The Church today celebrates the feastday of the Martyr St. Ignatius of Antioch. His martyrdom reminds us that that “life comes only through death.” Only when the grain of wheat dies in the soil of the field does it become a seedling. In the same way, the Church has always grown and flourished through the death of its martyrs. As has been said: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
When we ourselves die to our personal ambitions and desires, we are born anew as useful instruments in the hands of God. This is another way of saying that “only by spending life we can retain it.” The world owes a great debt to saintly people like St. John Bosco, St. Vincent De Paul, St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa), St. Damien of Molokai, and St. Ignatius, among others, who spent their energy (and lives) in service of the poor and the downtrodden and gave themselves completely to God.
In particular, St. Ignatius of Antioch reminds us to surrender our lives to God, in the service of others, with genuine Christian love, in all humility, seeing the face of Jesus in each of our brothers and sisters.
Let us pray. “St. Ignatius of Antioch, we pray today for your intercession for the protection of the faithful throughout the world. Please do intercede for us! Your faith in God was so great that you were a witness of Christ’s love even though you were mightily persecuted. By the grace of God, may, too, we be given the courage to defend our faith in Christ and be witnesses of His love. Pray for us that we may grow in faith and love of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.”
