Description
São Jorge was born in 275, in the ancient region called Cappadocia. His father was a soldier and died in battle. Jorge had great skills with weapons and a lot of dedication. At 23 years old, he went to live in the high court of Nicomédia.
Jorge was a high-ranking member of the Roman army. He knew about Christianity because of the influence of his mother and the Church of Israel. Emperor Diocletian had other plans for him, he wanted to eliminate all Christians from the Empire. Jorge’s story is featured in the new book Jorge A member of the Rome Supreme Court vows that he will at all costs protect the truth. “My Lord Jesus, who you persecute, is the truth,” he says to a consul.
Jorge, the Emperor of Rome, tried to force him to give up the Christian faith. After each torture session, Jorge was taken back to the emperor and asked if he would abandon his faith. He reaffirmed his faith, with increasing courage. Many Romans took the pains of George, even the emperor’s own wife. Many Romans took the pains of her death, including even her own husband. After refusing to abandon his Christian beliefs, Jorge was decapitated. It was the day that Pope John Paul ordered him to be decapitated on behalf of a refusal of convertation to Islam in Nicomedia, in Asia Minor, on the 23rd of April of 303.
Devotion to St. George
The Christians collected the body of St. George and venerated his remains as relics. This is because every martyr, that is, one who is killed because of faith in Jesus Christ, becomes holy. Later, Christians took St. George’s relics to the ancient city of Diospolis, where he had grown up. There, his body was buried. Years later, the first Christian emperor, named Constantine, knowing the beautiful story of St. George, ordered that an oratory be built. His intention was that the devotion to St. George would spread throughout the empire.
By the fifth century, there were already five churches dedicated to Saint George in the capital of the empire in the East, called Constantinople. Later, in the neighboring country of Egypt, four churches and another forty convents dedicated to St. George were built. Saint George came to be venerated as one of the greatest saints of the Catholic Church in various regions such as Armenia, Byzantium and the Strait of Bosphorus, Greece.
Saint George and the Dragon
According to a legend, Saint George made camp with his Roman legion in a region near Salone, Libya, in North Africa. There, they said there was a huge dragon with wings. The animal devoured people like lambs.The terrible creature’s breath was said to be so poisonous that anyone who approached could die of poisoning. In order to keep the beast away from the city, they offered sheep for food. When these ran out, they started offering children.
The sacrifice then fell on the King’s 14-year-old daughter, Sabra. The girl went towards her cruel fate and left the city wall, she stayed there waiting for the creature. São Jorge, upon learning of the story, decided to put an end to all this. He mounted his white horse and went into battle. First, however, he demanded that the king give his word: if he brought his daughter back, the king and the entire kingdom would convert to Christianity.
The king accepted and gave his word. Jorge, then, went to fight with that “dragon”. After much struggle and prayer, George hit the dragon’s head with his mighty sword which was called Ascalon. Then St. George stuck his sword under the dragon’s wing, in a place that had scales. Thus, the dragon was mortally wounded and fell lifeless. Saint George tied the beast and dragged it to the city, taking the princess with him. There, St. George, being watched by the crowd, cut off the dragon’s head and made everyone in the city to become Christians.
Prayer to St. George
“I will walk dressed and armed with the weapons of São Jorge. So that my enemies, having feet, may not reach me, having hands, they may not catch me, having eyes, they may not see me, nor thoughts they may have to harm me. Firearms will not reach my body, knives and spears break without my body reaching, ropes and chains break without my bodytying.
Saint George, brave, intrepid and victorious knight; open my paths. Help me get a good job; make me well regarded by all: superiors, colleagues and subordinates. May peace, love and harmony be always present in my heart, in my home and in my work; watch over me and mine, always protecting us, opening and illuminating our paths, helping us to transmit peace, love and harmony to all around us. Amen.”
(pray 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and 1 Glory to the Father.)
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