S. Cyrilli Episcopi Hierosolymitani Confessoris et Ecclesiæ Doctoris ~ Duplex

Commemoratio: Feria Quarta infra Hebdomadam IV in Quadragesima

Wed, 3/18/26:

Today is the feast of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, B, C & D, under the 1954 (double) rubrics. Mass: Proper Mass (most from In medio of a doctor). White. Gloria. Gradual/Tract. Credo (for feasts of doctors). Preface of Lent. Ite. Commemoration and Last Gospel of the Lenten feria. Under 1954, in parish churches, the Mass of the Lenten feria may be offered at private (low) Masses, either in place of the Mass of the feast (if only one Mass is offered) or as a second Mass. Station church at St. Balbina. Violet. Omit Gloria. Gradual. Omit Tract. Omit Credo. Preface of Lent. Prayer over the people. Benedicamus. Commemoration of St. Cyril of Jerusalem. In cathedrals, monasteries, etc., the festal Mass of St. Cyril of Jerusalem is sung after Terce as above, omitting commemoration of the Lenten feria. The Mass of the Lenten feria is sung after None as above, omitting commemoration of the feast and with the seasonal oration A cunctis for the intercession of the saints and Omnipotens for the living and the dead. Office: Ordinary office. White. Matins of 3 nocturns of 9 lessons (1st nocturn = Sapientiam of the feast with proper responsories, lesson IX = of the feria). Te Deum. Psalms and antiphons of the feria (Lauds = schema I). All else from the common of a confessor bishop. Proper collect. At Lauds, commemoration of the Lenten feria (proper Benedictus antiphon and collect). Omit suffrage. No displaced psalm added at Prime.

(Source: LB236 on Twitter/X.)

Cyril of Jerusalem was given to the study of the Holy Scriptures from a child, and so learnt therein that he became an eminent champion of the orthodox faith. He embraced the monastic institute in perpetual continency, and all hardship of living. He was ordained Priest by holy Maximus, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and undertook with eminent success the task of preaching the word of God to the faithful and of instructing the catechumens. Thus did he compose those truly wonderful Catecheses, wherein he has embraced, clearly and fully, all the teaching of the Church, and stoutly defended every one of her doctrines against the enemies of the faith. His treatment of these subjects was such that he has overthrown therein, not only the heresies which had then come into being, but, by a kind of foreknowledge, even those which were to arise in later times. Of this an instance is his contention for the real Presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the wondrous Sacrament of the Eucharist. After the death of holy Maximus, the bishops of the province chose Cyril in his place.

In his office of Bishop he had for the faith's sake, like his blessed contemporary Athanasius, to endure many wrongs and sufferings at the hands of the Arian sect. The Arians could not bear that Cyril should steadfastly withstand their heresy. They assailed him with calumnies, deposed him in a pretended council, and drove him out of his see. To escape their rage he fled to Tarsus in Cilicia, and as long as Constantius lived he bore the hardships of exile. After his death and the accession to the imperial throne of the Apostate Julian, Cyril was able to return to Jerusalem, where he set himself with burning zeal to deliver his flock from false doctrine and from sin. He was driven into exile a second time under the Emperor Valens. But when peace was restored to the Church by Theodosius the Great, and the cruelty and insolence of the Arians were restrained, Cyril was received with honour by the Emperor as one of Christ's most eminent soldiers, and was restored to his see. With what earnestness and holiness he fulfilled the duties of his exalted office was made manifest by the flourishing state of the church of Jerusalem at that time, of which a picture hath been left for us by holy Basil, who dwelt there for a while when he went to worship at the holy places.  (Breviarium Romanum)

Introitus
Eccli 15:5
In médio Ecclésiæ apéruit os ejus: et implévit eum Dóminus spíritu sapiéntiæ et intelléctus: stolam glóriæ índuit eum.
Ps 91:2
Bonum est confitéri Dómino: et psállere nómini tuo, Altíssime.
V. Glória Patri, ...

Collect
℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Grant us, we beseech You, almighty God, through the intercession of the blessed Bishop Cyril, so to acknowledge You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent, that we may be found worthy to be forever numbered among the sheep who hear His voice.
Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.

Let us pray.
Commemoration Feria Quarta infra Hebdomadam IV in Quadragesima
O God, Who graciously grant to the righteous the rewards of their merits, and to sinners forgiveness through fasting, have mercy upon Your humble servants, so that, confessing our guilt, we may obtain pardon for our transgressions.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.

From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Matt 10:23-28
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: And when they shall persecute you in this city, flee into another. And so on.

Homily by St. Athanasius, Pope of Alexandria.
Defence of his own flight.
It is written in the Law, Num. xxxv. 11, Ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that in these cities they which were pursued to put them to death might enter and be safe. And in the latter days when He was come, even that very Word of the Father, Which had spoken aforetime unto Moses, He gave again the same commandment When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another. And, a while afterward, He said: “When ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, stand in the Holy Place, whoso readeth, let him understand, then let them which be in Judaea flee unto the mountains; let him which is on the house-top not come down to take anything out of his house; neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.” Matth. xxiv. 15-18.

Post Communion
P. The Lord be with you.
S. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
O Lord, Jesus Christ, may the sacrament of Your Body and Blood which we have received, make holy our minds and hearts through the prayers of blessed Bishop Cyril, and thus make us worthy to become sharers of the divine nature.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
R. Amen

Let us pray.
Commemoration Feria Quarta infra Hebdomadam IV in Quadragesima
May the sacrament we have received, O Lord, both fill us with spiritual nourishment and sustain us with bodily aid.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.