St. George.
July 27.
SPAIN was honored by the martyrdom of many Christians under the Moors, in the ninth century. Among these was Aurelius, who was born in Corduba, of an opulent and noble family. His father was a Mahomedan, and his mother a Christian; but having been left an orphan very young, he was reared by his aunt in the Christian religion. The Mahomedan books which the Moors made him read served only to convince him of the falsity of their sect, and to make him more enamoured of the religion of Jesus Christ. Urged by his relatives to marry, he espoused Natalia, a Christian virgin, remark able for her piety.
Aurelius was related to a certain Christian named Felix, who had unhappily denied the faith; but although he repented of this sin he had not the courage to proclaim himself, and accordingly lived very retired with his wife; both families, however, lived on terms of the strictest intimacy.
Aurelius one day saw a certain Christian merchant called John cruelly scourged in the public square, and afterwards dragged through the city; after which sight he returned home and said to his wife: "Thou art continually exhorting me to retire from the world. I believe the hour has now arrived, in which God calls me to a more perfect life. Let us, therefore, from this day forward live as brother and sister; let us give our whole attention to the service of God, and prepare ourselves for martyrdom." Natalia instantly adopted the advice, and from that hour they gave themselves to a more holy life of prayer and mortification. Among other works of Christian charity, Aurelius visited the men and Natalia the women who were imprisoned for the faith; and among these confessors they met a holy priest named Eulogius, who afterwards wrote the Acts of their martyrdom. He advised Aurelius to put his children in a place of safety; and, having left them a competence, to sell the remainder of his goods, and give the money to the poor. Meanwhile, two holy virgins, Mary and Flora, who had been visited in prison by Natalia, suffered martyrdom, and afterwards appeared to her in a vision, dressed in white robes and resplendent with glory. Natalia at this happy sight said to them: " Shall I also have the blessed lot to tread the same path which con ducted you to heaven?" "Yes," they replied, "for thee also is martyrdom being prepared thou shalt shortly be with us in glory." Natalia related her vision to Aurelius. From that moment they thought of nothing but preparing themselves to die for Jesus Christ; and, according to the advice of Eulogius, distributed their property to the poor.
At this time there came to Corduba a certain monk, from Palestine, named George, who had lived for twenty-seven years in the monastery of St. Saba. He had been sent by the abbot of another monastery, containing nearly five hundred religious, to Africa, for the purpose of collecting alms; but on his arrival he found the Christians greatly oppressed by the Moors, and accordingly passed into Spain, where he found religion similarly circumstanced. Uncertain what course to adopt, he repaired to a certain monastery of exemplary religious, at Tabnes, to recommend himself to their prayers. He here met Natalia, who upon seeing him, exclaimed: "This good monk is destined to be our companion in martyrdom!" It so happened; for on the following day Natalia brought him to her own house at Corduba, where they found Felix and his wife Liliosa speaking with Aurelius concerning their desire of dying for Jesus Christ. Moved by divine grace, they all resolved to repair to the church, that, thus declaring them selves to be Christians, they might obtain the wished for crown.
They were not arrested in the church; but on their return, being asked by a Moorish officer why they had entered the church, they answered: "The faithful are wont to visit the tombs of the martyrs; and we have done so, because we are Christians." The officer instantly sent a report to the governor, and on the following day a guard was sent to the house. Having arrived at the door, they cried out: Come forth, ye wretches! come to the death, since ye are weary of life!" Aurelius and Felix appeared, accompanied by their wives; and George, the monk, perceiving that the soldiers heeded him not, said to them: "Why will ye compel Christians to follow your false religion ?" For these words he was instantly maltreated by the soldiers, with blows and kicks, and knocked prostrate on the ground; whereupon Natalia said: "Rise, brother, and we shall proceed."
The holy monk answered: "Meanwhile, sister, I have earned this much for Christ;" and having raised himself up very much bruised, he was in that state presented with the rest to the governor, who asked them why they thus blindly ran to death, and made them promises of the most ample rewards if they would renounce Jesus Christ. They answered with one accord: "These promises can avail nothing. We despise this present life, because we hope for a better one. We love our faith, and abhor every other religion." Hereupon the governor sent them to prison, and having found them constant in their faith at the end of five days, condemned them all to death, with the exception of George. But the holy monk having declared that Mahomet was a disciple of the devil, and that his followers were in a state of perdition, he also was condemned with his companions.
While they were proceeding to the place of execution Natalia encouraged the others to suffer with fortitude; which so irritated the soldiers that they ceased not to buffet and kick her until they arrived at the appointed place, where all these blessed martyrs received the crown, on the 2th July, in the year 852.
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