Service on the Feast of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and the Commemoration of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine and His Mother, Empress Helena.
On June 3, the Feast of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and the commemoration of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine and his mother, Empress Helena, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in our parish church. The service was led by the rector of the parish, Archpriest Vadim Zakrevsky.
In his sermon, Fr. Vadim spoke about one of the most significant deeds of Saint Constantine, Equal-to-the-Apostles: the issuance of the Edict of Milan, which proclaimed freedom of religion throughout the Roman Empire. This historic decree brought an end to the persecution of Christians and, for the first time, granted them the opportunity to openly profess the Christian faith without fear of oppression or restrictions.
The rector also reminded the faithful of Saint Helena, Equal-to-the-Apostles, who, by God’s providence, was granted the blessing of discovering the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.
Particular attention in the sermon was devoted to the spiritual principles that guided Saint Constantine. One of these was his conviction that belonging to the Holy Church is of greater importance than belonging to any earthly community, organization, or association.
This attitude is reflected in a well-known episode from the saint’s life: after receiving Holy Baptism, he preferred to wear his white baptismal garments rather than the traditional imperial purple robes of the Roman emperors, regarding the grace of Baptism as the greatest dignity a person can receive.
Fr. Vadim also noted an interesting fact from the life of Saint Constantine: he received Baptism near the end of his earthly life, shortly before his repose. Nevertheless, it was he whom the Lord chose to become one of the greatest defenders and benefactors of Christ’s Church.