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The Uncovering of the Venerable Cross and Nails by the Holy Empress Helen at Jerusalem (326) Commemorated on March 6 When there began the
reign of Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine the Great (306‑337), the first
of the Roman emperors to recognise the Christian religion, he together with his
pious mother the empress Helen decided to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and on
the place of the suffering and Resurrection of the Lord to erect a new temple,
to purify from the foul pagan cults the places connected with memory of the
Saviour, and again to consecrate them. The nobleborn empress Helen journeyed to
Jerusalem with a large quantity of gold, and Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine
the Great wrote a letter to Patriarch Makarios I (313-323), in which he
requested him to assist in every possible way for the task of the renewal of
the Christian holy places. Having arrived in Jerusalem, the holy empress Helen
destroyed all the idolous pagan temples and had the desecrated places
re-consecrated. She was ardent with the desire to find the Cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ and she gave orders to dig up the place, where stood the temple of
Venus. There they discovered the covered over Sepulchre of the Lord and the
place of the Skull, not far from where they found three crosses and nails. In
order to determine, upon which of the three crosses lay the Saviour, Patriarch
Makarios gave orders to touch alternately against a dead person, whom they
happened to be carrying by towards a place of burial. Just as the Cross of
Christ touched the dead person, he immediately came alive. With the greatest of
joy the nobleborn empress Helen and Patriarch Makarios raised up high the
Life-Creating Cross and displayed it to all the people standing about. © 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos. |
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