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INDEPENDENCE

The virtue of selflessness has a special name. From a purely linguistic point of view, it is a negative term. Yet it represents perhaps the rarest of positive qualities. The word “gain,” reported from the root of this expression, is positive, lawful, right, just. But if its negation is highly positive, apparently the word profit can sometimes have a negative flavor, or turn into something outwardly negative. Whenever profit is consistent with the requirement of justice, it is something positive. However, as soon as it becomes an end in itself – profit, for profit – its positivity is lost, and everything degenerates into egocentrism, narcissism, egoism, etc., depending on what aspect of the human aspect of the human being, and one becomes profiteering.

Selflessness is the “condition sine qua non” of the growth, existence, and authenticity of the human personality, more precisely of its moral character. Who consider from this point of view the saying of Jesus, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mt 16:23), will discover with immense surprise that Jesus did not utter a paradox here, but that – if in this context we set aside the biblical-theological meaning in the narrower sense – he was expressing a condition of moral self-preservation or self-preservation. But this would mean at the same time that to lose or seek to lose one’s own life for God is a path to self-preservation or self-mastery on a level that is utterly unknown to others.

But what if one does it out of calculation, out of selfishness? In a relationship with God, this is not true, for God never comes out from behind the scenes. If he did, he would overwhelm man with His goodness, His beauty, His greatness… just as the endless sea captivates a drop of water on a cliff. But God is hidden, and man is left only with faith – faith in goodness, justice, love, faithfulness, etc. God is thus “in statu viae” (still on the way) to the human being. Appears as the best goods, or even as the greatest good, or – only for very penetrating intelligence – as the infinity of all good.

But even then it does not irresistibly attract a man – because of the heaviness of his carnality. That is why man retains his freedom, even towards God. If, therefore, man freely, and thus unselfishly, chooses God, after a time he will see that he has not given up his personality, but has preserved it, that he has not given up himself, but has established himself in his authenticity, that he has not lost Selflessness his freedom but has enhanced it, that he has not emptied himself inwardly but has attained a higher stage of existence. Certainly, he has not yet had an ecstatic experience of it – apart from a few happy moments – but it is nevertheless a reason for unquestioning hope. At the same time, with these experiences, he realizes that the more selflessly he devotes himself to God, the more he grows and strengthens as a free, autonomous personality (“Ama et fac quod vis” – Love and do what you want). Every advance in selflessness means a further degree of authentication of the self, and conversely, with every self-direction one moves in the direction of the desire to “want to save one’s life,” and thus impoverishes oneself.

Without selflessness, there is no progress in either moral or virtuous
life. Man is bound by something. It reminds me of the incident of the two bon vivants who spent a long evening in a noisy society and then hired a boat to return home. They rowed for hours until it started to growl. They saw with horror that they had not got away from the shore, nor …within twenty yards of the shore. They had forgotten to untie the boat from the shore. It’s a picture of people anchored in themselves. As long as they don’t detach themselves from the
…or cut the rope, they can’t get a step ahead on the road to moral perfection. The virtue of selflessness thus inspires, motivates, and directs man to seek neither material reward nor recognition nor gratitude in anything, much less that satisfaction, which is incomparably more difficult for a man to renounce than anything else: inner self-satisfaction.

It is all the more difficult because one does not know what and how to grasp, where to begin, and often realizes too soon a fact that devalues everything – the self-satisfied reflection on the positive deed he has done. If it fails to remove it, the fragile virtue of selflessness is shattered,  as if it were made of the finest crystal. This apt comparison gives us enables us to understand why the good done by a self-satisfied glance at it disintegrates as soon as it has been successfully performed. It means, perhaps, that one must not fix one’s inward gaze on the well-done deed. Certainly not. The destruction of the effects of a good deed, and or the virtue of selflessness, comes only by admiring oneself – instead of God. Thus – to stay with what has already been said of the image – not only does one shatter the fine crystal, but one also wounds one by the shards. Hence the double harm. But is a man capable of absolute selflessness? Yes, but only in single moments of action. In the long run and for a lifetime.

The Church Fathers affirm the existence of purgatory. St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians says. He will surely save himself, but only from fire. St. Augustine writes. Whoever will be carnal, or will resemble in his life those who live according to the flesh, even if he does not break away from the Church, cannot be brought to heresy, let him await the fiery furnace, and let him know that only through the flame will he get to the right side. The fire will purify the souls so that they can get to the right. Only in purgatory shall we see what severe punishments are inflicted for what the world has come to call light sins.

St. Peter of Damian convinces us of the severity of the punishments for venial sin, by a whole heap of examples. The people of the world think very little of what they will have to pay for mistakes which they hardly notice here on earth. A certain nun has seen souls in Purgatory suffering for not being able to renounce their own opinions. Contemplating Purgatory will make us change by living. For many souls, he says, death would be a horror if we had only one perspective. All or nothing. Thus, heaven or hell. As one approaches eternity, one sees that one’s whole life has been miserable and that one has nothing to offer God except pity… The tormented soul has no choice but to despair in fear of eternal damnation. But when the justice of God expresses Himself as accepting his pity, the terror leaves him and he begins to hope. It might be said that in purgatory there exists at the same time the greatest possible joy after the joy of heaven and the greatest possible torment after the torment of hell.

For the soul, the cause of the most tender pain, is precisely the consciousness that it is loved by God, that it is called to rejoice in God in the fellowship of the blessed. For this, the soul loves God with the purest love. But at the same time, it seems that it can neither see God nor enjoy Him. And her pain is all the more agonizing because she does not know when her exile will end, St. Catherine of Genoa said. The purgatorial agony that comes from the temporary loss of God is so great, that language cannot tell and reason cannot comprehend. The torment of the senses is commensurate with sins.

The fiery instrument of God’s justice will give everyone what he deserves. The torments of purgatory immeasurably exceed the torments that would suffice in this life to atone for our sins, St. Augustine says that the fire of purgatory is more terrible than anything else that man can imagine here on earth. St. Thomas Aquinas does not hesitate to declare that the lightest purgatorial torment is worse than the heaviest earthly torment. Purgatorial torments last a very long time. Purgatory will come to an end on the Day of Judgment-For the souls who will still suffer at the end of the world, God will compensate for the duration of their torment with strength.

In the chronicles of the Franciscan Order, we read examples of the souls of the deceased appearing an hour or two after their death and complaining that the friars cared little for them and left them in purgatory for years… The priest prays for the dead at Mass. But it should be added that our prayers will not benefit all, only those who are in life, so these prayers can be beneficial to them. But we do not know which souls these are. Therefore, prayers and good works should be applied to all the baptized, so that no one is left out, who could benefit from those prayers. For it is better to dig up prayers that benefit no one than to rob them from those who can benefit from them. Finally, a thought of St. Teresa of Jesus. My Jesus, of what use are my little sacrifices to Thee? They will please the triumphant Church, which will receive these roses and place them in Thy divine hands so that Thou gayest give them infinite value, and throw them upon the suffering Church to quench her flames, and upon the struggling Church to help her to victory.

I am the way, the truth, and the life › Jn 14, 6. Jesus is the way. He is the perfect Son of his Father, who always did only what the Father told him to do. He did not stick to his ideas about his life’s direction. In doing so, he showed us how we should live. He loved his Father with complete trust. He knew that he was in the Father’s hands and found rest in them; once, when Jesus ascended to heaven, he invited us to live like him – in trust and surrender to our calling from the Father. He will teach, guide, shape, and transform us into His children. He will show us how to rest in his presence, just as Jesus did.

Jesus is the truth. Every word he said was true. When he promised something, it came true. Every miracle he did, and every speech he preached testified to our heavenly Father’s love for us and how we are to live in mutual love with each person according to his will. Everything that Jesus did when he walked the earth, but also everything he does now in and through his Church, is a proclamation of this love. This truth is the essence of all creation – it is the essence of the life of each of us. It is a promise of hope and a future filled with His love.

Jesus is life. To know Jesus means to live fully because he gave us a share in his divine life. Every time we receive the Eucharist, we receive God’s life into our sinful hearts. Imagine it: Jesus wants to live in us. He decided to give us his own life in our hearts so that our life would flow from him. This is a gift beyond measure, a reason for gratitude and joy. He comes to meet our deepest needs and to rejoice with us in every good gift. He comes to teach, fulfill, and accompany us.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. We have everything in it. He gave us much more than just the forgiveness of sins. He gave us a new way of life in union with the heavenly Father. Don’t worry; reach out and grab it today!

The Man Who Bears Fruit You may still remember the idea of the so-called useless man from school, specifically from literature lessons. The Russian Romantic writers of the 19th century, such as Goncharov in his Oblomov, Pushkin in Eugene Onegin, and Turgenev in Rudin, dealt with it in their literary works. A useless person (лишний человек) was usually a nobleman or member of the upper class who, although talented and capable, was nevertheless unsuited to any ordinary career. He was afraid to take risks, could not make decisions, or refused to take responsibility for anything. As a result, he would become lazy, unsuccessful, completely passive about his life, and thus quite useless. He will create nothing and nothing will be left of him. He is simply a burden. The theory of the useless man is not fiction, but a fact. How many people around us today could we include here? They are mere idlers, devouring parasites, of whom nothing remains, people useless for anything. How not to become them? Which people are the best candidates for useless people? Is there some quality in our nature that predisposes us to become useless people? Yes, there is. It is the inability and unwillingness to suffer. Without suffering and pain, there is no growth, only decline. But accepting pain is not easy. If suffering appears in our lives, we immediately think that God is punishing us. Many of us rely on God in this way: “Why does God allow all this to happen to me? If I were a pervert or a hedonist, an egoist or a parasite, a schemer or a criminal, a cheat, a rapist, or a tyrant, … then I would be able to understand why God is punishing me. But I live righteously, fulfill my duties, obey the laws honestly, sacrifice for my children, and work from dawn to dusk. So why is God punishing me? Why is my effort to do good rewarded with so much adversity? The more good I do, the more my misfortunes multiply. How is it that the bad prosper and the good have to suffer so often and so much? Why do the good mourn and the bad laugh? Jesus answers, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” He cuts off every branch that does not bear fruit in me, and every branch that bears fruit he cleanses, that it may bear more fruit.” In Jesus’ words, the goal of our lives is to bear fruit. If we do not bear fruit, our life is worthless. A person who does not bear fruit is like a dry or wild tree; he is just taking up space unnecessarily. The only thing he can still be used for, and even then only once, is fire.
Isn’t that the case in everyday life? Let us look at nature, at the gardener and the vinedresser. Let us ask them why they let the oak tree that grows beside the road leading to their garden, or the poplar or birch tree grow unnoticed. And why, on the other hand, do they treat the vine, the apple tree, or the apricot tree completely differently year after year? Year after year these poor trees are mutilated and pruned. Why do they not touch some, while hurting others? There is not a year that goes by when the gardener does not approach these kinds of plants and inflict pain on them, while quietly, unobserved, he lets plants grow which brings him no benefit. It is not a secret. If a tree that bears fruit is not pruned, it will wither. If it is pruned, it becomes nobler and more fruitful. A tree that does not bear fruit will stay in the ground as long as we want, but sooner or later it will end up in the fire.

It is the same with people. He, too, will become a brick if he is not lifted by adversity. You, too, will become a great egoist if pain does not raise you to the right level. That you are not a tyrant, a wicked villain, is only because pain at the very birth of these vices has cut off their shoots and prevented them from engulfing for themselves your whole mental life. That you are not dishonest, pets and villains is only because pain, as a kind of guardian, has prevented you from transcending the boundaries of depravity and vice. Or that it exposed you in time and confiscated all the illicit goods you wanted to accumulate in the luggage of your heart. Or took one of your dear ones away from you so that you could break away from your trench and more fervently long for your true homeland.

The root of all vice is selfishness. The best food for it is beneficial. The greater the wealth, affluence, and success, the more self-love grows and becomes aggressive and greedy. Therefore, he who does not suffer cannot understand others, and he who does not understand cannot love, and he who does not love is like a wild tree: he cannot do good. Let us look around and observe people, and we will find that this is so. An easy, comfortable, and lazy life makes people lazy, limited, and vicious. It stops their inner development. Those who do not suffer, suffer because they have no place to gain experience. We do not know life from books but from experience, struggle, and suffering. It is not age that makes one mature; it is a virtue that one has cultivated through experience. A pilot proves his skill not on a calm sea, but on a rough sea. You will be as great as your pain.

I like the legend describing how the bamboo, a beautiful tree in love with itself, became a useful tree. But to do that, the gardener first had to cut it down, then cut off all its beautiful branches, then move it to another place and cut it in half. To that extent, it could become a trough for him, through which water from the spring flowed to where the gardener needed it. Through it all, the bamboo was frightened, suffering, and resisting the gardener’s intentions, but in the end, he was happy to be of help.

This story beautifully and accurately expresses the meaning of life. It just says differently what today’s gospel says to the vine and branches. The purpose of our lives is to bear fruit. If you don’t bear fruit, or if your only fruit is a sour plain, then you are a wild, useless, and therefore essentially useless tree.

To understand properly, we must be careful when we speak of useless people. Godless regimes like to entertain this idea as well. That is why, under Hitler, handicapped people ended up in gas chambers, and today many elderly people end up being euthanized. For Christians, the life of helpless people is not useless. A useless life is the life of a person who voluntarily chooses to create nothing and to live only at the expense of others because he rejects the pain of growth, discipline, and struggle with his vices and passions. Lord, let the goal of my life be to bear abundant fruit no matter the cost.

All in all.God will be all in all. What shorter can be heard, and what more tremendous can be imagined? God is all to himself because his greatness is sufficient for him, and he is even to all the elect. God is the light that enlightens the elect, and joy cheers them. God is the glory that encircles them. Only he can be happy who is not deceived, who suffers nothing and fears nothing. The truth is, if only man had all possible goodness. He would lack much if he were deceived. Or if he had to suffer while doing so, he could not be satisfied. Even if he did not have to suffer but had to worry about something, he could not be at peace. In Heaven, St. Francis de Sales cries out how many favors there are. The Divine is made to be understood directly, without through an image. Or likeness. The Divinity draws near and unites with our understanding. Good God, what a delight for human reason to be constantly united to its supreme object not by its form but by its presence, not by an image, not by an imitation, but by its divine essence.

God will act like mothers who are not content to feed their children with their own milk but put their breasts into their mouths, so the child may receive their milk. We shall also see that eternal and miraculous birth by which the Son was born from eternity. We shall also see the generation of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, we shall also see the Divine Love of the Eternal Father towards the Son as it is accomplished in one breath. Our hearts will behold the beauty and sweetness of this love between the Eternal Father and His Son. There, Jesus will show Himself through His beautiful and benevolent humanity. We will also see our Mother Mary, the good and sweet Virgin Mary. We will see St. Joseph and, with him, the Patriarch of the Prophets, the Apostles, the Martyrs, the Confessors, the Bishops, and the pure virgins of the whole Church.

Theophanies often talk about heaven. Teach them to yearn, cry, and sigh for the heavenly homeland so that they may be able to speak with St. Ignatius. How empty the earth is when I look up to heaven. Heavenly happiness will have no end. If it should end once, it would not be happiness—the greater the happiness, the greater the fear that we will lose it. To see God, this is life, cries St. Augustine, and this is life eternal. We shall see God, and that is all, for it is such a great thing that everything else is nothing compared to it. In heaven, there is eternal joy, ever rejoicing, reminiscent of happiness.

Marek was of Jewish descent from the tribe of Levi and was initially named John. Only later did he take the name favored by the Romans, Mark (= translated “meek.” Cf. Acts 13:5, 13; 15:39; 12:12). He was converted to faith in Jesus Christ by the holy apostle Peter, who calls him his spiritual son. Mark became a disciple of St. Peter and participated in the Apostle Paul’s missionary journeys. (E.g., Acts 12:25) Around 62, he helped preach to the Apostle Paul in Rome, and in 64, he likewise preached the Word of God in that city, called Babylon, together with the Apostle Peter. (1 Peter 5:13) Mark, at the requests of the Roman believers, wrote a Gospel which is second in the order of the Gospels and is essentially the recorded sermons of St. Peter. Peter read, edited, and approved the Gospel. Oral Tradition teaches it there as well. “Mark the disciple and interpreter of Peter, according to what he had heard Peter tell, was asked by the brethren at Rome and wrote a short Gospel. Peter heard of it, approved and confirmed it, and delivered to the churches in his power the Gospel of Mark to be read.” (Testimony of St. Hieronymus)

Later, Peter ordained Mark a bishop, sending him to preach the Word of God in Aquileia and Egypt. Before that, however, Mark also preached the Lord Jesus in Libya. He converted many Gentiles in Egypt by preaching the Gospel and chose Alexandria as his episcopal seat. In Alexandria, according to Tradition, a confident unbeliever, Ananias, was also converted and later became Mark’s successor in the episcopal ministry. It occurred as follows. One day, Mark went to have his shoes repaired by the cobbler Aanian, who accidentally pricked his hand with an awl. In doing so, he mentioned the name of God in vain.

Mark picked up on this and began to tell him about the one true God, the prophets, and Christ. Ananias replied, “I have never heard of these things. As the disciples are taught, I have only heard of the Iliad and Odysseus’ errant ways.” Then he began contradicting Marcus, but the latter told him: “If thou hadst believed in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, thy finger would have been healed.” Then, the saint made the cross sign on the wounded thumb, and the finger was healed immediately. And Anian believed in Christ and was baptized with the whole house. The pagans, however, were furious at the success of Mark’s Christian mission in Egypt. They attacked him in the temple, put a noose around his neck, and dragged him through the streets of the city. Eventually, they put him in prison. He did not complain about his suffering for Jesus’ sake but cried out: “I thank you, my Lord Jesus Christ, that you have made me worthy to suffer anything for your name’s sake.” “Peace be unto thee, Mark, my Evangelist!” The next day, the Gentiles repeated the cruel scene of torture until the saint gave his soul into the hands of Christ on the 25th of April, 67.

In the first Christian era, the four evangelists, according to the vision of the prophet Ezekiel (Ez. 1:10), were identified by the forms of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. St. Mark’s emblem is the Lion because his Gospel begins by telling of the Lord’s forerunner, John the Baptist, who preached repentance in the wilderness and thus prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah. The Lion is called the king of the wilderness, so Mark’s account of the Good News speaks of the wilderness at the beginning. Another interpretation of the character of the Lion is that Mark begins his Gospel with the penitent proclamation of St. John the Baptist, which, like the roaring of a lion, is meant to awaken sinners from their slumber in their sins. As contemporary Christians, we can take our cue from Mark in that we will often meditate on the holy Gospels, and while we are reverencing the name of Christ, we will thank God and praise Him for it.

Prayer: O God, who hast glorified thy blessed evangelist Mark to preach the Gospel: grant us, we pray thee, that we may continually prosper by his instruction and be protected by his intercession, through Christ our Lord. 

 Imagine such a situation. You are sitting in a car or bus that does not have proper brakes. You sit and wait to die, and you don’t know it. If you had known it, suspected it, you would certainly have done something to prevent it, to stop it. You would not get into this vehicle unless this severe fault, like bad brakes, were fixed. The lives of those who refused to believe in Christ should be changed as soon as possible because they are like those who get into a vehicle without brakes. The words of the Gospel remind us of this: “He who despises me and does not accept my words has his judge” (Jn 12:48).

The situation of those who have lost faith or have not believed in Christ is therefore critical because they do not realize how their eternal happiness is threatened. They must understand that whoever refuses to believe in Christ should try to change his position. We see how many ways God tries to show man how his life is threatened, not only here on earth but especially in his eternal life. Disbelief in Christ is also disbelief in God, and God wants to save all people. Saint Paul says that God created us without us, but he can save us only with our contribution. He sent us his Son, who taught us everything we must do to be saved. Jesus taught us about two gifts that we must not overlook, namely that we have a reason, which makes us the pinnacle of all creation, and free will, which must cooperate with reason also in the matter of the salvation of our soul. However, let us remember that God allows us to be tested today. Not to lose us but to make us more worthy of his love. Therefore, sometimes, it blinds our eyes and hardens our hearts so that we can then touch the bottom of God’s grace. Thus, let’s properly understand that such states in our life can also be a gift from God: A person is dissatisfied with himself when he experiences disappointment, he feels the illness of his body or a neighbor, – he experiences the death of a loved one, he feels the temptation of body and soul. God does not allow this to destroy man even more or because he is not interested in his creation, but on the contrary. In our faith, we should also correctly understand the words of the old Christian proverb: “Whom the Lord God loves, he visits with the cross.”

We penetrate and immerse ourselves in God’s essence to the extent that our desires are comprehensive and fierce. So teaches St. Thomas Aquinas. Those who will have greater glory in heaven and more robust and intense desires for God on earth. The arrow that flies out of a more strongly drawn bow has incredible speed and penetrates more deeply into the target. Also, the believing soul penetrates more deeply into the nature of God, and the more deeply it has a greater desire for God.

Manna says Francis of Sales everyone ate but liked it differently, depending on their taste. But it was enjoyed thoroughly, partially, because it had many different flavors. In heaven, we shall see and taste the whole Godhead, but neither the blessed nor all together will see and taste the Godhead completely. The immensity of God will always have infinitely more beauties for us to see and taste them all. Even if we satisfy and satiate all the desires of our heart, even if we fill it to the brim with the highest good, even then, there will remain much that we will not see, that we will not experience. Even the fish enjoy the unheard-of greatness of the Ocean, yet not one has seen all the shores or been in all the waters. Birds, too, fly at will and enjoy the breadth of the air, but they have yet to make it everywhere. Even our spirit will take its flight at will according to the whole span of its flight in the divine sphere. We shall enjoy these divine abysses without measure or limitation. O God, what is admirable is what the blissful souls see. But how much more admirable is what they do not see? And yet what they gaze upon satiates and satisfies them perfectly. St. Teresa of Jesus explains how there is fullness of blessedness in every chosen one, even in the face of inequality of rewards. One day, I expressed to my sister my astonishment that God had not given equal glory to all the elect. That is why all will not be blessed. Then my sister sent me Father’s large cup, set it beside my smaller cup, and filled both to the brim with water. She asked me which was fuller. I told her they were both equally full. Sister then instructed me that in heaven, the last of the elect will not envy the happiness of the first. 

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.