The icon of St. Constantine depicts the Roman emperor, who did a lot for the formation of Christianity. If this person were not there, it is not known how widespread the Christian faith would be and what it would be like now.
Who was Konstantin?
Constantine the Great - that is what the emperor is called in all history textbooks, feature films and documentaries, literary works. In Christianity, he and his mother, Elena, are revered as equal to the apostles.
This man was born in 272 or in 274, as historians believe, in the territory of modern Serbia, in a place called Naiss. Now it is the city of Nis. It is impossible to establish the exact date of birth of the future saint, but the day of his birth does not cause controversy - this is February 27th.
There is practically no information about the childhood of the future emperor. The first mention of him in the chronicles dates back to the year 306, during which the army proclaimed Constantine August, that is, emperor.
Who were Constantine's parents?
The saint’s father is known to historians as Constantius the First Chlorine. He seized the throne in 293, and received the nickname "Chlorine" for the pallor of his skin. This man founded the dynasty of Konstantinov and was very popular among the military. He died suddenly, without completing the punitive military company. Such death caused a crisis in the country, known as the "tetrarchy". In other words, the power of four people holding the title of tetrarchs. This concept was introduced by the emperor Diocletian. Because of this crisis, Constantine came to power through numerous military clashes, battles, and in fact events, not unlike the civil war.
Constantine's mother, Elena, revered in Christianity along with her son, was not the wife of his father. This is an unprecedented case of canonization, moreover, in such a rank, of a woman who spent her life in sin. Elena was a competitor. So in Rome they called women of low descent, cohabiting with men outside marriage, who are in custody, but who are not harlots. Children born in such unions did not have rights to property, status, titles and so on. Of course, this nuance also made it difficult for Konstantin to come to power no less than a political crisis and four tetrarchs with troops supporting them.
What are the merits of Constantine to Christians?
The emperor not only stopped the persecution of Christianity and the persecution of those who professed this faith. He has done much more. The emperor officially transferred the capital from Rome to Constantinople, then called Byzantium, and initiated the convocation of the Council of Nicaea. On the whole, he actively participated in the formation of the church as an integral structure with its own hierarchy, order, and distribution of duties between employees and other features characteristic of any organization.
In addition, Constantine is the first Christian emperor in world history. Besides the fact that the emperor himself was baptized, he also gave Christianity the status of the state religion. This is extremely important, since if there had not been this status, there would have been no active missionary activity and mass dissemination of faith in Christ. In fact, Konstantin brought religion, which did not have a clear structure, nor a large number of followers, nor a significant number of temples and priests, to a new level for it. It can be argued that the emperor became the one who made the church what the whole world knows today.
Why did he become a Christian?
The icon of St. Constantine is an image that was performed by different masters without observing a single style. Even the appearance of the emperor is prescribed with differences. However, none of the works resembles preserved Roman busts depicting the emperor. He is portrayed with his mother carrying a crucifix, in the form of a strict king with his brows raised, they are written by a young man and an old man. And of course, not a single icon of St. Constantine suggests why this person turned to Christ.
There are two legends explaining the actions of the emperor and his attitude towards Christians. The first of them tells that on the eve of the battle at the Milvian bridge with the army of Maxentius, in which objectively Constantine could not win in any way, the emperor had an unusual dream. In a nap, Christ himself appeared to him and ordered to inscribe the letters "" on shields, banners and other similar objects, saying that Constantine would win with this. Whether it is true or not is unknown, but the letters were actually written - this is an indisputable historical fact. Moreover, the troops of Constantine won with incredibly small losses, and this is also a historical fact.
The second legend is not as beautiful as the first. It says that the emperor was afraid of punishment of the gods for a very serious crime - the murder of his first wife and son. According to legend, Konstantin suspected them of an intimate relationship, fell into anger and executed both without understanding. At that time, the emperor was already divorced from his first wife and was married to the stepdaughter of one of the very noble citizens of Rome. There is another version that connects the emperor’s firstborn not with his mother, but with the second wife of Constantine.
When he felt the nearness of death, he was afraid of posthumous torment and adopted another religion in which he was released a terrible sin. No one can tell how true this legend is. However, the benefactor of Christianity was really only before death, at the very end of life.
When do they remember Constantine? Are there any special icons with his image?
The icon of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar Constantine and his mother Helena is rendered for worship on May 21 or June 3, depending on the style of the reckoning. On the same day, services are held in his honor, and those named in the same name celebrate the day of the Angel.
Of particular importance is the icon depicting not only the emperor, but also his mother, who carries the cross. It is generally believed that before this icon you need to pray before starting any business, important changes in life. It is customary to put a candle in front of this image on the eve of the start of construction of the house.
No existing icon of St. Constantine, both depicting only him, and dedicated to him and his mother, is miraculous. The very first ancient way of the erection of the Cross of the Lord Elena and Constantine, created in Byzantium, is considered lost.
What to pray before his icon?
To whom and in what does St. Constantine help? The icon and prayer will save him from misfortunes in business, business, and in communication with government officials. The saint patronizes strategic people, regardless of the sphere in which they work. Helps translate plans into reality.
Here is a short list demonstrating what to pray to the holy icon of Constantine accepted:
- wealth, prosperity, stability and growth in business and career;
- assistance in new undertakings, business projects;
- success in social activities and in the political field.
Of course, they turn to the saint and with other requests. But, as a rule, they don’t ask about the granting of personal happiness and other similar things to Konstantin.