Wednesday, 10/17/12
On October 17 each year we recall the heroism and the teaching
of St. Ignatius of Antioch. That
was a city two hundred miles north of Jerusalem. Ignatius followed St. Peter and
one other as Antioch’s bishop, and it is said that when Ignatius was a child he
sat on Our Lord’s knee.
Around the year one hundred there was a public Roman
occasion in Antioch to which Ignatius was invited. All went well until each of the
dignitaries was obliged to take part in burning incense to the Roman gods. The
governor, seeing it as a small show of patriotism, begged Ignatius to sprinkle
on a little incense, but he refused. The matter was necessarily reported to
Emperor Trajan, and he reluctantly decided that the refusal was tantamount to
treason, and Ignatius had to be brought to Rome to be thrown to the lions.
Ignatius was bound to the mast of a coastal schooner which
slowly made its way from port to port to Rome. At each of seven ports the
Christians came down and visited with him, and when Ignatius reached the port
of Troas he penned letters back to the Christians in those seven ports. He
wrote as well to John’s disciple, Polycarp; and he sent a letter ahead to the
Christians in Rome.
1 comment:
If one "Truly" knows Jesus, one cannot be intimidated, ie. "O" death where now is thy sting? Know Jesus, know Peace, no Jesus, no "Peace!" They who have the "Fear of the Lord" are complete, and need nothing more.
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