Thursday, April 13 : Saint Cyril of Jerusalem

“We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2Cor 4,5). Who then is this? The former persecutor. O mighty wonder! The former persecutor himself preaches Christ. But why? Was he bribed? No, there was no one who could have persuaded him in that way. Was it the sight of Christ on earth that blinded him? But Jesus had already been taken up into heaven. Saul set out from Jerusalem to persecute Christ’s church, and after three days the persecutor had become a preacher in Damascus. By what power? Others call friends as witnesses for friends but I have presented to you as a witness the former enemy. Do you still doubt? The testimony of Peter and John is weighty… but they were indeed his friends. But of the testimony of one who was formerly his enemy, and afterwards died for his sake, who can any longer doubt the truth? I am amazed at the wise dispensation of the Holy Spirit;… to Paul, the former persecutor, he gave the privilege of writing fourteen letters… In order that his teaching might be beyond question, he granted the former enemy and persecutor the privilege of writing more letters than Peter and John so that we might all be thus made believers. For “all were amazed at Paul and said: ‘Isn’t this the man who was formerly a persecutor? Didn’t he come here to take us away bound to Jerusalem?’” (Acts 9,21) “Be not amazed,” said Paul, I know “it is hard for me to kick against the pricks” (Acts 26,14): I know that “I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God” (1Cor 15,9); but “mercy was shown to me because I did it in ignorance”… “the grace of God was exceedingly abundant in me” (1Tm 1,13-14).
maronite readings – rosary,team