THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Cyril explains that the law instructs, “Also on the ninth day of this seventh month, the day of purification, let there be a holy convocation among you; humble your souls, and offer sacrifice to the Lord; you shall do no work on this day: for it is a day of purification, to cleanse you in the sight of the Lord your God: and every soul that shall not humble itself on that day shall be destroyed from among its people: and if any soul shall do any work on this day, I will destroy that soul from among its people; you shall do no work: this is an everlasting ordinance in your generations, in all your dwellings; this is for you a Sabbath of rest, and humble your souls, from the evening of the ninth day of the month; from evening to evening... you shall celebrate your Sabbath” (Lev. 23:27-32).
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The law demands humility and fasting, the offering of whole burnt sacrifices, and the cessation of all labor. Fasting symbolizes the mortification of fleshly desires, while burnt offerings represent a complete offering of oneself to God, not in fragments but in entirety. By refraining from earthly activities and achieving a total disengagement from worldly concerns, the law expresses that we should pursue nothing secular any longer.
Do you not believe that those who have reached the culmination of time, who anticipate this sacred final trumpet and have the Judge in mind, should strive to gather the wealth of their spiritual fruits, thus striving to quell their desires and transcend bodily passions? More importantly, they should present themselves before God with lives that radiate virtue, distancing themselves from worldly vanity and the burdens that accompany temporal life. Palladius responds, pondering how it could be otherwise.
Cyril continues, asking whether those who conquer their passions, who have ‘put to death your earthly members: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil lust’ (Col. 3:5), offer themselves as fragrant sacrifices to God and join the ranks of the burnt offerings, effectively making a ransom and atonement for their souls. Palladius concurs.
Cyril notes that the lawgiver has fittingly designated the day of fasting as the day of atonement, for it curtails the flesh and its desires and is ennobled by the essence of virtue. Those who do not refrain from all worldly work will inevitably face severe consequences, clearly articulated by the law, which states that whoever fails to fast, neglects to offer burnt offerings, or violates the law of resting, shall be cut off from their people.