March 18
Saints of the Day

St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 315-386

    Born in Jerusalem and Bishop of Jerusalem Greek Father of the Church. and Doctor of the Church for his catechetical teachings.

    Exile thee times by the Arians. At the beginning of his episcopate a cross was seen in the sky, reaching from Mount Calvary to Mount Olivet, and so bright that it shone at noonday. Saint Cyril gave an account of it to the emperor, and the faithful regarded it as a presage of victory over the Arian heretics.

    While Saint Cyril was Bishop of Jerusalem, the apostate emperor Julian resolved to defy the words of Our Lord (Luke 21:6) by rebuilding the ancient temple of Jerusalem. He employed the power and resources of a Roman emperor; the Jews thronged enthusiastically to him and gave munificently. But Cyril was unmoved. “The word of God abides,” he said; “one stone shall not be laid on another.” When the attempt was made, a pagan writer tells us that horrible flames came forth from the earth, rendering the place inaccessible to the scorched and frightened workmen. The attempt was made again and again, and then abandoned in despair.

http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintc16.htm, Catechetical Quotations
http://www.magnificat.ca/cal/engl/03-18.htm

Saints of March 18:

http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0318.htm