I would like to begin by welcoming our newest altar server and parish guest: the seminarian Vasyl Dohan.  At 19, he is the youngest of our seminarians.  He is also the youngest of three brothers.  But the most important thing to know about Vasyl is that he (like our other seminarians)is completely committed to serving Christ and the furthering the salvific mission of the Holy Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Today we celebrate the life of Saint Nicholas.  The iconography of our beautiful church gives you a sense of how important St. Nicholas is to us: he joins the Apostle Andrew, the Equals to the Apostles King Volodomyr and Queen-regent Ol’ha, and the monastic saints Anthony and Theodosius right here in the front of the nave.  And I want to you to pause for a moment and notice just how special that is: by his location, he joins the founders of Orthodoxy in Ukraine.  St. Andrew was the disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ who, during his missionary journeys after the Resurrection, came to the banks of the Dnepr river and prophesied that Ukraine would become a Christian nation.  We refer to him in some of our prayers as “the founder of Christ’s Church in Ukraine”.  Saints Ol’ha and Volodomyr were the rulers who converted to Christianity, with the later bringing his people to Christ, as well (as is depicted in the central icon on our southern wall).  Saints Anthony and Theodosius were the founders of monasticism in Ukraine; the Monastery of the Caves which they built continues to serve as a spiritual foundation for us and all Orthodox believers.

And then we have St. Nicholas, standing there amongst them.  Why?  As far as I know, he never prophesied about the land or people of Rus’-Ukraine.  He was the Bishop of Myra in Lycia, a land now controlled by Turkey; there is no record of him ever visiting Rus’-Ukraine.  So why did the founders and benefactors of our God-Protected parish place him among Sts. Andrew, Volodomyr, Ol’ha, Anthony, and Theodosius?  The answer to this does not jump out of the pages of history, but there are several hints. 

One of the first churches built in Kyiv was established by St. Ol’ha on the grave of Prince Askold.  The Viking prince Rurik had sent Askold to rule Kyiv.  He became acquainted with the Byzantine Empire and Orthodoxy during his raids down the Dnepr, along the coast of the Black Sea, and even against Constantinople itself.  One chronicle describes how members of Askold’s peace delegation after a certain successful attack against Constantinople was baptized, and about how he received baptism in Kyiv soon thereafter.  This relates to St. Nicholas because Askold himself took the baptismal name of “Nicholas”, and the church that Saint Ol’ha built over his grave was dedicated to St. Nicholas and called by his name.

But this bit of history only begins to explain why we are so fond of St. Nicholas.  Icons of him have long adorned the iconostasis and walls of our parishes and the icon corners of our homes.   Why is this?

Another hint comes from the Cossacks.  While the primary patron of the Zaporozhian Host was St. Michael, Saint Nicholas was their patron of the seas.  Before going out on the water, they would hold a Moleban to him asking for his prayers and carry his icon as they travelled.  One of the most popular iconographic types among the Cossacks is that of the Pokrova, or Protection of the Mother of God.  You may find it interesting that one of the Zaporozhian icons of this type shows the Mother of God with her “veil of protection” standing over the Zaporozhian Host, and flanked by both Saint Nicholas and the Archangel Michael.

But even this cannot capture our devotion to Saint Nicholas.  Understanding our history is vital for us, because if we lose contact with our roots, we will soon wither and blow from wind to wind like the tumbleweed.  Hopefully, after hearing these brief historical anecdotes, you will begin to understand that Saint Nicholas and Ukrainian Orthodoxy are intimately and inseparably wound together.  They are linked by more than historical circumstance, but by his and our selfless dedication to Orthodox Christianity, and to living out the implications of this faith.  Like us, he has been persecuted for his commitment to the truth.  He was put into jail for refusing to worship idols; our forbearers were persecuted for refusing to accept false union with Rome; we ourselves are willing to accept the derision of a secular and anti-clerical world for worshipping in the Orthodox manner; St. Nicholas gave everything he had to build up the church and support those less fortunate than himself; our forbearers gave incredible amounts of time, energy, and money to build this wonderful church building and community; we do the same to maintain and grow it.  We also send missionaries and aid to those who languish in orphanages and offer charity to those who cannot make ends meet here in this area.  And of course there is St. Nicholas’ great devotion to children, a devotion and love that we share with all the beautiful children here in this community.

But there is still a deeper truth that must be understood:  St. Nicholas and this community are intimately connected not only through shared belief and common deeds: we are literally of the same body.  We are literally of the same blood.  We are one with all the saints who are depicted on these walls: the Saints of Ukraine, the Holy Fathers and Ecumenical Teachers, the Great Martyrs, the Apostles, and the Holy Mother of God herself; as well as those countless others who are not depicted here, but nonetheless make up the “great cloud of witnesses” that surround and join us in worship.  We are all one because we are all baptized with one and the same Baptism, chrismated with one and the same Holy Spirit, and nourished with the very same Body and Blood of Christ.  It is this that gives us more than a common history, it is this that makes us the same. 

Saint Nicholas is an example to us because of his excellent manner of life, but the same processes that sanctified him are working within us, drawing us – to the extent we will allow it – into a deeper union  with God. 

St.  Nicholas lived in perilous times, when the faith was under attack from several directions.  He thrived despite the challenges because he had followed St. Paul’s advice.  He had put on the breastplate of righteousness, shod his feet with the Gospel, buckled on the shield of faith, and put the helmet of salvation; and held firmly to the sword of truth.  This whole armor of God allowed him to persevere against the principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness.

We, too, live in perilous times.  For us, the attacks manifest themselves through radical secularism and financial challenges.  They threaten to turn those we love away from the truth and to bring our very roof down around our heads.  But the whole armor of God remains as strong for us as it was for him, as it was for the generations of Ukrainian Orthodox who have gone before us.

Through the prayers of St. Nicholas and all the saints, we, too will be able to thrive in battle to “withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.