June 28--St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Bishop and Martyr

What if there was a "secret" knowledge of Jesus that only a few "real" believers knew about? It would be like being a member of a secret society, with certain code words and beliefs that no one else would understand without being privy to that "knowledge". This describes the Gnostic heresy that today's saint had to combat.

St. Irenaeus was a disciple of St. Polycarp, who was a disciple of St. John the Evangelist, thus emphasizing Apostolic Succession. He lived in the second and third centuries and was a great theologian. The heresy he faced was Gnosticism which consisted of various groups and teachings. However, the main teaching was that the Gnostics had access to a secret oral tradition of Jesus that only they knew about and was superior to the teachings of the Church. St. Irenaeus researched all the variations of the time and wrote the book Against Heresies to both accurately explain the false teachings of the heretics and the correct teachings of the Church.

St. Irenaeus emphasized the role of the Church and Apostolic Succession in his teachings, pointing out the novelty of the new teachings and the truth of Scripture and Apostolic Tradition. We run across the same situations today, with people sharing false new versions of who Jesus is, such as being the husband of Mary Magdalene or just being a good teacher of morality or one who would accept everyone no matter who they "loved" as long as they "loved" them. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teaching" (Heb. 13:8). St. Irenaeus, pray for us.

June 27--St. Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Are saints always well-mannered, polite, tactful, correct in their practices and policies? Do they ever behave rashly or rudely or even sinfully? Today's saint was not always "saintly”. St. Cyril was a Church Father and Doctor of the Church due to his correct teaching about Jesus as being both God and man.

In the fifth century the Church was trying to figure out the true understanding of Jesus. The Council of Ephesus was convoked in 431 because there was some false teaching about Jesus that indicated that he was not both fully God and fully man. Nestorius, the Patriarch of Constantinople, had declared that Mary could be called the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of Christ, but NOT the Mother of God. This was an attack on Jesus as God and man! St. Cyril led the way in affirming that Mary was Theotokos, which means God-bearer, at the council. This helped in understanding of Christ as having two natures.

However, early in his career he had participated in the removal of a saint from the patriarchate of Constantinople, he expelled the Jews from Alexandria for their attacks on Christians, and he confiscated church buildings from a heretical group of Christians. In other words, he was intemperate and unwise. One could even say sinful.

No saint claims to not be a sinner. One does not become a saint at conception (except for the Virgin Mary, of course), but rather it takes a lifetime of conversion. Our call to holiness, our call to sainthood, is a lifelong journey and struggle. But with the grace of God, we can overcome our intemperance, folly, and even sinfulness, as did St. Cyril.

May 14--St. Matthias, Apostle

"Hi. I'm the guy who replaced Judas!"  That might be the opening line for today's saint, because that was precisely who he was, the successor to Judas!  Why did the apostles choose a successor to Judas?  Because Jesus chose twelve apostles to represent the twelve tribes of Israel.  The apostles were going to be the foundation for the New Israel, the new People of God, the members of the New Covenant.  So when Judas committed suicide the apostles continued with the first example of apostolic succession.  

Peter led the apostles after Jesus' ascension and said, "For it is written in the Book of Psalms:  May another take his office.  Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which was was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection"  (Acts 1: 20-22). So they chose Matthias from among two suggested.  Thus, he became the next apostle.

Apostolic succession is crucial in our understanding of the authority of the Church. From the apostles came the Apostolic Fathers, men who were instrumental in spreading the faith, including bishops like Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, and Clement of Rome.  After them came the Fathers of  the Church for the first centuries, most of them bishops, like Irenaeus of Lyons, Ambrose of Milan, Athanasius of Alexandria, Basil of Caesarea, Augustine of Hippo, John Chrysostom, Gregory the Great, and more.  These are not just names of dead men from long ago, but rather the patriarchs of the Church who handed down the faith they received from the apostles, like Matthias.