Elija Mission

Today’s meditation is dedicated to St. Helena, Empress and mother of Emperor Constantine. The 18th of August is considered to be the day of her death, which is why her memory is celebrated on this date in some parts of the Catholic Church.

Instead of taking a biblical reading, we will begin this meditation with a few words from the Magnificat canticle:

The Lord “has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly” (Lk 1:52).

Helen, the great empress who played such an important role in the spread of Christianity, was born into a poor, pagan family in Bithynia (Asia Minor) around the middle of the 3rd century.

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There is a rich array of saints to write about, and each time it is a profound experience to witness how God’s grace reaches a person and leads them beyond themselves. They show us what becomes possible when one hears God’s call and follows it. We must not assume that this was not also accompanied by struggles in which these people became aware of their own weakness. Yet they held fast to God, and thus the Lord was able to guide them and be glorified through them. It is moving when a person who holds a high social position is so deeply drawn to the holy faith that they do not shy away from performing the simplest—and often most difficult—acts of service toward their neighbor. Saint Radegund followed such a path and became a model for many other nobles to walk the way of Christ and to give their lives.

Radegund is the first queen to descend from the princely throne into a humble monastic cell to follow the poor Jesus in poverty; she is the first German princess upon whom monastic life exerted its wondrous influence, inspiring many crowned heads to follow her example. Born in 519, she was the daughter of Berthar, King of Thuringia, and was orphaned at an early age when her father was cruelly murdered by his brother Hermanfried out of a lust for power.

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Beloved Virgin, how many manifestations of love shine forth in you!

In relation to the Father, we see you as a loving daughter; to the Son you are mother and disciple; to the Holy Spirit you are united in a spousal love.

If already here, in our earthly reality, we are moved by the tender love of a human spouse, and can observe how she blossoms and turns her whole heart and attention to her husband, how much more so is it with you, since your Bridegroom is the Holy Spirit Himself!

Bride of the Holy Spirit… What mystery surrounds this title!

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How exalted is the election granted to you, beloved Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ!

With astonishment we note that not only the Son of God Himself was entrusted to you, but also all those who belong to Him and sing the song of the redeemed (cf. Rev 14:3). And even more: you are the Mother of all men, and you become light and consolation for those who return home.

Many people come to you full of trust and appeal to your motherly heart, because they understand that your divine Son hears your pleas.

In you, motherly compassion for the earthly needs of your children goes hand in hand with concern for the salvation of their souls.

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Could one imagine a daughter of the Heavenly Father more enchanting than you, beloved Virgin Mary?

A daughter who so enraptures her Father that He entrusts to her the most precious thing: His beloved Son.

No, there can be no equal to you.

You are the one whom the Lord has chosen. Only God, the Holy One, knows all your beauty, with which He Himself adorned you; and He knows with what joy and tenderness you filled His Heart, seeing you in the splendour of His grace.

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At a time when, unfortunately, moral confusion scarcely spares even our Holy Church, and many people stray from the path of virtue or never set foot on it in the first place, it is important not to forget that the saints of the early Church, in particular, have given us shining examples of chastity.

We must not forget that these saints, who gave their lives to preserve their chastity, not only bring their light into this darkness but have also received great grace from God for the Church. They are a living reminder of the importance of placing the Lord’s commandments above all else.

One of these radiant women is Susanna. She is not the biblical Susanna, whom we might first think of—the one saved from death by Daniel’s intervention, who restored her honor before all the people—but rather, Susanna of Rome.

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