St. Ignatius of Antioch, bishop

He was a disciple of John and called by this apostle to be bishop of Antioch. In old age, he was transported from there to Rome to be thrown to the beasts. Along the way, Ignatius wrote seven letters to the various churches with whose representatives he met, and, with his attitude and words, and above all with his love, he did much on this “cross” path. In the letters, he warned against Gnostic delusions, encouraged the preservation of unity under the leadership of bishops, first used the name “Catholic” for the church, and called the Roman church community “president of the choir of love”. This martyr, torn apart by beasts, gives death meaning and the ideal of following Christ.

UP TO FATHER!

He is said to have come from Syria and to have met the apostles: John, of whom he was a disciple, Peter, and Paul. We have no information about his youth. Because of his firm faith and great love for Christ, he was appointed the third bishop of Antioch in Syria, after the apostle Peter and Evodia. It was the third-largest city after Rome and Alexandria, Egypt. He worked here as a good shepherd for about 40 years (according to Church history, since Eusebius was bishop from about 68). His thoughts and speech were still directed towards Christ, whom he decided to follow. He was called Theophorus (carrying  God within himself).

Emperor Trajan, who is said to have been in Antioch on an expedition against the Armenians and Parthians, threatened Christians with cruel punishments if they did not sacrifice to idols. According to legend, Bishop Ignatius, accused of turning the people to Christ, allowed himself to be brought before him. Legend describes their conversation, in which, when asked by the monarch: “Who are you, evil spirit, that you tirelessly transgress my commands and tempt others not to listen to us?” – Ignatius replied: “No one can call Theophorus an evil spirit, for evil spirits shun those who carry Christ in their hearts. If you see me evil towards devils, in that sense I frustrate their subterfuges.”

The emperor replied that they, too, carried their gods in their hearts as helpers against their enemies, but Ignatius called the gods’ calling of evil spirits a mistake and confessed his faith in Christ as the only-begotten Son of God. For this, he was condemned to be torn apart by beasts of prey to cheer up the people in Rome, where a group of soldiers was to transport him. Ignatius is said to present them as ten leopards in a letter to the Romans, which suggests no consideration.

It was customary for a prisoner to be chained to one soldier who vouched for him during such transport. He allowed him to stay with friends and even write, but he demanded payment. On the way to Rome, Ignatius was also accompanied by two deacons who met his needs and encouraged the faithful in the cities where they stopped.

First, a prisoner from the port of Seleucia in Antioch, accompanied by an entourage, sailed along the coast of Asia Minor to the territory of Cilicia; they passed Philadelphia and arrived in Smyrna. There he met the young bishop Polycarp and representatives of the churches of Ephesus, Magnesia, and Tralles. Ignatius sent pastoral letters to all three Christian communities after them. If we look at the importance of cities, Ephesus was a crossroads of trade routes and lay very close to the heart of the apostle Paul, who wrote here about armaments against Evil. After greetings, Ignatius encouraged pastoral and religious unity in the letter and emphasized the Eucharist as the basis of everyday life. Magnesia was located near Ephesus on the banks of the Meander River. At the head of the local Christian community was the young bishop Dama, who, for his age, raised doubts among some. Ignatius, therefore, returned to the themes of unity and concord in the second letter.

At the bank of the Meander was Tralles, in which the Docetists, a group of delusionalists, settled among the Christians, who claimed that Christ had only seemingly accepted the human body. Ignatius was zealous against them in the letter and emphasized faith in the ninth chapter, “in Jesus Christ, of the tribe of David, the son of Mary, who was really born, ate and drank. Indeed, he was persecuted under Pontius Pilate; indeed, he was crucified and died before the eyes of the inhabitants of heaven, earth, and hell. He truly rose from the dead because the Father raised him, just as the Father in Jesus Christ will also raise us who believe in him. Without him, we don’t have a true life.”

In Smyrna, the idea arose to use acquaintances at the Roman court, and someone sought to avert, or at least mitigate, Ignatius’ martyrdom, which the bishop disagreed with. He then wrote an excellent letter to the believers in Rome, in which he admonished them not to interfere in God’s work if he wanted to glorify his servant so nobly. The letter is a defense of martyrdom and, at the same time, an expression of Ignatius’ desire to belong to God, to his besotting face, bringing salvation, as Benedict XVI wrote. Ignatius was ready to shed blood, to be torn to pieces by beasts, to literally grind their teeth to be found the pure bread of God. He wrote: “My desire is crucified and no fire of earthly desire burns in me anymore, it’s more like living, talking water inside me that says to me:’ Up to the Father!« I don’t enjoy the passing food or the pleasures of this life, I want the bread of God, that is, the body of Jesus Christ, from the seed of David, and I want his blood as a drink, that is, a love that does not pass away… Ask me to reach my destination.”

From Smyrna, the group leading Bishop Ignatius to Troas continued. From there, he wrote a letter to the Christians in Philadelphia. He called them to unity, which was threatened by the Sabbathists, who believed that the Sabbath was to be observed. Another letter to the Christians in Smyrna and a third to Bishop Polycarp, to whom he recommended the care of the abandoned Antiochian church.

From Troas, Ignatius was transported by sea to Naples, Macedonia, thence to Philippi, and by Via Egnatia to the port of Dyrachia or Apollonian on the West Coast. Then, to Brindisi and after the Via Appia, they entered Rome, where they headed towards the Amphitheater of Flavius (Colosseum). Here, as a martyr, he underwent the desired death, through which he entered the kingdom of heaven.

His bones were collected by Roman believers, so they could later be transported to Antioch. In the 5th century, Emperor Theodosius II had them. Transferred to the temple dedicated to Ignatius, and during the Persian invasions or before the invasion of the Saracens (v 6-7 century), the remains of St. Ignatius were transferred to Rome, to the church of St. Clement. From there, parts of them reached various European cities.

Monument St. With the restoration of the liturgical calendar, Ignatius was moved from February 1 to October 17, which is passed down as the day of his death.