Tuesday of 13th Week in Ordinary Time
IRENAEUS OF LYONS, Bishop, Martyr
St. Irenaeus of Lyons is perhaps the most lovable and human of the early Church Fathers. A strong defender of the faith against heresies, he was at the same time a peacemaker among Christians of East and West (born in Asia Minor, yet bishop of Lyons, France) and full of love for those who erred, while firm in doctrinal matters and faithful to true tradition. In this he was true to his name (irene = peace).
First Reading :Am 3:1-8; 4:11-12
Listen to this, Israel. God is calling you to account—and I mean all of you, everyone connected with the family that he delivered out of Egypt. Listen!
“Out of all the families on earth,
I picked you.
Therefore, because of your special calling,
I’m holding you responsible for all your sins.”
Do two people walk hand in hand
if they aren’t going to the same place?
Does a lion roar in the forest
if there’s no carcass to devour?
Does a young lion growl with pleasure
if he hasn’t caught his supper?
Does a bird fall to the ground
if it hasn’t been hit with a stone?
Does a trap spring shut
if nothing trips it?
When the alarm goes off in the city,
aren’t people alarmed?
And when disaster strikes the city,
doesn’t God stand behind it?
The fact is, God, the Master, does nothing
without first telling his prophets the whole story.
The lion has roared—
who isn’t frightened?
God has spoken—
what prophet can keep quiet?
“I hit you with earthquake and fire,
left you devastated like Sodom and Gomorrah.
You were like a burning stick
snatched from the flames.
But you never looked my way.
You continued to ignore me.”
God’s Decree.
“All this I have done to you, Israel,
and this is why I have done it.
Time’s up, O Israel!
Prepare to meet your God!”
Gospel: Matthew 8:23-27
Then he got in the boat, his disciples with him. The next thing they knew, they were in a severe storm. Waves were crashing into the boat—and he was sound asleep! They roused him, pleading, “Master, save us! We’re going down!”
Jesus reprimanded them. “Why are you such cowards, such faint-hearts?” Then he stood up and told the wind to be silent, the sea to quiet down: “Silence!” The sea became smooth as glass.
The men rubbed their eyes, astonished. “What’s going on here? Wind and sea come to heel at his command!”
Prayer
Lord our God,
we are divided in camps and factions,
because we make our opinions into absolutes
or consider ourselves
the sole proprietors of the complete truth.
Give us the insight and the humility
always to accept and esteem
other people as brothers and sisters
and to respect their ideas or their faith,
without being ashamed of our faith
founded on the one Lord of all,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Lord. Amen.