Remember in your prayers the Church in Syria, which now has God for its shepherd, instead of me. Jesus Christ alone will oversee it, and your love.
Saint Ignatius of Antioch
Epistle to the Romans
And pray without ceasing in behalf of other men. For there is in them hope of repentance that they may attain to God. See, then, that they be instructed by your works, if in no other way. Be meek in response to their wrath, humble in opposition to their boasting: to their blasphemies return your prayers; in contrast to their error, be stedfast in the faith; and for their cruelty, manifest your gentleness. While we take care not to imitate their conduct, let us be found their brethren in all true kindness; and let us seek to be followers of the Lord - who was ever more unjustly treated, more destitute, more condemned? -, that no plant of the devil may be found in you, but you may remain in all holiness and sobriety in Jesus Christ, both with respect to the flesh and spirit.
Saint Ignatius of Antioch
Epistle to the Ephesians
2 comments:
When I was a firefighter/EMT years ago, I strove mightily to revive a mother in front of her 16 year old daughter, but failed; our team of Paramedics and other EMTs couldn't sustain the still-beating heart of a Catholic mother, still striving in front of her Catholic child.
Naivete rules the day!
Do you know how many gallons of blood pump through the human body every day?
What is the chance that You are even alive?
But, as Ignatius implies, Christ lives!!
According to A. J. O'Reilly, in "The Martyrs of the Coliseum", St. Ignatius is the small child whom Christ placed before the apostles as they were debating who was greater.
Tradition also states that he was the third Bishop of Antioch, the first being Peter. He was a fellow student with Polycarp of St. John.
According to the aforesaid book, he was on his way to the Coliseum from Antioch, being sentenced by Trajan, when he was able to stay for several days with Polycarp, from where he sent out letters begging the Christians not to pray for his release. He realized that if their faith could move mountains, it could certainly save his life from martyrdom, and that is not what he wanted. The Christians promised they would not pray for his release, and now we know him as a martyr.
Post a Comment