THE FEAST OF ST CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.
FEAST OF ST CYRIL OF JERUSALEM. BISHOP DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH AND MASTER CATECHIST.
IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME I WILL ANSWER YOU.
THE WORD OF GOD:
"Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;
"and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land
and allot the desolate heritages,
"Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
"Along the ways they shall find pasture,
on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
"For he who pities them leads them
and guides them beside springs of water.
I will cut a road through all my mountains,
and make my highways level.
"See, some shall come from afar,
others from the north and the west,
and some from the land of Syene.
"Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted.
"But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me."
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you." (Isaiah 49: 8 - 15).
Wednesday 18th March 2026 in the 4th Week in Lent.
Today is the feast of St Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. St Cyril of Jerusalem is known as a Master Catechist. We shall see why.
St Cyril lived between 315 and 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 San Cyrillo 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.
Some Quotes from the Master Catechist, St Cyril of Jerusalem:
1. “Your accumulated offences do not surpass the multitude of God’s mercies; your wounds do not surpass the great Physician’s skill.”
2. “The Spirit comes gently and makes himself known by his fragrance. He is not felt as a burden, for he is light, very light.”
3. “Since Christ Himself has said, ‘This is My Body,’ who shall dare to doubt that it is His Body?”
4. “Do not be a friend to Jesus in times of peace alone. Do not rejoice in the Cross only in times of peace; preserve the same faith in times of persecution.”
Our first Reading on this Lenten weekday is full of God's gracious promises.
The first thing that attracted me to Sacred Scriptures was the word Promise.
Webster Defines Promise as:
"The meaning of PROMISE is a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified."
So, is God going to fulfill all the promises in Isaiah 49: 8 - 15?
The answer is upfront in the very first sentence:
"Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;"
God answers every prayer. To deny this is to accuse God to be a liar which is outright heresy.
What is confusing for many people is the timing of God's answer.
In our Scripture of today God says:
"In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;"
Another word for "In a time of favor", or on the "day of salvation" I help you; is: IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME.
Every Promise God makes has a date and a time stamp. We do not know the date and the time.
Scripture promises that God will not be late to fulfill His promises by even one second. (Cf Habakkuk 2: 3).
Scripture urges us to wait for the timing of the fulfillment of the Promise of God.
If you think the delay is unbearable, pray for the grace to wait.
Saints Simeon and Anna are my patron saints. They waited long for the birth of Jesus. Both were rewarded to hold Jesus in their arms. I ask them to obtain for me the grace to wait.
God says: In the fullness of time, I will make everything beautiful. (Cf Ecclesiastes 3: 11).
And in fullness of time, I shall move fast. (Cf Isaiah 60: 22).
The Church honors St Joseph in March.
St Joseph is the man chosen by God to be the foster father and guardian of Jesus.
The Church considers St Joseph the greatest Saint after the Blessed Virgin Mary. Joseph is so fittingly named the Patron of the Universal Church. Remember that he was the Guardian of Jesus and in his intercessory role, you can believe that Jesus will deny nothing to Joseph.
For Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
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