聖尼各老主教
聖尼各老約於三世紀在中亞的Patara出生。他家境富裕，又得父母栽培，成為良好的基督徒；後來在一次溫疫中成為孤兒。及長，他記得福音中富少年的故事，遂捨掉家財，賙濟窮人，照顧病人。後來更成為彌肋城（Myra）（今土耳其地區）的主教。
聖尼各老出任主教期間，教難爆發，尼各老鋃鐺入獄，飽受酷刑。至君士坦丁大帝執政時，教難平息，尼各老才恢復自由。
聖尼各老參與了尼西亞大公會議（325年），斥亞略異端。聖尼各老對教徒愛護備至，常為教徒仗義執言。相傳有一貧窮家庭，有三個女兒因無錢購買嫁妝無法成婚，她們的父親焦急萬分。聖尼各老於是裝滿了一袋金子，黑夜從窗口投入他們的家中，先後三次。父親在窗口窺視，認出了恩人就是聖尼各老，連忙上前道謝，但聖尼各老卻要求不可讓人知道。
歐洲國家，聖誕節常用尼各老的名義送禮物給兒童，後來蛻變為白髮紅袍的聖誕老人（聖誕老人「Santa Claus」，源自「聖尼各老」一詞）。
聖人約於公元350年逝世，在東方禮拜占廷和埃及教會備受尊敬，他是照顧窮人及伸張正義者的榜樣。自第十世紀後，他的紀念更推廣至西方教會。
聖尼各老是歐洲最著名的聖人之一。他是海員、兒童、囚犯和俘虜的主保聖人。
集禱經
上主，藉聖尼各老主教的轉求，求你大發慈悲，在一切危險中，保護我們，幫助我們穩走得救的道路。因你的聖子，我們的主耶穌基督，他和你及聖神，是唯一天主，永生永王。亞孟。
Saint Nicholas, Bishop
Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara in Asia Minor. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus’ words to “sell what you own and give the money to the poor,” Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.
Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325 where he signed the document affirming the divinity of Christ. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra.
St. Nicholas is known for his generosity to those in need, especially the poor, children and the innocent. One of the oldest story tells of a poor man with three daughters of marriageable age. The family was poor, and the young girls were in danger of being sold into slavery because their father could not afford to offer a dowry. Nicholas went by night to their house and threw three bags of gold in through the window, saving the girls from an evil life.
Through the centuries St. Nicholas has continued to be venerated by Catholics and Orthodox and honored by Protestants.
St. Nicholas is the patron of sailors, children and prisoners. His patronage of the young gave rise to the tradition of giving gifts on the Eve of his feast: children would leave socks or shoes on a chair, or next to the fireplace, and go to sleep trusting that the following morning they would be filled with gifts. The true story of Santa Claus in fact, begins with St. Nicholas.
Collect
We humbly implore your mercy, Lord:
protect us in all dangers
through the prayers of the Bishop Saint Nicholas,
that the way of salvation may lie open before us.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
資料來源 References
圖：https://www.saintsfeastfamily.com/copy-of-st-nicholas-dec-6
中文內容：《平日彌撒經文》，香港教區禮儀委員會
https://www.ccreadbible.org/Members/Bona/reading/saintbiography/1206-st-nicholas-of-myra
English text: Daily Roman Missal, 2011