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Office Of Readings | Eastertide Week 3, Saturday | A Reading From The Commentary Of Saint Cyril Of Alexandria On Saint John’s Gospel | Jesus Christ Gave His Body For The Life Of All
‘Christ gave his body for the life of all.’
Saint Cyril of Alexandria | Jesus Christ Gave His Own Body for the Life of All
Saint Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444), Patriarch of Alexandria and central figure in early Christological controversies, here articulates a robust theology of redemption grounded in the Incarnation and its sacramental outworking. Writing in the context of his conflict with Nestorius and the doctrinal developments that led to the Council of Ephesus (431), Cyril is concerned above all with affirming the unity of Christ’s divine and human natures, and the salvific power of that union. This excerpt reflects his mature theological vision, especially his emphasis on the death of Christ as the decisive means of defeating death and giving life to humanity through participation in his now-glorified body.
The Incarnation As The Basis Of Redemption
Cyril begins with Christ’s declaration: ‘I am dying for all men.’ This encapsulates the logic of the Incarnation—Christ assumes human nature in order to heal and redeem it. Crucially, the Word does not merely appear human; he truly shares in ‘flesh and blood’ (Hebrews 2:14). This genuine assumption of humanity is the necessary precondition for the redemption of human beings: salvation must reach into the depth of human mortality.
Cyril draws on Pauline and Johannine theology to explain this point. He cites Hebrews 2 to assert that Christ, in taking on human nature, enters into death in order to break its power. The Incarnation is thus not simply about revelation or moral example, but substitution: the Word dies in place of humanity, bearing death into himself so that death itself can be destroyed. This is a deeply anti-Gnostic and anti-Nestorian position. For Cyril, any separation between the divine and human in Christ would compromise salvation. The humanity of Christ is not an outer garment, but the very means by which God defeats death.
Christ’s Death As Universal And Effective
In Cyril’s reading of Psalm 40 (LXX), which is also echoed in Hebrews 10, he interprets the words ‘You have prepared a body for me’ and ‘Behold, I am coming’ as a prefiguration of the Incarnate Word’s willing obedience. Christ comes as both priest and victim, not offering sacrifices or holocausts, but offering himself. This is not a symbolic gesture, but a real, historical death ‘for all’, with the intention of giving ‘all of us life in him’.
This theology is at the core of the early Church’s soteriology. Cyril affirms that Christ’s death was not merely one example among many of martyrdom or suffering, but a singular, universal act. His one death has infinite value because the one who dies is the Word of God. And since he cannot be overcome by corruption—because he is life itself—his death is not defeat but the instrument by which he abolishes the finality of death.
Consecration And Sacrifice
Cyril then turns to Christ’s words in John 17:19—’For their sake I consecrate myself’—and interprets them in liturgical and sacrificial terms. The consecration of Jesus Christ is not a moral act alone, but a priestly offering. Just as offerings under the Old Law became holy when laid upon the altar, so too does Christ’s body become a holy, consecrated offering when given over to death. Cyril implies a parallel between the Jewish temple and the sacrifice of Christ: both involve consecration, but the latter is definitive and perfect.
Theologically, this points to the unification of cult and cosmos in Christ. The temple is no longer a physical building but the person of Christ; and the sacrifice is no longer bulls and goats, but Christ’s own self-offering, both human and divine. This is the foundation not only of redemption but also of Christian worship, especially the Eucharist.
The Eucharist And The Life-Giving Body
The final section of the reading shifts toward sacramental theology. Having argued that Christ’s death was redemptive, Cyril explains how that redemption reaches the faithful: through the body of Christ, given in the Eucharist. He writes that the body of Christ is the ‘channel through which life flows once more into us’. This is not metaphorical. For Cyril, the Eucharist is efficacious because the body of Christ is now vivified by the Word, and united to his divine nature.
Cyril’s view here aligns with the broader patristic consensus: that the Eucharist is the real reception of Christ’s glorified flesh. What makes it life-giving is the hypostatic union—the Word united to flesh in one person. Thus, when believers receive the Eucharist, they do not merely commemorate Christ’s death; they receive his incorruptible, life-giving body. This body, now beyond the power of death, communicates incorruptibility to those who partake of it. It does not simply nourish the soul—it transforms the body, preparing it for resurrection.
This theology is tied to Cyril’s Alexandrian emphasis on theosis—that is, the divinization of human beings through union with God. Christ became what we are so that we might become what he is. The Eucharist, then, is the vehicle of this transformation. It reverses corruption and mortality because it carries within it the Word who ‘abolishes corruption.’
Glossary Of Terms
Incarnation
The Christian belief that the Son of God took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ—fully divine and fully human.
Soteriology
A branch of theology that studies the doctrine of salvation—how humans are saved, and through whom and by what means.
Hypostatic union
The union of Christ’s two natures—divine and human—in one person (hypostasis). A central concept in orthodox Christology.
Substitution
The idea that Christ suffered and died in place of sinners, taking on the punishment or consequences due to them.
Theosis
A theological concept (especially in Eastern Christianity) meaning ‘divinization’: the process by which human beings are made partakers in the divine nature through Christ.
Sacramental theology
The study of the sacraments—visible signs instituted by Christ to give grace—such as Baptism and the Eucharist.
Eucharist
The sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, instituted at the Last Supper; also known as Holy Communion.
Consecration
The act of making something holy or setting it apart for sacred use. In the Eucharist, it refers to the moment when bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ.
Paschal mystery
The passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus—the central mystery of Christian faith and salvation.
Glorified body
The transformed, immortal body of Christ after his resurrection. Believers hope to receive a similar body in the resurrection.
Typology
A way of interpreting Scripture in which Old Testament events, persons, or institutions prefigure New Testament realities (e.g., Eve as a ‘type’ of Mary).
Christological
Pertaining to the study of the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Gnostic
Referring to early heresies that denied the goodness of the physical world and often rejected the true humanity of Christ.
Nestorianism
A heresy that claimed there were two separate persons in the incarnate Christ—one human and one divine—rather than one person with two natures.
Patristic
Related to the Church Fathers—early Christian theologians and writers whose works shaped Christian doctrine.
Sacrifice
In Christian theology, Christ’s death is seen as the ultimate offering to God for the forgiveness of sins, replacing Old Testament animal sacrifices.
A Reading From The Commentary Of Saint Cyril Of Alexandria On Saint John’s Gospel | Jesus Christ Gave His Body For The Life Of All
‘I am dying for all men,’ says the Lord. ‘I am dying to give them life through myself and to redeem the whole human race through my humanity. In my death, death itself will die and man’s fallen nature will rise again with me. I wanted to be like my brothers in every respect, so I became a man like you, a descendant of Abraham.’ Understanding this well Saint Paul says: As the children of a family share the same flesh and blood, he too shared our human nature so that by his death he could destroy the power of the devil, the prince of death. Death itself and the prince of death could be destroyed only by Christ, who is above all, giving himself up as a ransom for all.
And so, speaking as a spotless victim offering himself for us to God the Father, Christ says in one of the psalms: You desired no sacrifices or offerings, but you have prepared a body for me. You took no pleasure in holocausts or sin offerings. Then I said, ‘Behold, I am coming.’ He was crucified for all, desiring his one death for all to give all of us life in him. It was impossible for him to be conquered by death; nor could he who by his very nature is life be subject to corruption. Yet we know that Christ offered his flesh for the life of the world from his own prayer, Holy Father, protect them, and from his words, For their sake I consecrate myself. By saying that he consecrates himself he means that he offers himself to God as a spotless and sweet-smelling sacrifice. According to the law, anything offered upon the altar was consecrated and considered holy. So Christ gave his own body for the life of all, and makes it the channel through which life flows once more into us. How he does this I will explain to the best of my ability.
When the life-giving Word of God dwelt in human flesh, he changed it into that good thing which is distinctively his, namely, life; and by being wholly united to the flesh in a way beyond our comprehension, he gave it the life-giving power which he has by his very nature. Therefore, the body of Christ gives life to those who receive it. Its presence in mortal men expels death and drives away corruption because it contains within itself in his entirety the Word who totally abolishes corruption.
In these Gospel verses, Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives with his disciples, and at a particular place, Jesus separates himself to pray. Jesus urges his disciples to pray against temptation. In his prayer, Jesus expresses his desire for the cup of suffering to be removed but ultimately submits to God’s will. An angel appears from heaven to strengthen Jesus, and Jesus prays with such intensity that his sweat becomes like drops of blood falling to the ground [ … read more and listen … ]
In this poem, Herbert reflects on humanity’s misplaced admiration and affection, which is directed at transient, earthly beauty rather than at God, the ‘Immortal Love’ and creator of all things. The poem begins by acknowledging God as the creator of the world’s beauty—a beauty that ‘can never fade’—and contrasts this with humanity’s inclination to direct love toward earthly, perishable objects. Humanity’s focus on ‘mortal love’ instead of divine love results in a separation from God, as people are captivated by temporary creations rather than the Creator [ … ]
Christian Art | A Boy At Prayer With Jesus | Eucharist Office Of Readings | Eastertide Week 3, Sunday | A Reading From The First Apology Of Saint Justin Martyr In Defence Of The Christians | Celebration Of The Eucharist ‘Celebration of the eucharist.’ Saint Justin Martyr: Celebration of the Eucharist Saint Justin Martyr’s account of Christian Eucharistic worship, written around 155 AD, is one of the earliest and most significant descriptions of the liturgy outside of the New Testament. Composed as part of his First Apology—a formal defense of Christianity addressed to the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius—this passage reveals not only the centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the early Church but also the theological, communal, and sacrificial dimensions of Christian worship as it was practised just a few generations after the apostles. Faith, Baptism And The Moral Life As Prerequisites Justin opens by affirming that no one may partake of the Eucharist unless they believe the Church’s teachings, have been baptized (‘washed in the regenerating waters’), and live according to Christ’s commands. This threefold requirement—orthodoxy (right belief), sacramental initiation (baptism), and orthopraxy (right living)—highlights the deeply integrated nature of early Christian identity. Eucharistic communion was not a casual or symbolic act; it was a profound participation in the mystery of Christ, accessible only to those who were fully incorporated into his Body, the Church. Real Presence And Eucharistic Transformation Justin’s teaching on the Eucharist is unmistakably clear: the bread and wine, through the ‘prayer of thanksgiving’ (Greek: eucharistia), become the body and blood of the incarnate Jesus Christ. This is not metaphorical language. Drawing on the Incarnation itself as an analogy, Justin explains that just as Christ became flesh by the power of the Word, so the Eucharistic elements become his flesh and blood by the power of the same Word, invoked in prayer. This theological reasoning lays a foundation for later doctrinal developments such as the Church’s formal teaching on the Real Presence and transubstantiation. Notably, this passage predates the formalization of these doctrines by centuries, yet the essential belief is already fully formed—a powerful testimony to the apostolic origin of the Church’s sacramental theology. The Apostolic Command And Continuity Justin grounds the Eucharistic rite in the direct command of Jesus: Do this in memory of me. He attributes this tradition to the apostles’ ‘recollections’ (anamneses), which are equated with the Gospels. This demonstrates the early Church’s consciousness of its liturgical life being not a novel invention but the faithful continuation of Christ’s instruction, carried on through apostolic succession. The fact that this teaching is described in a public defence of Christianity underscores Justin’s desire to correct Roman misunderstandings about Christian worship, which had been accused of cannibalism due to misinterpretations of Eucharistic language. Sunday Worship And Scriptural Proclamation Justin describes the Sunday assembly (koinē synaxis) as a weekly gathering of Christians from both city and countryside, centered around the reading of Scripture—first the writings of the prophets (the Old Testament), then the apostolic writings (what we now call the New Testament). After the readings, the presider (likely a bishop or priest) offers a homily, encouraging moral and spiritual growth. This structure is clearly recognizable in the Mass today: the Liturgy of the Word followed by the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Importantly, Justin situates this practice within the broader theological framework of the Lord’s Day—the first day of creation and the day of the Resurrection. Thus, Sunday worship is simultaneously eschatological and cosmological: it celebrates not only the new creation in Christ but also the re-creation of the world through his rising from the dead. The Eucharistic Prayer And Communion Justin’s account continues with the presentation of bread, wine, and water, followed by a Eucharistic Prayer during which the president offers thanks ‘to the best of his ability’, and the people respond with ‘Amen.’ This prayer is the epicentre of the liturgy, paralleling the Canon of the Mass. The Eucharist is then distributed to those present, and deacons carry it to those absent—perhaps the sick or imprisoned. This detail reveals the strong pastoral and communal dimension of the Eucharist. It is not a private devotion but a gift of Christ shared with the whole body, particularly the vulnerable. Charity And Ecclesial Responsibility The offering of gifts by the wealthy, administered by the president and used for the support of the poor, widows, orphans, and the imprisoned, reflects how closely the Eucharist was tied to practical charity. The Eucharist made real the communion of the faithful with Christ and with one another. It was not only a mystical participation in Christ’s body but also a lived expression of solidarity and sacrificial love. This aspect finds resonance in Acts 2:42–47 and remains central to Catholic social teaching. Apostolic Tradition In Action Justin’s testimony, written a mere century after the Resurrection, powerfully confirms that the early Church’s Eucharistic worship—centred on the Word, Sacrament, community, and charity—was already well-developed and firmly grounded in apostolic tradition. His witness is critical not only for understanding the historical roots of the Mass but also for deepening modern appreciation of the Eucharist’s enduring meaning. In our own time, when the mystery of the Eucharist is often misunderstood, taken for granted, or even rejected, Justin’s words remind us that the Church has always confessed the true and substantial presence of Christ in the Eucharist. His account also reinforces the communal, sacrificial, and transformative nature of this sacrament, which, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, is the ‘source and summit of the Christian life’ (CCC 1324). A Reading From The First Apology Of Saint Justin Martyr In Defence Of The Christians | Celebration Of The Eucharist No one may share the Eucharist with us unless he believes that what we teach is true, unless he is washed in the regenerating waters of baptism for the remission of his sins, and unless he lives in accordance with the principles given us by Christ. We do not consume the eucharistic bread and wine as […]
