St. Cyril of Jerusalem was born arouind the time Emperor Constantine legalised Christianity in the Roman Empire (313 AD) and became bishop of Jerusalem in 349AD. Virtually nothing is known about his life prior to ordination. What we do know is that St. Cyril was caught up in the Arian controversy which was raging throughout his life time. (The Arians taught that Christ was not of the same substance as the father, and that there was a time when he did not exist. This diminishing of his divinity was later judged to be false/heretical and banished by the Church- but not before it gained favour amongst many in high office). Cyril defied the Arians and unashamedly taught that Jesus was fully divine. This willingness to stand up for the faith led to him being banished from Jerusalem a total of three times.
Saint Cyril provides us with one of the best sources we have for understanding how the church celebrated liturgy and sacraments during the first few decades after the legalisation of Christianity. In his famous 24 lectures (commonly known as the Jerusalem Catechese), S. Cyril insists on the value of baptism and speaks of the real presence of Christ’s body and blood in the sacrament of the Eucharist. St. Cyril of Jerusalem is considered one of the Early Church Fathers and is reckoned among the number of the Doctors of the Catholic Church.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem died about 386AD, shortly after the First Council of Constantinople which completed the Nicene Creed, which is used to this day as a definitive guide to Christian belief and is sung at ever High Mass. (I believe in one God, the father almighty etc..) He is best remembered as a brave soul who stood up for the Gospel against false teaching within the church and without. On this his feast day let us pray that God might raise up new ‘Cyrils of Alexandrias’ to lead us to the truth of the faith once delivered by the Apostles. For surely heresy is as grave a dnager in our day as it was in that of S. Cyril.
