February 1 — Saint Ignatius of Antioch

Two days more, and the happy season of Christmas will be over ! This is the vigil of its termination, and lo ! there comes to gladden us one of the grandest Martyrs of the year — Ignatius surnamed the Theophorus, Bishop of Antioch. A venerable tradition tells us, that this old man, who so generously confessed the faith before Trajan, was tne child whom Jesus took into his arms, and showed to his Disciples as a model of that simplicity, which we must all have, if we would enter into the kingdom of heaven, To-day he appears before us, standing near the Crib, in which this same Jestis gives us his own divine lessons of humility and simplicity.

But, in this the Court of our Emmanuel, Ignatius stands near to Peter, the Feast of whose Chair we kept a few days since ; for the Prince of the Apostles made him his second successor in his first See of Antioch. From so honoured a position Ignatius derived that courage, which made him resist a powerful Emperor even to his face, defy the wild beasts of the amphitheatre, and triumph by a glorious martyrdom. As it were to show the supremacy of the See of Rome, Divine Providence willed that he, with his chains upon him, should go to see Peter, and finish

1 Le. he that carries Ood, or, he that is carried of God, accordtag m the accent it placed in the Greek word. * Gal. i. 18.

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CHRISTMAS. his course in the Holy City, and thus mingle his blood with that of the Apostles. Rome would have been imperfect without the glory of Ignatius' martyrdom, which is the pride of her Colyseum, rich as it is with the blood of so many thousands of Martyrs.

Ignatius' character is impetuosity of love for his God He has but one fear — it is, that the prayers of the Romans will stay the lions from devouring him, and his desire of being united to Christ be thus denied him. Let us admire this superhuman fortitude, which shows itself thus suddenly amidst the pagan world, and let us acknowledge, that so ardent a love of God, and so vehement a longing to possess him, could only have come from the accomplishment of the Mysteries of our Redemption, which showed man how much God loved him. The Crib of Bethlehem, even had there never been the Sacrifice of Calvary, would, of itself, be sufficient to convince us of all this. God comes down from heaven for the sake of his creature, man ; he himself becomes Man, nay, a Child, and is laid in a manger ! Such miracles of love would have sufficed to save the guilty world ; how, then, shall they not have power to prompt men to give their whole heart to their loving God ? And would it be too much, if we made a sacrifice of our very lives to repay our Jesus for only that much of his love, which he showed us by beiDg Born among us ?

The Church gives us, in the Lessons of to-day's Office, the brief account of our Saint given by St Jerome in his Book On Ecclesiastical Writers, The holy Doctor has inserted a few sentences from the Martyr's admirable Epistle, written to the Faithful of Rome. We would have gladly offered the whole of this Epistle to our readers, had it not been for want of space. But the passages quoted by St. Jerome are some of the finest.

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FEB. 1. ST. IGNA1

Ignatius was the third Bishop of the Church of Antioch, St. Peter the Apostle being the first. During the persecution under Trajan, he was condemned to be devoured by wild beasts, and was sent in chains to Rome. During this voyage, which was made by sea, he had to stop at Smyrna, where Polycarp, the disciple of St John, was Bishop. From this city, he wrote several Epistles; one to the Ephesiaos, a second to the Magnesians, a third to the Trallians, a fourth to the Romans. When he had left Smyrna, he addressed an Epistle to the Philadelphians and Smyrneans, and one to Polycarp himself, recommending to him his Church of Antioch. It is in this last named Letter, that he quotes from the Gospel, which I have lately translated, a passage bearing testimony to the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I cannot pass by this mention of so great a man, without citing a few sentences from the Epistle, which he wrote to fhe Romans. " From Syria," he says, 44 even unto Rome, I 44 am fighting with wild beasts, 44 both by sea and land, both 44 night and day, for I am fas* 44 tened to ten leopards, I mean, 41 to the soldiers who have care ** of me. When I show them 44 a kindness, they grow more 44 brutal. Their injuries are 41 my instruction, but I am not 44 thereby justified. I long for 44 the wild beasts, that are "prepared for me, which I

Ignatius, Antiochenra Ecclesiaa tertius post Petrum Apostolum Episcopus, commovente persecutionein Trajano, damnatus ad bestias, Romam vinctus mittitur. Cumque navigans Smyrnam venisset, ubi Polycarpus, auditor Joannis, Episcopus erat, scripsit uuain Epistolam ad Ephesios, alteram ad Magnesianos, tertiam ad Trallenses, quartam ad Romanos: et inde egrediens scripsit ad Philadelphios et ad Smyrnseos, et propriam ad Polycarpum, commendans illi Antiochensem Ecclesiam : in qua et de Evangelio, quod nuper a me translatum est, super persona Christi ponit testimonium.

Dignum autem videtur, quia tanti viri fecimus mention em, et de epistola ejus, quam ad Romanos scribit, pauca Donere. De Syria usque ad Romam pugno ad bestias in mari et in terra, nocteque dieque ligatua cum decern leopardis, hoc est militibus, qui me custodiunt : quibus et cum benefeceris, pejoresfiunt. Iniauitas autem eorum mea doctrina est : sed non idcircojustificatussum. Utinam fruar bestiis, quae mihi sunt prseparatae, quas et oro mihi veloces esse ad interitum,

CHHISTMAS. et ad aupplicia, et allici ad comedendum me, ne, sicut et aliorum Marty rum, non audeant corpus attingere. Quod si venire noluerint, ego vim faciam, ego me urgebo, ut devorer. Ignoscite mini filioli : quid mihi prosit, ego scio.

Nunc incipio Christi dicipulus, nihil de his quie videntur desiderans, ut Jesum Christum inveniam. Ignis, crux, bestise, confractio ossiuni, membrorum divisio, et totius corporis contritio, et tota tormenta diaboli in me veniant : tanturn ut Christo fruar. Cumque jam damnatus esset ad bestias, et ardore patiendi rugientes audiret leones, ait: Frumentum Christi sum, dentibus bestiarum molar, ut panis mundus inveniar. Passus est anno undecimo Trajani. Reliquiae corporis ejus Antiochiffl jacent extra Portam Daphniticam in Ccemeterio.

" heartily wish may rush upon " me, and torture me, and de- " vour me, and not be afraid " to touch me, as has happen - " ed with other Martyrs. Nay, " if they refuse to approach " me, I will make them come " on, I will rush upon them, M that so they may devour me. "Pardon me, my little chil- "dren: I know what is for " my own welfare.

"Now do I begin to be a "disciple of Christ, and care "for nothing in this world, "that so I may find Jesus. " Let fire, or the cross, or wild "beasts, or the breaking of " my bones, or the cutting me "to pieces, or the shattering "of my whole body, yea, all " the tortures of the devil— let " them all come upon me, only " let me enjoy my God." When he was sentenced to be devoured by wild beasts, and heard the roaring of the lions, his impatience to suffer made him exclaim : " I am the wheat " of Christ — let me be ground " by the teeth of wild beasts, " that 1 may become the pure " bread." He suffered in the eleventh year of Trajan's reign. His Relics are at Antioch, in the Cemetery outside the Daphne Gate.

We find the following stanzas in the Menaaa of the Greek Church, for the Feast of St Ignatius.

Theologorum verticis successor vocatus, istorum vestigia prosecutus es, ortus ab Oriente et in Occidente manifestatus, et splen-

Called to be the successor of him who is the Prince of Theologians, thou didst follow in their footsteps. Thy rising was in the East, but thou wast

FEB. 1. ST. IONA1 manifested in the West, and there, O Ignatius, full of wisdom ! thou didst shine with the splendour of thy heavenly Teachings. Thou didst, ineed, depart from this world, but thou wast taken up to God, wearing on thy soul the rich crown of grace.

Eesplendent, as the sun, with the rays of the Holy Ghost, thou didst sweetly illumine the ends of the earth with the brilliancy of thy combat, and the maxims of piety breathed forth so warmly and so truly in thy writings. Thus didst thou, most blessed one ! make thyself bread to Hie Master who, in his ceaseless love, feeds all created things.

O Ignatius ! O thou that earnest God I by cherishing Christ, thy Love, in thy breast, thou didst give thy blood for him, thus receiving the perfection of the sacrifice of the Gospel of Christ Hereby, thou wast the wheat of the divine Husbandman ; and being ground by the teeth of lions, thou wast made his bread most sweet. O blessed Combatant ! pray to him for us.

Most saintly Ignatius ! thy soul was firm as is the adamant: for thou didst say to thy Beloved Jesus, with an insatiable longing : " It is not "material fire that burns " within me — it is the voice of " Him, who is the living Water, "saying within my breast, " Come to the Father I" Therefore, being inflamed by the dens fulgoribus divhiae pr&< dicationis, ibique, omniaapiens, e mundo quidem secessisti, ad Deum autem elevaris splendore coronatus gratis.

Resplendens quasi sol radii s Spiritus Sancti, mundi fines hilariter illuminasti fulgoribus certaminum tuorum, ferventer producens et veraciter scribens pietatis documenta ; ideoque factus es ali men turn Magistro aui alit omnia, omnibeate, benignitate continua.

Deifer Ignati, tuum amorem Christum confovens in pectore, pretium accepisti sacrificii Evangel ii Christ! in perfectionem per sanguinem ; ideo frumentum factus immortalis agricolaa, per dentes bestiarum molitus es, et panis jucundus ipsi demon8tratus es : deprecare pro nobis, athleta beate.

O quam solida et adamantina tui anima, beatissime Ignati; tu enim ad tuum vere amatorem, inezorabile habens desiderium, dicebas : Non est in me ignis materialis, ma sis vero aqua viva, in me dicens intus : Veni ad Patrem. Ideo, divino Spiritu inflammatus, bestias irri-

CHRISTMAS. tasti, ad separandum te Holy Spirit, thou didst urge quam citius a mundo, et on the lions to tike thee immittendum te ad deside- quickly from this world, and rat urn Christum: ipsuin carry thee to Christ, the object deprecare salvare an i mas of all thy desires. Oh 1 pray nostras. to him, that he save our souk.

All thy desires were satisfied, 0 glorious Martyr I Thou hast died for Jesus — thou art with Jesua Rome's sons and daughters filled the Colyseum; their savage joy made it tremble with their cheers as they saw thee mangled by the lions. It was the hour thou hadst prayed for — thy sacrifice for Him, who had sacrificed himself for thee, is over, and thy soul is buried in his divine embrace ! Generous and impetuous lover of Christ ! thou wast ambitious to pay thy debt to the Crucified — the debt of suffering. It seemed to thee, that thou hadst no right to his kingdom, until thou hadst repaid his Passion by some cruel tortures endured for Him. O worthy companion of Stephen, Sebastian, Vincent, and Agnes! how rich and verdant is the Palm thou holdest over thy Jesus* Crib ! Canst thou look upon us, weak Christian cowards, and not pity us ? Pray for us that we may at least be faithful to our Lord, when we are persecuted by the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil ; that we may, at least, give our hearts to his service, if we are not to be permitted to give our bodies to be tortured for his name. Thou wast chosen, when a little child, as the model of the simplicity which our Saviour was teaching to his Disciples, and this innocence never left the£ : — ask for us from Him, who is the King of Little Children, that one of the graces of the Christmas we have been keeping, may be this holy Simplicity of heart.

Successor of Peter in the See of Antioch ! pray for the Churches of thy Patriarchate, that they may, return to the true Faith and Catholic unity. Inter- cede for the holy City of Rome, which thou didst water with thy blood, and which is now in possession of thy sacred Kelics, that were saved from the lions' jaws. Watch over the maintenance of ecclesiastical discipline and order, of which thou hast left such admirable rules in thy Epistles ; and obtain for the Church, that all the members of her hierarchy may be united in the bonds of duty and love, that thus she may be beautiful in the strength of her unity and terrible to the enemies of God, as an army set in array}

1 Cant. vi. 3.

CHRISTMAS.

February 2. THE PURIFICATION

OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

The Forty Days of Mary's Purification are now completed, and she must go up to the Temple, there to offer to God her Child Jesus. Before following the Son and his Mother in this their mysterious journey, let us spend our last few moments at Bethlehem, in lovingly pondering over the mysteries at which we are going to assist.

The Law commanded, that a woman, who had given birth to a son, should not approach the Tabernacle for the term of forty days; after which time, she was to offer a sacrifice for her Purification. She was to offer up a lamb as a holocaust, and a turtle or dove as a sin-offering. But if she were poor, and could not provide a lamb, she was to offer, in its stead, a second turtle or dova

By another ordinance of the Law, every first-born son was to be considered as belonging to God, and was to be redeemed by five sides, each sicle weighing, according to the standard of the Temple, twenty obola

Mary was a Daughter of Israel — she had given Birth to Jesus — he was her First-born Son. Could such a Mother, and such a Son, be included in the Laws we have just quoted ? Was it becoming that Mary should observe them ?

1 Lev. xii. ; Nam. iii. 47. The Obol was about thiee halfpence of English money.