Feast of St Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and Doctor of the Church.

Feast of Cyril of Jerusalem, the Master Catechist. 

"Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. 

“Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. 

The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ 

"But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ 

"I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18: 9 - 14).

Saturday March 18th 2023 in the 3rd Week of Lent  is the feast of St Cyril of Jerusalem. Bishop and Doctor of the Church. (315 - 386). St Cyril was the Archbishop of Jerusalem when the Arian heresy disturbed the peace of the Church all over the Roman Empire.

Cyril vigorously defended the unchangeable teachings of the Church. For this, he suffered multiple exiles from the See of Jerusalem. St Cyril is recognized in history by his catechetical works. He prepared multitudes of Catechumens to receive Baptism and helped the Neophytes after Easter to grow in the faith. What is really providential in the work and legacy of St Cyril is that he documented his teachings which have come to us. His writings of over 1600 years ago prove that the Catholic Church is the same in teachings and beliefs in the late 300s as she is today. Nothing has changed.

Our takeaway from today's well-known Gospel sounds simple enough:

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

How does one exalt himself? You exalt yourself when you overrate yourself. You exalt yourself when you consider yourself superior to your neighbors based on the color of your skin. You exalt yourself when you consider yourself the knowall in any area of knowledge. 

How does one humble himself? Simply, be like Jesus. Be like the Virgin Mary. Be like the saints. An example, our saint of today: St Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Cyril was a very humble man. Although one of the most learned in his epoch, he was a very humble man. 

Examination of Conscience and the Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the most effective tools in acquiring humility teaches St Philip Neri. 

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