ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH (OCT. 17TH)

A Contemporary Greek Icon of St. Ignatius of Antioch 

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

VITA: BISHOP, MARTYR, FATHER AND APOSTLE 

St. Ignatius of Antioch, also called “Theophorus” (“God-Bearer”), was one of the earliest bishops of the Church, a disciple of the Apostles, and a steadfast martyr for Christ. He was born in the first century AD, likely in Syria, and according to tradition, was a disciple of St. John the Apostle alongside St. Polycarp. He became the third bishop of Antioch, following St. Peter and St. Evodius, and shepherded one of the most significant Christian communities of the early Church. 

During the reign of Emperor Trajan (AD 98–117), Ignatius was arrested for his unwavering confession of Christ and sentenced to death in Rome. Unlike St. Paul, who as a Roman citizen was beheaded, Ignatius was condemned to be thrown to the wild beasts in the Colosseum. As he journeyed to Rome under guard, he wrote seven epistles to various churches—letters that remain some of the most treasured documents of early Christianity. In them, he exhorted believers to unity, warned against heresy, and proclaimed the mystery of Christ’s incarnation, passion, and resurrection. He is among the first to clearly describe the Church’s hierarchical structure, using the triadic model of bishop, presbyter, and deacon. 

Ignatius arrived in Rome and was martyred around AD 107, devoured by lions in the arena. His bones were later gathered by the faithful and enshrined in Antioch, though some relics were later transferred to Rome. His witness stands as a powerful testimony to the courage of the early martyrs and the unbroken continuity of Apostolic teaching. 

SAYINGS AND TEACHINGS

St. Ignatius’ writings burn with zeal for Christ and the unity of His Church. Among his most famous words are: 

On Martyrdom: “I am God’s wheat, and I am ground by the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found pure bread of Christ.” (Letter to the Romans, 4) 

On the Incarnation: “There is one Physician who is both flesh and spirit, begotten and unbegotten, God existing in flesh, true life in death, both of Mary and of God, first passible and then impassible, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Letter to the Ephesians, 7) 

On the Authority of the Bishop: “Let all follow the bishop as Jesus Christ follows the Father, and the presbytery as the Apostles; and reverence the deacons as the command of God.” (Letter to the Smyrnaeans, 8) 

On the Eucharist: “Take heed, then, to have but one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup to show forth the unity of His blood; one altar, as there is one bishop, with the presbytery and my fellow-servants the deacons.” (Letter to the Philadelphians, 4) 

IMPACT OF HISTORY AND DOCTRINE 

St. Ignatius was instrumental in shaping the doctrine of the early Church. His writings provide one of the earliest explicit affirmations of Christ’s divinity and real presence in the Eucharist, countering the nascent Gnostic heresies. He defended the reality of Christ’s suffering against Docetism, which denied that Christ truly suffered in the flesh. 

His teaching on Church unity, particularly the necessity of obedience to the bishop, laid the groundwork for the development of ecclesiology in both East and West. He emphasized that the bishop stands in the place of Christ as a visible sign of unity in each local church. 

Furthermore, his martyrdom became a model for Christian witness. Unlike later theological martyrs, Ignatius did not seek to die merely as a protest against persecution, but saw his suffering as a participation in the passion of Christ. His desire was to be wholly consumed by the love of Christ, offering himself as a sacrifice to God. 

His influence was profound among the early Church Fathers, including St. Irenaeus of Lyons, St. Polycarp of Smyrna, and later, St. John Chrysostom, who praised him as a model of apostolic faith and courage. His letters continue to be read and studied as part of the patrimony of the undivided Church. 

GREEK HYMN 

Joined unto Christ, O wise Ignatius, 

Gathering the faithful to the One Shepherd, 

Bravely didst thou strive, going forth to the beasts, 

Entreating thy Creator, 

To be merciful unto our souls. 

The divine Theophorus, the star of the Church, 

Illumined the faithful with the light of his teaching, 

And, as a martyr, shone forth more brightly than the sun; 

By his intercessions, O Christ our God, save our souls!

COLLECT 

O Almighty God, who didst strengthen Thy holy martyr Ignatius with grace to confess the Name of Thy well-beloved Son, and to lay down his life in joyful witness to His truth: Grant that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may endure all trials with steadfast faith, and ever abide in the unity of Thy Holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

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