Late in posting this owing to a busy day, but for today’s Catholic 365 post I did a piece on St. George:

It is further related of him that, one day in his travels, he came to a place by a great lake, wherein there dwelt a dragon who envenomed the whole district. To appease the dragon, the people were obliged to offer first their flocks, and then their children, selected by lot from among gentle and poor alike. Then, one day, the lot fell to the king’s daughter, who, despite his lamentations, was led out to the dragon.

St. George happened to be passing by and found the maiden weeping. He asked her what her trouble was, and she told him, whereupon he swore to help her in the name of Jesus. The dragon appeared, and St. George, making the sign of the cross, rode against the dragon and subdued it with his spear. He then had the princess take her girdle, bind it about the dragon’s neck, and lead the beast into the city, where St. George presented its subjection as a sign of the power of Christ and promised to slay it once and for all if they would convert and be baptized. So the king and all his people were baptized, and St. George smote off the dragon’s head and sent it to be buried in the fields.

The king made a great church to Our Lady and offered George money, but the Saint refused it and ordered it given to the poor before enjoining the king to have care of churches, honour priests, hear the holy services diligently, and have pity on the poor. Afterwards he departed and went to meet his martyrdom by beheading.

I’m sufficiently agnostic to say that I don’t know far the above story is historical and how much is pious legend, but it is the most famous of the saint’s earthly deeds.

Read the rest here, and a blessed St. George’s day to you all!