Collect taken from the memorial of St. Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and doctor.
Collect: O God, who made the Bishop Saint Cyril of Alexandria an invincible champion of the divine motherhood of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, that we, who believe she is truly the Mother of God, may be saved through the Incarnation of Christ your Son…
“O God, who made the Bishop Saint Cyril of Alexandria an invincible champion of the divine motherhood of the most Blessed Virgin Mary,”
– God has promised to protect his Church against the gates of the netherworld and that includes protection against error and falsehood. By his providence, God raises up specific people at certain times to defend key truths of the faith. So, we praise God who raised up Cyril to defend Mary as the Mother of God, which is ultimately a defense of the claim that Jesus is God.
“grant, we pray, that we, who believe she is truly the Mother of God, may be saved through the Incarnation of Christ your Son”
– Placing our trust in this truth of Jesus as God and Mary as his mother, we implore God to save us through the very mystery (Incarnation) that caused such confusion and controversy in the early Church.
Questions & Advice: Do you understand that every Marian doctrine is ultimately connected to the Truth about Jesus Christ? When you say “Mother of God,” do you know why? Do you think arguments over doctrine are irrelevant and divisive?
Read about Mary’s motherhood in the Catechism (495). Spend some of your daily prayer time reflecting on your attitude toward doctrine. Especially if there are some doctrines you think aren’t important, ask God to show you how they matter to the Church and to the salvation of souls.
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| Sancte Cyrille, ora pro nobis! |