Meet the Doctors: St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Meet the Doctors: St. Cyril of Jerusalem

From Matins of the Feast of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church
Online Source: www.breviary.net

Second Nocturn
Absolutio: Ipsíus píetas et misericórdia nos ádjuvet, qui cum Patre et Spíritu Sancto vivit et regnat in sæcula sæculórum.R.  Amen.	Absolution:  May his loving-kindness and mercy assist us.  Who, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, for ever and ever. R.  Amen.
V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.	V.  Vouchsafe, Reverend Father (O Lord), thy blessing.
Benedíctio 4: Deus Pater omnípotens sit nobis propítius et clemens. R.  Amen.	Benediction 4:  May God the Father Almighty shew us his mercy and pity. R.  Amen.
Lesson iv
Cyríllus Hierosolymitánus, a téneris annis divinárum Scripturárum stúdio summópere déditus, ádeo in eárum sciéntia profécit, ut orthodóxæ fídei strénuus assértor eváserit.  Monásticis institútis imbútus, perpétuæ continéntiæ omníque severióri vivéndi ratióni se addíctum vóluit.  Postquam  a sancto Máximo Hierosólymæ epíscopo présbyter ordinátus fuit, munus verbi divíni fidélibus prædicándi et catechúmenos edocéndi summa cum laude implévit, atque illas vere mirándas conscrípsit catechéses, quibus totam ecclesiásticam doctrínam dilúcide et copióse compléxus, síngula religiónis dógmata contra fídei hostes sólide propugnávit.  Ita vero in his enucleáte et distíncte disséruit, ut non solum jam exórtas hæreses, sed futúras étiam quasi præságiens evérterit ; quemádmodum præstitit asseréndo córporis et sánguinis Christi reálem præséntiam in mirábili Eucharístiæ sacraménto.  Vita autem functo sancto Máximo, a provínciæ epíscopis in illíus locum sufféctus est.	Cyril of Jerusalem was given to the study of the Sacred Scriptures from childhood, and made such progress that he became an eminent champion of the true faith.  He embraced the monastic state, and bound himself to perpetual chastity and austerity of life.  He was ordained priest by St. Maximus, bishop of Jerusalem, and undertook the work of preaching the divine word to the faithful and instructing the catechumens, in which he won the highest praise.  He was the author of those truly wonderful Catechetical Instructions which embrace clearly and fully all the teaching of the Church, and contain an excellent defence of the dogmas of religion against the enemies of the Faith.  His treatment of these subjects is so distinct and clear that he refuteth not only the heresies of his own time, but also, by a kind of foreknowledge, as it were, those which were to arise later.  And so he plainly teacheth the Real Presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the wonderful Sacrament of the Eucharist.  On the death of St. Maximus, the bishops of the province chose Cyril in his place.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis. R.  Deo grátias.	V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. R.  Thanks be to God.
R.  Invéni David servum meum, óleo sancto meo unxi eum :* Manus enim mea auxiliábitur ei. V.  Nihil profíciet inimícus in eo, et fílius iniquitátis non nocébit ei. R.  Manus enim mea auxiliábitur ei.	R.  I have found David my servant, with my holy oil have I anointed him. * My hand shall hold him fast. V.  The enemy shall not be able to do him violence ; the son of wickedness shall not hurt him. R.  My hand shall hold him fast.
V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.	V.  Vouchsafe, Reverend Father (O Lord), thy blessing.
Benedíctio 5: Christus perpétuæ det nobis gáudia vitæ.R.  Amen.	Benediction 5: May Christ bestow upon us the joys of life eternal. R.  Amen.
Lesson v
The Armenian Cathedral of St. James, Jerusalem
In episcopátu injúrias multas et calamitátes, non secus ac beátus Athanásius, cui coævus erat, ab Arianórum factiónibus fídei causa perpéssus fuit.  Hi enim ægre feréntes Cyríllum veheménter hærésibus obsístere, ipsum calúmniis aggrediúntur, et in conciliábulo depósitum e sua Sede detúrbant.  Quorum furóri ut se subtráheret, Tarsum Cilíciæ aufúgit, et quoad vixit Constántius, exsílii rigórem pértulit.  Post illíus mortem, Juliáno Apóstata ad impérium evécto, Hierosólymam redíre pótuit, ubi ardénti zelo gregi suo ab erróribus et a vítiis revocándo óperam navávit.  Sed íterum, Valénte imperatóre, exsuláre coáctus est, donec, réddita Ecclésiæ pace per Theodósium Magnum, et Arianórum crudelitáte audaciáque représsa, ab eódem imperatóre tamquam fortíssimus Christi athléta honóribus suscéptus, suæ Sedi restitútus fuit.  Quam strénue et sancte sublímis offícii sui múnia impléverit, luculénter appáret ex florénti tunc témporis Hierosolymitánæ ecclésiæ statu, quem sanctus Basilíus loca sancta venerátus, ibi aliquámdiu commorátus, descríbit.	As bishop he endured, like blessed Athanasius, his contemporary, many wrongs and sufferings for the sake of the faith at the hands of the Arians.  They could not bear his strenuous opposition to their heresy, and thus assailed him with calumnies, deposed him in a pseudo-council, and drove him from his see.  To escape their rage he fled to Tarsus in Cilicia and, as long as Constantius lived, he bore the hardships of exile.  On his death, and at the ascension of Julian the Apostate to the empire, Cyril was able to return to Jerusalem, where he set himself, with burning zeal, to deliver his flock from errors and vices.  He was driven into exile a second time, under the emperor Valens, but when peace was restored to the Church by Theodosius the Great, and the cruelty and insolence of the Arians were restrained, he was received with honour by the emperor as a most valiant soldier of Christ, and restored to his see.  With what earnestness and holiness he fulfilled the duties of his exalted office was proved by the flourishing state of the church at Jerusalem at that time, as described by St. Basil who spent some time there on a pilgrimage to the holy places.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis. R.  Deo grátias.	V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. R.  Thanks be to God.
R.  Pósui adjutórium super poténtem, et exaltávi eléctum de plebe mea : * Manus enim mea auxiliábitur ei. V.  Invéni David servum meum, óleo sancto meo unxi eum. R.  Manus enim mea auxiliábitur ei.	R.  I have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one chosen out of the people. * My hand shall hold him fast.V.  I have found David, my servant, with my holy oil have I anointed him. R.  My hand shall hold him fast.
V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.	V.  Vouchsafe, Reverend Father (O Lord), thy blessing.
Benedíctio 6: Ignem sui amóris accéndat Deus in córdibus nostris. R.  Amen.	Benediction 6: May God enkindle in our hearts the fire of his holy love. R.  Amen.
Lesson vi
The Church of Hagia Eirene (Holy Peace) in Constantinople (Istanbul) where the Council of Constantinople was held in A.D. 381
Venerándi hujus præsulis sanctitátem cæléstibus signis a Deo fuísse illustrátam, memóriæ tráditum accépimus.  Inter hæc recensétur præclára Crucis, solis rádiis fulgentióris apparítio, quæ episcopátus ejus inítia decorávit.  Hujúsmodi prodígii éthnici et christiáni testes oculáres fuérunt cum ipso Cyríllo, qui, grátiis primum in Ecclésia Deo rédditis, illud per epístolam Constántio imperatóri narrávit.  Nec minus admiratióne dignum, quod Judæis, templum a Tito evérsum restauráre ex ímpio imperatóris Juliáni jussu conántibus, evénit.  Veheménti enim terræmótu obórto, et ingéntibus flammárum globis e terra erumpéntibus, ómnia ópera ignis consúmpsit, ita ut Judæi et Juliánus detérriti ab incépto destíterint ; prout scílicet indubitánter futúrum Cyríllus prædíxerat.  Qui demum paulo ante óbitum Concílio œcuménico Constantinopolitáno intérfuit, in quo Macedónii hæresis, et íterum Ariána condemnáta est.  Ac Jerúsalem inde revérsus, fere septuagenárius, trigésimo quinto sui episcopátus anno, sancto fine quiévit.  Ejus Offícium ac Missam Leo décimus tértius Póntifex máximus ab univérsa Ecclésia celebrári mandávit.	Tradition stateth that God made the holiness of this venerable prelate illustrious by signs from heaven.  Among these is numbered the apparition of a shining cross, brighter than the rays of the sun, which was seen at the beginning of his episcopate.  Not only Cyril himself, but pagans and Christians alike were witnesses of this miracle which Cyril, after having given thanks unto God in church, announced by letter to Constantius.  A thing no less wonderful came to pass when the Jews were commanded by the impious emperor Julian to restore the Temple which had been destroyed by Titus.  A violent earthquake occurred, and great balls of fire burst out of the earth, and consumed all the works, so that Julian and the Jews were struck with terror and gave up their plan ; all of which had been clearly foretold by Cyril.  A little while before his death, he was present at the ecumenical Council of Constantinople, where the heresies of Macedonius, and, once more, that of Arius were condemned.  After his return to Jerusalem, being nearly seventy years old, he died a holy death in the thirty-fifth year of his episcopate.  Pope Leo XIII ordered that his Office and Mass should be said throughout the Universal Church.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis. R.  Deo grátias.	V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. R.  Thanks be to God.
R.  Iste est, qui ante Deum magnas virtútes operátus est, et omnis terra doctrína ejus repléta est : * Ipse intercédat pro peccátis ómnium populórum.V.  Iste est, qui contémpsit vitam mundi, et pervénit ad cæléstia regna. R.  Ipse intercédat pro peccátis ómnium populórum.V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. R.  Ipse intercédat pro peccátis ómnium populórum.	R.  This is he who wrought mighty deeds and valiant in the sight of God, and all the earth is filled with his doctrine: *May his intercession avail for the sins of all the people.V.  He was a man who despised the life of the world and attained unto the kingdom of heaven. R.  May his intercession avail for the sins of all the people.V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. R.  May his intercession avail for the sins of all the people.