Sunday, January 30 : Saint Cyril of Alexandria

Desiring to win over the whole world and bring its inhabitants to God the Father, raising all things to a higher condition and, in a sense, renewing the face of the earth, the Lord of the universe “took the form of a servant” (Phil 2:7) and brought the Good News to the poor. This, he said, was why he had been sent (Lk 4:18). Now by the poor we may understand those who were then deprived of all spiritual blessings and who lived in the world without hope and without God, as Scripture says. They are those among the Gentiles who, enriched by faith in Christ, have gained the divine, the heavenly treasure, which is the saving proclamation of the gospel. Through this they have become sharers in the kingdom of heaven and companions of the saints. They have inherited blessings impossible to express or comprehend, for “eye has not seen”, says Scripture, “nor ear heard, nor human heart conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9) (…) All that has been said, however, could also be applied to the Israelites, for they too were poor, broken-hearted, captives in a certain sense, and in darkness. But Christ came, and it was to the Israelites first that he made known the purpose of his coming: he came to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Lk 4:19), and the day of retribution.

Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team