The Lexical Saints

Cyril and his brother were born in northern Greece where both Greek and Slavonic languages were spoken. Both became priests. Cyril was sent to Constantinople to teach philosophy and serve as librarian at St. Sophia Cathedral. Methodius became the governor of a Slavonic-speaking region. In 861 Emperor Michel III of Constantinople sent the brothers as missionaries - first to the Khazars in what is now the Ukraine, and then to Moravia in the present Czech Republic.

At that time there was no written language for the Slavic-speaking peoples of the Balkans and Eastern Europe. In order to preserve the liturgy and provide written forms of the Scriptures, Cyril and Methodius developed an alphabetic system to express the Slavonic languages in writing. This script became the basis of two alphabets - one called "Glagolitic," for use by Roman Catholic Slavs and another called "Cyrillic," in honor of this saint, used by the Eastern Orthodox Church.

However, the missionaries sent by Rome insisted Latin be used exclusively in all church settings. Cyril and Methodius had to travel to Rome to plead their case. Cyril died there, but Methodius returned to Moravia with the Pope's blessing. Yet the disagreements in the Church made Methodius unable to function as the archbishop, so he retired to a life of translating the Bible and many Greek religious works into Slavonic. The Cyrillic alphabet remains the standard form of many eastern European languages.

The love of Scriptures and the desire to share them motivated Cyril and Methodius. Biblical texts are often the first books to be written down in a language, and the work of translating the Bible often offers a culture its first use of written language. The spirit of Cyril and Methodius reminds us that the work of God does not consist solely of one's personal relationship with Jesus. It usually also includes the calling of a whole people to live in a way that glorifies the Lord.

Reflect on the Word

Your laws are so fair that I wake up and praise you in the middle of the night. I choose as my friends everyone who worships you and follows your teachings. Our LORD, your love is seen all over the world. Teach me your laws.

Psalm 119: 62-64,(CEV)