The years passed quickly, and Nicholas’s reputation for kindness and generosity spread. The Christian community in Patara grew. “As people observed his goodness, many followed his example and teachings,” Symeon Metaphrastes says. “They scorned a material, transient existence and placed their trust in the eternal.” Eventually Nicholas’s dedication led to a promotion and high honor. He was chosen to be bishop of Myra, an important city several miles east of Patara on the Lycian coast.
