Feast of St. Nicholas of Bari: Source of Joy and Thanksgiving

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas!

Are you familiar with the Litany to St. Nicholas? We recently learned about it and wanted to share it with you (below). The litany offers a list of titles or attributes that summarize his holy life. Among them, of course, are his charity and generosity. St. Josemaria Escriva had a special devotion to St. Nicholas, naming him an intercessor of Opus Dei, especially when it came to financial matters and needs.

At the St. Josemaria Institute, we also seek his intercession during our annual St. Nicholas Appeal in which we ask our friends and followers who have never given before to consider making a one-time gift of $50 or more. So, if you are someone who enjoyed our content throughout the year and have never donated before, it’s an opportunity to offer a small token to help launch us into a new year of content and programs!

On today’s feast, we also offer our deepest thanks to everyone who has generously supported us throughout the year. We were especially humbled by your response to our Giving Tuesday 2022 appeal. Thank you!

It is truly our pleasure to accompany you throughout the year with podcasts, resources, and programs inspired by St. Josemaria Escriva to help you grow in your interior life and your goal of becoming a saint too, which we hope one day will also produce a litany of titles like St. Nicholas and all the saints.

St. Nicholas, Source of joy and thanksgiving, pray for us!

MAKE A ONE-TIME $50 GIFT

A Litany of Saint Nicholas
Bishop of Myra—Saint in Bari

O God, Creator of heaven and earth,
Have mercy on us.
O God, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
O God, Sanctifier of the faithful,
Have mercy on us.

O Christ hear us,
O Christ hear us.

Blessed Mary, full of grace,
Blessed Joseph,
Blessed St John Baptist,
Blessed Lucy,
All holy women and men of God,
Pray with us.

Blessed Nicholas,
Holy Bishop of Myra,
Holy Saint in Bari,
Pray with us.

Nicholas:
Patron of children and seafarers,
Gift-giver and Wonder-Worker,
Friend of the poor and needy,
Icon of gentleness and generosity,
Patron of Palestine’s freedom,
Model of meekness and charity,
Defender of the Christian Faith,
Myrrh of the fragrance of Christ,
Help of those who suffer wrong,
Faithful steward of the mysteries of God,
Guide of the penitent sinner,
Source of joy and thanksgiving,
Saint who points us to the Manger,
Pray with us.

Jesus, Lamb of God,
Have mercy on us
Jesus, bearer of our sins,
Have mercy on us;
Jesus, Redeemer of the world,
Grant us your peace.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy.

Let us pray:
Grant that we,
aided by the prayers of St Nicholas and all the saints,
may be strengthened on our earthly pilgrimage
to live and work for the praise and glory of God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
and in our service to God’s people and God’s whole creation.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
(+)May the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace,
And rise in glory.

The Grace (or a Blessing) may be added;
A Hymn of St Nicholas may be sung

By J M Rosenthal for the St. Nicholas Society. Copyright © 2009. Used by permission. / Image by Jaroslav Čermák via Wikimedia Commons