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.

6. See, I pray thee, how great a dignity Jesus bestows on thee. Thou wert called a Catechumen, while the word echoed  29  S. Cyril plays upon the word “Catechumen,” which has the same root as “echo.” round thee from without; hearing of hope, and knowing it not; hearing mysteries, and not understanding them; hearing Scriptures, and not knowing their depth. The echo is no longer around thee, but within thee; for  the indwelling Spirit   30  Rom. viii. 9, 11. henceforth makes thy mind a house of God. When thou shalt have heard what is written concerning the mysteries, then wilt thou understand things which thou knewest not. And think not that thou receivest a small thing: though a miserable man, thou receivest one of God’s titles. Hear St. Paul saying,  God is faithful   31  1 Cor. i. 9. . Hear another Scripture saying,  God is faithful and just   32  1 John i. 9. . Foreseeing this, the Psalmist, because men are to receive a title of God, spoke thus in the person of God: I said,  Ye are Gods, and are all sons of the Most High   33  Ps. lxxxi. 6. . But beware lest thou have the title of “  faithful ,” but the will of the faithless. Thou hast entered into a contest, toil on through the race: another such opportunity thou canst not have  34  Compare xvii. 36. . Were it thy wedding-day before thee, wouldest thou not have disregarded all else, and set about the preparation for the feast? And on the eve of consecrating thy soul to the heavenly Bridegroom, wilt thou not cease from carnal things, that thou mayest win spiritual?

29 S. Cyril plays upon the word “Catechumen,” which has the same root as “echo.”
30 Rom. viii. 9, 11.
31 1 Cor. i. 9.
32 1 John i. 9.
33 Ps. lxxxi. 6.
34 Compare xvii. 36.

Βλέπε μοι πηλίκην [σοι] ἀξίαν ὁ Ἰησοῦς χαρίζεται. Κατηχούμενος ἐλέγου, ἔξωθεν περιηχούμενος: ἀκούων ἐλπίδα, καὶ μὴ εἰδώς: ἀκούων μυστήρια, καὶ μὴ νοῶν: ἀκούων γραφὰς, καὶ μὴ εἰδὼς τὸ βάθος. Οὐκ ἔτι περιηχῇ, ἀλλ' ἐνηχῇ: τὸ γὰρ ἔνοικον Πνεῦμα, λοιπὸν οἴκους θείους τὴν διάνοιάν σου ἐργάζεται. Ὅταν ἀκούσῃς τὰ περὶ τῶν μυστηρίων γεγραμμένα, τότε νοήσεις ἃ μὴ ᾔδεις. Καὶ μὴ νομίσῃς ὅτι μικρὸν πρᾶγμα λαμβάνεις: ἄνθρωπος ὢν οἰκτρὸς, Θεοῦ λαμβάνεις προσηγορίαν. Ἄκουε Παύλου λέγοντος: Πιστὸς ὁ Θεός: ἄκουε ἄλλης γραφῆς λεγούσης: Θεὸς πιστὸς καὶ δίκαιος. Τοῦτο προβλέπων ὁ Ψαλμῳδὸς ἔλεγεν ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐπειδὴ μέλλουσιν ἄνθρωποι Θεοῦ προσηγορίαν λαμβάνειν: Ἐγὼ εἶπα, θεοί ἐστε, καὶ υἱοὶ Ὑψίστου πάντες: ἀλλὰ βλέπε, μὴ πιστοῦ μὲν ἡ προσηγορία, ἀπίστου δὲ ἡ προαίρεσις. Εἰσῆλθες εἰς ἀγῶνα, κάμε τὸν δρόμον: ἄλλον καιρὸν τοιοῦτον οὐκ ἔχεις. Εἴ σοι γάμων ἡμέραι προέκειντο, οὐκ ἂν κατεφρόνησας πάντων, καὶ περὶ τὴν ἑτοιμασίαν τῆς ἑστιάσεως ἐγένου; μέλλων δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν καθοσιοῦν τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ νυμφίῳ, οὐκ ἀργήσεις σωματικῶν, ἵνα ἄρῃς πνευματικά;