"Saint George is a symbol of victory, and if we want to be victorious, if we want Saint George to support us, we must absolutely fight against evil — first and foremost within our own souls: our sins, our passions, and also the sins that are widespread among our people," said Metropolitan Shio (Mujiri), Patriarchal Locum Tenens and Metropolitan of Senaki and Chkhorotsku, during his sermon on the Feast of Saint George.

According to Metropolitan Shio, we must have this determination, and then Saint George’s help will be even stronger, we too will be victorious, and Georgia will be invincible and triumphant.

“Dear fathers, brothers and sisters, I congratulate you on the glorious Feast of Saint George. May God grant you joy through his prayer and grace.

He lived 17 centuries ago — that’s the span of time that separates us. But the amazing thing is that not only is his memory passed down from generation to generation, we feel a living connection with him, and this can happen only within the Church. Such a transmission of legacy happens only in the Church, because in the Church, no one is dead — all are alive, and Saint George is alive before God. That is why we glorify him not just as a historical figure from centuries past, but as our contemporary, dear brothers and sisters. Why? Because we, as members of the Church, belong to eternity. When we partake in the Holy Liturgy, when we touch the very Body and Blood of Christ, we cross the boundaries of this earthly, physical existence and touch eternity.

Therefore, for us, saints are not just historical heroes. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, when we learn about their lives, when we connect with their struggles through prayer, we enter into real communion with them and strengthen that bond.

Saint George the Great Martyr is glorified not only in the universal Church but holds a special place in the life of Georgia as well. Since our Christianization, the Georgian people have turned to Saint George during the most difficult times, especially in times of war. Saint George prayed for us, for our people, for our nation before God, and our people received what they asked for — the Lord, through Saint George’s intercession, granted victories to our nation, our warriors, our people.

Perhaps our deep love for Saint George and his special protection of us is also linked to the fact that he was a Cappadocian. As you know, it is well documented that a Georgian tribe once lived in Cappadocia. For example, the renowned and highly credible historian and writer of antiquity, Josephus Flavius, refers to Georgian tribes, including the Iberians. He writes that the Mosokhi, whose forefather was Mosokh, are now called Cappadocians. Many scholars believe that these Mosokhi or Mosokheni were the same as the Meskhi.

So today we once again plead with Saint George to protect our homeland, to shield us from visible and invisible enemies, to defend us. As you know, he is a symbol of victory, and if we want to be victorious and for Saint George to assist us, we must necessarily fight evil — first in our own souls, our sins, our passions, and also the sins that are spread among our people. We must have this determination, and then the help of Saint George will be even stronger. We will be victorious, and Georgia will be invincible and triumphant.

Once again, I congratulate you on the glorious Feast of Saint George. Father Augustine, I especially congratulate you and your parish. I am very glad that your parish plays a major role in the life of our diocese, especially in terms of education. So I want to thank you and bless you for your love, loyalty, and shared prayer.

May God bless you and bring you joy, may Saint George bless and strengthen you. Through the prayers and grace of Saint George, may God bless, unify, and save all of Georgia. Amen,” said Metropolitan Shio.