At the very time of delivering the lectures, Cyril
was also in the habit of preaching to the general congregation on the
Lord’s day Cat. x. 14., when the candidates
for Baptism were especially required to be present Cat. i. 6.. In the Church of Jerusalem it was still
the custom for sermons to be preached by several Presbyters in
succession, the Bishop preaching last. From Cyril’s
Homily on the Paralytic (§ 20) we learn that he preached
immediately before the Bishop, and so must have held a distinguished
position among the Priests. This is also implied in the fact,
that within three or four years after delivering his Catechetical
Lectures to the candidates for Baptism, he was chosen to succeed
Maximus in the See of Jerusalem.