Tuesday, May 14, 2013

St Nicholas Cross Stitch Almost Done

St Nicholas is getting closer to being done, in fact I expect to complete it this week.
This is the corner I have been working on with all it's stitches done.  
Then I started on the halo.  The one in the pattern was very small and wimpy so I enlarged it.  The peach colors close to his head are the original halo which was about 2 stitches larger.  I took those 2 colors and widened them on the pattern paper and just filled it in.

I also wanted to have the halo be metallic gold but not overwhelming.  To this end I stitched half crosses in 2 strands of DMC and am completing the crosses with 1 strand of a paler gold metallic thread.

More of the life of St Nicholas:
The youth Nicholas was fervent of spirit, and in his proficiency with questions of faith he was like an Elder who aroused the wonder and deep respect of believers.  Constantly at work and unceasing in prayer, the priest Nicholas displayed great kind-heartedness towards the flock and the afflicted who came to him for help and he distributed all his inheritance to the poor.  St Nicholas always strove to bestow charity secretly and to conceal his good deeds.  Through these stories comes our modern Santa Claus and his being the patron saint of children.

The Bishop of Patara decided to go on pilgrimage to the holy places at Jerusalem and entrusted the guidance of his flock to St Nicholas.  When the bishop returned Nicholas asked his blessing for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.  Along the way the saint predicted a storm would arise and threaten the ship.  St Nicholas saw the devil get on the ship intending to sink it and kill all the passengers.  At the entreaty of the despairing pilgrims he calmed the waves of the sea by his prayers.  Through his prayer a sailor of the ship, who had fallen from the mast and was mortally injured, was also restored to health.  Because of this he is the patron saint of sailors.

When he reached Jerusalem and came to Golgotha, St Nicholas gave thanks to the Savior.  He worshipped at all the holy places and then decided to withdraw into the desert but he was stopped by a divine voice urging him to return to his native country.  He returned to Lycia and yearning for a life of quietude the saint entered into the brotherhood of a monastery named Holy Sion which had been founded by his uncle.  But the Lord again indicated another path for him, “Nicholas this is not the vineyard where you shall bear fruit for Me.  Return to the world and glorify My Name there.”  So he left Patara and went to Myra in Lycia.




1 comment:

Kate said...

I have been following along as you make this cross stitch! The work is beautiful!

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