| I am God's wheat and shall be ground by the teeth of wild animals |
|---|
| St Ignatius of Antioch |
I
am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly
die for God if only you do not stand in my way. I plead with you: show
me no untimely kindness. Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they
are my way to God. I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by their teeth
so that I may become Christ’s pure bread. Pray to Christ for me that the
animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God.
No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can
benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the
farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one
object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire.
The time for my birth is close at hand. Forgive me, my
brothers. Do not stand in the way of my birth to real life; do not wish
me stillborn. My desire is to belong to God. Do not, then, hand me back
to the world. Do not try to tempt me with material things. Let me
attain pure light. Only on my arrival there can I be fully a human
being. Give me the privilege of imitating the passion of my God. If you
have him in your heart, you will understand what I wish. You will
sympathise with me because you will know what urges me on.
The prince of this world is determined to lay hold of
me and to undermine my will which is intent on God. Let none of you here
help him; instead show yourselves on my side, which is also God’s side.
Do not talk about Jesus Christ as long as you love this world. Do not
harbour envious thoughts. And supposing I should see you, if then I
should beg you to intervene on my behalf, do not believe what I say.
Believe instead what I am now writing to you. For though I am alive as I
write to you, still my real desire is to die. My love of this life has
been crucified, and there is no yearning in me for any earthly thing.
Rather within me is the living water which says deep inside me: “Come to
the Father.” I no longer take pleasure in perishable food or in the
delights of this world. I want only God’s bread, which is the flesh of
Jesus Christ, formed of the seed of David, and for drink I crave his
blood, which is love that cannot perish.
I am no longer willing to live a merely human life,
and you can bring about my wish if you will. Please, then, do me this
favour, so that you in turn may meet with equal kindness. Put briefly,
this is my request: believe what I am saying to you. Jesus Christ
himself will make it clear to you that I am saying the truth. Only truth
can come from that mouth by which the Father has truly spoken. Pray for
me that I may obtain my desire. I have not written to you as a mere man
would, but as one who knows the mind of God. If I am condemned to
suffer, I will take it that you wish me well. If my case is postponed, I
can only think that you wish me harm.
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