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| St. Ignatius the God-bearer (Feast Day - December 20 & January 29) |
Translation of the Sacred Relic of Saint Ignatius the God-Bearer in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church
The Seven Epistles of Ignatius of Antioch
Ignatius wrote the first three epistles while
docked at port in Smyrna. He wrote these epistles so the priests
and bishops he met with could take them back to their congregations.
Ignatius' trip to Rome was quite popular and many people traveled
great distances to meet him at the various stops his ship made.
While stopped in Smyrna, Ignatius also met with his good friend
Bishop Polycarp.
Below are links to these three epistles:
Ignatius' stop was quite short. The next stop
Ignatius' boat made was in Troas. Here he wrote three more epistles,
two to churches in the area, and one to his friend Polycarp.
While in Troas, Ignatius also found out that
the Christians in Rome were planning to stop the execution. Ignatius
did not agree with their plan, however, because he felt that the
only way he could attain heaven was to become a martyr. Therefore, Ignatius
wrote an epistles to the Church at Rome.
