Rehabilitating Saint Constantine

God has a sense of humor. Whenever there is an attack against the Church, there always seems to be a feast day on the liturgical calendar that directly addresses the attack. Such is the case today. On the weekend when The Da Vinci Code is released, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Constantine, the emperor who issued the Edict of Milan in 313AD ending the persecution of Christians, convened the Council of Nicea, endowed many churches, and received baptism worthily on his deathbed.

Have you ever heard of animals who eat their young? Western Culture is the reverse: we eat our ancestors. We seem to be constitutionally unable to acknowledge the greatness of our forebears. We have become tired of our own civilization, doubtful and full of self-loathing. This is what causes us to tear down a very great emperor, one who made it legal for the first time to worship Christ.

Perhaps it is time we sing the praises of our forebears. Here’s what we sing about Constantine in the Byzantine Church: “O Emperor of eternal memory, first you willingly submitted the purple to Christ, recognizing him as true God and King of all, the great Benefactor and Source of victory. You saw him enthroned above every principality and power. Therefore Jesus made the kingdom prosper for you, O lover of virtue, for he is the Savoir of our souls and Lover of us all!”