Megabit 10 — March 19

Queen Helena Finds the Holy Cross

Today is a very joyful day. It is the day the Holy Cross of our Lord Jesus appeared, not once but two times. This is the happy story of how it was found.

Long ago there was a kind queen named Helena (say it: HEL-en-uh). Her son, Constantine, was a great emperor, a ruler over many lands. When Constantine came to love Jesus and was baptized, his mother Helena was so glad that she traveled all the way to the holy city of Jerusalem. She wanted to find the wooden Cross on which Jesus had died to save us.

But there was a problem. For more than two hundred years, the place where Jesus was buried, a little hill called Golgotha (say it: GOL-go-tha), had been covered over with rubbish and dirt. No one could even see it anymore. Helena asked her helpers to clear it away, and they worked hard until the hill was clean again.

When the dirt was gone, they found three old crosses buried in the ground. But which one was the true Cross of Jesus? They did not know, so they prayed and trusted God to show them. And He did. The true Cross had a special power in it, and everyone could tell which one belonged to our Lord. Helena and all the people knelt down and bowed before it with great joy.

Queen Helena was so thankful that she built beautiful churches in Jerusalem to praise God. She kept part of the Holy Cross safe and sent another part to her son, the emperor, so he could honor it too.

Helena and all the believing people bowed down before the Holy Cross with great joy.

The Cross Is Found a Second Time

Many years later, the Holy Cross was carried away from Jerusalem and hidden. A brave girl had seen exactly where it was buried, but she kept the secret safely in her heart.

There was a good ruler named Heraclius (say it: heh-RAK-lee-us), the emperor of Rome. He was very sad that the Holy Cross was lost. He searched and searched for it everywhere, but he could not find it.

Then the brave girl came to the emperor and told him the secret. "I know where the Holy Cross is buried," she said. The emperor was filled with joy. The girl led him, with his priests and his helpers, all the way to the hidden spot.

They dug deep into the ground, and there it was: the Holy Cross of Jesus, found a second time. The emperor was wearing his fine royal clothes, and yet he knelt down humbly and bowed before the Cross, and so did everyone with him. Then he carried the precious Cross to his great city to keep it safe.

And so the finding of the Holy Cross happened twice on this very same day, Megabit 10. That is why today is such a happy day. The Cross reminds us how much Jesus loves us, and that is the best news of all.

The emperor, in his royal clothes, knelt down and bowed before the Holy Cross, and he rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.