Yesterday was the feast day of St George. What we know
with some certainty about St George is that he was a Roman
soldier who was born in Cappadocia (present day Turkey) in
the 3rd century and was martyred at Lydda Palestine after
physically tearing up the Roman Emperor's order against
Christians.
The story of st George slaying the dragon is mythical, but
is an image which has resonated throughout the centuries.
t George became a popular saint in the middle ages
when many legends grew about him, including the story of the
dragon. He was adopted as patron saint of several countries
- including Lithuania, Georgia, Portugal, Palestine and
Germany, as well as patron of cities in many lands - Moscow,
Genoa and Istanbul. In England in the 14th century, King
Edward III founded the order of the garter - the premier
order of knights. St George was established as their patron.
The order of the garter still exists today of course,
and St George remains the recognised patron saint of
England.
The inspiration of st George as a martyr, his commitment to
Christ in the face of persecution, torture and death is what
his patronage reminds us of. In today's Gospel (John
15: 18-21), we are reminded that by following Christ we may
find the world is against us – as the world is often against
Christ.
The Queen’s birthday, which is so near to St George’s Day,
gives us the opportunity to reflect and celebrate as a
nation. Our monarch has a special role, as Head of the
Church - and we know that she has always given unerring duty
and service throughout her reign to both roles. In
September 2015, Elizabeth became the longest reigning
British monarch - surpassing Queen Victoria. For
Elizabeth, her Christian faith has been integral to her
life.
On the occasion of her 21st birthday in 1947 she made a
radio broadcast in her own words she said: ‘I declare before
you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short,
shall be devoted to your service and the service of our
great imperial family to which we all belong. But I
shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone
unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do.
I know that your support will be unfailingly given.
God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of
you who are willing to share in it.’
In 2015, as part of the television broadcast she makes to
the nation and the commonwealth, the queen said this:
‘For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace,
whose birth we celebrate today, is an inspiration and an
anchor in my life. A role-model of reconciliation and
forgiveness, he stretched out his hands in love, acceptance
and healing. Christ’s example has taught me to seek to
respect and value all people of whatever faith or none.’
Sometimes, we can lose sight of this - the anchor of Jesus
Christ, in our lives. Events, emotions, things going
right, things going wrong, other people’s actions, our
responses to them - distract us. We find ourselves
forgetting sometimes, to stop what we our doing- in our
busy-ness, to find the still point - to pray, to meditate on
Christ’s teachings. The busy-ness of life…
In Christ alone, we find true solace - true rejuvenation of
spirit
In the words of Mother Teresa: We need to find God, and he
cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend
of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in
silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move
in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.
Like drawing water from a well, we can use these moments to
refresh ourselves for the journey ahead.
So that we can keep going - and keep to the path. We
pray that we don’t become too caught up in the moment,
forgetting Christ. So often - it is with regret, we
recall moments of forgetfulness in this way. Where we
‘get carried away’ - when we are judgemental, angry or just
selfish. The words of the ancient Chinese poem ‘Tao
Teh Ching’ resonate:
Attain to utmost emptiness
Cling single-heartedly to interior peace
While all things are stirring together
I only contemplate the return
Or ‘to return before straying’
What is missing here - is the purpose of the emptiness - to
be with God - to allow the Holy Spirit within us. We cannot
pretend to know the mind of God, but we have a duty to
follow Christ’s teachings. Though we stray, we are to
seek closer union with God. When are we closest to
God? There are times when we feel spiritually bereft,
or in knots about life’s worries, injustices and cares.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean we are far from God
- perhaps just that we are not aware of the nearness of God.
I will end with a prayer of St Teresa of Avila
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.