Cyril of Jerusalem, Procatechesis

of the exorcisms, let each one of you speak the things pertaining to piety; and if any of you is not present, seek him out. If you were called to a banquet, would you not wait for the one invited with you? If you had a brother, would you not seek the good for your brother? Therefore, do not be busy about useless matters; not, what has the city done? not, what has the village done? not, what has the emperor done? not, what has the bishop done? not, what has the presbyter done? look up; your time has need of that. Be still and know that I am God. If you see the faithful ministering, and not being anxious; they have security, they know what they have received, they possess grace; but you still stand in the balance, whether to be received or not to be received; do not imitate those who are without care, but pursue fear. 14 And when an exorcism takes place, until the others who are being exorcised arrive, men with men, and women with women. For now I have need of Noah’s ark; that Noah might be apart and his sons; and his wife, and the wives of his sons. For although the ark was one, and the door was shut, yet things were arranged in order. Although the church is closed, and you are all inside; yet let things be separated, men with men, and women with women; lest the occasion of salvation become a pretext for destruction; even if the reason is good, to sit near one another, yet let the passions be far away. Then let the men sitting down have a useful book; and let one read, and another listen; and if no book is present, let one pray, and another say something useful. And let the company of virgins again be gathered in this way, either singing psalms or reading quietly; so that the lips may speak, but other ears may not hear. For I do not permit a woman to speak in church; and let the married woman [also] likewise imitate this; and let her pray, and let her lips be moved, but let no voice be heard; that Samuel may come, that your barren soul may bring forth the salvation of God who has heard. For Samuel has this interpretation. 15 I will see the zeal of each man, I will see the reverence of each woman. Let the mind be fired with piety, let the soul be forged, let the hardness of unbelief be hammered, let the excess scales of iron fall off, let what is pure remain; let the rust of the iron fall off, but let what is genuine remain. May God sometime show you that night, the darkness that appears as day, about which it has been said: Darkness will not be dark to you, and the night will be light as the day; then for each man and each woman of you may the gate of paradise be opened. Then you will enjoy the Christ-bearing waters, having a sweet fragrance. Then you will receive the name of Christ, and the power of divine things. Now lift up for me the eye of your mind; now conceive for me angelic choirs, and God the Master of all seated, and the only-begotten Son sitting with him at the right hand, and the Spirit present with them, and Thrones and Dominions ministering; and each man and each woman of you, being saved. Now make your ears as it were to be catechized by that beautiful sound, when upon your salvation the angels will cry out: Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, [and whose sins are covered] when, like stars of the Church, you will enter, bright in body and luminous in soul. 16 Great is the baptism that lies before you; a ransom for captives; forgiveness of sins; death of sin; regeneration of the soul; a garment of light; a holy, indissoluble seal; a chariot to heaven; the delight of paradise; a title to the kingdom; the gift of adoption. But a dragon by the wayside watches those who pass by. beware lest he bite you with unbelief. He sees so many being saved, and seeks whom he may devour. You are coming to the Father of spirits, but you pass by that dragon; how then will you pass him? Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; so that even if he bites, he may not harm you; have an indwelling faith, a strong hope, a firm foundation, so that you may pass by the enemy, and enter in to the Master. Prepare your heart for the reception of teaching, for communion in the holy mysteries.

τῶν ἐπορκισμῶν, εἷς ἕκαστος ὑμῶν λαλείτω τὰ πρὸς εὐσέβειαν· κἄν τις ὑμῶν μὴ παρῇ, ἐπιζητήσατε. Εἰς τράπεζαν εἰ ἐκλήθης, οὐκ ἂν περιέμενες τὸν συγκεκλημένον; ἀδελφὸν εἰ εἶχες, οὐκ ἂν τῷ ἀδελφῷ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐζήτεις; Μὴ πολυπραγμόνει λοιπὸν πραγμάτων ἀνωφέλειαν· μὴ, τί ἐποίησε πόλις; μὴ, τί ἐποίησε κώμη; μὴ, τί ἐποίησε βασιλεύς; μὴ, τί ἐποίησεν ἐπίσκοπος; μὴ, τί ἐποίησε πρεσβύτερος; ἄνω βλέπε· ὁ καιρὸς ὁ σὸς ἐκείνου χρείαν ἔχει. Σχολάσατε καὶ γνῶτε, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεός. Ἐὰν ἴδῃς τοὺς πιστοὺς διακονοῦντας, καὶ μὴ μεριμνῶντας· ἔχουσι τὸ ἀσφαλὲς, οἴδασι τί ἔλαβον, κατέχουσι τὴν χάριν· σὺ δὲ ἀκμὴν ἐν ζυγῷ στήκεις, ἢ δεχθῆναι, ἢ μὴ δεχθῆναι· μὴ μιμῄσῃ τοὺς ἔχοντας τὸ ἀμέριμνον, ἀλλὰ μέτελθε τὸν φόβον. 14 Καὶ ὅταν ἐπορκισμὸς γένηται, ἕως ὅτου οἱ ἄλλοι ἐπορκιζόμενοι παραγένωνται, ἄνδρες μετ' ἀνδρῶν, καὶ γυναῖκες μετὰ γυναικῶν. Νῦν γάρ μοι χρεία τῆς τοῦ Νῶε κιβωτοῦ· ἵνα ᾖ Νῶε χωρὶς καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἡ γυνὴ, καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μία ἦν ἡ κιβωτὸς, καὶ κεκλεισμένη ἦν ἡ θύρα· ἀλλὰ ἐσχημάτιστο τὰ πράγματα. Εἰ καὶ κέκλεισται ἡ ἐκκλησία, καὶ πάντες ὑμεῖς ἔνδον· ἀλλὰ διεστάλθω τὰ πράγματα, ἄνδρες μετ' ἀνδρῶν, καὶ γυναῖκες μετὰ γυναικῶν· μὴ γένηται ἡ ὑπόθεσις τῆς σωτηρίας, πρόφασις ἀπωλείας· κἂν ἡ ὑπόθεσις καλὴ, πλησίον ἀλλήλων καθέζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ μακρὰν ἔστω τὰ πάθη. Εἶτα οἱ ἄνδρες καθεζόμενοι καὶ ἐχέτωσαν βιβλίον χρήσιμον· καὶ ὁ μέν τις ἀναγινωσκέτω, ὁ δέ τις ἀκουέτω· κἂν μὴ βιβλίον παρῇ, ὁ μὲν προσευχέσθω, ὁ δέ τι χρήσιμον λαλείτω. Καὶ ὁ σύλλογος πάλιν ὁ παρθενικὸς οὕτω συνειλέχθω, ἢ ψάλλων ἢ ἀναγινώσκων ἡσυχῇ· ὥστε λαλεῖν μὲν τὰ χείλη, μὴ ἀκούειν δὲ τὰ ἀλλότρια ὦτα. Γυναικὶ γὰρ λαλεῖν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ οὐκ ἐπιτρέπω· καὶ ἡ ἔγγαμος [δὲ] ὁμοίως μιμείσθω· καὶ προσευχέσθω, καὶ τὰ χείλη κινείσθω, φωνὴ δὲ μὴ ἀκουέσθω· ἵνα παρέλθῃ Σαμουὴλ, ἵνα σου ἡ στεῖρα ψυχὴ γεννήσῃ τὴν σωτηρίαν Θεοῦ ἐπακούσαντος. Ὁ γὰρ Σαμουὴλ ταύτην ἔχει τὴν ἑρμηνείαν. 15 Ὄψομαι τὴν σπουδὴν ἑκάστου, ὄψομαι τὸ εὐλαβὲς ἑκάστης. Πυρούσθω ἡ διάνοια πρὸς εὐλάβειαν, χαλκευέσθω ἡ ψυχὴ, σφυροκοπείσθω τὸ σκληρὸν τῆς ἀπιστίας, ἀποπεσάτωσαν αἱ περιτταὶ τοῦ σιδήρου λεπίδες, μενέτω τὸ καθαρόν· ἀποπεσάτω τοῦ σιδήρου ὁ ἰὸς, μενέτω δὲ τὸ γνήσιον. Ποτὲ ὑμῖν δείξῃ ὁ Θεὸς ἐκείνην τὴν νύκτα, τὸ σκότος τὸ ἡμεροφανὲς, περὶ οὗ εἴρηται· Σκότος οὐ σκοτισθήσεται ἀπὸ σοῦ, καὶ νὺξ ὡς ἡ ἡμέρα φωτισθήσεται· τότε ὑμῶν ἑκάστῳ καὶ ἑκάστῃ παραδείσου θύρα ἀνοιχθῇ. Τότε ὑδάτων ἀπολαύσητε Χριστοφόρων, ἐχόντων εὐωδίαν. Τότε Χριστοῦ προσηγορίαν λάβητε, καὶ ἐνέργειαν θείων πραγμάτων. Ἤδη μοι τῆς διανοίας τὸ ὄμμα ἀναβλέψατε· ἤδη μοι χοροὺς ἀγγελικοὺς ἐννοήσατε, καὶ δεσπότην τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν καθεζόμενον, Ὑιὸν δὲ μονογενῆ ἐν δεξιᾷ συγκαθήμενον, καὶ Πνεῦμα συμπαρόν, Θρόνους δὲ καὶ Κυριότητας λειτουργοῦντας· καὶ ὑμῶν δὲ ἕκαστον καὶ ἑκάστην, σωζόμενον καὶ σωζομένην. Ἤδη ὑμῶν τὰ ὦτα ὥσπερ κατηχεῖσθαι ποιήσατε ἐκείνην τὴν καλὴν ἠχὴν, ὅτε ὑμῶν σωθέντων οἱ ἄγγελοι ἐπιφωνήσουσι· Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι, [καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι] ὅτε, ὥσπερ ἀστέρες τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, εἰσέλθητε φαιδροὶ τῷ σώματι, καὶ φωτεινοὶ τῇ ψυχῇ. 16 Μέγα, τὸ προκείμενον βάπτισμα· αἰχμαλώτοις λύτρον· ἁμαρτημάτων ἄφεσις· θάνατος ἁμαρτίας· παλιγγενεσία ψυχῆς· ἔνδυμα φωτεινόν· σφραγὶς ἁγία ἀκατάλυτος· ὄχημα πρὸς οὐρανόν· παραδείσου τρυφή· βασιλείας πρόξενον· υἱοθεσίας χάρισμα. Ἀλλὰ δράκων παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν τηρεῖ τοὺς περιπατοῦντας. βλέπε μὴ δάκῃ τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ. Βλέπει τοσούτους σωζομένους, καὶ ζητεῖ τίνα καταπίῃ. Πρὸς Πατέρα πνευμάτων εἰσέρχῃ, ἀλλὰ δι' ἐκείνου τοῦ δράκοντος διέρχῃ· πῶς οὖν αὐτὸν διέλθῃς; Ὑπόδησαι τοὺς πόδας ἐν ἑτοιμασίᾳ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τῆς εἰρήνης· ἵνα κἂν δάκῃ, μὴ βλάπτῃ· πίστιν ἔνοικον ἔχε, κραταιὰν ἐλπίδα, κρηπίδα ἰσχυρὰν, ἵνα διέλθῃς τὸν ἐχθρὸν, καὶ εἰσέλθῃς πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην. Τὴν σαυτοῦ καρδίαν ἑτοίμασον εἰς ὑποδοχὴν διδασκαλίας, εἰς κοινωνίαν ἁγίων μυστηρίων.