The Feast of St Ignatius of Antioch, Father of the Church.

"I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.  But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God." (Luke 12: 8 - 9).

Saturday 17th October 2020, 28th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of a giant of our faith: St Ignatius of Antioch. (+ 107). Syrian. Bishop and Martyr. Ordained Bishop by St Peter himself. Father of the Church. Ground to pieces by wild beasts under the persecution of Emperor Trajan.

Why is St Ignatius of Antioch so revered by the Church? To be ordained Bishop by the Apostle Peter is a big deal. But there are other reasons. During his journey from Antioch to Rome under heavy armed guards, Ignatius composed 7 extraordinary letters. These letters are the earliest authoritative teaching on the Eucharist, the hierarchy of the Church, etc. I was shocked to watch a prominent Evangelical pastor, Dr X last week declare on Christian television that it is God's will for the fragmentation of the Church and the existence of over 60,000 churches. Does he know about St Ignatius of Antioch and these 7 letters?

Ignatius was grounded by the iron teeth of wild beasts because He acknowledged Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior before Emperor Trajan. Jesus made another big promise in today's Gospel Reading of which I can bear witness in my experience:

"When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.” (Luke 12: 11 - 12).
My personal favorite title for the Holy Spirit because of experience of the fulfillment of this promise is: The Voice that Speaks in Court. The Holy Spirit has enabled me speak with wisdom and courage when I needed it most.

Below is St Ignatius of Antioch in his own words:

“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.” (St Ignatius of Antioch).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com