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Policarpo
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 Posté le: Sam Déc 08, 2018 11:33 am Sujet du message: Hagiography of Saint George of Lydda |
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Hagiography of Saint George of Lydda
Saint George is the patron of chivalry and Men-at-Arms. He symbolizes the triumph of good against evil, the victory of the Faith over the nameless creature, and the strength of faith and bravery .
The Duchy of Lyonnais-Dauphiné have made him their patron.
I - Origins
Georges was born about 275 years after Christos in the fruitful Era of the Dispersion of the Faith, to a rich, noble family in the province of Cappadocia. On the death of his father when he was only ten years old, his mother, Polychronia, who had unbeknownst to her husband converted to Aristotelianism, took him to Palestine, her homeland. There, she instilled in him the Virtues of Reason as taught by Aristotle, as well as Faith in the Love of Jah as preached by Christos.
George grew into a young man of fine appearance, quick-witted and with courtly manners . On reaching eighteen, he decided to pursue a military career and entered the Roman armies to defend the peace of the Roman lands and their inhabitants. Very quickly, his valor distinguished him from the others and his superiors appointed him tribune of the praetorian guard. The emperor himself recognized his dedication and courage, raising him to the dignity of prefect.
II - George and the "Dragon" of Béryte
When returning to Cappadocia, after a successful campaign in Mesopotamia against the Persian king Narses, George crossed the region of Béryte, then ravaged by a bloodthirsty and impious army of looters, led by a cruel man named Nahf whose unparalleled barbarity earned him the nickname "Dragon", for in Phoenician, "Nahf" meant "serpent". Nahf’s looters had settled in the neighboring marshes of the city. They were there for several years and had carried out continuous raids on the region, destroying crops and raiding farms. All those who tried to resist them had their eyes gouged out by Nahf and his men. To protect themselves from devastation, the inhabitants decided to offer each day two animals in tribute to appease the Dragon’s looters. However, there came a day when there were no animals left to sacrifice and Nahf recommenced his raids. In desperation, the king of this region agreed to give each day a young woman, drawn by lot, to the brigands to satisfy their basest appetites.
The weeks and months passed until the day came when the daughter of the king, the Princess Alcyone, was chosen to be thrown to the looters. She was tied to a wooden stake facing the marshes and thus abandoned to her sad fate. A few moments later, while Alcyone wept bitterly, a rumbling could be heard. Believing her last hour had come, she was surprised to discover that the sound came, not from the swamps, but the plain extending behind her. Alcyone turned and saw a tall rider clad in shining armor and carrying a spear, who rode his mount to her. Arriving in full splendour, he dismounted and approached Alcyone who could then distinguish the large red cross that adorned his white tabard. The princess begged him to leave her to save his own life, but the rider refused and untied her. He said his name was George and that he had devoted his life to serve Jah and to spread His word among humanity. For George, Nahf was a man perverted by the nameless creature, full of Vices he had sworn to fight and destroy with the help of the Virtues taught by Aristotle and Christos.
Suddenly a roar echoed across the marshes and one hundred men in black robes appeared on horses, advancing in a column like a gigantic undulating body between the putrid puddles. All wore the same armor with scales of olive green and brandished their swords like hundreds of sharp fangs, ready to close in on George and Alcyone. At their head, a massive man stopped them a few yards short of the two figures, on whom he looked furiously. George had never seen a man so vile and loathsome, his shaggy beard swallowed most of his coppery face where only his bloodshot eyes pierced through his leather helmet. He averted his eyes from this despicable sight, but his resolve to confront these infamous looters had not abated. He raised his spear to the heavens and strongly spurred his horse at a gallop towards the "Dragon". Terrifying howls rose from the enemy ranks and as one man, the looters attacked the lone warrior. George found himself caught in the middle of a whirlwind of eyes inflamed with rage and blades. Wherever his glance rested, there was a looter ready to pounce on him, but he held fast while the circle was closing on him, continuing to spur his horse towards that of Nahf. As he was about to be overwhelmed by the human tide, George mobilized all his strength and his faith, to lift his arm anew and plunge his spear in the whirlwind of men and blades that stood before him. A horrific scream was heard, which was answered by cries of panic. Terrified, the looters fled as suddenly as they had appeared, leaving their weapons behind.
Coming out of his warlike exaltation, George saw Nahf lying at his feet, mortally wounded by his spear which lay across his throat. George tied the plunderers’ chief, blackened as much by sin as by earth, to his horse and returned Béryte with princess Alcyone, dragging the "Dragon" behind them. They were greeted with cheers and jubilation by the inhabitants, finally delivered from this terrible calamity. George brought the remains of Nahf before the king who prostrated himself before George and swore that he and his subjects would convert to the Aristotelian Faith. The hero then took the road to Cappadocia.
III - The Martyrdom of Saint George
A few years later, the Emperor of Rome summoned to Nicomedia all the Governors of the Eastern Provinces to convey his decrees against the disciples of Aristotle and Christos. George, feeling that the time had come to publicly confess his faith, distributed his wealth to the poor, freed his slaves and went to Nicomedia to reach the imperial court. He stood in the midst of the assembly and reproached the emperor for the unjust shedding of blood of the innocents of the Aristotelian faithful. Amazed, the emperor ask George about his belief. George replied that he believed in the one and only true god, that Aristotle and Christos had professed, and it was this belief that had guided him here without fear, to address his complaints to the sovereign. The emperor, fearing unrest, offered to cover George with honours if he would agree to sacrifice to the Imperial cult. George refused and said:
"Your kingdom is corrupt and is quickly disappearing into the lunar fog, with no reward for you; but those who offer a sacrifice of praise to the Most High will sit with Him for eternity in the Sun!”
The emperor ordered his guards to beat Georges and they thrashed him. His blood began to flow freely, but George refused to recant his faith. Exasperated, the emperor had him thrown in prison, with a heavy stone on his chest, but the next day when he was taken before the sovereign, the hero continued to decline with the same fortitude. He was therefore tied to a wheel suspended above a crowd of sharp blades which was then turned. The blades wounded him a thousand times, cutting and bruising his flesh, but George remained adamant, overcoming his pain through his faith in Jah's love. Faced with so much courage, two soldiers knelt to confess their Aristotelianism and were immediately beheaded. The Empress declared herself an Aristotelian, and she was locked in the palace.
The emperor ordered George to be thrown into a pit of quicklime. Lime attacked him, burning his body horribly, foul vapors invading his nose and making him choke, but still he refused to recant his faith. The crowd, admiring his continuous bravery, cheered and began to praise the Lord and His prophets. Then he was forced to walk with shoes trimmed with red-hot spikes, but George triumphed again thanks to his faith.
The next day, the emperor summoned George to the temple of Apollo, in the presence of a large crowd. Pretending to be willing to make a sacrifice in honor of the deity, George went into the temple and addressed the idol, crossing himself. The essence of apathy lived within these statues, but in the presence and words of Saint George, they broke apart, releasing a putrid smell that disappeared with a hiss. With loud cries, the priests and pagans drove out George and brought him to the palace. Drawn by the uproar, Empress went out into the crowd shouting "God of George, come to my aid!" and she fell at the feet of the Saint. No longer able to contain his rage the tyrant, whose heart was hardened after so much impiety and cruelty, ordered them both to be beheaded. But on the eve of the execution, while in prison the Empress quietly gave her soul to Jah and died peacefully the next day.
The day came and George went to the scene of execution, followed by a large crowd. He gave thanks to Jah, to Aristotle and Christos for all their gifts and requested their assistance in favoring all, who had faith, who called upon his intercession in the centuries to come. He bowed his neck under the sword and left, carrying to the Sun the trophies of eternal glory. In that moment a great light dawned on the square as his soul joined the eternal and happy life that awaited him.
In accordance with the wishes of the Saint, his servant then carried his precious relics to his homeland, Lydda in Palestine, where countless miracles were performed in the large church built in his honor.
Symbols.
Saint George is traditionally depicted on horseback, often white, with a dragon at his feet, clad in armor, a spear in hand, wearing a crown and carrying a silver standard with a red cross. A spear and red cross on a background of silver are the most common symbols.
The dragon is a representation of Nahf, the head of the army of Persian marauders who ravaged Béryte, whom St. George defeated to save Alcyone and free the people of the region. This image originates from the actual name of Nahf which means "serpent" in Phoenician and he was nicknamed "the Dragon" by the inhabitants of Béryte because of the devastation he caused and his great cruelty. Gradually, the symbolism of this victory became widely used, especially after the martyrdom of St. George: the Dragon became an allegory of Vice, the victory of George became that of Faith over evil. This victory was all the more important and powerful in meaning, since it brought Light to the kingdom of Beirut, being converted by the Aristotelian grace of Saint George.
Saint George's Day.
It is celebrated on April 23
Relics.
The skull of St. George at Lydda (Palestine). The fate of his armour is unknown, and the spear with which he struck Nahf is also lost.
A vial containing his blood is under the protection of the Berasategui Pern family, nobles of the kingdom of Valencia, in exchange for the construction of a memorial in honor of St. George of Lydda where pilgrims can gather.
A cloth soaked in his blood is under the protection of the Archbishop of Tarragona and the clergy of the Castellon parish, which is presented to the faithful during processions.
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His Excellency the Most Reverend Monsignor Prof. Dr. theol. Policarpo von Wittelsbach
Bishop Emeritus of Regensburg
Archabbot Emeritus of the Abbey of Heiligenbronn
German archivist for the Roman registers of Sacraments
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