The great historian, biblical scholar and bishop Eusebius of Caesarea wrote the first biography of the Emperor Constantine soon after his death. Eusebius knew Constantine well and claims that Constantine himself told him the story.
Constantine was a monotheist pagan who worshipped Sol Invictus, the “Unconquered Sun.” In the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, he confronted and defeated Maxentius on the Tiber River while making his way on the Via Flaminia to enter the city of Rome in the year 312.
The story goes that before this battle, Constantine and his army saw an enormous luminous cross above the sun with words in Greek that were translated into Latin as “In hoc signo vinces” — “With this sign thou shalt conquer.” Constantine was astonished, he had dreams about this, and he decided to mark the shields of his soldiers with this Christian symbol.
Constantine converted to Christianity, built churches — including the beautiful Hagia Sophia — and ordered the freedom in his empire to practice Christianity, which, until then, had been prohibited and persecuted. Through the centuries, for the millions of Christians who wear the cross on their chest, this sign has been our shield, our strength against our enemies, the energy for us to cross any bridges and to overcome any obstacle that prevented us from reaching our heavenly home.
The cross for us believers is the symbol of Christ’s victory over sin. This symbol of death and shame created by the Romans in those days was transformed by our Lord Jesus into a sign of victory over hatred, division and death. “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself” (John 12:32).
The heavenly promise made to Constantine is still valid today for all who believe in Christ: “With this sign thou shalt conquer.” The sign of the cross we constantly mark on our bodies reminds us that Jesus defeated darkness and left the tomb, and with him we defeat the evil one in all his snares.
The cross purifies us so we can have the power to fight lust, selfishness, envy, discouragement or indifference. The cross instills in us the strength to be able to follow the invincible and eternal leader, by whom also the sun was created. The sign of the cross gives us a new light to understand from the depths of our soul that the true enemy is within ourselves and is the one who distorts his image in me and does not allow others to recognize me as their brother or sister, blinding the eyes of my soul.
Jesus told his disciples that to follow him we must take up his cross. The cross of Christ is a sign of victory only if embraced out of love for him, and trusting that like him we will win in all battles, even those that seem impossible to win.
Ave, O crux, spes unica! Hail, O cross, our only hope!
Northwest Catholic — April/May 2022