Tuesday 28 th June 2022
St. Irenaeus
(130 – 202)
Irenaeus was born in Smyrna, (now Izmir in Turkey) and emigrated to Lyons, in France, where he eventually became the bishop. Irenaeus fought against many heresies especially the Gnostics and Valentinians.
Entrance Antiphon : Mal 2: 6
The law of truth was in his mouth; no dishonesty was found on his lips. He walked with me in integrity and peace, and turned many away from evil.
Collect
O God, who called the Bishop Saint Irenaeus to confirm true doctrine and the peace of the Church, grant, we pray, through his intercession, that, being renewed in faith and charity, we may always be intent on fostering unity and concord. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Amos 3:1-8,4:11-12
Listen, sons of Israel, to this oracle the Lord speaks against you, against the whole family I brought out of the land of Egypt: You alone, of all the families of earth, have I acknowledged, therefore it is for all your sins that I mean to punish you. Do two men take the road together if they have not planned to do so? Does the lion roar in the jungle if no prey has been found? Does the young lion growl in his lair if he has captured nothing? Does the bird fall to the ground if no trap has been set? Does the snare spring up from the ground if nothing has been caught? Does the trumpet sound in the city without the populace becoming alarmed? Does misfortune come to a city if the Lord has not sent it? No more does the Lord do anything without revealing his plans to his servants the prophets. The lion roars: who can help feeling afraid? The Lord speaks: who can refuse to prophesy? I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a brand snatched from the blaze; and yet you never came back to me. It is the Lord who speaks. This therefore, Israel, is what I plan to do to you, and because I am going to do this to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God!
Psalm 5:5-8
R/ Lead me, O Lord, in your justice.
- You are no God who loves evil; no sinner is your guest. The boastful shall not stand their ground before your face.
- You hate all who do evil; you destroy all who lie. The deceitful and bloodthirsty man the Lord detests.
- But I through the greatness of your love have access to your house. I bow down before your holy temple, filled with awe.
Gospel Acclamation : Ps147:12,15
Alleluia, alleluia! O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! He sends out his word to the earth. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 8:23-27
Jesus got into the boat followed by his disciples. Without warning a storm broke over the lake, so violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat. But he was asleep. So they went to him and woke him saying, ‘Save us, Lord, we are going down!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?’ And with that he stood up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and all was calm again. The men were astounded and said, ‘Whatever kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May the sacrifice we offer you with joy on the heavenly birthday of Saint Irenaeus bring you glory, O Lord, and instill in us a love of the truth, so that we may keep the Church’s faith inviolate and her unity secure. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Jn 15: 4-5
Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, bears fruit in plenty.
Prayer after Communion
Through these sacred mysteries, we pray, O Lord, give us in your compassion an increase of that faith which brought glory to the Bishop Saint Irenaeus as he maintained it even until death, and may the same faith bring to us, who truly follow it, justification in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The disciples of christ face dangerdespite being in his presence. They are in a boat on the sea and the waves are stirring the sea. Jesus is present but asleep. The disciples choose to wake him up to help them get out of the danger. He threatens the storm and it calms down. The question is, when we as christians experience storms in our lives, when we face waves that make our futures uncertain, who do we turn to? Who do we wake up to? Do we turn to witch doctors? Do we count on our strengths or on those we trust? Jesus is the only one who can truly calm our storms and save us from shipwreck.