Who does Nicholas the Wonderworker help? Icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker(Nicholas the Pleasant, also St. Nicholas - Archbishop of Myra of Lycia) one of the most revered saints in Orthodox world. He became famous as the great Pleasant of God. Believers not only of the Orthodox, but also of the Catholic and other churches pray to him.

The whole life of Saint Nicholas is service to God. From the day he was born, he showed people the light of the future glory of the great miracle worker. created the saint of God on earth and sea. He helped people in trouble, saved them from drowning, freed them from captivity and saved them from death. Nicholas the Wonderworker gave many healings for illnesses and bodily ailments. He enriched the needy in extreme poverty, served food to the hungry, and was a ready helper, prompt intercessor and defender to everyone in every need.

And today he also helps those who call on him and delivers them from troubles. It is impossible to count his miracles. This great miracle worker is known to the East and West, and his miracles are known to all ends of the earth. Numerous churches and monasteries are erected in honor of St. Nicholas, and children are named after him at Baptism. Numerous miraculous works have been preserved in the Orthodox Church.

Brief biography of St. Nicholas

It is known that Nicholas the Wonderworker was born on August 11 (July 29, old style) in the second half of the 3rd century (about 270) in the city of Patara, Lycian region (Greek colony of the Roman Empire). His parents were pious Christians from a noble family. Until they were very old, they had no children and asked in prayers to the Lord for the gift of a son, promising to devote him to the service of God. Their prayer was heard and a baby was born, who was given the name Nikolai ( Greek"victorious people")

Already in the first days of his infancy, the future Wonderworker showed that he was destined for special service to the Lord. A legend has been preserved that during baptism, when the ceremony was very long, he, supported by no one, stood in the font for three hours. From childhood, Nikolai excelled in studying Scripture, praying, fasting and reading divine books.

His uncle, Bishop Nicholas of Patara, rejoicing at the spiritual success and high piety of his nephew, made him a reader, and then elevated Nicholas to the rank of priest, making him his assistant. While serving the Lord, the young man was burning in spirit, and in his experience in matters of faith he was like an old man, which aroused the surprise and deep respect of the believers. Constantly working, Presbyter Nicholas showed great mercy to people, coming to the aid of those in need.

Once, having learned about the poverty of one resident of the city, Saint Nicholas saved him from a great sin. Having three adult daughters, the desperate father plotted to give them over to fornication in order to obtain the funds needed for their dowry. The saint, grieving for the dying sinner, secretly threw three bags of gold out his window at night and thereby saved the family from fall and spiritual death.

One day Saint Nicholas went to Palestine. On the way on the ship, he showed the gift of deep miracles: with the power of his prayer he pacified strong storm. Here on the ship he performed a great miracle, resurrecting a sailor who had fallen from the mast onto the deck and died. On the way, the ship often landed on the shore. Nicholas the Wonderworker everywhere took care to heal the ailments of local residents: he healed some of their illnesses, expelled evil spirits from others, and gave consolation to others in their sorrows.

By the will of the Lord, Saint Nicholas was elected Archbishop of Myra in Lycia. This happened after one of the bishops of the Council, which was deciding the issue of electing a new archbishop, was shown in a vision the chosen one of God. It was Nicholas the Wonderworker. Having received the rank of bishop, the saint remained the same great ascetic, presenting an image of meekness, gentleness and love for people.

But the days of testing were approaching. The Church of Christ was persecuted by the emperor Diocletian (285-30).

During these difficult days, Saint Nicholas supported his flock in the faith, loudly and openly preaching the name of God, for which he was imprisoned, where he did not cease to strengthen the faith among the prisoners and confirmed them in a strong confession of the Lord, so that they would be ready to suffer for Christ.

Diocletian's successor Galerius stopped the persecution. Saint Nicholas, upon leaving prison, again occupied the See of Myra and with even greater zeal devoted himself to the fulfillment of his high duties. He became famous especially for his zeal for the eradication of paganism and heresies.

Wanting to establish peace in the flock of Christ, shocked by the heresy of Ariev’s false teaching, the Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine convened the First Ecumenical Council of 325 in Nicaea, where three hundred and eighteen bishops gathered under the chairmanship of the emperor; here the teachings of Arius and his followers were condemned. Saint Athanasius of Alexandria and Saint Nicholas especially labored at this Council.

Upon his return from the Council, Saint Nicholas continued his beneficial pastoral work in building the Church of Christ: he confirmed Christians in the faith, converted pagans to the true faith and admonished heretics, thereby saving them from destruction.

During his lifetime, Saint Nicholas performed many virtues. Of these, the saint received the greatest glory from his deliverance from death of three men who were unjustly condemned by the self-interested mayor. The saint boldly approached the executioner and held his sword, which was already raised above the heads of the condemned. The mayor, convicted by Nicholas the Wonderworker of untruth, repented and asked for forgiveness.

More than once the saint saved those drowning in the sea, and brought them out of captivity and imprisonment in dungeons. Through the prayers of the saint, the city of Myra was saved from severe famine. Having reached a ripe old age, Nicholas the Wonderworker peacefully departed to the Lord on December 19 (according to modern times) 342 years old. It was in the cathedral church of Myra of Lycia and exuded healing myrrh ( approx. fragrant oil), from which many received healing.

Monuments to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker

Many monuments to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker have been erected around the world. Many beautiful monuments were created in Europe, for example, in the city of Bari, Italy ( see photo below), where the temple of St. Nicholas and his relics is located. Many beautiful creations in honor of the saint were erected in the cities of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Photos of some of them are presented in the photo gallery.

Days of memory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

December 19th(6th Art.) - the day of remembrance of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, established in honor of his death.

22nd of May(9th according to Art. Art.) - the day of transfer to the city of Bari from Myra Lycia (happened in 1087).

11th August- Nativity Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia.

The Holy Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Nicholas not only on December 19 and May 22, but also weekly, every Thursday, with special chants. The fact is that on Thursday the Church glorifies the apostles, that is, those who especially served to spread the Light of Christ throughout the earth. It is obvious that Nicholas the Wonderworker, the most vivid of all the successors of the apostolic ministry - the saints, preaches the Lord with his earthly and heavenly life and Christian faith.

It is worth noting that in Orthodox Church In addition to the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the birthdays of only three holy people are celebrated - the Most Holy Theotokos, John the Baptist and St. Nicholas.

During the reign of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich, from the moment of baptism Ancient Rus', most of the Slavic society completely changed their previous way of life, combining their daily household duties with religious Orthodox service. It implied continuous faith in Jesus Christ, which should be exercised by venerating various icons that depict the main characters of the Bible. One of these is the icon of St. Nicholas the Pleasant.

History of the icon

It so happened that the life of Nikolai Ugodnik took shape during very persecuted times for religious society. Under the yoke of the most severe internal political actions taken by the Roman authorities in relation to Orthodox Christianity, Nicholas still did not stop fulfilling what was for him the main vital goal. The Byzantine clergyman was concerned, first of all, with the rights and freedoms of ordinary peace-loving townspeople. He prayed for travelers, children, merchants and anyone else who needed help.

Soon, not only the entire Byzantine people, but also the whole world could quickly learn about the noble deeds of Nikolai Ugodnik.

Currently, icons of St. Nicholas the Pleasant can be seen in 25 Russian churches. They are in the most different cities. Among the most famous are:

• Novodevichy Convent for Women (St. Petersburg);
• Church of St. Nicholas (Kotelniki);
• Church of the Resurrection of Christ (Sokolniki).

For those people who wish to expand their range religious knowledge, it should be remembered that the same characters in the Bible can be called differently in different literary sources. So, for example, the icon of St. Nicholas the Pleasant and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker are one and the same.

What does the icon of St. Nicholas the Pleasant look like?

The extraterrestrial patron Nicholas, depicted in the middle of the central part of the sacred canvas, is clearly demonstrated to the public as an elderly sage, whose gaze is filled with common sense and at the same time spiritual sense.

On top of his gray hair protrudes a bright church chasuble, the appearance of which is completely decorated with various patterns.

The left hand of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker clasps an ancient Bible called the Gospel. The fingers of the right hand, joining together, form the so-called three-fingered finger. With his help, the saint calls on all living people to find light, peace and faith.

According to researchers who managed to uncover individual fragments past life legendary miraculous archbishop, it was found that the artistic image presented on the icon of St. Nicholas the Pleasant exactly corresponds to the real one appearance this clergyman who lived many hundreds of years ago.

The Role of Patrons in the Bible

It should be noted that in biblical mythology, heavenly saviors, who by the will of God are destined to protect and preserve the Orthodox people, are given a separate role in religious iconography. Icon of Saint Nicholas the Pleasant and Elijah the Prophet - patrons of the Most Holy Theotokos. These two sacred images rule the watery expanses terrestrial planet, helping sailors, tourists and other seafarers in difficult times to overcome life-threatening difficulties.

The revered artistic image of the shrine depicting Nicholas is so sought after by Orthodox believers that an exact copy of it can be seen on the wall of the legendary St. Isaac's Cathedral.

The meaning of the icon of St. Nicholas the Pleasant

For those people who need an indispensable response from the miraculous patron, the significance of the icon of St. Nicholas the Pleasant is extremely great.

She helps young spouses build strong family relationships, as well as fulfill any dreams you have, receive healing from current illnesses and much more.

In addition, many people also noticed how the icon of St. Nicholas the Pleasant was able to provide enormous assistance in eliminating painful emotional experiences, difficulties in performing daily work duties and eliminating false accusations.

How to hang an icon correctly

At present, religious canons have not established how to properly hang the icon of St. Nicholas the Pleasant. However, many literary sources say that this is the business of each person, and it is very important to place it where it will be convenient to deliver a prayer speech.

Holiday

On this day, people and their families come to church for a service in order to honor the memory of the great patron and archbishop by reading a prayer. Its text looks like this:

O all-holy Nicholas, exceedingly saintly servant of the Lord, our warm intercessor, and everywhere in sorrow a quick helper! Help me, a sinner and a sad person, in this present life, beg the Lord God to grant me forgiveness of all my sins, which I have sinned greatly from my youth, in all my life, in deed, word, thought and all my feelings; and at the end of my soul, help me, the accursed one, beg the Lord God, the Creator of all creation, to deliver me from airy ordeals and eternal torment, so that I may always glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and your merciful intercession, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

All icons have miraculous powers, but people consider the image of Nicholas of Myra to be one of the most powerful and revered. The icon of this Saint exudes enormous energy and helps people find peace of mind and faith in themselves.

From early childhood, the saint loved to spend hours in church and pray. He offered prayers for his family and friends. Because of his great zeal for worship, his uncle the clergyman decided to accept him into the church as a reader.

When his parents died, he decided to distribute the entire inheritance that they left him to people in need. After that, he went to the monastery to serve the Lord God. However, one day the Almighty dreamed of him and said that he needed to leave the temple and help the poor, the weak, pray for them and bring faith to the people. Without hesitation, Nikolai the Pleasant obeyed the Almighty Lord.

Throughout his life, he happily helped all people. However, even after death, he comes to the aid of people who ask his icon for protection.

In the icon, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is depicted as an old man. He is depicted in a robe and holding the Gospel in his hands, thereby telling people that there is no place for wars and insults in life.

Why do you dream about an image?

If you saw the image of a Saint in a dream, this is a very good sign.

You dreamed that you saw an icon in the walls of your house, this promises good luck, and if you see the image of Nicholas in the temple, then bad weather and troubles will pass you by.

Expect a grandiose event if in a dream the Saint came down from the miraculous image.

Seeing in your dreams how the icon of St. Nicholas of Myra falls means that you need to think very carefully before making a serious decision.

If in a dream you remove or hide the image, this is not a good sign. Great disappointments await you soon.

Offering prayer in dreams before the face of the Saint means that in real life your thoughts are occupied only with money. After such a dream, think about your existence and reconsider all your moral values.

What does it help with?

Even during his lifetime, he treated sailors well. In his prayers he was able to stop any natural disaster. There was even such a case that the Saint revived a sailor who fell from a ship into the sea and choked.

Nicholas comes to the aid of the desperate prayers of mothers who ask for the well-being of their children.

It is within His power to reconcile conflicting people. Often people ask his face to life path enemies and envious people did not appear.
Lonely people also come to His image with prayers to find their soul mate.

The saint helps prisoners who have repented of their deeds. And also to people who are in prison for reasons other than their own.

Almost all drivers hang a small icon of the Saint in their car as a talisman against road accidents.

His face helps the sick whom doctors are unable to help.

Miracles icons

An English artist worked on the restoration of church paintings. One day he was told about the miracles of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. He was simply in some kind of incomprehensible delight and shock from what he heard. These miracles amazed him so much that he decided to paint his icon. Three years later, a real miracle happened to this image; it began to flow myrrh.

During the period of time when the Arab-Israeli uprising took place, the city was subject to intense shelling. However, not a single shell hit the walls of the monastery where the miraculous icon was located. The clergy even said that at the time of shelling, an image of the Saint appeared above the temple, protecting this sacred area.

One parishioner was very interested in antiques, which he bought all over Jerusalem. One day, in one of the antique shops, he saw an image of incredible beauty and, without any hesitation, he decided to purchase it. However, the seller asked a very large sum for the icon. The guy didn't have those big money and this upset him greatly, since he wanted to transfer this icon to the temple.

However, a couple of days later a real miracle happened: the merchant gave the icon to the guy and did not take anything for it. But this seemed very strange to the guy, and he decided to ask the seller why his decision had changed so much. The merchant said that on the day when he did not sell the icon, he dreamed of an angel and ordered him to return the miraculous image to his native walls. Naturally, the man did not attach any significance to this dream. However, the next day he saw in a dream a man who told the seller to return the icon to the young connoisseur of antiques. After this miracle, the holy icon was redirected to the walls of the temple.

Many amazing miracles happened to the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which were passed down from generation to generation. Images that exude amazing energy are known all over the world. A huge number of people pray at his icons every day.

Prayers to the image

Words of prayer for help in work

“Spiritual Lord, Elder, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Precious of good things and existence to the Giver, come and dwell in us, and free us from any evil spirits, and deliver us, O Blessed One, crush ours. Grant grace, O Almighty, and help me, a sinner, to carry out the craft I have begun, in Your recognition. Most High, Jesus Christ, the Only Son of Your Beginningless Parent, You, for You said here with Your unblemished lips that in My absence you will not be able to create anything. My Lord, God, spoken by the volume of faith in my heart and in my heart, I bow my knee before Your goodness: help me, a sinner, to carry out this work, which I am beginning, about You, in the name of the Father and the Son, and the Immaculate Spirit, through the prayers of the Mother of God and all Your sinless ones. Amen."

Prayer for a good marriage

“Oh Blessed Nicholas, good saint of God! During your existence, you have never once said no to a single person’s desires, but do not refuse the slave of the Lord (the name of the woman who wants to go down the aisle is pronounced). Send your favor and ask the Almighty for my marriage in the near future. I surrender to the power of God and count on His favor. Amen".

Prayer for the cure of any disease

“O Blessed Nicholas, saint of God, our sincere defender, and everywhere in suffering a quick helper, help me, sinful and sad, in real existence, to beg the Almighty Lord to grant me forgiveness of all my misdeeds that I have sinned from my youth, throughout my entire life, in activity, in words, in reasoning and in all my sensations; and in the end of my life, help me, the unfortunate one, beg the Almighty Lord of all beings, the Creator, to remove me from light torment and constant suffering, so that I may constantly glorify the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and your gracious intercession, now and always, and in centuries-old traditions. Amen".

Prayer of thanksgiving to Saint Nicholas

“Saint Nicholas! I address you as a mentor with faith and respect, and we bow our knee with sympathy. I express my gratitude to you and ask you for your successful life. Thank you, I hope for your favor and for your apology. For misconduct, for bad ideas, and for thoughts. Just as you have forgiven all sinners, forgive me too. Save me from terrible checks and from a useless death. Amen".

In the Orthodox faith, Nicholas the Wonderworker is the most revered saint. People turn to him with requests like simple people, and scientists, believers and non-believers. There are cases when people of non-Christian faith, Muslims, and Buddhists turned to him for help.

The reason for such widespread veneration is simple - help, relief of suffering, and a way out of a difficult situation come from God almost instantly. She is sent through the prayers of this revered, greatest saint. People who have turned to Saint Nicholas with prayer at least once know this.

What was the great saint like in worldly life?

The life of Saint Nicholas was very modest. Although we know little about his earthly life, some facts are known. For example, it is known that he was a pious presbyter. Later he became the bishop of the Lycian city of Myra, where he showed fearlessness by interceding for the unfortunate, innocently condemned to death. It was he who secretly, with the help of generous alms, saved three poor sisters from dishonor.

From the chronicles of his life we ​​know that Saint Nicholas passionately defended the Christian faith and at the first Ecumenical Council, defending it, he rebuffed the wicked heretic Arius. But, in addition, we know numerous testimonies of great miracles performed by the saint after his earthly life, right up to the present day.

The Lord commanded Christians not to flaunt the good deeds they perform. Saint Nicholas the saint also followed this commandment word of God. Therefore, we learn about many of his good deeds by chance. For example, people learned about helping poor sisters from their father’s story. He told how at night Nikolai the saint would throw bags of gold coins out their window. Thus, he provided very poor girls with a bright, blameless future.

In Asia Minor at the end of the 3rd century, the Roman Empire was still very strong. Believers, people who worship Christ, lived very hard and were persecuted in every possible way. They were subjected to hardships, everywhere they were in mortal danger of being tortured and dying a painful death at the hands of the pagans.

And in this terrible time for Christians, Saint Nicholas begins to work miracles with prayer and the name of Christ on his lips, without fear of being martyred. He healed terminally ill patients better than any doctor and even raised the dead. He gave people hope for help and intercession. He always came to the aid of everyone, even when he was not asked, managing to get ahead of misfortune, preventing trouble and a mortal threat.

Even during his lifetime he was revered as a great miracle worker. Therefore, after its completion, he became the most beloved great saint of the people.

What troubles and requests do people turn to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker with?

The great saint knew about human troubles. He came to the rescue in case of illness, difficult, sometimes hopeless, desperate situations. Many people are familiar with difficult situations when it seems that everything is over, there is no way out, and they give up. But suddenly, as if help comes from above. One has only to pray to Saint Nicholas and ask him for help in difficult times.

Nicholas the Wonderworker patronizes travelers, sailors, and protects children from harm. Orthodox mothers, sending their child to school or for a walk, ask the saint to look after him and protect him from dangers and surprises. They turn to him with a request to bring some sense to an unreasonable child who has become involved with bad company, or who has started taking drugs or alcohol.

The relics of the saint are located in Italy, the sunny, picturesque city of Bari. Christians who visit there say that many healings take place near the relics.

Here are the main problems and requests with which believers address the revered saint:

Healing, getting rid of diseases;
- Preservation of family peace and well-being;
- Intercession for children;
- Getting rid of poverty, need;
- Help in a disastrous, difficult life situation;
- safe return from travel;
- Exorcism of evil spirits and evil spirits. Protection of a person from all kinds of witchcraft, magical, extrasensory influences;
- Preserving the chastity of daughters, their successful marriage;
- Help for widows, orphans;
- Compassion for the helpless, defenseless;
- Protection on water;
- Salvation from despondency, sadness, sadness;
- Rescue from captivity.

How do you address Nicholas the Wonderworker?

If a person bears the name Nicholas, then he needs to address the saint with the following words: “Holy Father Nicholas, pray to God for me.”

If you want to turn to a saint, you can call him: mentor, holy wonderworker, saint of God, intercessor. Appeals are allowed: Merciful Father, kind father, shepherd, protector of the offended, comforter in sorrows.

You can address the saint with short prayers:

- “Our mentor and great intercessor, Father Nikolai! Accept my prayer, from the bottom of my sinful heart, protect me and my loved ones from outside evil and from my foolishness. Teach me how to do the right thing in this situation (…). In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

- “Saint Nicholas, Wonderworker of Myra, help me cope with my mental weakness - get rid of sadness and melancholy, do not let me fall into the grave sin of despondency, teach me to enjoy life at any moment, not to lose faith in the mercy of the Lord and your intercession. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

In case of troubles, hardships, for the protection of yourself and your family, turn to St. Nicholas for help. Believe and know that help will definitely come.

Stories from the editorial mail of the Pravoslavie.Ru portal

At that time I myself was not a churchgoer and not even baptized. And he confused Nicholas the Wonderworker with Stephen of Great Perm. But even so, I and many of my friends, far from the Church, noted that this saint saved people.

TV report from local TV "Rifey":

r.B. Christina
“I, an ordinary girl, dreamed of simple female happiness”

I am an ordinary girl, I dreamed of simple female happiness, but my personal life did not work out. I waited, asked in prayers, but, as they say, everything has its time. Years passed, but there was still no happiness. I would like to note that I am a pretty girl, I had a lot of fans, but I couldn’t imagine a relationship without love. I met a lot of good guys, but “not my thing,” and that’s all.

I started building a career, traveling, seeing the world. And this geographical “gourmetism” became for me a kind of substitute for personal life.

One day I came to the temple and began to ask: help, Saint Nicholas... A few weeks later I met a man with whom I had never even thought of becoming acquainted, he was too “mine” in terms of worldview and type. We really liked each other, started dating... And then the difficulties began. I won’t describe the details, but the relationship was stuck at one stage, the candy-bouquet period was over, and it was necessary to decide where to go next. Even though I am a believer, I was tired of loneliness and made concessions: we began to live together. I can’t describe the feeling, I was brought up in strict traditions, plus the Lord did not leave me without admonition: health problems began. And then I again turned to Saint Nicholas with a fervent prayer: I asked for a blessing, if this is my man, to unite us in marriage, and if not mine, then let him leave my life. I prayed almost every day while my beloved was away. And, you won’t believe it, my beloved comes and proposes to me! That same evening we go shopping for rings. Nikola helped us so much that we bypassed the queues at the registry office, we got the day of registration on the great Orthodox holiday Faith, Hope and Love, everything went like clockwork (those who got married know how troublesome a wedding is).

Many miracles were connected in my life with St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. For example, when I lost my job, I always turned to St. with prayers. Nikolai. And soon I found new job, which always not only corresponded to my specialty, brought good income, but also helped me gain interesting experience.

I could go on and on about the help I received in different time through prayers to. But I want to say the main thing - we must remember that we must help our loved ones and those in need. difficult moments life. This is precisely what my experience of prayerful communication with the great saint of God, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and this is exactly what the Lord expects from us...

Eduard Kichigin
“I asked St. Nicholas for help in finding a job”

Six months ago I was going through an extremely difficult period in my life, and one day I was standing at an evening service in St. Nicholas Cathedral, praying, my soul was painful and heavy, but by the end of the service I felt some kind of consolation and even joy. I won’t say anything about what I prayed for, but in addition to the main thing, I asked St. Nicholas for help in finding a job. After the service I walked home in the rain, and there was such joy in my soul, flying - “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice!” I sang to myself and aloud a little.

I came home and an old friend immediately called me with an offer of a very good job, extremely interesting, useful and promising for me. In order to discuss everything and get my consent, he, despite being extremely busy and worried, came to me that same evening. I got the job, it was difficult, but extremely interesting and useful. I promised Saint Nicholas that from my first salary I would light candles for all the icons in St. Nicholas Cathedral.

But in the end, everything got so twisted, both with this work and in general, that he fulfilled his promise only halfway and not on time - he only placed candles in one of the churches of the cathedral, and there were two of them, on both floors. Now I don’t understand what was stopping me. And frankly speaking, I didn’t live in the most correct way at that time. Things went badly, in general, in the end, I made the second part of my promise to St. Nicholas from my last salary six months later, after my dismissal. Here's the story.

Suzanna Farizova
"I was waiting for you with this finger"

I went to Bari, working at the Kommersant newspaper, in the then presidential pool. She left in a hurry, having spent Maslenitsa visiting on a grand scale the day before.

I was constantly in the way of my bag, the keys in my hands, the door.

It was with this front door that I ended up hitting my finger when I couldn’t handle my keys and bag. Hit hard.

I had no time. I flew away. In Bari, the finger became swollen, blackened and began to hurt. At first - barely. Then stronger and stronger. But I had to work, and I tried not to think that it hurt.

The program included a visit to the Basilica. The same one where the relics of St. Nicholas lie. They rest behind bars - heavy ones - which are opened on major holidays. I kissed the bars and asked for some global things for myself and my family. And at the end she asked for the finger to go through.