Saint George was an early Christian martyr who died around the year 303 at Lydda in Palestine, during the persecution of the emperor Diocletian. Tradition holds that he was a soldier in the Roman army who refused to renounce his faith in Christ, and devotion to him spread quickly through both the Eastern and Western Church. The famous story of George and the dragon is a later medieval legend, but his witness as a martyr has been honored since the fourth century.
George gave up rank, safety, and finally his life rather than deny the Lord he loved — a quiet, immovable courage beneath all the later legends. He reminds us that faith is not proven in easy moments but in the ones that cost us something, and that God gives ordinary people the strength to stand firm.
Saint George, brave soldier of Christ, pray for us, that we may face every trial with steady faith and gentle courage. Help us trust that nothing we surrender for love of God is ever lost.Enter today’s Mass → All saints →