Icon of Saint Ignatius - https://www.blessedmart.com/shop/hand-painted-icons/saint-ignatius-of-antioch/
Saint Ignatius was a disciple of the apostle John, who became the second bishop of Antioch. It is a tradition that Saint Ignatius was the boy hugged by Jesus in Matthew 18. “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
His name meant “God-bearer” because of his devotion to Christ and ability to pray unceasingly. Saint Ignatius was zealous for Christ and spent all his time building up the church in Antioch. The practice of antiphonal singing (two choirs) during church services is attributed to him, as he had seen a vision of a choir of angels singing in this pattern and modeled the service after it.
Persecution against Christians was fierce then, and Saint Ignatius was a source of strength for his flock. After Emperor Trajan’s victory over the Scythians, he ordered everyone to give thanks to pagan idols and to kill anyone who refused to bow. As he was passing through Antioch, the emperor heard of Bishop Ignatius, and what he taught, he asked Saint Ignatius to come to him. The bishop went voluntarily to prevent persecution of the Antiochian Christians but refused to sacrifice to the pagan idols.
So, Emperor Trajan ordered Saint Ignatius to be thrown to the lions, who joyfully accepted his fate. On the way to Rome, he would be greeted by his friend Bishop Polycarp at Smyrna. Many Christians from different cities would visit Saint Ignatius; he would tell them not to grieve for him but to pray for his strength against impending martyrdom. In his epistle to Roman Christians, he wrote, “I seek Him Who died for us; I desire Him Who rose for our salvation... In me, desire has been nailed to the cross, and no flame of material longing is left. Only the living water speaks within me, saying, ‘Hasten to the Father.”
Saint Ignatius would continue his journey to Rome, teaching and helping Christians. In Troas, he heard the good news of the end of Christian persecution in Antioch. He also wrote many letters to the churches around him, which are preserved until today. Once he arrived at Rome, the Christians met him with joy and sorrow, and they all prayed for the end of persecution.
On December 20th, the day of a pagan festival, Saint Ignatius was brought to the arena. He addressed the crowd, saying, “Men of Rome, you know that I am sentenced to death, not because of any crime, but because of my love for God, by Whose love I am embraced. I long to be with Him, and offer myself to him as a pure loaf, made of fine wheat ground fine by the teeth of wild beasts.”
Painting of Saint Ignatius being devoured - https://apostles-creed.org/saints/ignatius-of-antioch/
After this, the lions were released and tore the Saint to pieces, leaving only his heart and a few bones. It is said that on his way to his execution, Saint Ignatius uttered the name of Jesus Christ repeatedly. The name of Christ was written in the Saint’s heart; when the pagans cut open the untouched heart of Saint Ignatius after his execution, they found the name Jesus Christ written in gold. When Emperor Trajan heard of the courage of the Saint, he stopped the persecution of Christians.
Saint Ignatius is one of the most widely known saints today. His writings give us a glimpse into the early church's theology, and his story serves as an example of faithfulness to Christ to Christians everywhere.
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