July 5 — Day of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Brothers Cyril and Methodius — Czech State Day. This holiday is Slavic writing.
On this day, solemn services are held in churches and cathedrals of the Czech Republic, including in the Orthodox Cathedral of Cyril and Methodius in Prague.
The creators of the Slavic alphabet of the brothers Cyril and Methodius are rightly called the primary teachers and apostles. They not only laid the foundation for the widespread development of Slavic writing and translated many books from Greek, but also helped to make the recently baptized peoples more clear « the vertebral goals of eternal life », felt the universal breath of Christianity. It is no coincidence that both the Orthodox and the Catholic Church ranked them among the saints. Thanks to them, the Slavs began to hear the word of the Lord in their native language and were also able to adequately praise Him.
The brothers Cyril and Methodius were from the Macedonian city of Soluni. Now this Greek city on the shores of the Aegean Sea is known as Thessaloniki. Methodius was the eldest of seven brothers, and Konstantin was the youngest. The name Cyril younger brother received when tonsured as a monasticism before his death.
Father Methodius and Cyril held the high post of assistant manager of the city. There is an assumption that their mother was a Slav, because the brothers knew the Slavic language as well as the Greek language since childhood. They received excellent education and education. Konstantin from infancy discovered extraordinary mental talents.
Constantinople reached this hearing, and then he was taken to the court, where he studied with the emperor’s son with the best teachers of the capital of Byzantium. Konstantin expected a brilliant career at the imperial court, wealth and marriage to a noble beautiful girl. But he preferred to retire to the monastery on Mount Olympus to his brother Methodius.
Constantine's whole life was filled with frequent difficult, difficult trials and hard work. This undermined his strength, and at 42 he became very ill. Shortly before his death, he accepted monasticism named Cyril and died quietly in 869. Fearing that his brother would have the intention to return to his former foreign life in the monastery, before his death, Cyril told him: « You and I, like two oxen, led one furrow. And I fall in my line, my day is over. And you do not think to leave the works of the doctrine in order to retire to your mountain. No, here, among the Slavs, rather you can find salvation ».
Methodius survived his brother for 16 years. Having suffered deprivation and reproach, he continued the great work of — translation into the Slavic language of the sacred books, preaching the Orthodox faith, baptism of the Slavic people.
The church today is very sensitive to phenomena associated with a language that can ( and should ) be in unity with church life. The translation activities of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius once again showed that any language, the language of any people on earth is pleasing to God and can serve as a liturgical language.