Saint George.

Saint George comes from Cappadocia. He was the son of wealthy parents. His father died early, and his mother moved to Palestine, where she had large estates.

At the age of twenty, he had already attained great military rank. He was the darling of the then-ruler Diocletian. The appointed Emperor summoned advisers to Nicomedia one day to determine the fate of the Christians in the future. It was only a formal consultation, for the Emperor was determined to persecute the Christians. The final resolution of the consultation was postponed until the third day.
For those three days, St. George asked God to avert the Emperor’s evil intent regarding the Christians. God, however, dealt differently than St. George wished. He also wanted to reward him with the glory of a martyr.
On the third, fateful day, a young, bold, well-dressed officer, George, came before the Emperor and said to him:
“Most illustrious Emperor, why do you postpone indefinitely the solution of serious questions of state, and occupy yourself with how to commit crime? Why do you want to cane innocent people, Christians who faithfully serve your country, and force them to worship idols, devils, while you neither acknowledge God, who created heaven and earth, nor allow them to worship Him!”
The Emperor groaned on hearing these words. The first to respond to them was Magnentius, who put a question to St. George:
“Who gave thee this boldness?”
– The truth – replied St. George.
What truth – Magnentius asked again
Isus Christos, Whom you persecute, in Whom I believe and faithfully serve.
After this short dialogue, the Emperor also took the floor.
You know well, George, that I love you – began the Emperor – Obey me, sacrifice to my gods, and you will win my love even more.
I pray God, said George, that your eyes may be opened, that you also may know the Lord, for whom I am willing to die.
After these words, they began to torture him. All night in fetters, he remained lying in the prison with a brand and a heavy stone on his chest. The next day, they tortured him on the wheel, on which he lost much blood so that he died. The Emperor, after a few snide remarks, retired to his temple to sacrifice the gods for the murder of the Christian George. God, however, did not leave His servant to be a reproach to the pagans.
The angel stopped the wheel and healed the martyr with the words:
“Fear not, George, your God is with you”.
The healed martyr hastened to the Emperor to present himself alive and well and convince him of the power of Christ, for whom he would sacrifice himself.
When the crowd surrounding the Emperor saw him, they exclaimed in unison:
“Great is the God of the Christians!”
The Emperor did not learn from this.
His wife, Alexandra, believed and cried out with the others for the glory of God, but the Emperor had them all slaughtered. Magnentius saved the empress from his wrath, for he immediately had her taken to the imperial palace.
St. George was thrown into the lime for three days.
He was brought alive and well again before the Emperor on the fourth day.
Tell me, St. George, – the Emperor begged the martyr – by what magic are you so invincible?
These are no enchantments – replied the saint – it is the power of God that protects me from the wiles of the devil whom you serve.
After this conversation, new torments began. George was put into red-hot boots with sharp nails protruding so that they dug into his feet, and he was driven in these shoes to the prison.
Then, the sorcerer Anastasius was transferred to poison him. The appointee offered to drink the poison to him, but it remained without the expected effect.
If thou wilt raise the dead – said the sorcerer to the saint – I too will believe in thy God.
I will do this also – said St. George – but not for your sake, but for the sake of the people, who, because of such as yourself, do not know the true God.
They brought him to the grave of the dead.
St. George fervently prayed to Him, Who is “the Resurrection and our life,” remembering His words:
“Have faith in God… and whatever you ask for in prayer, believe, and it will be given to you” (Mk 11:23-25).
Whoever spoke these words remained faithful to them this time.
The dead rose.
Anastasius also fulfilled his promise – he glorified Christ with the one George had raised, and they were both beheaded for it.
St. George was again thrown into prison.
The next day, they again forced him to sacrifice to the pagan gods.
Show them to me!” cried the martyr.
The Emperor was pleased with this exclamation of St. George, for he thought he would obey him already.
St. George came to his divinity house and, by the name of Isus only, demolished all his idols—his gods.
Then, Empress Alexandra also appeared and asked the martyr to pray for her. The Emperor condemned both to death by beheading.
Saint George came from Cappadocia. He was the son of wealthy parents. His father died early, and his mother moved to Palestine, where she had large estates.

At the age of twenty, he had already attained great military rank. He was the darling of the then-ruler Diocletian. The appointed Emperor summoned advisers to Nicomedia one day to determine the fate of the Christians in the future. It was only a formal consultation, for the Emperor was determined to persecute the Christians. The final resolution of the consultation was postponed until the third day.
For those three days, St. George asked God to avert the Emperor’s evil intent regarding the Christians. God, however, dealt differently than St. George wished. He also wanted to reward him with the glory of a martyr.
On the third, fateful day, a young, bold, well-dressed officer, George, came before the Emperor and said to him:
“Most illustrious Emperor, why do you postpone indefinitely the solution of serious questions of state, and occupy yourself with how to commit crime? Why do you want to cane innocent people, Christians who faithfully serve your country, and force them to worship idols, devils, while you neither acknowledge God, who created heaven and earth, nor allow them to worship Him!”
The Emperor groaned on hearing these words. The first to respond to them was Magnentius, who put a question to St. George:
“Who gave thee this boldness?”
– The truth – replied St. George.
What truth – Magnentius asked again
Isus Christos, Whom you persecute, in Whom I believe and faithfully serve.
After this short dialogue, the Emperor also took the floor.
You know well, George, that I love you – began the Emperor – Obey me, sacrifice to my gods, and you will win my love even more.
I pray God, said George, that your eyes may be opened, that you also may know the Lord, for whom I am willing to die.
After these words, they began to torture him. All night in fetters, he remained lying in the prison with a brand and a heavy stone on his chest. The next day, they tortured him on the wheel, on which he lost so much blood that he died. The Emperor, after a few snide remarks, retired to his temple to sacrifice the gods for the murder of the Christian George. God, however, did not leave His servant to be a reproach to the pagans.
The angel stopped the wheel and healed the martyr with the words:
“Fear not, George, your God is with you.”
The healed martyr hastened to the Emperor to present himself alive and well and convince him of the power of Christ, for whom he would sacrifice himself.
When the crowd surrounding the Emperor saw him, they exclaimed in unison:
“Great is the God of the Christians!”
The Emperor did not learn from this.
His wife, Alexandra, believed and cried out with the others for the glory of God, but the Emperor had them all slaughtered. Magnentius saved the empress from his wrath, for he immediately had her taken to the imperial palace.
St. George was thrown into the lime for three days.
He was brought before the Emperor on the fourth day, alive and wellEmperor
Tell me, St. George – the Emperor begged the martyr – by what magic are you so invincible?
These are no enchantments – replied the saint – it is the power of God that protects me from the wiles of the devil whom you serve.
After this conversation, new torments began. George was put into red-hot boots with sharp nails protruding so that they dug into his feet, and he was driven in these shoes to the prison.
Then, the sorcerer Anastasius was transferred to poison him. The appointee offered to drink the poison to him, but it remained without the expected effect.
If thou wilt raise the dead – said the sorcerer to the saint – I too will believe in thy God.
I will do this also – said St. George – but not for your sake, but for the sake of the people, who, because of such as yourself, do not know the true God.
They brought him to the grave of the dead.
St. George fervently prayed to Him, Who is “the Resurrection and our life,” remembering His words:
“Have faith in God… and whatever you ask for in prayer, believe, and it will be given to you” (Mk 11:23-25).
Whoever spoke these words remained faithful to them this time.
The dead rose.
Anastasius also fulfilled his promise – he glorified Christ with the one George had raised, and they were both beheaded for it.
St. George was again thrown into prison.
The next day, they again forced him to sacrifice to the pagan gods.
Show them to me!” cried the martyr.
The Emperor was pleased with this exclamation of St. George, for he thought he would obey him already.
St. George came to his divinity house and, by the name of Isus only, demolished all his idols—his gods.
Then, Empress Alexandra also appeared and asked the martyr to pray for her—the Emperor condemned both to death by beheading.