Saint of the Day - Ignatius of Antioch (October 17th)
Channel: House of Prayers for Everyone (HOPE)
Date: 2023-10-16

Every October 17, the Roman Catholic Church remembers the early Church Bishop and martyr Saint Ignatius of Antioch, whose writings attest to the sacramental and hierarchical nature of the Church from its earliest days. 

Early Life

Born in Syria in the middle of the first century A.D., nothing is much known of Ignatius' early life except from traditions which suggests that he became a Christian at a young age. Another tradition suggests that he was one of the children whom Jesus Christ took in his arms and blessed.

Along with his friend Polycarp, they became direct disciples of St. John the Apostle. Later in his life, Ignatius was chosen to serve as Bishop of Antioch succeeding Evodius, who succeeded St. Peter the Apostle as the Bishop of Antioch. Theodoret of Cyrrhus claimed that St. Peter himself left directions that Ignatius be appointed to the episcopal see of Antioch.

The Theology of Ignatius

Ignatius is known to have taught the deity of Christ wherein he stressed the value of the Eucharist, calling it a "medicine of immortality". An examination of his theology of soteriology shows that he regarded salvation as being free from the powerful fear of death and thus, faced martyrdom bravely.

Ignatius is also claimed to be the first known Christian writer to argue in favor of Christianity's replacement of the Sabbath with the Lord's Day. He also emphasized loyalty to a single bishop in each diocese, assisted by presbyters and deacons.

Sentenced to Death

When Ignatius became the Bishop of Antioch, Roman Emperor Domitian adopted the title “Lord and God.” Those who chose not to worship him with this title will be punished with death. However, when Domitian was murdered in the year 96, he was succeeded by Nerva who made drastic changes in the government, His move was welcomed particularly by those who were harshly persecuted during the reign of Domitian.

However, Nerva's reign is short-lived, and was replaced by Trajan. Under his rule, Christians were once again liable to death for denying the pagan state religion and refusing to participate in its rites. It was during his reign that Ignatius was convicted for his Christian testimony and sent from Syria to Rome to be put to death.

Instead of being executed in Antioch, Ignatius was escorted to Rome by a company of ten Roman soldiers.

Travel to Rome

During their journey to Rome, they made lengthy stops in Asia Minor, deviating from the most direct land route from Antioch to Rome. They first traveled to Asia Minor where he was then taken to Smyrna. They then traveled to Troas and passed through the city of Philippi. Finally, they took the route to Rome.

It is believed that the soldiers allowed Ignatius to meet with the entire congregations of Christians while in chains and numerous visitors and messengers were allowed to meet with him on a one-on-one basis. These messengers allowed Ignatius to send six letters to nearby churches, and one to Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna.

Epistles

These are seven epistles attributed to Ignatius:
The Epistle to the Ephesians,
The Epistle to the Magnesians,
The Epistle to the Trallians,
The Epistle to the Romans,
The Epistle to the Philadelphians,
The Epistle to the Smyrnaeans, and,
The Epistle to Polycarp, a bishop of Smyrna.

Other epistles of spurious origin which are also attributed to Ignatius, include:
Epistle to the Tarsians,
Epistle to the Antiochians,
Epistle to Hero, a Deacon of Antioch
Epistle to the Philippians,
The Epistle of Maria the Proselyte to Ignatius,
Epistle to Mary at Neapolis, Zarbus,
First Epistle to St. John,
Second Epistle to St. John, and,
The Epistle of Ignatius to the Virgin Mary

Death

The exact date of Ignatius' death is unknown. As per the manner of his death, Ignatius himself wrote that he would be thrown to the beasts believed to be "lions" inside the Colosseum. 

“I am the wheat of God and am ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of Christ.”

His remains were carried back to Antioch by his companions after his martyrdom.

Image attributed to the following:
- By Neapolitan School of Painting, possibly Cesare Fracanzano (1605-1651) - [1] - Galleria Borghese, Rome, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4623608