My beloved spiritual children in Our Risen Lord, Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN!
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SOME MIRACLES OF SAINT GEORGE THE GREAT MARTYR AND TROPHY- BEARER
Many are the miracles that are wrought by the Saint's sacred relics and his holy icons. The blind are granted their sight; the disabled are healed; and, simply put, all those who hasten to the Saint with faith find bodily cures and receive the requests of their hearts. Many and diverse were the feats and exploits of Saint George, which we have summarized.
1. The Miracle of the Widow's Column
In the region of Syria, there is a city called Ramel (an ancient Roman colony of Diospolis or Lydda). The native Christians, as well as Emperor Constantine (306-337 A.D.), were desirous to build a great and beautiful church in memory of the Great-Martyr George. The land in those parts, nevertheless, did not have marble for the columns and the floor and pavement. A ship, therefore, was commissioned in order to collect marble and columns from different places for the new edifice. The ship set sail, stopping at various ports, and took up the appropriate marbles for the work specified. A widow of one such city that was visited heard of the new construction. She wished to donate a column for the Great-Martyr's new church. She purchased one column that was very beautiful and lofty. She had it conveyed to the dock where the ship was loading other columns. She found the ship's captain and petitioned him in this manner: "I beseech thee, captain, sir since thou art transporting these other columns, load mine also and I will pay the freight charge. I am donating the column to that new church, so that it shall abide as a memorial for my soul." The captain, however, did not wish to include it with his cargo and said to the woman, "The ship's hold is full and nothing else fits on the cargo deck."
The following morning, the ship laden with the new pillars weighed anchor and set sail bound for Ramel. The widow wept and lamented from her sorrow. During that same night, while she lay asleep, Saint George appeared to her and asked, "Why weepest thou, O woman?" She answered, "I am grieving because the captain did not take my column on board. He refused to convey it to the Church of Saint George." The Saint then said, "And where shouldest thou like to have it placed?" The widow replied, "To the right side of the church, milord." The Saint spoke again and directed her saying, "Take up the column at one end and help me lift it. I shall send it there." The widow then beheld in her dream that together they easily lifted the column and cast it into the sea. In the morning, when the widow rose from her sleep, she went straight to the harbor. Since she did not see her column, she began to glorify God. By the Saint's assistance, the column in very deed crossed the sea until it reached Ramel. In fact, it arrived before the ship's captain arrived. Men from the building project went down to the dock. They saw the column and observed that it had a written inscription clearly marked: "Place the column of the widow in the right section of the temple." Thus it came to pass, even as Saint George had written on the bill of lading. When the ship's captain finally dropped anchor and conveyed his pillars to the church, he was filled with fear when he beheld the widow's column in the church. He implored the Saint to forgive his lack of charity. Afterward, the widow herself went to Ramel to visit the newly built church. She wished to venerate her favorite and thank the Saint for personally accepting her offering. She recounted her dream and the miracle wrought on her behalf.
2. The Miracle of the Prisoner of War Rescued from Captivity
Hear another extraordinary wonder (miracle or Gk. Thavma) wrought by our Lord through His Great-Martyr George. The Christians of Paphlagonia (a Roman Province), of Northern Asia on the Black Sea, possessed profound love and faith in the Saint. Great and many churches were built in his honor. Yearly his celebration was commemorated in the region of Amastris, a city on the coast of the Black Sea. The nearby river, Ikiakos, from times of old, had a nearby church dedicated to the Great-Martyr George. Whosoever besought the Saint with faith at that shrine received freely his request. Now there was a certain man of those parts, named Leo, who was pious and feared God. He was married to a most Orthodox and honorable woman, named Theano. Husband and wife were much alike in the virtues and acts of philanthropy. The couple harbored profound faith and love in the Great-Martyr, so that they were never absent from the holy services of the Saint's church. They specially celebrated the feast of the Saint's martyrdom, that is, the 23rd of April.
Leo was a soldier, who served in his profession honorably. Leo and Theano had one child. On account of the couple's deep love for the Saint, the child was named George. The parents reared the child well and educated him. He was much beloved by both parents and kinfolk alike who hailed with satisfaction his comeliness and knowledge. Now a burdensome war broke out when the Bulgarians rose up against the Byzantines. The Bulgarians had allies--Hungarians, Scythians, Medians, and Turks--whom they made their leaders. Their horde attacked Byzantine cities and despoiled them. The Byzantine commander, Phokas, then at Constantinople, sent out orders calling up soldiers to military service in order to counter the inroads of the Empire's enemies and barbarians. Meanwhile, in Paphlagonia, the old soldier Leo was recalled to active service. The time drew near when he needed to report for duty. Since by now Leo was elderly, he decided to send to war, as was accepted custom at that time, his son, George in his place. George was barely twenty years old when the day arrived for him to receive his orders and depart. His father took him by the hand, with his mother following along, and brought him to the Church of the Great-Martyr George. Leo stood before the holy icon of Saint George and began praying as he wept, "O Saint of God, Great Martyr George, to thee do we commend our beloved son of the same name as thyself. Do thou guard him, govern him, and bring him home again healthy, even as we have committed him, that we might glorify thy holy name every day henceforth."
While the recruit George and his comrades-in-arms of the imperial were guarding a certain place at night, they were surrounded by the enemy. Most of the Byzantines were slaughtered, while some managed to flee for their lives. There were others, however, who were captured and made to recant their Christian faith. Some, nevertheless, refusing to deny piety, were left to die of hunger and thirst. The recruit George, with the help of God and the prayer and blessing of his parents, was preserved from death, injury, and denial of the Faith. The adversary took him prisoner, however, and led him before the Bulgarian chief. The infidel, beholding the handsome lad and finding him dexterous and tactful, did not keep him as a prisoner; instead, he put him into service and had him perform chores.
The parents of George, meanwhile, kept asking about their son. When they received tidings that the army suffered heavy losses, they still could not find out any further information on the status of their son. When they went to the church of Saint George, they shed many tears and entreated the Saint and implored him saying, "If our son is alive, do thou, O Saint George, deliver him from captivity!"
Meanwhile, George was among the Bulgarians. He, too, remembered past holy days for Saint George which was also his own name day. He cried bitterly and with eyes misted over, he began to say, "Indeed they are rejoicing and being glad for the memory of Saint George, for which we had a tine dinner after church services. He prayed to the Saint thusly, "O Saint of God, George, I beseech thee to behold my parents again, do thou bring this to pass right quick." So spoke George, at the same time that he needed to heat some water for his master to wash his hands. This was so because it was the dinner hour and his master asked to have the table readied.
While George was ascending the ladder, holding the vessel of cold water and its cover, there suddenly appeared the Great-Martyr George mounted on a white steed, who addressed the prisoner and said, "Come, mount up here, the back part of the horse." Young George then jumped and climbed up, sitting behind the Saint. Then, that same instant--lo, the wonder!--the young man found himself in his house in the midst of the dining room. All those in attendance, upon catching sight of him, cried out, "Lord, have mercy!" George's parents, from their elation and surprise, fell speechless to the floor. In utter astonishment, all asked with one voice, "Whence comest thou?" The shocked young man took some time before he could compose himself and give an answer. After considerable time, the parents were able to rise up from the floor and give glory to God and His Great-Martyr George.
When they recovered and came to themselves somewhat from being taken unawares, they all went together to the church of the Great-Martyr George. They spent the entire night in the church, overflowing with gratitude toward the Saint and saying, "We give thanks to thee, O Saint of God, for thy quick assistance, because thou hast not turned askance at our tears and sighs, but as a speedy and ready helper thou hast fulfilled our desire. With regard to these things, nevertheless, O Saint, we beg thee to pardon us, if, as humans, we faulted thee. It was not that we looked down upon thee, but from our much-trying tribulation we said unbecoming words we ought not to have spoken." Then, in the morning, after the Divine Liturgy, Leo and Theano invited all the dwellers of Paphlagonia. As for the covered vessel ( a small pot) which the young man still had in his hand, he donated it to the church of the Great-Martyr George for the service. (Source: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church)
These, of course, are just very few miracles of the countless miracles performed by the Great-Martyr Saint George.
CHRISTOS ANESTI! ALETHOS ANESTI! CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN!