Commemoration DAY of
St. George the warrior,
Adauctus, and Romanos the Melodist
St. George the General
St. George was a native of Cappadocia, in the region of present-day Caesarea. He was raised in a Christian family. He later enlisted in the Roman army and, within a short period of time, rose to the rank of general. He became one of the favored commanders of Emperor Diocletian.
When the emperor was preparing to issue an edict persecuting Christians, he first consulted his leading officials, among whom was George. Everyone approved the emperor’s proposal except George, who declared that such a decision would be unjust toward the peaceful citizens of the Empire.
They immediately suspected that George was a Christian and attempted to persuade him to embrace idolatry. George replied:
“I would wish to see all of you become Christians and to see you offer to the Creator of heaven and earth the glory and honor that you now offer to idols made by human hands.”
Because of these words, George was imprisoned and subjected to terrible tortures, which he endured courageously.
Eventually, he declared that he was willing to see the idols. The emperor joyfully led him into the pagan temple. Once there, however, St. George, filled with divine zeal, destroyed the idols one by one. Because of this bold act, Diocletian immediately ordered him to be beheaded.
In general, prominent warrior saints are often depicted on horseback in the act of slaying a dragon. It is possible that one of them may actually have performed such a heroic deed, but such an act alone would not be sufficient for someone to be numbered among the saints. These images have a symbolic rather than strictly historical meaning. The dragon symbolizes the evil of the world, demonic power, and tyranny—forces against which these courageous martyrs of Christ fearlessly struggled.
St. George is believed to have been martyred in A.D. 303 in the city of Nicomedia. According to other traditions, however, he was martyred in Ramla or Lydda in Palestine, not far from present-day Tel Aviv’s airport, where Armenians, Greeks, and Latins have churches dedicated to St. George.
St. George is the patron saint of England.
The Armenian Church commemorates St. George on the second Saturday following the Feast of the Holy Cross.
Duke Adauctus
Adauctus was a native of Ephesus and a Christian who practiced his faith secretly. He lived during the reign of the pagan and persecuting Emperor Maximinus.
Adauctus had a beautiful daughter whom the emperor wished to take as his wife. Her father secretly sent her away to the East. When it became known that Adauctus was a Christian, he was stripped of all his honors, his property was confiscated into the imperial treasury, and he and his family were exiled to Mesopotamia.
The local governor received orders to persuade him to renounce his faith. The judge’s efforts, however, were unsuccessful. After severe tortures, Adauctus was beheaded. His wife and his other daughter then buried him with honor.
The daughter who had fled eventually gained the favor of Constantia, the wife of Emperor Licinius, who had become a Christian. Through her assistance, she was able to find her mother and sister in Mesopotamia. They took the relics of their father and carried them back to Ephesus, where they later ended their lives in peace.
The Armenian Church commemorates Adauctus together with St. George the General on the second Saturday following the Feast of the Holy Cross.
St. Romanos the Melodist, Deacon
Romanos was born in the Syrian city of Homs and served as a deacon in Beirut. He was an educated and virtuous man.
During the reign of Emperor Anastasius (491–518), he went to Constantinople, where he served at the Church of the Holy Mother of God.
In a vision, Romanos was granted an extraordinary gift for sacred hymnody and the art of music. Through this gift, he composed “a thousand and one” sacred odes and hymns, many of which continue to be used by the Greek Church to this day.
The title “the Melodist” became permanently associated with his name because of his distinction as one of the greatest composers of sacred hymns and ecclesiastical music.
The Armenian Church commemorates St. Romanos the Melodist on the second Saturday following the Feast of the Holy Cross.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
~ Wisdom of Solomon 8:19-9:5 ~
As a child I was naturally gifted, and a good soul fell to my lot, or rather, being good, I entered an undefiled body. But I perceived that I would not possess wisdom unless God gave her to me— and it was a mark of insight to know whose gift she was— so I appealed to the Lord and implored him, and with my whole heart I said, “O God of my ancestors and Lord of mercy, who have made all things by your word and by your wisdom have formed humankind to have dominion over the creatures you have made and rule the world in holiness and righteousness and pronounce judgment in uprightness of soul, give me the wisdom that sits by your throne, and do not reject me from among your children. For I am your servant, the son of your female servant, a man who is weak and short-lived, with little understanding of judgment and laws,
~ Isaiah 42:1-8 ~
Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols.
~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 ~
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation.
~ Holy Gospel of St. Luke 12:2-9 ~
Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops. "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God's sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. "And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.