Aaarrrgghhh, shiver me timbers, there be treasure! While this month’s saint is not a pirate, she was a collector of great treasure. St. Helena is most well known for being the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, who was a convert to Christianity. It was thanks to Emperor Constantine that Christians were no longer persecuted by the Romans and, as a result, Christianity was able to spread. St. Helena didn’t just collect gold, she collected priceless relics that either belonged to our touched Jesus! It was because of her efforts that we know today the locations of things like the cross that Jesus was crucified on.
Helena grew up in Drepanum (modern-day Sicily, Italy) to a poor and low-class family. Yet, despite her background, she eventually married Constantius Chlorus, who was a Roman governor at the time and would eventually become emperor. The couple had one son who they named Constantine. As Constantius began to rise in power, he decided to divorce Helena to marry another woman who would advance his reputation and standing in Roman society. As a result, Helena was cast aside. At the same time, Constantine was learning and growing in favor with the imperial court, but he never forgot his mother. Both mother and son supported each other until 308 when Emperor Constantius died.
When Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, so did his mother. As Empress, Helena was given unrestricted access to the imperial treasury. She made it her mission to aid the poor and preserve as many Christian relics as possible. During her journey to the Middle East, Helena helped to build many Churches and support new communities for Christians. She helped to establish a Church in Bethlehem to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ and another at the site of His ascension on the Mount of Olives. However, one of the biggest discoveries came when a plot of land on Calvary was excavated because it led to the discovery of three crosses. Tradition has it that Helena brought a dying woman to the crosses. There, she asked the woman to place a hand on each of the crosses individually. Nothing happened when she touched the first two crosses, but when she touched the third cross she suddenly recovered. Helena knew that the third cross had to be the True Cross that belonged to Jesus! She died in 330 A.D. and is the patron saint of new discoveries.
Here are some things we can discover from the life of St. Helena:
Use your resources wisely. If someone were to give you a blank check saying you can put whatever amount you want and there would be no consequences, what would you spend the money on? That was basically the situation St. Helena was in. As the empress, no one could do anything if she wanted to spend all of her money on ridiculous things. Yet, she chose to use it to feed her people materially and spiritually. Her humble upbringing helped to inform her that people need basic living materials and hope to thrive. It doesn’t mean that we can’t spend money on clothes or technology, but to keep in mind that God has given us the things that we have. What will we use it for?
The pictures don’t do it justice! I could read all about St. Peter’s Basilica and I could look at all of the pictures, but it’s just not the same as being there to experience it. St. Helena could have easily commissioned other people to go find the Christian relics, instead, she traveled with the expedition crew while enduring the sizzling hot weather in the Middle East. She wanted to see first-hand, the people she was serving and the land where our Savior lived. St. Helena had the opportunity to truly observe the locations where Jesus was born, performed miracles, died, and rose from the dead. She was so touched by this, that she built Churches to serve as mini museums for future pilgrims. Don’t be afraid to go out and experience historical sites and all that God has created. Be curious!
Write it down! I don’t know about you, but my favorite family or group ritual is the picture taking portion where it takes thirty minutes to take one picture. Yet, if you have baby pictures, scrap books, or year books, you know that pictures capture a moment in time. While that moment may not happen again, that photo is proof that it happened. It is the same with stories from family and friends. It would be a shame if that hilarious thing your uncle did or that time your grandpa did something extraordinary was lost in time. St. Helena’s contribution to build Churches ensured that Christian history and contribution was not lost in time. Don’t let life just pass you by!
Here is a good prayer to look to pray during times of suffering:
Holy and blessed Saint Helena, with the anguish and devotion with which you sought the Cross of Christ, I plead that you give me God's grace to suffer in patience the labors of this life, so that through them and through your intercession and protection, I will be able to seek and carry the Cross, which God has placed upon me, so that I can serve Him in this life and enjoy His Glory ever after. Amen.
Be awesome and blossom 🌱
By: anh Daniel
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