>>> IRENAEUS OF LYONS, Bishop, Martyr
NOT A SLEEPING GOD
Introduction
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).
Opening 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 Saviour and our Lord. Amen!
1 Reading: AMOS 3:1-8; 4:11-12
Hear this word, O children of Israel, that the LORD pronounces over you, over the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt: You alone have I favored, more than all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your crimes. Do two walk together unless they have agreed? Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from its den unless it has seized something? Is a bird brought to earth by a snare when there is no lure for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground without catching anything? If the trumpet sounds in a city, will the people not be frightened? If evil befalls a city, has not the LORD caused it? Indeed, the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets. The lion roars—who will not be afraid! The Lord GOD speaks—who will not prophesy! I brought upon you such upheaval as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah: you were like a brand plucked from the fire; Yet you returned not to me, says the LORD. So now I will deal with you in my own way, O Israel! and since I will deal thus with you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel.
Responsorial PSALM 5:4b-6a, 6b-7, 8
R. (9a) Lead me in your justice, Lord.
At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight. R.
You hate all evildoers;
you destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors. R.
But I, because of your abundant mercy,
will enter your house;
I will worship at your holy temple
in fear of you, O LORD. R.
Alleluia PSALM 130:5
Alleluia, alleluia.
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MATTHEW 8:23-27
As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
Commentary
Storm in a Teacup
I say: “Who wouldn’t be afraid in such storm? Weren’t the disciples human?”
You say: “But Jesus is in the boat with the disciples. Why be afraid?”
I say: “But He is asleep. How does he know?”
You say: Is it not written, “I slept, but my heart was awake”? (Song 5:2)
I say: “Then he should have done something.”
You say: “He is the Word that created the world!”
I say: “But in sleep, isn’t the Word silent?”
Men of little faith! Why did they doubt? At the end of it all, everything turned out to be a mere storm in a teacup (or tempest in a teapot, if you prefer). For, even in his sleep, he knows; even in his silence, he commands. We can rest assured. However, our God does not SLEEP!
Intercessions
– For the Church of Jesus Christ, that its faith and love may not waver in the difficulties and storms of our time, we pray:
– For sailors and fishers, that the sea may be peaceful and generous to them; for all who travel, that they may safely reach their destination, we pray:
– For ourselves, that we should never be afraid, for we know that Jesus is with us. That we may remain serene and in peace, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
we bring this bread and this wine before you
as our gifts of peace and reconciliation.
Unite us in your Son, we pray you,
and make us into peacemakers, like St. Irenaeus.
By our unity
in the message and life of your Son,
make us into signs of peace to all.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
you have made yourself known to us
through your Son Jesus Christ
and you want us to live his message
in all its consequences.
Give us the strength of St. Irenaeus
to make this faith
the heart of all we do
and may this faith express itself
in loyalty, peace and service.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Blessing
“Why are you afraid, people of little faith?” Let us entrust ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord. With him, we can overcome all difficulties. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!