Memorial Day of St. George, Metropolitan of Mytilene

The origins of George and the exact date of his birth are unknown to historians. However, it is known that George’s life took place in the 8th-9th centuries. From an early age the saint was burdened by the desire to devote his life to the Lord. In his youth, he went to a monastery to be tonsured as a monk, led a virtuous life, prayed a lot and observed fasts. When Leo III the Isaurian came to power, he ordered an end to the veneration of holy icons. During these years, George actively professed the Christian faith and tried to protect icons from heretics. For his bold sermons, parishioners nicknamed George the Confessor, but the ruling guards persecuted him. While staying in Lesbos in Mytilene (modern Greece), George was elevated to the rank of metropolitan. Serving the Almighty and directing his flock to the righteous path, the saint was revered as an example of a godly existence. From the Lord, George was granted the ability to heal various diseases and cast out demons from his body through prayer, and he also tried to help the disadvantaged and the poor. Emperor Leo V the Armenian, who ascended the throne, again began persecution of admirers of icons. For protesting the heretic in 815, George was deprived of his rank and expelled to Chersonesos. Since he was at a respectable age, after a couple of years there he gave his soul to the Creator. That same night, a new shining star appeared in the sky over the city of Mytilene, notifying Christians of the loss of St. George.