On Monday, May 21 / June 3, 2024, the Patriarchate celebrated the feast of Saints Constantine and Helen.
On this feast the Church remembers the work of the great glorious king and equal apostle St. Constantine, i.e. the recognition of Christianity as a free religion in the Roman state according to the Edict of Milan in 312 AD, and St. Helen, who visited the Holy Land in 326 AD and built the Most Holy Church of the Resurrection, the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem and other shrines.
Through the work of these two Saints, a new era of Roman Orthodox tradition was inaugurated in the Holy Land.
In honor of these two Holy Kings and Equal Apostles Constantine and Helen, the founders and patrons of the Roman Orthodox era in the Holy Land, which continues to this day with the institution of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, Great Vespers was celebrated the previous evening in the Central Monastery in the presence of His Beatitude Our Father and Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem. Archimandrite Alexis, the Instructor, and the priests of the church, Archimandrites Nicodemus, Stephen, Amphilochius, Archimandrite Macarius, the priest of the Monastery of the Great Panagia, Archimandrite Epiphanius, and Archimandrite Dionysius, the Abbot of Pretoria, served.
In the morning, the Divine Liturgy was led by His Beatitude, accompanied by Archimandrite Alexis, the Constable of the Monastery and Archimandrite Dionysius, the Abbot of Praetoria. Archimandrites Amphilochius and Stephen, the Patriarchal Epitropos in Accra, Archimandrite Silouan, and the priest of St. James Cathedral Farah. His Eminence Archbishop Aristovul of Madava and Hierodeacon Simeon and students of the Patriarchal School of Sion sang. Consul Mrs. Anna Mandika, local believers and pilgrims attended the service.
After the Liturgy, the congregation went up to the Patriarchal Hall while the Fathers were still dressed in full priestly liturgical vestments.
At the central gate of the Patriarchate, the person in charge of the bakery, the abbess of the holy monastery of Panagia Saidanai, Nun Serafima, distributed small loaves of bread to everyone as a traditional blessing.
At the Patriarchate, His Beatitude addressed the audience with the following address:
"Not from man did he receive the royal power, but from divine grace, Constantine the Great with his mother: from heaven he sees the divine victory of the cross, and having thus destroyed his enemies, he has destroyed idolatry: but in peace strengthen the Orthodox faith."
Your Excellency, Consul General of Greece, Mr. Dimitrios Angelosopoulos,
Reverend Holy Fathers and Brothers,
Devout Christians and pilgrims,
Today the Holy Church of God, and especially the Church of Jerusalem, rejoices and rejoices in the solemn commemoration of the saints, glorious, God-blessed and Equal-to-the-Apostles, great kings Constantine and Helen.
These Saints became great sovereigns and leaders not only for the Church of Christ, but also for all mankind, because Constantine the Great issued the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, thanks to which all persecutions against the Church ceased, Christianity triumphed and the darkness of demonic idolatry was dispelled. In 325 he convened the First Ecumenical Council in Nicea, at which he presided personally. In 328 he laid the foundations of Constantinople, named in his honor and also New Rome, since the imperial throne was transferred there from Rome.
This invaluable contribution was greatly enhanced by the veneration of Saints Constantine and Helen before the Holy Land and the construction of the redemptive martyrium, i.e., the Holy Sepulchre in 326. "It is my first and only purpose [...] to adorn with beautiful edifices the holy place, which by the command of God I have freed from the shameful addition of idols, as if from a lying burden, so that it may be made still holier, since it was first holy by the judgment of God, since from it God brought forth the faith of the redemptive passion," writes King Constantine to Macarius, Bishop of the Church of Jerusalem.
Being grateful to these glorious founders of the "Order of the Spudeans," i.e., our We celebrated the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy in the monastery church of Saints Constantine and Helen, named in their honor, and offered prayers to the Holy Triune God for peace in our region, tested by the fire of war.
Together with the songwriter we will say: "Rejoice, O Constantine the Wise, the source of Orthodoxy, who never ceases to nourish the whole sunflower with sweet waters: Rejoice, O root, from which the fruit sprouts, nourishing the Church of Christ: Rejoice, O most glorious praise of the ends, the first of the Christian kings with the mother of the God-wisdom: Rejoice, O joy of the faithful."
Amen. Christ is risen. Long and peaceful years.
As part of this reception, His Beatitude received Anglican Bishop Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, with Archbishop Husam, Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, and Fr. Donald.
A monastic meal followed.
On this feast the Church remembers the work of the great glorious king and equal apostle St. Constantine, i.e. the recognition of Christianity as a free religion in the Roman state according to the Edict of Milan in 312 AD, and St. Helen, who visited the Holy Land in 326 AD and built the Most Holy Church of the Resurrection, the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem and other shrines.
Through the work of these two Saints, a new era of Roman Orthodox tradition was inaugurated in the Holy Land.
In honor of these two Holy Kings and Equal Apostles Constantine and Helen, the founders and patrons of the Roman Orthodox era in the Holy Land, which continues to this day with the institution of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, Great Vespers was celebrated the previous evening in the Central Monastery in the presence of His Beatitude Our Father and Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem. Archimandrite Alexis, the Instructor, and the priests of the church, Archimandrites Nicodemus, Stephen, Amphilochius, Archimandrite Macarius, the priest of the Monastery of the Great Panagia, Archimandrite Epiphanius, and Archimandrite Dionysius, the Abbot of Pretoria, served.
In the morning, the Divine Liturgy was led by His Beatitude, accompanied by Archimandrite Alexis, the Constable of the Monastery and Archimandrite Dionysius, the Abbot of Praetoria. Archimandrites Amphilochius and Stephen, the Patriarchal Epitropos in Accra, Archimandrite Silouan, and the priest of St. James Cathedral Farah. His Eminence Archbishop Aristovul of Madava and Hierodeacon Simeon and students of the Patriarchal School of Sion sang. Consul Mrs. Anna Mandika, local believers and pilgrims attended the service.
After the Liturgy, the congregation went up to the Patriarchal Hall while the Fathers were still dressed in full priestly liturgical vestments.
At the central gate of the Patriarchate, the person in charge of the bakery, the abbess of the holy monastery of Panagia Saidanai, Nun Serafima, distributed small loaves of bread to everyone as a traditional blessing.
At the Patriarchate, His Beatitude addressed the audience with the following address:
"Not from man did he receive the royal power, but from divine grace, Constantine the Great with his mother: from heaven he sees the divine victory of the cross, and having thus destroyed his enemies, he has destroyed idolatry: but in peace strengthen the Orthodox faith."
Your Excellency, Consul General of Greece, Mr. Dimitrios Angelosopoulos,
Reverend Holy Fathers and Brothers,
Devout Christians and pilgrims,
Today the Holy Church of God, and especially the Church of Jerusalem, rejoices and rejoices in the solemn commemoration of the saints, glorious, God-blessed and Equal-to-the-Apostles, great kings Constantine and Helen.
These Saints became great sovereigns and leaders not only for the Church of Christ, but also for all mankind, because Constantine the Great issued the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, thanks to which all persecutions against the Church ceased, Christianity triumphed and the darkness of demonic idolatry was dispelled. In 325 he convened the First Ecumenical Council in Nicea, at which he presided personally. In 328 he laid the foundations of Constantinople, named in his honor and also New Rome, since the imperial throne was transferred there from Rome.
This invaluable contribution was greatly enhanced by the veneration of Saints Constantine and Helen before the Holy Land and the construction of the redemptive martyrium, i.e., the Holy Sepulchre in 326. "It is my first and only purpose [...] to adorn with beautiful edifices the holy place, which by the command of God I have freed from the shameful addition of idols, as if from a lying burden, so that it may be made still holier, since it was first holy by the judgment of God, since from it God brought forth the faith of the redemptive passion," writes King Constantine to Macarius, Bishop of the Church of Jerusalem.
Being grateful to these glorious founders of the "Order of the Spudeans," i.e., our We celebrated the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy in the monastery church of Saints Constantine and Helen, named in their honor, and offered prayers to the Holy Triune God for peace in our region, tested by the fire of war.
Together with the songwriter we will say: "Rejoice, O Constantine the Wise, the source of Orthodoxy, who never ceases to nourish the whole sunflower with sweet waters: Rejoice, O root, from which the fruit sprouts, nourishing the Church of Christ: Rejoice, O most glorious praise of the ends, the first of the Christian kings with the mother of the God-wisdom: Rejoice, O joy of the faithful."
Amen. Christ is risen. Long and peaceful years.
As part of this reception, His Beatitude received Anglican Bishop Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, with Archbishop Husam, Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, and Fr. Donald.
A monastic meal followed.
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