"UNITY AND CONCORD"
Today, we pray, through
Irenaeus' intercession, "that, being renewed in faith and charity, we may
always be intent on fostering unity and concord" (Collect).
How often do you or I take for granted the
treasures of our Catholic Faith, especially the Scriptures? Today, we celebrate
the feast of Saint Irenaeus (130-202AD), the great second century Church Father
and apologist who played a significant role in the early development of
Christian theology. He placed a great emphasis on the traditional aspects of
the Church, especially the episcopate, Scripture and Tradition. St. Irenaeus
had a deep desire for unity and peace within the Church. He was a priest and
later became the bishop of Lyons, France and a martyr for the love of Jesus
Christ and His Church.
Irenaeus is an important witness to Apostolic
succession because he knew the greatest churches founded by the Apostles and
compiled a list of the bishops of those sees, located in Asia Minor and in
Rome. Born and educated in Smyrna (now Turkey), he is an important link with
the age of the Apostles through St. Polycarp, who was a disciple of St. John
the Evangelist. In addition to his anti-heretical writings and his simple and
clear explanations of the doctrines of the Church, he has been a valuable
servant of the Faith for his witness to the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, the
See of Peter. He insists that one must defer to it as the center of doctrinal
unity, and views it as a great symbol of this unity!
Emphasizing the relationship between the Old
and New Testaments, St. Irenaeus demonstrates that the "God of the Old
Testament" and the "God of the New Testament" is One and the
same true God. He also defends the fact that there are four and only four
Gospels by pointing out the many examples of the "four" in nature,
such as the four winds, and the four Covenants (Noah, Abraham, Moses, and the
New Covenant). He relies more on the
description of the four living creatures in Ezekiel 1 (see Against Heresies
3.11.8). The faces of these four living creatures - man, lion, ox, and eagle -
eventually become symbols of the four Gospels.
As we reflect upon St. Irenaeus' life, today,
we value his testimony to the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist,
and he is a major link in the history of Eucharistic theology. He clearly
teaches that the Mass is the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ represented by the
sacramental signs of bread and wine. Each of his writings touch on all major
areas of theology: Christology, Mariology, and the theology of the Church,
which lead to the key point as to why Jesus came as Man - for our salvation and
eternal life.
Today, we pray, through Irenaeus'
intercession, "that, being renewed in faith and charity, we may always be
intent on fostering unity and concord" (Collect).