[Salvation]

FEAST OF THE DAY

Ignatius was born in Syria and was converted to Christianity. He was
an intimate acquaintance of St. John the Evangelist, and Sts. Peter
and Paul. Ignatius was elected to be bishop of Antioch, and some
sources say that he governed this diocese for almost 40 years.

When the emperor Trajan came to power, he renewed the
persecution of the Christians. When he was visiting Antioch around
the year 107, Ignatius was brought before him and was accused of
being a Christian. Ignatius was given the opportunity to deny this
fact, but he held to his faith. Trajan condemned him and had him
sent to Rome in chains to be killed.

During his trip to Rome, Ignatius did not stop his work for God. He
wrote a total of seven letters, instructing in the faith, encouraging
holiness and warning against heretical doctrines. Five of these letters
were sent to parishes in Asia Minor, one was sent to his successor
St. Polycarp, and one was sent to the Christian community in Rome
to warn them of his pending execution and to keep them from trying
to intervene with the plan God chose for him. Ignatius was thrown to
the lions at the Coliseum in Rome as entertainment for the crowds,
and there he died.


QUOTE OF THE DAY

I great you from Smyrna together with the Churches of God present
here with me. They comfort me in every way, both in body and soul.
My chains, which I carry about on me for Jesus Christ, begging that I
may happily make my way to God, exhort you: persevere in you
concord and in you community prayers. -St. Ignatius of Antioch


TODAY IN HISTORY

532 Boniface II ends his reign as Pope


TODAY'S TIDBIT

St. Ignatius was the first to use the term "Catholic Church" as a
collective name for Christians.


INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for the Church.

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Friday, October 17, 2003 Meditation Luke 12:1-7 In 1933, at the height of the Great Depression, American President Franklin Roosevelt announced, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” In today’s reading from Luke, Jesus states, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid” (Luke 12:4). President Roosevelt was speaking about a political and economic crisis; Jesus, however, was speaking about an even more important spiritual crisis. Fear can paralyze the soul. It can weaken our resolve to avoid temptation and cooperate with God’s grace. It can replace courage with cowardice and hope with despair. Yet in all of this, we show ourselves to be human. Even Jesus was dreadfully afraid in the Garden of Gethsemane. The good news is that with God’s help we can overcome our fears. True courage does not consist in being fearless but in acting on God’s will even when we are afraid. The problem is not that we have fear at all, but the extent of our fear. Surely, since he was shot by a would-be assassin in 1981, Pope John Paul II still experiences a level of fear whenever he must make public appearances. But he continues to do so. In our own little way, so it is with us. A hymn from the church’s liturgical prayer states: “We all have secret fears to face, our minds and motives to amend.” Through prayer, the comfort of others, and the inner strength provided by God’s grace, we all can accept our fears and find the help we need to amend our minds and our motives. Then, we will see our fears diminish and we will be rooted more and more in love. Being human means being weak in ourselves but strong in Christ, being sinful in ourselves yet saintly in him, being fearful in ourselves but courageous through his Spirit. St. Thérèse of Lisieux once said that even our most noble actions are tainted with some measure of weakness. Yet even in our imperfect toddling steps toward God, we still can give him glory. Consider the different weaknesses in Jesus’ apostles and be convinced that it is the power on high that in the end is victorious. May Jesus grant all of us the peace that passes all understanding. “Dear Jesus, I praise you and I exalt you. You are my rock and refuge. May I cling to you as a child clings to his father. I love you.”