THE LIFE AND MIRACLES OF THE HOLY GREAT MARTYR GEORGE

This wonderful and famous, Great Martyr George, lived in the time of the emperor Diocletian, coming from Cappadocia, of a bright and enlightened race, from the group of soldiers who were called tribunes; and when he was to suffer, he was in the honor of the police department.

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Having the emperor thinking of starting a war against the Christians, he gave the command that those who will renounce and forsake Christ be worthy of royal honors and gifts. And those who ask will not obey the command, to have the penalty of death. Then this saint, being present, declared that he was a Christian, rebuking the desertion and impotence of the idols, mocking those who believed in them. Not bowing down either to delusions, or to the promises of the tyrant, who did many such things, nor to terrors, but seemed unconcerned by all, for that reason they first struck him in the belly with a spear. and when the spear stuck into his body, he bled profusely; and the tip of the spear turned back and the saint remained unharmed. Then by tying him to a wheel equipped with sharp beasts, which was started from above towards a valley, and breaking his body into several pieces, with the help of the divine angel he remained healthy. and the saint appearing before the emperor and Magnentius, who were sitting next to him and making sacrifices to the idols for their health, the saint attracted many to faith in Christ, whose heads were cut off outside the city by order of the emperor. and coming to Christ and Empress Alexandra, he confessed Christ God before the tyrant.

Many others also believed in Christ, seeing that the saint came out healthy from a dungeon in which he had been thrown. After that, they shod his feet with iron shoes that had nails and forced him to run. But again they started beating him, without any mercy, with dried ox vines. And Magnentius asking for a sign to resurrect a dead person from those who were buried, from the graves that were there, who had been dead for a long time, and the saint praying over the grave, he resurrected the dead man and worshiped the saint, and glorified the Divinity of Christ . and asking the dead emperor who he is, and when he died, he answered that he was one of those who lived before the coming of Christ, that is, three hundred years ago and more, and how he burned in the fire for so many years because of idolatry. For which miracle many believing, and multiplying to faith, glorified God with one voice, among which was Glicherie, whose ox had died, and the saint resurrected him. From which miracle, proving his faith in Christ, he took the crown of martyrdom, making the pagans cut him to pieces with swords.

So many came to Christ, because of what they saw, and also because the holy martyr Gheorghe, entering the head of the idols, ordered a carved idol image, to say if he is God, and if it is right for people to worship him. And the demon who was inside himself crying answered that there is only one true God: Christ and from this all the idols were troubled and fell and shattered. Unable to bear what those who believed in idols caught the saint and took him to the emperor, they quickly demanded a death sentence on him; and the emperor ordered to cut the saint and empress Alexandra with the sword. Saint George was beheaded, and Saint Alexandra, praying in prison, gave her soul to God.

 

Miracles of the Great Saint Mc. Gheorghe

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In the parts of Syria there is a city called Ramel, where there was a church built in the name of the great martyr George. There being no stone mine there, to cut pillars, the pillars of the church were brought from a distant place, and a lot of trouble was done with finding them and bringing them. Then some God-fearing woman, having true and strong faith in the holy great martyr George, bought a pillar similar to those that were made and beautified, and lowering it to the sea, she prayed to the one who was in charge of taking care the pillars, to take and carry the one she had bought. And he doesn't want to, but putting only his own, he starts to go. Then the upset woman, falling to the ground, cried and prayed to the saint to help her carry the pole. Being in such a state, she saw in a dream where the saint appeared to her in the form of a voivode, and he said to her: "Why are you sad, woman?" And she told her the reason for her sadness, and the saint, dismounting from his horse, said to the woman: "Where do you want the pillar to be placed?" and she answered. "On the right side of the church." and the saint immediately marked the marble with his finger, writing this: Let the widow's pillar be placed on the right, the second one (after the first), and lifting the saint from the end of the pillar that was about the sea, he said to the woman: "Help too" and lifting They both threw him into the sea, and with the direction of the saint, the pole arrived before the others, and in the morning it was at the harbor. What seeing Vasilicos, because that was the name of the person in charge of carrying the poles them, he was even more amazed if he saw the writing, which also ordered the place where it should be placed. and thanking God, he also asked forgiveness from the saint for the mistake of disobedience, and, also receiving forgiveness from the saint through a vision, he placed the widow's pillar in line with the others, in the place that the writing indicated by the saint commanded. Which pillar stands to this day in unbroken memory of the woman, and in the exaltation of the saint for the magnified miracle.

 

Here is another miracle done in Mytilene and which frightens all thought and all hearing. Because in this place there is a church of the great martyr Gheorghe, very glorified and famous. and it is customary to gather on the saint's day a large crowd of people in all years, to celebrate at that church. Learning this, the Agareans who were in Crete attacked without notice at the time of the vigil as many as they found in the church, and took their messengers, together with as many as they could catch from those outside, as most had escaped. Those who caught them, they took to Crete, among them was a young man, whom the poor man who had caught him gave to Amira, the one who was bigger than the Agarians. and passing some time until the year was completed, and they arrived again at the celebration of the great martyr, the young man served Amira; and his parents not abandoning their custom and were not ungrateful for the loss of the child, but putting their hope in God and thanking the saint, and making a feast according to custom, went out to call those who were called to the table; and the mother of the child, returning to the church, fell to the ground crying and praying to the saint, to free her son from slavery, in what way he will know, with the almighty and divine gift of the Holy Spirit, who lived in him. And the one rushing to help did not overlook the woman's tears. and, after the woman had finished her prayer, seating the guests at the table, the man mentioned to the woman at the table first the help of the saint, and those who poured the wine were ready. Then, by the will of God, a great and magnified and almost unbelievable miracle was done for those who did not know the glorified things of God. But if they think about Habakkuk, who from the abduction of the angel in an instant was from Jerusalem to Babylon, they will not show themselves unfaithful either. For in the hour in which the young man had put wine in the glass and was preparing to give it to Amira from Crete, he was in Mytilene giving the wine to his mother. Seeing the young man at the table, everyone was amazed. and asking him where and how he was among them, he said: "While filling this glass of wine, to give it to Amira in Crete, I was kidnapped by a great man, who put me on his horse, holding the glass with your right hand, and holding me by the middle of it with your left, you find me as you see me in your midst." Hearing and seeing them, they marveled at that great miracle. and getting up from the table, they gave praise and thanks all night to Almighty God, glorifying His Holy Martyr.