Saint George

Who is he?

Saint George is a martyr who has been greatly loved since the early Church, in both East and West. He is usually painted as a young knight holding a spear and a shield with a red cross. Many countries, many cities and the Scouts have chosen him as their patron saint.

Life story

We do not know many details about his life. The Church honored him from very early times as a martyr who died for the faith at Lydda, in Palestine, probably around the year 300, before the emperor Constantine allowed Christians to practice their faith freely. From the earliest centuries, pilgrims came to visit his tomb there.

According to tradition, he was an officer in the Roman army. When an order came for everyone to offer incense to the pagan gods, he refused and bravely declared that he was a Christian. They tortured him in many ways to make him give up his faith, but he stayed faithful and in the end was beheaded.

The dragon story appeared much later, about a thousand years afterward, and became popular through a medieval book called “The Golden Legend” (Legenda Aurea). The story tells that a fierce dragon threatened a city, demanding that people be handed over to it. Saint George came and, in the name of Christ, defeated the dragon, and the whole city came to believe in God. This is a story with a meaning, not a historical event. The dragon is a picture of evil; the soldier of God defeats it by faith, not by his own strength.

On the card, he stands firm, holding a spear with a white banner bearing a red cross; the dragon lies still at his feet, already defeated.

Why is he a saint?

Saint George is honored because he gave his very life to bear witness to Jesus. He was a soldier, used to following orders, but when human orders went against God, he chose to obey God.

A lesson for you

• You have “dragons” to fight too: laziness, lying, losing your temper. Ask God to help you defeat them.
• When friends invite you to do something wrong, bravely say “no,” even if they laugh at you.