O God, Who did make blessed Cyril, Thy Confessor and
Bishop, the invincible champion of the divine motherhood of he most Blessed
Virgin Mary; grant through his intercession, that we who believe her to be
truly the Mother of God, may be saved through her maternal intercession.
Saint Cyril's (of the 5th cent.) importance for us even today deals with matter of Christology: Who is Jesus Christ and why is He important? As patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt, he was known as a competent theologian and orator. At the Council of Ephesus he defended the humanity and divinity as a unity of Jesus Christ against those who taught otherwise. What today's opening prayer emphasizes more is Cyril's defense of Mary being the mother of Word made flesh, contradicting the infamous heretic Nestorius.
Two essential facts of orthodox Christian faith taught by Saint Cyril: that Jesus was begotten by God the Father before all ages; and that Jesus was also begotten in the flesh of the Virgin Mary.
Leave a comment