Fr Paul Gooley returns and reads from the Gospel of Matthew (8: 23-27) in which the disciples urge Jesus to save them when a fierce storm threatens to overturn the boat in which they travel. Afterwards, Fr Paul shares a little about the life of St Irenaeus whose memorial we celebrate today.Irenaeus was born in Smyrna, which Fr Paul notes, in modern times is now called Turkey. From there he immigrated to Lyon in France where he eventually became a bishop. Fr Paul says, we do not know where or how he died but what we do know is that every time we pick up the New Testament we are touching Irenaeus’s work because it was Irenaeus who played a decisive role in what books would make up the New Testament. It was Irenaeus who went through all the possible books that could be included in the New Testament and set out all his reasons for why each book should or should not be included in the New Testament. So, Fr Paul reminds us, every time we lift the New Testament, we are touching the work of Irenaeus, who devoted his life to compiling the books of the New Testament.St Irenaeus pray for us!