Homily: Oct 17 2016 - St. Ignatius of Antioch - God's wheat ground by the teeth of beasts

St. Ignatius of Antioch became Christian at the feet of the Apostle St. John and was probably the greatest bishop of the 2nd generation of Christians. The letters Bishop Ignatius wrote to the early churches were often read alongside the Scripture readings. For the early church considered his words so inspiring, his witness so powerful.

Ignatius was the third bishop of Antioch. He was deeply loved by the Christian faithful and made it his special care to defend "orthodoxy" (right teaching) and "orthopraxy" (right practice) among the early Christians. Along with all of the early fathers of the Christian Church, he took seriously the charge from the Apostle Paul to Timothy to "guard the deposit of faith". (2 Tim. 1:4) Right conduct depends on right belief—this is why the devil is so bent on corrupting our faith by sending false teachers who spread error.

For teaching the saving truth of the Gospel, Bishop Ignatius was arrested and sentenced to death in Rome. While he was being brought to Rome in chains, he composed a letter to the Romans, which is always read on today’s feast during the Office of Readings.

“I am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God…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.”

He died a Martyrs death in Rome, devoured by two lions in one of the cruel demonstrations of Roman excess and animosity toward the true faith. But he believed that being torn apart by lions in the coliseum was a victory for Christ.

Just as Christ offered his body and blood on the cross and in the Eucharist, Ignatius prayed to become like the Master. He saw that to suffer like Christ, to become like Christ particularly in the Passion.

“Come fire and cross, gashes and rending, breaking of bones and mangling of limbs, the shattering in pieces of my whole body; come all the wicked torments of the Devil upon me, if I may but attain unto Jesus Christ.”

The courage of the martyrs teaches us not to fear putting to death worldly pleasures in order to attain Christian perfection.

“Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips, and the world in your hearts” he teaches us. May the Holy Martyrdom of St. Ignatius of Antioch help us be free from all sin and error and desire nothing more than to witness to Christ with our lives for the glory of God and salvation of souls.