The Righteous Emperor Constantine
On the 28th day of the Coptic month Baramhat we celebrate the life of Emperor Constantine.
Constantine’s father, Constantius, ruled over Byzantium, while Maximianus ruled over Rome and Diocletian ruled over Antioch and Egypt. Though Constantius was a pagan, he was honorable, loved to do good, compassionate and merciful. In the city of El-Ruha he met Helena and married her. She was Christian. Later Constantius returned back to Byzantium leaving Helena behind. She gave birth to Constantine and raised him to have mercy in his heart for the Christians, but she did not dare to have him baptized.
Constantine grew up as a bold and skilful horseman. He went to his father who rejoiced in him when he saw that he was full of wisdom, knowledge, and skilled in riding. After his father's death he received the kingdom and ruled with justice and integrity, stopping many unfair practices. He was loved by the people and his righteous judgement spread throughout the Empire. The nobles of Rome sent word asking him to come and save them from the injustice of Maximianus. Constantine marched with his army toward Rome. During the war he saw in the sky, during the day, a Cross made of stars, and on it was written in Greek words which being interpreted as "With this you shall conquer." The light of the Cross was brighter than the any sun. He pointed it out to his ministers and the nobles of his kingdom. They read what was written, marvelled and they did not know for what reason that cross had appeared.
That night the angel of the Lord appeared to Constantine in a vision and told him: "Make a sign for yourself like that sign which you had seen, and with it you shall conquer your enemies." The next morning, he prepared a large flag with the sign of the cross on it, and made the sign of the cross on all the armaments. Constantine defeated Maximianus and his army. As they retreated crossing the bridge over the Tiber river, the bridge broke and all perished. Constantine entered Rome and its people welcomed him with joy and gladness, praising the Honorable Cross, calling it the Savior of their city. This celebration of the Cross lasted seven days and Constantine became the Emperor of the East and West.
In the eleventh year of his reign, which was the fourth year after the appearance of the Honorable Cross, Constantine and most of his soldiers, were baptized by the Pope. He sent throughout the kingdom a command to set free all those who were imprisoned for the sake of their faith. He further declared that the Christians should not work during the Passion week as the Apostles commanded.
Then he sent his mother Helena to Jerusalem where she discovered the Holy Cross of Our Lord Christ.
In the seventeenth year of his reign the Holy Council of the Three Hundred and Eighteen bishops assembled at Nicea in the year 325 A.D. which arranged the affairs of the Christians and put down the cannons of the church. He rebuilt the city of Byzantium and called it after his name "Constantinia" and he brought to it many of the bodies of the apostles and holy martyrs.
He departed in the city of Nicomedia when he was seventy-five years old. He was laid in a gold sarcophagus, and was carried to Constantinia. The Patriarch, bishops, priests, and all the people received him with prayers, psalms, and spiritual hymns, and laid him in the sanctuary of the holy apostles.
Lessons from this story
There is this false perception that Christianity and being wealthy are polar opposites. It is not the wealth that is at odds with Christianity, but the use of it that at times goes against the true nature of being Christian. Money is a tool, just as talent, knowledge, and physical strength are. Tools to be ruled and controlled by the master not the other way around.
Diocletian used is wealth and power to rid the world of the Christian belief while Constantine used his wealth and power to raise up the...