Thursday 28th Week of Ordinary Time

 

St. Ignatius of Antioch

Ignatius was the Bishop of Antioch in Syria in the year 100 A.D.  

During the persecutions he was Chained and on his way to Rome to be fed to the lions in the Colessium,  many Christians came out and greeted him on the way. 

     Ignatius told them not to pray for a way for him to escape, because he embraced dying for the Lord. 

“Nearness to the sword is nearness to God; 

to be among the wild beasts is to be in the arms of God; 

 I endure all things that I may suffer with Christ who strengthens me.” 

Ignatius saw his suffering and death as his path to glory with Christ.

Do we?