Memorial of Saint Irenaeus

Today's Mass Readings

In today’s first reading from the book of Lamentations, we hear about the shear desolation of the Jewish people. The book as a whole comes from the period of the destruction of the temple in the sixth century BC, a deeply trying time we can imagine for God’s chosen ones. We see that part of their desolation is in feeling complete abandonment, for even their prophets were false (Lam 2:14). Yet many are undertaking practices of repentance – covering themselves in sackcloth and ashes, the common practice of penance, prostrating themselves (Lam 2:10), weeping (Lam 2:11), and Jerusalem itself is imaged as praying (Lam 2:19). Even in the midst of these dark, dark times the people hold onto their faith and trust in God, engaging in the practices of the Law. One might even look at the entire lamentation itself as an act of faith and trust – that God will hear the people crying out in anguish.

It is that same type of faith and repentance that Jesus is searching for in the gospels. The story today from Matthew’s gospel challenges our expectations about where we might expect that faith to come from. A centurion is a Roman soldier and, as we know, the Romans were holding the Jews under military oppression during Jesus’ time. So a centurion would be least expected by a Jew to understand and exhibit faith and trust in Jesus. Nevertheless, in today’s gospel reading it is the Roman, the Gentile, who shows the faith and trust in Jesus. He knows that he is a sinner and unworthy of Jesus’ presence in his house (as a side note, these are the very words that we repeat before receiving the Eucharist – “Lord I am not worthy to receive you…”) but he also knows that Jesus can heal his servant by the power of His word. Jesus is impressed. He takes the occasion to explain that he came not only for Jews, but for everyone. In this, he fulfills and pushes even beyond the Jewish expectations of His mission.

As we know the Church spread early on beyond the Jewish fold. Today, we celebrate the memorial of the second century bishop, Irenaeus of Lyons, who demonstrated great faith and trust in God, defending Christianity especially from the heresy of Gnosticism, which claimed that only a special few had access to a type of special knowledge given by Christ. Indeed, such a claim runs counter to the all-encompassing mission of Jesus.

In prayer today, let us ask St. Irenaeus to intercede for us that we might demonstrate the same courage, trust, and faith that he did!

- Tim Gabrielli