Religion+Saint+Essay+MG


 * George Edward Morgan III September 30, 2013**
 * Incarnation Catholic School 8A**
 * Religion Saint Essay**

The patron saint of England is St. George. St. George is the saint for soldiers and fishermen and the day that we remember him is April 23. There are many legends written about St. George including a fight with a dragon and his death and resurrection. Although he was very popular many years ago, he is hardly remembered today. St. George was a Roman soldier who protested against the torture and death of Christians and he himself was killed. I obviously like this saint because we share the same name. I had prior knowledge about St. George which is that he slayed a dragon to save a beautiful woman.

St. George was a Roman soldier who was a favorite of the Emperor. The Emperor put to death any Christian that he found. As George was a Christian, he approached the Emperor without fear and scolded him for his cruelty. He gave up his position as a soldier and so the Emperor tortured him and beheaded him. Legend said that he was put to death, chopped to pieces, buried and burnt three times. Each time he was resurrected by the power of God.

The most common legend of St George is about his fight with a dragon. A terrible dragon was destroying all the country around a city of Libya. When the dragon approached the town its breath caused diseases. The people of the town gave the Dragon tow sheep every day. When they ran out of sheep they drew lots to determine who the human victim would be. When the lot fell to the king's daughter, he offered his wealth for a replacement. When this didn't work, the young girl was led to the marsh where the Dragon lived. St. George happened to ride by and when the dragon appeared, he made the sign of the cross and attacked and used his lance to attach the Dragon. He wrapped his lance around the neck of the dragon allowing the girl to lead the dragon. Back at the town he told the people to be baptized after he cut the head of the Dragon off. He told the king to take care of God's churches, honor the clergy and pity the poor.

The real St. George was a brave Roman soldier who was a Christian. He protested the torture and killing of Christians and was killed for his actions. The Normans, in their early crusades, saw him in a vision and they then were victorious in their battle. St. George's emblem was adopted by Richard The Lion Heart and brought to England in the 12th century. Therefore St. George was made patron saint of England and is the saint for soldiers and fishermen. In times of great danger, St. George is called upon to save the country from its enemies.

We know that in 1284 the official seal of a ship was a plain flag bearing a cross. The British Navy still uses the large red St. George's cross on a white ground. Even the Union Jack is made up of the elements of the St. George cross. By the fourteenth century, the uniforms for English soldiers and sailors used the St. George cross. When England went to war they were ordered to wear a sign of his cross. Edward II founded the order of the Garter which is a knighthood of which St. George was the patron. There is a chapel dedicated to St. George in Windsor Castle. Many songs and poems were written about St. George. St George was a large part of England's life during this time. Since 1778, his holiday is simply a feast of devotion.

St. George has been the patron saint of England since the 14th century but not many people know about him now. Only one in five people know that April 23 is St. George's Day. One fourth of the people of England do not even know that their patron saint is St. George. William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564 and he died on April 23, 1616 which is St. George's birthday. These are interesting facts about a saint that should be remembered.

St. George represents three of the four marks of the Church. He was Catholic, Apostolic, and Holy. St.George followed the ways of the apostles by standing up to the Roman Emperor and scolding him for his cruelty to Christians. He was Catholic because he was a Christian at this time and upon his death he became a martyr. He was Holy because he stood up as a Christian and he became a Saint.

We can learn from St. George to be brave and proud of our Catholic faith. To be like him, we should stand up against those that would persecute the Christian religion. When we see things that are wrong, it is our duty to bring attention to it even if it is someone in authority that can damage us. Even though he is the patron saint of soldiers, he fought for the right reasons and not for selfish gain. St George showed courage when he fought the dragon to save the girl and by doing this he led the town to be baptized. We can show courage as he did as a way to bring others to Christ. How do we know that St. George is a good example? After all, he is a Saint.

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