Small gifts accepted; sanctuary = Church; ark of acacia/gold begins

Cyril: …or the things perhaps hard to get for many, but also goat hairs and rams’ skins, showing that even the small and cheap, if the one who has chosen to bear fruit should have nothing brighter, is not cast away by God; or somehow even in equality with the most honored, or even in greater praise, just as indeed Christ was not leaving unmarvelled the widow in Jerusalem bringing toward the treasury something small and altogether easy to get, yet perhaps great for those in extreme poverty, whom it is likely even the selling of the very cheapest things wears down. And the firstfruits having been taken, ‘You will make me a holy place,’ (Exodus 25:8–9) he says, ‘and I will appear among you.’ (Exodus 25:10–16) For Christ appears in Church, and shines upon those in it, according at least to the in Psalms, ‘God is Lord, and he has appeared to us.’ (Mark 12:41–44) And observe how, though having come down upon the mountain in a form of fire, and having been seen by the whole people—for it has been written thus—as not yet having appeared, he says the, I will appear among you, when the holy place has been raised. For he is seen all but crying out clearly that those visions were shadows of the true God-sight. And the true showing-forth is Christ, in whom we have also beheld the Father himself. And indeed he was refuting Jews thinking that they had truly beheld on mount Sinai the God of the wholes, disposing themselves most mindlessly, saying: ‘Neither have you heard his voice, nor have you seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because whom that one sent, this one you do not believe.’ (Psalm 118:27) So then I will appear, he says, among you when the holy place has been raised. And this was a type of Church, having become according to likeness of the upper. For indeed he says, ‘You will make for me according to all things whatever I show you in the mountain; thus you will make.’ (John 5:37–38) For a type was shown to the blessed Moses, as I said, of the holy Churches, and he himself in many forms as in a shadow being molded—the one who became human because of us. Yet upon each of the patterns the word would become much and long, and full of thin-speech. And since some things are private and fitting for the construction of the things that have become, and others have declined toward the need of the contemplations, come, let us say the things profitable unto this, having let the others go.

Palladius: I do not understand what you say.

Cyril: Look then already at what I say; for you will understand, I think, even very without toil; he has commanded an ark to become from unrotting woods, packed densely inside and outside with pure gold, and travailing the so-called testimonies—that is, the law as in tablets—and not only as far as these the things upon it; for he commands again carriers to become from unrotting woods, gilded in equality, and gold rings and twisted things in a circle. And he defined length and breadth and height for the craft. But if someone should wish to busy himself very well with such things mystically, he will perhaps find what the ark ever is, and the things in it (Exodus 25:8–16)