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On Thursday of the Third Week of Easter our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the book of Revelation (9:13-21) entitled "The plague of war". Our treasure, which follows, is from the treatise Against Heresies by Saint Irenaeus, bishop.
Saint Irenaeus was a late second century Greek bishop noted for his role in guiding and expanding Christian communities in the southern regions of present-day France and, more widely, for the development of Christian theology.
Saint Irenaeus is remembered for his defense of apostolic Christianity against early heresies, especially Gnosticism. He is best known for teaching that the true faith is handed down publicly through the bishops in continuity with the apostles, emphasizing the "rule of faith" as the Church's safeguard of truth. In his major work Against Heresies, he also developed a deeply influential theology of salvation history, showing how God patiently educates humanity across time and brings it to fulfillment in Christ. Irenaeus is additionally remembered for his beautiful image of Christ "recapitulating" humanity—restoring and renewing human life by uniting it to Himself. His legacy is that of a foundational witness to Church unity, apostolic tradition, and the coherence of God's saving plan in Christ.
St. Irenaeus might also be the first doctor of the Church to die as a martyr. St. Irenaeus is known mainly for his clear and systematic teaching of the Christian faith because he considered the role of a bishop primarily as a teacher. He was particularly interested in apostolic succession, and he produced one of the earliest lists of the first bishops, going back to the time of the Apostles.
Saint Irenaeus was the last known living connection with the apostles. He is the earliest surviving witness to regard all four of the canonical gospels as essential.
In today's recording Saint Irenaeus helps us better understand that the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ and therefore a real guarantee of the resurrection of our own bodies. Against the Gnostics, who denied the goodness of the material world and the flesh, Irenaeus insists that because Christ truly became flesh and gives that same flesh as Eucharist, our physical bodies are not disposable but destined for glory. When we receive the Eucharist, we are united to the risen Christ in a way that nourishes not only the soul but also affirms and prepares our bodies for resurrection. In this way, the Eucharist is both a present communion with Christ and a "pledge" that God will raise our bodies, transforming them into incorruptible life with Him.
We learn in today's first reading (Revelation 9:13–21) that God continues to call humanity to repentance even in the face of severe judgment, yet many still harden their hearts. The vision of the destructive army shows the consequences of persistent sin and refusal to turn back to God, but even these events are meant as warnings rather than final destruction. For Catholics, the passage emphasizes the urgency of conversion: God is patient and gives repeated opportunities to repent, but human freedom means people can still choose to cling to sin, with serious spiritual consequences.
