St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church Martyrs Floros and Lauros of Illyria Serving the Orthodox Christian Community of Greater Cleveland

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1 St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church Martyrs Floros and Lauros of Illyria Serving the Orthodox Christian Community of Greater Cleveland

2 St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church V. Rev Father John Ojaimi, Pastor Office: (216) Fax: (216) Cellular: (440) Archdeacon Yarid Sahley Subdeacons Sam Elias & George Simon Pastor s frjojaimi@msn.com Parish office@stgeorgecleveland.com Sunday August 18,2013 Tone 7/Eothinon 8; 8th Sunday after Pentecost & 8th Sunday of Matthew After-feast of the Dormition Martyrs Floros and Lauros of Illyria; Venerable Sophronios of St. Anne Skete on Athos; Venerable Barnabas, Sophronios and Christopher of Mount Mela; Venerable John and George, patriarchs of Constantinople; Venerable Arsenios the New of Paros; Venerable John of Rila WELCOME TO OUR GUESTS We are glad you are worshiping with us today. There are Service Books in the pews. Orthodox Christians must be prepared for Holy Communion through Confession, Fasting, Prayer and by being at peace with others. Please seek and give forgiveness before receiving Holy Communion. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, please join us for coffee hour in the Parish Hall. WELCOME The mission of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church is to serve God and the community by commitment to the Gospel s command to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ through faith, hope, and love. It is a parish of the Self Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. The Orthodox Church follows the faith and practice of the apostles and disciples of Christ handed down by the ancient Christian fathers and twenty centuries of Church tradition. Genuine Christian life nurtures and stimulates our spiritual and moral development. The liturgical life of the Orthodox Church has been developing over the last 2000 years. By taking part in the mysteries of Christ s life, death and resurrection at the liturgical services, the community members are drawn to repentance and the gradual change of their inner selves. To join the community of St. George or to find out more information, please fill out the Guest Book in the Narthex. We hope this day will be spiritually rewarding for you. Fr John will be happy to answer any questions. Join us in the hall after Liturgy for our Coffee Hour and Fellowship.

3 Special Prayers in memory of my Mother Mary on her Birthday and St. Mary Feast Day by her daughter Emilie Easa Bread of Oblation is in Memory of Emile, Abraham, James, Zeina, Kiser & all my beloved of the Easa family by Emilie Easa Bread of Oblation is in Memory of Mounir Nader, Violette Nader, Dolla Dabul by Jisele Nader & family Candles are offered for the Health, Safety & Spiritual Welfare of: My daughter Nicki, Rich, Beca, Stephanie, Aaron & Maximus by (Mom) Rebecca Magas My Sister-in-law Helena Elias, her children, grand children, great grandchildren by Rebecca Magas John Alinati by Samir & Clara Nader Family & Friends by George & Joie Haddad Family & Friends by Hal & Louise Bouhasin Candles are offered in Beloved Memory of: David Harami by Mary Harami My parents: Esber, Rose, Lewis, Joanne (Loucka) Jeff Elias, my God parents: Sam & Mary Anthony & Natalie (Petrie) by Rebecca Magas Jim Gantose by George & Joie Haddad Anna Mae Roth by Norman & Theresa Isaac Linda Simon by Her Family Wadia Ameen by his wife Mary & Family All My Beloved by Emilie Easa Edward Fadel by his wife & family Edward Haddad by his wife Prayers for the Health & Spiritual Welfare of: Olivia Abdallah, Houda Abdelkarim, Melissa Aboid, Evelyn Baldassari, Rita Courey, Shirley Courey, Ann Deeb, Emilie Easa, James Eassey, Helena Elias, Sarah Elias, Dani Fadel, Minerva Gantose, Peter George, Odeh Hanna, Pauline Hanna, Samia Harb, Corrine Khouri, Hanadi Khouri, Helen Lambert, Becky Magas, Joyce Nader, Kaukab Nader, Virginia Nader, Jennie Sadallah, Christopher Fadel-Samuel, Norma Shami, Selma Sharpe, Alvera Shiekh, Christine Simon, Asma Zaboura. Rudy Zaboura. UPCOMING DIVINE SERVICES Sunday, August 25, :30am, 10:30 am Confessions will be heard on Sunday Mornings before Liturgy starts or by appointment. Sign up and take your turn in offering a Coffee Hour. Lots of dates for 2013 are open. Pick a birthday, memorial, anniversary, or just a day that no one has sponsored.

4 Divine Liturgy Variables on Sunday, August 18, 2013 Tone 7/Eothinon 8; 8th Sunday after Pentecost & 8th Sunday of Matthew After-feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos Martyrs Floros and Lauros of Illyria; Venerable Sophronios of St. Anne Skete on Athos; Venerable Barnabas, Sophronios and Christopher of Mount Mela; Venerable John and George, patriarchs of Constantinople; Venerable Arsenios the New of Paros; Venerable John of Rila REFRAINS OF THE FIRST ANTIPHON Shout with joy to God, all the earth, give thanks unto the Lord and call upon His Name. Declare His works among the nations. Refrain: Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us. In the city of our God, in His holy mountain, His place hath been made in peace, and His dwelling in Zion. (Refrain) Glory Both now (Refrain) REFRAINS OF THE SECOND ANTIPHON The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Refrain: Save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead; who sing to Thee. Alleluia. God hath laid her foundation unto eternity. We have thought, O God, of Thy mercy in the midst of Thy people. (Refrain) The most-high hath hallowed His tabernacle. (Refrain) Glory Both now O, only begotten Son and Word of God REFRAINS OF THE THIRD ANTIPHON Ready is my heart, O God, ready is my heart; I will sing and chant in my glory. What shall I render to the Lord for all that He hath given me? I will receive the cup of salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord. APOLYTIKION OF THE DORMITION IN TONE ONE In thy birth-giving, O Theotokos, thou didst keep and preserve virginity; and in thy falling-asleep thou hast not forsaken the world; for living thou wast translated, being the Mother of Life. Wherefore, by thine intercessions, deliver our souls from death. THE EISODIKON (ENTRANCE HYMN) OF ORDINARY SUNDAYS Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead; who sing to Thee. Alleluia. RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE SEVEN Thou didst shatter death by Thy Cross, Thou didst open paradise to the thief; Thou didst turn the sadness of the ointment-bearing women into joy. And didst bid Thine Apostles proclaim a warning, that Thou hast risen O Christ, granting to the world the Great Mercy.

5 APOLYTIKION OF THE DORMITION IN TONE ONE In thy birth-giving, O Theotokos, thou didst keep and preserve virginity; and in thy falling-asleep thou hast not forsaken the world; for living thou wast translated, being the Mother of Life. Wherefore, by thine intercessions, deliver our souls from death. TROPARION OF ST. GEORGE TONE 4 As deliver of captives and defender of the poor, healer of the infirm, champion of kings, victorious Great martyr George, intercede with Christ our God, for our souls salvation.. KONTAKION OF THE DORMITION IN TONE TWO Verily, the Theotokos, who is ever watchful in intercessions, who is never rejected, neither tomb nor death could control. But being the Mother of Life, He Who dwelt in her ever-virgin womb did translate her to life. The Trisagion Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us. Dynamis! (With Strength) Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us THE EPISTLE (For the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost) The Lord will give strength to His people. Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of God, ascribe to the Lord honor and glory. The Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (1:10-17) Brethren, I appeal to you, by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissension among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe s people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren. What I mean is that each one of you says, I belong to Paul, or I belong to Apollos, or I belong to Cephas, or I belong to Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispos and Gaius; lest anyone should say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. THE GOSPEL (For the Eighth Sunday of Matthew) The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (14:14-22) At that time, when Jesus went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, This is a

6 lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves. Jesus said, They need not go away; you give them something to eat. They said to Him, We have only five loaves here and two fish. And He said, Bring them here to Me. Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish He looked up to Heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. Then Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. الر سال ة 10 و لك ن ن ي أ ط ل ب إ ل ی ك م أ ی ھ ا الا خ و ة ب اس م ر ب ن ا ی س وع ال م س یح أ ن ت ق ول وا ج م یع ك م ق و لا و اح د ا و لا ی ك ون ب ی ن ك م 11 ان ش ق اق ات ب ل ك ون وا ك ام ل ین ف ي ف ك ر و اح د و ر أ ي و اح د لا ن ي أ خ ب ر ت ع ن ك م ی ا إ خ و ت ي م ن أ ھ ل خ ل و ي أ ن 12 ب ی ن ك م خ ص وم ات. ف ا ن ا أ ع ن ي ھذ ا: أ ن ك ل و اح د م ن ك م ی ق ول :«أ ن ا ل ب ول س» و«أ ن ا لا ب ل وس» و «أ ن ا ل ص ف ا» و «أ ن ا ل ل م س یح». ھ ل ان ق س م ال م س یح أ ل ع ل ب ول س ص ل ب لا ج ل ك م أ م ب اس م ب ول س اع ت م د ت م أ ش ك ر الله أ ن ي ل م أ ع مد أ ح د ا م ن ك م إ لا ك ر یس ب س و غ ای س ح ت ى لا ی ق ول أ ح د إ ن ي ع مد ت ب اس م ي. و ع مد ت أ ی ض ا ب ی ت 17 اس ت ف ان وس. ع د ا ذل ك ل س ت أ ع ل م ھ ل ع مد ت أ ح د ا آخ ر لا ن ال م س یح ل م ی ر س ل ن ي لا ع مد ب ل لا ب شر لا ب ح ك م ة ك لا م ل ي لا ی ت ع ط ل ص ل یب ال م س یح.. إ لان ج یل ف ل ما خ ر ج ی س وع أ ب ص ر ج م ع ا ك ث یر ا ف ت ح ن ن ع ل ی ھ م و ش ف ى م ر ض اھ م. و ل ما ص ار ال م س اء ت ق دم إ ل ی ھ ت لا م یذ ه 16 ق اي ل ین :«ال م و ض ع خ لا ء و ال و ق ت ق د م ض ى. ا ص ر ف ال ج م وع ل ك ي ی م ض وا إ ل ى ال ق ر ى و ی ب ت اع وا ل ھ م ط ع ام ا». ف ق ال 17 ل ھ م ی س وع :«لا ح اج ة ل ھ م أ ن ی م ض وا. أ ع ط وھ م أ ن ت م ل ی ا ك ل وا». ف ق ال وا ل ھ :«ل ی س ع ن د ن ا ھھ ن ا إ لا خ م س ة أ ر غ ف ة و س م ك ت ان». ف ق ال :«اي ت وني ب ھ ا إ ل ى ھ ن ا». ف ا م ر ال ج م وع أ ن ی ت ك ي وا ع ل ى ال ع ش ب. ث م أ خ ذ الا ر غ ف ة ال خ م س ة 20 و ال سم ك ت ی ن و ر ف ع ن ظ ر ه ن ح و ال سم اء و ب ار ك و ك سر و أ ع ط ى الا ر غ ف ة ل لت لا م یذ و الت لا م ی ذ ل ل ج م و ع. ف ا ك ل ال ج م یع 21 و ش ب ع وا. ث م ر ف ع وا م ا ف ض ل م ن ال ك س ر اث ن ت ي ع ش ر ة ق ف ة م م ل وءة. و الا ك ل ون ك ان وا ن ح و خ م س ة آلا ف ر ج ل م ا ع د ا الن س اء و الا و لا د. 22 و ل ل و ق ت أ ل ز م ی س وع ت لا م یذ ه أ ن ی د خ ل وا ال سف ین ة و ی س ب ق وه إ ل ى ال ع ب ر ح ت ى ی ص ر ف ال ج م و ع. Megalynarion: It is truly meet to call thee Blessed, Lady Theotokos; Lady ever greatly blessed, and most perfect in innocence, and the Mother of our God. Lady more precious than the Cherubim and more glorious beyond all measure than the Seraphim. That without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, and art truly Theotokos. We magnify thee. KOINONIKON (COMMUNION HYMN) OF SAINT JOHN S LITURGY Post-Communion We have seen the true light; we have received the heavenly Spirit...

7 With fear of God, faith And love draw near". Come to Church, Jesus loves you, we love you we are waiting for you. PROPER CHURCH ETIQUETTE There are certain times during the Divine Liturgy when one should refrain from entering the Church out of respect for God and the worship of His people. They are: During the Trisagion Hymn During the Epistle and Gospel readings During the Cherubic Hymn and Great Entrance During the Creed During The Anaphora ( Let us stand aright through Especially our all-holy Lady. ) During Holy Communion one should remain standing throughout the distribution of the gifts. If you have already received Holy Communion, please avail yourself of the Prayers of Thanksgiving which begin on Page 128 of the red prayer book while you wait for everyone else to receive. How to Kill A Church Want to kill your Church. Let us give you a helping hand: No matter what proposition comes up, object. There must be something wrong with it; find it! If you do get to church, be sure to leave before the service ends. Make this a habit. Refuse to hold an office. Think how little time you have left for yourself. Take no care of church property. Mess up the building. Go places on Sunday. Go anywhere except to church. Don t give. What does the church need money for anyhow? Don t visit. That s what the priest is hired to do. Tell your friends how disappointed you are in the attendance, what they are doing. Keep them discouraged. Make no preparations for your church responsibilities. Talk about the priest, adversely, that is. Repeat to others. But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control. Galatians 5:22

8 Sts. Floros and Lauros the Monk-martyrs of Illyria Commemorated August 18 At Byzantium, and afterwards they settled in Illyria (now Yugoslavia). By occupation, they were stonemasons (their teachers in this craft were the Christians Proclus and Maximus, from whom also the brothers learned about life pleasing to God). The governor of Illyria, Likaion, sent the brothers to a nearby district for work on the construction of a pagan temple. The Saints toiled at the structure, distributing to the poor the money they earned, while they kept strict fast and prayed without ceasing. Once, the son of the local pagan-priest Mamertin carelessly approached the structure, and a chip of stone hit him in the eye, severely injuring him. Sts Floros and Lauros assured the upset father, that his son would be healed. They brought the youth to consciousness and told him to have faith in Christ. After this, as the youth confessed Jesus Christ as the true God, the brothers prayed for him, and the eye was healed. In view of such a miracle, even the father of the youth believed in Christ. When the construction of the temple was completed, the brothers gathered the Christians together, and going through the temple, they smashed the idols. In the eastern part of the temple, they set up the holy Cross. They spent all night in prayer, illumined with heavenly light. Having learned of this, the head of the district condemned to burning the former pagan priest Mamertin, his son, and 300 Christians. Sts Floros and Lauros, having been sent back to the governor Likaion, were thrown down an empty well and covered over with earth. After many years, the relics of the holy martyrs were uncovered incorrupt Martyrs Floros and Lauros were brothers by birth not only in flesh but in spirit. They lived in the second century t, and transferred to Constantinople. Faith is obedience to God s word regardless of whether the consequences are good or bad Bible Study Join us at Church Monday August 26, 6:00 pm to pray and study together the words of God.

9 A message to our Antiochian Woman from the Gospel Reading of the Feast of Dormition of The Theotokos ( St. Mary) "...there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42) Read Luke 10:38-42 THE ONE THING NEEDFUL As women, we have so many responsibilities. It seems our time is not our own. With our homes, families, churches, and jobs we are constantly trying to accomplish more than seems humanly possible. It is comforting to find two women in the Bible whose lives mirror the same struggle between the contemplative, quiet life and the active, duty-filled life. In the book of Luke we find Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to Him speak. At the same time her sister Martha is left to serve. Martha asked the Lord to tell Mary to help her and He responded, probably in a very different way than Martha had expected. "But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.' "(Luke lo:41-2). Was Martha doing a terrible thing? No, she was obviously preparing and serving food for the Lord, a guest in her home. What she wasn't doing was attending to the words of the Lord, the one thing needful. We find ourselves like Martha, rushing about, not doing anything wrong necessarily, but still not doing that one thing we should be doing. It is easy to convince ourselves that we don't have the time to devote to our spiritual life, but that is where the paradox lies. We must attend first to that unseen life, then we will be better able to organize the material areas of our lives. If we don't make communion, prayer, and reading the Bible our top priorities, the value and effectiveness of everything else we do is lessened. When we put our Lord first, we can make right decisions for our lives through His guidance. Without His divine guidance we are operating in our own flawed will. He will show us what is important so that we don't waste our time on useless or less important activities. He will guide us to choose above all else to sit at his feet and listen. In my busy life I will seek the Lord first.

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12 Join us for our St. George Family Fun Day September 08, 2013 From 10:30 am Huntington Beach Park, Bay Village Bring Youself, Your Family & Friends Bring a Side Dish or Desert to share and your favorite Non-Alcoholic Drink Don t forget to bear. Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Soft Drinks & Water will be served, Coffee also to wake you up and not to sleep on the dirt For more information See any Parish Council Member.

13 Dear Rev. Father, Your Blessing and thank you for your prayers. Due to my health situation and my medical coverage, I must have 24 hour help. If there are any ladies in your parish who can fill any time spots, day or night, please contact us immediately. They will not be administering any medical care. Please contact us at Please print this in your church bulletin, we would greatly appreciate it. We need volunteers! Thank you and God Bless, Rev. Mother Theonymphie, Abbess St. Mary of Egypt Monastery.

14 What is Orthodoxy? First of all, Orthodoxy is right faith in God; it is that mighty power which makes each truly believing Orthodox Christian unwavering on the righteous and pious path of his life. To be Orthodox means to know correctly with the mind, to believe correctly with the heart, and to confess correctly with the lips all that God Himself has revealed to us about Himself, about the world and man, and about the tasks and aims of our life in the teaching on the attaining of our spiritual union with Him and our eternal salvation. Without such right faith, according to the word of the Apostle Paul, it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). Orthodoxy is not only right faith and a right confession of the fundamental truths and dogmas of the Church of Christ, but also a right and virtuous life, founded on an unshakable law: the fulfilling of God s commandments, the permeating of the heart with humility, meekness and love for one s neighbor, the rendering of help to the needy and unfortunate, and the serving of one s church. The Apostle James teaches: Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the future Judge of the whole world, promises to reward every man according to his works (Matt. 16:27). The Apostle Paul testifies that every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor (1Cor. 3:8). Here is the Orthodox point of view. Right faith must be expressed in deeds, and deeds must serve as a manifestation of faith. One must be closely united with the other indissolubly, like soul and body. This only, then, is the Orthodox, the correct way leading us to God. Orthodoxy is not only right faith and a life according to faith, but also correct service to God. Our Lord Jesus Christ expressed the essence of the right worship of God in these brief but profound words: God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Only the inspired divine service of the Holy Orthodox Church, which is permeated by prayer, has realized this sacred worship of God in truth. Moreover, Orthodoxy is strict proportionality and correctness in the manifestations of all the powers of soul and body. In Orthodoxy, a proper place is allotted to everything: to the intellect, to the wants and needs of the heart, to the manifestations of man s free will, to labor and prayer, to abstinence and watchfulness, in a word, to everything of which man s life consists.

15 For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:48) Thank you to previous years wish list contributors: We replaced the Main entry aluminum doors glass and all the around view windows. Remaining balance is $ $1000 by Jennie Sadallah, Six cases of Taper Candles $385 Twenty four Cases of 7 days Votive Candles $960 Four Hours Altar Votive Candles $ Plastic Holy Water Bottles for Epiphany (2 years supplies) $675 Replace the Aluminum Entry Door, back entrance to the Sunday school (Storage Area) $4690 Sell the rest of the memorial tiles at the entrance of the office area. $150 each Replace the ceramic tiles in the rectory $8095 Repair dented fence sections in front of the parking lot. $1400 Replace the damaged red and bilingual liturgy books $1375 paid by Dr. Dergham Dergham Replace light fixtures with Energy saving models, and the ceiling tiles in the offices aerea$2950 Remodeling the Whole Sunday School Building : Fixing the roof, painting doors and door frames, painting walls and panels, fixing cracks, replace ceiling and floor tiles and replace light fixtures with Energy saving models. Fixing the Roof$6500 Common Area $5515 Chapel $4331in memory of Linda Simon Nursery $4960 Teens Room $7803 Fixing Bathrooms and Boiler Room $1200 Storage Area $6818 back Stairs Area $5855 The Sunday School Area (upper hallways, rooms 10-15, lady's room and men's room) Remolding Cost in the amount of $40216 was donated in memory of Clayton Joseph by his family. Contributors toward the project are: Dr. Fadi Bashour $4000, Dr. Bachar Dergham $1000. Painting exterior panels $ in the entire building. Painting inside church. Fix the leak through the Church front wall, fix the inside damage and painting and maintaining its doors (Bids need to be taken). Replace doors into Metropolitan hall due to air-conditioning purpose. Refinish-clean and polish all marble floors. (Bids need to be taken). Thank you.

16 The Great Martyr George The holy, glorious and right-victorious Great-martyr and Trophy-bearer George was a Christian Roman soldier killed under Diocletian at the beginning of the fourth century. Though he was born in Cappadocia, his mother was from Palestine, and thus he is a particular favorite of many Palestinian Christians. He is also the patron saint of Moscow, Georgia, and England, amongst other places. The Church commemorates George on April 23, and the translation of his relics on November 3. According to Tradition, George was born to a Christian family during the late 3rd century. His father was from Cappadocia and served as an officer of the army. His mother was from Lydda, Palestine. She returned to her native city as a widow along with her young son after the martyrdom of George's father, where she provided him with a respectable education and raised him in piety. The youth, it would seem, followed his father's example in joining the army soon after his coming of age. He proved to be a charismatic soldier and consequently rose quickly through the military ranks of the time. By his late twenties he had gained the titles of tribunus (tribune) and later comes (count). By that time George had been stationed in Nicomedia as a member of the personal guard attached to Roman Emperor Diocletian (reign ). In 303, Diocletian issued an edict authorizing the systematic persecution of Christians across the Empire. His Caesar, Galerius, was supposedly responsible for this decision and would continue the persecution during his own reign ( ). It is believed that George was ordered to take part in the persecution but instead confessed to being a Christian himself and criticized the imperial decision. An enraged Diocletian proceeded in ordering the torture of this apparent traitor and his execution. Then, after innumerable forms of torture, George was executed by decapitation in front of Nicomedia's defensive wall on April 23, 303. The witness of his suffering convinced EmpressAlexandra and Athanasius, a pagan priest, to also become Christians, and so they also joined George in martyrdom as consequence. George's body was then returned to Lydda for burial, where Christians soon came to honor George as a martyr..