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When is the day of St. George the Victorious celebrated?
6 May – the day of the martyrdom of St. George, who died in 303 AD.
16 November – renewal (consecration) in the IV century of the church of St. George in Lydda.
9 December – Consecration of the Church of the Great Martyr George in Kyiv in 1051. In the people this holiday is known as St. George’s Day.
The story of the life of St. George the Victorious
court warrior
The future Victorious was born in Cappadocia into a family of very pious Christians. From childhood he absorbed the doctrine of the faith of Christ. George was left without a father early, who was tortured to death by the theomachists of that time. After the mother moved with her son to the Palestinian Lydda. She was from these places, her relatives lived there. She raised a worthy heir – educated, intelligent, courageous. By the time George proved to be an excellent warrior, became the head of the regiment under the emperor Diocletian, she had already died.
George could live a luxurious life, the emperor appreciated and respected him. But one serious obstacle appeared on the career path of the future great martyr. Diocletian conceived the hunt for Christians. The emperor was firm in his intentions, fearing that the disciples of Christ might cause confusion in society and excite the people to rise up against the authorities.
At this moment, Saint George makes a fateful decision. He distributes his wealth to the poor, dismisses the slaves, comes to Diocletian and declares his faith.
path of suffering
The statement of a young and very promising warrior at that time shocked the emperor and his entourage. Well, how is it? Why all of a sudden? George was scolded and began to persuade him to recant his words. And at the same time make a sacrifice to the gods. But the warrior stood his ground. Then the guards of the emperor drove him out of the palace and locked him in a dungeon. As the life of the saint says, the guards chased the martyr with spears. And one of the spears, upon contact with the body of George, suddenly bent. Thus the Lord revealed His power to help the faithful disciple.
Further more. By decree of Diocletian, George was subjected to terrible torture. They put their feet in a wooden block, put a large stone on their chest. The saint did not give up. He was tied to a huge wheel, along the edges of which boards with sharp blades were nailed. The executioners turned the wheel and the blades slashed George’s body, turning it into a bloody mess. Diocletian scoffed – why, they say, your God does not save you? But God did not leave George. At some point, a Voice was heard from heaven: “I am with you, do not be afraid!” And the Angel of God blessed the saint – “rejoice!”. The martyr descended from the wheel completely healthy and unharmed. Many who witnessed this Miracle believed. Even Diocletian’s wife, Alexandra. But not the Emperor himself.
He sent George to new torments. I buried it for three days in a pit with quicklime. And George survived again. He was given a poisonous potion to drink – and again by. The Lord kept his faithful child, so that many people would gain the true faith. And the more the emperor mocked the holy warrior, the more people became Christians.
The followers of Christ became many times larger when, by order of the emperor, George resurrected a dead man. An unthinkable miracle happened when the deceased, through the prayer of the holy martyr, suddenly got up and left the tomb.
Surprisingly, Diocletian was in no hurry to kill the saint. Although he continued to confess his faith and by the power of the Lord healed many sick people who came to him in prison. He crushed figurines of pagan gods, not wanting to worship them, refused to make sacrifices. But when Empress Alexandra openly declared her Christian faith, Diocletian flew into a rage, ordering the heads of both George and the Empress to be cut off.
As Scripture says, Alexandra died of torment, and George was beheaded with a sword.
After death
For the martyr’s death, Saint George was called the Victorious. After all, he conquered suffering, temptations. Even during his lifetime, he ascended to the sinful world and achieved holiness. But even after death, he did not leave this world, showing him amazing miracles. One of them is the victory over the serpent.
Here is how St. Demetrius of Rostov writes about this: “Near Beirut, near the Lebanese mountains, there was a large lake in which lived a serpent – a destroyer, great and terrible. Coming out of this lake, that serpent kidnapped many people, dragged them into the lake and devoured them there. The inhabitants of that city every day gave one of their sons and daughters to be eaten by a snake, although they were very sorry and wept for them. The snakes given to be eaten were placed on the shore of the lake, dressed in the best clothes; that serpent, coming out of the lake, snatched them up and ate them. It was the turn of the king’s daughter to be the victim. When she was standing on the shore, the holy Great Martyr George, a warrior of the King of Heaven, rode up to that place on a horse, having a spear in his hand. He asked the girl what she was doing by the lake. The girl replied that a terrible death awaited her, and it was better for him to leave here as soon as possible.
While the maiden was speaking these words to the saint, a terrible serpent appeared from the lake and went towards its usual food. Saint George, having overshadowed himself with the sign of the cross and called on the Lord, with the words: “in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” rushed on his horse at the snake, shaking his spear and, hitting the snake with force in the larynx, struck him and pressed to the ground; the horse of the saint trampled the serpent underfoot. Then Saint George killed the serpent with a sword. After that, the king and the people who lived in that city believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and received holy baptism: there were 25,000 people who were baptized, not counting women and children.
Holiday traditions
In Our Country, Saint George the Victorious was treated with special reverence. He is considered the patron of not only the army, but also livestock. On May 6, on the day of the memory of the saint, the peasants, after a prayer service, drove the cattle to the pasture and sprinkled it with consecrated water.