Scripture for
meditation: 1 John 1:1-2
What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we
have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands
concerns the Word of Life, for the Life was made visible; we have seen it and
testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, that was with the Father
and was made visible to us.
Scripture for
reflection: John 20:21
So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as
the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
St. Irenaeus tells
us: "The Father is above all, and He is the Head of Christ; the Word
(Logos) is through all things and is Himself the Head of the Church, while the
Spirit is in us all, and His is the living water which the Lord gave to those
who believe in Him and love Him, and who know that there is one Father above
all things and through all things." (Against
the Heresies, by St. Irenaeus)
About St. Irenaeus:
The writings of Irenaeus give him an honored place among the Fathers of the
Church for they laid the foundations of Christian theology and, by refuting the
errors of the Gnostics, kept the youthful Catholic faith from the danger of
corruption by the subtle, pessimistic doctrines of these philosophers( Gnostic
is the name applied to a fluctuating set of Eastern dualist beliefs, older than
Christianity, though they took over features from Christianity in the course of
their spread westward. The Docetists of Ignatius' day may be regarded as a
branch of the Gnostics. In general the latter took the view that the creator of
the gross world of matter, the God of the Old Testament, was a dark and brutal
deity, forever at war with the pure and spiritual God of light, depicted in the
New Testament, from whom Jesus had been an emanation. Jesus, therefore, only
appeared to be born and die and could never have suffered contamination by
mortal flesh. The Gnostic movement, with its denial of Christ's humanity, vexed
the Church in one form or another for several centuries. In the Middle Ages it
was known as Manichaeism).Irenaeus was born, probably about the year 125, in
one of the maritime provinces of Asia Minor, where the memory of the Apostles
was still cherished and where Christians were already numerous. His education
was exceptionally liberal, for, besides a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures,
he had an acquaintance with Greek philosophy and literature. Irenaeus had also
the privilege of sitting at the feet of men who had known the Apostles. Of
these the one who made the deepest impression on him was St. Polycarp, the
venerable bishop of Smyrna…. He became the Bishop of Lyons, France, and identified
himself with his flock so completely as to speak habitually the native tongue
instead of Latin or Greek, and to encourage all priests to do likewise. The
spread of Gnosticism in Gaul led Irenaeus to make a careful study of its
tenets, not an easy matter since each Gnostic teacher was inclined to introduce
subtleties of his own. He was, Tertullian tells us, "a curious explorer of
all kinds of learning," and the task interested him. His treatise
<Against the Heresies>, in five books, sets forth fully the doctrines of
the main dissident sects of the day and then contrasts them with the words of
Scripture and the teachings of the Apostles, as preserved not only in sacred
writings but by oral tradition in the churches which the Apostles founded.
Above all, he cites the authoritative tradition of the Church of Rome, handed
down from Peter and Paul through an unbroken succession of bishops. In his
theological works Irenaeus especially shows the influence of St. Paul and St.
John. A humble, patient man, he writes of controversial matters with a
moderation and courtesy unusual in this age of perfervid conviction….The date
of the death of Irenaeus is usually given as about the year 203. According to a
late and dubious tradition he suffered martyrdom under Septimius Severus. His
book <Against the Heresies> has come down to us entire in its Latin
version; and an Armenian translation of his <Exposition of Apostolic
Preaching> has lately been discovered. Though the rest of his writings have
perished, in these two works may be found the elements of a complete system of
Catholic theology. (This was taken from “Lives of the Saints”’ published by
John J. Crawley & Co., Inc. and was provided courtesy of www.ewtn.com).
Prayer: Father,
you called St. Irenaeus to uphold your truth and bring peace to your Church. By
his prayers renew us in faith and love that we may always be intent on
fostering unity and peace. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
(Opening prayer for the Mass in honor of St. Irenaeus.)
My thoughts: It
is good for us to remember that the Catholic Church has always been under
attack for its beliefs. Here we see St. Irenaeus fighting the heresy of
Gnosticism as early as the 100’s. What is important for us to learn is that he
always presented his knowledge with dignity and respect. He was extremely
learned, yet he was also very humble. When we defend our faith, we first of all
need to know what we are talking about. Secondly, we need to respect the other
side, always presenting our defense with a calm and loving attitude. Jesus did
that in His time, St. Irenaeus did it in his, and we must do it in ours. Learn
your information from good solid Catholic teachers and writings, ponder it
until you understand it yourself, and then make your case in convincing but
respectful terms. It is the way of all great defenders of the faith.
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