Unfortunately, many of our feasts today have degenerated into a debauchery of external festivities that are anything but sacred. Swearing, drinking and dressing in an unkempt manner often accompany the many rival band marches organised to honour the patron saints of our villages and towns. I do not wish to give the impression that all feasts are like this, but many unfortunately are. I strongly dislike the limitless drinking of alcoholic beverages with its attendant antisocial behaviour and great risk to other peoples’ lives and limbs when these same individuals later drive home. There is often no modicum of responsibility left after four or five hours constantly on the bottle in the hot August sun. The sudden loss of life or injury potentially due to this situation is anything but Christian – and this is to say nothing of the irresponsible and noxious behaviour while under the influence.
All this is a pity, because our village and town feasts have great potential for spiritual renewal as one ponders the life of the various saints: saints now, but once ordinary human beings like you and me. Learning about their lives and the way they faced their problems is an excellent way to inspire oneself to live the virtues in our daily struggles. While in Rome recently, I was intrigued about the life of one particular saint – Flavia Iulia Helena. There is much about her life that is inspiring, although there are also some myths. Being from Birkirkara myself, I cannot help but interest myself in this historical figure of importance to the early church.
Being familiar with the marvellous statue of St Helena in Birkirkara, I was somewhat taken aback to come across a life-sized marble statue of her in the Capitoline Museum in Rome, carved while she was still alive. Of course, she does not look anything like the artistic – and imposing – Birkirkara statue. In the Rome sculpture she is depicted reclining on a couch and is of very petite build with a distinctive “Roman” nose.
Stories about St Helena abound, but it is on one aspect of her life that I would like to focus. She was born in around 250 AD, probably in a city called Drepanum in Asia Minor. She was of humble parentage and it appears that she married a Roman soldier, Constantius Chlorus, after a profoundly loving romance when they fell madly in love with each other. They had one son called Constantine who, of course, later became the Emperor Constantine the Great. Alas, Constantius Chlorus was blinded by political ambition and, in fact, became co-regent of the Western Empire. Because of political considerations, and Helena’s humble background, he decided to divorce her and marry Theodora, the step-daughter of Emperor Maximinianus in order to obtain more political prestige. So after about 20 years of marriage, Helena was unceremoniously dumped for a more profitable and expedient consort. Helena and her young son fell out of political favour and were dispatched to a place out of sight and mind (the court of Diocletian at Nicomedia). Helena never remarried and continued to live in obscurity, dedicated to the welfare of her son who had a deep regard and affection for her. This is, in fact, the essence of her sainthood – even though she was not yet a Christian. Notwithstanding the bad hand life (and her husband) had dealt her, Helena remained faithful to her vocation of motherhood. She remained responsible to her vocation as a mother and faithful to her offspring (some would say also to her husband) for the rest of her life.
As it was, God had other plans. Constantius died suddenly, notwithstanding his great political plans (lesson No. 2) and Constantine was proclaimed Augustus by his father’s troops. On becoming Emperor, Constantine brought his mother back into public life at the Imperial Court and proclaimed her Augusta Imperatrix, even minting coins bearing her image and putting that image up on the Eagle cameo representing the Emperor.
After her son (and the Roman Empire) converted to Christianity), Helena herself also converted. She was well known for her many gifts to the poor; she helped the community in various ways, released many prisoners and mingled with ordinary worshippers in modest attire. Her son gave her unlimited access to the imperial treasury with the request that she locate Judeo-Christian relics. At the age of about 80 she undertook a trip to Palestine where it is said that she found many relics of Christ, including his cross and nails. She also built many Christian churches in Palestine (the Church of the Holy Sepulchre), Rome and Egypt and also in Cyprus, where she spent some time. She died naturally in around 330 AD and was buried in Constantinople.
However, I must attest that what most impresses me about St Helena, that is a shining light in today’s world, is that she remained faithful to her maternal responsibilities and to her son – notwithstanding the difficulties she must have endured as a single mother. I am sure that, like all of us, she had her dark moments which she overcame by leading a virtuous life. She is, in fact, the patron saint of divorcees and those who are separated, for whom she is a guiding light.
[email protected]