The Sign of our Conversion

By Fr. Alex Radulescu - Sometime in 312 A.D., as he was riding through France with his army, preparing to battle his political opponent Maxentius, the blessed Emperor Constantine saw a sign in the sky. It was the shape of a cross in front of the sun.  Along this cross, there were the words En Touto Nika (In This Sign Conquer). 

 
Following this amazing vision, on that very night, Constantine had a dream, and in this dream, he was instructed by a mysterious person, called Christ God, to use the sign of the cross he just witnessed as a safeguard in all battles against his enemies.
 
So, before the upcoming battle with Maxentius, he placed the sign of the cross on the battle flags.  This sign proved to be empowering.  Constantine won this battle as well as many others.  He later embraced Christianity.
 
Like every other earthly ruler, Constantine was in pursuit of political supremacy.  But the vision of the cross changed the course of his life.  The cross became a sign which led to his conversion to Christ.  Constantine was the first emperor who became Christian.  His conversion allowed for the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire.
 
For Constantine, the cross was a sign of his conversion.  But what is the sign of our conversion?
 
By dying on a cross, Christ changed its meaning forever.  From an instrument of torture, the cross became a sign of victory over death, a sign of our redemption in Jesus Christ.  It also serves as a constant reminder of God’s love, sacrifice, and great compassion for us.
 
There are many signs in our lives that could have led to a change of heart, to a personal conversion: maybe the undeserved act of kindness we received from someone, or surviving a tragic event, perhaps going through a divorce, or having to change jobs, losing a friend or something else.  Whatever they are, good or bad, these signs have the potential to reshape our relationship with God.
 
I am sure that this pandemic has led to many conversions of heart, to many people realizing that life can be very unpredictable and that only God can save us.  During this time we have learned to appreciate personal relationships, to be patient, to be kind, to pray, to remember our neighbor who lost his job and needs some help, to accept that we are not in control of everything.
 
Beloved brothers and sisters, for Saint Constantine, the Cross became the sign of his conversion.  How about us?  Is there anything that changed our lives and moved us closer to God?  What is the sign of our conversion to a better person?  Let us reflect on that. Amen.