ST. IRENAEUS OF LYON (AUGUST 23RD)

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West)

On August 23rd, the Church honors St. Irenaeus, the revered bishop of Lyons, a man whose life and work embodied the transmission of apostolic truth in an age of great theological conflict. Born in AD 120 in the city of Smyrna, St. Irenaeus was nurtured in both the classical education of the time and the rich, living tradition of the Christian faith. Under the guidance of St. Polycarp of Smyrna, himself a disciple of the Apostle John, Irenaeus found the faith that would shape his life and the Church’s future. St. Polycarp baptized the young Irenaeus, instilling in him a deep love for the Gospel and the truths handed down from the apostles.

In his early years, St. Irenaeus embraced the teachings of Christ with a vigor that caught the attention of his bishop, St. Polycarp. Seeing in him a vessel for God’s work, St. Polycarp ordained him as a presbyter and eventually sent him to the city of Lugdunum—modern-day Lyons in Gaul. There, Irenaeus encountered a Church suffering under Roman persecution and inherited the mantle of leadership from Pothinus, the first bishop of Lyons, who was martyred for his faith at the age of ninety.

In the turmoil that followed, St. Irenaeus emerged as a shepherd, leading his flock not only through persecution but also through the threat of doctrinal error. The second-century Church faced a rising tide of Gnosticism, a heresy that denied the incarnation of Christ and the goodness of creation. Irenaeus, with his firm grounding in apostolic teaching, became one of the Church’s foremost defenders. His magnum opus, Against Heresies, is a brilliant refutation of Gnostic theology, emphasizing the true nature of Christ—God made flesh—and the unity of the Old and New Testaments.

For St. Irenaeus, salvation was not just about intellectual assent; it was about union with God— Theosis. He taught that through Christ’s incarnation, humanity is offered divine sonship, a participation in the very life of God. This teaching, a cornerstone of Orthodox theology, remains as profound today as when St. Irenaeus first articulated it: “God became what we are, so that we might become what He is.”

But St. Irenaeus was not only a theologian; he was also a peacemaker. When the Church in Rome sought to impose a uniform date for the celebration of Pascha, threatening to divide the Christian world, St. Irenaeus intervened. Writing to Bishop Victor of Rome, he urged moderation and unity, reminding the bishop that the diversity of practice did not compromise the unity of faith.

Though the precise details of his martyrdom remain uncertain, the Church traditionally remembers St. Irenaeus as a hieromartyr, a bishop who gave his life in witness to Christ. It is believed that he was executed by beheading during the reign of Emperor Severus, around the year AD 202. His death marked the culmination of a life spent in service to the truth, the Church, and the Kingdom of God.

St. Irenaeus’ legacy as a defender of the faith, a theologian of Christ’s incarnation, and a peacemaker endures. His writings continue to inspire and guide the Church, reminding us of the unbroken chain of apostolic succession that connects us to the early followers of Christ. Though his relics were lost in the tumult of the Reformation, his teachings remain a precious inheritance for all Christians everywhere. 

GREEK HYMN TO ST IRENAEUS

As a wise shepherd and teacher, you proclaimed the Gospel to all the world, 

O all-blessed and holy Irenaeus, 

Steadfastly you bore witness to Christ, 

For this, we honor you, O hieromartyr, 

Crying: Glory to Him who gave you strength, 

Glory to Him who crowned you, 

Glory to Him who grants grace and mercy to us through you!

O blessed Irenaeus, guide of divine truth, 

Intercede with the Father on our behalf, 

That He may grant us forgiveness and peace, 

And guide us along the path of salvation, 

Through your holy prayers, O hierarch of Christ. 

COLLECT

Almighty and everlasting God, who didst raise up Thy servant Irenaeus to defend the true faith, and by his witness didst preserve the unity of Thy holy Church: Grant that we, being steadfast in the doctrine of the Apostles, may evermore hold fast to the incarnate truth of Thy Son Jesus Christ, and in unity and peace, proclaim Thy Gospel to all the world; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

St. Irenaeus, pray for us!