14 February 2022 Saints Cyril, monk, and Methodius, Bishop

For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
“I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles,
so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”

When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord; and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region.

From Acts 13:46-49, NRSV

In the face of opposition to their teaching by the Jews, Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and stated that since the Jews rejected what they were saying, they would preach instead to the Gentiles. For many of the Jews, the distinction between Jew and Gentile was very important because they believed themselves to be God’s “Chosen People”. They believed that they would be saved through their fidelity to the Covenant and observance of the Jewish Law and were not ready to hear a different message about salvation in Christ. We are told that the Gentiles who heard Paul’s teaching were glad to hear it and became believers. Today the Church celebrates the lives of two brothers, Cyril and Methodius who continued the work of preaching to the Gentiles during the 9th century. Like Paul and Barnabas they also met with opposition but succeeded in bringing the message of the gospel to the Slavic people. Such was their influence that they are regarded as co-patrons of Europe (along with St.Benedict), and honoured as apostles in the Orthodox Church.

• • Why do you suppose many Jews could not accept Paul’s teaching?
  • Why do people reject the message of the gospel today?

Pray for all “Slavic” nations and especially at this time for peace and stability for the people of Ukraine.