JULY 3D, SAINT IRENAEUS, BISHOP AND MARTYR

Month in honor of the Most Precious Blood of OLJC.

Today is the First Friday of July.

Irenaeus, 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, Irenaeus strove with 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 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 Lyon 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 Lyon, but also the inhabitants of many other cities of Gaul, from superstition and error, and had enrolled them 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.