St. John begins his homily with a funny even surprising little analogy. He says, Entertainers—theater producers and hosts of athletic competitions and the like—put on frequent and constant entertainments to show off their wealth and to show good will to their acquaintances. In the martyrs, God has done something similar. In the martyrs, God shows the power of his love and grace, in transforming weak and ordinary people, into powerful witnesses of the Gospel. And unlike the theater and athletic competitions of his day, which were limited to just men, Chrysostom says, “both maidens and women, and men, both young and old, and slaves, and freemen, and every rank, and every age, and each sex” are called forth by God for the noble purpose---the contest, he calls it—of the Christian life.
Then, St. John goes on to say that Ignatius of Antioch was so successful in this contest, he won so many crowns he doesn’t know where to begin. He says, “just like when you go into a field and there are roses and violets and lilies and spring flowers, you don’t know where to look, “coming to this spiritual meadow of the mighty works of Ignatius” he doesn’t know where to begin.
He begins, though, with Ignatius’ selection as bishop of Antioch. Ignatius was crowned by he was crowned by the Apostles, selected as bishop of Antioch by one of the original twelve apostles. The top stained glass window of the eastern transept, shows Ignatius and Polycarp kneeling before St. John the Apostle, as they are being made the bishops of Antioch and Ephesus respectively.
To be chosen as a Bishop is a great honor, but Chrysostom notes that being chosen as Bishop by the Apostles was an honor greater still. The Apostles knew what the job demanded. Ignatius fulfilled some very specific Apostolic qualifications, like those set forth by St. Paul in his letter to Titus, when he writes “A bishop as God’s steward must be blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled, holding fast to the true message as taught so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to refute opponents.”
And this leads to the second and third crowns. Ignatius won the crowns of being a competent bishop of a humungous diocese, boasting a population of about a million people. And not only a humungous diocese, but the see that was once presided over by the Prince of the Apostles, St. Peter himself.
Another crown, won by Ignatius is evidenced in his writings. In his letters, written to the various Churches visited on the way to his martyrdom in Rome, Ignatius exhorts Christians over and over to hold fast to the Apostolic faith taught by the faithful bishops.
And, finally, while each of the other crowns and accomplishments of Ignatius were blessings to the Church, it is in the crown of martyrdom, that truly echoes through the ages.
For anyone who might ever doubt that the Lord truly rose from the dead: the martyrdom of Christians like Peter, Paul, and Ignatius is proof that the Lord is truly risen. “For in reality, writes Chrysostom, “ [martyrdom] is the greatest proof of the resurrection that the slain Christ should show forth so great power after death, as to persuade living men to despise both country and home and friends, and acquaintance and life itself, for the sake of confessing him, and to choose in place of present pleasures, both stripes and dangers and death. For these are not the achievements of any dead man, nor of one remaining in the tomb but of one risen and living.
Martyrdom is therefore encouragement to every Christian, and proof for every non-believer, to forsake the world and to live for Christ who is truly risen.
Not only today, therefore, but every day, writes John Chrysostom, let us go forth to blessed Ignatius, plucking spiritual fruits from him. His holy example is a perpetual treasure, a spring that fills us with blessings, with boldness, nobleness of spirit, and much courage, in witnessing to Christ in our own lives for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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