Rulers of Nations Servants of Christ

There are a lot of things that Orthodox Christians hold in common. We all profess one Church, one Baptism, one Faith, one Eucharist – and the list goes on. While there is only one “narrow path” into the kingdom of heaven, there are many different possibilities for our lives. A person can choose a career as an artist, a cook, a computer operator, or some other vocation and still “take up the cross” and follow Christ. This diversity among the members of the church brings the Gospel to every part of the world – from small caves in the wilderness to large cities in the city.

This rainbow of Christian possibilities includes those at a more glamorous end of the spectrum. The saints we are considering in this book, were all rulers of nations – kings and queens, princes and princesses, emperors and empresses. Ordinarily, we think of Christians occupying more “humble” positions in life, but the important thing is not necessarily to find a more humble position, but to bring humility to the position that you find yourself in. That is the key to salvation that these Christian rulers found. Certainly they had their faults, sometimes made the wrong decisions, or pursued personal interests. But they were not so swelled up by pride that they failed to remember that the true ruler is God, and that they too were His servants. They knew that one day they would have to give an account of their actions, so they used their gift for the building up of the Church. Their example is important, reminding us that no matter how high we may ever find ourselves, we will never be above serving Jesus Christ. — Front Matter, Stephen Bobulsky

Contents:
St Constantine and St Helen (May 21)
St Pulcheria (Sept. 10)
St Justinian and St Theodora (Nov. 14)
St Vladimir and St Olga (July 15 and July 11)