[Rank]
S. Irenaei Episcopi et Martyris;;Duplex;;3;;vide C2

[Rule]
vide C2;
9 lectiones

[Oratio]
O God, who enabled blessed Ireneaus thy Martyr, and Bishop, to overcome heresy by the truth of his teaching, and happily to establish peace in the Church, give to thy people, we pray, steadfastness in holy religion, and grant us thy peace in our days.
$Per Dominum

[Lectio4]
Irenaeus was born in proconsular Asia, not far from the city of Smyrna.  There he had already as a boy entrusted himself to the teaching of Polycarp, disciple of John the Evangelist, and bishop of Smyrna.  Under such an excellent master, he made remarkable progress in learning and in the precepts of the Christian religion.  When Polycarp was taken up to heaven by a glorious martyrdom, although Irenaeus was eminently versed in sacred letters, nevertheless, he burned with an incredible zeal to learn what articles of belief the others who were instructed by the Apostles had received, to be preserved in the deposit of faith.  For this reason he brought together as many of those men as he could, and whatever things he heard from them, he carefully retained in his mind.  Thus he could advantageously bring them to bear in the future against those heresies, which he saw were being diffused more widely day by day to the great detriment of the Christian people, and he diligently planned thoroughly to confute them.  Then, having set out for Gaul, he was appointed as a priest of the church of Lyons by Pothinus the bishop.  And this office he discharged in such a manner, labouring both by word and by teaching, that (according to the testimony of the holy Martyrs who, when Marcus Aurelius was emperor, were engaged in a vigorous combat for the true religion) he distinguished himself as an imitator of the testament of Christ.

[Lectio5]
These very Martyrs, together with the clergy of Lyons, began to be anxious concerning the peace of the churches of Asia, which the faction of the Montanists had disturbed.  And so they selected Irenaeus, whose person they considered of the greatest importance, as the one before all others whom they should send to Rome to Pope Eleutherius to ask, that, with the condemnation of the new dissidents by the authority of the Apostolic See, the cause of the dissensions might be removed.  Already the bishop Pothinus had died a martyr and Irenaeus succeeded him.  He applied himself so well to the duties of a bishop, that in a short time he saw not only all the citizens of Lyons, but also many of the inhabitants of other cities in Gaul cast aside their superstitions and errors, and enroll themselves in the Christian army.  Meanwhile, a dispute had arisen concerning the date of the celebration of Easter.  As the bishops of Asia were disagreeing with nearly all their fellow-bishops, the Roman Pontiff Victor had cut them off from the communion of the faithful.  Irenaeus, however, who was zealous for peace, admonished him in a becoming manner, and urged, by examples of the practice of previous Pontiffs, that he should not suffer so many Churches to be cut off from Catholic unity, on account of a rite which they said they had received from their ancestors.

[Lectio6]
He wrote many works, which are mentioned by Eusebius of Caesarea and by St. Jerome, a great part of which have perished through the ravages of time.  There are extant five books of his against heresies, written down about the year 180, while Eleutherius was still ruling the Christian commonwealth.  In the third book, the man of God, instructed by those who, it is certain, had been hearers of the Apostles, gives to the Roman Church and to the succession of her bishops a testimony surpassing all others in weight and brilliancy, when he calleth her the faithful, perpetual, and most assured guardian of divine tradition.  For he said, that with this Church it is necessary that the whole Church (that is, those in all places who are of the faithful) should agree, because of its more powerful preeminence.  At length with almost countless others, whom he had himself brought over to the true faith and its practice, being crowned with martyrdom he passed to heaven in the year of salvation 202.  At that time Septimius Severus Augustus had commanded that all those who wished to remain constantly steadfast in the practice of the Christian religion should be condemned to the most cruel torments and to death.  The supreme Pontiff Benedict XV extended the feast of St. Irenaeus to the universal Church.

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
!Matt 10:28-33
At that time: Jesus said unto his disciples: Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. And so forth.
_
A Homily by St. Irenaeus the Bishop and Martyr
!Lib. 3 adversus Haereses cap. 18, alias 20, num. 5-6
The Lord knew both those who would suffer persecution ; and he knew those who would be scourged and slain for his sake.  His words are indeed those of exhortation : Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul.  Rather fear him which hath power to cast both body and soul into hell, and to preserve whomsoever should confess him.  For indeed he hath promised to confess before his Father those who should confess his name before men ; and to deny those who should deny him, and to be ashamed of those who should be ashamed to confess him.  Yet for all this, some have gone so far in audacity, as to scorn even the Martyrs, and to revile those who have been put to death for confessing the Lord, and who endure all that the Lord foretold, and so far endeavour to follow in the footsteps of the Lord's Passion, being made Martyrs of one who was capable of suffering ; but these we leave to the Martyrs themselves.  For when their blood shall be required, and they shall obtain glory, then all those who have dishonoured their martyrdom will be put to confusion by Christ.

[Lectio8]
This also meeteth the objection of those who say that Christ only appeared to be suffering.  For if he did not really suffer, no gratitude is due unto him, when there was no suffering ; and when we begin really to suffer, he would seem to be deceiving us, when exhorting us to receive blows and to turn the other cheek, if he himself had not first suffered in reality.  And as he deceived them, so as to appear to them what he was not ; so also he misleadeth us, exhorting us to endure things which he himself did not endure.  And so we should even be higher than the Master, when we suffer and endure things, which the Master neither suffered nor endured.  But, whereas our Lord alone is truly the master, he is also truly the Son of God, good and kind, the Word of God the Father made Son of Man.  For he strove, and he conquered ; for he was a man contending for his fathers and paying the debt of disobedience by his obedience.  For he hath bound the strong man, and, he unbindeth the weak, and he hath given salvation to his creature by destroying sin.  Therefore, those who say he is manifested only in appearance, and not born in the flesh, nor really made man, are still under the old condemnation.

[Lectio9]
The Lesson is taken from the Holy Gospel according to John.
!John 21:15-19
At that time: Jesus said unto Simon Peter: Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? And so forth.
_
A Homily of St. Augustine the Bishop.
!Tract. 123 in Joann, num. 5
The threefold denial of Peter is now paid back by his threefold confession, that his tongue may serve love no less than it had served fear ; and that impending death may not appear to have had more power than a present life in drawing forth the word of faith.  Let it be the duty of love to feed the Lord's flock, even as it was the sign of fear to deny the Shepherd.  They that feed the flock of Christ for the purpose of making the sheep their own rather than Christ's stand convicted of loving themselves, and not Christ.  Yea, they stand convicted of the desire for self-glorification, or of wielding power, or of seeking worldly profit, for they shew not forth the love of obeying, serving, and pleasing God.
&teDeum

[Lectio91]
!Cap. 25, alias 46, num. 7
But we pray that they may not remain in the pit which they have themselves dug, but that, by conversion, they may be lawfully begotten to the Church of God, and that Christ may be formed in them, and that they may know the builder and maker of this universe to be the only true God and Lord of all.  We ask these blessings for them, for we love them more profitably than they love themselves.  For such is our love for them, since it is true and for their salvation, if indeed, they will receive it.  For it is like a drastic remedy which consumeth the diseased and useless flesh of a wound; for it freeth them of all their pride and self-exaltation.  And so we do not weary of trying, with all our might, to stretch out our hand to them.
&teDeum

[Lectio94]
Iraeneus born not far from the city of Smyrna from his boyhood was the disciple of Polycarp, himself the disciple of John the Evangelist and the bishop of Smyrna. When Polycarp was taken up to heaven with the glory of martyrdom, Iraeneus strove with incredible zeal to learn what articles of believe the others who were instructed by the Apostles had received to be preserved in the deposit of faith. For this reason he brought together as many of these men as he could, and whatever he heard from them he carefully retained in his memory to bring out later at an opportune time against the heretics. He went to Gaul and was made priest at the church of Lions by Photinus the bishop. When he succeeded Photinus he carried out the work of his bishopric most successfully: by his wisdom, prayer and example, in a short time, he had rid not only the citizens of Lyons, but also the inhabitants of many other cities of Gaul, from superstition and error, and had enrolled then in the army of Christ. He wrote many works, a great part of which had perished through the ravages of time. Five of his books against heretics are extant, in the third of which he gives to the Roman Church and to the succession of her bishops a testimony surpassing all others in weight and brilliancy, calling her the faithful, perpetual and sure guardian of divine tradition. For he said that it is necessary to the whole Church (that is, those who are of the faithful in all places) should agree with the Roman Church, because of its eminent primacy. Crowned with martyrdom he went to heaven in the year of salvation 202.
&teDeum
