February 23 2021 - St. Polycarp and the many fruits of Prayer

 

We have many great saints whose feasts days fall within the Lenten season.  Today is the feast day of saint who was born just about 40 years after the death of Jesus. His name was Polycarp, and he was the bishop of a place called Smyrna, which is in the modern-day country of Turkey, not too far from Ephesus, where St. John took Mary to live after Jesus’ death and resurrection. In fact, Polycarp was a student of one of the apostles, of St. John.

In the middle column of stained glass windows here in the eastern narthex is a series of scenes from the life of our Patron St. Ignatius of Antioch. And In the top window, there he is with St. Polycarp kneeling at the feet of St. John the Apostle, as he reads his Gospel. Polycarp and Ignatius were ordained bishops by St. John—and each sent to their respective dioceses—Ignatius to Antioch and Polycarp to Smyrna.

Ignatius and Polycarp continued to correspond after their ordination.

Ignatius begins his epistle to the bishop of Smyrna praising Polycarp’s rock-like faith, the blamelessness of his life, and then encourages him to press forward in the race of the Christian life and to work for the salvation of all people. “In all circumstances be “wise as a serpent,” and perpetually “harmless as a dove”, Ignatius tells Polycarp, quoting our Lord in explaining to his disciples how they must deal with the worldly.

Then Ignatius tells Polycarp, give yourself to unceasing prayer, asking for more wisdom than you already have. A bishop must be a man of unceasing prayer and wisdom. While a bishop must certainly be out in the streets preaching the Gospel, administering his diocese, setting good example for his flock, a bishop must be a man of unceasing prayer seeking God’s wisdom always. 

This is good advice for all of us, too. Our Lord in the Gospel today, tells us that we must be people of prayer, who go to our inner rooms, shutting the door to the distractions of the world, and praying to the Father in secret. It is in that secret prayer that we will derive much strength and wisdom in dealing with all the challenges of our vocations. And in prayer, the word of God, as we heard in the first reading, waters our soul like the gentle rain, bearing fruit. In fact, Polycarp's name means "many fruit", no doubt, fruit cultivated through prayer.

St. Polycarp, like our patron, Ignatius, would go on to be martyred for the faith--the greatest of the fruits cultivated in his spiritual life--the courage to give that ultimate witness--becoming a fruit that nourished the church and continues to nourish us to this day. While he was bishop, at the age of 86, a violent persecution broke out in Smyrna against the Christians. Christians were being forced to give up their faith or face death. Because he was a bishop, Polycarp was arrested.  He was led directly to the roman judge, who ordered him make sacrifice to a pagan God and commit blasphemy. 

Some of his Christian friends had urged him to make the sacrifice in order to save his life.  But, Polycarp responded, “for 86 years I have served Jesus Christ, and he has never abandoned me.  How could I curse my blessed king and savior.” So refusing to give up his faith, Polycarp was sentenced to be burned alive.

No doubt, it was through his prayer, that made his love for Jesus stronger than the flames of his martyrdom. In fact, descriptions of his martyrdom claim that, as Polycarp prayed during his execution, the fire created a sort of dome around him, and instead of his flesh burning, his body was like bread baking in an oven, like gold a silver in a furnace, he began to radiate the light of God. And a sweet fragrance like burning incense filled the place.

May we like Polycarp, cultivate a love for the Lord through prayer that is stronger than any earthly flame, a prayer life that sustains us in all of our challenges and duties, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the season of Lent may bring the most hardened hearts to repentance and bring to all people purification of sin and selfishness.

For those preparing for baptism and the Easter sacraments, that they may continue to conform themselves to Christ through fervent prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

That we may generously respond to all those in need: the sick, the suffering, the homeless, the imprisoned, and victims of violence. And for all victims of the coronavirus and their families.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.

October 17 2017 - St. Ignatius of Antioch - A link to Jesus and the Apostles

In seminary one year, I remember hearing about how the early Church had such a tremendous esteem for Ignatius, that his letters would often be read allowed during the Mass alongside the Scriptures. So, I decided to read through his letters myself, and they are a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a very holy and courageous bishop. Like Paul, Ignatius wrote letters to Christian communities like the Ephesians and Romans. And as Paul wrote to Timothy, who had become Bishop of Ephesus, Ignatius wrote to St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna. Ignatius even seemed to model his writings after Paul, Peter, and John, and quoted from their works freely.

In the preface to the little book of letters I found, one legend claimed that when Jesus called forward the little child to bless him in the Gospels, Ignatius was that little child. Whether that is true or not, only heaven knows, but Ignatius an important link in the chain of Church history going back to Jesus and the Apostles.

Tradition identifies Ignatius as a disciple of John the Apostle, and later in life, Ignatius was named Bishop of Antioch, where the Apostle Peter had served as Bishop before journeying to Rome. There in Antioch, he is arrested and marched to Rome, where he, like Peter and Paul would face his martyrdom. And it is in his famous Letter to the Romans, which is always read on his feast day in the Office of Readings, that he pleads with the Church not to rescue him, but that he gladly goes to his martyrdom. He says, “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.”

If you are so inclined I encourage you to read his letters. For in them we find eloquent teachings on the Eucharist, the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, the role of bishops, general in their local church, and the priesthood. In one of my favorite images, Ignatius urges the early church to strive for unity of faith, and explains how priests should be tuned to their bishops like strings to a harp.

His love for the Church and love for Christ shines through his letters. It is that love that no doubt gave him the fortitude to witness to the True Faith with his blood. May our love for Christ and His Bride the Church ever increase, and spurn us on in our Christian witness, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Pope Francis, Bishop Perez, and all ordained ministers, that their ministry may unify the Church with the unity Our Lord prayed for at the Last Supper.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That our young people may take seriously the missionary call of Christ, that they will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

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.