My dear friends, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very blessed and Happy Feast Day for the Feast of Saint George.
Since the fourth century Saint George has been venerated in Lydia, in Palestine. Tradition holds that he was a soldier who died for the faith and his cult spread throughout the East and West. He was adopted as Patron Saint of England during the Crusades.
In the Gospel for today’s Solemnity Jesus, reminds us if we want to be a follower of his, like Saint George, then we must renounce ourselves and take up our cross every day and follow him! LK 9: 23-26.
It is a big challenge, to be a disciple of Jesus when put to the test, this is what Saint George did! Can we match up to that? I have no doubt with God’s grace we can! We just need to have trust and faith that Jesus is there with us willing us on! We know its not going to be easy but if we place our trust in Jesus and follow his plan for us the grace will be given to us as and when we need it. In his homilies, Pope Francis has often stressed that evil is not something abstract. It is a person with a name: Satan. At his Mass in the Santa Marta Chapel on April 11th 2014, the Pope Francis said: “The life of Jesus was a struggle. He came to overcome evil, to defeat the Prince of this world, to defeat the Devil”. This is a struggle every Christian must face, continued the Pope on that occasion. And those who want to follow Jesus must “recognize this truth”.
Conquering Evil with Good
St George defeated the dragon in a symbolic victory of Good over Evil.
During another of Pope Francis’ reflections at the General Audience of February 8th 2017, Pope Francis said: “We can never repay evil with evil. We must overcome evil with good, offenses with forgiveness”. “This is how we live in peace”, he continued, “This is the Church. This is what Christian hope produces when it takes on the strong yet tender features of Love.” Because Love, said the Pope, is both “strong and tender. It is beautiful”
Stay strong in your convictions!
Fr John
