--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: St. Cyril of Jerusalem, in instructing…" description: "\"St. Cyril of Jerusalem, in instructing catechumens, wrote: “The dragon sits by the side of the road, watching those who pass. Beware lest he devour you..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/flannery-o-connor-639_cases_st-cyril-of-jerusalem-in-instructing-cat_3097315.png" --- # St. Cyril of Jerusalem, in instructing catechumens, wrote… ![“St. Cyril of Jerusalem, in instructing catechumens, wrote: “The dragon sits by the side of the road, watching those who pass. Beware lest he devour you. We go to the Father of Souls, but it is necessary to pass by the dragon.” No matter what form the dragon may take, it is of this mysterious…” quote by Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/flannery-o-connor-639_cases_st-cyril-of-jerusalem-in-instructing-cat_3097315.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/flannery-o-connor-639_cases_st-cyril-of-jerusalem-in-instructing-cat_3097315.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/flannery-o-connor-639_cases_st-cyril-of-jerusalem-in-instructing-cat_3097315.png) > “St. Cyril of Jerusalem, in instructing catechumens, wrote: “The dragon sits by the side of the road, watching those who pass. Beware lest he devour you. We go to the Father of Souls, but it is necessary to pass by the dragon.” No matter what form the dragon may take, it is of this mysterious passage past him, or into his jaws, that stories of any depth will always be concerned to tell, and this being the case, it requires considerable courage at any time, in any country, not to turn away from the storyteller.” [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The dragon symbolizes dangerous challenges on life's journey; confronting it requires courage and honesty. **In simple terms:** Face dangers head‑on, don’t avoid truth. Key Takeaway Embrace the hard truth, tell the story. Themes courage truth spiritual journey Mood solemn inspirational Type spiritual literary When to use this quote - religious teaching - personal growth - storytelling - overcoming fear Key Concepts mythic archetype moral testing Questions to Reflect On - What dragons are you avoiding? - How can confronting them deepen your story? A Different Perspective Avoiding the dragon leads to stagnation and loss of depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/) [Concerned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerned/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Depth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depth/) [Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dragon/) [Dragon Mysterious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dragon-mysterious-5352003/) [Dragon Sits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dragon-sits-3183159/) [Dragons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dragons/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Form Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form-dragon-1398977/) [Jerusalem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jerusalem/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Mysterious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysterious/) [Pass Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pass-dragon-5352001/) [Passages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passages/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Storyteller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storyteller/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Wrote Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote-dragon-5352002/) ## Related quotes > [The dragon sits by the side of the road, watching those who pass. 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