Christ above us though made flesh; the two peoples and the flock of believers; our souls consecrated to God
Cyril: …pre-eminence. ‘For who will be likened to God among the sons of God?’ (Psalm 89:6). For Christ is at once like us and above us, in the pre-eminence of his Godhead, even though he became flesh (John 1:14). There are two heifers, as a type, I think, of the two peoples, who have run together into the one people made from both, as he who is for our sake and with us joins them through faith into spiritual unity (Ephesians 2:14–15). The rams, again, and the lambs, equal in number, and the male goats no fewer, point to the multitude of believers, the multitude gathered, I mean, in the fifth age, as it were, the time when he came who says, ‘When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to myself’ (John 12:32). Through the rams is signified the believers’ maturity in understanding and their full growth in spiritual stature, the stature, plainly, that is in Christ (Ephesians 4:13); through the lambs, their simplicity and innocence: ‘Brothers,’ he says, ‘do not be children in your thinking, but be infants in evil, and in your thinking be mature’ (1 Corinthians 14:20); and through the male goats for sin, their constant need of cleansing and of the forgiveness of offences. That is why we too have been taught to say in our prayers, ‘Forgive us our trespasses’ (Matthew 6:12). For there is no time when those who are truly right-minded, and who know the weakness of human nature, need not cry out, ‘Who will understand his transgressions?’ and, ‘Cleanse me from my secret faults’ (Psalm 19:12). This is a spiritual sacrifice, giving off a fragrance to God for the salvation of our souls.
Palladius: True.
Cyril: I have said, then, that Christ is signified in the calf and in the rams, the lambs and the he-goats, and in the rest; and I would by no means suppose that the account given of this misses what is fitting. But if anyone should choose to carry the force of these thoughts over to ourselves as well, there is no harm in applying some such contemplation as this to the passage before us.
Palladius: What kind do you mean?
Cyril: Under the law the sacred victims were brought by all Israel, and the blood of the slain was poured out at the divine altar. The rite all but spelled it out, as in a shadow, and hinted to us indirectly that it is fitting for us to consecrate our own souls to the holy God.
Palladius: Well said.
Cyril: So the victims stand in our place and on our behalf, and in them it is we who, in type, are offered in sacrifice.
Palladius: True.
Cyril: Come, then, let us examine carefully, as is right, what was brought by the hand of the leaders as though from all the people, and look closely at the beauty of the spiritual contemplation. What was offered in silver vessels, I mean the dish and the cup, was fine flour soaked in oil. And the symbol of brightness…
Greek
ὑπεροχῇ τὰ αὐτοῦ. «Τίς γὰρ ὁμοιωθήσεται τῷ Θεῷ ἐν υἱοῖς Θεοῦ;» καθ' ἡμᾶς γὰρ ὁμοῦ καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς ὁ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑπεροχῇ θεότητος, εἰ καὶ γέγονε σάρξ. Δύο γε μὴν αἱ δαμάλεις, εἰς τύπον, οἶμαί που, τῶν δύο λαῶν, συνδεδραμηκότων εἰς ἕνα τὸν ἀπ' ἀμφοῖν, συνείροντος εἰς ἑνότητα τὴν πνευματικὴν διὰ πίστεως τοῦ δι' ἡμᾶς τε καὶ μεθ' ἡμῶν. Κριοὶ δὲ πάλιν καὶ ἀμνοὶ ἰσάριθμοι, χίμαροί τε οὐχ ἥττους, τῶν πιστευόντων πληθὺν ὑπεμφαίνοντες, τὴν ὡς ἐν πέμπτῳ, φημὶ, συνενηνεγμένην καιρῷ, καθ' ὃν ἡ ἐπιδημία τοῦ λέγοντος, «Ὅταν ὑψωθῶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς, πάντας ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν.» Σημαίνεται δὲ τῶν πεπιστευκότων διὰ μὲν τῶν κριῶν τὸ ὡς ἐν φρονήσει τέλειον, καὶ τῆς νοητῆς ἡλικίας, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ, τὸ ἀρτίως ἔχον, διὰ δὲ τῶν ἀμνῶν τὸ ὡς ἐν ἁπλότητί τε καὶ ἀκακίᾳ· «Μὴ» γὰρ δὴ, φησὶν, «ἀδελφοὶ, παιδία γίνεσθε ταῖς φρεσὶν, ἀλλὰ τῇ κακίᾳ νηπιάζετε, ταῖς δὲ φρεσὶ τέλειοι γίνεσθε·» διὰ δὲ τῶν ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας χιμάρων, τὸ ἀεὶ δεῖσθαι καθαρισμοῦ καὶ πλημμελημάτων ἀφέσεως. Τοιγάρτοι καὶ δεδιδάγμεθα λέγειν ἐν προσευχαῖς· «Ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ παραπτώματα.» Οὐ γάρ ἐστι καιρὸς, ὅτε μὴ βοᾷν ἀναγκαῖον τοῖς ὡς ἀληθῶς ἀρτίφροσι, καὶ τῆς ἀνθρωπείας φύσεως εἰδόσι τὸ ἄναλκι, καὶ, «Παραπτώματα τίς συνήσει;» καὶ, «Ἐκ τῶν κρυφίων μου καθάρισον με.» Τοῦτο θυσία πνευματικὴ, σωτηρίας τε πέρι τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν εὐωδιάζουσα τῷ Θεῷ.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἀληθές.
{ΚΥΡ.} Χριστὸν οὖν ἔφην, ὡς ἔν γε τῷ μόσχῳ καὶ τοῖς κριοῖς, ἀμνοῖς τε καὶ τράγοις, καὶ τοῖς ἑτέροις κατασημαίνεσθαι, καὶ ἀφαμαρτεῖν τοῦ πρέποντος οἰηθείην ἂν οὔτι που τὸν ἐπὶ τῷδε λόγον. Εἰ δὲ δή τις ἕλοιτο καὶ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς τὴν τῶν ἐννοιῶν μετακομίσαι δύναμιν, τὸ λυποῦν οὐδὲν, τοιαύτην τινὰ θεωρίαν τοῖς προκειμένοις ἐπενεγκεῖν.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ὁποίαν δὴ φῄς;
{ΚΥΡ.} Προσεκομίζοντο κατὰ τὸν νόμον παρὰ παντὸς Ἰσραὴλ τὰ ἱερὰ θύματα. Προσεχεῖτο δὲ τῷ θείῳ θυσιαστηρίῳ τῶν σφαζομένων τὸ αἷμα, μονονουχὶ καταγράφοντος ὡς ἐν σκιᾷ τοῦ δρωμένου, καὶ πλαγίως ἡμῖν ὑπεμφαίνοντος, ὅτι Θεῷ τῷ ἁγίῳ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἡμῶν καθιεροῦν προσήκει ψυχάς.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Εὖ ἔφης.
{ΚΥΡ.} Οὐκοῦν ἀνθ' ἠμῶν καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὰ θύματα, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν ἐν αὐτοῖς οἱ κατὰ τύπον ἱερουργούμενοι.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἀληθές.
{ΚΥΡ.} Φέρε δὴ οὖν πολυπραγμονοῦντες ὀρθῶς τὰ ὡς παρὰ πάντων προσκεκομισμένα διὰ τῆς τῶν ἡγουμένων χειρὸς, τῆς ἐν πνεύματι θεωρίας τὸ κάλλος περιαθρήσωμεν. Ἦν οὖν ἄρα τὰ προσενηνεγμένα ἐν ἀργυροῖς σκεύεσι, τρυβλίῳ, φημὶ, καὶ φιάλῃ, σεμίδαλις ἐλαιοβρεχής. Σύμβολον δὲ λαμπρότητος μὲν