The obedient Son; the second ram and the ear that tests words
Cyril: …placed himself in subjection to God the Father. ‘For he became obedient to the point of death’ (Philippians 2:8), blotting out the charges of the rebellion that came from Adam; and he brought the fragrance of his ready obedience to God the Father on behalf of all together and of each one, and through him we have been saved. Paul is a witness, writing thus: ‘So then, as through one trespass there came condemnation to all people, so also through one righteous act there comes justification that brings life to all people. For as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous’ (Romans 5:18–19). Do you see, then, that we have been saved as in the calf, since Christ died for us, while we give off a fragrance to God the Father through his submission and his life in holiness? For the blood of the ram was poured out at the holy altar.
Palladius: I understand what you are saying.
Cyril: In many ways it portrays the same one for us, as in shadows. ‘And you shall take,’ it says, ‘the second ram’ (Exodus 29:19), and its slaughter is carried out as with the first. Aaron is anointed, and the band of priests under him is sanctified, as the blood is put on the tips of the right hand and ear, and of the right foot as well (Exodus 29:20). The vestment of the priests too is sanctified by being sprinkled with the blood (Exodus 29:21). Then, after the rest has been poured out at the base of the altar, as God saw fit, the inward parts are taken, with an unleavened loaf and one wafer, both made with oil (Exodus 29:22–23). Aaron and those with him place these in their own hands and bring them, and Moses receives the sacrifice and offers it up (Exodus 29:24–25). Besides this, he said that the shoulder and the breast must be assigned to the priest and counted among the portions set apart (Exodus 29:26–28). The name of the victim is ‘ram of perfection’ (Exodus 29:26). When the inward parts have been burned as incense, the rest of the body is eaten with the loaves, and whatever has been left until morning is burned with fire (Exodus 29:31–34). For so the sacred text runs.
Palladius: How deep the passage is!
Cyril: You are right; it is very deep indeed, but it is in labor with the mystery of Christ. For he became for us a ram of perfection, making us fully fitted for every good thing, and most outstanding in virtues through sanctification in the Spirit. And before all else he planted in us a hearing full of blessing, that is, one that is obedient and easily guided, well fitted to receive the doctrines about him, but that will not bear the whispered chatter and foul, unbridled talk of those who fight against the truth and set themselves against the doctrines of right belief. For this is the fruit of holy hearing. And indeed the divine John speaks to us somewhere in this way: ‘Brothers, test the spirits, whether they are from God; every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ is not from God, and every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ is from God’ (1 John 4:1–3). And the testing of words would rightly be done by nothing so much as by the ear. Holy…
Greek
ὑπέθηκεν ἑαυτὸν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρί. «Γέγονε γὰρ ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου,» τῆς ἐξ Ἀδὰμ ἀποταξίας ἀφανίζων τὰ ἐγκλήματα, καὶ τῆς εὐπειθείας τὴν εὐωδίαν ὡς ὑπὲρ πάντων τε ἅμα καὶ ὑπὲρ ἑκάστου προσαγήοχε τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ σεσώσμεθα· καὶ μάρτυς ὁ Παῦλος ὡδὶ γεγραφώς· «Ἄρα οὖν, ὡς δι' ἑνὸς παραπτώματος εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς κατάκριμα, οὕτω καὶ δι' ἑνὸς δικαιώματος εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς δικαίωσιν ζωῆς· ὥσπερ γὰρ διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου ἁμαρτωλοὶ κατεστάθησαν οἱ πολλοὶ, οὕτω διὰ τῆς ὑπακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου δίκαιοι κατασταθήσονται οἱ πολλοί.» Συνίης οὖν ὅτι σεσώσμεθα μὲν ὡς ἔν γε τῷ μόσχῳ, τεθνεῶτος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, εὐωδιάζομεν δὲ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ διὰ τῆς ὑποταγῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἐν ἁγιασμῷ ζωῆς· Προσεχεῖτο γὰρ τὸ αἷμα τοῦ κριοῦ τῷ ἁγίῳ θυσιαστηρίῳ.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Συνίημι ὃ φής.
{ΚΥΡ.} Πολυτρόπως δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν ἡμῖν διαπλάττων ὡς ἐν σκιαῖς· Καὶ λήψῃ, φησὶ, κριὸν τὸν δεύτερον, καὶ πράττεται μὲν ἐπ' αὐτῷ κατὰ τὸν πρῶτον ἡ σφαγή. Καταχρίεται δὲ Ἀαρὼν, καὶ τὸ ὑπ' αὐτῷ τῶν ἱερέων ἁγιάζεται στίφος, ἐπιτιθεμένου τοῦ αἵματος ἐπ' ἄκροις χειρὸς καὶ ὠτίου, καὶ μὴν καὶ ποδὸς τῶν δεξιῶν· ἁγιάζεται δὲ καὶ τῶν ἱερέων ἡ στολὴ καταῤῥαντισθεῖσα τῷ αἵματι, εἶτα τοῦ λείποντος ἐπιπροχεομένου τῇ βάσει τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, κατὰ τὸ Θεῷ δοκοῦν, ἀπολαμβάνεται τά τε ἐντόσθια καὶ ἄζυμος ἄρτος καὶ λάγανον ἕν· ἄμφω δὲ ἦν ἐλαιόδευτα· καὶ προσκομίζουσι μὲν ἐν χερσὶν ἐνθέντες ἰδίαις οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἀαρὼν, ἀποδέχεται δὲ τὴν θυσίαν καὶ ἀναφέρει Μωσῆς. Δεῖν δὲ πρὸς τούτοις ἔφη βραχίονα καὶ στηθήνιον ἀποτάττεσθαι τῷ ἱερεῖ, καὶ ἐν μοίρᾳ κεῖσθαι τῶν ἀφαιρουμένων. Ὄνομα δὲ τῷ θύματι, κριὸς τελειώσεως. Τεθυμιαμένων δὲ τῶν ἐντοσθίων, τὸ λοιπὸν σὺν ἄρτοις ἐσθίεται σῶμα, πυρὶ κατακαιομένων τῶν εἰς τὸ πρωῒ καταλελειμμένων. Ἔχει γὰρ ὧδε τὸ γράμμα τὸ ἱερόν.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ὡς βαθὺς ὁ λόγος!
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἔφης ὀρθῶς· βαθὺς γὰρ δὴ λίαν, ὠδίνει δὲ μὴν τὸ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον. Γέγονε γὰρ ἡμῖν κριὸς τελειώσεως εἰς πᾶν ὁτιοῦν τῶν ἀρίστων ἀρτίως ἔχοντας ἀποφαίνων, καὶ ἐκπρεπεστάτους ἐν ἀρεταῖς δι' ἁγιασμοῦ ἐν πνεύματι, καὶ πρό γε τῶν ἄλλων ἀκοὴν μὲν ἐνθεὶς, τὴν εὐλογίας πλήρη, τουτέστι, τὴν εὐπειθῆ καὶ εὐήνιον, καὶ ἐπιτηδείως μὲν ἔχουσαν εἰς παραδοχὴν τῶν περὶ αὐτοῦ δογμάτων, οὐκ ἀνεχομένην δὲ ψιθύρων τερετισμῶν, καὶ μυσαρᾶς ἀθυρογλωσσίας, ἣν ἂν ποιοῖντό τινες τῇ ἀληθείᾳ μαχόμενοι, καὶ τοῖς τῆς ὀρθότητος ἀντεξάγοντες δόγμασιν· ἀκοῆς γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο τῆς ἁγίας καρπός. Καὶ μὴν Ἰωάννης ἡμῖν ὁ θεσπέσιος ὧδέ πή φησιν· «Ἀδελφοὶ, δοκιμάζετε τὰ πνεύματα, εἰ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι· πᾶν πνεῦμα ὃ μὴ ὁμολογεῖ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἔστι, καὶ πᾶν πνεῦμα ὃ ὁμολογεῖ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι.» Βάσανος δὲ ῥημάτων πράττοιτο ἂν εἰκότως οὐχ ἑτέρως τέ ποι μᾶλλον ἢ εἰς οὖς. Ἅγιον