👉🏾👉🏾👉🏾#Saint #George (#Hidar 7)
Dear followers of the Orthodox faith peace be unto you. Today we present a refined teaching on the life of the Great Martyr Saint George. May it strengthen your faith.
✍🏾The Birth and Early Life of Saint George
saint George, the Great Martyr, whose name means “bright star” or “sun,” was born in Palestine in the city of Lydda. He was born on Tir 20, 277 AD.
His father, Zorothos (Anastasius), was a nobleman of Lydda. His mother, Theobsta (Ecclesia), was a devout Christian woman. Besides Saint George, she had two daughters named Martha and Asia.
When Saint George was ten years old, his father passed away. A righteous Christian king took him in and raised him with love. Under this prince, George learned military discipline and grew in both strength and wisdom.
When Saint George reached twenty years of age, the king had a beautiful fifteen-year-old daughter. During a great feast, the prince declared, “Let George marry her and inherit all my possessions.” Soon after making this promise, our Lord, whose will was different, took the soul of the king.”This saddened George deeply, and after completing the days of mourning, he traveled to Beirut.
✍🏾Saint George in Beirut
At that time, the people of Beirut worshipped a dragon and even sacrificed their own daughters to it. Seeing this terrible practice, Saint George confronted the dragon. Armed with faith and the power of the Holy Cross, he defeated the dragon and turned the hearts of the people toward the worship of the true God.
✍🏾Confession of Faith Before Seventy Kings
When Saint George later returned to Persia, Emperor Dudianus assembled seventy kings and set up seventy idols for worship. Seeing this, and being committed to the Christian faith, Saint George boldly entered the palace and confessed before them all that he was a follower of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Dudianus, recognizing him, said, “You are one of us. I will appoint you ruler over ten regions if you worship my god Apollo.”
Saint George answered, “Your titles and rewards belong to you. I will not deny my Lord Jesus Christ.”
In rage, Dudianus ordered severe tortures. But Saint George prayed, “Do not take my life until I have put this apostate to shame.” God heard him and strengthened him. Even after dying three times from torture, the Lord raised him again, granting him great endurance.
✍🏾The Sufferings of Saint George
Among the many torments he endured:
• He was tied to a tree and beaten while his flesh was torn with iron.
• Iron shoes with long nails were forced onto his feet, and he was ordered to walk.
God sent Saint Michael to heal him
• He was pierced with seventy nails, burned on the head, struck with a hammer, and rolled with a wooden beam tied to his stomach.
• His flesh was cut with a saw, and salt was sprinkled onto the wounds.
• His body was chopped into pieces, yet our Lord Jesus Christ healed him at midnight and strengthened him again.
The Lord said to him, “You will struggle for My name for six more years. You will die three times and rise in the fourth time. I will not leave you in your sufferings.”
Continues 👇🏾