Wings broken, body undivided; the fine flour offering
Cyril: …certainly also the means by which these are obtained, ways of earning money that fight off the onset of want; and soft beds, and whatever is close to these. But even if these things are useful and necessary for those who live on earth and in bodies, the saints count them as nothing. They have sent away the possession of such things as so much useless clutter, and they pass their lives in the world with bodies all but naked and unclothed, granting grudgingly to the needs of the flesh whatever comes to hand and is easily obtained. When the feathers have been plucked and the craw, that is, the crop, has been removed, ‘he shall break it,’ it says, ‘at the wings, and shall not divide it’ (Leviticus 1:17), and then he shall carry it up onto the altar. The breaking of the wings would be a type and a clear example of the mind of the saints not thinking proud thoughts, nor flying on high, but rather being drawn along with the lowly (Romans 12:16) and seeking, so to speak, the things below. For the mind of the arrogant is always lifted up somehow and carried toward the heights; it cannot bear to sit down with those of lower station, and it despises a modest and humble way of thinking. So the breaking of the wings shows in a figure the putting away of arrogance. And that it is not divided shows that they have dedicated their own life to God entirely and, if we may put it so, in every way, not divided toward the things of the world; and the wise Paul too said that those who are married are divided (1 Corinthians 7:33–34). Holy, then, is the mind of the saints, and holy their life: above bodily indulgence, free of worldly care, made beautiful by a modest mind, and undivided toward the things of the world. That is why it is dedicated to God as a fragrant aroma.
Palladius: So it is.
Cyril: He then brings the kinds of sacrifice down further, to things smaller still, things that are at hand all year round and are got without sweat, widening, I think, the road to approval for small and great alike. For it is written: ‘Your commandment is exceedingly broad’ (Psalm 119:96). With God, who loves virtue, sincerity is not judged in every case and altogether by the size of the offering; rather, the lowly person stands equal with the eminent when he gives what he has and has chosen to honor God with whatever he has and is able to give. So he spoke again in this way: ‘If a soul brings a gift, a sacrifice to the Lord, his gift shall be fine flour; and he shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it; it is a sacrifice. And he shall bring it to the sons of Aaron, the priests; and taking from it a full handful of the fine flour with the oil, and all its frankincense, the priest shall put its memorial portion on the altar; it is a sacrifice, a fragrant aroma to the Lord’ (Leviticus 2:1–2). Do you see, then, how it pointed to the lowliness of the one who brings the offering? For the divine law simply names him ‘a soul’, even if he is quite undistinguished in this life, and in this too it shows that the supreme nature is fair and impartial toward all, as indeed it does again when it says: ‘All souls are mine’ (Ezekiel 18:4). For the Godhead shows no partiality, as I said just now. So if one of those who have no distinction in the world, it says, chooses to bring a gift to God, fine flour will be the form of the sacrifice, but moistened with oil and mixed with frankincense.
Greek
εὖ μάλα καὶ τὰ δι' ὧν ἂν γένοιτο ταυτὶ, πορισμοὶ χρημάτων, τῇ τῆς ἐνδείας ἐφόδῳ μαχόμενοι, εὐναί τε μαλακαὶ, καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἀγχοῦ. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ χρειώδη ταῦτα καὶ ἀναγκαῖα τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ ἐν σώμασιν, ἀλλ' οὖν τοῖς ἁγίοις λελόγισται παρ' οὐδὲν, ὄχλον δὲ ὥσπερ εἰκαῖον ἁπλῶς τὴν τῶν τοιούτων κτῆσιν ἀποπεμψάμενοι, μονονουχὶ γυμνοῖς καὶ ἀναμφιάστοις σώμασι διατελοῦσιν ἐν κόσμῳ, τὸ προστυχὸν καὶ εὐπόριστον τῇ τῆς σαρκὸς ἀνάγκῃ σὺν ὄκνῳ δωρούμενοι. Ἀποτετιλμένων δὲ τῶν πτερῶν, καὶ ἐξῃρημένης τῆς φύσης, ἤτοι τοῦ προλόβου, καὶ ἐκκλάσει, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τῶν πτερυγίων, καὶ οὐ διελεῖ, καὶ ἀνοίσει λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον. Καὶ ἡ μὲν τῶν πτερυγίων ἔκκλασις, τύπος ἂν εἴη καὶ ὑπόδειγμα σαφὲς τοῦ μὴ φρονεῖν τὰ ὑπέρογκα, μήτε μὴν ὑψοῦ πέτασθαι τῶν ἁγίων τὸν νοῦν, συνεπάγεσθαι δὲ μᾶλλον τοῖς ταπεινοῖς, καὶ οἱονεὶ τὰ κάτω ζητεῖν. Μετέωρος γὰρ ἀείπως ἐστὶ τῶν ἀλαζόνων ὁ νοῦς, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἄνω φέρεται, συνιζῆσαι τοῖς χθαμαλωτέροις οὐκ ἀνεχόμενος, καὶ τὸ μέτριόν τε καὶ ταπεινὸν ἀτιμάζων φρόνημα. Οὐκοῦν ἡ τῶν πτερυγίων ἔκκλασις, ἀλαζονείας ἀπόθεσιν αἰνιγματωδῶς ὑποφαίνει· ὅτι δὲ καὶ εἰσάπαν, καὶ, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπωμεν, ὁλοτρόπως ἀνέθεσαν τῷ Θεῷ τὴν οἰκείαν ζωὴν, οὐ μεμερισμένοι πρὸς τὰ ἐν κόσμῳ, τὸ μὴ διαιρεῖσθαι δηλοῖ· μεμερίσθαι δὲ τοὺς ἐν γάμῳ, καὶ ὁ σοφὸς ἔφη Παῦλος. Ἱερὸς οὖν ἄρα τῶν ἁγίων ὁ νοῦς, ζωή τε ἁγία, καὶ τρυφῆς ἀμείνων σωματικῆς, καὶ μερίμνης κοσμικῆς ἐλευθέρα, καὶ φρονήματι τῷ μετρίῳ περικαλλής· ἀμέριστος δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἐν κόσμῳ. Τοιγάρτοι καὶ εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας ἀνατίθεται τῷ Θεῷ.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ὧδε ἔχει.
{ΚΥΡ.} Καταβιβάζει δὲ τῆς θυσίας τοὺς τρόπους, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἔτι μείω τε καὶ παντὶ τῷ ἔτει λοιπὸν ἐγκείμενα, καὶ οὐ σὺν ἱδρῶτι ληπτὰ κατευρύνων, οἶμαί που, μικρῷ καὶ μεγάλῳ τῆς εὐδοκιμήσεως τὴν ὁδόν· γέγραπται γὰρ, ὅτι «Πλατεῖα ἡ ἐντολή σου σφόδρα.» Καὶ οὐ τῷ μεγέθει τῆς καρποφορίας πάντη τε καὶ πάντως τὸ γνήσιον κρίνεται, παρά γε τῷ φιλαρέτῳ Θεῷ, ἀλλ' ἐν ἴσῳ τοῖς προὔχουσιν ὁ βραχὺς, τὰ ἐνόντα διδοὺς, καὶ οἷς ἂν ἔχοι καὶ δύναιτο τιμᾷν ᾑρημένος. Ἔφη τοίνυν ὧδε πάλιν· «Ἐὰν δὲ ψυχὴ προσφέρῃ δῶ-ρον θυσίαν τῷ Κυρίῳ, σεμίδαλις ἔσται τὸ δῶρον αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐπιχεεῖ ἐπ' αὐτὸ ἔλαιον, καὶ ἐπιθήσει ἐπ' αὐτὸ λίβανον, θυσία ἐστί· καὶ οἴσει πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἀαρὼν τοὺς ἱερεῖς, καὶ δραξάμενος ἀπ' αὐτῆς πλήρη τὴν δράκα ἀπὸ τῆς σεμιδάλεως σὺν τῷ ἐλαίῳ, καὶ πᾶν τὸ λίβανον αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐπιθήσει ὁ ἱερεὺς τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον, θυσία ἐστὶν, ὀσμὴ εὐωδίας τῷ Κυρίῳ.» Συνίης οὖν ὅπως τὸ τοῦ προσκομίζοντος ὑπέμνησε ταπεινόν· ψυχὴν γὰρ ἁπλῶς, κἂν εἰ πολὺ τὸ ἄσημον ἔχοι κατὰ τόνδε τὸν βίον, ὁ θεῖος ἡμῖν ὀνομάζει νόμος, τὸ τῆς ἀνωτάτω φύσεως περὶ πάντας ἶσον καὶ ἀπροκλινὲς κἀν τούτῳ δεικνὺς, καθάπερ ἀμέλει καὶ ἐν τῷ φάναι πάλιν, ὅτι «Πᾶσαι αἱ ψυχαὶ, ἐμαί εἰσιν.» Ἀπροσωπόληπτον γὰρ τὸ θεῖον, καθάπερ ἔφην ἀρτίως. Οὐκοῦν εἴπερ ἕλοιτό τις τῶν οὐκ ἐχόντων, φησὶ, τὸ ἐπιφανὲς ἐν κόσμῳ, δωροφορεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, σεμίδαλις ἔσται τῆς θυσίας ὁ τρόπος. πλὴν ἐλαιόδευτος καὶ ἀναμὶξ λιβάνῳ· ὅτι