A Discourse or a Preface to the Catechetical Teachings of Our Holy Father Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem.

1. Already the stench of bliss is upon you, you who are enlightened! Already you are gathering spiritual flowers to weave the crowns of heaven; the fragrance of the Holy Spirit has already been poured out; you are already on the threshold of the royal palaces; Oh, if only the King himself would lead you into them! The trees are now in color; Oh, when to see fruit on them? There has already been a census of your names. Likewise, the naming of the army, and the marriage lamps.

And the desire for heavenly coexistence, and the good intention, and the hope that follows. For he who has not lied said, "To them that love God all things shall be hastened for good" (Rom. 8:23). Although God is generous in doing good; yet he expects from everyone an unhypocritical arbitrariness. For this reason the Apostle adds: "To those who are called according to foreknowledge." An intention without hypocrisy makes you called.

For if you are here in body, but not in spirit; then this is useless.

2. Simon the sorcerer once approached the font; he was baptized, but not enlightened; He washed his body with water, but did not enlighten his heart with the Spirit; the body entered into the font, and came out of it, but the soul was not buried with Christ, and did not unite with Him (Col. 2:12; Rom. 6:4; 1 Cor. 10:2). I mention falls, so that you do not fall; For this happened to them educationally, and it is written for instruction even to those who are approaching now: lest any of you dare to tempt grace, lest any of you vegetate mischief should do evil (Heb. 12:15)

lest any of you should go up, saying, Let us see what the faithful do. When I go up, I will look to find out what is happening among them. You hope to see, but don't you think that they will see you? Do you think that you know what is happening, but God does not know your heart?

3. Someone thought to find out what happened at the marriage mentioned in the Gospel; And having put on unseemly clothes, he went up, and sat down and began to eat, because the bridegroom would allow it. When he saw everyone wearing white clothes, he should have put on the same clothes. However, eating the same food as others, he did not have the same clothes and did not have the same intention. But the bridegroom, although generous, is not without discernment.

Going around each of those who sat at table and examining them all (for he wanted to have them not in rags, but in splendid clothes), when he saw a stranger without a wedding garment, he said to him, "Friend! how didst thou enter into this (Matt. 22:12)? In what form? With what conscience? let not the doorkeeper hinder you, who in generosity invited you to the feast; even if you did not know in what clothes you had to come to the feast.

Thou didst come, and saw the glittering garments upon those who sat at the table; Should you not have learned at least from what you have seen? Was it not necessary to ascend in good time, in order to go out in good time? But now thou hast not ascended at the right time, and thou shalt not be cast out at the right time. And he commands the servants: bind his feet that have dared to enter here, bind the hands that did not know how to clothe him in bright clothes, and cast him into utter darkness. For he is not worthy of the marriage lamps. Do you see what happened to him? Beware of this also.

4. We, the servants of Christ, accept everyone, and being in the rank of gatekeepers, as it were, we leave the door unshut; And so, it is possible for you to ascend with a soul defiled by sins, and with an unclean intention. Thou hast ascended, thou hast been vouchsafed, thy name is written. Do you see this important ecclesiastical order? Do you contemplate order and decorum? Reading the Scriptures? The presence of the clergy and the continuity of teachings?

Revere this place, and learn from what you behold. Go out today in good time, and come up tomorrow in good time. If your soul is clothed in the garment of the love of money, then go up dressed differently: cast off your former clothes, do not cover them; cast off the garment of lust and impurity, and put on the bright garment of chastity. I declare to you before the Bridegroom of souls, Jesus, comes, and sees the garments. You have a lot of time for this. You have forty days for repentance.

A lot of time is able - to undress and wash, and to dress and go up. But if you remain in your evil will; then he who preaches to you will not be guilty, but you do not hope to receive grace. The water will accept you, but the spirit will not accept you. Whoever sees a wound on himself, let him apply a plaster; Let none of you be Simon, let there be no hypocrisy or curiosity in you about this matter.

5. It is possible to come here for another reason; A husband can come to please his wife, and the same can be said about wives. Often the slave wanted to please his master, his friend. I cast down the rod, and I catch you, though you have come with a bad intention, but you are saved by the good hope. Perhaps you did not know where you were going, and by what net you were caught. Caught by the snares of the Church; Surrender yourself alive to captivity.

Do not flee: for Jesus does not catch you in order to kill you; but in order to be put to death to revive. For it behooves thee both to die and to rise again. I heard the Apostle say: "Dead to sin, but alive to righteousness" (Romans 6:2). Die to sin and live in righteousness; From this day live for her.