Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Feb 14 - Sts. Cyril and Methodius

+ Sts Cyril and Methodius were the “Apostles to the Slavsand along with St. Benedict of Nursia were declared patron saints of all of Europe by Blessed Pope John Paul II. They were born of Greek nobility in 829; their family being connected with the senate of Thessalonica. Their mother may have been Slavic. They studied at the University of Constantinople. Constantine went on to teach philosophy there. He then became a deacon, priest and then librarian at the church of Santa Sophia; later he became a monk, taking the name Cyril.

In 861 he was sent by the emperor to convert the Jewish Khazars of Russia, a mission that was successful and which allowed him to learn the Khazar’s language. In 863 he was sent with Methodius, his brother, to convert Moravians in their native tongue. They developed an alphabet for the Slavonic language based on the Greek language that eventually became known as Cyrillic. After initial criticism for their use of it, the brothers achieved approval of the Liturgy in the Slavonic language. Cyril was just days away from becoming a bishop, but died shortly before the consecration ceremony.

Methodius, on the other hand, did become a bishop and achieved many apostolic victories such as extensive evangelization in Moravia, Bohemia, Pannonia and Poland. He baptized St. Ludmilla and Duke Boriwoi. He became Archbishop of Velehred (in the modern Czech Republic), but was deposed and imprisoned in 870 due to the opposition of German clergy with his work. He was often in trouble over his use of Slavonic in the liturgy, some claiming he preached heresy; but repeatedly he was cleared of charges. He translated the Bible into the Slavonic languages.   

Just as St. Paul in the first reading knew that he was sent to be a light to the Gentiles, so too did Sts. Cyril and Methodius feel that same call and mission. And when the light that you are is the direct reflection of the Light of Christ himself – your light will go very far – as did the message and preaching of these two apostles to the Slavs. The gospel passage shows Jesus sending out a “further seventy-two” “two by two.” 

It is heartwarming to see how some of those sets of two can even have been blood brothers! May we all feel our common family membership in Christ today – and know that we are still called today to go out in pairs or small groups, or even by ourselves, to proclaim the Light of the Gospel and to lead all who are willing to the Light of God’s Face!

The Lord sent them, but he also sends me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives.



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