Today is the memorial of St Ignatius of Antioch. He died in the year 107. Less than 70 ish years after Christs death. This fact amazed me in my journey from Protestantism… reading the writings of some of the earliest Christians. The basics of the faith, so much if it, were fairly settled earlier than I had thought. And dare I say, Christians, the Church was more Catholic than I expected, or wanted to see, at the time. And so started my journey to the Catholic Church.
This excerpt is quite intense as he expresses his desire for martyrdom. But an amazing Christian. St Ignatius, pray for us!
——
Tuesday 17 October 2023
Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop, Martyr
on Tuesday of week 28 in Ordinary Time
About Today
Year: A(I). Psalm week: 4. Liturgical Colour: Red.
St Ignatius of Antioch (- 107)
He was the third bishop of Antioch, the first being St Peter until he moved to Rome, and the second being Evodius. He was arrested (some writers believe that he must have been denounced by a fellow-Christian), condemned to death, and transported to Rome to be thrown to the wild beasts in the arena. In one of his letters he describes the soldiers who were escorting him as being like “ten leopards, who when they are kindly treated only behave worse.”
In the course of his journey he wrote seven letters to various churches, in which he dealt wisely and deeply with Christ, the organisation of the Church, and the Christian life. They are important documents for the early history of the Church, and they also reveal a deeply holy man who accepts his fate and begs the Christians in Rome not to try to deprive him of the crown of martyrdom.
He was martyred in 107 and his feast was already being celebrated on this day in fourth-century Antioch.
———-
Tuesday 17 October 2023
Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop, Martyr
on Tuesday of week 28 in Ordinary Time
Spiritual Reading
Your Second Reading from the Office of Readings:
Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop, Martyr
From St Ignatius of Antioch's letter to the Romans
I am God's wheat and shall be ground by the teeth of wild animals
I am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God if only you do not stand in my way. I plead with you: show me no untimely kindness. Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God. I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ’s pure bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God.
No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire.
The time for my birth is close at hand. Forgive me, my brothers. Do not stand in the way of my birth to real life; do not wish me stillborn. My desire is to belong to God. Do not, then, hand me back to the world. Do not try to tempt me with material things. Let me attain pure light. Only on my arrival there can I be fully a human being. Give me the privilege of imitating the passion of my God. If you have him in your heart, you will understand what I wish. You will sympathise with me because you will know what urges me on.
The prince of this world is determined to lay hold of me and to undermine my will which is intent on God. Let none of you here help him; instead show yourselves on my side, which is also God’s side. Do not talk about Jesus Christ as long as you love this world. Do not harbour envious thoughts. And supposing I should see you, if then I should beg you to intervene on my behalf, do not believe what I say. Believe instead what I am now writing to you. For though I am alive as I write to you, still my real desire is to die. My love of this life has been crucified, and there is no yearning in me for any earthly thing. Rather within me is the living water which says deep inside me: “Come to the Father.” I no longer take pleasure in perishable food or in the delights of this world. I want only God’s bread, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, formed of the seed of David, and for drink I crave his blood, which is love that cannot perish.
I am no longer willing to live a merely human life, and you can bring about my wish if you will. Please, then, do me this favour, so that you in turn may meet with equal kindness. Put briefly, this is my request: believe what I am saying to you. Jesus Christ himself will make it clear to you that I am saying the truth. Only truth can come from that mouth by which the Father has truly spoken. Pray for me that I may obtain my desire. I have not written to you as a mere man would, but as one who knows the mind of God. If I am condemned to suffer, I will take it that you wish me well. If my case is postponed, I can only think that you wish me harm.
________
Collect
Almighty ever-living God,
who adorn the sacred body of your Church
with the confessions of holy Martyrs,
grant, we pray,
that, just as the glorious passion of Saint Ignatius of Antioch,
which we celebrate today,
brought him eternal splendour,
so it may be for us unending protection.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
catholichodler / JB Hodl
npub128t…axqq
2023-10-17 23:07:06
Author Public Key
npub128t3e2maxutmyxl3rfh9xn07qa34htqcmfff0ynz5qz945khky3qm7axqqPublished at
2023-10-17 23:07:06Event JSON
{
"id": "332ae62ef1bd56adb02aabcac560438a71075710bb6f54220761401fdc9f95c9",
"pubkey": "51d71cab7d3717b21bf11a6e534dfe07635bac18da52979262a0045ad2d7b122",
"created_at": 1697576826,
"kind": 1,
"tags": [],
"content": "Today is the memorial of St Ignatius of Antioch. He died in the year 107. Less than 70 ish years after Christs death. This fact amazed me in my journey from Protestantism… reading the writings of some of the earliest Christians. The basics of the faith, so much if it, were fairly settled earlier than I had thought. And dare I say, Christians, the Church was more Catholic than I expected, or wanted to see, at the time. And so started my journey to the Catholic Church. \n\nThis excerpt is quite intense as he expresses his desire for martyrdom. But an amazing Christian. St Ignatius, pray for us!\r\n——\n\nTuesday 17 October 2023\r\n\r\nSaint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop, Martyr \r\n on Tuesday of week 28 in Ordinary Time\r\n\r\n\r\nAbout Today\r\n\r\nYear: A(I). Psalm week: 4. Liturgical Colour: Red.\r\n\r\nSt Ignatius of Antioch (- 107)\r\n\r\nHe was the third bishop of Antioch, the first being St Peter until he moved to Rome, and the second being Evodius. He was arrested (some writers believe that he must have been denounced by a fellow-Christian), condemned to death, and transported to Rome to be thrown to the wild beasts in the arena. In one of his letters he describes the soldiers who were escorting him as being like “ten leopards, who when they are kindly treated only behave worse.”\r\n In the course of his journey he wrote seven letters to various churches, in which he dealt wisely and deeply with Christ, the organisation of the Church, and the Christian life. They are important documents for the early history of the Church, and they also reveal a deeply holy man who accepts his fate and begs the Christians in Rome not to try to deprive him of the crown of martyrdom.\r\n He was martyred in 107 and his feast was already being celebrated on this day in fourth-century Antioch.\r\n \r\n———-\n\nTuesday 17 October 2023\r\n\r\nSaint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop, Martyr \r\n on Tuesday of week 28 in Ordinary Time\r\n\r\n\r\nSpiritual Reading\r\n\r\nYour Second Reading from the Office of Readings:\r\n\r\n\r\nSaint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop, Martyr\r\n\r\nFrom St Ignatius of Antioch's letter to the Romans\r\nI am God's wheat and shall be ground by the teeth of wild animals\r\n\r\nI am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God if only you do not stand in my way. I plead with you: show me no untimely kindness. Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God. I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ’s pure bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God.\r\n No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire.\r\n The time for my birth is close at hand. Forgive me, my brothers. Do not stand in the way of my birth to real life; do not wish me stillborn. My desire is to belong to God. Do not, then, hand me back to the world. Do not try to tempt me with material things. Let me attain pure light. Only on my arrival there can I be fully a human being. Give me the privilege of imitating the passion of my God. If you have him in your heart, you will understand what I wish. You will sympathise with me because you will know what urges me on.\r\n The prince of this world is determined to lay hold of me and to undermine my will which is intent on God. Let none of you here help him; instead show yourselves on my side, which is also God’s side. Do not talk about Jesus Christ as long as you love this world. Do not harbour envious thoughts. And supposing I should see you, if then I should beg you to intervene on my behalf, do not believe what I say. Believe instead what I am now writing to you. For though I am alive as I write to you, still my real desire is to die. My love of this life has been crucified, and there is no yearning in me for any earthly thing. Rather within me is the living water which says deep inside me: “Come to the Father.” I no longer take pleasure in perishable food or in the delights of this world. I want only God’s bread, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, formed of the seed of David, and for drink I crave his blood, which is love that cannot perish.\r\n I am no longer willing to live a merely human life, and you can bring about my wish if you will. Please, then, do me this favour, so that you in turn may meet with equal kindness. Put briefly, this is my request: believe what I am saying to you. Jesus Christ himself will make it clear to you that I am saying the truth. Only truth can come from that mouth by which the Father has truly spoken. Pray for me that I may obtain my desire. I have not written to you as a mere man would, but as one who knows the mind of God. If I am condemned to suffer, I will take it that you wish me well. If my case is postponed, I can only think that you wish me harm.\n\r\n\r\n________\r\n\r\nCollect\r\n\r\nAlmighty ever-living God,\r\nwho adorn the sacred body of your Church\r\nwith the confessions of holy Martyrs,\r\ngrant, we pray,\r\nthat, just as the glorious passion of Saint Ignatius of Antioch,\r\nwhich we celebrate today,\r\nbrought him eternal splendour,\r\nso it may be for us unending protection.\r\nThrough our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,\r\nwho lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,\r\nGod, for ever and ever.\r\nAmen.",
"sig": "84305609aee3d208dc4c1e83d837b103db1a279b29703bc6820325799dffa256872dc3e9555e7c4ad313ae32f7c4a0fc993d4c1717801189f213c5f6327664d2"
}