“I sit at my favorite table in McDonalds, the only one with an outlet underneath it, uncomfortably positioned underneath a tv. . . . I glance at the neatly bound course notes on my table, an extra copy from a class on the history of the Church that my husband had taught at our local Newman center a few years ago. It’s open to the section on St. Ignatius of Antioch, one of our favorite saints. . . .
“I learn that he’s a direct disciple of St. John the Apostle and the bishop of Antioch after St. Peter, serving as a crucial link between the Apostles and the Early Church. Not much is known about his life, except that around 107 AD he was arrested in Antioch and taken by foot to the Coliseum in Rome to be fed to the lions. . . . And as he traveled through Asia Minor, he wrote seven letters to some of the Churches in that area (Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Rome, Philadelphia, Smyrna, and Polycarp). . . .
“[He}, filled with the Holy Spirit, pours his heart out in these missives, highlighting three main themes: unity among believers, the importance of the bishop, and the reality of the True Presence.”
In a recent commentary, writer Meg Matenaer reflected on Saint Ignatius of Antioch as an example for us in our time.
To access her complete post, please visit:
Catholic Mom: Walking with St. Ignatius of Antioch: A Man for Our Times (18 OCT 12)
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