18 March 2011: St Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop and Doctor of the Church

St Cyril is known mainly for his Catecheses which remain relevant, conclusively showing that Catholic doctrine is the same then (+386) and now. (Fr James Socias et al [Eds], “Daily Roman Missal”, 1989, p1493)

A life close to the Cross

To be a disciple of Our Lord means to follow his advice: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” (Mt 16:24)

It is not possible to follow Our Lord without the Cross. Jesus’ words are relevant in all ages, since they are directed to each and every man [person].

To take up the cross -- acceptance of the contradictions God permits, the costly fulfilment of our duties, Christian mortification voluntarily accepted -- is the indispensable condition for following the Master.

“What would become of a Gospel, of a Christianity, without the Cross, without pain, the sacrifice of pain? It would be a Gospel, a Christianity without Redemption, with no Salvation; a Redemption and Salvation of which, and we ought to recognise with unmitigated sincerity, we stand in absolute need. The Lord has saved us with the Cross; with his death. He has given us hope again, the right to life. ...” (cf Paul VI, “Address”, 24 March 1967)

It would be a valueless Christianity, useless in reaching Heaven, for “the world cannot be saved except with the Cross of Christ”. (St Leo the Great, “Sermon 51”)

United to the Lord, mortifications, voluntary or passive, acquire their deepest meaning. They are a ‘participation’ in the mystery of the Redemption.

To some, mortification can signify madness or stupidity, some kind of relic carried over from earlier eras which is inappropriate to the progress and cultural development of the twenty-first century. But none of this should surprise us. St Paul had already written that “it is a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles” (1 Cor 1:23).

Christians who lose sight of the supernatural meaning of their lives fail to understand that we can only follow Christ through a life of sacrifice, beside the Cross. “If you don’t deny yourself, you never will be a soul of prayer.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 172)

“To suppose that He would admit to his close friendship pleasure-loving people who want to be free from all trials is ridiculous.” (St Theresa, “The Way of Perfection”, 18, 2)

Ref: Cf Francis Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:113-5

In Christ we contemplate the sorrows of mankind

In him led publicly to execution and exposed to a humiliating death; -- the Man of sorrow -- predicted by Isaiah, is summed up and sanctified every human sorrow.

Servant of the Father, Firstborn among many brothers, the Head of humanity, he transforms man’s suffering into an offering that pleases God, a redeeming sacrifice. The Lamb who takes away the sins of the world, the faithful Witness who sums up in himself, and ennobles, every martyrdom.

On the “Via Dolorosa” and on Golgotha is his Mother, the first Martyr. And with the heart of his Mother, to whom he consigned as his testament from the Cross every disciple and every man, we contemplate, with emotion, Christ’s sufferings, learning from him obedience until death, even death on the Cross; learning from her to accept every man as our brother, to be with her near the innumerable crosses to which the Lord of glory is still unjustly nailed, not his glorious Body but the suffering limbs of his mystical Body.

Ref: Cf “The Private Prayers of Pope John Paul II”, 1993, p69

“Refugium peccatorum” (“Refuge of sinners”)

Now we assure Our Lord that we want to follow him closely, to stay with him and not leave him alone, in those moments and in those places when it is not easy to say that we are his disciples.

We want to follow him in our work or studies, on the street; and when we are in the church, with the family; or during healthy recreation. We know that by ourselves we cannot do anything; but with our daily prayers, we can.

Perhaps one of his disciples went in search of the Holy Virgin and told her that they had taken her Son. And she, despite her immense pain, gave them peace in those bitter hours.

We, too can find refuge in her -- “Refugium peccatorum” -- if despite our good intentions we were not brave enough to stand up for the Lord when he was counting on us. In her we will find the necessary strength to remain with the Lord in bad times, and to be reinforced by her in our desire to make amends.

Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:246

• In the year 1586, Our Lady of Loretto church was erected into a cathedral by Sixtus V, having been previously a collegiate church. — Tursellini, Historia Lauretana, v. 10. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com)
• Cathedral of Our Lady of Loretto, erected (1586). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)
• Our Lady of Loretto (Cathedral built by Pope Sixtus V). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
• Our Lady of Loreto. (The house where Mary and Joseph raised Jesus.) History and links. Cathedral built by Pope Sixtus V. 1586. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Our Lady of Mercy. Patroness of Savona, Italy. Pope Pius VII freed from Napoleon's captivity in Savona this day, 1814. Connection to Our Lady of Mercy September 24. Marian apparitions in Savona, including 1536 event which this feast commemorates. John Paul II speech on Pius VII and Savona. Statue in Buenos Aires. Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy. Saves Ajaccio, France, from the black death, 1656. Paintings from Savona Shrine. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Our Lady of Mercy of Savona. (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)