The Martyrdom of St . GeorgePrince of the Martyrs

On this day, of the year 307 A .D ., the great among the martyrs St . George, was martyred . He was bornin Cappadocia; his father's name was Anastasius, and his mother's name was Theobaste .When he was twenty years old, his father died, and he went to Emperor Diocletian to take over hisfather's position . He found that the Emperor had apostatized the faith and ordered the worship of idols .George was sorrowful, and he gave all his wealth to the poor and needy and set free his slaves .When he saw the edict of the Emperor against the Christians, he became raged and tore it . They tookhim before the Emperor, and he cried in their middest saying: "For how long you shall pour your angeragainst the innocent Christians, and force those who know the true faith to adopt the faith that you arein doubt of because it is fraudulent? So, either you believe on this true faith, or at least do not disturbwith foolishness those who are steadfast in it ." The Emperor asked Mephnanius, one of his ministers,to pacify and persuade him . He asked him: "Who taught you to be daring like this ." The Saintanswered: "It is the truth," then started to explain it to him . The Emperor interrupted, reminding theSaint with the ranks that he bestowed on him, and promised him with more if he denied his Christ . TheSaint refused with pride all these vain propositions . The Emperor tortured him severely, but the Lordstrengthened him and healed all his wounds .When the Emperor was weary of torturing him, he brought a magician, whose name was Athanasius,who gave the Saint a cup full of poison to drink . St . George made the sign of the cross over the cupthen drank it . When no harm came upon him, the magician believed in the Lord Christ, and receivedthe crown of martyrdom . The Emperor became raged and ordered to squeeze him until he delivered uphis soul, and they cast his body out side the city .The Lord Christ raised him up, and the Saint returned to the city . When the people saw him, threethousand and seven hundred souls believed . The Emperor ordered to cut off their heads and theyreceived the crown of martyrdom .When St . George stood before Emperor Diocletian, along with seventy kings that were sitting aroundhim, they asked the Saint: "We wish you to make these chairs that we are sitting on to put forth leaves,and bear fruit ." The Saint prayed to the Lord Christ, the Lord accepted his supplication and the chairsput forth leaves and bore fruit .They took him once to a cemetery and asked him to raise the dead therein . He prayed to the LordChrist . The Lord raised them and after they talked to them, they returned to their graves and died .A poor woman, brought her son, who was blind, deaf and dumb, he prayed to the Lord Christ thenmade the sign of the cross over him, and he was healed right away .313Diocletain, during all that, went on torturing St . George, until he was weary and bored of that . Hestarted to be pleasant to the Saint and promised to give him his daughter in marriage if he would offerthe incense to his gods . The Saint pretended that he accepted his offer, and the Emperor rejoiced andbrought him into the royal palace . While St . George was praying the Psalms, the Empress heard himand asked him to explain to her what he had said . He began to interpret to her all the events from thecreation of the world to the Incarnation of the Lord Christ, and his words entered her heart and shebelieved in the Lord Christ, to Whom is the Glory .The Emperor ordered to call upon all the men of the city to gather, in order to see Saint Georgeoffering the incense to the Emperor's gods . When multitude gathered by the idols, Gawargios (George)stood and cried at the idols in the Name of the Lord Christ the Savior of the world . The earth openedits mouth and swallowed all the idols . The Emperor and all those who were with him were ashamedand he returned to his palace full of fury and wrath . The Empress told him: "Didn't I tell you not tooppose the Galileans, for their God is strong and mighty?" The Emperor was exceedingly wrath withher, for he knew that St . George had brought her also to his faith . The Emperor with rage ordered tocomb her body with a steel comb, then cut off her head, and she received the crown of martyrdom .Finally, Diocletian decided to put an end to the humiliation that befell him, so he ordered to cut off thehead of St . George, and he received the crown of martyrdom . A Christian took the body, wrapped it inexpensive shrouds, and took it to the city of Lydda, his home town, and they built a great church on hisname there .His intercession be with us and Glory be to our God forever . Amen .