33- SAINT GEORGE
		
		
		St. George the Great Martyr was an officer in the Roman 
		army who, himself a Christian, was killed for refusing to 
		enforce the Emperor's edict against the Church. As is the 
		case with his fellow martyr, St. Dimitri, St. George is 
		depicted in iconography as engaged in battle with a 
		dangerous foe. In St. George's case, the foe is a dragon. 
		
		
		The Scriptures often associate the devil with dangerous 
		animals: The Serpent in Eden (Gen. 3), The Lion roaring 
		about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5: 8), The Wolf 
		stalking the sheepfold (Jn. 10: 7-14). In the same way, 
		the icon of the martyr depicts him in combat with the Evil
		One, signified by the dragon. Victorious in his struggle, 
		St. George, thus defends and protects the Church of Christ,
		signified in many icons by a royal maiden. 
		
		
		The Saint's lance is surmounted by a cross, and in many 
		icons the blessing hand of Christ extends from the clouds 
		over the martyr's struggle. This indicates the presence of
		divine grace as George's strength and support in the 
		conflict. Like Christ, Who "by death trampled upon Death," 
		George, by his struggle and martyrdom, overcame the enemy 
		and strengthened the Church. We celebrate George's victory
		 and the witness that he gives to us in following Christ. 
		
		 
		TROPARION -You fought the good fight with faith, O Martyr 
		of Christ, George; you exposed the perversion of the 
		persecutors and offered an acceptable sacrifice to God. 
		Therfore, you also received a crown of victory and through
		your prayers, O Holy One, obtained the forgiveness of sins 
		for all.
		

		When I am in tune with my body, I relax and release the stress
		
		
		Take a moment to check in on your body. Deeply inhale and 
		exhale. Let your mind flow through you body. Check in on your 
		feet, legs, hips. Let your mind roam your abdomen, your chest, 
		your back. Scan your neck, shoulders, arms. What are you 
		feeling? Fear, exhaustion, tension, anxiety, anger, guilt, 
		shame? Inhale and exhale. Where are you feeling it? Legs? 
		Back? Neck? Chest? Wherever it is, you are the only mechanic 
		who can fine - tune your body. With a simple breath you can 
		release the stress and replace it with what you need. Turn 
		anxiety into peace, anger into joy, tension into love, fear 
		into faith, guilt into trust. Take a moment right now and give 
		yourself a tune - up.
		
		
		The most sacred place isn't the Church, the mosque or the 
		temple, it's the temple of the body. That's where spirit 
		lives.