The Lives of the Saints
1. SAINT CYRIL, ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA
Of noble origin and a close relative of Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, after whose death he was consecrated as patriarch. He waged three fierce battles during his lifetime: with the Novatian heretics, with the heretic Nestorius, and with the Jews of Alexandria. The Novatians arose in Rome and were so named after Novatian the presbyter, the originator of the heresy. They prided themselves on their virtue, walked about dressed in white clothing, forbade second marriages, and held that one should not pray for those who commit mortal sin, nor accept back into the Church those who once fall away from the Church, no matter how bitterly they repent. Cyril defeated them and expelled them from Alexandria together with their bishop. The struggle with the Jews was much more difficult and bloody. The Jews had grown powerful in Alexandria from the very beginning, when Alexander the Great founded that city. Their hatred toward Christians was furious and frenzied. They killed Christians treacherously, by poisoning, by crucifixion. After a long and difficult struggle, Cyril succeeded in obtaining from Emperor Theodosius the Younger the expulsion of the Jews from Alexandria. His battle against Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, was resolved by the Third Ecumenical Council in Ephesus. Cyril himself presided over that Council, representing at the same time Pope Celestine of Rome, at the latter's request, as he was unable to come to the Council due to old age. Nestorius was condemned, anathematized, and banished by the emperor to the eastern border of the empire, where he died a terrible death (for worms ate through his tongue, with which he had blasphemed the Most Holy Theotokos by calling her Christotokos). After the conclusion of the struggle, Cyril lived in peace and zealously shepherded the flock of Christ. He departed to the Lord in the year 444. He is credited with having composed the prayer "Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos!"
2. SAINT CYRIL OF BELOZERSK
Born and raised in Moscow in a noble house. He was tonsured in the Simonov Monastery, where he struggled ascetically to the wonder of all the other monks. In order to conceal his virtue, he pretended to be a fool for Christ. He conversed personally with Saint Sergius of Radonezh, from whom he received many profitable teachings. Against his will he was elected abbot of that monastery. But he constantly prayed to the Most Holy Theotokos to show him the way where he might struggle in silence. One night he saw a great light and heard a voice: "Cyril, depart from here and go to the White Lake!" And he indeed departed from the Simonov Monastery with a companion, went to the region of the White Lake, and there, in a dense pine forest, began his ascetical struggle. In time that wilderness was transformed into a great monastery. The Venerable Cyril received from God a great gift of wonderworking, healing the sick and performing many other miracles. He departed this life in the year 1429 in the ninetieth year of his life, and went to the Lord, Whom he had loved with fervent love his whole life.
Hymn of Praise
The holy Cyril, unshakable,
By his faith amazed the world.
With the honorable Cross the hero girded himself
And arrayed himself against the enemies of the Church.
Against the Jews, the sworn enemies of the Cross,
And he struck against the Novatians,
Who had grown proud of themselves
And set a limit to God's mercy,
Who condemned sinners before the Judgment
And denied miracles to the power of God.
But most of all did Cyril shine
When he rose against Nestorius,
The destroyer of the Orthodox faith,
The blasphemer of the Mother of God.
The Mother of God helped Cyril,
And he conquered all the power of the enemy,
He cleansed the holy Church of chaff,
All through the help of the Virgin Mother of God.
Cyril was a knight of Orthodoxy,
Therefore the Church glorifies Cyril
And prays to him unceasingly
To protect us from the enemy's uprising.
O Cyril, star among stars,
Help us with thy prayers!
Reflection
We sin if we consider it a duty to hate those whom our relatives also hate. That hatred passes to us like a family disease. By adopting the loves of our relatives, we also adopt their hatreds. Even great spiritual giants have sometimes yielded to this weakness. Patriarch Theophilus never liked Saint John Chrysostom and remained until death his bitter opponent. Saint Cyril, his relative and successor on the Alexandrian throne, inherited that hatred against the golden-tongued saint and carried it within himself for a long time. In vain did Saint Isidore of Pelusium counsel him to change his opinion about Chrysostom and to inscribe him in the diptych of saints; Cyril could not change his ill will. Then the Most Holy Theotokos, for whose glory and honor Cyril had fought so much against Nestorius, appeared to Cyril in a vision with a multitude of angels and with John Chrysostom — in great glory. And the Holy Most Pure One entreated Chrysostom to forgive Cyril, and they embraced and kissed one another. That vision completely changed Cyril's feelings toward Chrysostom, and Cyril repented with shame that he had so unreasonably hated Chrysostom, a great saint of God.
“We sin if we consider it a duty to hate those whom our relatives also hate. That hatred passes to us like a family disease.”
Contemplation
Contemplate the miraculous healing of the mute and possessed man (Matt. 9:32), namely:
1. How the Lord cast the devil out of him, and the mute man spoke,
2. How the devil strives with all his might to make my soul mute, so that it does not glorify the Lord,
3. How the Lord can, if I so desire, with one word drive away the unclean spirit from me and make me a harp of God's glory.
Homily
On Those Who Love Death
All they that hate Me love death (Prov. 8:36)
Thus speaks the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth, through His prophet. He who hates the Wisdom of God hates God, and he who hates God, what has he to love other than death? Is not everything outside the Lord death? The sun and the stars, the seas and the mountains, the animals and the plants — what is all this but dead dust, given form and brought to life by the power of God, the word of God, the wisdom of God? He who does not love God not only does not love God, but he loves nothing that is of God — neither the beauty of the stars, nor the order of the seas and mountains, nor the vital force that is in animals and plants. He who does not love God removes and distances God from nature. What then remains? Only dead, formless, dark dust — only death. But even that dust was created by God. And that dust too the God-hater must give back to God, and what remains is that which does not pertain to God, that is: death, sin, and the devil. He who does not love God in reality loves death, sin, and the devil. Every God-hater is a plaything of the devil, a fruit of sin, and a morsel of death.
If we hate Thee, O Lord of love, we have no one and nothing to love. For even what we love is from Thee. Foolish is he who loves the rays but hates the sun; and he who loves the drops of water but hates the spring.
Inspire us with life-giving love toward Thee, O All-loving Lord. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“He who does not love God removes and distances God from nature. What then remains? Only dead, formless, dark dust — only death.”