This is the fifth in a sporadic series on the Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem. The previous post was Confirmation or Chrismation? In the previous piece we discussed the chrism, or anointing immediately after baptism. Discussing this to the newly baptised and chrismated, Cyril makes a very bold statement: Having therefore become partakers …
Confirmation or Chrismation?
This is the fourth in a sporadic series on the Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem. The previous post in the series is here. One of the significant differences between the “Western” Churches (Roman Catholic, Anglican) and their “Eastern” counterparts (Orthodox, Chalcedonian and otherwise) is the varying practice of what is done to Christians …
Catechises, the Preparation for Baptism and Discipleship
This is the third in a sporadic series on the Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem. The previous article in the series is Catechises and Baptismal Regeneration. In the last piece, I discussed the whole issue of baptismal regeneration and how belief in same was not incompatible with a true transformation of the person …
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Catechises and Baptismal Regeneration
This is the second in a sporadic series on the Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem. The first one was Is It Proper to Refer to Christians as Enlightened? If there's one thing that many Evangelicals agree on, it's that there's no baptismal regeneration. On the other hand, Roman Catholics and others live and …
Is It Proper to Refer to Christians as Enlightened?
This is the first in a sporadic series on the Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem. When we think of people becoming Christians, what term do we associate with this? Traditionally, Evangelicals would think in terms of “born again” or “saved.” It's hard to know sometimes what others call it, because in other cases …
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The Gift of Faith: Cyril of Jerusalem
From his Catechetical Lectures, around 347-8: But there is a second kind of faith, which is bestowed by Christ as a gift of grace. For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit: to another faith, by the same Spirit, …
John Chrysostom on the Sacrifice of the Mass
As a follow-up to this, from his Homilies on Hebrews: What then? do not we offer every day? We offer indeed, but making a remembrance of His death, and this remembrance is one and not many. How is it one, and not many? Inasmuch as that Sacrifice was once for all offered, and carried into …
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Easter Greetings, Russian (and Technical) Style
Over the years, I've come to associate Easter with the Russians. It's an odd thing; it started with the discovery of the traditional Russian Easter greeting (which I duly exchanged with a Muscovite friend this weekend.) That was accentuated by the discovery of Christianity's comeback during the "Great Patriotic War" (Visit to Zagorsk) and the …
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Blast From the Past for Maundy Thursday: Reflections on an Orthodox View of the Eucharist
For this Maundy Thursday, I'm going back to the obvious topic (obvious to me, at least): the institution of the Eucharist, which I went on at length about in 2008 with this series. You can access it as follows: Part I Part II Part III Part IV Those of you who are advocates of the …
The Discipline and Reform of the Church
Fr. Greg's response to my diatribes has been there for a while, but with current exigencies here and some technical issues to resolve re this blog (when you're self-hosted, you have to deal with these things) has delayed a response. Some of the items he brings up--especially concerning the authority and nature of the church--we've …
Positive Infinity 