Today, in the sermon for the Solemnity of St. George, the Patronal Feast of England, the visiting priest made these points. I have links for more information on some of the points. By the way, the priest wore a gorgeous chasuble of red with the Rose of England embroidered throughout.
St. George was a centurion in the 3rd century who was murdered for his faith. He is venerated also in the Orthodox Church as one of the earliest martyrs. St. Bede wrote his life, which made him popular in England and in the Golden Legend, printed by Caxton, the honor given to St. George grew.
As earlier at the Third Crusade, King Richard the Lionhearted claimed St. George as the patron of the military, an honor which grew into the Knights of the Garter. Several kings, such as Edward III and others had great love for St. George.
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| Chapel of St. George in Windsor Castle, thanks to Wiki |
That George is usually seen killing a dragon is a long-standing iconography of this saint. He may have killed a real dragon (as the priest mentioned, there still are Komodos, and I for one believe that there were dragons on the earth during the reign of mankind) or it may be a symbol of George overcoming evil through his life and martyrdom.
God bless England and all English people today. May there be a renewal of the True Faith here. (updated)
