Saint George
The Prince of Martyrs (Parmoute 23rd)
He is also known as St, George of Cappadocia, a city in modern-day Turkey. Of all
the saints named George, he is the most known. St. George was born in
Cappadocia, his father Anastius' home town but grew up into a gallant man in Lydda,
his mother Theopesta's home town near Bethlehem. After his father's death, he
assumed his father's influential military rank in the Roman Guard at the age of twenty
years. When St. George knew about the Emperor's edict of idol worshiping and the
enslavement of the steadfast Christians who refused to comply, he ransomed them
with his own wealth and publicly defended the oppressed and fearful Christians.
Noble and bold, St. George encountered several emperors before facing the worst of
them all, the infamous Emperor Diocletian. Though repeatedly tortured, and
alternatively enticed with wicked propositions and material temptations, St. George's
faith remained stalwart, ever so confident in the Lord Jesus Christ, who repeatedly
healed him from the various wounds and inflictions meant to dissuade him from the
truth. St. George's faith was resilient. While onlookers witnessed his valor in this
faith, many became Christians, as well, and others accepted to suffer martyrdom for
the sake of the true faith. The extensive tortures bore by this amazing saint were
particularly graphic. In the midst of his pain and suffering, he was known to have
performed many miracles, such as raising the dead and curing a mute, deaf and
blind boy. In addition, the Lord did not refuse the prayers of this beloved saint who,
at the ridiculous demand of Diocletian to bring forth branches and fruits from chairs,
entreated and made his request known to Christ, and the Lord answered his prayers.
Frustrated and repeatedly humiliated by the gallantry and perseverance of St.
George, Diocletian tried to seduce him by offering to marry his daughter to him.
When she was brought to St. George, he prayed the psalms with her and taught her
about the Lord Jesus Christ, Thus, the empress accepted Christ and tried to stop her
father from inflicting any more tortures on St. George. Enraged that she had also
become a Christian, Diocletian burned her body with a hot comb and ordered her
beheading. She, too, received the crown of martyrdom. After that, St. George was
forced to drink a cup of poison and squeezed to the point of death. Then, he was to
be thrown outside the city to have his life ended, Finally, realizing that nothing could
stop this saint from loving and worshiping Jesus Christ, Diocletian ordered to have
him beheaded after the most horrendous tortures. The precious body of St. George
was befittingly shrouded and taken to his hometown in Lydda. By the grace of God,
the righteous Emperor Constantine who eventually assumed political and executive
authority over many regions, proclaimed Christianity to be the official religion
throughout all his municipalities. Through his mother's guidance, and in honour of the
martyrs, he ordered the construction of many churches, including St. George's. Many
churches still hold some of his blessed and venerable relics and countless miracles
continue to be performed by St. George the Prince of Martyrs even until this day.
St. George of Alexandria the Martyr (Hathor 7th)
He was the son of a non-Christian, Alexandrian merchant and his maternal uncle
was the governor of Alexandria. While attending the feast of the consecration of a
church named in the honor of St. George the Prince of martyrs in Lydda and before
St. George was born, his father had entreated the prayers of the first for a son. At the
age of twenty-five years, after his parents death, St George lived with his unbelieving
uncle, the governor. He often spoke with his young female cousin about Christ,
monasticism, and many other aspects of the eternal life, where people would be
either with Christ in heaven amongst the believers or away from Christ in utter
darkness amongst the unbelievers. When she accepted the Christian faith and tried
to explain this truth to her stubborn father, he had her beheaded. Blaming St. George
for it, he had him beheaded, as well. The governor's wife, who had grieved the
martyrdom of her young daughter, took the body of St. George of Alexandria and
had it placed in the same church along with her daughter's.
St. George, El Mezahem, the Martyr (Paone 19th)
He is a Christian convert from the Islamic religion. His original name was El-
Mezahem, but was changed to Girgis (George) after conversion and baptism. Before
Conversion, St. George's Christian mother used to occasionally take him to church
with her when he was still a young boy. His heart longed to partake of the Holy
Eucharist, but his mother explained to him that it was impossible to do so without
having first to be baptized. After conversion, he grew up in the faith and married a
Christian woman. When the Muslims of the country discovered that, they hunted for
him throughout the country, from city to city, until they finally captured him and
demanded that the governor turn him over to them. He was not only supported and
encouraged by his wife, but also by an angel whom the Lord had sent to strengthen
him. Finally, the Muslims took hold of him, had him beheaded, and thrown in a fire.
The Lord accepted his pure soul, but did not allow his blessed body to burn. Placed
in a barrel and tossed in the ocean, St. George's blessed body landed safely on an
island. A Christian woman took his body, shrouded it with dignity, and placed it in her
home until a church was built in his honor.
May all their prayers and blessings be with us all, and glory to God, forever, Amen.
st. George was born about 280 A.D. of a Christian family that was wealthy and of
noble origin, in the city of Capadocia, a city of the Eastern Empire, in Asia Minor. He
followed the usual career of young nobleman and joined the Roman army, where his
ability and charm brought him quick promotion. The Emperor heard about him and
as a result made him a tribune or an officer in the Imperial Guard.
One story says that he was a frilled of Constantine another officer, who later became
the first Christian emperor. The legend says that St. George came with Constantine
to Britain and visited some holy places as Glastonbury and Caerleon. On his return
to Nicomedia, the capital of the Eatern Empire where Diocletian settled, he met the
fiercy storm of persecution. Diocletian gave orders for the issue of a formal edict
against the Christians on February 23, in the year 303 A.D., being the feast of
Termhialia. The provisions of this edict which was published on the next day in the
market place were as follows: "All churches should be levelled to the ground. All
sacred books to be burned. All Christians who hold any honourable rank are not
only to be degraded, but to be deprived of civil rights. Also, All Christians who are not
officials are to be reduced to slavery". In great courage, the young man George,
pushed his way through the market place to read the proclamation, and then in front
of the awe-stricken crown, he deliberately tore down the Imperial edict and threw it
away. Consequently he was arrested and brought to the presence of Diocletian.
Some historians believe that St. George was not the young man who tore the
proclamation, but as the edict was proclaimed and the great church in Nicomedia
was ransacked and destroyed by the Praetorian Guard, he liberated his slaves,
distributed all his wealth to the poor and prepared himself for martyrdom. He entered
Diocletian's palace and rebuked him for his behaviour against the Christians. The
Emperor tried to seduce him by promises that he would be granted a higher positon
in the Empire. But as these promises failed to attract him, the Emperor began to
threaten him with unbearable tortures that he will in- flict on him. Lastly he put him in
prison.
ST. GEORGE'S CHASTITY: Diocletian knew that nothing, except sin, could destroy
the strength, and demolish the integrity of this Saint. Thus he arranged for a very
beautiful woman to spend the night with him in prison and try to debauch him. St.
George who could only look forward to heavenly joy, began to pray and within a
short while he managed to swing her heart to the Christian faith. Soon she seriously
began to inquire about salvation, and by the morning she declared that she found
her true Bridegroom Jesus Christ. With great courage she announced her
Christianity to the emperor and his milliard joined the other saintly martyrs.
ST. GEORGE'S Sufferings: It is not the purpose of this paper to go through the
tortures that were applied to St. George, in depth, but nevertheless I wish to bring to
light his utmost love for Christ, by listing some of them. His body was torn by a
special instrument that had metallic teeth, and our Lord Jesus raised him, after his
death and many pagans were converted. He was put in active lime, and thell water
was poured on it. Again the Lord returned him back to life. The emperor became
very agitated, imagining that the Saint was using magic. He called his top magician,
Athanasius and requested hill to prepare a lethal poison to kill St. George. The Saint
signed over the CtAp with the sign of the cross before drinking it and of course no
harm came to him. The Emperor's councillors informed him that St. George's magic
was in fact contained in the sign of the Cross itself. Another cup was also given to
the Saint, but this time with his hands tied behind his back. The Saint signed it by his
head saying: "shall I drink it from here or here or here or here!!!" During all these
tortures, although the Saint had enough pains and sufferings of his own, but
nevertheless kept on talking to Diocletian about the powers of the Christian faith. At
the end the Emperor asked him if he could raise a dead man he knew of. St. George
prayed to our Lord and the dead man came back to life. The result of that was the
conversion of the dead man and the magician as well as many others. They all were
martyred.
IN THE EMPEROR'S PALACE: When all methods failed to incite St. George, the
Emperor invited him in his palace to entertain him. He offered him an appointment as
a prince if he only sacrificed once to the idols. The Saint replied "Tomorrow you will
see the powers of your gods" At the palace, St. George met Empress Alexander,
who had a fair idea about the Saint's God. She spoke with him, but the conversation
quickly changed its course and the Saint began to preach to her about Jesus Christ,
the Saviour of the world. On the following day many people went to the temple to
witness St. George's sacrifice to the idols. The Saint stretched his hands, raised his
eyes to Heaven. And in a moment, the idols collapsed and fell to the ground!!. The
crowds shouted "we believe in George's God" At this, the Emperor and his men put
an end to the lives of the new Christians, St. George, and Empress Alexandra in 23
Baramouda, 303 A.D. St. George was buried in his mother's home that was situated
on the seashore at Lydda, in Palestine. Before long his fame was spread all over the
world. King Constantino, who took over after Diocletian, considered that St. George
was the true model of the young Christian man, and ordered a church to be built over
his grave. In Egypt, the Copts call him, "The Prince of Martyrs", and built over 200
churches named after him. Moreover he is a personal friend of the majority of the
Copts, who believe in the power of his prayers for them. The Greeks call him "the
Great Martyr".
HIS Fight WITH THE DRAGON: Legends grew up about this Saint, but the most
famous one is about his fight with the dragon, which was documented in a book
called "the Colden legend" by James de Voragine, a bishop of Genoa. It happened
when St. George was once stationed with the Roman army near Salone in Libya,
North Africa. In that area a Dragon which was described as a huge crocodile with
scaled wings, had eaten so many of the country folks around Salone that the
remaining lot fled to the town and took shelter behind its walls. There, the dragon
was positioned outside the city gates, and nobody could get in or out. Moreover its
poisonous breath was so lethal that as it snored over the city wall, people could
actually drop dead in the nearby area. In order to keep the beast away from the
walls, two sheep were tethered every day, some distance away. The system worked
fine until they ran out of sheep and the miserable people could not think of any other
alternative but to sacrifice one child every day. One day the lot fell on the king's
daughter, Sabra, a girl of fourteen, sometimes called Cleodolinda. Dressed in her
most splendid clothes, as for her wedding, the poor girl was taken outside the city
walls. While she was waiting for the dragon, weeping, George the tribune came up
mounting his white horse. On hearing the story he decided to put an end to that
tragedy, and decided to kill the dragon. "Fair girl" he said, "do not be afraid for I will
save you life with the aid of my Lord Jesus Christ". When the dragon appeared
George the hero got engaged with the wild beast in a great combat. Finally he
managed to wound it with his lance so badly that it could fight no more. Now the two
of them tied a rope around its neck, and dragged it to the town. There in the market
place, George cut off its head in front of all the cheering inhabitants, and the people
of the whole town were baptized and became Christians.
The above story seems to be exaggerated, which is perhaps true, and it could have
started by a fight between St. George and an ordinary crocodile. However, it became
very popular all over the world, because of its spiritual meaning that St. George
defeated the devil by the Cross and his righteousness in Christ.