Saint Georges

I dedicate this one to my late father, who taught me dragons often don t live in caves, but within our hearts, and it is up to us to fight them. Please say a Hail Mary for him if you can. The story of St. George and the dragon is told in the Golden Legend. A dragon lived in a swamp near Silena, terrorizing the landscape with its breath of a pestilence. The townfolk fed it two sheep a day to appease it. The dragon had had enough of sheep and began pursuing human victims. There were no substitutes allowed when the lots were drawn, so the king s daughter was designated as the next sacrifice one day. She was escorted to a swamp. When the dragon emerged, George approached and made the sign of the cross before stabbing it with his lance. He demanded the maiden s girdle, which he wrapped around the beast s neck. They returned with the dragon to town. George urged the people to be baptized and to be fearless, and then he slashed the dragon s head off. Everyone had been transformed. George turned down the king s offe