Day of Remembrance of Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril, teacher of Slovenia (27/02)

Saint Cyril Equal to the Apostles (who bore the name Constantine before the adoption of the schema) and his older brother Methodius were born in Macedonia, in the city of Soluni. Saint Cyril received an excellent education, being raised with the son of the emperor from the age of 14.

The young man took the rank of presbyter early. Upon returning to Constantinople, he was a librarian of the cathedral church and a teacher of philosophy. Saint Cyril successfully debated heretics, iconoclasts and Mohammedans. Seeking solitude, he retired to Mount Olympus to his elder brother Methodius, but his solitude did not last long.

In 857, both brothers were sent by Emperor Michael on a missionary journey to preach Christianity to the Khozars. On the way, they stopped in Kherson and found there the relics of the Hieromartyr Clement, the Pope. Arriving at the Khozars, the holy brothers talked with them about the Christian faith.

Convinced by the sermon of St. Cyril, the Khozar prince and with him all the people converted to Christianity. The grateful prince wanted to reward the preachers with rich gifts, but they refused this and asked the prince to release all Greek prisoners with them to their homeland. Saint Cyril returned to Constantinople with 200 prisoners released.

In 862, the main work of the holy brothers began. At the request of Prince Rostislav, the emperor sent them to Moravia to preach Christianity in the Slavic language. Saints Cyril and Methodius composed the Slavic alphabet and translated the Gospel, Apostle, Psalter and many liturgical books into Slavic. They also conducted services in the Slavic language.

Then the holy brothers, at the invitation of the Pope, were summoned to Rome, where Pope Adrian met them with great honor, for they brought there the relics of the Hieromartyr Clement, Pope. By nature painful and weak, Saint Cyril soon fell ill from many labors and, having taken the schema, died in 869 at the age of 42.

Before his death, he bequeathed to his brother to continue the Christian enlightenment of the Slavs. Saint Cyril was buried in the Roman Church of St. Clement, where the relics of this holy martyr, brought to Italy from Chersonesos by Slovenian teachers, rest.

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