The Departure of St . George (Ga'orgi), the Friend of St . Abraam .

On this day, St . George (Ga'orgi), the companion of St . Abraam, departed . He was born tosaintly Christian parents, and he shepherded the sheep of his father . He desired to become a monk,350so he left the tending of the sheep, and he was fourteen years old . He went to the wilderness ofSt . Macarius . While he was walking on the road, the devil appeared to him in the form of an oldman, and said to him: "Your father thought that a wild beast has killed you, and he rent hisgarment, grieving over you . It is meet that you should return to your father to comfort his heartfirst then return to the wilderness" . The Saint was astonished for that, and thought in himselfsaying: "The Holy Bible says: 'He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy ofMe .'" (Matthew 10:37) When he said that, the devil became like smoke and fled from him .Immediately, the angel of the Lord in the form of a monk appeared to him, and guided him to themonastery of Abba Orion (Arion) . He remained there under the guidance of a holy monk for tenyears, during which he never ate any cooked food or fruit and never drank wine .He then desired to live alone in the inner wilderness and went to the monastery of the RomanSaints Maximus and Domadius in Scetis . At the same time, St . Abraam arrived to the monastery .They went together to the monastery of St . Macarius and met St . Yoannis, the archpriest ofSheahat . He gave them a cell close by him to live in, which was known as the cell of Bageeg,where St . Abraam departed, and after him St . George departed also, and he was seventy-twoyears old .May their prayers be with us . Amen .