Staying within the tent; the eighth day begins
Cyril: The account has shown us well enough what was done in the case of each of the sacrifices. So let us stop going into these matters in fine detail and turn to this point. The law does not allow those who have been enriched with a holy and chosen lot, and have now been consecrated for the priesthood, to go anywhere outside the holy tent (Leviticus 8:33). It bids them sit within until the seventh day (Leviticus 8:35), and all but nails them to the doors, so that they do not cross the threshold. In this, I think, it makes their sitting in holy places a symbol of steadfastness and of remaining in holiness. For we who have been appointed to wait upon God must be firmly set and unshaken in virtue, not straying outside the fitting way nor running away from the mind that befits a priest, but always near God and, as it were, dwelling with him, as was said through the voice of a prophet: ‘Seek earnestly, and dwell with me’ (Isaiah 21:12). Moses ordered this to be done for seven days; the seven signifies that we must be eager to wait upon God at every season, for in a way it means ‘throughout’ and ‘always’. While they are inside the tent, he commands them to keep the charges of the Lord (Leviticus 8:35), hinting that obedience is the fruit of waiting upon God, together with the will to do whatever he may choose to command. This is how we must wait upon the Master of all, since carelessness about what is good always ends in the very last of evils. That is why, as I believe, Moses added, ‘so that you do not die’ (Leviticus 8:35).
Palladius: You have spoken rightly.
Cyril: Aaron, now consecrated for the sacred service, begins to carry out what was prescribed. And in what way, come, let us say. For it is written again in Leviticus: ‘On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel; and Moses said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a young calf from the herd for sin, and a ram for a whole burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lord. And speak to the elders of Israel, saying: Take one male goat for sin, and a young calf and a lamb a year old for a whole burnt offering, without blemish, and a calf and a ram for a sacrifice of salvation before the Lord, and fine flour mixed with oil; for today the Lord will appear among you.” And they took them, as Moses commanded, before the tent of witness, and the whole congregation came forward, and they stood before the Lord. And Moses said, “This is the word which the Lord has spoken; do it, and the glory of the Lord will appear among you.” And Moses said to Aaron, “Approach the altar, and make your sin offering and your whole burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself and for your house; and offer the gifts of the people, and make atonement for them, as the Lord commanded”’ (Leviticus 9:1–7). If you bring a keen mind to the sacred Scriptures, Palladius, you will see the mystery of Christ shining clearly here too.
Palladius: In what way?
Cyril: On the eighth day (Leviticus 9:1) Moses, as it were, ceases from acting as priest, and Aaron begins…
Greek
Ὁποῖος μὲν οὖν ἐφ' ἑκάστῃ τῶν θυσιῶν γέγονε τρόπος, ἀποχρῶν ἡμῖν εὖ μάλα διέδειξε λόγος. Τοιγάρτοι μεθέντες τὸ ἔν γε τούτοις ἰσχνομυθεῖν, ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἴωμεν. Οὐκ ἐφίησιν ὁ νόμος τοὺς ἱερὸν καὶ ἀπόλεκτον καταπλουτήσαντας κλῆρον, τετελειωμένους τε ἤδη πρὸς τὸ ἱερᾶσθαι δεῖν, ἔξω που φέρεσθαι τῆς ἁγίας σκηνῆς, ἀλλ' εἰς ἑβδόμην ἡμέραν εἴσω τε καθίζειν, καὶ μονονουχὶ προσηλοῖ ταῖς θύραις, οὐχ ὑπεραίροντας τὸν οὐδὸν, τὴν ἐν τόποις ἁγίοις κάθισιν σύμβολον, οἶμαί που, τιθεὶς ἑδραιότητος καὶ διαμονῆς τῆς ἐν ἁγιασμῷ. Διερηρεῖσθαι γὰρ δεῖ καὶ ἀκλονήτως ἔχειν εἰς ἀρετὴν ἀναγκαῖον ἡμᾶς, τοὺς οἵγε τετάγμεθα προσεδρεύειν Θεῷ, οὐκ ἔξω φοιτῶντας τοῦ καθήκοντος τρόπου καὶ γνώμης ἐκτρέχοντας ἱεροπρεποῦς· ἀγχοῦ δὲ ὥσπερ ἀεὶ καὶ οἰκοῦντας παρὰ Θεῷ, κατά γε τὸ εἰρημένον διὰ φωνῆς προφήτου· «Ζητῶν ζήτει, καὶ παρ' ἐμοὶ οἴκει.» Εἰς ἑπτὰ δὲ τοῦτο ἡμέρας ποιεῖν ἐκέλευσεν ὁ Μωσῆς· τὸ ἐν παντὶ δὲ χρῆναι καιρῷ Θεῷ προσεδρεύειν ἐπείγεσθαι, τοῦ ἑπτὰ σημαίνοντος, οἱονεὶ γάρ πως τὸ διόλου καὶ διὰ παντὸς φησίν. Εἴσω δὲ ὄντας σκηνῆς ἐντέλλεται τηρεῖν τὰ φυλάγματα Κυρίου, τῆς παρὰ Θεῷ προσεδρείας καρπὸν, τὸ εὐπειθὲς ὑποφαίνων, καὶ τὸ δρᾷν ἐθέλειν ἅπερ ἂν ἕλοιτο νομοθετεῖν. Προσεδρευτέον ὧδε τῷ πάντων Δεσπότῃ, πρὸς αὐτό που τὸ λοῖσθον τῶν κακῶν τῆς ἐπ' ἀγαθοῖς ῥᾳθυμίας ἐκτελευτώσης ἀεί· προσεπήνεγκε γὰρ ὁ Μωσῆς ταύτῃ τοι, καθάπερ ἐγᾦμαι, τὸ, «Ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνητε.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ὀρθῶς ἔφης.
{ΚΥΡ.} Τετελειωμένος δὲ ἤδη πρὸς ἱερουγρίαν ὁ Ἀαρὼν ἄρχεται πληροῦν τὰ νενομισμένα. Καὶ τίνα δὴ τρόπον, φέρε δὴ λέγωμεν. Γέγραπται γὰρ πάλιν ἐν τῷ Λευιτικῷ· «Καὶ ἐγενήθη τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ, ἐκάλεσε Μωσῆς Ἀαρὼν, καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν γερουσίαν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ εἶπε Μωσῆς πρὸς Ἀαρών· Λάβε σεαυτῷ μοσχάριον ἐκ βοῶν περὶ ἁμαρτίας, καὶ κριὸν εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα, ἄμωμα, καὶ προσένεγκε αὐτὰ ἔναντι Κυρίου. Καὶ τῇ γερουσίᾳ Ἰσραὴλ λάλησον, λέγων· Λάβετε χίμαρον ἐξ αἰγῶν ἕνα περὶ ἁμαρτίας, καὶ μοσχάριον, καὶ ἀμνὸν ἐνιαύσιον εἰς ὁλοκάρπωσιν, ἄμωμα, καὶ μόσχον, καὶ κριὸν εἰς θυσίαν σωτηρίου ἔναντι Κυρίου, καὶ σεμίδαλιν πεφυραμένην ἐν ἐλαίῳ, ὅτι σήμερον Κύριος ὀφθήσεται ἐν ὑμῖν. Καὶ ἔλαβον, καθὸ ἐνετείλατο Μωσῆς ἀπέναντι τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου, καὶ προσῆλθεν πᾶσα συναγωγὴ, καὶ ἔστησαν ἔναντι Κυρίου, καὶ εἶπε Μωσῆς· Τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα, ὃ εἶπε Κύριος, ποιήσατε, καὶ ὀφθήσεται ἐν ὑμῖν ἡ δόξα Κυρίου. Καὶ εἶπε Μωσῆς τῷ Ἀαρών· Πρόσελθε πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον, καὶ ποίησον τὸ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας σου, καὶ τὸ ὁλοκαύτωμά σου, καὶ ἐξίλασαι περὶ σεαυτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου σου, καὶ ποίησον τὰ δῶρα τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ ἐξίλασαι περὶ αὐτῶν, καθάπερ ἐνετείλατο Κύριος.» Λεπτὸν, ὦ Παλλάδιε, τοῖς ἱεροῖς Γράμμασι τὸν νοῦν ἐνιεὶς περιαθρήσεις εὖ μάλα κἀν τῷδε διαφανὲς τὸ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Τίνα τρόπον;
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἐν ἡμέρᾳ γὰρ ὀγδόῃ καταλήγει μὲν ὥσπερ τοῦ ἱερᾶσθαι Μωσῆς. Ἄρχεταί γε μὴν ὁ Ἀαρὼν,