I bet you were expecting a post about St. Valentine... gotcha!
SS. Cyril and Methodius may be two of the most important figures in the Christian history of Europe. Pope Bl. John Paul II did nothing without good reason, and that includes making them co-patrons of Europe (with St. Bernard of Clairvaux) at a time when the Gospel needs to be proclaimed again.
While the Apostles of the Slavs have a special place in the hearts of the Poles, Ukrainians, Slovaks, Czechs, Croats, etc., their legacy is of significance to all Christians.
The second reading from the Office of Readings today:
From an Old Slavonic Life of Constantine
Build up your church and gather all into unity
Constantine, already burdened by many hardships, became ill.
At one point during his extended illness, he experienced a vision of God and
began to sing this verse: “My spirit rejoiced and my heart exulted because they
told me we shall go into the house of the Lord.”
Afterward he
remained dressed in the vestments that were to be venerated later, and rejoiced
for an entire day, saying: “From now on, I am not the servant of the emperor or
of any man on earth, but of almighty God alone. Before, I was dead, now I am
alive and I shall live for ever. Amen.”
The following
day, he assumed the monastic habit and took the religious name Cyril. He lived
the life of a monk for fifty days.
When the time
came for him to set out from this world to the peace of his heavenly homeland,
he prayed to God with his hands outstretched and his eyes filled with tears: “O
Lord, my God, you have created the choirs of angels and spiritual powers; you
have stretched forth the heavens and established the earth, creating all that
exists from nothing. You hear those who obey your will and keep your commands
in holy fear. Hear my prayer and protect your faithful people, for you have
established me as their unsuitable and unworthy servant.
“Keep them
free from harm and the worldly cunning of those who blaspheme you. Build up
your Church and gather all into unity. Make your people known for the unity and
profession of their faith. Inspire the hearts of your people with your word and
your teaching. You called us to preach the Gospel of your Christ and to
encourage them to lives and works pleasing to you.
“I now return
to you, your people, your gift to me. Direct them with your powerful right
hand, and protect them under the shadow of your wings. May all praise and
glorify your name, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Once he had
exchanged the gift of peace with everyone, he said: “Blessed be God, who did
not hand us over to our invisible enemy, but freed us from his snare and
delivered us from perdition.” He then fell asleep in the Lord at the age of
forty-two.
The Patriarch
commanded all those in Rome, both the Greeks and Romans, to gather for his
funeral. They were to chant over him together and carry candles; they were to
celebrate his funeral as if he had been a pope. This they did.
Prayer:
Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius were your instruments, Lord,
in bringing the light of the gospel to the
Slavonic peoples.
May we take your word into our hearts
and be at one in professing the true faith.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.