Strange how St. George doesn't get quite such a fuss made of him as St. Patrick, St. David or even St. Andrew...He's a bit like St. Valentine... people have assumed that he was "made up" and so they are a bit embarrassed. They don't want to admit to believing a myth...
I think it might be the dragon that did for him... we don't really believe in dragons - they belong to children's stories. But the dragon was a representation of evil, of Satan. And the princess he rescued represented the Church. Although the details of St. George's life are a little sketchy, it seems that he was born of wealthy parents in Cappadocia, and moved to Palestine on the death of his father. He became a Tribune in the Roman army, and when he complained to the Emperor Diocletian about the treatment of the Christians, he was arrested and thrown into prison himself. He was tortured, dragged through the streets and beheaded.
St. George, Patron of England and martyr, pray for us.
2 comments:
We should have a national Bank Holiday in England for St George's Day! Lot's of celebration etc...
Hurrah for St George and for England!
It has nothing to with him been considered a myth, Georgia still go for him in a big way for example. It's because protestants don't believe in Saints and certainly don't believe in celebrating them, in fact its idolatry according to them, this is why there is no tradition of celebrating St. Georges day, while there is with the others you mention, Catholicism stayed strong in the Gaelic speaking areas(Ireland, Wales & Scotland), mainly because the English couldn't understand what the people were saying lol.
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