Saint Ignatius of Antioch - Bishop, Martyr, and Church Father

Saint Ignatius of Antioch, a disciple of the Apostle John the Theologian, was bishop of Antioch, Syria. He was martyred by Emperor Trajan in the early second century after publicly confronting him for worshipping false gods, being devoured by lions in the Colosseum of Rome.

Tradition holds that Saint Ignatius was one of the children whom Christ Himself blessed as recorded in the synoptic gospels. Thus, he is also commemorated as Theophoros, Greek for "God-Bearer".

Saint Ignatius is one of the most influential Church Fathers in both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The following quotes from his epistles are attributed to him.

"See that ye all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as ye would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. Whatsoever the bishop shall approve of, that is also pleasing to God, so that everything that is done may be secure and valid."

"Now do I begin to be a disciple of Christ, and care for nothing in this world, that so I may find Jesus. Let fire, or the cross, or wild beasts, or the breaking of my bones, or the cutting of me to pieces, or the shattering of my whole body, yea, all the tortures of the devil - let them all come upon me, only let me enjoy my God."

"Be careful, therefore, to take part only in the one Eucharist; for there is only one Flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ and one cup to unite us with His Blood."

"We recognize a tree by its fruit, and we ought to be able to recognize a Christian by his action. The fruit of faith should be evident in our lives, for being a Christian is more than making sound professions of faith. It should reveal itself in practical and visible ways. Indeed it is better to keep quiet about our beliefs, and live them out, than to talk eloquently about what we believe, but fail to live by it."

Troparion — Tone 4

By sharing in the ways of the Apostles, / you became a successor to their throne. / Through the practice of virtue, you found the way to divine contemplation, O inspired one of God; / by teaching the word of truth without error, you defended the Faith, even to the shedding of your blood. / Hieromartyr Ignatius, entreat Christ God to save our souls.

Kontakion — Tone 3

The stirring celebration of your victorious fight / is an announcement of the One who is to be born of the Virgin. / In your eagerness to possess Him forever, / you hastened to be devoured by the wild beasts. / Therefore, O glorious Ignatius, you were called the bearer of God!