Irenaeus:Jesus survived crucifixion...

[zionic]

...and lived to a ripe old age. At least that's how some of his claims, set forth in Against Heresies, is interpreted here:http://www.spinninglobe.net/abuseekhim.htm

[Loup Solitaire]

Do we underestimate the value of researching the Saints?

...and lived to a ripe old age. At least that's how some of his claims, set forth in Against Heresies, is interpreted here:http://www.spinninglobe.net/abuseekhim.htm

This a very interesting analysis of the writings of St Irenaeus. I often look for inspirational and revealing writings on the Web and I don't think I've found much that would top this. Were you specifically searching for St Irenaeus? Although I believe I have on occasion stumbled upon references to St Irenaeus, I don't believe I have ever seen anything that would have led me to want to research his writings or a biography on him more than this.

I've very recently found myself deeply intrigued by St Paul. But I don't think I'm ready to discuss this in a public forum yet. Some really strange things have been happening.

[zionic]

St.Paul is interesting, and I'm looking forward to hearing more about your exploration of St. Paul. It's been all the rage to paint him as some kind of heretic out of step with the historic Jewish faith. But for a couple of generation running the tide has been turning in a number of ways. The 'historic Jewish faith' we know today is rabbinic Judaism and Christianity is being found to outdate rabbinic Judaism by not just decades but by hundreds of years. In other words Christianity existed before Jesus in the 'churches of anticipation' that came into being as the priesthood that didn't submit to King Josiah's reforms fled into the wilderness and into what is now Saudi Arabia ahead of the Assyrian and then the Babylonian invasions and exiles.

It is also thought that many descendants of these priests were among the first to respond to Muhammad's witness and accept him as a prophet.

[Loup Solitaire]

St.Paul is interesting, and I'm looking forward to hearing more about your exploration of St. Paul.

I only recently took an interest in St Paul. I had originally attended mass at a church close to home. The church building was nice, the seats were comfortable, the parish was well funded, the congregation was large, a school was co-located with the church, and the people were pretty decent. In fact, after we had decided to attend, following a relocation, we discovered we knew quite a few people who attended. But somehow, there was something missing. My wife and I had a lot of difficulty in getting there. Who knows why this was. We simply stopped going. I think maybe I stopped because the church was too impersonal.

Now I need to mention that we live very close to a small town that is the county seat for the county we live in. This town has roots that go back to the 1700's. Here is a web site to give you a little background: http://www.ellicottcity.net/tourism/history/ .

In this town is a small church up on a hill top, overlooking the town. When I first noticed the church, I was attracted to its' look of permanence. It is a solid structure built of granite. It has a high steeple. It has a look that could leave you thinking it was was constructed even before the town was founded. Here is a web site to let you get a look at the church: http://www.stpaulec.org/ . That fact that it was called St. Paul's initially meant nothing to me.

I drove past the church 100 times and each and every time I drove past it, it grabbed my attention. So finally, I asked my wife if she wanted to try attending mass there. She agreed and then, finally, one Saturday we went. I wasn't prepared for what followed.

I would like to say that despite my dedication to my belief in God and reincarnation, few churches have a significant affect upon me. I was unprepared for the emotional affect that this church had upon me. Upon entry, I was almost overpowered by my impression of the beauty of the interior of this building. I don't know that the church is that spectacular, but for me it was one on the most beautiful churches I had ever been in. I was overcome by a feeling like one might have when returning to a place that was dear to them.

It wasn't until the second or third time that I attended that I realized within the church, to the right of the altar was a statue of St Paul. I later discovered that the history of this statue is that it is a replica of the very same statue that is at the front of The Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, located in Rome Italy:http://www.sacred-destinations.com/i...s/fx01_024.htm. The statue had been a gift, it's a wood carving of St Paul, made in northern Italy, and was installed in 1976.

Despite the smaller size of the church, there is evidently a significant commitment by the Archdiocese of Baltimore to support it.

I am still in state of awe because of the sense of euphoria that I experience every time I enter it. I've always been attracted to older buildings, homes and towns. I guess it is part of who I am. And the historic atmosphere of this church appeals to me. Even as a child, I was drawn to and felt more comfortable in older houses. When at the age of five, my parents moved into a new house, I didn't want to be there. I wanted to return to the house we had shared with my grandparents.

Each time we attend mass, I leave feeling better than when I entered. It is not simply feeling better because of fulfilling some sort of religious obligation. I have begun to think there is something curious about this place or......... maybe, there is some affect due to the name sake. Thus, my new curiosity about St Paul.