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Also known as: Victory
Bringer
Memorial: 23 April (Roman Catholic); 3 November (Russian Orthodox);
fourth Sunday in June (Malta); third Sunday in July (Gozo)
Profile
Soldier. Martyr. That's all we know for sure.
Several stories have been attached to Saint George, the best known of
which is the Golden Legend. In it, a dragon lived in a lake near Silena,
Libya. Whole armies had gone up against this fierce creature, and had gone
down in painful defeat. The monster ate two sheep each day; when mutton
was scarce, lots were drawn in local villages, and maidens were
substituted for sheep. Into this country came Saint George. Hearing the
story on a day when a princess was to be eaten, he crossed himself, rode
to battle against the serpent, and killed it with a single blow with his
lance. George then held forth with a magnificent sermon, and converted the
locals. Given a large reward by the king, George distributed it to the
poor, then rode away.
Due to his chivalrous behavior (protecting women, fighting evil,
dependence on faith and might of arms, largesse to the poor), devotion to
Saint George became popular in the Europe after the 10th century. In the
15th century his feast day was as popular and important as Christmas. Many
of his areas of patronage have to do with life as a knight on horseback.
The celebrated Knights of the Garter are actually Knights of the Order of
Saint George. The shrine built for his relics at Lydda, Palestine was a
popular point of pilgrimage for centuries. One of the Fourteen Holy
Helpers.
Died: tortured and beheaded c.304 at Lydda, Palestine
Patronage
Aragon, agricultural workers, archers, armourers, Beirut, Lebanon, Boy
Scouts, butchers, Canada, Catalonia, cavalry, chivalry, Constantinople,
England, equestrians, farmers, Ferrara Italy, field hands, field workers,
Genoa Italy, Georgia, Germany, Gozo, Greece, herpes, horsemen, horses,
husbandmen, Istanbul, knights, lepers, leprosy, Lithuania, Malta, Moscow,
Order of the Garter, Palestine, Palestinian Christians, plague, Portugal,
riders, saddle makers, saddlers, skin diseases, skin rashes, soldiers,
syphilis, Teutonic Knights, Venice
Representation: armor, dragon
Reading
Saint George was a man who abandoned one army for another: he gave up the
rank of tribune to enlist as a soldier for Christ. Eager to encounter the
enemy, he first stripped away his worldly wealth by giving all he had to
he poor. Then, free and unencumbered, bearing the shield of faith, he
plunged into the thick of the battle, an ardent soldier for Christ.
Clearly what he did serves to teach us a valuable lesson: if we are afraid
to strip ourselves of out worldly possessions, then we are unfit to make a
strong defense of the faith.
Dear brothers, let us not only admire the courage of this fighter in
heaven's army, but follow his example. Let us be inspired to strive for
the reward of heavenly glory.
We must now cleanse ourselves, as Saint Paul tells us, from all defilement
of body and spirit, so that one day we too may deserve to enter that
temple of blessedness to which we now aspire.
from a sermon by Saint Peter Damian, priest
"As for Saint George, he was
consumed with the fire of the Holy Spirit. Armed with the invincible
standard of the cross, he did battle with an evil king and acquitted
himself so well that, in vanquishing the king, he overcame the prince of
all wicked spirits, and encouraged other soldiers of Christ to perform
brave deeds in his cause."
St. Peter Damien on St. George
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