Monday, June 28, 2021

Dear Reader, if you receive these homilettes by email, you may find the service stopped in July.  As I understand an instruction from Google, its Burnfeeder program will no longer support the service.  You can always find the homilettes on the blog site: https://cbmdominicanpreacher.blogspot.com/ . Perhaps if you send me your email address, I could send the homilettes in a mass email.  You may send your email address to cmeleop@yahoo.com. When I ascertain that the service is no longer functioning, I will start sending them to you personally.

Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, bishop and martyr

(Genesis 18:16-33; Matthew 8:18-20)

The name Irenaeus is derived from the Greek word meaning peace.  On at least two occasions, St. Irenaeus showed himself as irenic; that is, as a peacemaker. On behalf of his bishop, Irenaeus once carried a letter from Lyons to the pope in Rome asking leniency for Montanist heretics.  Another time he achieved reconciliation when the pope wanted to excommunicate Eastern Catholics for celebrating Easter on a different day than the Western Church.  in today’s first reading Abraham similarly acts on behalf of others.

God wants to destroy Sodom for immorality.  As the next chapter of Genesis shows, the men there are homosexual predators.  Other traditions see them as ignoring the poor.  In any case, Abraham tries to talk God out of punishing the people of the city for their crimes.  God accepts Abraham’s argument, but the men of Sodom prove to be worse than Abraham considered.

Abraham’s dialogue with the Lord attracts our attention.  He speaks to Him as a neighbor and receives from Him a favorable hearing.  We should feel no less inhibited.  God has called us to Himself as sons and daughters.  He elicits awe and deserves our praise, but these qualities do not exclude conversation.  When we talk with Him freely, we will mention our needs.  We should not be surprised at all to receive what we ask for.

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