Today, Wednesday (23.4.2025), according to panel The memory of the Saints Theocharous and Apostle of the self -esteem, Georgios Megalomaros, the Witnesses of the Antipio and the Priest of the Stratis, Martyrs of Donatos and Summer, is honored.
The names that celebrate today, according to the calendar, are:
- Theocharis, Theocharoula, Haroula *
- Georgios, Georgis, George, George, Giorikas, Georgia, Giorgia, Georgoula, Gogo, Georgina
- Georgianna
Saint George the Great Martyr and Trophy
The Laopilian Saint George the Great Martyr and Trophy was born around 275 AD. In Cappadocia, by parents of Christians. His father, in fact, died witnessing Christ when George was ten years old. His mother then took him with her home to Palestine, where she had her estates. When he was 18 years old, he was militant to the Roman army. Although young at age, he handled his military duties perfectly. Everyone admired him for his march. So, he quickly promoted him to higher office and gave him the title of Count and Diocletian appreciated him very much.
From the time of Emperor Decius to the time when Diocletian ascended the throne in 283 AD, the Christian Church grew up very much because there was a peace. Christians took many public positions, built many large temples, various schools and organized the administration and management of churches and charity.
Diocletian initially worked for the organization of his state. He hired generals for his assistants who called them emperors and Caesa, and after succeeding in subdue the enemies of the state and stabilizing his borders, he turned to internal issues. Unfortunately, he turned against the Christian religion to lift idolatry. For this reason, he called his assistants Caesarea in 303 AD. and the generals in the capital of the Eastern Roman state at three general rallies. Among them was the 28 -year -old George, who was distinguished many times in the wars.
So everyone was gathered to make decisions about the extermination and extinction of Christian faith. Diocletian spoke first and forced everyone to take over the extermination of Christianity. Everyone promised that they would make every effort to eliminate the Christian religion from the Roman state. Then the brave George got up and said, “Why, king and lords, do you want blood and saintly blood to spill and force Christians to worship and worship idols”? And he proclaimed the truth of the Christian religion and the deity of Christ.
As soon as it was over, everyone was confused with this confession and tried to persuade him to repent of what he said, so so to Diocletian. But George was stable and with courage he proclaimed his Christian faith.
Angry, Diocletian ordered him to be closed in prison and shut down his legs in the wood and, after lying on his back, to put a large and heavy stone on his chest.
Saint George on the night saw Christ in his dream, who announced to him that he would take the wreath of the martyrdom and claim eternal life. As it was dawned, the soldiers were ordered by Diocletian to present the Saint in front of him. Really the Saint was walking full of joy to the king because he was foreseen that his end was coming. As soon as Diocletian saw him, he suggested that he go to the Temple of Apollo to sacrifice his image. When the saint entered the temple, he raised his hand and after he made the point of the cross he ordered the idol to fall. Immediately this fell and it became pieces.
The priest of the idols and the people were so angry that they were shouting at the king to kill George. Diocletian ordered his head and cut off his head.
The faithful servant of Saint, Pasikratis, performing the desire of the Saint, received the holy relic of the witness along with that of the mother of St. Polychronia and transferred it to Lydda, Palestine. From there, as the sources attest, the Crusaders took the sacred relics of St. Polychronia and transported them to the West.
In our Church, this glorious great martyr is Margaritis the precious, Aristotle the uncle, Leo the glorious, Asther the Polyphonus, Christ of Christ, of the Heavenly Army.
*There are other dates that celebrate this name.