[Rank]
S. Ignatii Episcopi Martyris;;Duplex;;3;;vide C2

[Rank] (rubrica 1570)
S. Ignatii Episcopi et Martyris;;Semiduplex;;2;;vide C2

[Rule]
vide C2;
9 lectiones

[Oratio]
Mercifully consider our weakness, O Almighty God, and whereas by the burden of~
our sins we are sore, let Ignatius your Martyr be mercifully pleased to deliver us from~
all things which may hurt our bodies, and from all evil thoughts which may~
defile our souls.
$Per Dominum

[Lectio4]
!From the book of saint Jerome Presbyter on the Ecclesiastical writers.
Ignatius was the third Bishop of Antioch after the Apostle Peter. When Trajan~
stirred up his persecution, he was condemned to be devoured by wild beasts, and~
sent to Rome in chains. When on his journey thither he arrived at Smyrna, where~
Polycarp, the disciple of John, was Bishop, he wrote an Epistle to the Ephesians,~
another to the Magnesians, a third to the Trallians, and a fourth to the Romans~
and after leaving Smyrna, he addressed a further Epistle to the Philadelphians,~
and another to the Smyrnians, along with a private Epistle to Polycarp, to whose~
care he commended the Church of Antioch. In this last he quoteth a passage~
regarding the Person of Christ from the Gospel, which I have recently~
translated.

[Lectio5]
It is fitting that, as we have made mention of a man of so much importance, we~
should also note briefly the Epistle which he addressed to the Romans. I am on~
my way, saith he, from Syria to Rome, and am already fighting with beasts on sea~
and on land all the way. I may say I am chained day and night to ten leopards,~
for indeed the soldiers, who have charge of me, are no better. The more~
courteous I am to them, the worse they use me. But still their wickedness is~
good schooling for me, though I know that my mere sufferings cannot in~
themselves gain me justification. I earnestly wish for the beasts which are to~
devour me; at any rate, I pray they may put me out of pain quickly, and fly on~
me willingly, that I be not like some other Martyrs, whose bodies the animals~
have refused to touch. If I find that they will not come on, I will run at them~
as quick as I can, to make them devour me. Let me be, my little children I~
know what is good for me.

[Lectio6]
I feel now that I am beginning to be Christ's disciple; I desire none of those~
things which are seen, if so be I may find Christ Jesus. I care not that there~
come upon me fire, or cross, or wild beasts, or breaking of my bones, or~
sundering of my members, or destruction of my whole body, yea, or all the~
torments of the devil, if only so be I may win Christ. When he was brought~
condemned to the theatre, and heard the roaring of the beasts which were to~
devour him, he felt so strong an eagerness to suffer, that he cried out I am~
Christ's wheat, and so let the beasts' teeth be my mill, that I may be ground,~
and be found to make good bread. He suffered in the eleventh year of Trajan.~
What was left of his body lieth at Antioch, in the graveyard outside the gate~
which leadeth toward Daphne.

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to John
!John 12:24-26
In that time Jesus said to his disciples: Amen, amen I say to you, unless the~
grain of wheat falling into the ground die, Itself remaineth alone. And so on.
_
Homily by St. Augustine, Bishop (of Hippo.)
!Tract 51 on John.
The Lord Jesus was Himself a corn of wheat that was to die and bring forth much~
fruit; to die by the unbelief of the Jews, and to bring forth much fruit in the~
faith of the Gentiles. He, exhorting men to follow His steps, saith He that~
loveth his life shall lose it. Now, these words may be understood in two ways.~
First: he that loveth his life shall lose it, that is, If thou love life, thou~
wilt lose it; if thou wilt live for ever in Christ, refuse not to die for~
Christ. Or secondly: he that loveth his life shall lose it; love not then that~
which thou shalt lose; love not this present life, so that thou be thereby in~
jeopardy of losing life eternal.

[Lectio8]
What this second interpretation is the meaning of the Gospel, appeareth most~
probably from the words which follow And he that hateth his life in this~
world, shall keep it unto life eternal. From which we may suppose the sense of~
the first words to be He that loveth his life in this world shall lose it~
unto life eternal. This is a great and marvellous saying, showing how a man may~
so love life as to lose life, and so hate life as to keep life. If thou love it~
too well, then dost thou hate it if thou hate it with an holy hatred, then~
dost thou love it. Blessed are they that, lest they should so love it as to lose~
it, so hate it as to keep it.

[Lectio9]
Beware lest thou take these words He that hateth his life in this world shall~
keep it unto life eternal as some do, for an approval of suicide. Some evil~
and perverse men, bloody and guilty murderers of themselves, do indeed throw~
themselves into the fire, drown themselves in water, and cast themselves down~
precipices, and so perish. This is not the teaching of Christ, Who, when the~
devil would have Him cast Himself down from an high place, answered Get thee~
behind Me, Satan. It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (Matth. iv. 5-7.) Who also said to Peter, signifying by what death he should glorify God~
When thou wast young thougirdedst thyself and walkedst whither thou wouldest;~
but when thou shalt be old, another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou~
wouldest not. (John xxi. 18.) From which it is evident that he that would follow~
Christ's footsteps, must be slain, not by himself, but by another.
&teDeum

[Lectio94]
Ignatius, chosen to be the second successor of Peter as bishop of Antioch, was~
accused of being a Christian during Trajan's reign and condemned to be sent to~
the beasts in Rome. As he was being brought from Syria in chains, he kept~
teaching all the cities of Asia which he went through, exhorting them as a~
messenger of the Gospel and instructing the more distant ones by his letters. In~
one of these letters, which he wrote to the Romans from Smyrna while he was~
enjoying Polycarp's companionship, among other matters he said this about his~
own death sentence: "O helpful beasts that are being made ready for me! when~
will they come? When will they be sent out? When will they be allowed to devour~
my flesh And I hope that they will be made the more fierce, lest by chance, as~
has happened in the case of others, they may fear to touch my body. Now I am~
beginning to be Christ's disciple. Let fire, crosses, beasts, the tearing apart~
of my limbs, the torment of my whole body and all the sufferings prepared by the~
devil's art be heaped upon me all at once, if only I may attain Jesus Christ.~
When he had arrived in Rome, he heard the lions roaring and, burning with desire~
for martyrdom, he burst out, "I am the wheat of Christ; let me be ground by the~
teeth of the beasts so that I may be found pure bread." He suffered in the~
eleventh year of Trajan's reign.
&teDeum