It's the Feast of St. George today, the patron Saint of England, and what a saint he was, a Roman officer who was martyred in Diocletian's persecution and won fame for rescuing the people of a Middle Eastern town from a ferocious dragon. He stands for the fight of good v. evil, of light versus dark and the triumph of the Church Militant over the raging forces of Hell.
George never visited England, that we know of, but became beloved of its Kings and people, a model of Christian valor and chivalry. He was canonized by Pope Gelasius in 494 AD as the city of Rome still stood, imperial grandeur intact. A testimony, when you think on it, to the triumph of the Cross.
St. George, a Christian warrior who did not bow down to the heathen secular power of his age, pray for us.
For St. George and England,
LSP
I often wonder what the true story of St. George was. Was the dragon a crocodile? A big one? Or a smaller one?
ReplyDeleteClearly the icons that came from the event are neat.
Hard to say, LL, but he quickly gained great devotion. The dragon? It could've been a crocodile and a large one to boot. Then again, maybe it was just a dragon, probably a small one.
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