History of the Saints
Saint Bárbara
Saint Barbara was born in the city of Nicomedia in the region of Bithynia, where today the city of Izmit is located, in Turkey, on the shores of the Sea of Marmara. Barbara lived in the late 3rd century. She was a beautiful young woman, the only daughter of Dioscorus, a wealthy and noble resident of Nicomedia. Dioscorus did not want his only daughter to live amid the corrupt society of that time. Therefore, he decided to lock her in a tower. There, she was taught by tutors trusted by her father. However, what seemed like a punishment began to open Barbara's mind. From the top of the tower, she contemplated nature: the seasons, the rain, the sun, the snow, the cold, the heat, the birds, the animals, etc. All of this made Barbara question whether it was truly the creation of the "gods," as her tutors and her people believed, or if there was "someone" much more intelligent and powerful behind the creation.When she reached the age for marriage, around 17 years old, her father brought her home and allowed her to receive visits from suitors, but did not allow her to visit the city. Bárbara was a very beautiful young woman from a wealthy family. Therefore, there were many suitors who wanted to marry her. But Bárbara did not accept any, seeing in them superficiality and interest, and not a hint of true love.
For her father, this was a serious problem because, according to customs, he was obliged to marry off his daughter. Dióscoro thought that his daughter's 'disgraces' in front of her suitors were due to the time she spent in the tower. So, he decided to allow Bárbara to get to know the city. Santa Bárbara then began to frequent the city. During these visits, she ended up meeting the Christians of Nicomedia. They conveyed to Bárbara the message of Jesus Christ. They also spoke to her about the mystery of the Holy Trinity. The Christian novelty deeply touched Bárbara's heart. With the Christians, she found the answer to her questions: the Creator of everything was the One God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and not the gods her people worshipped.
Bárbara converted to Christianity with all her heart. Soon, a priest from Alexandria baptized her. And Bárbara became a passionate young woman, full of Christian virtues. In Jesus Christ, she found the deepest meaning of her life.
Dioscorus, father of Saint Barbara, decided to build her a bathhouse in the tower, where he planned to install two beautiful windows. When the construction began, Dioscorus had to make a long journey. During the father's trip, Saint Barbara ordered that a third window be built in the work. Her intention was for the tower to have three windows in honor of the Holy Trinity. Furthermore, Saint Barbara carved a cross into the tower. When Dioscorus returned, he quickly noticed the changes made to the construction and went to ask his daughter why that was. Saint Barbara explained that the changes were symbols of her new faith: three windows in honor of the One and Triune God, Creator of all things. And the Cross recalled the sacrifice of the Son of God to save humanity. Dioscorus was furious when he realized that his daughter was unyielding in her Christian faith, Dioscorus, in an impulse of anger, denounced his daughter to the mayor of the city. He ordered that Barbara be tortured in a public square, to try to make the young woman deny the Christian faith. However, to everyone's surprise, Santa Bárbara did not renounce her faith, even in the face of the most atrocious sufferings. During the torture, a young Christian woman named Juliana denounced the names of the executioners, something that was expressly forbidden at the time. For this reason, Juliana was arrested and sentenced to death by beheading together with Saint Bárbara. As two young Christian women were led tied up through the streets of Nicomedia, under the furious screams of many people. Santa Bárbara had her breasts cut off. Then she was driven out of town. There, her own father beheaded her.
When Dioscorus beheaded his daughter and St. Barbara's head rolled on the ground, lightning streaked the sky and a huge thunder was heard by the people. And, to everyone's astonishment, the body of Dioscorus fell to the ground lifeless, struck by lightning. It seems that nature revolted against the attitude of this infanticidal father. After this fact, Santa Bárbara gained the status of 'protector against lightning and storms', in addition to being named Patroness of artillerymen, miners and people who work with fire.
The feast of Saint Barbara is celebrated in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. The feast is celebrated on December 4th each year. But the great message of Saint Barbara is intended for all those who seek the truth, especially young people. She teaches us to seek the truth with a sincere and open heart. She also teaches that marriage should not happen out of mere interest, but rather out of love. Finally, Saint Barbara gives us a message of courage and faith. The word martyr means witness and applies to Christians who preferred to die rather than deny their faith and sin. This is the great testimony of Saint Barbara.Prayer of Saint Barbara: "Saint Barbara, who are stronger than the towers of fortresses and the violence of hurricanes, make the lightning not strike me, the thunder not scare me, and the roar of cannons not shake my courage and bravery. Always stand by my side so that I can face all the storms and battles of my life with my head held high and a serene face, so that, having triumphed over all struggles, with the consciousness of having fulfilled my duty, I may thank you, my protector, and give thanks to God, creator of heaven, earth, and nature: this God who has the power to dominate the fury of storms and soften the cruelty of wars. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen."
Saint Jorge
Saint George was born in 275, in the ancient region called Cappadocia. Today, this region is part of Turkey. George's father was a soldier and died in battle. After his father's death, George and his mother, named Lida, moved to the Holy Land. Lida was originally from Palestine. She was an educated woman with many possessions. She managed to give her son George a thorough education. When he reached adolescence, George followed the career of many young men of the time and joined the military, as he had a naturally combative temperament. In fact, he soon became a captain in the Roman army. George had great skills with weapons and a lot of dedication. Because of these qualities, Emperor Diocletian granted him the noble title of Count of Cappadocia. Thus, at just 23 years old, George began to live at the high court of Nicomedia. During this time, he held the position of Military Tribune.
When his mother passed away, Jorge received his inheritance and was sent to an even higher level: the emperor's court. There, however, when he began to see the cruelty with which Christians were treated by the Roman Empire he served, he changed his mind. He was already familiar with Christianity due to his mother's influence and the Church of Israel. So, he took a first step of faith: he distributed all his belongings to the poor. Even being a member of the high ranks of the army, he wanted the true salvation promised by the Gospel that he already knew. However, Emperor Diocletian had other plans. His intention was to eliminate the Christians. Thus, on the day the senate would confirm the emperor's decree authorizing the elimination of Christians, Jorge stood up in the assembly and declared himself shocked by this decision, which he deemed absurd. He also told everyone that the Romans should embrace Christianity in their lives. Everyone was very surprised when they heard words like these coming from the mouth of a member of the Supreme Court of Rome.
When questioned by a consul about the meaning of his words, Jorge replied that he was saying that because he believed in the truth and, since it was the truth, he would defend it at all costs. But, 'what is the truth?' asked the consul. Jorge answered: 'The Truth is my Lord Jesus Christ, whom you persecute, and I am a servant of my redeemer Jesus Christ, and trusting in Him, I have placed myself in the midst of you to bear witness to the Truth.' The Emperor, furious to see Christianity infiltrated in the empire, tried to force him to give up the Christian faith. Therefore, he sent him to sessions of violent and terrible tortures. Thus, after each torture, Jorge was brought back to the emperor. He would ask him if, after the torture, he would abandon the Christian faith. Jorge, however, reaffirmed his faith, each time with more courage. Many Romans, witnessing these events, took Jorge's side, including the emperor's own wife. Moreover, later, she converted to the faith in Jesus Christ. Finally, Diocletian, seeing that he could not dissuade George from his faith, ordered him to be beheaded. It was April 23, 303 AD. It happened in the city of Nicomedia, in Asia Minor. Devotion to Saint George The Christians gathered the body of Saint George and venerated his remains as relics. This is because every martyr, that is, one who is killed for the sake of faith in Jesus Christ, becomes a saint. Later, the Christians took the relics of Saint George to the ancient city of Diospolis, where he grew up. There, his body was buried. Years later, the first Christian emperor named Constantine, knowing the beautiful story of Saint George, ordered that a chapel be built. His intention was for the devotion to Saint George to spread throughout the empire. By the 5th century, there were already five churches dedicated to Saint George in the capital of the Eastern empire, called Constantinople.Later, in the neighboring country of Egypt, four churches and more than forty convents dedicated to Saint George were built. Saint George became revered as one of the greatest saints of the Catholic Church in various regions such as Armenia, Byzantium, and the Bosporus Strait in Greece. Saint George and the Dragon According to a legend, Saint George camped with his Roman legion in an area near Salone, Libya, in North Africa. There, it was said that there was a huge dragon with wings. The animal devoured the people of the city like little lambs. It was said that the breath of the terrible creature was so poisonous that anyone who approached could die from poisoning. Com o intuito de manter a besta longe da cidade, eles ofereciam ovelhas como alimento. Ao acabarem, começaram a oferecer crianças.The sacrifice then fell upon the 14-year-old daughter of the King, Sabra. The girl moved towards her cruel fate and left the city wall, waiting there for the creature. Saint George, upon learning of the story, decided to put an end to it all. He mounted his white horse and set off for battle. However, he demanded that the king give his word: if he brought his daughter back, the king and all the kingdom would convert to Christianity. The king agreed and gave his word. George then set off to fight with such a 'dragon'. After much struggle and prayer, George struck the dragon's head with his powerful sword, which was called Ascalon. Later, Saint George drove his sword under the dragon's wing, in a spot that had scales. Thus, the dragon was mortally wounded and fell lifeless. Saint George tied up the beast and dragged it to the city, taking the princess with him. There, Saint George, being watched by the crowd, cut off the dragon's head, making all the people of the city become Christians. Symbolism The dragon symbolizes idolatry that kills innocents and causes destruction. Idolatry is destroyed by the weapons of Faith. The young woman that Saint George saved would represent the region from which he fought heresies and established the Christian faith.
Prayer to Saint George:"I will walk dressed and armed with the weapons of Saint George, so that my enemies, having feet, do not catch me; having hands, do not grab me; having eyes, do not see me, and cannot do me harm even in their thoughts. Firearms will not reach my body; knives and spears shall break without touching my body; ropes and chains shall snap without tying my body. Jesus Christ, protect and defend me with the power of your holy and divine grace; Virgin of Nazareth, cover me with your sacred and divine mantle, protecting me in all my pains and afflictions. Glorious Saint George, in the name of God, extend to me your shield and your powerful weapons, defending me with your strength and greatness. So be it!"
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