Wrapping Up St. Cyril of Jerusalem's "Catechetical Lectures"

Tonight was the last night with the ecumenical discussion group, run by Gospel Simplicity, on this work by St. Cyril of Jerusalem. We finished the reading the book and the discussion about it was good and lively as we wrapped up for the year.

Some final thoughts on this work:

1. Why haven't I ever read this before?!?
2. I was struck by just how Catholic/Orthodox this work truly is! Those of us in the group from these Churches had much to discuss in common about it. I don't know how any Protestant could read this and not see how their worship service/Lord's Supper lacks in comparison. There is clearly transubstantiation, or something like it, in this work, as well as the Mass being a "sacrifice of propitiation".
3. Whole parts of this work could be lifted and pasted into the Catechism! Seriously. The parts on baptism, the Eucharist, even the liturgy of the Mass was very close to how we still do it nearly 1,700 years later. The clear sacramentalism in this work from baptismal regeneration to the Real Presence in the Eucharist is striking.
4. I was pleased to see St. Cyril use "super-substantial bread" for "daily bread" in the Lord's Prayer. Right away I was reminded how St. Jerome used the same in the Vulgate. Kenneth Bailey in his Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, that I just finished, mentions how the Old Syriac translates this as "never-ceasing bread".
5. I would highly recommend this writing for anyone who would like to learn more about what the early Church believed and practiced!

We used the SVS edition, but you can find an online version here.