Icon of the Holy Queen Helen, Equal to the Apostles. Holy Equal to the Apostles Queen Helen

12.10.2019

Not just an image depicted on an icon. When I turn to the face with prayers, I feel an extraordinary energy. She gives me an extraordinary charge of strength and energy, helps me fulfill my deepest desires. I will tell you what it helps with and how it “works”.

The meaning of the icon of St. Helena: what does it help with

The icon of St. Helena helps everyone who turns to it with sincere prayers. Anyone who asks for help can find salvation and strengthen their faith. But provided that a person reveres God, follows his commandments and carries his faith into the world.

On the icon of Helen the saint is depicted with a baby, her son. Both characters are holding in their hands a religious symbol of Christianity - orthodox cross. In the context of this icon, it symbolizes support and gives help to every person who is ready to support Christianity, carry faith in God in his heart and rely on the divine will, no matter what.

What requests do believers turn to the icon to receive help and God’s blessing:

In a difficult financial situation, to solve material problems and tune in to the wave of abundance and prosperity. Also in situations where money is urgently needed, but there are no opportunities to receive or earn it (for example, in case of a serious illness or when collecting money for operations).
To enlist support and blessings before starting some difficult task. Especially if a person does not understand what decision he needs to make, in what direction to start moving, to take actions. In such a situation, you can ask to send a sign from above, which will indicate the right path.
When there is stagnation in your career, problems in business or at work. It happens that a person makes a lot of efforts, but there is no progress in business. IN in this case he can ask for help so that his labors are adequately rewarded.
Politicians are also the “target audience” of the icon. They may ask for success in their political career. But only on the condition that the goal of their work is to improve the lives of the masses of people for the better, to improve the current political situation. If they go into politics for the sake of profit and their own selfish goals, they should not ask the icon for help.
Saint Helena is also the patron of families and family values. Therefore, people turn to her when they need help in preserving love between spouses or in solving difficult marital situations.
You can pray with requests to heal infertility, send healthy children. You can also ask that the child grow up well-mannered, obedient, calm, and not conflict with his parents.
It is believed that the image of St. Helena also patronizes agriculture, so she helps everyone who works on the land. You can ask for an increase in harvest, fertility, ask for relief from drought and unfavorable climatic conditions.
If a person is suffering from some disease, he can pray for healing. But we should not forget that the health of the physical body is inextricably linked with the health of the soul, therefore you should monitor its purity, as well as your morality.

The text of the prayer with which you can turn to Saint Helena is as follows:

Watch a video on the topic:

Saint Helena in Orthodoxy

Helen Equal to the Apostles is the Queen of Constantinople, who became famous for being active in spreading Christianity on earth. Thanks to her, it was possible to find and preserve the great Jerusalem shrines, including the Life-Giving Cross, the Holy Sepulcher, and many other holy relics.

At the moment, it has not been possible to find exact information about when Queen Helen was born. But historians managed to find some facts about her life story. Here are a few of them:

Queen Helena at the beginning of her life spiritual path I was just helping my father. She fed and watered the travelers who stayed at his tavern in the middle long journey. It was there that her fateful acquaintance with the future ruler of the West, Maximian Herculius, took place. Despite the fact that she was not distinguished by noble origin, he took her as his wife, falling in love at first sight.
In the future, Queen Equal to the Apostles Helena became the mother of the great ruler and emperor Constantine. It was he who brought Christianity to the Roman Empire and made it the state religion.
After her son's eighteenth birthday, Elena was separated from her husband by political strife. Historians believe that from that moment on the couple did not see each other again. Moreover, the then emperor insisted on a divorce. The mother accepted this fate and gave her life to serving her son.
Elena herself became a Christian at a fairly old age - at that time she was already 60 years old.
In her old age, Elena made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Throughout her entire journey, she carried out missionary activities - she did charity work, helped the suffering and healed the sick.
Death overtook Elena at the age of 80, when the queen died in Palestine, next to her son, who had long mourned the death of his mother.

Elena became famous for spending a lot of effort and energy on reviving and making Palestinian holy places known. She donated a lot of money to feed the poor and needy. She worked tirelessly, in the simplest clothes, to help everyone who needed it.

And the most important point, which is noted in Orthodoxy, is that it was Elena who found the Life-Giving Cross and sent it to Rome.

Elena had to endure a lot - separation from her husband, the death of loved ones, including her beloved grandson, and many humiliations. But she passed all the tests with honor, making a huge contribution to the development and propaganda of Christianity, for which she was canonized.

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The history of Christianity knows many people who dedicated their lives to the Lord and performed many holy deeds. One of them is Helen Equal to the Apostles, Queen of Constantinople, the mother of Emperor Constantine, a man who would play a decisive role in the fate of the young Christian religion.

Elena became famous for other exploits. Her extensive activities and great accomplishments made the queen revered on a par with the apostles.

Life

The birthplace of the future empress was the port city of Drepan, located in the Roman province of Bithynia. Fate did not favor the girl noble birth— her father was the owner of an inn. Elena grew up in Drepan, working in her father's hotel.

Her fate changed thanks to chance. One day a famous Roman military leader passed by the hotel. He noticed a pretty girl working there. Her beauty and nobility of soul made an indelible impression on the military leader. He decided to take Elena as his wife. The military leader turned out to be Constantius Chlorus - future emperor Rome. Elena agreed to marry him.

From that time on, she found herself embroiled in a stormy political life Roman Empire. Despite the turbulent times, Elena lived a happily married life and gave birth to a son, who was named Konstantin. Some time after the birth of her son, circumstances forced Elena to leave the royal palace.

Emperor Diocletian divided the empire into four parts, inviting Constantius to rule one of them. To strengthen family ties with the Roman nobility, Constantius married a representative royal family– Theodora, stepdaughter of Emperor Maximin, who retired from governing the empire. Elena found herself removed from the court for fifteen years.

Constantius Chlorus died in 306. Constantine, the son of Helen, was proclaimed the new emperor. Constantine brought his mother back from exile. Once again at court, Elena acquired great favor among the Roman people.

Konstantin deeply respected Elena as a mother and as a virtuous woman. Helen was awarded such honors that she was called Augusta and Basilisa - titles of Roman emperors. Helen's image was minted on gold coins. Konstantin trusted his mother to manage the treasury at her own request.

Queen Helen's Finding of the Cross

In her declining years, Elena set out to make a pilgrimage to Palestine, to the place of Christ’s life. Even in old age, with a sharp mind and quickness young body, Elena headed east. In Palestine she had to accomplish a great deed - to find the Cross on which Christ was crucified.

The legend about Helen's acquisition of the Holy Cross has reached us in two versions. The first of them says that the Cross was found under the temple of Aphrodite. When it was destroyed, under its rubble they found three different crosses, a sign taken down of the Cross of the Savior and nails. How to determine which of the three crosses is genuine was invented by Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem. He decided to apply each cross to a sick woman. God revealed the true Cross when a woman regained health by touching it. Those who were present at this event gave praise to the Lord, and Bishop Macarius raised the Cross, showing it to everyone.

According to the second version, Elena turned to the Jerusalem Jews for help. The old Jew, whose name was Judas, pointed to the sanctuary of Venus. Elena ordered the destruction of the temple. During excavations, three crosses were discovered. The Holy Cross was found through a miracle: a dead man was carried nearby, and when the Holy Cross was brought to his flesh, the dead man came to life. Judas converted to Christianity and became a bishop.

During the journey, Elena did not cease to show best qualities of your nature. Driving past the cities, the empress showered gifts on the local population. Elena did not refuse anyone who turned to her for help. Elena also did not forget about the churches, which she decorated with rich jewelry.

She visited temples even in the smallest cities. Elena appeared in modest clothes, mingling with the crowd. In addition, she is credited with the construction large number churches in the holy land. Elena also built many hospitals.

Returning from a pilgrimage, Elena made a stop in Cyprus. Seeing how the local population suffered from snakes, she ordered cats to be brought to Cyprus.

Elena founded the Stavrovoun monastery here.

Saint Helena Equal to the Apostles, what helps

After her death, Elena became a revered Christian saint, patroness and helper in earthly affairs. Anyone who wants to achieve material prosperity can turn to Saint Helena Equal to the Apostles for assistance.

Saint Helen also helps those who decide to start an important business to achieve career growth or success in the political field. In addition, the cult of Saint Helena has great value for peasants.

It is no coincidence that Helen's Day falls on June 3 - the time when the planting of grain ends. Prayers are offered to Saint Helena for the protection of crops and increased yields.

The meaning of the icon of St. Helena

Icons depicting Helen appeared in the Byzantine Empire. Icon painters tried to convey both her high status during her lifetime and the special disposition of the Lord towards Helen.

Sometimes she was depicted next to Emperor Constantine - her son and assistants in good deeds. This emphasized the extraordinary harmony that reigned in the saint’s family. On the icons, Constantine is on the left side, Elena is on the right. They are wearing crowns. Next to them is a cross. Sometimes the queen holds nails.

If Helen is depicted alone, then Jerusalem is behind her. She stands next to the Cross of the Savior, looking into the sky. Helena is dressed as a Byzantine empress.

On modern icons the queen is depicted alone with a cross in right hand. It symbolizes the suffering and great accomplishments of Helen. Left hand points to the cross, or is open. By this, the icon painters show that for each person the Lord has prepared a specific task that he must complete.

Prayer to Saint Helen Equal to the Apostles

They pray to Saint Helena Equal to the Apostles when they need to make the right decision. They also ask Elena for help in gaining and strengthening faith, well-being in the family and at work, and in curing illnesses. The prayer can be said at home, near an icon or in a temple.

It is preferable to pray in a church in which there is an icon of St. Helena, or a particle of her relics. IN Christian tradition There is no clear formula for turning to St. Helena. However, the text of the prayer can be found in special collections.

Only a small part of Christian ascetics are awarded the title of Equal-to-the-Apostles. As a rule, we are talking about those saints who appeared on earth after the life of Christ himself in the body, that is, they could not be appointed as apostles by the Savior himself. Nevertheless, the feat of these people was incredibly significant for the church, so they were awarded the title of equal to the apostles, that is, equal to the apostles themselves.

The icon of Helena, Queen of Constantinople, considered here, also belongs to these saints. It was under her that Christianity ceased to be persecuted and became an allowed religion on the territory of the Roman Empire.

The history of Helen Equal to the Apostles and the appearance of the icon

The saint comes from Bethany, a relatively small city in Asia Minor, where Roman rule extended. Thanks to this, the girl at a young age managed to fall in love with a Roman warrior (named Constantius Chlorus) and give birth to his son, Constantine.

Over time, the husband was offered the important post of ruler of the Roman lands, but for this he needed to leave his current marriage and become engaged to the emperor’s daughter. Constantius agreed and eventually became the ruler of the Western Territories of the Roman Empire. This title was inherited by his son Konstantin, who also became a warrior.

As a result, Constantine comes into confrontation with the ruler of the Eastern lands, Maximilian, and becomes the ruler of the entire empire. It was by his decree that Christianity was legalized.

Later, he turns to his own mother so that she becomes the empress. This is why the icon of St. Helena and the icon of St. Constantine are often combined. They are also revered on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

On the icon, Queen Helen is often depicted with the found Cross, which remained in the ground for more than three hundred years. It is thanks to this merit that the queen is largely revered.

Finding the Cross

Elena and Constantine did many good deeds for Christianity, so the icon of these rulers is a symbol of selfless devotion to the faith. They used their position only to spread the faith and do things pleasing to the Lord.

Being in old age, the queen went to Jerusalem, which by that time (fourth century) remained under the rule of the pagans. Where the Savior was crucified, there was a temple of a pagan goddess. The queen ordered the demolition of the temple and those same three crosses were discovered under it.

The new temple was consecrated by Bishop Macarius, who, seeing the cross of the Lord, ordered it to be placed on the deceased, the procession with whom was passing nearby. Those present saw the miracle of the resurrection.

What does the icon of St. Helena help with?

The meaning of this icon is very high; it symbolizes perseverance and faith.

The queen became one of the first women to become saints.

Princess Olga took her name in baptism.

On the icon, Saint Helena is most often depicted with a large or small cross. The background is Jerusalem, or a plain background is used. Also a common option are the stamps that frame the icon of Helen and Constantine.

What does it help with? this image, this is mostly in various material matters or when it is necessary to pray for rulers or fulfill some political needs. However, believers can turn to these images to fulfill any other needs.

Other personalized icons of Elena

Let us also note other ascetics with identical names, in particular:

Elena of Serbia - the icon is dedicated to the mother of two Orthodox rulers: St. Stephen and Dragutin, she led pious activities and helped many people, built shelters, churches and much more.
Elena Diveevskaya - the icon depicts an Orthodox saint, whom Seraphim of Sarov himself blessed to become a monk, this girl at a young age experienced a vision and rejected secular entertainment, becoming completely pleasing to the Lord, her relics remain incorruptible and still work various miracles and help believers.

Helen's name day according to the church calendar: the martyr Helen and Elpidia are venerated on January 28. However, veneration of these martyrs is not widespread. They are among the numerous ascetics whose memory has been lost over the centuries.

Prayers

Troparion to the Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar Constantine and Queen Helena, tone 8

Having seen the image of Thy Cross in Heaven and, like Paul, the title is not received from man, Thy apostle has become a king, O Lord, put the reigning city in Thy hand, which you always save in the world through the prayers of the Mother of God, who alone loves mankind.

Kontakion of Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar Constantine and Queen Helena, tone 3

Constantine today with the Mother Helena the Cross is revealed, an all-honorable tree, a shame for all Jews, and a weapon against the opposite of faithful people: for for our sake a great sign has appeared and a terrible sign in battle.

First prayer to Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar Constantine and Queen Helena

About the wonderful and all-praised king, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen! To you, as a warm intercessor, we offer our unworthy prayers, for you have great boldness towards the Lord. Ask Him for peace for the Church and prosperity for the whole world. Wisdom for the ruler, care for the flock for the shepherd, humility for the flock, desired repose for the elder, strength for the husband, beauty for the wife, purity for the virgin, obedience for the child, Christian education for the baby, healing for the sick, reconciliation for the offended, patience for the offended, fear of God for the offended. To those who come to this temple and pray in it, a holy blessing and everything useful for each request, let us praise and sing the Benefactor of all God in the Trinity, glorified Father and Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Second prayer to Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar Constantine and Queen Helena

About Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen! Deliver this parish and our temple from every slander of the enemy and do not abandon us, the weak (names), through your intercession, beg the goodness of Christ our God to grant us peace of mind, abstinence from destructive passions and all filth, and unfeigned piety. Ask us, pleasers of God, from above for the spirit of meekness and humility, the spirit of patience and repentance, so that we may live the rest of our life in faith and contrition of heart, and so at the hour of our death we will gratefully praise the Lord who glorified you, the Father Without Beginning, His Only Begotten Son and the Consubstantial All-Blessed One. Spirit, the Indivisible Trinity, forever and ever. Amen.

Troparion to Venerable Helen of Serbia, Queen, tone 4

From the western country/ the holy vine of the Serbs, having gathered together,/ a well-grown branch appeared,/ the faithful princess Elena./ Bringing red fruit to the holy son,/ bringing to the Serbian family, / finally left all the vanity of the world / and you were joined to the like: / with boldness to the Lord Pray for everyone/ to grant universal peace// and for the Slovenian sons to be saved.

Icon of Saint Helena

The mother of the ruler of Byzantium Constantine, as well as the king, can be considered one of famous people during the period of the formation of Christianity in all centuries, and who were canonized along with the apostles.

Since ancient times, she and her son Constantine have been depicted in holy images as people who helped the formation and spread of Orthodoxy. She was known for the fact that thanks to her help, all the relics and relics were returned to true believers, and she contributed to the construction of cathedrals and monasteries. However, most of all she became known for her good deeds in the name of Jesus, the most important of which was the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord.

The role of the image of the Byzantine Queen

The main purpose of this icon is that every person who prays in front of it receives not only support and salvation, but also the strengthening of his faith, which is precisely what the asceticism bequeathed. This icon is visual aid that everyone who believes in the Almighty is obliged to sincerely continue God's work and bow to him.

In the divine image, the Great Martyr Helen is depicted together with her son Constantine, holding the Cross in her right hand. This sign symbolizes support and assistance in the formation of Orthodoxy and a symbol of the fact that Orthodoxy will never disappear, because as long as there are believers who keep the spirit of Orthodoxy in their hearts and souls with their hope and good deeds, and preach the word of the Lord, and the Word is eternal on earth.

In what cases do they pray for help?

Among many Christian images, this icon has the greatest miraculous power and has one difference, which is that people are imprinted on it, became saints and are praised by believers. It was thanks to their thoughts and deeds that they became such, possessing the highest spirituality, which few people possessed at that time. This is the greatest Orthodox example of how a good deed in the name of the Lord turns into a road leading to immortality, because faith for people means everything: their strength, tenderness, devotion and confession.

This image is still referred to in our time. large number believers to say their prayers in requests for help and find strength to overcome obstacles and develop. The image can help in such cases:
improve material well-being;
to start a new and important business;
help in career success and upward mobility career ladder;
achieving the goal in political sphere life.

In addition, the icon is considered the heavenly protector of the family and family relations. This is the main reason for frequent prayer requests to the icon of St. Helena for saving the family, help in raising children (including their appearance - getting rid of the disease of infertility), mitigating " sharp corners" in relationships, developing harmony, trusting relationships, and maintaining love.

This face is also very revered by workers agriculture and ordinary Orthodox farmers. People believe that the Martyr can help reap a rich harvest and give fertility to the soil, which will bestow prosperity on everyone who has worked for the good.

The saint also helps in getting rid of illnesses and strengthening a person’s health, and a person’s physical state is closely related to the mental state, because people who want to heal the body must first heal the soul. And in this matter, the most important thing is faith, sincere and firm. Only she is the true way leading to the Supreme Grace. The holy image of Equal to the Apostles Helen is a true masterpiece of Orthodoxy, the purpose of which cannot be overestimated.

The prayer to the Saint sounds like this:

“O most wonderful and most holy queen, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen! To you, quick defenders, we address our unworthy prayers, like a great mother who has the courage to turn to the Almighty. Ask the Lord for the kingdom of the temple of the Lord and for all people for blessing, for leaders justice, for priests care O parishioners, patience for the faithful, desired peace for the elderly, courage for the warriors, beauty for the women, holiness for the righteous, obedience for the child, the spirit of Orthodox teaching for the little ones, deliverance for the weak, peace for those who quarrel, humility for the offended, awe for the offenders to those who visit this church and offer up the prayers of God in it. parting words to all believers to fulfill their requests, and we praise and glorify the Benefactor of all mankind, the Most High in the Life-Giving Trinity: Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever, Amen."

What date is the day of the angel Helen celebrated?

The very first date in church calendar, relating to the memory of the saint, is the twenty-eighth of January. This day the venerable great martyr is revered; she is known for remaining steadfast in her adherence to the teachings of Christ, and she was sentenced to a painful death. If you look further, her memory days are celebrated in the spring. According to the church calendar, two days of remembrance are established in the spring - the third of March and the twenty-first of May. These dates were established by the Church as days of veneration of the Queen Equal to the Apostles, or Helen of Constantinople. The latter was not only the parent of the ruler of Rome Constantine, and she was involved in the spread of Christianity in the territory of Byzantium. She was also called a venerable because it was she who organized excavations in Jerusalem where they found the Life-Giving Cross, on which Jesus Christ was crucified.

If you look further at the church calendar, you will see that in the summer there is a day of the same name Angel. When are they celebrated? Summer is a rich time for name days, because the church has established three dates for honoring the memory of the saints of the same name. And so the “summer” girls begin to celebrate the day of the angel on the eighth of June. On this day the memory of the Venerable Great Martyr, who was the daughter of the Venerable Father Alpheus, is honored. She was sentenced to death penalty stones, for her preaching Christian activities. Tenth of June. This day is considered the day of memory of Elena Diveevskaya (Manturova), who lived in a monastery and was engaged in education. She preached a rather modest lifestyle and spent most of her life in prayer. Abbot Seraphim of Sarov respected her very much and called her “the maid of honor of the Heavenly Lady” and promised that her holy remains would be freely available and kept in the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery.

And the third date falls on the eleventh of July. On this day, the memory of the venerable righteous Olga is honored (she was baptized under the name Elena). Princess Olga severely punished the murderers of her husband (Prince Igor), after which she converted to the Christian faith and made quite a lot of efforts to spread Orthodoxy in Rus'. It is Olga who is considered the “leader of Christianity” in Rus'.

However, not all names can boast of such an abundance of name days. Most of the names celebrate their name days only once or at most twice a year. However, it is not for nothing that her name is translated from Greek language like a "torch". After all, having once chosen their path, these majestic girls reached it to the end, dying, but at the same time giving light to others. That is why the Reverend is mentioned very often in the church calendar.

Church history knows of only a few women who were able to receive the title “equal to the apostles” - these are St. Nina, St. Mary Magdalene, martyrs Apphia and Thekla, Russian princess Olga, as well as Elena, who managed to do a lot for the glory of God. On the icon, Saint Helena is often depicted near the Cross of the Lord, next to her son, Emperor Constantine.

The life of this woman is full of difficult decisions; information about Elena has been preserved thanks to numerous historians. Shrines of that time associated with her name have also survived to this day.

History of Saint Helena

Modest Elena was hardworking, although she did not grow up in poverty. Her hometown Drepan is now part of Turkey. She served the travelers. The girl married Flavius Constantius, the future Emperor of Rome. But at that time hardly anyone could have imagined this. The couple's son Constantine was born in 272.

As a result of political intrigues, Elena had to leave her beloved husband. Thanks to this act, he entered into a profitable marriage, which allowed him to begin serious political career. While still quite young, Elena moved to Germany, where her son had his residence.

Having ascended the throne, the son made his mother Augusta - essentially an equal empress, who even issued her own coin. Historians confirm that Constantine greatly respected Helen and trusted her. She became a Christian in old age (the woman was 60). Despite this, on icons the Holy Queen Helen is often depicted as a blooming young woman. This was done to symbolically convey the power of transformation human soul who knows no age.

The meaning of the holy image

Thanks to the royal position, they were preserved lifetime portraits saint, which were made on coins. The museum houses a statue depicting Helen in a somewhat idealized form. But this was accepted, since emperors were considered the descendants of gods, and people had to honor them - who would want to deify an ugly, middle-aged queen? Soon, however, the situation changed - the emperor himself became a Christian and made his religion official.

Icons of Saint Helen Equal to the Apostles appeared several centuries after her death. Byzantine craftsmen quite accurately conveyed the royal attire: a wide embroidered collar, a hem decorated with stones, armbands, and a crown. All this indicates not only the royal position during life, but also the high honor that the Lord honors the righteous in the eternal Kingdom.

Rarely did ancient masters depict the queen alone - next to her is usually her son - support, assistant, comrade-in-arms in all good deeds. Without unanimity in the family, not a single holy deed is possible - isn’t this the meaning of such a composition? And a great thing was done - Elena found the Honest Life-Giving Cross, having no idea where and how she would look. But the Lord arranges everything if a person has determination. The icon of St. Helena should also remind us of this.

Traditional icon composition:

St. Constantine stands on the left, St. Elena is on the right;
between them there is a high cross of 5 or 8 points;
both have crowns on their heads;
gestures can be different - sometimes the queen holds nails in her hands.

Modern iconography is very diverse; most often the saint is depicted alone, holding a cross in her right hand - a symbol of suffering, and also reminiscent of the queen’s feat. The left hand can be open or directed towards the cross, reminding that everyone in their life must do a certain task for the Lord - this is the theological meaning of the icon of St. Elena. In the 10th century The image of royal saints became the subject for paintings of temples, triptychs, and iconostases.

In Russia, veneration of the saint began immediately after the adoption of Christianity. Princess Olga took her name in baptism. Cathedrals in Novgorod and Kyiv contain images in the Byzantine tradition (a saint with her son at the cross). Great veneration for the icon of St. Helena was held by the Russian tsars - this emphasized the continuity of power of the Christian autocrats. The saints received special honors under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

Rarely, there were also hagiographic icons that included stamps:

dream of Emperor Constantine (vision of the cross);
victory in battle;
baptism of St. Constantine;
trip of St. Helena to Jerusalem;
finding the Cross and resurrecting the deceased;
finding the nails of Christ.

How does the icon of St. help? Elena

Being already old (even by modern standards), the queen had an unusual dream. In it she was given instructions to cleanse the Holy Land of pagan temples.

Having received support from the emperor, the woman set off. The result of the grand journey was the discovery of the Cross of the Lord, as well as the nails with which His hands were pierced. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was founded by St. Elena. What prevented her from enjoying her quiet life in luxury and honor? Why attach significance to a dream? The queen did this at the behest of her conscience, the voice of which is muffled among many modern people.

The meaning of the icon of St. Helena is to remind us that faith is more important than passing glory, comfort, and sometimes even common sense. Distance from Rome to Eternal City- more than 2 thousand km. Was it easy for an elderly woman to overcome it, even with the help of servants? How did she expect to find holy places associated with the Passion of the Lord, if 3 centuries had already passed since that time? Only prayer and faith could support him in such a difficult matter.

Everything is possible with God - the saint founded many churches throughout the Holy Land, distributed alms, fed the hungry, and gave gifts to the poor. On the way back in Cyprus, she founded monasteries that are still in operation today. St. died Helen in old age around 328. Interestingly, the saint’s relics were stolen from Rome and today rest in France (Parisian church of Saint-Les-Saint-Gilles). There you can receive healing from bodily ailments.

Today's Christians believe that the icon of St. Helena helps:

in any difficult endeavor;
gaining strong faith;
obtaining recovery from illnesses;
assistance in political campaign;
those in high positions.

Equal-to-the-Apostles Helen will help with her prayers those who are building new churches or fighting heresies. Orthodox prayer contains an appeal to both the queen and her son, who was also glorified as a saint.

Prayers to Saints Equal to the Apostles Constantine and Helena

First prayer

About Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen! Deliver this parish and our temple from every slander of the enemy and do not abandon us, the weak (names), through your intercession, beg the goodness of Christ our God to grant us peace of mind, from destructive passions and all filth, abstinence, and unfeigned piety. Ask us, pleasers of God, from above for the spirit of meekness and humility, the spirit of patience and repentance, so that we may live the rest of our life in faith and contrition of heart, and so at the hour of our death we will gratefully praise the Lord who glorified you, the Father Without Beginning, His Only Begotten Son and the Consubstantial All-Blessed One. Spirit, the Indivisible Trinity, forever and ever.

Second prayer

About the wonderful and all-praised king, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen! To you, as a warm intercessor, we offer our unworthy prayers, for you have great boldness towards the Lord. Ask Him for the peace of the Church and prosperity for the whole world, wisdom for the ruler, care for the flock for the shepherd, humility for the flock, desired peace for the elders, strength for husbands, beauty for women, purity for virgins, obedience for children, Christian education for babies, healing for the sick, reconciliation for those at war, patience for the offended, those who offend the fear of God. To those who come to this temple and pray in it, a holy blessing and everything useful for each request, let us praise and sing the Benefactor of all God in the Trinity of the glorified Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Troparion, tone 8

Having seen the image of Your Cross in heaven, and just as Paul did not receive the title from man, Your Apostle became king, O Lord, place the reigning city in Your hand: save it always in the world through the prayers of the Mother of God, who alone is the Lover of Mankind.

Kontakion, tone 3

Constantine today, with the matter Helena, the cross reveals the all-honorable tree, for the shame of all the Jews exists, and a weapon against the faithful kings: for for our sake a great sign has appeared and a terrible sign in battle.

Greatness

We magnify you, holy saints and Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsars Constantine and Helen, and we honor your holy memory, for with the Holy Cross you enlightened the entire universe.