Procatechesis, or, Prologue To The Catechetical Lectures Of Our Holy Father, Cyril, Archbishop Of Jerusalem.

 1. Already there is an odour of blessedness upon you, O ye who are soon to be enlightened : already ye are gathering the spiritual  that to them that

 2. Even Simon Magus once came to the Laver : he was baptized, but was not enlightened and though he dipped his body in water, he enlightened not his

 3. A certain man in the Gospels once pried into the marriage feast , and took an unbecoming garment, and came in, sat down, and ate: for the bridegroo

 4. For we, the ministers of Christ, have admitted every one, and occupying, as it were, the place of door-keepers we left the door open: and possibly

 5. Possibly too thou art come on another pretext. It is possible that a man is wishing to pay court to a woman, and came hither on that account . The

 6. See, I pray thee, how great a dignity Jesus bestows on thee. Thou wert called a Catechumen, while the word echoed round thee from without hearing

 7. We may not receive Baptism twice or thrice else it might be said, Though I have failed once, I shall set it right a second time: whereas if thou f

 8. For God seeks nothing else from us, save a good purpose. Say not, How are my sins blotted out? I tell thee, By willing, by believing . What can be

 9. Let thy feet hasten to the catechisings receive with earnestness the exorcisms : whether thou be breathed upon or exorcised, the act is to thee sa

 10. Attend closely to the catechisings, and though we should prolong our discourse, let not thy mind be wearied out. For thou art receiving armour aga

 11. Let me give thee this charge also. Study our teachings and keep them for ever. Think not that they are the ordinary homilies for though they als

 12. When, therefore, the Lecture is delivered, if a Catechumen ask thee what the teachers have said, tell nothing to him that is without . For we deli

 13. Ye who have been enrolled are become sons and daughters of one Mother. When ye have come in before the hour of the exorcisms, let each one of you

 14. And when the Exorcism has been done, until the others who are being exorcised have come , let men be with men, and women with women. For now I nee

 15. I shall observe each man’s earnestness, each woman’s reverence. Let your mind be refined as by fire unto reverence let your soul be forged as met

 16. Great is the Baptism that lies before you : a ransom to captives a remission of offences a death of sin a new-birth of the soul a garment of l

 17. We for our part as men charge and teach you thus: but make not ye our building  hay and stubble  and chaff, lest we  suffer loss   work being burn

 (  To the Reader 

 FIRST CATECHETICAL LECTURE

 Lecture II.

 Lecture III.

 Lecture IV.

 Lecture V.

 Lecture VI.

 Lecture VII.

 Lecture VIII.

 Lecture IX.

 Lecture X.

 Lecture XI.

 Lecture XII.

 Lecture XIII.

 Lecture XIV.

 Lecture XV.

 Lecture XVI.

 Lecture XVII.

 Lecture XVIII.

 Lecture XIX.

 Lecture XX.

 Lecture XXI.

 Lecture XXII.

 Lecture XXIII.

4. For we, the ministers of Christ, have admitted every one, and occupying, as it were, the place of door-keepers we left the door open: and possibly thou didst enter with thy soul bemired with sins, and with a will defiled. Enter thou didst, and wast allowed: thy name was inscribed. Tell me, dost thou behold this venerable constitution of the Church? Dost thou view her order and discipline  18  The Greek word (ἐπιστήμη) which commonly means “knowledge” or “understanding,” is applied here and in vi. 35 to the intelligence and skill displayed in the arrangement of the public services of the Church. Compare Apostolic Constitutions, ii. 57, where the Bishop is exhorted to have the assemblies arranged μετὰ πάσης ἐπιστήμης. , the reading of Scriptures  19  In the same passage of the Apostolic Constitutions precise directions are given for reading a Lesson from the Old Testament, singing the Psalms, and reading the Epistle and Gospel. , the presence of the ordained  20  By “the ordained” (κανονικῶν) are meant all whose names were registered as bearing office in the Church, Priests, Deacons, Deaconesses, Monks, Virgins, Widows, all having their appointed placed and proper duties. Apost. Canon. 70, εἴ τις ἐπίσκοπος, ἢ πρεσβύτερος, ἢ διάκονος, ἢ ὅλως τοῦ καταλόγου τῶν κληρικῶν, κ.τ.λ. , the course of instruction  21  Compare Apost. Const. as above: “Let the Presbyters one by one, not all together, exhort the people; and the Bishop last, as being the commander.” ? Be abashed at the place, and be taught by what thou seest  22  S. Aug. de Civit. Dei., ii. 28: “Though some come to mock at such admonitions, all their insolence is either humbled by a sudden conversation (immutatio) or suppressed by fear or shame.” . Go out opportunely now, and enter most opportunely to-morrow.

If the fashion of thy soul is avarice, put on another fashion and come in. Put off thy former fashion, cloke it not up. Put off, I pray thee, fornication and uncleanness, and put on the brightest robe of chastity. This charge I give thee, before Jesus the Bridegroom of souls come in and see their fashions. A long notice  23  Greek, προθεσμία. Compare Gal. iv. 2: “the time appointed of the father.” At Athens it meant a “limitation,” or fixed period within which a debt must be claimed or paid, or an action commenced. is allowed thee; thou hast forty  24  Index, “Lent.” days for repentance: thou hast full opportunity both to put off, and wash, and to put on and enter. But if thou persist in an evil purpose, the speaker is blameless, but thou must not look for the grace: for the water will receive, but the Spirit will not accept thee  25  Compare xvii. 36. . If any one is conscious of his wound, let him take the salve; if any has fallen, let him arise. Let there be no Simon among you, no hypocrisy, no idle curiosity about the matter.

18 The Greek word (ἐπιστήμη) which commonly means “knowledge” or “understanding,” is applied here and in vi. 35 to the intelligence and skill displayed in the arrangement of the public services of the Church. Compare Apostolic Constitutions, ii. 57, where the Bishop is exhorted to have the assemblies arranged μετὰ πάσης ἐπιστήμης.
19 In the same passage of the Apostolic Constitutions precise directions are given for reading a Lesson from the Old Testament, singing the Psalms, and reading the Epistle and Gospel.
20 By “the ordained” (κανονικῶν) are meant all whose names were registered as bearing office in the Church, Priests, Deacons, Deaconesses, Monks, Virgins, Widows, all having their appointed placed and proper duties. Apost. Canon. 70, εἴ τις ἐπίσκοπος, ἢ πρεσβύτερος, ἢ διάκονος, ἢ ὅλως τοῦ καταλόγου τῶν κληρικῶν, κ.τ.λ.
21 Compare Apost. Const. as above: “Let the Presbyters one by one, not all together, exhort the people; and the Bishop last, as being the commander.”
22 S. Aug. de Civit. Dei., ii. 28: “Though some come to mock at such admonitions, all their insolence is either humbled by a sudden conversation (immutatio) or suppressed by fear or shame.”
23 Greek, προθεσμία. Compare Gal. iv. 2: “the time appointed of the father.” At Athens it meant a “limitation,” or fixed period within which a debt must be claimed or paid, or an action commenced.
24 Index, “Lent.”
25 Compare xvii. 36.

Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ, οἱ διάκονοι Χριστοῦ, δεδέγμεθα ἕκαστον, καὶ θυρωρῶν ὥσπερ τάξιν ἐπέχοντες, ἀνέτην ἀφήκαμεν τὴν θύραν. Ἐγχωρεῖ δέ σε βεβορβορωμένην ἔχοντα τὴν ψυχὴν ἁμαρτίαις, καὶ τὴν προαίρεσιν ἐσπιλωμένην, εἰσελθεῖν. Εἰσῆλθες: κατηξιώθης: ὄνομά σου ἐνεγράφη. Βλέπεις μοι τὸ σεμνὸν τοῦτο τῆς ἐκκλησίας κατάστημα; θεωρεῖς μοι τάξιν καὶ ἐπιστήμην; γραφῶν ἀνάγνωσιν, κανονικῶν παρουσίαν, διδασκαλίας ἀκολουθίαν; δυσωπήθητι καὶ τὸν τόπον, καὶ παιδεύθητι ἐκ τῶν φαινομένων: ἔξελθε εὐκαίρως τὰ νῦν, καὶ εἴσελθε αὔριον εὐκαιρότατα. Εἰ φιλάργυρον ἔχεις τὸ σχῆμα τῆς ψυχῆς, ἄλλο ἐνδυσάμενος εἴσελθε: [ἔκδυσαι τὸ σχῆμα ὃ εἶχες, μὴ ἐπικαλύψῃς] ἔκδυσαί μοι πορνείαν καὶ ἀκαθαρσίαν, καὶ ἔνδυσαί μοι σωφροσύνης λαμπροτάτην στολήν. Ἐγὼ παραγγέλλω, πρὶν ὁ νυμφίος τῶν ψυχῶν εἰσέλθῃ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἴδῃ τὰ σχήματα. Πολλή σοι ἡ προθεσμία: τεσσαράκοντα ἡμερῶν μετάνοιαν ἔχεις: ἔχεις πολλὴν εὐκαιρίαν καὶ ἐκδύσασθαι καὶ ἀποπλύνασθαι, καὶ ἐνδύσασθαι καὶ εἰσελθεῖν. Εἰ δὲ ἐπιμένεις κακῇ προαιρέσει, ὁ μὲν λέγων ἀναίτιος, σὺ δὲ μὴ προσδόκα λήψεσθαι τὴν χάριν: τὸ μὲν [γὰρ] ὕδωρ σε δέξεται, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμά σε οὐ δέξεται. Εἴ τις σύνοιδεν ἑαυτῷ τὸ τραῦμα, τὴν ἔμπλαστρον λαβέτω: εἴ τις ἔπεσεν, ἐγειρέσθω: μηδεὶς ἐν ὑμῖν Σίμων, μηδεμία ὑπόκρισις, μηδὲ περιεργία τοῦ πράγματος.