Today we read about St Irenaeus in the book In Caelo et in Terra. He was a bishop in Gaul, which later became France. We have many great saints from France, and arguably St Irenaeus is one of the big reasons why. He laid the foundation for the church in that area that allowed saints like Therese of Lisieux, Joan of Arc, Francis de Sales, Bernard of Clairvaux, and Bernadette Soubirous to become the wonderful, holy people that they were.
He was a peacemaker. Even though he had to confront heresy in his time, he did it with love and kindness. He even interceded on behalf of some people who had been excommunicated by the pope and had them brought back into the church. You can read more about him here.
There are so many lesson to learn from him. How can you lay the groundwork for saints to come after you? Each of us has a part to play in helping the church grow in our part of the world. If nothing else, you can pray. Praying is the best, most powerful thing we can do to help the world become ready for the saints who will come after us. How can you be a peacemaker in your life today? How can you bring the truth to those who don't want to hear it, but in a way that expresses love?
God, thanks for the great work and peace of this man who paved the way for the saints after him. St Irenaeus, pray for us.
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