Friday, November 19 : Saint Cyril of Jerusalem

One might say a great deal about faith. It is enough to cast a glance at Abraham, one of the models given us by the Old Testament, since we are his children by faith. This man was not justified by his works alone but also by faith. He had done many good deeds but he was only called a friend of God when he had given proof of his faith. All his works drew their perfection from his faith. It was by faith that he left his family; it was by faith that he left his homeland, his country and his house. In the same way as he was made righteous, become righteous yourselves! Later on his body became incapable of fatherhood since he had become extremely old. Sara, to whom he had been united, was also old. And so they had no hope at all of a posterity. God, however, announced to this old man that he would become a father, and Abraham’s faith did not flinch. Considering that his body was already very close to death, he did not take his physical weakness into account, nonetheless, but the strength of the One who made the promise, since he judged him who had made this promise to be worthy of faith. Thus it was that, from two bodies already marked, so to speak, by death, a child was marvellously born… It is Abraham’s example of faith that makes children of Abraham out of us all. How? People find resurrection from the dead just as unbelievable as that old men, already marked by death, should father their posterity. But when someone proclaims the good news of Christ to us, crucified on the tree, dead and brought back to life again, then we believe it. Thus it is through imitating his faith that we enter into the descendance of Abraham. And so, like him, we receive with faith the spiritual seal, circumcised like him in baptism by the Holy Spirit.

maronite readings – rosary,team