The Feast Day of St George and the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 Name Day
The Saint and the Legend
According to an 11th century legend, St George is the saint who killed the dragon, a symbol that iconography associates with the Devil himself. Born in Cappadocia, St George is believed to have been an officer in the army of the Emperor Diocletian. He died a martyr鈥檚 death in the year AD303. The episode of the dragon slaying relates how St George, protected by the Cross, killed a people-eating dragon, thus ensuring that Faith triumphed over evil.
杏MAP导航 Francis and the question of evil
In his homilies, 杏MAP导航 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 杏MAP导航 said: 鈥淭he life of Jesus was a struggle. He came to overcome evil, to defeat the Prince of this world, to defeat the Devil鈥�. This is a struggle every Christian must face, continued the 杏MAP导航 on that occasion. And those who want to follow Jesus must 鈥渞ecognize this truth鈥�.
Conquering Evil with Good
St George defeated the dragon in a symbolic victory of Good over Evil. During his reflections at the General Audience of February 8th 2017, 杏MAP导航 Francis said: 鈥淲e can never repay evil with evil. We must overcome evil with good, offenses with forgiveness鈥�. 鈥淭his is how we live in peace鈥�, he continued, 鈥渢his is the Church. This is what Christian hope produces when it takes on the strong yet tender features of Love.鈥� Because Love, said the 杏MAP导航, is both 鈥渟trong and tender. It is beautiful鈥�.
(Sergio Centofanti)
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