2005 photo

 

june 28 2006

Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, bishop and martyr

2 Kgs 22:8-13; 23:1-3 The high priest Hilkiah informed the scribe Shaphan,“I have found the book of the law in the temple of the LORD.” Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.Then the scribe Shaphan went to the king and reported,“Your servants have smelted down the metals available in the templeand have consigned them to the master workmenin the temple of the LORD.”The scribe Shaphan also informed the kingthat the priest Hilkiah had given him a book,and then read it aloud to the king.When the king heard the contents of the book of the law,he tore his garments and issued this command to Hilkiah the priest,Ahikam, son of Shaphan,Achbor, son of Micaiah, the scribe Shaphan,and the king’s servant Asaiah:“Go, consult the LORD for me, for the people, for all Judah,about the stipulations of this book that has been found,for the anger of the LORD has been set furiously ablaze against us,because our fathers did not obey the stipulations of this book,nor fulfill our written obligations.”The king then had all the elders of Judahand of Jerusalem summoned together before him.The king went up to the temple of the LORD with all the men of Judahand all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:priests, prophets, and all the people, small and great.He had the entire contents of the book of the covenantthat had been found in the temple of the LORD, read out to them. Standing by the column, the king made a covenant before the LORDthat they would follow himand observe his ordinances, statutes and decreeswith their whole hearts and souls,thus reviving the terms of the covenantwhich were written in this book.And all the people stood as participants in the covenant.


Ps 119:33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40 R. (33a) Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.Instruct me, O LORD, in the way of your statutes,that I may exactly observe them.R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.Give me discernment, that I may observe your lawand keep it with all my heart.R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.Lead me in the path of your commands,for in it I delight. R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.Incline my heart to your decreesand not to gain.R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.Turn away my eyes from seeing what is vain:by your way give me life.R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.Behold, I long for your precepts;in your justice give me life.R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

2 Cor 5:14-17
Brothers and sisters:
The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.

Mt 7:15-20 Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.”

The readings above are for the memorial of St Irenaeus and the readings for the eve of the solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul are different. The gospel reading here is a great parable.

Sometimes people have a false way. They may seem holy and wise but when they are looked at more closely there are no fruits of their labors or what is coming from their works is spoiled and not good. To look at a person's fruits is the way to truly know them and how they are living. I think to know these ways of knowing that they are for discernment of who to listen to and how to spend my precious time on this pilgrimage in this world. It is to best use all of the gifts and graces given to me.

Some will come in sheep's clothing as prophets but actually be "ravenous wolves" People are not always what they seem to be. God gives graces and discernment of spirits to see throught the facades. God shows the light of truth through faith. An important part of faith is to be true and live in truth and light not covering or distorting or misleading but embracing the truth as the way of God. The truth will set you free.

There is an enormous freedom in being free of falsehoods and secrets and deception of any kind. It seems that often the greatest deception is when I fool myself and am not honest to myself. Times of silent prayer and sitting with God are fruitful in helping bring the truths that have been submerged to the surface of awareness to be addressed. It is a daily turning to God and opening to the ways of God and being willing to remove parts of the false self as they emerge. Create in me a clean heart, God and a steadfast spirit.

Finally St Irenaeus is a Saint theologian some say one of the first great theologians of the Church. He said the the glory of God is person fully alive. The ways of love and truth when lived in sincerity free the soul and give a fullness and joy and glory to life. St Irenaeus was known for forging a peace between the Eastern Church and the Church of Rome. He was in the line of the disciples: St John taught St Polycarp who taught St Irenaeus. He was a prolific writer it is said but only several of his documents are preserved. The one that are show a love of learning and a passion for protection and promotion of the faith and the Church along with a celebration of life. It is said that during the Reformation, his grave site in Lyons and his body were defiled. In a sense to me it makes him a martyr for the faith twice. It is as if even after his death his life is speaking against those who attack the essential faith of the Church.