“I opened the package for a long time and then scratched his head: there was a new pair of shoes”

Saint Nicholas loves each and everyone’s life is exciting and seeing these marvelous saints. About little miracle and the ordinary people, reminiscent of the life of the great miracle-worker says the priest Andrey mizyuk.

The caretaker said that the package gave it to me

The day of memory of St. Nicholas. One of the beloved and revered saints. Moreover, everywhere and by all. To the Prelate a go and by the way, not only Christians. In the place of his earthly Ministry, and to the place of his present repose. Evidence of prayer support, the many amazing wonders of the known, it seems, around the world and for centuries. And most importantly, the miracle source of sincere human love, compassion and mercy to all without exception, which was long ago revealed to the saintly heroism of the Archbishop of Myra, has not dried up to this day. What, probably, and I’m kind of witness. But mostly no in some specific hagiographical miracles or stories, and through the lives and actions of individuals who might be able to remind me about this wonderful Saint.

The Priest Andrey Mizyuk. Photo of Ivan Privalov /eparhia-saratov.ru

However to me 8 years ago there was an interesting story. It was just in time for the may celebration of the memory of the Saint. The fact that I was quite worn out shoes. The shoes were falling apart on the go. I patched them up as best they could, but the salary was far away, and about your problem I haven’t told anyone. And somewhere after the Liturgy, and then I served as a deacon, I was approached by the caretaker and left a package. Said that gave it to me. Who was it, and why – he didn’t know.

I opened the package for a long time and then scratched his head. There was a new pair of shoes, inexpensive, but good and strong. And Yes, exactly my size. I repeat: I never talked about my problems with shoes. Yes, a little everyday miracle. And still a miracle. His donor I’ve found. And I probably shouldn’t. Well, that’s something like I’ve linked this event with the memory of the Saint.

Traces of all saints in our short life is a call senior

This day is the day of the end of the earthly life of the Saint. According to the tradition of the Church especially celebrates two events – the transfer of the relics of the Saint in a Bar in may, (now the city of Bari in Italy), where he is to this day, and the righteous death of the Saint in December. Probably does not make much sense to retell and again to talk about the life and miracles of Saint Nicholas. Each of us are to some extent familiar. The life of every Saint is a Testament to the victory of the gospel over the temporal life, and most importantly, over sin and death in it.

And traces of all saints in our short life is a call senior to follow them in their experience, the path that was passed and was the only true.

It is not possible without our personal commitment, but it is more than real because it had real people, as we all are now living. And evidence of this are the life and death of these people. Or rather, not death, but the beginning of eternal life.

But to open and see God not only in the lives of the saints, in the way that we have found in the narrative of the first centuries. No less interesting and useful to see him and His Church triumphant in simple living near here and now people. In their aspiration, actions, words, thoughts. And sometimes, looking at a normal living person, you catch yourself on thought, that somewhere once saw it, and maybe knew. There is nothing strange. Celestial Church of prayer involved in the life of each of us. And because the act or action of the common man close to notice something, that once upon a time met in the life of the Saint. It is really so.

He’s one of the first went to confess to me

Sometimes I think Saint Nicholas in my life and in my Ministry, even somewhere casual. I remember him on Thursday for the dismissal of the Liturgy, and his name uttered in the prayer for travelling, and perhaps he does resolve to help someone in some urgent need. Different. His father – Nikolay Aleksandrovich, many years after the death of the Pope, rings, comes and helps. He’s a great plumber, a busy man and snapped, but at the right moment and don’t know where and why, who to contact, always offered help and was able to spend on a few days. All this, of course, free of charge.

My great – uncle Nicholas, whom I never saw and never knew, served in the Navy and died accidentally, swimming in the river in the heat, not heart. Don’t know anything about him, but I remember in my grandmother’s house a picture of him on the bed, where he slept, where he is forever young in his cap. Remember him at the funeral and it always somehow very easily, and it seems that we missed each other in time and boundaries of life and death, and somewhere very close by. What he was, why is it so fleeting was his life? And why is so hard to remember his name on the prayers for usopshih?

But amazing and very lively people. The altar server in our Church. Professor and doctor of philosophical Sciences, Nikolai Ivanovich, birthday boy. 43 years of teaching experience and around the same amount of life in the Church. People in the temple since 1973. I am in General not have been so much more. But only in my memory his dilapidated third or fourth Psalm. And yet he was daily in the temple, early in the morning. And all the prayers for the dead and all the notes one past it never will be. And almost always quiet and calm voice. And the participation and interest in everything. And empathy. A man is not the simple life and their grief. And his Cross. And at the offertory he will be asked to remember someone. If I had seen him in anger or irritation? After eight years of Dating and I do not remember, perhaps.

The priest Andrey mizyuk and Nikolai

 

And amazing quality, the little we now know. Eight years ago we traveled to Optina with a group from Church. And he’s the one who first went to confess to me. I had just finished prayers. People who saw the life of the Church long before I was born. Perhaps this is an experience that takes anyone who follows the examples of the saints. Not copying, not imitating, namely the following. Because in all goodness God reveals to each person anew. And in love and in humility, and mercy.

Where I saw it, someone remind me and talking about I encountered some people in your life. The rule of faith and image of meekness? But are there such people on earth? Believe that it is. The feat is not loud, it does not make headlines in the street, but its like a hidden prayer sees the One Who reads the human heart. And possibly writes his story. And the saints become living illustrations of this book. Which is still not finished. Because it is not enough for us. Those who are still in the way.

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