Collects for the Feast of Saint Nicholas

St. Nicholas, Albrecht Durer — Albrecht Dürer woodcut
from *Hortulus Animae* by Nicolaus Lamputer, 1490-1494
earthstation1.com
*Used by permission*

ETERNAL GOD,
in your great love
you gave your servant NICHOLAS
a perpetual name for deeds of kindness on land and sea.
Grant that your Church may never cease to work
for the happiness of children,
the safety of sailors,
the relief of the poor
and the help of those who are tossed
by tempests of doubt or grief;
through JESUS CHRIST our LORD,
who lives and reigns with you and the HOLY SPIRIT,
one GOD, now and for ever.

Almighty Father, lover of souls,
who chose your servant Nicholas
to be a bishop in the Church,
that he might give freely out of the treasures of your grace:
make us mindful of the needs of others
and, as we have received, so teach us also to give;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Almighty Father, lover of souls,
who chose your servant Nicholas
to be a bishop in the Church,
that he might give freely
out of the treasures of your grace;
make your people mindful
of the needs of others,
and as they have themselves received,
so teach them also to give;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Almighty God,
in your love you gave your servant Nicholas of Myra
a perpetual name for deeds of kindness both on land and sea:
Grant, we pray,
that your Church may never cease to work for the happiness of children,
the safety of sailors, the relief of the poor,
and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Almighty God,
who in thy love didst give to thy servant Nicholas of Myra
a perpetual name for deeds of kindness both on land and sea:
Grant, we pray thee,
that thy Church may never cease to work for the happiness of children,
the safety of sailors, the relief of the poor,
and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Heavenly Father,
shepherd of your people,
we thank you for your servant Nicholas,
who was faithful in the care and nurture of your flock;
and we pray that,
following his example
and the teaching of his holy life,
we may by your grace
grow into the full stature
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Lutheran collect from Festivals and Commemorations: Handbook to the Calendar in Lutheran Book of Worship by Philip H. Pfatteicher, copyright © 1980, Augsburg Publishing House, p. 444. Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress. Purchase from amazon.com, amazon.ca or amazon.uk

O God, Who didst adorn blessed Nicholas,
the bishop, with miracles unnumbered,
grant, we beseech Thee,
that by his merits and prayer
we may be delivered from the fire of hell.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God, who did adorn,
by the working of countless miracles,
the holy bishop Nicholas;
grant we beg You,
that by his merits and prayers,
we may be delivered from the pains of hell.

Collect from the Mass of St. Nicholas

God, Who graced Blessed Nicholas
as the Protector of imperiled
innocence while he lived, and
after his death by countless miracles,
grant that by his merits we may
be freed from perversion of
justice while alive and from the
fires of Hell after death.
Amen.

Prayer from Most Precious Blood Catholic Church, New York, New York

All powerful God,
You made Saint Nicholas a bishop and leader of the church
to inspire your people with his teaching and example.
May we give fitting honour to his memory
and always have the assistance of his prayers.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Collect from the Parish and Ancient Church of S. Nicholas, Plumstead, England

Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life:
grant us to perfectly know thy Son Jesus Christ
as the way, the truth and the life, and that,
following in the footsteps of friends like Nicholas
who loved the poor, the weak and the young,
and who gave what he had to enrich those who had but little,
we may faithfully walk in the way that leads to eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Third Reformed Church, Holland, Michigan, December 5, 1982

Merciful God, as we wait for the Incarnate One who became one with us:
Inspire us by the stories of your faithful servants through the ages.
May the devotion of Nicholas of Myra
prompt us to give without thought of our own gain
and promote in us a yearning for the spiritual riches of life,
through Jesus Christ our Savior,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever. Amen

From Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC. Used by permission.