Stts.Cyril and Methodius
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saints_Cyril_and_Methodius
Cyril and Methodius were
respectively born in Thessalonica in 827 and 826. Their father died when they were about
fourteen and their uncle, took over caring for them. Under his guidance, Cyril came to
Constantinople to study in the University, and Methodius became an abbot (head
of a monastery) in Constantinople. Cyril was particularly adept at linguistics
and spoke Greek, Latin, Slavonic and Arabic among others, and began
teaching.
In 826 Prince Rastislav of
Greater Moravia asked the Emperor and Patriarch of Constantinople to send
missionaries for his Slavic subjects.
Cyril and Methodius were chosen and began by training helpers, and then
began translating the Bible into Slavonic, for which they devised the
Glagolictic Alphabet which contained letters for sounds found in Slavonic, but
not in Greek. This Alphabet is still
used by the Russian and other Orthodox churches today. The Cyrillic alphabet used in Russian and in
the Balkan Peninsula today is derived from the
Glagolictic. Unfortunately they were
opposed by German ecclesiastical authorities who opposed the Slavonic mass.
The brothers wisely sought the
help of the Roman Church in their endeavors, which helped the mission to
continue. Rome sent them Bishops to ordain some of
their helpers, who celebrated the Eucharist in Old Church Slavonic. Cyril, feeling the time of his death was
approaching, became a monk and died shortly thereafter on 14 February 869.
Methodius continued the work in Pannonia,
which led to conflict with the Archbishop of Salzburg. The Pope made Methodius Archbishop of Sirmium
(an older title) to supersede the authority of the Bishop of Salzburg. Sirmium included not only Greater Slavonia,
but Panonia and Serbia
as well. The Archbishop of Salzburg was
so annoyed that he managed to get Methodius imprisoned for two and one half
years. Through the influence of the
Pope, he regained his freedom and authority, but not the right to celebrate the
Eucharist in Slavonic. After Methodius’s
death in 885 most of his followers were banished and ended up in the Bulgarian
Empire, where under the authority of Constantinople they continued their work,
which eventually extended as far east as Kiev.
This work also laid the foundation of ideas later to reach Jan Huss,
Martin Luther and others of preaching to the people in their own language.
The story of Cyril and Methodius
is a sad story of how petty jealousy, politics, lack of missionary zeal, and a
lack of considering the pastoral needs of the people can get in the way of our
true mission. To the credit of Cyril and
Methodius, they laid down the groundwork of evangelising Eastern
Europe in language understood by the people. They sowed the seed, others reaped the
harvest. We should learn to persevere
from them, and also learn not to let political expedients derail us from the
imperative of proclaiming the Gospel.
Collect: Lord our God, you raised Cyril and Methodius
to proclaim the Gospel in a hostile land and gave them intellectual gifts to
translate, create an alphabet, and teach, so raise up in this and every land
bishops and ministers who are willing to persevere to the end in proclaiming
the Gospel of our Lord Yeshuah haMoshiach.
This we ask through Yeshua haMoshiach who lives and reigns with you and
the Ruach haKodesh, one God in glory everlasting. Amen. (white)
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