Wonderworker

   The website “orthodoxwiki.org” is dedicated to providing information related to the Holy Orthodox faith.

One of the pages on the site is dedicated to the category of saints known as “wonderworkers”.  There are seventy-seven saints so named, some of whom most of us will have knowledge about—our own St. Herman is on the list, as are St. John Maximovitch, St. John Climacus, St. John of Kronstadt, St. John of Rila, St. Mary of Egypt, St. Patrick of Ireland, St. Seraphim of Sarov, and St. Tikhon of Zadonsk.

But we’ll focus on this day with St. Nicholas of Myra who is also among those named.

We have heard of so many of the miraculous deeds associated with this blessed saint.  But inside of each and every year we encounter yet more of his intercessions for those in need.

This year we’ll focus on one from Ukraine.  The account comes from “stnicholascenter.org.”  It doesn’t give a date for this event, but we all know that a date is not relevant.

The story is about a young man who has a strong devotion to St. Nicholas as well as to the first Ukrainian saints, Sts. Boris and Gleb.

At one time he made a pilgrimage with his wife and baby, traveling up the Dneper River to the city of Vyshgorod to celebrate the feast day of Sts. Boris and Gleb at their tomb.

As they were returning to their home by boat, the mother fell asleep, and in this state the baby fell from her arms, and into the river.  The panicked parents looked into the water where they saw a whirlpool, into which their precious child was pulled, and drowned.

Grief stricken, the two prayed: “Holy Wonderworker Saint Nicholas, you are the swift deliverer of all in times of distress.  We call to you now, hear our prayer and save our innocent child from death.”

That evening, St. Nicholas went to the river, lifted up the child, and he bore the child’s dead body to the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv.  There, he placed the baby, now alive and well, in front of his own icon which was located in a place known as “the women’s gallery”.

Early the next morning, the church sacristan (one who is responsible for the sacred items within a church) arrived early and he heard a child crying inside.  He accused the church guard of letting in a woman and child, but the guard defended himself saying that indeed he had not.  As the two went to the building, they found all the doors locked as they should be, assuring that no one had entered during the night.

As they entered, they found a child, still dripping wet and laying before the icon of St. Nicholas.  Not knowing what to think, they went to the Metropolitan, who sent them with the child into the city market to find out whose child this was.

People flocked to see the child, but the father was there, too.  He recognized his child, but was afraid to say anything.  He returned home and told his wife of what had happened at the cathedral.  “Don’t you know?” she asked, “It is a miracle of St. Nicholas!”

The mother ran to the church.  When she saw her child, she fell down before the icon of St. Nicholas, giving thanks for the rescue of her child.

As word of the event spread, the whole city gathered, offering glory to God for His gift of the Wonderworking Saint Nicholas!