My beloved spiritual children in Our Risen Lord and Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN!
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SAINTS CONSTANTINE AND HELEN (Part II)
Constantius died on the 25th day of July, in the year 306 A.D., at the age of fifty-five. Eusebius the Church Historian tells us that Constantine was forthwith appointed by Constantius, who thereupon breathed his last. He reposed on the imperial couch in the royal palace, giving thanks to God in all things. He was surrounded by a devoted circle of his loving sons and daughters.
Now before Constantius surrendered his soul, he disclosed from his deathbed, in the presence of Crocus and his senior commanders, that he wanted Valerius Aurelius Constantinus, Augustus!" Thus, at thirty-two years old, came the call for the elevation of Constantine to Augustus. As for his personal life, Constantine, earlier, at twenty-two, had met Minervina and wedded her in 295 A.D. He got a son, but the mother apparently died at childbirth or soon thereafter. The handsome infant with the curly dark hair was left with Helen to raise. Helen called the boy Crispus.
THE APPEARANCE OF THE CROSS
Constantine considered the rich and long-enduring heritage of his fellow countrymen's nationalist paganism and his own father Constantius' devotion to the strange and new Christian God. He perceived the singular blessedness of his father's life and the universally ill-fated destiny of his father's compatriots of the ruling class. His heart and soul were stirred to the depths when he meditated upon Christ's sinless life and sacrifice. Thus, he determined to seek Christ as his heavenly standard-bearer in the coming military battle with the undefeated armed forces of Maxentius. Added to this, there was the influence of Hosiusof Cordova, the saintly Spanish bishop who spent time at Arelate, even in the palace and at Augusta Treverorum, as the guest and confessor of his father's second wife, Theodora. Accordingly, Constantine prayed to the God of his father. Who was the God of the Christians, with fervent supplications. Constantine entreated Him to reveal to him Who He was and to stretch forth His right hand to help him in his present difficulties. While Constantine was yet praying, he beheld a cross of light in the heavens, above the sun, and bearing this inscription: "in this, conquer" (Gk. "En Touto Nika"). Both Constantine and his whole army saw this marvelous sign.
Constantine was a sane man and endowed with reasonable sensibilities. He was not inclined to flights of fancy. He was so humble-minded as to doubt whether an Almighty God would deign to vouchsafe such a miraculous vision to a sinful man like himself. He doubted within himself with honest self-abnegation, and not in any faithless manner at all. He wondered what this apparition could be. That night during sleep, Christ appeared to him with the same Sign of the Cross. He commanded him to raise a standard like unto it, by means of which he could safeguard himself in all his military campaigns and overcome all his enemies. Constantine, arising at dawn, communicated the marvel to his friends. Then, calling together the workers in gold and precious stones, Constantine sat in the midst of them. He began to describe to them the figure of the sign he had seen, bidding them represent it in such materials.
It consisted of a long spear and crossbar in the shape of a cross that was overlaid in gold. On top of it was an upright wreath of gold and precious stones, within the circle of which was the symbol of the Savior's name, two letters signifying His name (the first two letters of Christos): the letter 'X' (Greek Chi) overlaying the letter 'P. (Greek Rho), so that it looked like an 'X' superimposed upon the letter 'P.' The Emperor also wore, thereafter, the symbol of these two overlapping letters on his helmet...The Emperor constantly made use of this sign of salvation as a safeguard against every adverse and hostile power and commanded that others similar to it should be carried at the head of all his armies.
Constantine, hence, was so struck with amazement at the extraordinary vision that he was resolved to worship exclusively the Christ Whose symbol had appeared. Constantine sent for men learned in the mysteries of Christ's doctrines. He was given instruction about Christ and His Holy Cross, that it was the symbol of immortality and the trophy of that victory over death which Christ had gained in His Passion. He was instructed also in the cause of Jesus' advent, and the true account of His incarnation...He determined thenceforth to devote himself to the reading of the inspired writings. He also retained the Christian priests as his counselors. Thus spiritually fortified, he prepared himself for the impending battle.
The Great Synaxaristes says that Constantine was standing and pondering about the pending battle, being somewhat downcast when he beheld in the sky at about the hour of noon the sign of the Precious Cross. There were letters in Greek which read: "Constantine, in this conquer." As such, Constantine was told not to trust in his own human strength to vanquish the enemy; but in this sight of the cross, he would conquer the enemy in war. That same night, the crucified Christ appeared to him and said, "Rise up and construct a cross, even as the one thou dist behold. Hold it in battle with faith that thou mightest always overcome your opponents." Constantine then rose up from his sleep. He, again, during the night, saw in the sky above the trophy-bearing symbol. He then believed with all his soul in the True God, our Lord Jesus Christ. When dawn broke, he commanded the construction of a cross made of silver accordingly to the type that was made manifest to him. The men of his army always kept it before them.
Constantine, motivated by the love of his fellow man and reverence for God, invoked the name of Christ as His Divine Patron. With his royal standard to the fore, he marched on Rome. Maxentius barricaded all roads to Rome with divisions of soldiers. He resorted to his vile magic arts as he awaited Constantine's advance. Ever fearless at the head of his army, Constantine led his forces to victory after victory. He advanced undefeated against the first and second and third divisions of the tyrant's forces, vanquishing them all with ease; and thus, he made his way into the very interior of Italy.
The battle ended in the middle of the afternoon. Many died, but the heaviest losses were those among Maxentius' men. Countless suffered wounds or drowning. The city learned that Maxentius was dead and that Constantine had won. He was then forty years of age. The Historian Eusebius tells us that what had taken place was the most striking and miraculous chain of events. Maxentius, not content with sorcery, ordered a formidable war engine to be brought forward and mounted on a pontoon bridge over the Tiber River. Before Constantine could approach at the head of the army, the pontoon bridge began to sink; and Maxentius, and the soldiers and guards with him, went down into the depths like a stone.
The citizens of Rome, who had begged Constantine to come to their aid and were now released from the tyranny of the wicked Maxentius, garlanded the city and received with joy the victorious Constantine together with the victory-bringing Cross. The people proclaimed him as their Savior. After he gained control of Rome, Constantine ordered, before all else, that the relics of the holy martyrs be collected and handed over for a holy burial. The Roman celebrated a victory festival, honoring the Lord and the Life-Giving Cross. The festival, exalting Constantine, took place for seven days. (Source: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church)
(To be continued)
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom
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With sincere agape in His Divine Resurrection,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George