Happy Saint George's Day!

Happy Saint George's Day to All of the Anglosphere!

On this, the Feast Day of Saint George, patron saint of England, we wish all our English friends, visitors and all those throughout the world whose roots are in that "sceptred isle," a proud, blessed and happy Saint George's Day.  

We remember, too, that it is on this day that William Shakespeare, the greatest writer in the English language, was born and died; so what could be more appropriate to the day than these lines from his great history play, King Richard II. Act ii. Sc. 1?

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England....

Prime Minister David Cameron's Message for St. George's Day

Happy Saint George's Day

Cheers and heartiest good wishes on this Saint George's Day to all our English readers and proud descendants of the great island race.

This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise;
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war;
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands;
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England,
This nurse, this teeming womb of royal kings,
Fear'd by their breed and famous by their birth,
Renowned for their deeds as far from home,
For Christian service and true chivalry,
As is the sepulchre in stubborn Jewry,
Of the world's ransom, blessed Mary's Son;
This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land.

The Feast of Saint George

The Original Knight in Shining Armor and Patron Saint of England

From Tradition, Family and Property

Statue of St. George inside the City Hall, "Saló de Cent", Barcelona.

Martyr, patron of England, suffered at or near Lydda, also known as Diospolis, in Palestine, probably before the time of Constantine. According to the very careful investigation of the whole question recently instituted by Father Delehaye, the Bollandist, in the light of modern sources of information, the above statement sums up all that can safely be affirmed about St. George, despite his early cultus and preeminent renown both in East and West.

Saint George and the dragon

The best known form of the legend of St. George and the Dragon is that made popular by the “Legenda Aurea”, and translated into English by Caxton.

St. George and the Dragon by Vittore Carpaccio

According to this, a terrible dragon had ravaged all the country round a city of Libya, called Selena, making its lair in a marshy swamp. Its breath caused pestilence whenever it approached the town, so the people gave the monster two sheep every day to satisfy its hunger, but, when the sheep failed, a human victim was necessary and lots were drawn to determine the victim. On one occasion the lot fell to the king’s little daughter. The king offered all his wealth to purchase a substitute, but the people had pledged themselves that no substitutes should be allowed, and so the maiden, dressed as a bride, was led to the marsh. There St. George chanced to ride by, and asked the maiden what she did, but she bade him leave her lest he also might perish. The good knight stayed, however, and, when the dragon appeared, St. George, making the sign of the cross, bravely attacked it and transfixed it with his lance. Then asking the maiden for her girdle (an incident in the story which may possibly have something to do with St. George’s selection as patron of the Order of the Garter), he bound it round the neck of the monster, and thereupon the princess was able to lead it like a lamb. They then returned to the city, where St. George bade the people have no fear but only be baptized, after which he cut off the dragon’s head and the townsfolk were all converted. The king would have given George half his kingdom, but the saint replied that he must ride on, bidding the king meanwhile take good care of God’s churches, honor the clergy, and have pity on the poor. The earliest reference to any such episode in art is probably to be found in an old Roman tombstone at Conisborough in Yorkshire, considered to belong to the first half of the twelfth century. Here the princess is depicted as already in the dragon’s clutches, while an abbot stands by and blesses the rescuer.

St. George and the Dragon statuette was commissioned by Duke Wilhelm V. Duke Wilhelm’s son, Maximilian I, had the original ebony base replaced with the present sumptuous pedestal. The entire statuette consists of 2,291 diamonds, 406 rubies, and 209 pearls. At the base, the inscription in gold letters reads: “Maximilian, Count Palatine on the Rhine, Duke of the two Bavarias, Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, dedicated this to the great martyr St. George, patron and protector of his house and family.” Well concealed by this lavish decoration is a tiny drawer containing a reliquary of St. George jeweled as elaborately as all the rest. This statue is housed in the Residenz Museum in Munich, Germany. The tiny statuette is barely 20" high from its base to the pearl on the knights helmet.

From a sermon of St. Peter Damian about St. George

Saint George was a man who abandoned one army for another. He gave up the rank of tribune to enlist as a soldier for Christ. Eager to encounter the enemy, he first stripped away his worldly wealth by giving all he had to he poor. Then, free and unencumbered, bearing the shield of faith, he plunged into the think of the battle, an ardent soldier for Christ. Clearly what he did serves to teach us a valuable lesson: if we are afraid to strip ourselves of out worldly possessions, then we are unfit to make a strong defense of the faith.

Dear brothers, let us not only admire the courage of this fighter in heaven’s army, but follow his example. Let us be inspired to strive for the reward of heavenly glory. We must now cleanse ourselves, as Saint Paul tells us, from all defilement of body and spirit, so that one day we too may deserve to enter that temple of blessedness to which we now aspire.

The tomb of Saint George in Lod, Israel

(cfr Catholic Encyclopedia)

A Very Happy Saint George's Day!

With the following video, we are pleased to strike a blow to political correctness and warmly wish all our English visitors, and those descended from "the Island Race," a very happy Saint George's Day.

Happy Saint George's Day!

This is the day that commemorates England's national patron, Saint George. It is also the day on which William Shakespeare was born and died, and it is my English mother's birthday. For all our readers from Englsh-speakng nations, and those who love and trace their lineage to what Churchill called the "island race," a very happy Saint George's Day!

The following video was made by Deacon Greg Benton, author of the beautiful Piddingworth blog, and features the moving hymn "Jerusalem," from the poem by William Blake, with music composed by Sir Charles Hubert Parry.