St. Cyril of Alexandria (Feast Day June 27)

378 – June 27, 444

St. Cyril was born about 376 in Alexandria, Egypt. He became archbishop when his uncle, the former archbishop, died. During his first years in the position, Cyril was severe with heretics (baptized members of the Church who refuse to acknowledge or accept a revealed truth) and other people who caused trouble for the Christians. Later, he grew in compassion. Cyril became famous for his action at the Council of Ephesus. He tried to make the heretic Nestorius understand that Christ was truly God and man. He defended the teaching that Mary is the Mother of God and insisted on calling her Theotokos, a Greek name meaning “God-bearer” or “Mother of God.” Cyril died in 444. Because of his struggle with heretics and his forceful writing about doctrine, Cyril was later named a Doctor of the Church.

·      In today’s Gospel, Jesus begins by saying, “Fear no one.” Are you afraid of anyone? If so, why?

·      How many hairs to do you think you have on your head? How does it make you feel to know that God knows everything about you, even the number of hairs on your head?

·      What does Jesus mean when he says, “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.”

·      St. Cyril of Alexandria challenged people who were heretics. Do you think there are any heretics today? Explain your answer.

Bird Watching

Bird watching is a very enjoyable hobby and one which the whole family can enjoy. The best place to start bird watching is in your own backyard. Set the garden up to be bird friendly so your family can sit and enjoy watching birds any time they like. Here are some ideas:

·      Set up a bird bath.

·      Set up a bird feeder.

·      Set up nesting boxes.

·      Get a children’s bird reference book or make your own by searching the Internet for birds in your local area and printing pictures of them.

·      Get some binoculars.

You may be surprised just how many species you see. (Jesus mentions sparrows in today’s Gospel; see if you can spot one!) You can also make a game of it and offer a prize to the first person who can spot 5 different birds.

Tzatziki Sauce for St. Cyril of Alexandria

Honor our saint of the week with this delicious recipe!

16 ounces plain Greek yogurt

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated

1 clove garlic, grated

1 Tbsp parsley

1 tsp lemon

Salt

Pepper

Drain as much of the liquid from the yogurt as you can. Add your grated cucumber to a kitchen towel, wrap it up, and squeeze all the liquid out of it. Combine the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, parsley, lemon, salt, and pepper. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Serve with pita bread. 

Prayer Against Fear

Invite each family member to think of something that may be causing them anxiety or fear and to bring it before Jesus in this prayer.

Lord Jesus, draw near to me now and hear my prayer.

Lord, you know my heart and my innermost thoughts.

You see the struggle within me and the battle between mind and heart.

I ask you, O Lord, please release me from this fear.

Let me bask in your Holiness and remain calm, knowing that you are Lord and Savior.

You died for my sins, and you will never abandon me.

Send your Spirit upon me to comfort me and give me peace.

I thank you for your everlasting love. Amen.

What color did the priest wear at Mass today? When was the last time you saw the priest wear this same color? What does the color change signify?

Identify one thing that you are afraid of and ask God to help you overcome it.

The average human person has about 100,000 hairs on their head at one time.