They said the Spirit spoke through them

Prophecy, of course, is a charism of the Holy Spirit: manifested from Biblical times to the present day. But there was something more than a little different about these prophets. They fell into trances and spoke in ways different from the ways of the prophets in Scripture.

At first, what they said was pretty orthodox and many in the Church joyfully accepted them.

But soon the prophecies went further and strange stories about the prophets themselves began to filter throughout the Church.

The Diocese of Lyons in France wanted to look into the matter more closely and sent one of their priests to Rome for consultation.

In time, the influence of the strange prophets would die out, but the influence of the priest from Lyons would increase tremendously. He had impressed the Pope very much and would become Lyons’ next bishop. His writings against the heresies of the day would be widely read and admired.

He felt humbled to be following in the footsteps of those who went before him, and not just at Lyons. In the faraway hometown of his youth, he had been a great admirer of the elderly bishop there: Polycarp, who in his youth had been a disciple and personal friend of Saint John the Apostle.

The memorial of Saint Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons and one of the ancient Fathers of the Church, is celebrated on this day.