Ice Castle of the Holy Great Martyr George

The white blanket fell. Everything is so white and clean. The air is cleaner, white is a sign of purity, peace and health for me. White can be a sign of fun, and in winter it often is. Children are sledding, snowballing, enjoying what has fallen from the sky, it just happens that fun and happiness fall from the sky. I was born in the winter, maybe I fell from the sky too. There are no storks in winter, at least I haven't seen them, I somehow came to this world. Maybe I'm made up of snowflakes, my ice castle is somewhere far away. One of them is located near the city where I live. I always pass by him and don't notice him, but the snowflakes took me to him.

This ice castle seems to be non-existent, there is nothing on the internet except where it is located. It can be seen that it is almost built, its history is young, but its spirit is full of history. The saint who guards and lives here is the Great Martyr George Jasenik. He looks beautiful, I couldn't go inside, but I'm grateful that I approached him, breathed in the air and enjoyed the view.

The church has beautiful materials, the colors are amazing and it can be seen that it was almost built. What made him more beautiful was what brought me to him. One of the snowflakes whispered in my ear that they are decorating this church and making an ice castle out of it, preparing it for the New Year holidays. Beautiful, isn't it ... I immediately came to see what it looked like, and it looked like a fairy tale. It looked like a cartoon, I had a feeling that Elsa would come out through the holy door of the ice castle at any moment.

There are frescoes on the church, but Elsa is nowhere on them, I don't think she will come out of this castle. But what he exposes from this trap is the kindness and understanding that is felt in the air, as if I breathe health, a beautiful feeling. I breathe that air, I go among the clouds, I go among my brothers and sisters, the snowflakes that greet me and bring me back to the land, where I belong. It creaks under my feet, that melody is still in my head, the creak squeak. I also hear snowflakes gently caressing my jacket. They caress everyone around them, but what they didn't cover are these beautiful frescoes, they cover everything around them, they just leave them visible, as if they want to show them to us.

Next to this church, or now the ice castle, there is another holy room where we can light candles for the living and the dead. Wish health and happiness to the living, and wish the dead a peaceful sleep.

Holy Great Martyr and Victorious of Georgia

Once upon a time, when the Roman Empire was the strongest and largest empire in the whole world, a boy was born who was named Georgia. The boy's parents were Christians and very rich, they lived in Cappadocia, one of the many areas of the Roman Empire. Very soon after George's birth, the Lord invited George's father to the gardens of paradise. George's mother left Cappadocia and returned to her rich estates in the Palestinian city of Lida. The mother took care of her only child carefully, so that the boy could study the best schools of that time. Day by day, Georgije grew and grew into a very handsome, strong and brave young man. Because of his beauty and strength, he was accepted into the ranks of the Roman legions, where he progressed quickly and became a duke when he was less than twenty years old.

It happened that the Roman imperial wreath was received by Diocletian, one of the most cruel emperors ever. One day, the king went to the temple of the god Apollo to hear from the god what to do about some business. However, the priests told the emperor that the god Apollo was silent, because of the Christians. The emperor was disappointed at first, then he got angry and in the end became so angry that he ordered that all prisons in his kingdom be emptied and filled with Christians.

And then one of the most terrible persecutions began. Christians were arrested, imprisoned and tortured to death.

Very soon the emperor received news from the Eastern part of the empire that there were many Christians there. That is why the emperor set out for the eastern parts, determined to settle all disobedience in his kingdom. When he arrived in the city of Nicomedia, he immediately ordered the senate to convene. The Senate gathered, and told all the senators that Christians are very mean and evil, that they should be forced to offer a sacrifice to the god Apollo, so if they refuse to torture them to death. In the senate, he agreed with the emperor. But the emperor had no idea that there were Christians in his army, even in high positions, so that his wife, Alexandra, was also a secret Christian.

George, when he heard the emperor's words, asked the emperor how long he would persecute Christians? And he asked him to stop the persecution, and he added that there is only one God, the Lord Jesus Christ! There is silence in the senate. None of those present could believe that his duke rose up against the will of the emperor. When the emperor heard the words of a very handsome young man, who radiated divine light, he became very angry.

He recognized the emperor of the young, beautiful and strong George, because he gave him the rank of duke. Well, he began to advise George as the father of the son, to avoid such stories and to offer a sacrifice to the god Apollo. However, Georgije did not care much for the emperor's advice, but began to advise the emperor to worship Christ, the King of Kings, because the Kingdom of Christ is eternal and for all time.

Well, that was enough for the emperor! He could no longer bear Georgi's disobedience, so he decided to punish the duke. He ordered the soldiers to take George to the dungeon, and to place a large stone on his chest. The soldiers obeyed the emperor. The day was already coming to an end and the night was slowly descending to the ground, not rushing anywhere… During the whole night, our George prayed to the living God to give him the strength to endure the torments that await him.

When dawn broke, the emperor ordered that George be brought. And when he saw him tortured, he ordered him to offer a sacrifice to the god Apollo. But Georgije whispered that he would endure many more torments, and he would not renounce Christ. Because of such words of George, the emperor ordered a wheel to be brought, which had slats on it on which nails were driven in, and ordered that George be tied to the wheel. And that the wheel turns and turns, until the Martyr agrees to worship the god Apollo or dies. And the soldiers carried out this king's command…

And the wheel is agile and agile… When Georgije was all in prayer, everyone present, including the emperor himself, thought that he had finally passed away. The king cried out in his voice: "Where is your God now, George? Why didn't your God save you from terrible torments? ”Well, he ordered Georgia to be taken off the wheel and joyfully go to Apollo's idol. But suddenly the sky darkened, terrible clouds came and the voice of God broke, which said: "I am with you, George!" Then the sky shone with an unreal strong light so that all the people present were very, very scared. An angel descended from the clouds to the ground, who removed the Martyr from the wheel and healed all his wounds. The soldiers ran to inform the emperor about this, and Georgije would be among them.

When the emperor saw George in the temple, he first thought that he had a vision and that he was someone similar to George. But Georgije addressed everyone in a loud voice. Some soldiers cried out that Christ is the true, only and true God. The king was furious at the words of the soldiers and ordered them to be killed immediately. Determined to teach the Saint obedience, the emperor ordered a new torture. He ordered that a large hole be dug and that the holy young man be thrown into it, so that they cover it with lime and bury the hole and dig it out in three days. The soldiers obeyed the emperor this time as well.

When three days had passed, the emperor ordered the hole to be dug, and Georgije stood in the hole with his hands raised in prayer. The news that he endured this torment also angered the emperor, and he ordered that George be brought in immediately. He also ordered the senate to gather in the theater. When the emperor saw George, he asked to offer a sacrifice to the gods. Georgije refused the emperor this time as well. Then Diocletian roared like a wounded lion, very angrily, and ordered to beat George on the mouth to once for all time teach obedience, and then to whip him. And as much as they beat Georgije, his face shone and did not change. This time, too, the emperor ordered that George be chained and kept in the dungeon until he saw what he would do with him, because he had some urgent business.

And the people? The people began to come to the Saint in prison for advice, blessing, healing. The days went by, and Georgije continued to receive people in prison. Since the emperor did not decide anything, the senators told the emperor that Georgije was protesting the people from prison. So he advised the emperor to persuade Georgia once again to offer a sacrifice to Apollo, and if he did not do so, to kill him. The emperor agreed with them and ordered the preparation of Apollo's idol.

The next day, when he saw George divinely great, the king offered him half of the kingdom, to reign together, but first to offer a sacrifice to Apollo. The Emperor's proposal was not accepted by the Saint.

The news about this event quickly spread through the city and reached the Empress Alexandra herself, so she also came to the idol. The Empress approached George and knelt at his feet, and admitted that she was a Christian. When the emperor saw his wife glorifying the martyr, he angrily ordered that both George and Alexandra be beheaded with a sword. This time, too, the soldiers obeyed the emperor and led them to the execution site.

They were dragged along the way… And George and Alexander glorified Christ. At one point, the queen was overcome by fatigue, so she sat with her eyes fixed on the sky and with a prayer on her lips parted from the soul, which the Lord received and took to the gardens of paradise. When the Saint saw what had happened to the Empress, he joyfully set out for the execution site, and cried out to the Lord, to trust in His mercy, that he would endure the last temptation. The sword fell and cut off his head. Christ took George's soul in his arms, and placed a golden wreath of martyrdom on his head, and then together they soared into the vast fields of paradise, where all torment ceases.

That is why we, the unworthy, pray today to the holy great martyr George, the soldier of Christ, to always watch over us - both today and now, as well as in all the ages of the ages. Amen.

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