WHAT A LIFE…

St. Helen was born in the middle of the third century, in what is now Great Britain; she was a good wife and mother. Life was pretty good.  And then she was dumped by her ambitious husband for another woman in order to advance in rank (she was definitely done wrong!), and vanishes from history.  Things look bad for Helen, UNTIL her son becomes emperor of Rome.  Constantine, her son (yes, THE Constantine),  brings her to Rome and sits her at his right hand, naming her “Augusta”, which means essentially, empress of all Rome (take that husband).  What a good son he was! He made up to his mom what bad dad did to her!

OK, so far the story has gotten much better for our saint don’t you think, but wait it gets even better.

 Because of Constantine’s victory over Maxentius (who just happened to be the step-brother of thewoman her husband threw her over for), and his vision of the big fiery cross over the sun which was his sign from Christ  to go on in battle and then on  to victory (it’s known as the Battle of the Milvian Bridge), Helen converts to Christianity. (Boy that was one long badly crafted sentence even for me…better take a breath)

Her faith becomes so fervent that we are told by one of the Fathers of the Church, Eusebius, that  her son the emperor finances a complete pilgrimage for Helen to the Holy Land (what a good son). Now remember this IS the early 300’s and you can’t just hop on a plane or train. No sir,  if you’re now traveling royality, you have to have soldiers, priests, and whole lot of others to help you on your way.  Helen, because she is the “Augusta”,  establishes countless churches all along that way.  She also  finds the places where Jesus lived and preached, and she establishes churches in those places too.  In her travels she finds the True Cross and brings that, along with the steps of Pontius Pilates’ Staircase (which you can climb today in a building just outside St. John Lateran’s in Rome, but do it on your knees and make sure, ladies, your shirts have sleeves,otherwise you will get yelled at by this little old guy in a suit, but I digress…)

I suspect this is the "HBO" version of how they found the relics, it was probably a bit dustier

OK, now where was I… oh yes, St. Helen brings all those things (along with a huge boat load of Holy Land dirt) back to Rome.  So thanks to the pilgrimage of St. Helen, when you and I go to Rome, we too can venerate the True Cross in the Church of the Holy Cross, which is just down the street from St. John Lateran (this is to say nothing of all the little pieces of the Cross that have been given away and are now all over the world).  We can also visit the Holy Land in Rome, because of the “holy” dirt she brought back.

It’s all kind of neat when you think of it.  Just when life seemed to hit rock bottom for Helen, it all turned around in an extraordinary way.  An abandoned wife in England,  becomes the empress of the known world of her time.  So try to remember when you think you have hit rock bottom and can’t possibly get back up, ask St. Helen…all things are possible with God.

What ever happened to St. Helen after her wonderous pilgrimage? She died a devout and pious woman, the mother of the emperor, living into her 80″s, embracing the cross literally and figuratively.  Wow, what a life.  She is considered by many  the patron saint for those divorced or divorcing!

 Evelyn Waugh, the author of BridesheadRevisited, wrote a wonderful novel centered on St. Helen.  It’s really a fantastic  read.

Take a listen to Thomas Craughwell suggest that  St. Helen could be a patron saint for anyone who is divorced or divorcing (she’s been there).

[powerpress = “Morning-Show”]

Bruce and I talk with Thomas about Helen, along with a host of other marvelous members of the Cloud of Witnesses who become patron saints for us as we journey on our pilgrimage to heaven.

One Response

1. Nisha Thomas says:

   November 8, 2016 at 11:04 am

   Repeat this prayer with faith, you will find answers to your love life. I found mine, This is powerful prayer. Thank U St Helen for helping me with my love life. My stage was very difficult and impossible to receive the love from the guy i wished for but now he started loving me and i’m happily praising the Lord. I’d definitely recommend this prayer. Thank you so much again St Helen.Amen

   I found this prayer on internet

   Glorious St. Helen, glorious St. Helen, glorious St.Helen, daughter of the queen of Jerusalem. You brought three nails, one you brought, you consecrated and threw it into the sea on Tuesday; the second you gave to your brother Cyprian to conquer in battle and war; and the one that is still in your holy hands I ask to borrow and not to be given, to nail it into the senses of (name) so that he doesn’t forget me; to bury it in his forehead so that he always has me before him; and pierce it through his heart; St. Caralampius, bring him to me; St. Helen, the nail I ask you for is to nail it in his thoughts so that he is always thinking of me; may St. Helen come, may he not be able to lie down in a bed or converse with another woman; as a rabid dog may he come to look for me; Saint Varon, I ask that he never forget me for another woman; Jesus Nazarene, bring him to me; St. Barbara, may (name) never forget me; Saint Anthony, may (name) keep the promise that he made me; Saint John the Baptist, saint before you were born, may he keep his promise by the holy shirt they have put on you today; St. Michael, step on him; St. Cyprian, hear me and lend me all that I ask; Helen, move his heart with that wand that you have with you; St. Helen, bring him to me. -Pray 5 Our Fathers and 5 Hail Marys