The Passover & Saint George Connection
Re-enchanting Time: The Lordship of Christ Over the Seasons
Yesterday marked the beginning of the Jewish festival of Passover, signifying the start of the Jewish liturgical year as detailed in Leviticus 23. These occasions are referred to as “appointed festivals” by God. Interestingly, today is Saint George Day, and I want to explore the connection between these festivals.
For those unfamiliar with the significance, Passover beings the Ancient Israelite liturgical calendar, initiating a sequence of seven appointed festivals. Those are:
The Feast of Passover (Pesach)
The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag Hamotz)
The Feast of First Fruits (Yom Habikkurim)
The Feast of Pentecost (Shavu'ot)
The Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teru'ah)
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)
Now, I want to make the case that there a connection between these seven festivals and the seven days of creation in Genesis 1. It may be a little speculative at points (though others have certainly made the case), but let’s consider it and see what we can find.
Day One: God separates light from darkness, analogous to the separation between those marked with blood (light) and those unmarked (darkness) (Exodus 12; Leviticus 23:4-5).
Day Two: God divides the waters above from the waters below, echoing the separation of leaven from bread (Leviticus 23:6).
Day Three: God separates dry land from water and brings forth seed-bearing plants, paralleling the separation of first fruits from the harvest (Leviticus 23:10).
Day Four: God establishes the sun, moon, and stars in the firmament, reminiscent of the burnt offerings of Pentecost (Leviticus 23:18) and the apostles' and tongues of “fire” in Acts.
Day Five: God populates the waters and skies with sea creatures and chirping birds, akin to the blowing of trumpets (Leviticus 23:24).
Day Six: God fills the land with creatures and creates humanity as mediators between heaven and earth, mirroring the priesthood's role in mediating for Israel on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32).
Day Seven: God rests and tabernacles within creation, corresponding to the Israelites dwelling and resting in leafy shelters (Leviticus 23:33-43).
The connection becomes profound when considering Israel as a new creation — a new son of God (Ex. 4:22) — similar to a new Adam in a fresh Edenic territory abounding with milk and honey (Deut. 31:20). At the center of this new world lay a tabernacle/temple complex, embodying a microcosm of creation itself.
The Israelite liturgical year, with its seven festivals, not only commemorates God's nation-building and land-bestowing actions but also reenacts the creation week. This heptamerous liturgical cycle symbolized Israel's identity as a new creation inhabiting a renewed world.
Now, let's consider Saint George within this narrative.
Saint George's Feast Day coinciding with Passover, amid the season of Eastertide, carries profound symbolism. Passover, symbolizing the separation of light and darkness, aligns with Eastertide, celebrating Christ's triumph over darkness through His passion is a theme echoed in Saint George's story.
In “The Golden Legend” by Jacobus de Voragine, Saint George confronts a venomous dragon terrorizing Silene, Libya. The villagers' desperation leads them to sacrifice their children to appease the dragon until fate designates the king's daughter — the princess — as the next victim.
Dressed as a bride, the princess faces the dragon's wrath by the lake. Saint George arrives, refusing her attempts to send him away. He confronts the dragon, makes the sign of the cross, and charges it on horseback, severely wounding the beast with his lance. Using the princess's girdle, Saint George leads the subdued dragon back to the village.
Saint George proposes slaying the dragon in exchange for the villagers' conversion to Christianity. Fifteen thousand men, including the king, embrace Christianity. Saint George then slays the dragon, and a church dedicated to the Mother of God and Saint George springs forth at the dragon's demise, with a miraculous healing spring flowing from the altar.
The story of Saint George resonates with themes seen in the creation narrative, Passover, and Eastertide. It embodies the concept of God separating light from darkness and triumphantly defeating the dark dragon. Similar to how God "passed over" those who are in Christ the Son, the village of Silene is spared because its people embrace Christ. Saint George's narrative symbolizes a new world — a world where what was once under darkness begins to yield healing waters, and where the dragon is subdued and led around like a docile beast on a leash before being ultimately vanquished forever.
I think remembering and embodying these stories are important and meaningful for us. In our modern world, it can often feel like the metaphorical dragon is running wild. However, these stories all remind us of our responsibility — to confront and defeat the dragon. When we do so, and when we liturgically rehearse these stories, we contribute to the renewal of our world.