Readings — Gen. 3:1-8; Ps. 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7; Mk. 7:31-37.
1. Saints Cyril and Methodius were born of a prominent Christian family in Thessalonica, now in modern Greece. Methodius was the oldest of seven brothers. Cyril was the youngest and was given the name Constantine, but was renamed Cyril when he became a monk in Rome.
His older brother was Michael but was also given a new name, Methodius, when he became a monk. Cyril became a scholar and a professor known as "the philosopher" in Constantinople. He was ordained a priest after his education, while Methodius remained a monk until 867/868.
2. About the year 860, the Byzantine Emperor Michael III and the Patriarch of Constantinople Photius (Cyril's university professor) sent him on a mission to the Khazars (in what is now known as Ukrain). The Khazars had requested a scholar who could debate with both Jews and Saracens. After his return to Constantinople, he became a professor of philosophy. By this time, Methodius had become a prominent figure in Byzantine political and administrative affairs, as well as an abbot of his monastery.
3. In 862, upon the request of King Rastislav of Moravia, Patriarch Photius sent Cyril and Methodius to evangelize the King's Slavic subjects who had already been converted from paganism. The King's reason was political — to disengage himself from dependence on the Franks. He had expelled Roman missionaries. The Emperor was also eager to expand Byzantine influence. Thus began the work of Cyril and Methodius that would give them historical importance.
They first trained assistants.
4. In 863, they began translating the Gospels and liturgical books into what is now known as the "Old Church Slavonic," and travelled to Great Moravia to promote it. They were opposed by German ecclesiastics who disapproved the creation of a Slavonic liturgy. To do the translation they devised the "Glagolitic alphabet," the first alphabet to be used for Slavonic manuscripts. Its descendant script, the Cyrillic, is used by many languages today in Eastern Europe. Cyril and Methodius also wrote the 1st Slavic Civil Code in a language now known as "Church Slavonic," still used in the liturgy by some Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The translations were based on the liturgy of Rome.
5. Their mission had great success among the Slavs, in part because they used the people's native Slavic language rather than Latin or Greek. But they met opposition from Frankish Bishops, esp. the Archbishop of Salzburg and the Bishop of Passau. Frankish missionaries also insisted on the use of the Latin liturgy and regarded Moravia and the Slavic peoples as their rightful mission field. Unwilling to cause dissension among Christians, Cyril and Methodius saw the Pope in Rome upon his invitation. Pope Adrian II formally authorized the use of the new Slavic liturgy.
6. Methodius was ordained a priest by the Pope himself. The famous Bishops Formosus and Gauderic ordained 3 of Methodius' Slavic disciples as priests and 2 as Deacons. Since the 10th century Cyril and Methodius and these 5 disciples are collectively venerated as "the Seven Saints" by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Cyril never returned to Moravia. He remained in Rome. Feeling his end approaching, Cyril became Basilian monk and was given the name Cyril. 50 days later, he died in Rome at the age of 42.
7. Upon Cyril's death, Methodius continued mission work for 16 more years. He became Archbishop of Sirmium (now Sremska Mitrovica in Serbia), covering all of Moravia and Pannonia, with authority to use the Slavonic liturgy.
He continued his work among the Slavs alone, at first in Pannonia. The East Frankish rulers and bishops tried to depose Methodius. He was detained, deposed as decided by the bishops of Salzburg, Passau, and Freising. He was sent to Germany, and kept as a prisoner in a monastery for two and a half years. But the new Pope, Pope John VIII, stepped in, and sent the Bishop of Ancona to reinstate him. The Pope had him released but instructed him to stop using the Slavonic liturgy.
8. Apparently, Methodius did not fully comply with the papal prohibition of the Slavonic liturgy. Frankish bishops also complained against him re the doctrine of "Filioque," that God the Son proceeded from both the Father and the Holy Spirit. He was summoned to Rome in 878 on charges of heresy and of using Slavonic. But, persuaded by Methodius' arguments, the Pope cleared him of all charges and permitted him to use Slavonic. But a Carolingian bishop suppressed the Slavonic liturgy and exiled the followers of Methodius. Then Pope John's successors adopted a Latin-only policy that lasted for centuries.
9. Methodius died on 6 April 885 at the age of 60 and was buried in the main Cathedral Church of Velehrad (in today's Czech Republic). The spiritual, liturgical, and cultural work of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, significantly impacted many countries in Eastern Europe. They are especially venerated by Catholic Czechs, Slovaks, Croatians, Orthodox Serbians and Bulgarians. Their missionary work through the language of the people is a 9th century example of enculturating the Gospel of the Lord. Though acknowledged from the earliest centuries as holy, ascetic and wise saints, it was only in 1880 that they were canonized Rome. They were proclaimed as Co- Patrons of Europe and Apostle to the Slavs in 1980 by Pope John Paul II, himself a Polish Slav.
10. Prayer — O God, you enlightened the Slavic peoples through the brothers Saints Cyril and Methodius. Grant, we pray, that our hearts may grasp the words of your teaching, and perfect us as a people of one accord in true faith and right confession, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers, best wishes, God bless!