Jethro’s sacrifice; Moses catechizes; Christ the living bread perfects

—because of this, that they set themselves upon them. And Jethro Moses’ father-in-law took whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices to the Lord.’ Moses therefore is an elementary teacher, and carries us off unto first entrances of true knowledge of God—that is, the introductory catechesis through the more ancient Letters.

Palladius: It fits.

Cyril: And Christ perfects those catechized through law. And if I should say law again, understand the old covenant. And indeed toward Jethro Moses was using only the narrations concerning God; and he shifts him thereafter unto this judgment, so as to confess expressly that there is no other God, except that only the one is, who is by nature and truly. And this is catechumens’ first faith—I mean being freed from polytheist opinion, and receiving the one who is truly one and by nature God. And Aaron was both counting Jethro worthy of a table, and calling him unto eating of bread. For ‘Aaron has arrived,’ it says, ‘and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread together with Moses’ father-in-law before God.’ For Christ, the truer Aaron, perfects us with the living bread; and he perfects not only those from the nations, but rather mixed also those chosen from Israel’s blood, of whom the elders would be a type. And not moderate emphasis toward sanctification has the need to eat the bread as before God. For what is so in God’s sight as a mystical table, and sacrifice, and those partaking of it?

Palladius: You speak well.

Cyril: That being perfected through Christ, we also spring up from the pedagogy in law toward better understanding, we will see effortlessly receiving a clear image of the matter—Moses and Jethro; for ‘Moses the divine was sitting judging,’ it says; ‘and all the people was standing by him from morning until evening.’ And Jethro introduces a judgment which Moses has honored, and having thought it holds most excellently he accepted it; for ‘Moses heard,’ it says, ‘the father-in-law’s voice, and did as many things as he said to him.’ Or would not the one able to speak the better counsel and judgment be thought altogether and in every way to exist also in more advanced understanding?

Palladius: I say so.

Cyril: And that the perfection through Christ is better and far beyond the catechesis in law, carrying us up unto knowledge incomparably overlying, the most holy Paul would easily show, through the surpassing of the knowledge of Christ, just as he himself says, most eagerly counting the gains in law a loss, and thinking them dung, that he might gain Christ. And toward those still honoring only the things through Moses, and not accepting the perfection through Christ, the prophet Jeremiah was saying: How will you say