Nicholas of Myra, Bishop, c.342

The Collect:

Rite I:
Grant, Almighty God, that thy church may be so inspiredvby the example of thy servant Nicholas of Myra, that itvmay never cease to work for the welfare of children, thevsafety of sailors, the relief of the poor, and the help ofvthose tossed by tempests of doubt or grief; through JesusvChrist our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and thevHoly Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Rite II:
Grant, Almighty God, that your church may be so inspired by the example of your servant Nicholas of Myra, that it may never cease to work for the welfare of children, the safety of sailors, the relief of the poor, and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Lesson: 1 Kings 17:7-16 

⁷ But after a while the wadi dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ⁹ ‘Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.’ ¹⁰ So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, ‘Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.’ ¹¹ As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, ‘Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.’ ¹² But she said, ‘As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.’ ¹³ Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ ¹⁵ She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. ¹⁶ The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

Psalm: Psalm 145:8-13

⁸ The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, *
       slow to anger and of great kindness.
⁹ The Lord is loving to everyone *
       and his compassion is over all his works.
¹⁰ All your works praise you, O Lord, *
       and your faithful servants bless you.
¹¹ They make known the glory of your kingdom *
       and speak of your power;
¹² That the peoples may know of your power *
       and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; *
       your dominion endures throughout all ages.

Second Lesson: 1 John 4:7-14

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. ¹⁰In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

¹³ By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world.

Gospel: Mark 10:13-16

¹³ People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. ¹⁴But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. ¹⁵Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ ¹⁶And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

---

Social Media

Sample Text: Today we remember Nicholas of Myra, bishop, wonder-worker, and protector of the poor. Known for his compassion and generosity, his legacy reminds us to care for children, sailors, and all who suffer.

“…that it may never cease to work for the welfare of children, the safety of sailors, the relief of the poor…” #Episcopal

---

This page is available in: Español