The Gospel for The feast of St. Irenus is taken from St. Matthew 7th chapter 15 to the 20th verse. Jesus said to his disciples, beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruit you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?

Just so. Every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them. Never before have we had so many voices talking to us.

And how do you discern whether they’re telling the truth? Well, there’s no way to do that. That’s easy. But one of the things I see in this passage is so hopeful. Is it what God is saying? That anyone that’s speaking my name and speaking about me who is not telling the truth will be cut down and purified with fire.

So know that whatever it is that God longs to teach you and me, he will find a way of protecting us. So we need to continue to turn to him over and over again, asking him to open our hearts only to the truth and to discern what is a lie. Sa Sat Sa Sam Sa Foreign Closing Prayer Father, you’ve promised us the truth. You’ve promised us the truth incarnate in Jesus. And Jesus promised that this Holy Spirit is in us always helping us to discern and to find the truth. Let us trust in this more than we trust in any one particular person’s words.

And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.