June 28, 2017

Irenaeus

June 28, 2017:  St. Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr

Find 15 connections with today?
Legend below
Listen to settings of today's psalm
The hope of the martyrs gave them strength to die for their faith in Christ.  Jesus warned his followers that, in proclaiming God's Kingdom, they'd encounter opposition and hostility.  He asks us to proclaim the Gospel by lives of detachment from wealth and power, rejection of hatred and violence, and trust in his triumph over sin and death.  We know the Lord will never abandon us.  By imitating his love and self-sacrifice, we demonstrate our faith and hope and become his witnesses.  Every Christian is a martyr, witness, to hope.  Martyrs lay down their lives out of love.  By their example and intercession, may we become more convincing witnesses in daily lives to our hope in Christ's promises.  More
Read
  • Gn 15:1-12, 17-18  "Fear not, Abram!  I'll reward you." / "But you've given me no offspring." / "No, your descendants shall number as the stars." Abram put his faith in the Lord.  The Lord made a covenant with him: "To your descendants I give this land."
    "Beware wolves in sheep's clothing" (animate)
  • Ps 105:1-4, 6-9  "The Lord remembers his covenant for ever."  Sing praise to the Lord; make his wonders known.  Rejoice, look to him, and serve him, you his chosen ones!
  • Mt 7:15-20  “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but are wolves underneath.  By their fruits you'll know them.  Good trees bear good fruit; rotten trees, bad fruit.  Every tree that doesn't bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Reflect
    • Creighton:  "Talk a Walk":  Jesus’ uses agrarian language to convey a message about relationship,  intimacy, honor, respect, nurturing, knowing, and tending.  Farmers walked their land, knew their fields, soil, fertilizer, and crops, were sad about losses.  Dating people get to know each other, walking through each other’s story.  Mother and baby bond right away.  Walk with scripture with 1st century mindset, then today's....
    A covenant is an antidote to fear and an assurance God will fulfill his promises.  The Lord has made with us the ultimate covenant in his blood; we entered it at baptism.  By living it, we overcome fear and know God will fulfill his promises.... 
    • Passionist:  Jesus reminds us to beware of false prophets.  They can confront us in family, friendships, community, business, government, or church; they focus on their own interests over the greater good.  They infiltrate our relationships with mistrust and bickering; they're in power-hungry communities that ignore the poor; they tear down instead of building up.  They can be Church leaders who focus on the letter of the law rather than its heart....
    • DailyScripture.net:  "You'll know them by their fruits":  Jesus' audience was familiar with his 'fruit-imagery.'   As berries on a thorn bush can resemble grapes and a flower can resemble a fig, what we "hear" might resemble the truth but actually be false.  Jesus connects good fruit with sound living.  Isaiah warned against falsehood; it produces 'Christianity' without the cross, Jesus' hard sayings, or a sense of sin.  We avoid falsehood by being true to God, his word, and his grace.  Disciples' fruit is marked by faith, hope, and love, justice, prudence, fortitude, and temperance.
    Dress legend
    • DISC lanyard (and T-shirt, not shown):  DISC 2017 is underway
    • 'Shield' pin:  "I am your shield" (1st reading)
    • 'Star' tie pin:  "Count the stars if you can" (1st reading)
    • 'Cow' pin:  "Bring me a three-year-old heifer" (1st reading)
    • 'Bird' tie pin:  Birds swooped down (1st reading)
    • 'Sun' pin:  A trance fell on Abram as the sun was about to set (1st reading)
    • 'Fire' pin:  A smoking fire pot appeared (1st reading)
    • 'Scroll' pin:  The Lord made a covenant with Abram (1st reading); he remembers his covenant (psalm)
    • 'Heart' pin:  Hearts that seek the Lord, rejoice (psalm)
    • 'Sheep' tie bar: “Beware false prophets, wolves in sheep’s clothing" (gospel)
    • 'Grapes and other fruits' tie: "Do people pick grapes from thornbushes?" "By their fruits you will know them." (gospel)
    • 'Tree' pin: "Every good tree bears good fruit" (gospel)
    • Red shirt, 'blood drop' pin, red in suspenders:  Martyrdom of St. Irenaeus
    • 'Eyeball' pin (oops; didn't pack):  Abram's vision (1st reading); look to the Lord (psalm)
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