Poem: "Otherwise" by Jane Kenyon

I got out of bed
on two strong legs.
It might have been
otherwise. I ate
cereal, sweet
milk, ripe, flawless
peach. It might
have been otherwise.
I took the dog uphill
to the birch wood.
All morning I did
the work I love.

At noon I lay down
with my mate. It might
have been otherwise.
We ate dinner together
at a table with silver
candlesticks. It might
have been otherwise.
I slept in a bed
in a room with paintings
on the walls, and
planned another day
just like this day.
But one day, I know,
it will be otherwise. 

Saints Peter and Paul

Peter

After the ascension, Peter always took the leading role, exercising the office of chief shepherd that Christ had entrusted to him. He delivered the first sermon on Pentecost and received the first Gentiles into the Church (Cornelius; Acts 10:1). Paul went to Jerusalem "to see Peter." After his miraculous deliverance from prison (Easter, 42 A.D.), Peter "went to a different place," most probably to Rome. Details now become scanty; we hear of his presence at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:1), and of his journey to Antioch (Gal. 2:11).

It is certain that Peter labored in Rome as an apostle, that he was the city's first bishop, and that he died there as a martyr, bound to a cross (67 A.D.). According to tradition he also was the first bishop of Antioch. He is the author of two letters, the first Christian encyclicals. His burial place is Christendom's most famous shrine, an edifice around whose dome are inscribed the words: Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam.

Patron: Against frenzy; bakers; bridge builders; butchers; clock makers; cobblers; Exeter College Oxford; feet problems; fever; fishermen; harvesters; locksmiths; longevity; masons; net makers; papacy; Popes; ship builders; shipwrights; shoemakers; stone masons; Universal Church; watch makers; Poznan, Poland; Rome; Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi; Diocese of Las Vegas, Nevada; Diocese of Marquette, Michigan; Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island; Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Symbols: Two keys saltire; pastoral staff and two large keys; inverted cross; inverted cross and two keys saltire; crowing cock; fish; two swords; patriarchal cross and two keys saltire; two keys and a scroll; sword.

Paul

The first major missionary journey (45-48) began upon his return as he and Barnabas brought the Gospel to Cyprus and Asia Minor (Acts 13-14). The Council of Jerusalem occasioned Paul's reappearance in Jerusalem (50). Spurred on by the decisions of the Council, he began the second missionary journey (51-53), traveling through Asia Minor and then crossing over to Europe and founding churches at Philippi, Thessalonia (his favorite), Berea, Athens, Corinth. He remained almost two years at Corinth, establishing a very flourishing and important community. In 54 he returned to Jerusalem for the fourth time.

Paul's third missionary journey (54-58) took him to Ephesus, where he labored three years with good success; after visiting his European communities, he returned to Jerusalem for a fifth time (Pentecost, 58). There he was seized by the Jews and accused of condemning the Law. After being held as a prisoner for two years at Caesarea, he appealed to Caesar and was sent by sea to Rome (60 A.D.). Shipwrecked and delayed on the island of Malta, he arrived at Rome in the spring of 61 and passed the next two years in easy confinement before being released. The last years of the saint's life were devoted to missionary excursions, probably including Spain, and to revisiting his first foundations. In 66 he returned to Rome, was taken prisoner, and beheaded a year later. His fourteen letters are a precious legacy; they afford a deep insight into a great soul.

Patron: Against snakes; authors; Cursillo movement; evangelists; hailstorms; hospital public relations; journalists; lay people; missionary bishops; musicians; poisonous snakes; public relations personnel; public relations work; publishers; reporters; rope braiders; rope makers; saddlemakers; saddlers; snake bites; tent makers; writers; Malta; Rome; Poznan, Poland; newspaper editorial staff, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Diocese of Covington, Kentucky; Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama; Diocese of Las Vegas, Nevada; Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island; Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts.

Symbols: Book and sword, three fountains; two swords; scourge; serpent and a fire; armour of God; twelve scrolls with names of his Epistles; Phoenix; palm tree; shield of faith; sword; book.

Prayer: Irenaeus of Lyons

“Error never shows itself in its naked reality, in order not to be discovered. On the contrary, it dresses elegantly, so that the unwary may be led to believe that it is more truthful than truth itself.” 

Spirituality: Ignatius' Second Trip to Rome

God acknowledged Ignatius' great love while the pilgrim made his way to Rome for the second and last time in his life.

After he became a priest he had decided to spend a year without saying mass, preparing himself and begging Our Lady to deign to place him with her Son. One day, while still a few miles from Rome, he was praying in a church at La Storta and experienced such a change in his soul and saw so clearly that God the Father had placed him with His Son Christ that he could not doubt that God the Father had indeed placed him with His Son.

(Olin and O'Callaghan, Autobiography, p. 89)

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 30, 2013

1 Kings 19:16, 19-21; Psalm 16; Galatians 5:1, 13-18; Luke 9:51-62

Jesus shows his disciples that he is well versed in the Scriptures by making reference to Elisha’s encounter with Elijah. Elijah prepares for his successor by throwing a cloak over Elisha to indicate Yahweh’s choice of the new prophet. After making sacrifice of oxen, Elisha leaves his family and previous life and follows Elijah as his understudy. Elisha knows that his life will be a journey along the way. Elijah is the destination for Elisha – the place of holy power and mission.

The journey is a theme for Jesus in Luke’s Gospel. In obedience to God’s will, Jesus heads to Jerusalem, the city that symbolizes the continuity between the old and the new in God’s plan. Jerusalem will be the place where Jesus completes his Exodus that was made manifest in the Transfiguration and it will also be the place where the new mission of Christianity will travel to the ends of the earth. The journey is significant because it is the place where Jesus shows he is the supreme teacher of his disciples. He teaches them about missionary travels, the right use of possessions, about prayer, and the meaning of complex moral issues as illustrated by parables. We are able to see that our journey, just like that of Jesus, is not free from trials – because Jesus was met with opposition from the Samaritans on his way. They reject Jesus outright, while Jewish religious leaders object to his teaching and way of life. Jesus remains an example of the faithful and resolute Son who teaches the way the leads to life with God through stories and actions.

Jesus tells the scribe to let the dead bury the dead, that is, to let those who are spiritually dead bury the physically dead. These are the types of matters of concern to the spiritually under-developed. Think on the non-spiritual person who grieves over the death of a loved one. Often mourning is more difficult because of the groundlessness of one’s beliefs. Without trust in a future life, a person becomes concerned with his or her own unmet needs.

If people of faith are able to see themselves on a journey, then forward movement is necessary. Standing still is equivalent of taking a step backwards. We must always move forward, even if it is a tiny step. Ignatius of Loyola will tell spiritually desolate people to use extra energy and courage to go against (agere contra) whatever is keeping them feeling low. The evil spirit will always try to keep a good person from doing better. Therefore, the person is to try harder to be lifted out of the doldrums. Even when we are beset by these downswings in energy and verve, we must always set a course to move forward on the journey. Let your mantra be “onward and upwards.”

As Jesus suggests, we have to let go of possessions we hold dear if we are to advance in the spiritual life. Some people hoard objects and people, but we have to let go of things along the way. A Jesuit is to hold everything in common for the apostolate and community, but there are ways that we too can be held down by our possessions. Fortunately, since some Jesuits move around enough, holding onto valuables is lessened. Somehow, we always get much more than we need through the generosity of others, but we learn to value the gift, the giver, and our special charism to be available for mission.

In the days of social networking, it is easy to accumulate many lost or forgotten “friends,” especially from childhood days. If a person has more Facebook friends than another person, it speaks well of the person’s likability and worth – to some. Having many friends increases the perceived importance of one person while those with few friends are considered socially awkward. Along the way though we have to let go of some people if we are going to embrace the future. It is not designed to be cruel, but we must allow ourselves to have necessary endings with others so we both can move forward. The same goes for our possessions. We must give them away so we can have space in our lives for other things and new activities. We have to deliberately choose what we need to do to move forward. If we don’t, death will do it for us and we are better off preparing for our good and serene death.

Moving forward might also mean moving into Samaritan territory – an unfamiliar and possible hostile environment. (It is always good to remember that Samaritans eventually became a people of the Way.) We need to employ courage to take risks and do some activities that we mused about doing, but never committed to doing. It might just open up a needed area of your life for happiness and creativity. I am always amazed at the inspired way I feel when I do artwork. It reminds me that I was always meant to do this. We need these reminders along the way to show us how fundamentally Jesus is working inside us.

Let yourself hear Jesus call you along the path towards life this week with the invitation to let go of something you cherish. Tell him how you feel about the person or object and let him respond to your story, but then listen to his excitement as he calls you forward to be with him on this continuous journey. As he reaches his arm out to you, take his hand. In fact, give him both your hands because while you are holding his, you can’t be holding onto anything else. This is more than enough.

Themes for this Week’s Masses

First Reading: Abraham is singled out by God to become the father of a great and populous nation. When Abraham heard about Sodom and Gomorrah’s wickedness and God’s plan to destroy the cities, he protested and reminded God that innocent people live among the wicked ones and should be spared. Angels led Lot and his family out of those twin cities to a small town called Zoar while sulfuric blasts and fire devoured the lands. The Cities of the Plain were destroyed, but in consideration for Abraham, Lot’s family was saved. God then called to Abraham and asked him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as an offering to God. Abraham acquiesced and was ready to kill his son when the Lord sent a ram whose horns were caught in a thicket to be offered instead. Isaac’s life was spared. Abraham’s wife, Sarah, died in the land of the Hittites and she was buried in a cave facing Mamre (Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Once Isaac’s wife was promised to him, he went to live in the Negeb. He met Rebekah on a camel, invited her into his tent, and married her, which helped console him in the loss of his mother. In Isaac’s old age, he called Esau to him to give the firstborn blessing. While Esau went out to follow his father’s orders, Jacob impersonated Esau, fed his father the cooked meal, and received the blessing of fertility and abundance.  

Gospel: When Jesus finished his Sermon, he set out to cross to the other side. A scribe approached and wanted to join him, but he said that the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. He will always be on the journey. Jesus got into the boat while a violent storm came upon the sea. His disciples woke him in fright and Jesus calmed the storm asking why they didn’t yet have enough faith. When he made it to the other side, the townspeople brought him a paralytic man on a stretcher to be healed. Jesus angered the scribes by forgiving their sins; he later healed him. Jesus passed by a man named Matthew who was sitting at the customs post. He told him to follow him. At this many Pharisees began to complain that Jesus associates with tax collectors and sinners and Jesus explained that he has come to call sinners to repentance. The Baptist’s disciples also needed to be edified. They and the religious groups fasted, but Jesus eats and drinks in violation of the Mosaic laws. Jesus tells them to rejoice in the fact that he is with them for there will be time for mourning.

Saints of the Week

June 30: The First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church (c. 64) were martyrs under Nero's persecution in 64. Nero reacted to the great fire in Rome by falsely accusing Christians of setting it. While no one believed Nero's assertions, Christians were humiliated and condemned to death in horrible ways. This day always follows the feast of the martyrs, Sts. Peter and Paul.

July 1: Junipero Serra, priest, was a Franciscan missionary who founded missions in Baja and traveled north to California starting in 1768. The Franciscans established the missions during the suppression of the Jesuits. San Diego, San Francisco, and Santa Clara are among the most famous. Serra’s statue is in the U.S. Capitol to represent California.

July 2: Bernard Realino, John Francis Regis, Francis Jerome, S.J. are known for their preaching skills that drew many to the faith, including many French Hugeunots. Regis and his companions preached Catholic doctrine to children and assisted many struck by the plague in Frances. Regis University in Denver, Colorado is named after John Regis.

July 3: Thomas, apostle, is thought to have been an apostle to India and Pakistan and he is best remembered as the one who “doubted” the resurrection of Jesus. The Gospels, however, testify to his faithfulness to Jesus during his ministry. The name, Thomas, stands for “twin,” but no mention is made of his twin’s identity.

July 5: Elizabeth of Portugal (1271-1336), was from the kingdom of Aragon begore she married Denis, king of Portugal, at age 12. Her son twice rebelled against the king and Elizabeth helped them reconcile. After he husband's death, she gave up her rank and joined the Poor Clares for a life of simplicity.

July 5: Anthony Mary Zaccaria, priest (1502-1539) was a medical doctor who founded the Barnabites because of his devotion to Paul and Barnabas and the Angelics of St. Paul, a woman's cloistered order. He encouraged the laity to work alongside the clergy to care for the poor.

July 6: Maria Goretti, martyr (1890-1902) was a poor farm worker who was threatened by Alessandro, a 20-year old neighbor. When she rebuffed his further advances, he killed her, but on her deathbed, she forgave him. He later testified on her behalf during her beatification process, which occurred in 1950.

This Week in Jesuit History

·      Jun 30, 1829. The opening of the Twenty-first General Congregation of the order, which elected Fr. John Roothan as General.

·      Jul 1, 1556. The beginning of St Ignatius's last illness. He saw his three great desires fulfilled: confirmation of the Institute, papal approval of the Spiritual Exercises, and acceptance of the Constitutions by the whole Society.

·      Jul 2, 1928. The Missouri Province was divided into the Missouri Province and the Chicago Province. In 1955 there would be a further subdivision: Missouri divided into Missouri and Wisconsin; Chicago divided into Chicago and Detroit.

·      Jul 3, 1580. Queen Elizabeth I issued a statute forbidding all Jesuits to enter England.

·      Jul 4, 1648. The martyrdom in Canada of Anthony Daniel who was shot with arrows and thrown into flames by the Iroquois.

·      Jul 5, 1592. The arrest of Fr. Robert Southwell at Uxenden Manor, the house of Mr Bellamy. Tortured and then transferred to the Tower, he remained there for two and a half years.

·      Jul 6, 1758. The election to the papacy of Clement XIII who would defend the Society against the Jansenists and the Bourbon Courts of Europe.

Literature: Dr. Seuss

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

The Latin Hymn to John the Baptist

Did You Know? … The Latin Hymn to St. John (English translation below)

In one well-known scene in “The Sound of Music,” which takes place in the Mirabell Gardens, Maria and the children dance around the statue of Pegasus, the winged horse, singing “Do-Re-Mi.” During the song, one of the children complains that the nonsensical syllables “...don’t mean anything...” What she doesn’t realize, of course, is that the lyrics have their roots in medieval choral music, drawn from syllables of each of the first six phrases of the text of a hymn to St. John the Baptist.

Written by Paolo Diacono (ca 720 - 799) the Latin words “Ut queant laxis, Resonare fibris, Mira gestorum, Famuli tuorum, Solve polluti, Labii reatum,” translate to “So that Your servants may sing at the top of one’s voices the wonders of Your acts, absolve the fault from their stained lips.”

Using the syllables ut, re, mi, fa, sol, and la as names for the six tones, C to A, an Italian monk named
Guido d’Arezzo (990-1050) created the System of Solmization (sometimes called, after him, Aretinian
syllables or the Guido System of Syllables). Later ut was replaced by the more singable do and another syllable, si or ti, was added, giving the scale seven syllables called do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti to form the present system of singing names for the tones of the scale. The syllable sol was later shortened to so, making all syllables uniform in spelling and ending with a vowel.

(http://italian.about.com/library/weekly/aa092700a.htm)

Prayer: Psalm 90

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next. Before the mountains were born or the earth or the world brought forth, you are God, without beginning or end.

You turn men back into dust and say: “Go back, sons of men.” To your eyes a thousand year are like yesterday, come and gone, no more than a watch in the night.

You sweep men away like a dream, like grass which springs up in the morning. In the morning it springs up and flowers: by evening it withers and fades.

So we are destroyed in your anger, struck with terror in your fury. Our guilt lies open before you; our secrets in the light of your face.

All our days pass away in your anger. Our life is over like a sigh. Seventy is the sum of our years or eighty for those who are strong.

And most of these are emptiness and pain. They pass swiftly and we are gone. Who understands the power of your anger and fears the strength of your fury?

Teach us to know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart. Lord, relent! Is your anger forever? Show pity to your servants.

Prayer: Aloysius Gonzaga

[Hu]Man is born for action; he ought to do something. Work, at each step, awakens a sleeping force and roots out error. Who does nothing, knows nothing. Rise! to work! If thy knowledge is real, employ it; wrestle with nature; test the strength of thy theories; see if they will support the trial; act!

Prayer: Basil the Great

For just as the various activities required in our daily life have their own objects and their respective ways of being done, so also there is one rule and canon prescribed for all our works, which is to fulfill God's commandments according to God's will. Hence it is impossible for our work to be done properly unless it is carried out in obedience to the will of God, who has prescribed it.

Prayer: Ignatius of Loyola

"If God causes you to suffer much, it is a sign that He has great designs for you, and that He certainly intends to make you a saint. And if you wish to become a great saint, entreat Him yourself to give you much opportunity for suffering; for there is no wood better to kindle the fire of holy love than the wood of the cross, which Christ used for His own great sacrifice of boundless charity.” 

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 23, 2013

Zechariah 12:10-11, 3:1; Psalm 63; Galatians 3:26-29; Luke 9:18-24

Scripture today reminds us that we cannot look upon Jesus without seeing his suffering and this ability to see into his heart only comes about through grace. Zechariah words tell us that those who look upon him will grieve and mourn inconsolably. Luke’s passage tells us that we can’t only see the Messianic Jesus because this is an incomplete image. In order to see the glory of Jesus, we must feel his suffering.

These two images of Jesus have to be balanced. Because of the extraordinary Christ event, some of us only focus upon his nature as one who is victorious over life and death and sin and despair. He is the strong One whose protection is all we need. This is the happy Jesus to whom we sing songs of gratefulness and praise, but it is not complete. The work of Jesus is not yet done. Seeing the suffering of the Cosmic Christ and the personal Christ requires that we be vulnerable to his grief and mourning and he invites us to make this personal. This sadness impels us to act to bring about a world more inline with Christ’s values.

Let’s look at the issues where Jesus must still endure great suffering. Make it a prayerful exercise to ask Jesus about these areas of society that present challenging problems to a faithful Christian. Ask him about the ways he is suffering today because we cannot live out the ideals that our faith sets forth. Have him show you where these ideals have broken down and have caused many to despair. Let him reveal the ways we are to respond to the brokenness of these spheres of life.

Families: The enduring and self-giving love of Christ helps families affirm and love individuals for who they are. Stable and monogamous families help each other to acquire greater wisdom and harmonize personal rights with other social needs (Populorum Progressio #36.) Children are a great gift or marriage and the elderly deserve special primacy of place.

A Consistent Ethic for Life: Respect and reverence for human life arise from the basic dignity of the human person made in God’s image and likeness. Reproductive and life-saving medical technologies reach into previously unexplored areas that raise complicated moral issues providing great benefits and heart-wrenching concerns.

Women: The Church in the Modern World teaches that regarding the fundamental rights of a person, every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural, whether based on gender, race, color or social condition, language, or religion is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God’s intent. The church, in its language, praises the efforts that win the recognition that women have the same dignity and fundamental rights as men.

Race, minorities, ethnic groups, and the LGTB communities: “Each citizen of its respective nation, should be equal before the law, find equal admittance to economic, cultural, civic and social life, and benefit from a fair share of the nation’s riches” (Octogesima Adveniens.) Christians are to foster the dignity of their brothers and sisters and help them find justice is housing, education, employment and the administration of justice.

Employment: “All people have the right to work, to develop their qualities and personalities in exercise of their professions, to equitable remuneration that enables them to lead worthy life on the material, social, cultural, and spiritual level” (Octogesima Adveniens.) Our faith demands evaluation of economic structures in light of meeting the basic needs of the poor and increasing the level of participation of all citizens in the nation’s economy. Governments help the poor by raising the minimum wage, adjust unfair tax systems, commit to education and the eradication of illiteracy, better support for families of single-parents, and a thorough reform of the welfare system.

National Problems: Societies have the right to live in peace and be protected from crime. More efficient law enforcement will help maintain order, and citizens must root out the sources of crime – poverty, injustice, addictions, and materialism. Migrant workers are victims of discriminatory attitudes and often live insecure lives. Prisoners of war deserve human treatment with basic needs and health care provided to them. The power and influence of the media have the responsibility to respect the truth of the information they spread, the values they propose, and the reactions they generate. Responsibility for the environment demands careful planning, conservation, and unselfish respect for the world’s resources. Pollution, trash disposal, climate change, scarcity of vital resources and treatments for new illnesses demands intelligent responses.

World Problems: Hunger, environmental pollution, population growth, globalization, disparity of wealth and resources, and the constant danger of war confront the international community. Instant communication from news sources means Christian cannot turn a blind eye to world tragedies. In Christ, we have hope and grace and we focus upon those actions we can do, because faith without works is nothing at all. The development of every person is rooted and grounded in the love of God and its twin, love of neighbor. Respect for all creation is an inherent aspect of our faith.

The task of a Christian is daunting, but as Jesus illustrates in the Gospel, everything begins with our personal response to him. The old saying “All politics is local” can be applied to faith. We can be just in dealing with others, respect all life and work for the dignity of others, learn how to be forgiven and to forgive, solve problems without violence, educate ourselves and inform our conscience, pray for unity and peace, enact our penances humbly, and to continually respond to the question of Jesus, “Who do you say I am?” Our response will deepen our commitment to him and he might ask us to do a few things that make us uncomfortable. Christianity is not easy, but the personal friendship with Jesus will help us be free in our response to him.

Themes for this Week’s Masses

First Reading: Isaiah’s words that shines a light on God’s plans for the forerunner of the Lord on the Nativity of John the Baptist. In the Book of Genesis, Abram and Lot were very successful herders, but their large number of livestock made it difficult for them to share the same land. Abram gave Lot a choice of land. Whichever Lot chose, Abram would be satisfied with the left0ver parcel. Lot chose the Jordan Plain and the area to the east leaving Abram with the west bank of the Jordan to the sea. Abram received a vision of the Lord promising him an heir, many descendants, and the promise of fertile land. Sarai bore Abraham no children, but Hagar, the maidservant, bore a children from Abram. Hagar tormented Sarai, but the Lord made Sarai return where he promised to make her fertile. The Lord gave the same message to Abram, I am calling you Abraham and your wife will be names Sarah. Your son by Sarah will be called Isaac. ~ The Feast of Peter and Paul tells the story of Peter’s arrest by King Herod and his miraculous escape from prison through the help of an angel.

Gospel: On the Feast of the Birth of the Baptist, Zechariah’s speech is returned to him as he names his son, John. As Matthew continues his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells people to hold onto what is holy and do not mix it with profane activities. The Golden rule is to do unto others and you want them to do unto you. When being wary of false prophets, one can discern whether a person is good or not because from a good person good actions will follow. From a good tree, good fruit will be produced. Faith is a personal issue to Jesus. Many will believe in some of his good sayings but they have failed to develop a special relationship with him. They will thus stray from the path because they do not have his moral compass as a guide. As the Sermons ends, a leper comes up to Jesus and asks him to make him clean. Jesus does wish him to be made well and heals him. On the Feast of Peter and Paul, Jesus asks the question, “Who do you say that I am?” When Peter answers rightly, Jesus builds his church upon Peter, the Rock.

Saints of the Week

June 24: Nativity of John the Baptist (first century) was celebrated on June 24^th to remind us that he was six months older than Jesus, according to Luke. This day also serves to remind us that, as Christ is the light of the world, John must decrease just as the daylight diminishes. John’s birth is told by Luke. He was the son of the mature Elizabeth and the dumbstruck Zechariah. When John was named, Zechariah’s tongue was loosened and he sang the great Benedictus.

June 27: Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor (376-444), presided over the Council of Ephesus that fought Nestorian the heresy. Cyril claimed, contrary to Nestorius, that since the divine and human in Jesus were so closely united that it was appropriate to refer to Mary was the mother of God. Because he condemned Nestorius, the church went through a schism that lasted until Cyril's death. Cyril's power, wealth, and theological expertise influenced many as he defended the church against opposing philosophies.

June 28: Irenaeus, bishop and martyr (130-200) was sent to Lyons as a missionary to combat the persecution the church faced in Lyons. He was born in Asia Minor and became a disciple of Polycarp who was a disciple of the Apostle John. Irenaeus asserted that the creation was not sinful by nature but merely distorted by sin. As God created us, God redeemed us. Therefore, our fallen nature can only be saved by Christ who took on our form in the Incarnation. Irenaeus refutation of heresies laid the foundations of Christian theology.

June 29: Peter and Paul, apostles (first century) are lumped together for a feast day because of their extreme importance to the early and contemporary church. Upon Peter's faith was the church built; Paul's efforts to bring Gentiles into the faith and to lay out a moral code was important for successive generations. It is right that they are joined together as their work is one, but with two prongs. For Jesuits, this is a day that Ignatius began to recover from his illness after the wounds he sustained at Pamplona. It marked a turning point in his recovery.

This Week in Jesuit History

·      Jun 23, 1967. Saint Louis University's Board of Trustees gathered at Fordyce House for the first meeting of the expanded Board of Trustees. SLU was the first Catholic university to establish a Board of Trustees with a majority of lay members.

·      Jun 24, 1537. Ignatius, Francis Xavier, and five of the companions were ordained priests in Venice, Italy.

·      Jun 25, 1782. The Jesuits in White Russia were permitted by the Empress Catherine to elect a General. They chose Fr. Czerniewicz. He took the title of Vicar General, with the powers of the General.

·      Jun 26, 1614. By a ruse of the Calvinists, the book, "Defensio Fidei" by Francis Suarez was condemned by the French Parliament. In addition, in England James I ordered the book to be publicly burned.

·      Jun 27, 1978. Bernard Lisson, a mechanic, and Gregor Richert, a parish priest, were shot to death at St Rupert's Mission, Sinoia, Zimbabwe.

·      Jun 28, 1591. Fr. Leonard Lessius's teaching on grace and predestination caused a great deal of excitement and agitation against the Society in Louvain and Douai. The Papal Nuncio and Pope Gregory XIV both declared that his teaching was perfectly orthodox.

·      Jun 29, 1880. In France the law of spoliation, which was passed at the end of March, came into effect and all the Jesuit Houses and Colleges were suppressed.