleased our Lord to have him with the common law of nature, as is man’s the world. depart out this world, he prayed our Lord lot. He was ill but a short time. In the grip of that he would send him his angels; and that illness, while rendering those lauds and The Manna of Myra: A body of oral inclining his head he saw the angels come to thanksgivings to God which are said in tradition formed around miracles associated him, whereby he knew well that he should death, he happily yielded up his spirit [for with his tomb, most notably the fact that the depart, and began this holy psalm: ‘In te while he desired to remain in the flesh, tomb oozed an oil or balm (commonly domine speravi,’ unto ‘in manus tuas,’ and Nicholas equally desired to be unyoked from called manna) with healing properties. In so saying: ‘Lord, into thine hands I it]. He left this brief and transitory life to The Golden Legend we find: commend my spirit,’ he rendered up is soul cross over to that blessed everlasting life and died, the year of our Lord three hundred where he rejoices with the angels while “ And when he was buried in a tomb of and forty-three, with great melody sung of more clearly and openly contemplating the marble, a fountain of oil sprang out from the the celestial company.” (Jacobus de light of Truth. But his previous body, borne head unto his feet; and unto this day holy oil Voragine, “The Golden Legend: Lives of by the holy hands of bishops and all the issueth out of his body, which is much the Saints,” translated by William clergy with torches and with lights, was available to the health of sicknesses of many Caxton, p. 69) rested in the crypt which is at Myra.” men. And after him in his see succeeded a man of good and holy life, which by envy The Vita Per Michaëlem proclaims: “Having The monks who were assembled around him was put out of his bishopric. And when he thus perfectly administered the metropolitan all declared that they saw with their own was out of his see the oil ceased to run, and church of Myra, and diffused the perfume of eyes a throng of patriarchs, Saints, angels when he was restored again thereto the oil a holy life all round him, he left this and archangels who came to carry him to his ran again.” (Jacobus de Voragine, The home in Heaven. Golden Legend: Lives of the Saints, Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne The Death of St. Nicholas translated by William Caxton, p. 69) is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids and the Miraculous Manna test the sons of men. The Lord tests the His venerable relics were preserved righteous, but the wicked and the one who undecayed in the local cathedral church and loves violence His soul hates, upon the flowed with curative myrrh, from which wicked He will rain coals; fire and many received healing. In the year 1087 his brimstone and a burning wind shall be the relics were transferred to the Italian city of portion of their cup. For the Lord is Bari, where they rest even now. righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.” Not only ailments of the body but also of the soul were healed, and evil spirits were Thought to Discuss around the Dinner expelled by this holy manna. Thus, Nicholas Table: What portions of Scripture have we warred against demons and conquered them memorized to help us through trying times? not only during his life, but also after his Mine is 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, death, as he conquers also now. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” According to Robert Wace, a noble baron Discuss with your children verses that you wishing to take to his country a relic of the all need to memorize this year. Saint, tried to take a tooth. This displeased the Saint who made this manifest by the unceasing flow of manna from the case and wrappings of the tooth. Nicholas also appeared in a dream at night to the baron saying that his body must not be divided. When the baron awoke, he found that the tooth had disappeared.

Thought to Ponder: The psalm that St. Nicholas was saying as he died, he’d learned by heart. In full, it reads:

“In the Lord I put my trust; how can you say to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain’? For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The