On Thursday, Dec. 18, we commemorated St. Ignatius of Antioch and St. John of Kronstadt. Ignatius and Ann brought a special bread for the occasion.
Here is a statement from Ignatius’s letter to the Romans (5.3), written as he was on his way to Rome to be martyred. It is misaligned with popular, American religions, but makes (should make!) perfectly good sense to Orthodox Christians:
“Bear with me – I know what is best for me. Now at last I am beginning to be a disciple. May nothing visible or invisible envy me, so that I may reach Jesus Christ. Fire and cross and battles with wild beasts, mutilation, mangling, wrenching of bones, the hacking of limbs, the crushing of my whole body, cruel tortures of the devil – let these come upon me, only let me reach Jesus Christ.”
