THE FEAST OF ST CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.

THE FEAST OF ST CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH. 

THE CONFIDENT FAITH OF THE CENTURION.

"When Jesus entered Caper­naum, a centurion ap­proa­ch­ed him and appealed to him, saying,

“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”

"He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”

The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

"When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those ­following him,

 “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.

 I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.

While the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; 

there men will weep and gnash their teeth." 

 And to the centurion Jesus said, 

"Go; be it done for you as you have believed." 

And the servant was healed at that very moment. 

And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever; 

he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and served him. 

That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick.

 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, "He took our infirmities and bore our diseases."

(Matthew 8: 5 - 17).

Saturday 27th June 2026 in the 12th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. 

St Cyril lived in Alexandria in Egypt between (376 - 444).

Cyril played a crucial role in the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD to defend the oneness of the person in Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. If Jesus is One Person, then the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of God (Theotokos).

St Cyril listened to the words of Christ, meditated long on them. During the crisis of faith that engulfed Christiandom in the middle of the 5th century, Cyril did not collapse from the virulent and battering attacks of heretics. His house "had been set solidly on rock."

Here is a memorable quote from St Cyril of Alexandria:

"Indeed the mystery of christ runs the risk of being disbelieved precisely because it is so incredibly wonderful." — St Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria.

Exactly! So is the mystery of the Eucharist: too wonderful to be believed by those of weak faith.

Why does Jesus praise the faith of the Centurion? Faith is a rare commodity and one of the greatest gifts of God. 

The opposite of faith is Unbelief and Doubt.

How does faith work? Jesus said to the Centurion: “I will come and cure him.” The Centurion heard this and believed that Jesus will do exactly as He said. 

The faith of the Centurion is much deeper. He said to Jesus for example: 'No need to come to my house. I am not worthy to host you. Just heal my servant with a word said right here, right now. I understand how authority works.'

How does Faith work?

Faith comes from hearing and believing the promises of God.

 As you obey the Divine Word or Command your faith is activated.

The Roman Centurion became a model of faith for the Church. 

This is why we use his words before Holy Communion.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is a model of confident faith in prayer. 

At the Marriage feast in Cana, she asked Jesus to perform a miracle to relieve the embarrassing shortage of wine.

 Jesus appeared reluctant. Mary told the stewards: "Do whatever He tells you."

 She was confident Jesus will comply with the wishes of His mother.

Here are 7 examples of demonstration of Faith from the Gospels to reflect on:

1. The Blessed Virgin Mary at the Annunciation.

2. The shepherds at the Nativity.

3. The 3 Magi at the Hut of the Holy Family.

4. Simeon and Anna at the Presentation.

5. The Calling of Matthew and Zacchaeus.

6. The Good Thief at the Crucifixion.

7. The Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion.

What is the common factor in all these 7 cases?

They heard about the power of Jesus. They believed. They acted with confidence.

"Why do you think I have spoken to you so often of My Eucharistic Face? It is because “face” signifies “presence.” The devotion to My Eucharistic Face is the remedy to the loss of faith in My real presence that has swept through My Church at every level, extinguishing the fire of Eucharistic charity and causing even My elect, My priests, to grow cold and distant from Me. This is My word to you tonight and this is why I brought you to this place. Any loneliness you may feel is an invitation to seek Me out in the Sacrament of My divine friendship and to console My Eucharistic Heart." (IN SINU JESU, Sunday, October 19, 2008 Saint Paul of the Cross).

The Church honors the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus every June.

"When the Church, in the days immediately succeeding her institution, was oppressed, a cross appeared in the heavens to the young emperor. 

Today, behold, another divine symbol is offered to our eyes: the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus."

— Pope Leo XIII, Annum Sacrum. 

Just as Divine Providence provided the sign of the Cross to Emperor Constantine to conquer pagan oppression, the Holy Spirit has provided the image of the Sacred Heart to the modern Church as the definitive standard of victory over secularism and spiritual decay.

Do not look at the moral decline or the chaos of modern politics with a sense of defeat. 

The Person of Jesus has already provided the standard under which we conquer. 

The Sacred Heart is the ultimate sign of hope and eventual teleological triumph. 

Your role as a Catholic person  of faith is to elevate this divine symbol before the eyes of your fellow believers and your family.

 Stand firmly under His banner today, knowing that the final victory belongs to the love of Christ, and no force on earth or under the earth can alter His providential blueprint.

 Prayer:

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, under this divine symbol I place my life and trust for ultimate victory.

Read of the abundant promises made to people who honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus especially in June and in the First Fridays of every month.

For Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link below.

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2020/08/12-promises-of-sacred-heart-of-jesus.html?m=1