Let me be one of the few to wish you a happy Saints Cyril and Methodius day as opposed to, or perhaps in addition to, that other guy.
Saints Cyril and Methodius were brothers that were born in the 9th century in Thessalonica. They are known as the Apostles to the Slavs as Cyril is credited with creating the Glagolitic script symbols (also known as Cyrillic script) that formed the basis for the written Slavonic language.
Cyril and Methodius used this alphabet, if you will, to transcribe the Latin Vulgate and other Liturgical Church documents to the Slavonic language. This enabled them to successfully expand the Church into much of the Byzantine Empire. Their influence extended as far north as Moscow, leading to the baptism of the prince, Vladimir the Great.
The Church has long taught that the preservation of ancient languages is key to preserving Catholic culture and identity. As the meaning of words in modern vernacular languages (such as English) evolve with time, words in the ancient languages do not change meaning, thus providing stability to the faith in a changing world.
The Catholic Church uses these ancient languages as the official languages of the Church to preserve Liturgical documents and other Church documentation. Being Latin Rite Catholics, of course, we think of the Latin language as it is the most prominently used of the great Church languages.
Many of us might also think of Greek, which much of Scripture was originally written in and we use in some of our Liturgy; such as, the Kyrie Eleison. Some of us might also think of Aramaic, which was the daily language of Jesus and is still in use as part of the Maronite Liturgy.
Thanks to Saint Cyril, Church Slavonic is widely used throughout the world in the Liturgy of the Church. This is particularly true across the Slavic backgrounds within the Byzantine Rite, both Catholic and Orthodox; including the Slovak Catholic Church and other Eastern Catholic Churches in communion with Rome.
The Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius serves as a reminder of the unifying effect of the sacred languages and the rich, common heritage that Catholics and Orthodox share. This feast is an opportunity to develop a deeper appreciation for the cultural diversity of the Catholic Church represented across all 23 Eastern Catholic Churches that are in communion with Rome. Many of these Churches can trace their apostolic roots through Methodius, who was consecrated a bishop by Pope Adrian II.
Saints Cyril and Methodius are appropriate patrons of Church unity. They can serve as inspiration for both lungs of the Church (east and west) to breathe in unison. Their influence and intercession with God can pave the path for reunification within the Church as we continue efforts to bring more of the Orthodox Churches back into communion with Rome; following the same path we have seen with many of the Eastern Catholic Churches.
Saints Cyril and Methodius truly went out into the world to proclaim the Good News. They fully embraced the desire that we be “one”: one in Sacrament, one in faith, one in Church unity. They are not saints because of their work with language and Liturgy. They are saints because they did their work with courage and humility. This is the same courage and humility that will enable reunification of the Church. This is the same courage and humility that will enable us to be an instrument of salvation and reunification to the ends of the earth.
Thanks be to God!
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