Isaiah 49:8-15 / John 5:17-30
One of the quotes from St. Irenaeus (AD 120 – 200) is this: The glory of God is man fully alive.
It is a profound quote, and essentially it says who God is and how mankind is held in relation to God.
God is our Creator and we are His creation, indeed, His best creation.
God is the source of our life, and He is also the source of our love.
The 1st reading and the gospel emphasize this essential teaching.
So, for man to be fully alive, does not merely mean that he is active, productive, effective and efficient.
For man to be fully alive, all that he does must be done in God and for the glory of God.
For man to be fully alive, all that he does must also be for the good of his neighbours.
For St. Irenaeus, whose name means “peacemaker”, he lived up to his name by working for peace.
His life was a life of love. May our lives be lived in love and may we also work for peace.