Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr

Today's Scripture

Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch. Ignatius was in the generation of Christians that immediately followed the apostles. There is some thought that he was a disciple of St. John the apostle and was appointed as bishop of Antioch by St. Peter. In this early tumultuous period of the Church, much Church organization, structure and theological elaboration had yet to develop. The early bishops, called the Apostolic Fathers were key in leading and developing the Church in this regard.

When the Emperor Trajan cam to visit Antioch, an important city in the Roman Empire, he dictated that all of the Christians there must worship Roman gods or face execution. Ignatius was sentenced to the lions in the arena. On his lengthy trip from Antioch to Rome, Ignatius wrote many important letters that detailed early Church structure—a bishop in every city, assisted by presbyters and deacons. More famously, Ignatius was also the first known to use the word “catholic” to describe the Church, making the point that wherever Christ is the Church is in its “catholicity” or “fullness.”

Ignatius is a key bishop and theologian for these and other contributions to the Church, but his courage is remarkable. Writing to the Romans, he insisted that they not interfere with his coming martyrdom: “Allow me to be eaten by the beasts,” he said, “which are my way of reaching to God. I am God's wheat, and I am to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, so that I may become the pure bread of Christ.” There are at least two ways in which Ignatius stands as a model for our Christian lives today: 1) His courage to face even death in imitation of Christ inspires us to be courageous even in smaller matters. Even on the road to his death, he was writing for care of the Church which he deeply loved. 2) Ignatius, as do most of the martyrs, displays a deep acceptance of his vocation; he didn’t seek out his martyrdom, but once he learned that God had this in store for him, he didn’t resist, but rather embraced it. So, too, with our calling from God; let us strive to discern God’s will and follow it with vigor

- Tim Gabrielli