Saints Cyril and Methodius — The Gospel for Every People

Today the Church honours
Saints Cyril and Methodius,
brothers in blood and apostles in mission.

They are remembered not for building empires, but for opening hearts.

They carried the Gospel across languages,
cultures, and frontiers so that Christ could be known
by those who had never heard His name.

The first reading from Acts shows us the heart of their mission.

Paul and Barnabas speak boldly.

They offer the word of God first to those who know the Scriptures.

But when it is rejected, they do not argue endlessly. They obey Christ.

“We now turn to the Gentiles.”

This is not bitterness.
It is obedience.

God’s salvation is too large to be contained by one people, one language,
or one culture.

The light of Christ is meant for the nations.

This is why Cyril and Methodius matter so much.

They did not insist that people become Greek or Latin
in order to become Christian.

They learned the local language.
They created an alphabet.
They translated the Scriptures.

Not to weaken the Gospel, but to make it intelligible.

They understood what Paul lived: the Gospel does not belong
to any one culture. It belongs to Christ.

The Gospel from Luke shows us how this mission unfolds.

Jesus sends out seventy-two disciples. Not a few. Many. Two by two.

They are sent
not to conquer,
but to bless.

“Peace to this house.”

They are not given security.
They are not given power.

They are given a message
and the authority of Christ.

“Heal the sick…
and say to them,
‘The kingdom of God has come near.’”

This is evangelisation
as Jesus intends it.

Not domination.
Not argument.

Presence.
Healing.
Proclamation.

Cyril and Methodius lived this Gospel.

They did not impose.
They proposed.

They trusted
that when Christ is preached clearly,
hearts will open.

And when he is rejected,
they moved on
without bitterness.

The Acts reading shows us
that rejection is not failure.

It is part of mission.

When Paul turns to the Gentiles,
the word of the Lord spreads.

God’s grace
cannot be blocked.

This is a lesson
for the Church in every age.

We do not control
how the Gospel is received.

We are responsible
for how faithfully it is offered.

Cyril and Methodius
were criticised in their own time.

Some thought they were wrong
to use local languages.

But the Church recognised their wisdom.

The Gospel must be proclaimed
in the language of the people —
not only spoken,
but lived.

Today’s readings remind us
that mission is not reserved
for the extraordinary.

The seventy-two were ordinary disciples.

Yet they were sent.

The Church is always sent.

Not to repeat herself endlessly,
but to go where the Gospel
has not yet taken root.

This matters for us.

We live in a time
when many people
no longer understand
the language of faith.

We can either complain —
or translate.

Not by changing the truth,
but by speaking it
with clarity,
charity,
and courage.

Saints Cyril and Methodius
show us what fidelity looks like.

Faithful to Christ.
Faithful to the Church.
Faithful to the people they served.

They trusted
that God’s word
is strong enough
to cross every border.

May we ask for their intercession today.

That we may carry the Gospel
not as something we own,
but as a gift we share.

For the kingdom of God
has come near —
and it is meant for all.