Homily – September 16, 2009 – Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian

+ Our saints for today, Cornelius and Cyprian, were very important early third century bishops and martyrs. The Church at the time was still suffering persecution by the Roman Emperors. Doctrinal formulations were still being made as to what the Church was all about. It was still a time of living on the edge for the developing Catholic faith!

Cornelius was the pope who insisted that those baptized by heretics or schismatics need not be rebaptized upon entering or returning to the Catholic Church. Little is known about him, personally, other than the fact that he was a Roman simple priest and perhaps belonged to a patrician family. When his predecessor the papacy, Fabian, died, another priest named Novatian was the frontrunner to be elected Pope. He had governed the Church in the fourteen months that lapsed from the death of Fabian to the election of a new pope (which was postponed because of the persecution of Decius).

When Cornelius was elected, Novatian had himself ordained bishop and installed as an anti-pope. Needless to say the ensuing skirmish between the two churchmen was intense. Letters written by Cornelius at the time, considered very harsh and authoritarian, however, provided information about the Church at the time: it included forty-six priests, seven deacons, seven subdeacons, forty-two acolytes, fifty-two exorcists, readers, and porters, and more than fifteen hundred widows (who were also considered officers of the church). On the basis of these figures, it has been estimated that the membership of the Roman church in the mid-third century may have reached fifty thousand members.

In the mid third century, the persecutions resumed by the emperor Gallus, and Cornelius was imprisoned and deported from Rome. Before dying due to harsh treatment Cornelius received a warm letter of support from Cyprian.

Cyprian's greatest legacy was his writings, which were translated into Greek – a rarity for a Latin writer. His concerns were focused on the unity of the Church, the office of bishop, the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, and the Sacraments: especially, Baptism, Penance, and Eucharist. He is cited several times by the Second Vatican Council in its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (1964).

The first reading today tells us that the treasure of God's wisdom, and knowledge and grace is held by us in the earthly vessel of our human minds and bodies – that – due to Original Sin – still struggle to get the whole picture as given, and to get it right! It also tells us that all we must do to endure the sufferings that go into living and spreading our faith is worthwhile.

In the gospel passage we overhear Jesus praying his Priestly Prayer – which he prayed after the Last Supper, shortly before he went into the Garden of Gethsemane – that these men – these chosen apostles would be protected from the world, and guided into all truth. "It would not be easy, even for them to always agree with one another – so flood them with our Spirit, Father, so that they may always come out on top in any debates or conflicts regarding the truth!"

Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing!