Friday, July 19 : Saint Cyril of Jerusalem

The Church is called catholic (or universal) because she exists throughout the world, from end to end of the earth, and because she teaches universally, without fail, every doctrine we need to know concerning both visible and invisible, heavenly and earthly realities. Besides this she is called catholic because she submits all humanity, both leaders and subjects, learned and unlearned, to the true religion; because she tends and heals throughout the world every kind of sin committed by soul or body; and finally, because she possesses in herself every kind of virtue, in deed or word, whatever names they bear, and all the various sorts of spiritual gift. This name ‘Church’ – which means ‘assembly’ – suits her perfectly since she assembles and gathers everyone together as the Lord commands in Leviticus: “Assemble the whole community at the entrance of the Meeting Tent” (Lv 8:3)… And in Deuteronomy God says to Moses: “Assemble the people before me; I will have them hear my words” (Dt 4:10)… The Psalmist also says: “I will give you thanks in the vast assembly; in the mighty throng I will praise you” (Ps 35[34]:18)… But subsequently the Savior instituted a second assembly from among the gentiles: our own holy Church, the church of Christians, concerning which he said to Peter: “Upon this rock I will build my Church and the power of death shall not prevail against it” (cf Mt 16:18)… When the first assembly that used to be in Judaea was destroyed, the churches of Christ were multiplied through all the earth. It is of these that the Psalms speak when they say: “Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints” (Ps 150[149]:1)… And it was of the same holy, catholic Church that Paul writes to Timothy: “You should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth” (1 Tim 3:15).
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team