We celebrate the feast day of St Helena today. She is best remembered as the mother of the Emperor Constantine. Constantine attributed a decisive victory he experienced in battle at the Milvian bridge to a vision of the cross that he had, an experience which influenced his view of Christianity. Helena, a woman who was born in humble origins, and who was divorced from Constantine’s father, embraced the Catholic faith after her son declared Christianity to be an officially recognized religion in his empire. In her old age, Helena was commissioned by her son to travel to the Holy Land. Legend has it that she discovered the cross on which Christ was crucified – slivers of that cross were distributed throughout the Roman empire. Helena died in the year 330 after spending her final years in a convent in the Holy Land. St Helena, in your humble faith, we unite our prayers to your prayers today.
Today, as we continue to hear from the prophet Ezekiel in our first readings in our daily masses this week, we hear of Ezekiel’s encounter with the prince of Tyre. As Ezekiel has had a harsh foreboding message to the people of Israel throughout his ministry, his words to the prince of Tyre are equally harsh and condemning. Tyre was a Phoenician city on the coast of the Mediterranean in what is now modern-day Lebanon. Ezekiel accuses the ruler of Tyre of having haughtiness of heart, for the way he puts himself on par with God. Because of this kingdom’s wealth and power, the prince of Tyre and his people feel a sense of arrogance and omnipotence, that they are above everyone else. Yet, the prophet tells that they will be overrun by a foreign power, that they will be humbled and put to shame and destruction, foretelling the invasion of the Babylonians that will soon occur. May the Lord help us to live a life of faith with humility and grace.
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