Thoughts on Sts Cyril and Methodius Day

According to Western high liturgical tradition, today is the feast day for Sts. Cyril and Methodius.

Sure, I could acknowledge that other patron saint feast day like everybody else, but I do not exactly fit any of the requirements for participating in the syncretistic celebration (I’m not a part of a Catholic or similar tradition, not one who needs to pick a yearly patron saint, and not one who could get a date). In fact, due to the confusion about which martyr goes by the name, the Catholics dropped that feast day from the calender.

While I am still not Catholic, I agree in principle with the celebration (prayer for the body of Christ to become unified). I highly disagree with the Catholic desire that everybody unify by rejoining the “Mother Church”; we should be unifying around Christ, not some earthly tradition. All of the various body segments will have to give up their “slights of men”, including the Catholics, if we are to truly be unified under Christ this side of his return.

Having said all that, here is some Scripture (from the KJV) that is apropriate, given the day:

^{“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” -Ephesians 4:1-7}

^{“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” -Ephesians 4:11-16}