Saints Cyril and Methodius Brothers Missionaries and Saints

Saints Cyril and Methodius Brothers, Missionaries, and Saints

Differences • Cyril was known as a brilliant philosopher • On the contrary, Methodius concerned himself with more practical matters like politics.

Beginnings • Saints Cyril and Methodius were born in Thessalonika, Greece in the early ninth century. • The brothers were different in temperament but were only a year apart in age.

Similarity • Both brothers put God first in their lives. • As a result, both were ordained priests and eventually joined monasteries.

Traveling • In 861 A. D. , the brothers were sent as missionaries to a region of Russia. • Russia and other nations in Eastern Europe spoke a language known as Slavonic. • Cyril and Methodius learned this language before their journey.

Making a Difference • The difficulty with the Slavonic language is that it was never written down. • There wasn’t even an alphabet for it. • Hence, Cyril had to devise an alphabet so he could translate the bible into Slavonic. The alphabet is known as Cyrillic, in his honor.

Holy Messengers • Cyril and Methodius also translated the words of the Mass into the Slavonic language so the people of Eastern Europe could understand the Mass and worship God in words they knew.

Trouble is Brewing • Some people objected to the brothers’ work • Neighboring lands were afraid that if the people of Eastern Europe were unified under a written language and the Christian faith then they might become too difficult to conquer. • Cyril and Methodius were ordered to Rome to explain their work to the pope himself.

Recognition • The pope of that time approved their work. • In fact, he was so taken with their achievements that he elevated them both to bishops. • Unfortunately, Cyril died shortly after being ordained a bishop.

Lasting Effect • To this day, a number of Slavonic countries, including Russia, use the Cyrillic alphabet. • Cyril and Methodius’s work helped Christianity flourish throughout Eastern Europe. • One of those nations, Poland, was the birthplace of our last pope, Blessed John Paul II. • For their achievements these men were recognized as saints and given the feast day of February 14 th.