Saints Constantine & Helen – Serigraph on Naturally Aged Wood – Mount Athos

Description

Icon of Saints Constantine & Helen on Naturally Aged Wood

A beautiful serigraph depicting Saints Constantine and Helen, who were named Equal-to-the-Apostles by the Orthodox Church and whose memory is honored on May 21st.

According to tradition, when Emperor Constantine clashed with Maxentius, he began to pray to God, raising his right hand and imploring Him to reveal Himself. Then he saw in the sky the sign of the Cross, with the inscription “In this sign, conquer.” That same night, the Lord appeared to him in a dream. With the Christian banner as his standard, Constantine began advancing towards Rome, overcoming every resistance. It is noteworthy that after his baptism, Saint Constantine never wore the imperial robe again, instead remaining dressed in the white baptismal garment until his death in 337 AD.

His mother, Saint Helen, demonstrated her piety through numerous acts of charity and the construction of new churches in Rome, Constantinople (Church of the Holy Apostles), Bethlehem, and on the Mount of Olives. In 326 AD, she traveled to Jerusalem, where, after much effort, she found the Holy Cross, as well as the crosses of the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus. Saint Helen peacefully fell asleep in the Lord in 327 AD at the age of eighty. Her son transferred her holy relics to Constantinople, where she was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles.

The icon of Saints Constantine and Helen has been created on naturally aged wood, which comes from a restored cell of Mount Athos. Through “Athonite Heritage,” icons from this series can be found in the hands of those who long to possess a piece of the living Athonite tradition.

Since the image is handmade and the wood processing is done by hand, there may be slight variations in the wood, but not in the depiction.

The icon is available upon order.

Dimensions: 19 x 22 x 1.5 cm.

Origin: Mount Athos