Equal shares for the priests and the sacrifice of praise
Cyril: …on a grill or in a pan shall belong to the priest who offers it. And every sacrifice mixed with oil, and every one not mixed, shall belong to all the sons of Aaron, to each an equal share’ (Leviticus 7:9–10). This law too is preserved in the churches, and it secures equality for those who serve at the altar, giving each, without variation, his portion of the bloodless sacrifice. Knowing this, Paul writes: ‘So also the Lord commanded that those who attend the altar should live from the altar’ (1 Corinthians 9:13–14). And those who offer the sacrifices are sharers in the altar, as he himself says again somewhere (1 Corinthians 10:18).
Palladius: That is so.
Cyril: He also regulates the sacrifice of praise and directs how it is to be done, saying: ‘This is the law of the sacrifice of salvation that they shall offer to the Lord. If he offers it for praise, then with the sacrifice of praise he shall offer loaves of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and fine flour kneaded with oil. With loaves of leavened bread he shall offer his gifts, along with the sacrifice of salvation offered in praise. And he shall bring one out of all his gifts as a portion set apart for the Lord; it shall belong to the priest who pours out the blood of the sacrifice of salvation. And the meat of the sacrifice of salvation offered in praise shall be his, and it shall be eaten on the day it is offered; they shall not leave any of it until morning’ (Leviticus 7:11–15). He has commanded that the sacrifice of praise be made with leavened loaves, even though elsewhere he said clearly and plainly: ‘You shall offer no leaven and no honey to the Lord your God. You shall offer them to the Lord as a gift of firstfruits, but they shall not be put on the altar for a fragrant aroma to the Lord’ (Leviticus 2:11–12). Would you not say, then, Palladius, that looking closely into these things brings profit?
Palladius: Very much so.
Cyril: What, then, is the meaning of this arrangement? Come, let us say, searching it out as far as we can and opening up the hidden path. So, very much in keeping with the law, the inspired David too, striking up the spiritual lyre, says: ‘I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord’ (Psalm 116:13), and so expressly calls the sacrifice of praise a cup of salvation. And we too offer praise in great numbers in the churches, in unity of spirit, brought together through faith as into one body (Ephesians 4:3–4) and one soul. For it is written: ‘The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul’ (Acts 4:32). We also often give glory alone, quietly at home, by day and by night; and this is the habit of good people. Or is what I say not true?
Palladius: How could it not be?
Cyril: But whether the offering is brought by us in the churches in great numbers, or is performed in other places, perhaps by one alone, or by two somewhere, or three, or more still, no distinction is drawn among those present who are accustomed to sing hymns and have gathered for this. For together with those already cleansed through holy baptism there joins in offering the sacrifice…
Greek
ἐπ' ἐσχάρας, ἣ ἐπὶ τηγάνου, τοῦ ἱερέως τοῦ προσφέροντος αὐτὴν, αὐτοῦ ἔσται. Καὶ πᾶσα θυσία ἀναπεποιημένη ἐν ἐλαίῳ, καὶ μὴ ἀναπεποιημένη, πᾶσι τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἀαρὼν ἔσται· ἑκάστῳ τὸ ἴσον.» Σώζεται καὶ οὗτος ἐν ἐκκλησίαις ὁ νόμος, καὶ βραβεύει τοῖς ἱερουργοῖς τὴν ἰσότητα, διανέμων ἑκάστῳ τῆς ἀναιμάκτου θυσίας ἀπαραλλάκτως τὰ γέρα. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰδὼς ὁ Παῦλος γράφει· «Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Κύριος προσέταξε, τοὺς τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ προσεδρεύοντας, ἐκ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ζῇν.» Καὶ οἱ προσφέροντες τὰς θυσίας, κοινωνοὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου εἰσὶ, καθὰ πάλιν αὐτός πού φησιν.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ὧδε ἔχει.
{ΚΥΡ.} Καταῤῥυθμίζει δὲ αὖ καὶ τῆς αἰνέσεως τὴν θυσίαν, καὶ ὅπως ἂν γένοιτο παρεγγυᾷ, λέγων· «Οὗτος ὁ νόμος θυσίας σωτηρίου, ἣν προσοίσουσι Κυρίῳ· Ἐὰν μὲν περὶ αἰνέσεως προσφέρῃ αὐτὴν, καὶ προσοίσει ἐπὶ τῆς θυσίας τῆς αἰνέσεως, ἄρτους ἓξ σεμιδάλεως ἀναπεποιημένης ἐλαίῳ, καὶ λάγανα ἄζυμα διακεχρισμένα ἐν ἐλαίῳ, καὶ σεμίδαλιν πεφυραμένην ἐν ἐλαίῳ. Ἐπ' ἄρτοις ζυμίταις προσοίσει τὰ δῶρα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ θυσίᾳ αἰνέσεως σωτηρίου· καὶ προσάξει ἓν ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν δώρων αὐτοῦ, ἀφαίρεμα Κυρίῳ. Τῷ ἱερεῖ τῷ προσχέοντι τὸ αἷμα τοῦ σωτηρίου, αὐτῷ ἔσται· καὶ τὰ κρέα θυσίας αἰνέσεως σωτηρίου, αὐτῷ ἔσται. Καὶ ἐν ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ δωρεῖται, βρωθήσεται· οὐ καταλείψουσιν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ πρωΐ.» Ἐπ' ἄρτοις ζυμίταις τῆς αἰνέσεως τὴν θυσίαν ποιεῖσθαι προστέταχε· καίτοι σαφῶς καὶ ἐναργῶς ἐν ἑτέροις εἰπὼν, ὅτι «Πᾶσαν ζύμην καὶ πᾶν μέλι οὐ προσοίσετε Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ὑμῶν. Δῶρον ἀπαρχῆς προσοίσετε αὐτὰ τῷ Κυρίῳ· ἐπὶ δὲ τὸ θυσιαστήριον οὐκ ἀναθήσεται εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας Κυρίῳ.» Ἆρ' οὖν, ὦ Παλλάδιε, τὸ περίεργον ἐν τούτοις, οὐκ ὀνησιφόρον εἶναι φής;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Καὶ μάλα.
{ΚΥΡ.} Τίς οὖν ἄρα ἔσται τῆς οἰκονομίας ὁ τρόπος, φέρε δὴ λέγωμεν, πολυπραγμονοῦντες ὡς ἔνι, καὶ τρίβον ἱέντες τὴν κεκρυμμένην. Νομικώτατα τοίνυν καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Δαβὶδ τὴν πνευματικὴν ἀνακρούων λύραν, «Ποτήριον,» φησὶ, «σωτηρίου λήψομαι, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου ἐπικαλέσομαι·» τῆς αἰνέσεως τὴν θυσίαν, ποτήριον σωτηρίου διαῤῥήδην ἀποκαλῶν. Προσκομίζομεν δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς τὴν αἴνεσιν κατὰ πληθὺν μὲν ἐν ἐκκλησίαις, εἰς ἑνότητα πνεύματος, καὶ ὡς εἰς ἓν σῶμα καὶ ψυχὴν μίαν συνενηνεγμένοι διὰ τῆς πίστεως· γέγραπται γὰρ, ὅτι «Τοῦ δὲ πλήθους τῶν πεπιστευκότων ἦν ἡ καρδία καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ μία.» Ποιούμεθα δὲ τὰς δοξολογίας καὶ καθ' ἕνα πολλάκις ἠρεμοῦντες οἶκον, καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ ἐν νυκτί· καὶ τὸ χρῆμά ἐστι τοῖς ἐπιεικέσιν ἐν τριβῇ. Ἢ οὐκ ἀληθὲς ὅ φημι;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Πῶς γὰρ οὔ;
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἀλλ' εἴτ' οὖν ἐν ἐκκλησίαις κατὰ πληθὺν προσάγοιτο πρὸς ἡμῶν τὸ θῦμα, εἴτ' οὖν ἐν ἑτέροις πράττοιτο τόποις, καὶ καθ' ἕνα τυχὸν, ἢ καὶ κατὰ δύο που, καὶ τρεῖς, καὶ πλείονας ἔτι, ἀδιάκριτος ἡ παράστασις τῶν ὑμνολογεῖν εἰωθότων, καὶ εἰς τοῦτο συνδεδραμηκότων· ὁμοῦ γὰρ τοῖς ἤδη κεκαθαρμένοις διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος, συναναφέρει τὸ θῦμα·