Saints Cyril and Methodius
Today is the memorial of Saints Cyril and Methodius. These brothers were born in Thessalonica, in 827 and 826 respectively. They are known as the apostles to the Slavs, which meant they were missionaries in that region of Europe in which the culture of the East meets the culture of the West. Their missionary efforts represent a co-operation between the Church of the West and the East, demonstrating that Latin and Orthodox Christianity have been able at times to work together to accomplish common goals. They were sent by the emperor in 861 to convert the Jewish Khazars of Russia, a mission that was successful, and which allowed him to learn the Khazar’s language. In 863, the emperor sent them into the kingdom of Grand-Moravia; through great effort and in spite of tremendous difficulties they converted the Slavonic nations. Along with their zeal for evangelization, the two saints are known as the Fathers of the Slavic language. They developed the Glagolithic or Cyrillic alphabet, ...