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Saint Ignatius
of Antioch

                                                     Ignatius
                       Divine Lamp of the Early Church
                               30 to 35-107 to 117 A.D.

Saint Ignatius was appointed by the Apostle Peter to succeed Eusebius as the third Bishop at Antioch. He was the first to speak of the Church as “catholic”, or “universal”. Antioch is also noted as the place where the followers of Christ were first called Christians.

Ignatius, also know as Theophorus (Bearer of God), was born in Syria somewhere in the range of years between 30 and 50, and died somewhere between 98 and 117 A.D. More than one of the earliest writers have given credence, though apparently without good reason, to the legend that Ignatius was the child whom the Savior took up in His arms, as described in Mark 9:35. It is presumed he was a pagan who converted to the new Christian faith, and it is known that he went on to become one of the pillars of the evolving church.

PERSECUTION

It has been fittingly recorded that the first century following the resurrection of Christ was one of terrible tribulation for the people who embraced Him as God and Savior. The pleasure-seeking dictatorial Roman Emperor Nero began the persecution in 64 A.D. when he blamed the great fire that destroyed half of Rome on the Christians. The apostles Peter and Paul, among thousands of other Christians, perished in the resultant persecution. What followed a few decades later in the courageous life of Ignatius of Antioch was instrumental in strengthening the first generation of Christians to persevere and gain victory in their faith, even in the face of death.

At the time when Emperor Trajan, in his ninth year of reign, had succeeded to the throne of the Roman Empire, Ignatius, the disciple and auditor of St. John the apostle, a man in all respects of an apostolic character, governed the Church of the Antiochians with great care. All the sterling qualities of the ideal pastor and a true soldier of Christ were possessed by the Bishop of Antioch in a preeminent degree. During this time, recently flushed with victory over the Scythians and Dacians, and seeking to perfect the universality of his dominion by a species of religious conquests, Trajan decreed that the Christians should unite with their pagan neighbors in the worship of the gods.

A general persecution was threatened, and death was named as the penalty for all who refused to offer the prescribed sacrifice. Instantly alert to the danger that threatened, Ignatius availed himself of all the means within his reach to thwart the purpose of the emperor. The success of his zealous efforts did not long remain hidden from the Church’s persecutors, and when the storms of persecution from the Roman Emperor poured down upon the Christians of Syria, their faithful leader, Ignatius, was arrested and led before Trajan, who was sojourning in Antioch. Though Ignatius had formerly escaped the fury of Emperor Domitian, he stood accused by Trajan himself of violating the imperial edict, and of inciting others to like transgressions.

Now it was the one great wish of the chivalrous soul of Ignatius that he might receive the fullness of Christian discipleship through martyrdom. He inwardly reflected that the confession that is made by martyrdom would bring him into a yet more intimate relationship with the Lord. “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”. After continuing a few years longer with the Church, and, like a divine lamp, enlightening everyone’s understanding by his expositions of the Scriptures, he was finally called to die for Christ.

During his interrogation of Ignatius, Trajan asked him, “Dost thou then carry within thee Him that was crucified by Pontius Pilate?” Ignatius replied, “Truly so; for it is written, ‘I will dwell in them, and walk in them.’” Ignatius bore himself before the emperor with inspired eloquence, sublime courage and even a spirit of exultation. When Trajan pronounced his sentence, “We command that Ignatius, who affirms that he carries about within him ‘Him that was crucified,’ be bound by soldiers, and carried to Rome, and there be devoured by the beasts for the gratification of the people.” Ignatius cried out with joy, “I thank thee, O Lord, that Thou hast vouchsafed to honor me with a perfect love towards Thee, and hast made me to be bound with iron chains like Thy Apostle Paul." After having spoken thus, he clasped his chains about him with delight, and prayed for the Church, commending it with tears to the Lord. The cruel soldiers then savagely carried him away to Rome, to furnish food to the bloodthirsty beasts.

CAPTIVE JOURNEY

It is probable that he embarked on his way to Rome at Seleucia, in Syria, the nearest port to Antioch, for either Tarsus in Cilicia, or Attalia in Pamphylia, and thence, as we gather from his letters, he journeyed overland through Asia Minor. At Laodicea, on the River Lycus, where a choice of routes presented itself, his guards selected the more northerly, which brought the prospective martyr through Philadelphia and Sardis, and finally to Smyrna, where Polycarp, his fellow-disciple in the school of St. John, was bishop. That the trials of this journey to Rome were great we gather from his letter to the Romans: "From Syria even to Rome I fight with wild beasts, by land and sea, by night and by day, being bound amidst ten leopards, even a company of soldiers, who only grow worse when they are kindly treated." Despite this, his journey was a kind of triumph. By dealing thusly with a leader of the Christian church, the rulers of Rome hoped to terrify the rank and file. Instead, as news of his fate, his destination, and his probable itinerary had gone swiftly before him, and at every town along the way, his fellow-Christians greeted him with words of comfort and reverential homage, and Ignatius took the opportunity to encourage them.

The stay at Smyrna with his prison escort was a protracted one, and this gave the representatives of the various Christian communities in Asia Minor an opportunity of greeting the illustrious prisoner, and offering him the homage of the Churches they represented. From the congregations of Ephesus, Magnesia, and Tralles, deputations came to visit and comfort Ignatius, to speak with him at length, to assist him with items for his journey, and to bid him an affectionate farewell and commend him to the grace of God. In response he wrote seven letters that have been preserved: five to congregations that had greeted him, en masse or by delegates (Ephesians, Magnesians, Trallians, Philadelphians, and Smyrnaeans). In his letters from Smyrna to each of these Christian communities he exhorted them to obedience to their respective bishops, and warned them to avoid the contamination of heresy. These letters are redolent with the spirit of Christian charity, apostolic zeal, and pastoral solicitude. “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 bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God.”

While still in Smyrna, he wrote also to the Christians of Rome, in anticipation of his impending arrival, begging them to do nothing to deprive him of the opportunity of martyrdom, but rather to "let me follow the example of the suffering of my God."
While on this death march, he also wrote a letter to his dear friend, Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna and disciple of the Apostle John. “… nearness to the sword is nearness to God; to be among the wild beasts is to be in the arms of God; only let it be in the name of Jesus Christ. I endure all things that I may suffer together with Him, since He who became a perfect man strengthens me.”

From Smyrna his captors took him to Troas, and from Troas they took ship for Neapolis. From this place their journey led them overland through Macedonia and Illyria. The next port of embarkation was probably Dyrrhachium (Durazzo). Whether having arrived at the shores of the Adriatic, he completed his journey by land or sea, it is impossible to determine.

ROME

He arrived in Rome on the 20th day of December, 107, just as the public spectacles in the amphitheater were drawing to a close. As he was being led into the huge arena, he was received by the faithful Christians of the city with every manifestation of respect, but would not allow them to avert or even to delay his martyrdom or attempt to secure his release. He entreated them to not “envy his hastening to the Lord.” He was at once hurried into the amphitheater, where two fierce lions immediately devoured him. He ended his saintly life by a glorious death, exclaiming, "May I become agreeable bread to the Lord, for I am God's wheat, ground fine by the lion's teeth to be made purest bread for Christ.”

Soon naught remained of his body but a few bones. The faithful friends who had accompanied him from home dreamed that night that they saw him; some that he was standing by Christ, dropping with sweat as if he had just come from his great labor. Comforted by these dreams they carefully conveyed the bones as relics to Antioch, where they were interred as an inestimable treasure. During the reign of Theodosius the relics were transferred to a church within the city. At present they are venerated in Rome.

SAINT IGNATIUS

The character of Ignatius, as revealed from his own writings and also those of his contemporaries, is that of a true athlete of Christ. The honor of Christian, bishop, and martyr was well merited by this energetic soldier of the faith. An enthusiastic devotion to duty, a passionate love of sacrifice and an utter fearlessness in the defense of his Christian truth were his chief characteristics. Zeal for the spiritual well-being of those under his charge breathes from every line of his writings. He was ever vigilant lest his fellow saints be infected by the rampant heresies of those early days. The themes with which he is chiefly concerned are (1) the importance of maintaining Christian unity in love and sound doctrine (with warnings against factionalism and against the heresy of Docetism -- the belief that Christ was not fully human and did not have a material body or really suffer and die), (2) the role of the clergy as a focus of Christian unity, (3) Christian martyrdom as a glorious privilege, eagerly to be grasped. And he prayed continually for his Christian brethren, that their faith and courage would not grow weak in the hour of persecution and death. In every sense, Ignatius was a pure pastor of souls—the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep.

We live in a world accustomed to convenient and casual religion where those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ are often given to murmuring and complaining about every tid and bit that challenges their chosen zones of comfort. Little do we have in our culture that can begin to compare with the trials of the believers in the early centuries. They remained faithful. What will the testimony of the ages reveal concerning our faithfulness?

As Ignatius did, so may we also come to embrace the truth that nothing "shall separate us from the love of Christ."

PRAYER

Almighty God, we praise you for your bishop and martyr Ignatius of Antioch, who offered himself as grain to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts that he might present to you the pure bread of sacrifice. Accept the willing tribute of our lives, and give us a share in the pure and spotless offering of your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Feast Day- October 17th

MORE READING

Heroes of the Faith: An Inspirational and Illustrated Account of 2000 years of Christianity by Gene Fedele. Bridge-Logos, Gainesville, Florida, 2003

Lives of the Saints: from Mary and St. Francis of Assisi to John XXIII and Mother Teresa by Richard P. O’Brien, Harper San Francisco, 2001

The Encyclopedia of Saints by Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Checkmark Books, 2001

Ignatius’s letters are available in several modern translations. Perhaps the most accessible is the Penguin Paperback, Early Christian Writings, translated by Maxwell Staniforth.

©Glad Tidings Gospel Mission, Inc. 2004
Email: matthewfivesix@hotmail.com