NEWSLETTER
Page 12
ST
TIMOTHY
NEWSLETTER
INSIGHTS
Volume 2, Issue4
Apr, 2014 - Pascha
On prayers for the dearly departed:
(reprinted from The Mountain of Silence, pp 149)
Kyriacos relates the following account to Father Maximos:
“I remember how intrigued I became when I came across a statement by the abbot of an American monastery
that he could ‘see’ the impact of such memorials on the souls of the departed. As if to corroborate what St John
Chrysostom had said in the fourth century, this American abbot claimed that during the memorial prayers:
PASTOR’S NOTES/REFLECTIONS
WHAT’S INSIDE:
 Lives of the Saints .. Pg 6
A subtle bond of communication is established between them and those who remain on earth. I myself
usually see the departed during the rituals that I perform on their behalf. As the ritual progresses I often
see them in their new … home and perceive the effect of the energies being directed to them. Frequently
their loved ones also either see or feel them during the ceremonies. I have seen long-standing grief eradicated completely after the sorrowing ones attended a memorial service.
O Lord, give rest to the souls of your departed servants!
 The Bookstore ........ Pg 10
 Lenten Recipes ....... Pg 11
 Insights .................. Pg 12
EVENTS:
 Men’s Breakfast .... Apr 12
 Dye Red Eggs ......... Apr 19
 Shooting Range ..... May 10
(Santa Cruz, open to all!)
St. Timothy Orthodox Church
4593 Central Way
Fairfield, CA 94534
The Towel Tells All
 Jan Calendar .......... Pg 3
TREASURER’S
UPDATE (FEB YTD)
Postage
Accounts:
Main .................. $ 4,443.04
Rental ................ $15,557.24
Bldg/Misc .......... $10,303.24
Benevolence ...... $ 7,006.56
Bookstore .......... $ 1,892.15
Total .................. $39,202.73
Income:
Tithes ................ $24,327.00
Expenses:
Budgeted ........... $23,188.77
Non-Budgeted:
Renovation ........ $17,983.58
(paid from existing funds)
Total Net:
Inc - Exp .................($16,845.35)
In the Orthodox Church it seems like we are always
thinking ahead to the next Feast Day, season, or
prominent Saints Day. For example at the Vespers
service on Forgiveness Sunday, while we were bowing
our way around the nave asking forgiveness of each
other, the chanters were singing the Paschal Canon
and other Easter related hymnography. We were already singing about Christ's resurrection from the
dead, yet we were only on the eve of the beginning of
the Fast. Pascha wouldn't be celebrated for another
50 days.
Oftentimes Jesus related in this way with His own disciples. For the last
several weeks, in the readings from St. Mark's Gospel, Jesus predicts His own
betrayal and death on the Cross. On the Sunday of the Veneration of the Precious and Life Giving Cross, the Apostle Peter rebukes Jesus for speaking so
openly about His own death. As you remember Peter is rebuked by the Master, who tells him to; "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the
things of God, but the things of men (Mark 8:33)." Jesus knew exactly what
was in store for him and Peter was in denial. As a result Peter receives a big
time rebuke from his Lord.
(Continued on page 2)
YOUR COUNCIL IN ACTION
Hello Everyone,
I hope you are all excited that we soon will begin the repairs on the Link
Road side of our building. We have a few obstacles to overcome, but expect
to begin soon.
I appreciate everyone’s comments after my update during lunch Sunday
March 16. We will be giving the parish regular updates on our projects.
Please continue to pray for St. Timothy’s and the parish council.
In His service,
Mike Haskins
Parish Council President
Page 11
NEWSLETTER
Page 2
NEWSLETTER
RECIPES—OLD LENTEN STAND-BYS
P A S T O R ’ S N O T E S / R E F L E C T I O N S … (Continued from page 1)
Anticipation then, even weeks before in the mind
of the Church, becomes a stepping stone for the event
itself, priming the pump of our hearts, if you will, and
gearing us up for what's to come. In the case of the
two disciples on the road to Emmaus, they are given a
full disclosure from Jesus, after the fact, "and beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to
them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." For them, and later for the other disciple's, Jesus
opened their understanding, after His own crucifixion,
death and resurrection, and confirmed, in that sense,
after the fact, those prophecies that were fulfilled in
Himself, which were written in the Law and the Prophets and the Psalms.
They saw with their own eyes, first hand and believed, "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have
flesh and bones as you see that I have (Luke 24: 39)."
We on the other hand are to believe those things that
are written in the Scriptures by faith, without having
seen first hand, as the disciples were blessed to experience. Remember our Lord's words to Thomas, after
he had touched the wounds in Jesus hands and side.
He tells him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you
have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have believed (John 20:29)." As Christians
then, our behavior and the way we conduct ourselves
in life is shaped through our God given understanding
and our faith in the unseen, for Christ has ascended in
Glory and sits at the right hand of God the Father
(Mark 16:19).
He is in heaven, we are physically separated from
Him here on earth, but, we are to behave and conduct
our lives in a manner befitting a Christian. We conduct
our lives in a wholesome manner, as if He were standing along side us, accompanying us at all times. This is
true whether we are at work, or at meal time, in our
interaction with others, in the kind words that we
speak (when we have the chance to edify and build-up
the other person), in every moment of the day, and at
all times, we relate to our fellowman with a true Christian witness.
Some of us who have been married for quite some
time have adopted the unique preferences and specific habits and requests of our spouse even when they
are absent from us. My, wife for example, can not
stand it when I leave a damp towel spread-out on the
top of the bedspread after taking a shower. Personally, I have no problem with leaving the towel there all
day long, and in fact until the next shower comes
around. However, she does have a problem with that
mode of toweling, it drives her crazy. So, I've learned
to pick the thing up and hang it on the rack in the
bathroom, where it belongs. What about when she is
not around for several days, do I resort to my old behavior, or remember her preference and practice the
little discipline as if she were here? The answer is yes.
I remember what she appreciates, and I act accordingly, hanging the thing up, as if she were here in the
house. Get the point, in the spiritual life, we act and
conduct our lives according to the knowledge and enlightenment that God, through the Holy Spirit has
shined on us, even though we don't directly see Him.
We know what is right through the interaction of the
Holy Spirit with our own conscience, and then making
the choice, with our will, to act accordingly.
This is how we stay on track in this rough world in
which we live, not straying to right or to the left, but
maintaining our spiritual equilibrium even while walking on uneven ground. Beloved in Christ may all of us
continue with this mind-set, that Christ, though absent
from among us physically, is never-the-less omnipresent with us, in and through the Holy Spirit. By His
grace and love towards mankind, may we all conduct
our lives accordingly. Looking forward with anticipation to His Life Giving Resurrection from the dead.
I remain your unworthy servant in Christ;
Fr John
West African Peanut Soup
Vegetarian Chili
1 tbls olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 lb cooked sweet potatoes (roasted or 1-15oz can
drained), peeled/chopped
1 med tart apple, cored/peeled/chopped
4 c vegetable broth
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 c creamy peanut butter (old fashioned/no sugar)
2 tbls olive oil
1 lg onion, chopped
4 lg cloves garlic, minced
3 tbls chili powder
1 med green & 1 med red bell peppers, seeded/diced
1 med zucchini, diced
1 med yellow squash, diced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 can (14.5oz) stewed tomatoes
1 can (11oz) corn kernels, drained
1 can (15.5oz) black beans, drained/rinsed
1/4 tsp salt
1. Cook onion and cumin in oil over medium heat until
translucent, about 5 min.
2. Add sweet potatoes, apple, vegetable broth, cinnamon and black pepper. Continue cooking over medium heat until mixture boils, about 4 min.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 min, or until ingredients are soft.
4. Stir in peanut butter. Puree in batches in food processor until smooth.
5. Serve hot with cornbread.
1. Heat oil in a 4-qt pot over medium heat.
2. Add onion, garlic and chili powder; sauté 5 min.
3. Add peppers, sauté 5 min. Add zucchini, squash,
oregano and ground red pepper; sauté 5 min.
4. Add tomatoes, cook 10 min.
5. Stir in corn, black beans and salt, cook 5 min.
Serve with rice or fritos, avocados, guacamole, etc.
Cuban Black Beans
Wacky Wacky Cake
1/4 c olive oil
1 lg onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, including green leaves, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 c black beans (2-20oz cans), drained/rinsed
2 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tbls lemon juice
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Cook the bell
pepper, celery and garlic over medium heat until
the onions are translucent (about 10 min).
2. Add the beans, salt, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, and
lemon juice. Stir well to combine.
3. Cover and simmer for another 35-45 min, stirring
occasionally to prevent sticking.
4. Remove the bay leaf and serve over rice.
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 c white sugar
4 tbls unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbls apple cider vinegar
6 tbls vegetable oil
1 c water
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Sift dry ingredients into an 8’ square ungreased cake
pan. Make three wells. Pour oil into one well, vinegar into another, and vanilla into the third well.
Pour water over all and stir well with a fork. Be
careful not to overmix.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 min, or until a toothpick stuck in center comes out clean.
4. Let cool in pan, top with canned frosting.
April
SUNDAY
shaded squares note a
Fast Day
6 St Mary of Egypt
7
MONDAY
1
8
TUESDAY
St Mary of Eygpt
2
9
WEDNESDAY
6:30pm Presanctified
Liturgy
Lenten Meal
6:30pm Presanctified
Liturgy
Lenten Meal
THURSDAY
4
FRIDAY
6:30pm Akathist Hymn
Lenten Meal
11
5
12
SATURDAY
Service schedule for every week:
5:30pm Friday, Paraklesis
6:30pm Saturday, Great Vespers. Confessions heard afterwards
9:00am Sunday, Orthros
10:00am Sunday, Divine Liturgy
3
10
19 Holy Saturday
8:00am
Liturgy St Lazarus
6:30pm Little Compline
10:00am
and Akathist to
Men's Breakfast
St. Lazarus
6:00pm Great Vespers
Lenten Meal
with Artoklasia for
Palm Sunday
18 Holy Friday
26 Bright Saturday
Lindsay
12:00pm Parish Picnic
- Mike and Victoria
Haskins house
There are also dozens of Akathists which have not been published as booklets, but are available on the Internet formatted for printing onto regular letter-sized paper. To find Akathists to particular saints or needs, check http://
orthodoxwiki.org/Akathist and www.saintjonah.org/services/akathists.htm.
16 Holy Wednesday 17 Holy Thursday
Akathist to Jesus Christ For a Loved One Who has Fallen Asleep
Akathist to Martyr Varus, Holy Intercessor for Family Members Who Reposed Outside the Orthodox Faith
Akathist to the Guardian Angel Who Keepeth Unceasing Watch Over One's Life
Akathist to the Mother of God, "Healer of Cancer"
Akathist to the Mother of God, "Nurturer of Children"
Akathist to the Righteous Joachim and Anna: For Blessed Married Life
15 Holy Tuesday






9:00am Vesperal Di9:00am Royal Hours
vine Liturgy with
9:00am Vesperal Di- 2:00pm Great Vespers
Chrismations/
vine Litrurgy
for Great and Holy Sat
Baptisms
6:30pm Passion Gos- Taking Down of Christ
10:30-11:00pm Rush
pels Matins
from the Cross
Matins followed by
Lenten Meal
6:30 Lamentations for
Divine Liturgy for
Great and Holy Sat
Great and Holy Pascha
In the bookstore, we currently have:
Nabil Yacoub

They contain thirteen parts, each of which contains a kontakion and an oikos.
Each oikos contains entreaty or praise, prefaced with Come or Rejoice (such as, from the Akathist to the Mother
of God, Healer of Cancer: “Rejoice, Quick Hearer of those praying to thee! Rejoice, Treasury of the peace of
Christ! Rejoice, Hope and Strength of thy people.”)
One or two additional prayers, including a troparion, conclude the Akathist.
6:30pm Holy Unction


St George
the Trophy Bearer
To say an Akathist at home, begin with the Trisagion Prayers. Then, chant or read the Akathist once through. You
will find that all Akathists follow this general pattern:
30
Currently, Khouria Barbara and others have begun saying the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children, on Saturday afternoons at 5:15 – and they have already seen fruitful results of the Theotokos’s loving intercession!
Rdr Joseph Floyd
13 Palm Sunday
14 Holy Monday
When we say simply “The Akathist,” we mean the original Akathist to the Theotokos, the 6th century hymn that
we sing on Friday evenings in Great Lent. Other Akathists – such as Akathist to Jesus Christ For a Loved One Who has
Fallen Asleep or Akathist to St John the Wonderworker – may be chanted in church by the congregation, or said privately at home by a family or individual.
6:30pm Bridegroom
Matins
The word Akathist means “not sitting” (a-, means not, and káthisis means sitting) because, during the chanting of
the hymn, we are expected to stand.
6:30pm Bridegroom
Matins
An akathist is a hymn -- or prayer -- of devotion, thanksgiving and petition. Akathist hymns are each dedicated to
a particular saint, angel or a person of the Holy Trinity, and many focus on a particular event or concern, such as the
welfare of children, loved ones with cancer, and those who have reposed.
6:00pm Bridgroom
Matins
Mark Robel Kassa
Praying an Akathist at Home
12:00pm
Agape Vespers
FROM THE BOOKSTORE .............................................. LINDSAY GOWER
20 Great and Holy 21 Bright Monday 22 Bright Tuesday 23 Bright Wednesday 24 Bright Thursday 25 Bright Friday
Pascha
Page 10
27 Belief of Thomas
Sunday
NEWSLETTER
Page 4
NEWSLETTER
L I V E S O F T H E S A I N T S … (Continued from page 8)
MEN’S FELLOWSHIP
Hello Everyone,
April is here—how quickly Great Lent has flown
by! As we look forward to this month, we will be having a Breakfast with Father after Liturgy on April 12
(location to be announced). Also, remember we
talked about having more target practice? We will
publish the details later, but please mark your calendars for the next shoot-out at Father John’s ranch in
Page 9
NEWSLETTER
Santa Cruz to be held on May 10th. This year, we will
set up an airgun range for anyone who gets a kick out
of shooting without the recoil. I’d like to make a personal request for Matthew to bring his Sig Sauer
9mm—what a sweet shooting pistol!
Yours In Christ,
Tom
The Miraculous Icon of Saint George in the Monastery of Xenophontos on Mount Athos:
During the Iconoclast Period, several soldiers had taken an icon of Saint George and thrown it into a fire with other
icons. When the fire had died, some bystanders saw that it had not consumed the icon of Saint George, but had damaged
only a small portion of it. One soldier ran his sword into the face of the Saint. Blood emerged from this spot. The soldiers
were so frightened that they ran. Some Iconodules who witnessed this miracle, took the icon to protect it from the soldiers
in case they returned. They took it to the shore and placed it into the water. Then they prayed to the Saint to guide his icon
to a place where it would continue to perform miracles. The icon landed at the Monastery of Xenophone on Mount Athos.
The blood stains and the burnt clothing of the Saint can still be seen on the icon.
The fame of Saint George spread all over the East, and the Crusaders brought their devotion for the warrior
Saint back to Europe. Through the Crusaders, Saint George became the patron Saint of England. He is also the
patron Saint of Syria and Lebanon. The Emperor Constantine dedicated a church to him not long after his martyrdom, and in later times, he became an object of devotion for Christians and Muslims alike.
Saint George is the protector of Christians, and the patron of all who fight for righteousness. His cheerful
fortitude and unswerving loyalty have inspired generations of Christians the world over.
April 23
SISTERS OF ST TIMOTHY
The miraculous, "acheiropoietos" (not made
by human hands) icon of St. George the Greatmartyr in Zographou
Dear Sisters of St. Timothy,
Less than 3 weeks to Pascha and loving all the services, prayers, prostrations and voices of angels from the
choir and parishioners. Have you gone up to our beloved choir or sent a note or emailed and told them lately
how beautiful they sound?
Thank you ladies who prayed for courage to read the Epistle on each Sunday in front of all of us in March.
We see Fr. John, Deacons, Sub Deacons, Acolytes and men standing up front reading, but for us women to read
it was a privilege, honor and very humbling. "Thank You Metropolitan Phillip and for Fr. Johns blessing". We
will joyfully and with trembling legs read every Sunday in March. Please ladies step up for next March 2015
and Gods blessing shall fall upon you. I want to thank each lady that read......Kh. Barbara, Ruth, Lindsay, Hala
Khoury, Debbie and Linda. You were great!!!! Thank you for saying yes.
We had 21 ladies at the Pzanky eggs at Hala Abughazaleh lovely home with pot luck to boot. Of course it
was fun..fun..fellowship, decorating eggs and awesome food. It was hard for all of us to leave we were having
(Continued on page 5)
A close-up of the “acheiropoietos” icon of St. George.
A small piece of the doubting hierarch's finger can
TROPARION — TONE 4
As the deliverer of captives and defender of the poor, healer of the infirm and champion of kings,
victorious great martyr George intercede with Christ our God for our souls salvation.
KONTAKION — TONE 4
Thou wast cultivated by God and didst become a most wonderful cultivator of piety, and didst
harvest for thyself the sheaves of virtue, for having sown in tears thou didst reap in joy and having withstood to death thou art garnered for Christ. By thy intercessions, O Saint, thou dost obtain for us all remission of our sins.
NEWSLETTER
Page 8
L I V E S O F T H E S A I N T S … (Continued from page 7)
the Saint a food called sfouggato a type of onion omelet. The boy returned to the courtyard and won a wrestling match
with several boys. He went home and made the sfouggato and took it to the Saint's icon. Shortly afterwards, three
young men entered the church and saw the food. In jest, they said that the Saint would not eat the food, so they decided to sit on the steps of the altar and eat it themselves. When they tried to get up, they found themselves stuck to the
marble steps. Only after offering the Saint three gold pieces, were they able to leave.
Miraculous Icons of Saint George
The icon of Saint George is rarely missing from the first row of icons of the iconostasis. A town with several Orthodox
Churches normally has one church named after this great martyr. His great honor is derived not only from the miracles
which have been attributed to him, but also because many of his icons have performed miracles.
The Icon of Saint George in the Holy Monastery of Zographos on Mount Athos:
In the year 919, three brothers-Moses, Aaron, and Vasilios-went to Mount Athos to become monks. They built three
tents in a large valley near the river. They also built a small church near there, but were skeptical about what saint to name
the church after. They prepared the board on which the icon of the patron saint of the church was to be painted, however,
they did not paint the icon because they could not decide to which saint the church should be dedicated. When the monks
went to the church the next morning, they found that an icon of Saint George had been painted on the board. The icon was
painted in an ancient style. This miracle showed the brothers that God wanted their church dedicated to Saint George. The
institution which the brothers had established was named the Monastery of Zographos, or the Monastery of the Painter
because of the icon's miraculous appearance.
This icon was originally in the Monastery of Phenol, located in Liana. From the time that Evstratios was the abbot of
this monastery, the icon had performed many miracles. One day in the presence of the monks, the icon came off of the
piece of wood on which it had been painted and disappeared from their sight. The monks were extremely saddened by this
event and felt that God had forsaken them. Then, the Abbot Evstratios saw Saint George before him and the Saint told him
not to weep for him for he was on Mount Athos. The abbot told the other brothers of his vision. Evstratios left the monastery, and after going to Jerusalem, he embarked on his journey to Mount Athos. After searching in many of the monasteries
for the icon, he finally came upon the Monastery of Zographos. When he entered the church, he saw the icon hanging without anything supporting it. Evstratios remained at that monastery until his other brothers came to see the miracle.
That icon performed the following miracle: The Bishop Vothenon visited the monastery and began to question the events
without faith. Pointing to the icon, he laughed and said, "Is this the miraculous icon?" He placed his finger on the icon and
there it stuck. To this day, visitors to the monastery can still see the finger hanging on the icon.
The Miraculous Icon of Saint George Which Came by Sea From Arabia:
This icon was found in the harbor of the Monastery of Vatopedi. Later it was discovered that the icon had originally
come from Arabia. The abbots of the different monasteries began to argue about whom the icon belonged. They decided to
place the icon on the back of a donkey. The onager was left on the cross roads between Mount Athos and Salonika. It was
agreed that whichever monastery the donkey went to could rightfully claim the icon. The donkey proceeded to the Monastery of Zographos. After the donkey arrived there, it died. The icon was placed on the left pillar of the church, opposite the
other miraculous icon of Saint George.
The Third Icon of Saint George in the Monastery of Zographos:
On the third pillar of the Church of Saint George of the Monastery of Zographos hangs a third icon of the Saint. This
icon had belonged to the ruler of Moldavia (Romania), Stephen. When ever he went into battle, Stephen would carry this
icon with him. After capturing Constantinople, the Turks came to the land ruled by Stephen. He decided to fight the Turks
inside the walls of the city. He saw a vision of Saint George which told him that the Saint would help him to be victorious.
After the battle, Stephen took the icon to the Monastery of Zographos and gave a great deal of money for the purpose of
beautifying this holy place.
Page 5
NEWSLETTER
S I S T E R S O F S T T I M O T H Y … (Continued from page 4)
so much fun. Thank you Hala for hosting the 3rd Annual
Pzanky eggs event for us crazy and funny ladies and young
ladies. We had a great time.
Let us thank our Myrrh-bearers who serve and clean
up the kitchen every 5th Sunday of the month. Your all
wonderful and a blessing to all of us who you serve and
clean up after. Thank you for giving your moms and women a rest those 5th Sundays.
Some of us ladies where able to attend the First
Women Lent Retreat Hosted at St Nicholas Orthodox
Church in San Francisco on March 29. Speaker V. Rev Father David Hovik on The Kingdom of God is within you:
The Road to Discovery. Maybe the Sisters of St. Timothy
could host something like this in the future? Please give
me your feed back and we’ll talk about it in one of our
next meetings.
Please mark your calendars for dying the red Paschal
eggs on Holy Saturday April 19th after the common meal.
Several of us will try and have everything ready, so dying
the eggs shouldn't take long. I will have a sign up sheet
for those who want to bring brown hard boiled eggs and
those that want to dye eggs.
God Bless you all and Happy Pascha,
Lana Arons
ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH’S VISIT
For those of you who were not able to attend Sayedna JOSEPH’s visit, here are a few of the wonderful memories!
NEWSLETTER
Page 6
LIVES OF THE SAINTS
NEWSLETTER
Page 7
L I V E S O F T H E S A I N T S … (Continued from page 6)
St George, the Great Martyr and Trophy Bearer
Adapted from:
A History of Eastern Orthodox Saints
(pp. 127-143)
by Michael James Fochios
This great miracle worker and martyr lived in the latter part of the third century A.D., during Diocletian's
rule of the Roman Empire. He originally came from the area of Cappadocia and was raised by very pious
parents.
When Diocletian started his persecutions against the Christians, Saint George declared himself to be a Christian and thus denied the false idols. He suffered many tortures because of his belief, but never considered renouncing it.
The life of Saint George is a prime example of the life that each Christian should follow to obtain salvation.
Saint George, the Great Martyr, was raised in the Christian religion. His father, himself, martyred for his faith. After his father's
death, George's mother took him to Palestine where she had some farm land. At a young age, he served in the Roman army under the Emperor Diocletian and was commended many times for his excellent service to the Empire. From the rule of the Emperor Decian, until 284 A.D., when Diocletian became Emperor, the Christian Church went through a period of peace and prosperity.
During that time, the Christians obtained important positions in the government, built many churches and schools, and organized
the authoritative structure of the Church. Diocletian gave many of his loyal officers political positions so that he could have the
military strength of his Empire on his side.
After Diocletian had suppressed the barbarian tribes which were attacking the Empire and after he had secured its borders,
he began to concentrate on the Empire's internal affairs. Diocletian believed that a state religion could keep an Empire united.
Since paganism was the state religion, Diocletian focused his efforts toward the suppression of Christianity.
During the year 303 A.D., Diocletian summoned his aides to meet in Caesarea, a city of the Eastern Roman Empire. He held
three general meetings with his aides, instructing them to persecute the Christians. Saint George, since he had shown his excellence while serving in the army, was among these aides. Diocletian asked them to pledge their allegiance to this cause by making
pagan sacrifices as proof of their loyalty. All of the aides pledged their loyalty, except for the Saint. He stood in front of Diocletian
and admitted his belief in Christianity, telling the monarch of the Christian teachings and the Godliness of the Crucified Nazarene.
The Emperor ordered this Christian taken to prison and that a boulder be placed on his chest as a form of torture. The next morning Diocletian ordered that the prisoner be brought before him for questioning. George stood steadfast and told Diocletian of his
belief in the riches of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Emperor then summoned the executioners to take the Saint and have him
bound to the rim of a wheel set with sharp spikes. Diocletian admired the courage of the Saint and asked him to sacrifice to the
gods to save himself. He refused Diocletion's request and welcomed the chance to martyr for Christ, as his father had done. After
praying to God, he heard a voice from heaven say, "Do not fear, George, I am with you." With the help of Christ, the spiked wheel
had no effect upon Saint George. When the Saint appeared before Diocletian not only was he unharmed, but an angelic aura had
settled about him. Suddenly, two officers of the Roman army, Anatolios and Protoleon, appeared before Diocletian with two
thousand soldiers. They admitted their belief in Christ and Diocletian had them all executed.
He then ordered his soldiers to dig a pit and fill it with lime. The Saint was then drenched with water and thrown into the pit.
The water and lime would slowly destroy the Saint's body. After three days, Diocletian instructed the soldiers to clear the pit. To
the surprise of the soldiers and the Emperor, Saint George sat at the bottom of the pit unharmed. Diocletian demanded to know
what type of magic George had used to escape his fate. George answered that he had not used any magic, but that he had been
saved by the power of God.
The Emperor then ordered that iron sandals be tied to the feet of the Saint and that he be made to run. As he ran, he was
beaten. One of Diocletian's advisors, Magnentios, ordered George to perform a miracle. They happened to pass by a tomb of a
man who had been dead for many years. Magnentios ordered George to resurrect this man to show the power of his God. After
praying for a long time, he rolled the rock away from the tomb and resurrected the dead man. The by-standers praised the
strength of Christ. Diocletian asked the resurrected man who he was and when he had died. He told Diocletian that he had lived
before Christ had come on the Earth, and because he was an idolater, he had burned in the fires of Hell during all those years.
Many idolaters were converted to Christianity because of this great miracle.
Among the people who glorified God and Saint George at the tomb was a farmer named Glecerios. Previously Saint George
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had resurrected this farmer's oxen, his livelihood. Because the farmer was so outspoken, the soldiers murdered him and thus he
received the crown of martyrdom.
The next day, Diocletian met with his noblemen to determine Saint George's fate. They decided to beat the Saint mercilessly. The Saint nevertheless remained unharmed and retained his angelic appearance. Diocletian was convinced that all of
George's miracles were done by magic. He, therefore, called upon Athanasius the Magician to break this magic. Athanasius held
two vials in his hands. If the Saint drank the first one, he would go insane, if he drank the second one he would die. The Saint
took the first vial and prayed. He drank its contents and there was no effect. Diocletian still believed that George was a magician; however, Athanasius realized the strength of God and confessed his belief in the Christian God. Athanasius was immediately executed by Diocletian's order. After seeing the miracles of Saint George, Diocletian's wife, the Empress Alexandra, also
confessed her belief in Christ. Diocletian imprisoned her. Saint George was returned to prison and dreamt that Christ told him
that he would receive the crown of martyrdom and life eternal.
Once again George appeared before Diocletian who ordered that Saint George accompany him to the temple and sacrifice
to the gods. When they arrived at the temple, Saint George made the sign of the cross and the idols were again destroyed. The
people and the priests were furious and demanded that Diocletian have the Saint executed. Saint George was taken out of the
city and as he turned his head toward the executioner, he was beheaded.
In the history of our Church, we find a myth related to a dragon and Saint George. This dragon threatened the idolaters in
the area of Atalia. The people were forced to live inside the walls of their city. This prevented them from tending their fields and
grazing their sheep. Every year, they would sacrifice a young girl to the dragon. When Saint George arrived in this area, the
King's daughter was about to be sacrificed. After subduing the dragon, Saint George placed a rope around its neck. He then gave
the rope to the princess so that she could lead the beast back to the city. Thence, he slaughtered the terror and subsequently
baptized thousands of the city's inhabitants.
It is from the icon of Saint George that this myth came about. The icon depicts the Saint as an equestrian slaying the dragon
with the princess in the background. The first iconographers of Saint George were probably trying to depict Satan as the dragon
and Saint George conquering evil. Another explanation of this icon is that the artists were trying to depict Diocletian as the
dragon and Saint George conquering him. The princess in the background could have been the Empress Alexandra who watched
Saint George as he triumphed. She could also symbolize Christianity, or the Church itself. When the Crusaders journeyed
through the Byzantine Empire, they saw this icon and from its depiction they interpreted the legend which they spread throughout western Europe.
Some Miracles of Saint George
 A woman had bought a pillar for a church being dedicated to Saint George in Rome. However, she had no means of transporting the pillar. One night she dreamt of Saint George. He helped her to lift the pillar and then throw it into the sea. Soon
afterwards, the pillar was found in Rome with instructions to place it on the right side of the church as the woman had
wished.
 In the city of Paflagonia in Pontus, many churches had been dedicated to Saint George. Many families named their children
George or Georgia in honor of this great martyr. The following, miracle concerns one particularly pious couple who had
named their son George. The boy had been raised with great faith. As was the law, when he became twenty years old, he
served in the army. During a battle with a barbaric tribe, many Christian soldiers were either murdered, imprisoned, or enslaved. George became a personal slave to one of the barbarian officers. His parents, giving him up for dead, had mourned
him for a year. They went to one of the churches dedicated to Saint George and asked that he tell them what had happened to their son. The Feast Day of Saint George was being celebrated on the anniversary of the boy's disappearance. The
parents invited their relatives to dinner since they hoped that Saint George would give them a sign concerning their son.
That same evening, the barbarian master was preparing for a dinner and ordered George to draw some water with which
to wash his master's feet. As he drew the water he cried and prayed to Saint George to reunite him with his family. As he
prepared to return to his master, a horseman appeared before him on a white horse. It was Saint George. The Saint put him
on the horse and the boy found himself in the house of his parents while they were eating. One may imagine the happiness
that filled that house. It is from this miracle that another icon of Saint George is based. It depicts a boy on the back of the
horse with Saint George. This icon was first made in early Byzantium.
 In the same city of Paflagonia, some children were playing in the courtyard of the Church of Saint George. One of the boys
was being teased by the others. He went to the icon of Saint George to ask for help. In return, the boy promised to make
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