Ignatius was the
bishop of Antioch in Syria at the beginning of the second century A.D. and an
early Christian martyr. Near the end of the reign of the Roman emperor Trajan
(98–117), Ignatius was arrested, taken in chains to Rome, and eventually thrown
to the wild beasts in the arena. On the way to Rome, he wrote letters to the
Christians at Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Rome, Philadelphia, and Smyrna, and
also to Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna. In the letters, which are beautifully
pastoral in tone, Ignatius warned against certain heresies (false teachings). He
also repeatedly stressed the full humanity and deity of Christ, the reality of
Christ's bodily presence in the Lord's Supper, the supreme authority of the bishop,
and the unity of the Church found in her bishops. Ignatius was the first to use
the word catholic to describe the universality of the Church. His
Christ-centeredness, his courage in the face of martyrdom, and his zeal for the
truth over against false doctrine are a lasting legacy to the Church. [Commission on Worship of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod]
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, we
praise Your name for Ignatius of Antioch, pastor and martyr. He offered himself
as grain to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts so that he might present to
You the pure bread of sacrifice. Accept the willing tribute of all that we are
and all that we have, and give us a portion of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who
lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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