George The Great

On Monday April the 23rd, 2018 many churches around the world celebrate the memorial of St. George as they do every 23rd of April since the 5th century.  According to tradition, George was born around 280 AD from a Greek Christian father named Geronitos and a Greek Christian mother named Polychronia. He was a soldier in the Roman army in Lydda, Palestine. When Diocletian, instigated by Galerius, started his persecution of Christians, George was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith. He suffered torture and was martyred by decapitation on the 23rd of April 303. Over centuries, Christians venerating this megalomartyr developed legends around his courage to die for Christ and His bride, the Church. The most famous legend shows George taming and wounding with his lance a monster (Satan) who had terrified the Church (daughter of God, the King). His victory represented for many generations that of Christ's healing of the wounds, both spiritual and physical, that afflicted mankind. 

St. George is invoked in the ancient Churches of the East in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, the Holy Land, and in Russia, Constantinople (Istanbul), Greece, as well as in Europe particularly in England, France, Italy, Poland, North America, South America, and Australia. The Crusades invoked St. George to help them too. Many organizations take the name of St. George for charitable works around the world. In the United States, the State of Georgia is  named after St. George.

I have been particularly blessed by God since my mother of blessed memory asked St. George in her heavy pregnancy to intercede for her well-being and made a vow to call her son "George". When the doctors found twins in her womb, they pulled me out after my twin brother was brought out and named "Shaker" according to my devout father's wish (also of blessed memory) for his son to be named after his dad.

We all influence each other... Not only in prayers but also in acts of good will...
Let us ask St. George to pray, together with the Blessed Virgin Mary, for all the sick, especially the ones we know. Please pray for me as I need your prayers. Our lives are strengthened by love not only on earth but also in the kingdom of our heavenly God who is the source, purpose and end of our existence. God remains our hope even in the dark night of the soul...