Thursday, May 21, 2015
Sts. Constantine and Helen
The Church calls St. Constantine “the Equal of the Apostles,”
and historians call him “the Great.” He was the son of the
Caesar Constantius Chlorus, who governed the lands of Gaul
and Britain. His mother was St. Helen, a Christian of humble
birth.
At this time the immense Roman Empire was divided into
Western and Eastern halves, governed by two independent
emperors and their corulers called “Caesars.” Constantius
Chlorus was Caesar in the Western Roman Empire. St.
Constantine was born in 274, possibly at Nish in Serbia. In
294, Constantius divorced Helen in order to further his
political ambition by marrying a woman of noble rank. After
he became emperor, Constantine showed his mother great
honor and respect, granting her the imperial title “Augusta.”
Constantine, the future ruler of all the whole Roman Empire,
was raised to respect Christianity. His father did not persecute
Christians in the lands he governed. This was at a time when
Christians were persecuted throughout the Roman Empire by the emperors Diocletian and his corulers
Maximian Galerius in the East, and the emperor Maximian Hercules in the West.
After the death of Constantius Chlorus in 306, Constantine was acclaimed by the army at York as emperor of
Gaul and Britain. The first act of the new emperor was to grant the freedom to practice Christianity in the
lands subject to him. The pagan Maximian Galerius in the East and the fierce tyrant Maxentius in the West
hated Constantine and they plotted to overthrow and kill him, but Constantine bested them in a series of
battles, defeating his opponents with the help of God. He prayed to God to give him a sign which would
inspire his army to fight valiantly, and the Lord showed him a radiant Sign of the Cross in the heavens with
the inscription “In this Sign, conquer.”
After Constantine became the sole ruler of the Western Roman Empire, he issued the Edict of Milan in 313
which guaranteed religious tolerance for Christians. St. Helen, who was a Christian, may have influenced him
in this decision. In 323, when he became the sole ruler of the entire Roman Empire, he extended the
provisions of the Edict of Milan to the Eastern half of the Empire. After three hundred years of persecution,
Christians could finally practice their faith without fear.
Renouncing paganism, the Emperor did not let his capital remain in ancient Rome, the former center of the
pagan realm. He transferred his capital to the East, to the city of Byzantium, which was renamed
Constantinople, the city of Constantine. Constantine was deeply convinced that only Christianity could unify
the immense Roman Empire with its diverse peoples. He supported the Church in every way. He recalled
Christian confessors from banishment, he built churches, and he showed concern for the clergy.
The emperor deeply revered the victory-bearing Sign of the Cross of the Lord, and also wanted to find the
actual Cross upon which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. For this purpose he sent his own mother, the
holy Empress Helen, to Jerusalem, granting her both power and money. Patriarch Macarius of Jerusalem and
St. Helen began the search, and through the will of God, the Life-Creating Cross was miraculously discovered
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in 326. The Orthodox Church commemorates the Uncovering of the Precious Cross and the Precious Nails
by the Holy Empress Helen on March 6.
While in Palestine, the holy empress did much of benefit for the Church. She ordered that all places
connected with the earthly life of the Lord and His All-Pure Mother, should be freed of all traces of
paganism, and she commanded that churches should be built at these places.
The emperor Constantine ordered a magnificent church in honor of Christ’s Resurrection to be built over His
tomb. St. Helen gave the Life-Creating Cross to the Patriarch for safe-keeping, and took part of the Cross
with her for the emperor. After distributing generous alms at Jerusalem and feeding the needy (at times she
even served them herself), the holy Empress Helen returned to Constantinople, where she died in the year
327.
Because of her great services to the Church and her efforts in finding the Life-Creating Cross, the empress
Helen is called “the Equal of the Apostles.”
The peaceful state of the Christian Church was disturbed by quarrels, dissensions and heresies which had
appeared within the Church. Already at the beginning of St. Constantine’s reign the heresies of the Donatists
and the Novatians had arisen in the West. They demanded a second baptism for those who lapsed during the
persecutions against Christians. These heresies, repudiated by two local Church councils, were finally
condemned at the Council of Milan in 316.
Particularly ruinous for the Church was the rise of the Arian heresy in the East, which denied the Divine
Nature of the Son of God, and taught that Jesus Christ was a mere creature. By order of the emperor, the
First Ecumenical Council was convened in the city of Nicea in 325.
318 bishops attended this Council. Among its participants were confessor-bishops from the period of the
persecutions and many other luminaries of the Church, among whom was St. Nicholas of Myra in Lycia. The
emperor was present at the sessions of the Council. The heresy of Arius was condemned and a Symbol of
Faith (Creed) composed, in which was included the term “consubstantial with the Father,” confirming the
truth of the divinity of Jesus Christ, Who assumed human nature for the redemption of all the human race.
One might possibly be surprised by St. Constantine’s grasp of theological issues during the discussions at the
Council. The term “consubstantial” was included in the Symbol of Faith at his insistence.
After the Council of Nicea, St. Constantine continued with his active role in the welfare of the Church. He
accepted holy Baptism on his deathbed, having prepared for it all his whole life. St Constantine died on the
day of Pentecost in the year 337 and was buried in the church of the Holy Apostles, in a crypt he had
prepared for himself.
~ Courtesy from: www.oca.org
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 EPISTLE READING
http://www.goarch.org/chapel/lectionary_view?
date=5/24/2015&lang=en&code=27&type=epi
stle&event=940
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Sunday’s Readings
 GOSPEL READING
http://www.goarch.org/chapel/lectionary_view?
date=5/24/2015&lang=en&code=43&type=gos
pel&event=940
______________________________________
Click on the link below to read this Sundays
Epistle & Gospel: Fathers of the First Council.
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 PROSFORA OFFERING
Sunday, May 24: Markella Fotis.
Next Sunday, May 31: Nitsa Sialaris.
This Week’s
Service & Events
MANY THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICES!
MAY GOD BLESS YOU!
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 ICONOGRAPHY CLASS
Saturday, May 23 at 10:30 am.
Upcoming
Service & Events
 VESPERS
Vespers Saturday, May 23 at 6:00 pm.

SUNDAY SERVICE
Sunday, May 24
Fathers of the Frist Council
Orthros 8:30 am
Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am
 ICONOGRAPHY CLASS
Saturday, May 30 at 10:30 am.
 VESPERS
Vespers on Saturday May 30 at 6:00 pm. Fr.
Gregory will be available for confessions
following service.
 GREEK DANCE LESSONS
NO Lessons on Memorial
Day, Monday, May 25; Lessons
will resume next week.
 SUNDAY SERVICE
On Sunday, May 31 starting with Orthros at
8:30 am & Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am. It is
Pentecost Sunday.

MISSION & ORPHANAGE
MEETING
On Tuesday, May 26 at 6:00 pm.
 DIVINE LITURGY
On Thursday, June 4 at 7:00 am for Sts. Mary
& Martha.
 SOUL SATURDAY
Divine Liturgy on May 30 at 7:00 am starting
with Orthros. Please bring a small bowl of
Koliva and summit the names of the departed for
commemoration.
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
SUNDAY SCHOOL GRADUATION AND
STRATTON SCHOLARSHIP
On Sunday, June 7.
Sunday
Service Teams
 PARISH COUNCIL
On Tuesday, June 9 at 7:00 pm.
 PARAKLESIS
On Wednesday, June 10 at 6:30 pm.
 READER
Sunday, May 24: Mike Skarpelos.
Next Sunday, May 31: Brian Davenport.
 DIVINE LITURGY
On Thursday, June 11 at 7:00 am for Sts.
Bartholomew and Barnabas.
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 USHER SCHEDULE
Sunday, May 24: Cleo Constantin and Annie
Agah.
Next Sunday, May 31: Jim Ries and Natasha
Hyndman.
 COFFEE HOUR
Sunday, May 24: “S + Y”.
Next Sunday, May 31: “A + B + C”.
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 ST. NICHOLAS GREEK FESTIVAL
The St. Nicholas Greek Festival will be held
on the weekend of May 29 – 31. St. Basil’s will
once again have a booth at the festival. We will
need volunteers to help in the booth. If anyone
is interested to help, please speak with Elsie,
Natasha or Karen.
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Prayer Request
You are sick or will be having
surgery, please let the office know and
we can include your name on the list.
Please keep in your prayers:
Diakonisa Aspasia
Nicholas Steeley
Diakos
Jim Gregory
Athanasios Anagnostos Eydie Giovannoni
Despina Anagnostos
Nancy Goldsmith
Samira Bahous
Otto Hampel
Andrew Froumis
Elaine Honjas
Marie Hofland
Danielle Jost
Ron Jimenez
Tulla Kanestis
Athena Lofaro
Nicholas Manis
George Nicholas
Voula Papadatos
Georgia Photopoulos
Paul Rousseve
Joanne Smith
Nicholai Taranin
Thanasis Theologiedes Vickie Wilson
Lena Xydes
Myron Zaccheo
Mary Zarcone
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Archdiocese
If you will like to be part of history, please visit
StNicholasGroundZero.org or Archdiocese
website and learn about the plans to rebuild St.
Nicholas National Shrine at the World Trade
Center. You may make a contribution to the
good cause.
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Hawaiian Iveron Icon
On May 2 a group of PanOrthodox
Christians
organized
a
Banquet
Luncheon to raise money
to help build a church for
our Miraculous Myrrh
Streaming Hawaiian Iveron
Icon of the Mother of
God. Many couldn’t make
it but wonder how they can contribute towards
this worthy cause. To obtain more information
or to make an electronic contribution visit:
www.iveron.info or you may give a check to
Maria Anagnostos (408-316-6609) payable to
“OHIIA” (Orthodox Hawaiian Iveron Icon
Association). Thank You!
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For Meditation
The 'merciful heart' in a human person is
therefore the image and likeness of God's mercy,
which embraces the whole of creation – people,
animals, reptiles, and demons. In God, there is
no hatred towards anyone, but all-embracing love
which does not distinguish between righteous
and sinner, between a friend of truth and an
enemy of truth, between angel and demon. Every
created being is precious in God's eyes.
~ Isaac the Syrian
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Selection of the Week
Bookstore
"How did I become an Orthodox" of Jonathan, a
Movie Star
 ST. BASIL BOOKSTORE
Remembering the repose of Fr.
Thomas Hopko, on one of his
appearances, he was asked to talk
about his favorite Orthodox
books. Does it not make sense
to
listen
to
what
an
accomplished man such as Fr.
Τζόναθαν Τζάκσον (Ηθοποιός): “Πώς έγινα
Ορθόδοξος”
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Bay Area Events
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Hopko says in response to this question?
Among the list of books cited by Fr. Hopko
were: Saint Silouan the Athonite; “His Life is
Mine” and “We Shall See Him” (all by Elder
Sophrony), “The hidden Man of the Heart” and
“Remember Thy First Love” by Archimandrite
Zachariah.
St. Silouan was Elder Sophrony’s spiritual father
and Elder Sophrony was Archimandrite
Zachariah’s spiritual father; note the ‘golden
chain’ of heritage often discussed by the
monastics. We have many of these books in our
bookstore. You are invited to stop by the
bookstore to view these books or others on the
shelves.
As always, encourage you to email us and let us
know if you would like us to order you a
particular icon, book or gift item we don’t
currently carry in our store. You may email us at:
[email protected].
Come be a Greek for a day!
At the San Jose Greek Festival
at St. Nicholas Church
May 29 – 31
Lastly, don’t forget to check in on a regular basis
as our inventory constantly changes or grows.
Wishing you a blessed Holyday(s) Season!
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St. Basil will have a
Candy booth!
Volunteers are needed.
Facebook
Please Sign up or speak with
Elsie, Natasha or Karen.
We have a St. Basil the Great Greek Orthodox
Church Facebook page. Please take the time
to visit the page and "like" us. The link is listed
below. If there are any problems with the link,
please let us know. If you have any photos or
information you would like to see on the page,
please
email
us
at
[email protected]. Please pass this
email on to your friends and family, and
encourage them to visit our page as well.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Basil-theGreat-Greek-OrthodoxChurch/227329294034680
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