Synaxarium
Daily Stories of the Saints
for the Blessed Month of Baramoudah
The Twenty-Third Day of the Blessed Month of Baramoudah
Baramouda 23
Martyrdom of St.George, Prince of Martyrs
On this day, of the
year 307 A.D., the great among the martyrs St. George, was martyred. He
was born in Cappadocia; his father's name was Anastasius, and his mother's
name was Theobaste. When he was twenty years old, his father died, and
he went to Emperor Diocletian to take over his father's position. He found
that the Emperor had apostatized the faith and ordered the worship of idols.
George was sorrowful, and he gave all his wealth to the poor and needy
and set free his slaves. When he saw the edict of the Emperor against the
Christians, he became raged and tore it. They took him before the Emperor,
and he cried in their middest saying: "For how long you shall pour your
anger against the innocent Christians, and force those who know the true
faith to adopt the faith that you are in doubt of because it is fraudulent?
So, either you believe on this true faith, or at least do not disturb with
foolishness those who are steadfast in it." The Emperor asked Mephnanius,
one of his ministers, to pacify and persuade him. He asked him: "Who taught
you to be daring like this." The Saint answered: "It is the truth," then
started to explain it to him. The Emperor interrupted, reminding the Saint
with the ranks that he bestowed on him, and promised him with more if he
denied his Christ. The Saint refused with pride all these vain propositions.
The Emperor tortured him severely, but the Lord strengthened him and healed
all his wounds.
When the Emperor was weary
of torturing him, he brought a magician, whose name was Athanasius, who
gave the Saint a cup full of poison to drink. St.George made the sign of
the cross over the cup then drank it. When no harm came upon him, the magician
believed in the Lord Christ, and received the crown of martyrdom. The Emperor
became raged and ordered to squeeze him until he delivered up his soul,
and they cast his body out side the city. The Lord Christ raised him up,
and the Saint returned to the city. When the people saw him, three thousand
and seven hundred souls believed. The Emperor ordered to cut off their
heads and they received the crown of martyrdom. When St. George stood before
Emperor Diocletian, along with seventy kings that were sitting around him,
they asked the Saint: "We wish you to make these chairs that we are sitting
on to put forth leaves, and bear fruit." The Saint prayed to the Lord Christ,
the Lord accepted his supplication and the chairs put forth leaves and
bore fruit.
They took him once to a
cemetery and asked him to raise the dead therein. He prayed to the Lord
Christ. The Lord raised them and after they talked to them, they returned
to their graves and died. A poor woman, brought her son, who was blind,
deaf and dumb, he prayed to the Lord Christ then made the sign of the cross
over him, and he was healed right away. Diocletain, during all that, went
on torturing St. George, until he was weary and bored of that. He started
to be pleasant to the Saint and promised to give him his daughter in marriage
if he would offer the incense to his gods. The Saint pretended that he
accepted his offer, and the Emperor rejoiced and brought him into the royal
palace. While St. George was praying the Psalms, the Empress heard him
and asked him to explain to her what he had said. He began to interpret
to her all the events from the creation of the world to the Incarnation
of the Lord Christ, and his words entered her heart and she believed in
the Lord Christ, to Whom is the Glory. The Emperor ordered to call upon
all the men of the city to gather, in order to see Saint George offering
the incense to the Emperor's gods. When multitude gathered by the idols,
Gawargios (George) stood and cried at the idols in the Name of the Lord
Christ the Savior of the world. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed
all the idols. The Emperor and all those who were with him were ashamed
and he returned to his palace full of fury and wrath. The Empress told
him: "Didn't I tell you not to oppose the Galileans, for their God is strong
and mighty?" The Emperor was exceedingly wrath with her, for he knew that
St. George had brought her also to his faith. The Emperor with rage ordered
to comb her body with a steel comb, then cut off her head, and she received
the crown of martyrdom. Finally, Diocletian decided to put an end to the
humiliation that befell him, so he ordered to cut off the head of St. George,
and he received the crown of martyrdom. A Christian took the body, wrapped
it in expensive shrouds, and took it to the city of Lydda, his home town,
and they built a great church on his name there.
May His intercession be with us and Glory be to our God forever.
Amen.