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. 

St. Cyril of Jerusalem: Lectures on the Christian Sacraments

Tonight is the second night with the discussion group on this work by St. Cyril of Jerusalem. This is an ecumenical group that Gospel Simplicity, a Protestant, has done a good job of running and so far I've been surprised by the mix of Catholics, Orthodox, and even Pentecostals! We've read through the On Pre-Baptismal Rites section and I'm really enjoying this work. We're using the SVS edition, but you can find an online version here. 

As a Catholic, I cannot help but see the clear sacramentalism in this work from baptismal regeneration to the Real Presence in the Eucharist. I'm sure the Orthodox would say something similar which makes me wonder what the Pentecostals will say...

St. Paul Center has a good intro video of this work:

Jesus & the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist

I recently finished another outstanding book by Brant Pitre. I cannot recommend it highly enough for anyone who wants to understand more about the origins of the Eucharist!

I found this excellent talk online by him wherein he goes through some of what he puts in this book:

The "Bread of Life" Discourse in John 6 According to the Syriac

"This is a hard word, who is able to hear it?" (John 6:60)

Subdeacon Daniel Kakish had a fascinating discussion with Dr. Michael Wingert on this topic, which really makes one understand just why he was so puzzled by the questions from his Protestant interlocutor in a recent debate. The Subdeacon was right when he said that for all our differences, on this Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and even the Assyrian Church of the East all agree on the core doctrines of the Eucharist. There is much here in this discussion edifying to all Apostolic Christians, useful too in discussions with Protestants.