Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church at 303 Keller Ave., North Judson, IN 46366-1209 US - Reflections on the Ministry of SS. Cyril and Methodius

St. Paul speaks of "redeeming the time." Literally, to redeem means to buy back -- or within this context, to make the best use of time; in other words, to avoid wasting time.

With the conclusion of one year, century, and millennium, and the beginning of another, we have recently been more conscious than ever of how we spend our time. Efficiency experts and time management consultants abound. Each one has some suggestion to help us make the best use of our time.

The only "expert" in the time management field available to SS. Cyril and Methodius in the ninth century was the Holy Spirit. Judging from the results of their missionary efforts, they must have been inspired and guided to make the most of the time allotted to them.

You may recall, Cyril died on February 14, 869 at the age of 42. Methodius was left to continue the work they had begun together and he died at the age of 70 on April 6, 885.

To adequately assess what they had accomplished, we need to pose a few "what if's."

What if Cyril and Methodius in their youth had been mediocre students? What if they had been content to "get by," just to satisfy the requirements? Would Cyril have developed his facility for linguistics? Would Methodius have become the meticulous administrator and civic leader historians indicate he was?

What if they neglected to respond to the inspiration to spend time in solitude on Mt. Olympus? Would they have had the conviction and the zeal necessary to evangelize people (our ancestors) who were culturally, academically, linguistically unlike themselves?

What if they had sought personal convenience when called to proclaim the Gospel to the people of Great Moravia, and had chosen to remain in the solitude of their monastery (maybe with a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door of their rooms)?

What if they had succumbed to the first rebuff -- so common to foreign missionaries -- and turned around and returned to Thessalonica?

What if they had attempted to catechize the people in Greek, rather in their own native tongue? What if Cyril had not taken the time to create a language so that he might proclaim the WORD?

What if, after translating the Scriptures, Cyril had said: "I've done my share. Let someone else take care of translating the Liturgical Texts. I can't possibly do all of this single-handedly. Besides, I'm tired."

What if, when they recognized potential priestly vocations among their first converts they would have said: "We're too busy right now. Let's leave that for a time when we're better organized." Maybe the missionaries who come after us will be better able to meet this need. This idea is premature. We need to wait until everyone is ready for this. We've never done this before."

What if, when they were summoned to Rome and accused of being heretics (for having the Liturgy in the vernacular rather than in Hebrew, Greek, or Latin) they would have succumbed to fear, abandoned their mission and returned to Greece?

What if after fulfilling their mission in Rome, and having their missionary efforts affirmed by Pope Hadrian II, Cyril had not sought respite in a monastery? We would be honoring Constantine and Methodius on February 14 rather than CYRIL and Methodius.

Personal Application:

How do I "redeem the time" I have? Actually, all I have is NOW in which to accomplish all the good God expects of me. All Cyril and Methodius had in their day was each NOW moment. If they had let those opportunities and inspirations slip by, so much good would have been left undone.

How many opportunites have I wasted because of hand-wringing? I wonder what people will say; I wonder if my project will succeed; I fear failure and the embarrassment it brings -- and so I don't follow through on a good idea.

How many of my inspirations are neglected because "no one else is doing it." (Have I ever considered the fact that no one else is acting on an inspiration I have received -- because it's MY inspiration and not theirs?)

Do I realize that every person on earth gets 24 hours daily to accomplish what God expects of him/her that day? Although I may not be granted an equal number of years, I do get equal time daily. How do I use it? How do I "redeem the time?"

On February 14 we commemorate the mission and ministry of the Apostles to the Slavs, Cyril and Methodius. They transformed the face of central and eastern Europe by christianizing the culture of the people. Cyril was granted only 42 years to accomplish this task. Had he waited, as we sometimes do, "for a day when I'll have more time, for a time when everything is in place and the people are ready to hear and accept the Gospel" and on and on with the excuses, our ancestors -- and we -- would have been pathetically deprived of a deep, lasting and living faith.