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Saint George and the Dragon, by Jacopo Tintoretto.
about 1560
This representation of the popular saint is unusual, in
that the hero doesn't dominate the pictorial action. Instead,
the princess he has saved runs out towards us, her pink
cloak giving the scene a sense of vibrant energy from the
start.
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The intercession of saints is a common Christian doctrine
for the majority of Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman
Catholic and Anglican churches back to the time of the earliest
church. While fundamentalist often challenge the practice of asking
prayer intercession the Bible directs us to invoke those in heaven
and ask them to pray for us.
"Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do
his word, hearkening to the voice of his word! Bless the Lord,
all his hosts, his ministers that do his will!" (Ps. 103:20-21).
The opening verses of Psalms 148 "Praise the Lord! Praise
the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights! Praise him,
all his angels, praise him, all his host!"
"The twenty-four elders [the leaders of the people of God
in heaven] fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and
with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the
saints" (Rev. 5:8).
"Because he is the only God-man and the Mediator of the New
Covenant, Jesus is the only mediator between man and God (1 Tim.
2:5), but this in no way means we cannot or should not ask our
fellow Christians to pray with us and for us" (1 Tim. 2:1-4).
The early Church Fathers clearly recognized that those in heaven
can and do intercede for us. They applied this biblical teaching
in their daily prayer.
"A Christian people celebrates together in religious solemnity
the memorials of the martyrs, both to encourage their being imitated
and so that it can share in their merits and be aided by their
prayers" (Against Faustus the Manichean [A.D. 400]).
"At the Lord's table we do not commemorate martyrs in the
same way that we do others who rest in peace so as to pray for
them, but rather that they may pray for us that we may follow
in their footsteps" (Homilies on John 84 [A.D. 416]).
A patron is chosen by election as a special intercessor with God
and is honored by clergy and people in special forms of religious
observance. The term 'patron' must have the rank of a canonized
saint be it applied to a church, a district, a country or a corporation.
Following are prayers to St. George patron saint of Great Britain,
Boy Scouts and the Armed Forces.
St. George Prayer
St. George, Heroic Catholic soldier and defender of your Faith,
you dared to criticize a tyrannical Emperor and were subjected
to horrible torture. You could have occupied a high military position
but you preferred to die for your Lord. Obtain for us the great
grace of heroic Christian courage that should mark soldiers of
Christ. Amen"
St. George Novena
Pray the following prayers for nine consecutive days:
Almighty and eternal God! With lively faith
and reverently worshipping Thy divine Majesty,
I prostrate myself before Thee and invoke with filial trust
Thy supreme bounty and mercy.
Illumine the darkness of my intellect with a ray of Thy heavenly
light and inflame my heart with the fire of Thy Divine love, that
I may contemplate the great virtues and merits of the Saint in
whose honor I make this novena, and following his example imitate,
like him, the life of Thy Divine Son.
Moreover, I beseech Thee to grant graciously, through the merits
and intercession of this powerful Helper, the petition which through
him
I humbly place before Thee, devoutly saving, "Thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven." Vouchsafe graciously to
hear it, if it redounds to Thy greater glory and to the salvation
of my soul. Amen.
Saint George Prayer
O GOD, who didst grant to Saint George strength and constancy
in the various torments which he sustained for our holy faith;
we beseech Thee to preserve, through his intercession, our faith
from wavering and doubt, so that we may serve Thee with a sincere
heart faithfully unto death. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Invocation of Saint George - Prayers of Intercession
Faithful servant of God and invincible martyr, Saint George;
favored by God with the gift of faith, and inflamed with an ardent
love of Christ, thou didst fight valiantly against the dragon
of pride, falsehood, and deceit. Neither pain nor torture, sword
nor death could part thee from the love of Christ. I fervently
implore thee for the sake of this love to help me by thy intercession
to overcome the temptations that surround me, and to bear bravely
the trials that oppress me, so that I may patiently carry the
cross which is placed upon me; and let neither distress nor difficulties
separate me from the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Valiant champion
of the Faith, assist me in the combat against evil, that I may
win the crown promised to them that persevere unto the end.
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