Mystagogical Catecheses
St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Abstract (Azbuka very):

The Mystagogical Catecheses is a cycle of five homilies delivered during Bright Week (in 348 or 350–351 AD). St. Cyril of Jerusalem explains to the newly illumined the essence and rites of the Sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation, and the Eucharist, which they had received on Pascha.

In the 1st Homily, the preliminary rites preceding the Sacrament of Baptism are examined: the renunciation of Satan and the union with Christ. The 2nd Homily explores the mystical meaning and grace-filled power of the actions performed during Baptism itself, understood as a participation in the death and Resurrection of Christ, through which we attain salvation. In Baptism, all that truly happened to the Savior happens to us as well—yet painlessly, without suffering. By destroying the power of death through His own death and Resurrection, Christ delivered humanity from the bondage of death. Through Baptism, partaking in Christ’s sufferings, we partake in this victory.

The 3rd Homily explains the actions and their significance in the Sacrament of Chrismation. St. Cyril emphasizes the connection between the words «to anoint» and «Christian.» To be a Christian means to be an «anointed one», sharing in the anointing of the Old Testament kings, priests, and ultimately Christ Himself.

The final two homilies are devoted to the Sacrament of the Eucharist. The 4th Homily discusses the essence of the Sacrament, its material elements, and its mystical action. St. Cyril assures his listeners that the bread and wine in the Eucharist are truly changed into the Body and Blood of the Lord, though their appearance remains unchanged. He highlights the distinction between perceiving the Holy Mysteries with bodily senses and the living faith of the human soul: «Do not judge the matter by taste, but let faith assure you beyond doubt that you have been deemed worthy of the Body and Blood of Christ.»

The 5th Homily outlines the order of the Liturgy of the Faithful and the Eucharistic Canon. These last two catecheses hold particular importance, as they testify to St. Cyril’s account of the liturgical practice of the mid-4th century and the unwavering faith of the Early Church in the transformation of the Holy Gifts.

Additionally, the 5th Homily contains a significant commentary on the Lord’s Prayer. Of special interest is the interpretation of the petition for «daily bread.» In Greek, the word for «daily» (ἐπιούσιος) literally means «supersubstantial» or «above essence.» St. Cyril asserts that this bread, «which has an effect upon the essence of the soul,» is none other than the Eucharist.

Catechetical Lectures →

Contents:

• First Mystagogical Catechesis
• Second Mystagogical Catechesis
• Third Mystagogical Catechesis
• Fourth Mystagogical Catechesis
• Fifth Mystagogical Catechesis

First Mystagogical Catechesis

[To the newly illumined, on the words from the First Catholic Epistle of Peter, beginning at: «Be sober, be vigilant» (1Pet.5:8), through the end of the epistle.]

1. Long have I desired, O true and cherished children of the Church, to converse with you concerning these spiritual and heavenly mysteries. Yet knowing well that sight persuades more surely than hearing, I awaited this present time, when experience might render you better prepared to receive the teachings proclaimed, that I might more easily lead you into the most radiant and fragrant garden of this paradise. Indeed, you have now become more capable of receiving these divine mysteries, having been granted the gift of divine and life-giving Baptism. And since it is fitting to set before you the feast of more perfect instruction, we shall endeavor to teach you, that you may understand the power of these mysteries wrought upon you on that evening of your Baptism.
2. First, you entered the vestibule of the baptistery, standing facing the west. At the command, you listened, stretched forth your hand, and as it were renounced Satan who dwells there. But you must know that a foreshadowing of this is found in the history of the Old Testament. For when Pharaoh—that most cruel and inhuman tyrant—oppressed the free and noble Hebrew people, God sent Moses to deliver them from the harsh bondage of Egypt. The lintels and doorposts were anointed with the blood of the lamb, so that the destroyer would pass over the houses marked by the blood (cf. Ex.12:22, 28). Thus the Hebrew people were miraculously saved. But when the enemy pursued the already liberated people and saw the sea miraculously parted for them, he rushed headlong after them—only to be suddenly engulfed by the waves and drowned in the waters of the Red Sea (cf. Ex.14:22-30).
3. I beseech you to pass from these ancient things to the new, from the shadow to the truth. There—Moses sent by God’s command into Egypt; here—Christ sent by the Father into the world. There—a prophet leading an oppressed people out of Egypt; here—Christ delivering mankind weighed down by sin in the world. There—the blood of a lamb turned away the destroyer; here—the blood of the spotless Lamb Jesus Christ (cf. 1Pet.1:19) drives away demons. That tyrant pursued the ancient people to the sea; and you, too, were pursued by the fierce, shameless, and utterly wicked demon until those saving waters. The one was drowned in the sea; this one vanishes in the saving water.
4. Moreover, you heard the command to stretch forth your hand as if toward one present before you and declare: «I renounce you, Satan!» I wish also to explain why you stood facing the west—for this too is necessary. Since the west is the region of visible darkness, and Satan, being darkness, holds his dominion in darkness, you symbolically gazed toward the west as you renounced that dark and gloomy prince. What, then, did each of you proclaim while standing? «I renounce you, Satan—you, wicked and cruel tyrant!» You declared: *»I no longer fear your power, for Christ has shattered it by partaking of my blood and flesh, that through death He might destroy death (Heb.2:14-15), so I need not remain enslaved my whole life long. I renounce you, crafty and cunning serpent! I renounce you, who under pretense of friendship wrought all lawlessness and caused our first parents to fall away from God. I renounce you, Satan, inventor and accomplice of every evil!»*
5. Then, in the second declaration, you were taught to say: «And all your works.» Now the «works of Satan» are every sin—and these too must be renounced. Just as one fleeing a tyrant flees also his weapons, so must you reject every form of sin, for all sin belongs to the devil’s domain. Yet know this: every word you uttered, especially in that awe-filled hour, is recorded in God’s books. Should you later act contrary to this oath, you will stand condemned as a transgressor. Therefore you renounce all Satan’s works—I say again, all deeds and thoughts opposed to reason.
6. Next, you declare: «And all your pride!» The pride of Satan encompasses all frenzied spectacles—horse races, hunting with hounds, and every such vanity. Praying to be delivered from these, the holy prophet cries to God: «Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity» (Ps.118:37). Let there be no desire in you for the madness of spectacles, where you would witness the shameless antics of buffoons performed with indecency and every manner of licentiousness, or the frenzied dancing of effeminate men. Let there be no desire in you either for the folly of those who, in hunts, deliver themselves to beasts—sacrificing themselves to their wretched belly’s craving. Such men, to please their stomachs with delicacies, justly become food for savage beasts. Or rather, to speak more truly, they destroy their own lives in combat for the sake of their belly—«whose god is their appetite» (Phil.3:19). Flee also the horse races—that frenzied spectacle which murders souls—for all this is the pride of the devil.
7. Furthermore, whatever is offered at pagan festivals—whether meat, bread, or anything else of this kind, defiled by the invocation of unclean demons—is likewise counted among the devil’s pride. For just as the bread and wine of the Eucharist before the holy invocation of the adorable Trinity are ordinary bread and wine, but after the consecration the bread becomes the Body of Christ and the wine the Blood of Christ, so too these foods of satanic pride, though simple by nature, become defiled through the invocation of demons.
8. Then you say: «and all his service.» The service of the devil consists of prayers offered in pagan temples—everything done in honor of lifeless idols: the lighting of candles, burning incense by springs and rivers (for some, deceived by dreams or demons, come to these waters hoping to find healing for bodily ailments, or for other such purposes)—have no part in these things. Augury, sorcery, divination, amulets against the evil eye, written charms, witchcraft, or any other wicked arts and similar abominations—these are the service of the devil. Therefore, flee from them! For if you fall into them after renouncing Satan and uniting yourself to Christ, you will experience even greater cruelty from the tormentor. Before, he treated you as one of his own, showing leniency in your heavy bondage, but now, deeply offended by you, you will lose Christ and face even fiercer wrath from Satan. Have you not heard the ancient account of Lot and his daughters (Gen.19:15, 30)? Did he not escape with his daughters when he fled to the mountain, while his wife turned into a pillar of salt—an eternal memorial of her wicked choice and backward glance (Gen.19:26)? «Take heed to yourself» (Deut.4:23), and do not turn back, «having put your hand to the plow» (cf. Lk.9:62). Instead, flee to the mountain (Gen.19:17)—to Christ Jesus, «the stone cut out without hands» (Dan.2:35, 45), who has filled the whole earth.
9. When you renounce Satan—utterly severing every bond with him and that ancient covenant with hell (cf. Is.28:15)—then God’s paradise is opened to you, that garden planted in the east (cf. Gen.2:8), from which our forefather was exiled for his transgression (cf. Gen.3:23). Signifying this, you turned from the west to the east, the realm of light. At that moment, you were commanded to proclaim: I believe in the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and in one baptism of repentance. Of this, sufficient instruction was given you in the initial catecheses, by the grace God has granted.
10. Being therefore strengthened by these words, be sober. For your adversary the devil, as was recently read, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet.5:8). Truly, in former times death reigned, but through the holy laver of regeneration, God has wiped away tears from all faces (Is.25:8). No longer shall you weep, having put off the old man, but you shall rejoice (cf. Is.61:10), clothed in the robe of salvation—in Christ Jesus (cf. Rom.13:14).
11. These things occurred for you in the vestibule of the Church. But when by God’s will we enter the Holy of Holies in subsequent mystagogical teachings, then shall we understand the symbols of the mysteries enacted there. Now to God the Father be glory, dominion, and majesty, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, unto ages of ages. Amen.

Second Mystagogical Catechesis

[On Baptism. Concerning the words of the Apostle from the Epistle to the Romans, beginning at: «Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?» up to: «You are not under law but under grace» (Rom.6:3–14).]

1. Daily instruction in the mysteries is beneficial for us, and especially for you who have been renewed from the old self into the new. Therefore, as necessity demands, I will now present to you what follows yesterday’s mystagogical teaching, so that you may understand the realities symbolized by the rites performed for you in the inner chamber.
2. Immediately upon entering, you removed your garments. This signified «putting off the old self with its practices» (Col.3:9). Standing naked, you imitated Christ who was stripped on the Cross—through this nakedness disarming the principalities and powers, triumphing over them boldly on the wood (cf. Col.2:14-15). Since hostile forces lurked in your members, it was no longer fitting for you to wear the old garments—not these visible ones, I mean, but «the old self, corrupt through deceitful desires» (Eph.4:22). Let not the soul that has once cast this off ever clothe itself again, but rather echo the Bride of Christ in the Song of Songs: «I have taken off my robe—how could I put it on again?» (Song5:3). O wondrous thing! You stood naked before all eyes—yet felt no shame. Truly, you bore the image of primal Adam, who «was naked in Paradise and unashamed» (Gen.2:25).
3. Then, having stripped, you were anointed with exorcised oil from the crown of your head to your feet, becoming partakers of the true olive tree, Jesus Christ. For having been cut off from the wild olive tree, you were grafted onto the good olive tree and shared in its richness (Rom.11:17-24). Thus, the exorcised oil signified participation in Christ’s anointing, which drives away every trace of hostile power. Just as the breath of the saints, like a mighty flame, scorches and drives out demons, so too this exorcised oil, through the invocation of God and prayer, receives such power that it not only purifies by burning away the traces of sin but also expels all the invisible forces of the evil one.
4. After this, you were led to the holy font of divine Baptism, just as Christ was taken from the Cross to the tomb prepared for Him. Each of you was asked whether you believed in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. You made the saving confession and were immersed three times in the water, then raised up again. Here, you symbolically portrayed Christ’s three-day burial. For as the Savior spent three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Mt.12:40), so too your first rising from the water signified the first day, and your immersion—the first night of Christ’s stay in the earth. For just as a person sees nothing at night but moves about in the light by day, so too in immersion, as in night, you saw nothing, but in rising from the water, you were as in day. At the same time, you died and were born; and this saving water was for you both tomb and mother. What Solomon said about other things applies also to you. He said, «A time to be born, and a time to die» (Eccl.3:2); but for you, conversely: a time to die and a time to be born. And one and the same moment accomplished both: your death and your birth came together.
5. O strange and wondrous thing! We did not truly die, nor were we truly buried, nor did we truly rise after crucifixion—yet in imitation through symbols, we find true salvation. Christ was truly crucified, truly buried, and truly rose again—and He granted us all these things by grace, that through sharing symbolically in His sufferings, we might obtain salvation in reality. O unfathomable love for mankind! Christ received nails in His pure hands and feet and endured suffering, while to me—though I experienced no pain or suffering—He grants salvation through mere participation in His passion.
6. Therefore, let no one suppose that Baptism is merely the grace of forgiveness of sins, like John’s baptism. Rather, it is also the grace of adoption. For you know well that it includes both the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, as well as the symbolic representation of Christ’s sufferings. This is why Paul recently cried out, saying: «Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him by baptism into death» (Rom.6:3-4). He said this to those who thought that while Baptism brings forgiveness of sins and adoption, it does not involve participation in Christ’s sufferings through symbolic imitation.
7. Therefore, that we might understand how Christ truly endured all things—not in appearance but in reality—for us and for our salvation, and that we become partakers of His sufferings, Paul proclaimed with full clarity: «For if we have been united with Him in the likeness of His death, we shall certainly also be united in the likeness of His resurrection» (Rom.6:5). Remarkable is this word—united! For just as the True Vine was planted here, so too we, having shared through baptism in His death, have been conformed to Him. Consider with great attentiveness the Apostle’s words. He did not say, «as we are united with Him in His death,» but «in the likeness of His death.» For death truly belongs to Christ, since His soul was truly separated from His body; and burial is truly His, for His holy body was wrapped in a pure shroud (Mt.27:59)—all was accomplished in Him in reality. But in you, there is the likeness of death and suffering, yet not a likeness of salvation—rather, salvation itself in truth.
8. Having understood this, keep it firmly in memory, I implore you, that even I, unworthy, may say of you: «I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and hold fast to the traditions just as I delivered them to you» (1 Cor.11:2). Mighty is God, who has presented you to Himself as «alive from the dead» (Rom.6:13), to enable you to «walk in newness of life» (Rom.6:4). To Him be glory and dominion, now and forever. Amen.

Third Mystagogical Catechesis

[On Chrismation. Concerning the words from the First Catholic Epistle of John, beginning at: «You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things» (cf. 1 Jn.2:20) – to: «that we may not be ashamed before Him at His coming» (1 Jn.2:28).]

1. Having been baptized into Christ and clothed with Christ (cf. Gal.3:27), you have been made conformed to the Son of God (cf. Rom.8:29). For God, who predestined you for adoption (cf. Eph.1:5), has conformed you to the body of Christ’s glory (cf. Phil.3:21). Now that you have become partakers of Christ (cf. Heb.3:14), you are rightly called Christians—that is, anointed ones—and of you God has said: «Do not touch My anointed ones» (Ps.105:15). You were anointed when you received the likeness of the Holy Spirit. All that was accomplished in you was symbolic—that is, in imitation—for you are an image of Christ. He, having washed in the Jordan and imparted the fragrance of His divine sweat to the waters, emerged from them; and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in essence, resting as like upon like. So also for you: when you came up from the pool of the sacred waters, you were given an anointing corresponding to that with which Christ was anointed. And this is the Holy Spirit, of whom the blessed Isaiah prophesied in the Lord’s name: «The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor» (Is.61:1).
2. For Christ was not anointed by men with physical oil or myrrh, but the Father, having appointed Him as Savior of the whole world, anointed Him with the Holy Spirit—as Peter declares: «God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power» (Acts10:38). And the prophet David cried out, proclaiming: «Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness beyond Your companions» (Ps.45:7-8). Just as Christ was truly crucified, buried, and resurrected—while you through baptism were counted worthy to be crucified, buried, and raised with Him in likeness—so too with Chrismation. He was anointed with the spiritual oil of gladness (that is, the Holy Spirit, who is called the «oil of gladness» because He is the source of spiritual joy), while you were anointed with holy myrrh, becoming partakers of Christ and sharers in Him.
3. But take care not to regard this myrrh as ordinary. For just as the Eucharistic bread after the invocation of the Holy Spirit is no longer common bread but the Body of Christ, so too the holy chrism is no longer simple or ordinary after the invocation, but becomes the gift of Christ and the Holy Spirit—made efficacious by the presence of His divinity. With it, your forehead and other senses are anointed symbolically. And while the body is visibly anointed, the soul is sanctified by the Holy and Life-giving Spirit.
4. First, you were anointed on the forehead to be delivered from the shame that the first transgressor bore everywhere (cf. Gen.3:7-8), and so that with unveiled face you might behold the glory of the Lord (cf. 2 Cor.3:18). Next, on the ears, that you might receive the hearing of divine mysteries—the ear of which Isaiah spoke: «The Lord awakens My ear to hear» (Is.50:4), and the Lord Jesus in the Gospel: «He who has ears to hear, let him hear» (cf. Mt.11:15). Then on the nostrils, so that, having been fragrant with the divine myrrh, you might proclaim: «For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those being saved and among those perishing» (2 Cor.2:15). Afterward, on the chest—that clothed in the breastplate of righteousness (Eph.6:14), you might stand against the schemes of the devil (Eph.6:11). For just as Christ, after His baptism and the descent of the Holy Spirit, went forth and conquered the adversary (cf. Mt.4:1ff.), so too you, after holy Baptism and the mystical Chrismation, clothed in the armor of the Holy Spirit, now stand against the power of the adversary and overcome it, crying out: «I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me» (cf. Phil.4:13).
5. Having been deemed worthy of this holy Chrismation, you are now called Christians—a name justified by your rebirth. For before receiving this grace, you were not truly worthy of this title, though you aspired to become Christians.
6. You should know that the prototype of this Chrismation is found in the Old Testament. When Moses, at God’s command, consecrated his brother Aaron (cf. Lev.8:1–2) and installed him as high priest, he washed him with water and then anointed him (cf. Lev.8:6, 12). Thus, Aaron was called the Anointed One (Lev.4:5)—though his anointing was only a foreshadowing. Likewise, when Solomon was anointed king, the high priest performed the rite after washing him at Gihon (cf. 1 Kgs.1:39, 45). But all these things happened to them as types (1 Cor.10:11), whereas for you, it is no longer symbolic but true, for you have been anointed by the Holy Spirit in reality. Christ is the firstfruits of your salvation, for He is truly the beginning, and you are the whole. «If the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole lump» (cf. Rom.11:16).
7. Guard this Chrismation spotlessly, for «it teaches you all things» (1 Jn.2:27)—if it abides in you as you have now heard the blessed John declare, meditating deeply on this anointing. For it is sanctification: a spiritual safeguard for the body and salvation for the soul. Of this, the blessed Isaiah prophesied long ago, foretelling what the Lord would do «for all peoples on this mountain» (Is.25:6). By «mountain», he signifies the Church, as elsewhere when he says: «In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains» (Is.2:2). «They shall drink wine, they shall drink joy, they shall be anointed with myrrh» (Is.25:6–7). And to confirm you, hear how he speaks of this myrrh as mystical: «On this mountain, He will destroy the veil covering all nations—the shroud enveloping all peoples» (Is.25:7). Therefore, having been anointed with this holy myrrh, keep it pure and blameless within you, advancing in good works and pleasing Christ, the Author of your salvation (Heb.2:10), to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Fourth Mystagogical Catechesis

[On the Body and Blood of Christ. Concerning the words from Paul’s Epistle to the Corinthians: «For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you…» etc. (1 Cor.11:23).]

1. The teaching of the blessed Paul alone suffices to confirm you in the divine mysteries of which you have been made partakers, becoming of one body and blood with Christ. For the apostle declares: «The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said: ‘Take, eat, this is My Body, which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ Likewise, He took the cup, gave thanks, and said: ‘Drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood’» (cf. 1 Cor.11:23–24; Mt.26:27). When Christ Himself declares and says of the bread, «This is My Body,» who thereafter would dare to disbelieve? And when He Himself affirms and says of the cup, «This is My Blood,» who then would doubt and say it is not His Blood?
2. Once in Cana of Galilee, He transformed water into wine (cf. Jn.2:1, 10), akin to blood—and shall He not be trusted when He changes wine into Blood? If, invited to an earthly wedding, He performed this glorious miracle, how much more does He demand our confession when granting His own Body and Blood as nourishment to the children of the bridal chamber (Mt.9:15)?
3. Therefore, let us partake with full assurance as of Christ’s very Body and Blood. For under the form of bread you are given the Body, and under the form of wine you are given the Blood, so that by partaking of Christ’s Body and Blood, you may become one body and one blood with Him. Thus do we become Christ-bearers, as His Body and Blood are distributed through our members. In this way, according to the blessed Peter, we become «partakers of the divine nature» (2 Pet.1:4).
4. Once, in dialogue with the Jews, Christ said: «Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you» (Jn.6:53). But they, failing to understand spiritually and taking offense, turned away from Him (Jn.6:66), supposing He urged them toward cannibalism.
5. In the Old Testament, there were the showbreads (Ex.25:30), but they—belonging to the Old Covenant—have been abolished. In the New Testament, there is the heavenly Bread and the Cup of Salvation (Ps.116:13), which sanctify both soul and body. For as bread corresponds to the body, so the Word corresponds to the soul.
6. Therefore, do not regard the Eucharistic bread and wine as ordinary, for they are the Body and Blood of Christ according to the Lord’s own declaration. Though your senses perceive bread and wine, let faith confirm you. «Do not judge by taste, but be assured by faith without doubt that you have been deemed worthy of Christ’s Body and Blood.»
7. And David explains the power of this (Mystery), saying: You have prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies (Ps.22:5). His words mean this: before Your coming, demons prepared a table for men—an unclean and defiled one (cf. Mal.1:7), filled with diabolical power; but after Your coming, O Lord, You have prepared a table before me. When a man says to God: You have prepared a table before me—what else does it signify if not the mystical and spiritual table that God has prepared for us against, that is, in opposition and resistance to the demons? And this is most just. For that (table) had communion with demons, but this one—communion with God. You have anointed my head with oil (Ps.22:5). He has anointed your head with oil on the forehead, through the seal which you have received from God, so that you may bear the likeness of the seal inscribed with «Holiness to the Lord» (Ex.28:36). My cup overflows (Ps.22:5). Do you see that this speaks of that cup which Jesus took in His hands, gave thanks, and said: For this is My Blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins (Mt.26:28).
8. This is also why Solomon, hinting at this grace, says in Ecclesiastes: Go, eat your bread with joy (Eccl.9:7) (that is, the spiritual bread. And through the word come, he signifies the salvific and beatitude-bestowing invocation). And drink your wine with a glad heart—that is, the spiritual wine. And let not oil be lacking on your head (Eccl.9:8) (do you see how he also mystically prefigured the Holy Chrismation?). Let your garments be white at all times, and let not oil be lacking on your head. For God has already approved your works (Eccl.9:7–8). For before you partook of grace, your deeds were vanity of vanities (Eccl.1:2). But once you have stripped off the old garments and have been clothed spiritually in white, you must wear white at all times. We do not mean that you must literally wear white garments at all times, but rather that you must be clothed in truly white and radiant (that is, spiritual) garments, so that you may say with the blessed Isaiah: My soul shall rejoice in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness (Is.61:10).
9. Having come to know and be assured of this—that the visible bread is not mere bread (though perceived as such by taste), but the Body of Christ, and the visible wine is not mere wine (though it seems so to the senses), but the Blood of Christ—David, too, long ago sang of this, saying: And bread which strengthens man’s heart, and oil which makes his face shine (Ps.104:15). Strengthen your heart by partaking of it as spiritual nourishment; anoint the face of your soul. With unveiled countenance in a pure conscience, beholding the glory of the Lord, oh, may you advance from glory to glory (2 Cor.3:18) in Christ Jesus! To Him be honor, dominion, and glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Fifth Mystagogical Instruction

[From Peter’s Catholic Epistle: Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy… (1 Pet.2:1).]

1. By God’s loving-kindness, in the previous assemblies you have heard sufficiently about Baptism, Chrismation, and the partaking of Christ’s Body and Blood. Now, however, we must proceed to what follows and today place the crown upon the spiritual edification of your benefit.
2. So then, you saw the deacon offering water for the priest and the presbyters surrounding God’s altar to wash their hands. Yet he did not provide this water for the sake of bodily defilement—that was not the reason. For we do not enter the Church with physical uncleanness. Rather, the washing signifies that you must purify yourselves from all sins and iniquities. For just as the hands are an image of deeds, so through their washing we depict purity and blamelessness of actions. Have you not heard the blessed David expounding this mystically when he says: I will wash my hands in innocence, and I will go around Your altar, O Lord (Ps.26:6)? Thus, to wash one’s hands means to be free from condemnation for sins.
3. Then the deacon cries out: «Embrace one another, and let us kiss one another.» Do not think that this kiss is the same as those kisses exchanged between friends in the marketplace. This kiss is not like that: it unites souls together and joins them in mutual forgiveness of offenses. Thus, this kiss signifies the union of souls and the driving away of all resentment. This is why Christ said: «Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to your brother. Then come and offer your gift.» (Matthew5:23-24) Therefore, the kiss is reconciliation, and thus it is holy, as the blessed Paul proclaimed, saying: «Greet one another with a holy kiss» (1 Corinthians16:20); and Peter: «with a kiss of love» (1Pet.5:14).
4. Then the priest exclaims: «Lift up your hearts!» For truly in that awesome hour we ought to have our hearts lifted up to God, and not downward to earth and earthly things. Therefore, this exclamation is as if the priest commands all present at that moment to abandon worldly cares and domestic concerns, and to set their hearts in heaven toward our Merciful God. To this you should respond: «We lift them up to the Lord,» affirming this command through your confession. Let no one stand here in such disposition as to say with their lips: «We lift them up to the Lord,» while their mind dwells on worldly cares. We ought always to remember God, but if this proves impossible due to human weakness, we must at least strive for it with love during this sacred hour.
5. Next the priest says: «Let us give thanks to the Lord.» Truly we ought to thank God for calling us unworthy ones to such grace; for reconciling us to Himself when we were enemies (Rom.5:10); for granting us the Spirit of adoption (Rom.8:15). To this you respond: «It is meet and right.» For in offering thanksgiving, we perform what is meet and right; while God, acting not merely according to justice but beyond justice, has bestowed these blessings upon us and made us worthy of such gifts.
6. Therefore, we commemorate heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; the sun and moon, the stars and all creation, both rational and irrational, visible and invisible: Angels, Archangels, Virtues, Dominions, Principalities, Powers, Thrones, and the many-eyed Cherubim (cf. Ezek.10:21,1:6). As if joining David in saying: «Magnify the Lord with me» (Ps.34:3). We also remember the Seraphim, whom Isaiah saw by the Holy Spirit standing around God’s throne, covering their faces with two wings, their feet with two wings, and flying with two wings while crying out: «Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts» (Is.6:2-3). Therefore, we repeat this theology handed down to us from the Seraphim, that we may become partakers of the hymnody together with the supramundane hosts.
7. After sanctifying ourselves with these spiritual hymns, we entreat the Merciful God to send down the Holy Spirit upon the gifts set before us: that He may make the bread indeed the Body of Christ, and the wine the Blood of Christ. For whatever the Holy Spirit touches is sanctified and transformed.
8. Then, after the completion of the spiritual sacrifice — the bloodless service — at this same propitiatory sacrifice, we pray to God for the universal peace of the Churches, for the welfare of the world, for kings, for soldiers and fellow warriors, for those suffering infirmities, for those wearied by labors, and in general for all who need help — we all pray and offer this sacrifice.
9. After this, we commemorate those who have fallen asleep before us: first the patriarchs, prophets, apostles and martyrs, that through their prayers and intercession God may accept our supplication. Then we remember the holy fathers and bishops who have reposed, and indeed all among us who have departed this life before, believing that there will be great benefit for the souls for whom prayer is offered while the holy and awesome sacrifice lies present.
10. I wish to convince you with an example as well. For I know many say: «What benefit is there for a soul departing this world — whether with sins or without — if it is commemorated in prayer?» Consider then: if some king had sent those who offended him into exile, and their relatives later wove a crown and brought it to him on behalf of those undergoing punishment, would he not grant them some mitigation of their punishment? In the same way, when we offer prayers to God for the departed — even if they were sinners — we do not weave a crown, but we offer Christ who was slain for our sins, thus propitiating the Merciful God both for them and for ourselves.
11. After completing these prayers, we recite that prayer which the Savior taught His disciples, calling upon God with a clear conscience as our Father and saying: «Our Father, Who art in heaven» (Mt6:9). O the boundless loving-kindness of God! To those who had turned away from Him and harbored great enmity against Him, He has granted such forgetfulness of offenses and participation in grace that they dare to call Him Father: «Our Father, Who art in heaven.» By «heaven» here are meant those who bear the image of the heavenly (1 Cor15:49) and in whom God dwells and walks (2 Cor6:16).
12. «Hallowed be Thy Name.» God’s name is holy by nature, whether we say so or not. But among sinners it is sometimes profaned, as it is written: «Because of you My name is continually blasphemed among the nations» (Is52:5; Rom2:24). Therefore we pray that God’s name may be hallowed in us — not as if it could become holy when it was not holy before, but that it may be holy in us when we ourselves are sanctified and do what is worthy of holiness.
13. «Thy Kingdom come.» A pure soul may boldly say: «Thy Kingdom come.» For whoever has heard Paul saying: «Let not sin reign in your mortal body» (Rom6:12), and who purifies himself in deed, thought and word, such a one may say to God: «Thy Kingdom come.»
14. «Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.» The divine and blessed Angels do God’s will, as David sang: «Bless the Lord, all His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His word» (Ps103:20). Therefore, when you pray these words, you mean: «As Your will is done by the Angels, so may it be done in me, O Lord!»
15. «Give us this day our daily bread.» This common bread is not what is meant by «daily.» Rather, this holy bread is daily—that is, essential for our very being. This bread does not «enter the stomach and then pass out» (Mt15:17), but is distributed throughout your entire being, benefiting both body and soul. The word «this day» means «each day,» as Paul also said: «As long as it is called ‘today'» (Heb3:13).
16. «And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.» For we have many sins—we sin in word, thought, and deed, committing much that is worthy of condemnation. «If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves» (1 Jn1:8), as John says. Therefore, we set a condition before God in prayer: that He forgive us our sins just as we forgive others their debts. Knowing what we stand to gain, let us not hesitate or delay in forgiving one another. The wrongs done to us are small, light, and easily forgiven, but the sins we commit against God are great and can only be pardoned by His mercy. Take heed, then, lest by refusing to forgive minor offenses against you, you shut yourself off from God’s forgiveness for your far graver sins.
17. «And lead us not into temptation (O Lord)!» Does the Lord teach us to pray that we might never face temptation at all? Yet elsewhere it is written: «An untested man is untried» (Sir34:10), and again: «Count it all joy, my brethren, when you fall into various trials» (Jas1:2). But does «entering into temptation» not mean being overwhelmed by it? For temptation is like a treacherous river—difficult to cross. Those who endure temptations without sinking pass through like skilled swimmers, unsubmerged. But those who are unprepared, once they enter, drown. Consider Judas: he entered the temptation of greed but did not swim across—instead, he sank, perishing both body and soul. Peter entered the temptation of denial, yet he did not drown; he struggled through courageously and was freed. Hear also how the whole chorus of saints gives thanks for deliverance from temptation:
    «You have tested us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs. You let men ride over our heads. We went through fire and water, yet You brought us out to freedom» (Ps66:10–12). Do you see how they boldly rejoice—not for avoiding trials, but for passing through them? «You brought us out to freedom» (Ps66:12). To «enter into rest» means to be delivered from temptation.
18. «But deliver us from the evil one.» If «lead us not into temptation» meant never being tempted at all, He would not have added: «but deliver us from the evil one.» The «evil one» is the adversary—the devil—from whom we pray to be delivered. When the prayer is completed, you say: «Amen.» This Amen seals the prayer, meaning: «Let all these things be so»—confirming everything contained in this God-given prayer.
19. After this, the priest proclaims: «Holy things for the holy!» The «holy things» are the Gifts now present, having received the descent of the Holy Spirit. And you are holy, having been made worthy of the Holy Spirit. Thus, holy things are fitting for the holy. To this, you respond:
    «One is Holy, One is Lord—Jesus Christ!» For truly, only One is Holy by nature. We are holy, but not by nature—only by participation, by striving, and by prayer.
20. Then you hear the chanter singing divinely, calling you to partake of the Holy Mysteries with the words: «Taste and see that the Lord is good!» (Ps34:8). Do not judge this by bodily taste—no!—but by unwavering faith. For what you are commanded to receive is not bread and wine, but the antitype: the very Body and Blood of Christ.
21. Approach, then—not with outstretched palms, nor with fingers spread apart—but with your left hand forming a throne for your right, as one preparing to receive a King. Bend your hand reverently to receive the Body of Christ, and at once say: With awe, sanctify your eyes by touching the holy Body, and then partake. Guard carefully lest you lose even a particle—for to lose it would be like losing a part of your own body. Tell me: if someone gave you gold dust, would you not hold it with utmost care, guarding against even a grain slipping away? How much more must you guard what is more precious than gold and jewels—that not a single crumb should fall!
22. After partaking of Christ’s Body, approach the Chalice of His Blood. Do not extend your hands, but bow in reverence and say: Be sanctified as you partake of the Blood of Christ. While the divine moisture still lingers on your lips, touch them with your hand to sanctify your eyes, forehead, and all your senses. Finally, after the prayers, give thanks to God who has deemed you worthy of such Mysteries.
23. Hold fast to these traditions without blemish. Keep yourselves blameless. Do not cut yourselves off from Communion; let no impurity of sin deprive you of these sacred and spiritual Mysteries. «May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ» (1 Thess.5:23). To Him be glory, honor, and dominion, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
24. The Holy Bible: Russian Synodal Translation with Parallel Passages and Appendices. (2008). Danilov Monastery Publishing. (Reprinted from Moscow Patriarchate edition)
25. The Holy Bible: Church Slavonic Text with Parallel Passages. (2005). Russian Bible Society. (Facsimile reprint of 1900 Synodal Press edition, authorized by the Holy Governing Synod)

Cyril of Jerusalem. (2010). Catechetical and mystagogical lectures [ Поучения огласительные и тайноводственные ]. Blagovest. (Original work composed 4th century CE)