Praise to the Holy Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer

Homily “Praise to the Holy Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer” (5 chapters) delivered by St. John Chrysostom in Antioch on October 17, 386. It is dedicated to the memory of one of the apostolic men - Sschmch. Ignatius the God-Bearer, bishop. Antioch, condemned to death in Antioch, but accepted martyrdom in Rome during the reign of Emperor Trajan. The saint says that sschmch. Ignatius possessed all the virtues that the Apostle Paul demanded of a bishop. He ruled the church in the very first, difficult times - during external persecution and still internal disorder. Journey sschmch. The Lord turned Ignatius the God-Bearer to Rome, and then the solemn transfer of his relics to Antioch, as a means of teaching and strengthening both the Romans and all associated Churches in the truth. Martyrdom, especially public death, is obvious evidence of the Resurrection of Christ. *The title of the work in Greek is Εἰς τὸν ἅϒιον ἱερομάρτυρα ᾿Ιϒνάτιον τὸν θεοφόρον. *The title of the essay in Latin is In s. Ignatium martyrem. Praise to the holy hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer, former archbishop of Antioch the Great, who was taken to Rome and suffered martyrdom there, and from there again transferred to Antioch 1. 1. Generous and ambitious founders of feasts organize frequent and continuous feasts in order to both show off their wealth and together reveal their goodwill towards friends. Likewise, the grace of the Spirit, presenting us with proof of its power and showing great favor to the friends of God, constantly and continuously offers us the meals of the martyrs. Recently, a very young and celibate young woman, the blessed martyr Pelagia, treated us with great cordiality; Today the blessed and valiant martyr Ignatius again resumed its feast. The faces are different, but the meal is the same; exploits change, but the crown is the same; The competitions are varied, but the reward is the same. Only men are fairly allowed to participate in external competitions where physical labor is required; but here, where the whole competition concerns the soul, the field is open to both sexes, the spectators sit for both kinds. It was not only the men who entered here, so that the wives, citing the weakness of the sex, would not think they had a plausible excuse, and it was not only the wives who labored so that the male sex would not be disgraced; but from both of them many were declared conquerors and received crowns, so that you may be convinced by your very deed that in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female (Gal. 3:28), that neither gender, nor physical weakness, nor age, nor anything else like that can hinder those who walk along the path of godliness, if courageous readiness, a cheerful mood of spirit and a hot and fiery feeling of the fear of God are rooted in our souls. Therefore, young women, and wives, and men, and youths, and elders, and slaves, and freemen, and every rank, and every age, and both sexes performed these feats and did not suffer any harm from anywhere, since they brought courageous determination to these feats. However, time is already calling us to tell the story of the glorious deeds of this blessed man; but the mind is confused and anxious, not knowing what to talk about firstly, what secondly, what thirdly: such a multitude of praises floods us from all sides! We are in the same state as if someone, entering a meadow and seeing many roses, many violets, and the same number of lilies and other spring flowers, various and varied, was perplexed as to what to look at first and what after, because each of the visible flowers attracts his gaze. So we, too, having entered this spiritual meadow of the deeds of Ignatius and contemplating not the spring flowers, but the very fruits of the Spirit, various and varied in his soul, are confused and perplexed, not knowing what to pay attention to first, when each of these visible fruits distracts our spiritual gaze from its neighbors and attracts it to the contemplation of its beauty. Look: he ruled our Church valiantly and with such care as Christ desires. He demonstrated in practice the highest example and rule of episcopacy that Christ defined. Hearing the words of Christ that a good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11), he gave it up for the sheep with all his courage. He interacted closely with the apostles and drew spiritual currents from them. What kind of person was naturally the one who was brought up with them and was with them everywhere, had communication with them both in speech and in the inexpressible, and was recognized by them as worthy of such power? The time had come again, which required courage and a soul that despised everything present, seething with divine love and preferring the invisible to the visible - and he laid off his body with such ease as someone else would have taken off his clothes. What should we say first? Is it about the apostolic teaching, which he expressed in everything, or about the contempt of real life, or about the virtuous zeal with which he ruled the Church? Whom will we glorify first: the martyr, or the bishop, or the apostle? The grace of the Spirit wove a triple crown and adorned this holy head with it, or - better to say - a multi-varied crown, because if someone carefully examines each of its crowns, he will find that from them other crowns grow for us. 2. If you wish, let us proceed first to praise his bishopric. It seems that this is not the same crown? But let us analyze it in word, and you will see that from it we will have two crowns, and three, and more. I am surprised at this man, not only because he turned out to be worthy of such power, but also because this power was entrusted to him by those saints and that the hands of the blessed apostles touched his sacred head. And this serves no little to his praise, not only because he received great grace from above, and not only because they brought down upon him the most abundant power of the Spirit, but also because they testified to the presence of human virtues in him. And how, I will tell you. Paul in his letter to Titus - and when I talk about Paul, I mean not only him alone, but also Peter, and James, and John and their whole host, because just as in one lyre, although the strings are different, but the harmony is one, so in the host of the apostles, although the faces are different, but the teaching is one, since there was one artist, the Holy Spirit, who set their souls in motion, which is what Paul expresses when he says: for they, even if I, preach so (1 Cor. 15:11), - so in his letter to Titus, showing what a bishop should be, Paul says: it is fitting for a bishop to be without blemish, as God’s builder: not pleasing to himself, not wrathful, not a drunkard, not a murderer, not filthy acquisitive, but one who loves hospitable people, a lover of kindness, a chaste, righteous, reverent, self-controlled, holding to what is right words according to doctrine, so that he may be able to comfort others in sound doctrine, and to reprove those who oppose (Titus 1:7–9). And again to Timothy, writing about the same subject, he says this: if anyone wants the episcopacy, he desires good deeds: it is fitting for a bishop to be blameless, of single wives to her husband, sober, chaste, honest, hospitable, teacher, not a murderer, not a drunkard, but meek, not envious, not a lover of money (1 Tim. 3:1-3). Do you see what perfection of virtue he demands from the bishop? Just as an excellent painter, having put together various colors to make the initial portrait of the royal face, carries out this work with all care, so that everyone who imitates him and paints from him will have a faithful portrait, so Blessed Paul, as if depicting the royal portrait and preparing a prototype of it, combined the various colors of the virtues and perfectly depicted for us the distinctive features of the episcopate, so that everyone ascending to this level of power, looking at him, would be just as carefully conformed. with him in everything. So, I can safely say that Blessed Ignatius imprinted this entire pattern in his soul with precision, and was blameless, and impeccable, and not proud, and not angry, and not a drunkard, and not a murderer, and not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money, but just, reverent, temperate, kept the right word, in accordance with the teaching, sober, chaste, decent, and everything else had the qualities that Paul required. What do you say is the evidence for this? (That) those who said this themselves ordained him with such care; convincing others to test those who were to ascend to this throne of power, they themselves could not do this carelessly, and if they had not seen all these virtues implanted in the soul of this martyr, they would not have entrusted him with this power. They fully knew what danger faced those who carried out such ordination indiscriminately and how it would happen. Explaining this again, Paul, in his letter to Timothy, said: Lay your hands on no one, but share in the sin of others (1 Tim. 5:22). What are you saying? Another sinned, and I will be a participant in his guilt and punishment? Yes, he says, because you give the opportunity to sin. Just as if someone hands a sharp sword to a frantic and insane person, and the insane person commits murder with it, the one who gave this sword takes the blame upon himself, so the one who gives the right to this power to a person living in vices brings on his own head all the fire of his sins and insolence: whoever planted the root is always the culprit of what grows from him. Have you seen how the crown of his episcopacy appeared double among us, and how the dignity of those who ordained him made his power most brilliant and fully testified to his virtues? 3. Do you want me to reveal to you another crown, growing from the same one? Let us imagine the time at which he received the power of bishopric. It is not all the same - to rule the Church now, or then, just as it is not all the same - to walk along a road that has already been laid and well-built, after many travelers, or along a road that is now about to be laid for the first time, which is filled with abysses, stones and animals, and along which no one has ever passed. Now, by the goodness of God, there is no danger to the bishops, but there is deep peace everywhere, and we all enjoy tranquility, since the teaching of piety has spread to the ends of the world, and the kings carefully observe the faith with us. But then there was none of this; on the contrary, wherever you looked, there were cliffs, abysses, wars, battles, dangers; and leaders, and kings, and nations, and cities, and tribes, both their own and strangers, plotted evil against the believers. And not only this alone was the disaster, but also in the fact that many of those who believed, as having recently accepted a teaching alien to them, needed great condescension, were still weak and were often knocked down; and this upset the teachers no less than external wars, or rather, much more, because external battles and attacks even gave them great pleasure due to the hope of the prepared rewards. Therefore, the apostles returned from the face of the council, rejoicing that they were scourged (Acts 5:41); and Paul cries out, saying: I rejoice in my sufferings (Col. 1:24), and always glory in my afflictions. And the wounds of their loved ones and the falls of their brothers did not allow them to catch their breath, but, like a heaviest yoke, they constantly burdened and oppressed their souls. Listen to how bitterly Paul grieves about this, having so rejoiced in the midst of suffering: who is weak, he says, and does not faint? Who is tempted, and I am not relieved? And one more thing: I’m afraid that when the food comes, I will find you if I don’t want it, and I will find it for you, but you don’t want it. And a little later: may God not again come to you and humble me, and may I mourn for many who have sinned before and did not repent of uncleanness and fornication and adultery, which I have committed (2 Cor. 11:29; 12:20-21). And you constantly see him grieving and crying for his own, always fearing and trembling for the believers. So, how we are surprised at the helmsman not when, on a calm sea and on a ship driven by a favorable wind, he can save those sailing, but in the event that the sea is fierce, the waves rise, the very travelers on the ship rebel, a great storm both from the outside and from the inside surrounds the sailors, and yet he will be able to steer the ship with all safety; so we should be much more surprised and amazed at those who were entrusted with the church then than at those who now govern it, because then there was a strong war both outside and inside, the plant of faith was even more tender and required great care, and the church community, like a newborn baby, needed great care and a particularly wise soul that could educate it. And so that you may know more clearly what crowns were worthy of those to whom the Church was then entrusted, and how difficult and dangerous it is to take up a task at the very beginning and to begin it before others, I will give you the testimony of Christ, who gives his voice for this and confirms the thought we have expressed. He, seeing many coming to Him and wanting to show the apostles that the prophets worked more than them, says: some have labored, and you have seen their labor (John 4:38). Although the apostles worked much more than the prophets, since they were the first to sow the word of piety and attract the still unlearned souls of people to the truth, they are awarded the majority of the work. It makes no difference whether to teach having come after many other teachers, or to be the very first to sow seeds: what has already been studied and has become familiar to many is easily accepted; and what they are hearing now for the first time confuses the souls of the listeners and presents many difficulties for the teachers. That is why the listeners in Athens were confused and retreated from Paul, reproaching him: a certain thing is strange in our ears (Acts 17:20). If even now the management of the Church brings a lot of care and labor to its helmsmen, then imagine, wasn’t there twice, three, and many times more work when there were constant dangers, wars, intrigues and fear. It is impossible, impossible to express in words the difficulties that these holy men endured at that time; they can only be known by those who have experienced them themselves. 4. I will also say about the fourth crown, which appears to us from the same bishopric. Which one is it? The fact that he ruled our domestic city. It is difficult to manage a hundred people or only fifty; but to have in your hands such a city and people, stretching to two hundred thousand people, what kind of virtue and wisdom do you think? Just as in armies the most important and numerous detachments are entrusted to the wiser generals, so the largest and most populous cities are entrusted to the most experienced rulers. Moreover, God Himself had great care for this city, as He showed this by His very deeds: He ordered Peter, the primate of the entire universe, to whom he entrusted the keys of heaven, to whom he left to lead and organize everything, to spend a long time here - so for Him our city was equal to the entire universe. But having mentioned Peter, I also saw a fifth crown intertwined from here, the one that Ignatius succeeded Peter in power. Just as someone who removes a large stone from the foundation, of course, tries to replace it with another, equal to him, if he does not want to shake and spoil the whole building, so exactly when Peter had to leave here, the grace of the Spirit installed in his place another teacher equal to Peter, so that the already built building would not be spoiled by the insignificance of the successor. So, we counted five crowns, from the greatness of the power, from the dignity of those who ordained him, from the difficulties of the time, from the vastness of the city, from the virtue of those who transferred the bishopric to him. Having woven all these crowns, we could talk about the sixth, and the seventh, and more; but so that, having spent all the time talking about the episcopacy, we do not lose the story of the martyr, let us finally begin to present this feat. Once upon a time a cruel war was raised against the churches and, as if under the dominion of the cruelest tyranny on earth, all were captured in the middle of the square, being accused not of anything inappropriate, but of abandoning error, turning to piety, retreating from the service of demons, recognizing the true God and worshiping His Only Begotten Son. For which they should have been awarded crowns, surprise and honors, for this reason all who accepted the faith, especially the heads of the churches, were punished and tormented by countless torments. The devil, an insidious and skillful inventor of such intrigues, hoped that, having destroyed the shepherds, he could easily plunder the flocks. But reproach the wise in their deceit (1 Cor. 3:19), wanting to show him that it is not people who rule His churches, but He Himself shepherds those who believe in Him everywhere, He allowed this to happen, so that the devil, seeing that even after the destruction of the shepherds, piety does not decrease and the word of preaching does not fade away, but increases even more, learned from the very deeds himself and all those who serve him through such persecutions that our deeds are not human, but the basis of the teaching has a root from above, from heaven, that God Himself rules everywhere churches and that he who fights with God can never remain victorious. And not only this evil did the devil do, but also another evil no less than this: he did not allow bishops to be killed in the cities in which they presided, but killed them, taking them to a foreign country; and he did this both as an attempt to catch them, deprived of what they needed, and in the hope of weakening them with the difficulties of the path, which he did with this blessed man. He summoned him from our city to Rome, assigning him the longest, double distances to run, hoping both by the length of the journey and the many days to overthrow his courage, but not knowing that he had Jesus as his colleague and companion on such a journey, and therefore became even stronger, presented greater evidence of his inherent strength and strengthened the churches more. Passing cities, flocking from all sides, encouraged the ascetic, and saw him off with great reserves for the journey, laboring with him in prayers and supplications. And they themselves received no small consolation, seeing the martyr going to death with such readiness as it was natural for someone called to the royal heavenly palaces to go. From his courageous jealousy and bright gaze, they were immediately convinced that what he was heading for was not death, but some kind of departure, migration and ascension to heaven. He taught this in words and deeds to all the cities he passed through. And what happened to the Jews when, having bound Paul and sent him to Rome, they thought that they were sending him to death, and meanwhile they sent him as a teacher for the Jews who lived there, the same thing happened with Ignatius, and moreover, in abundance. He was a wonderful teacher not only for the inhabitants of Rome, but also for all the cities lying along the way, urging them to despise present life, to regard the visible as nothing, to love the future, to look at the sky and not to be embarrassed by any disasters of this life. Teaching them this and more by his very deeds, he made his way like some sun rising from the east and flowing to the west, or - better to say - even brighter than it, because the sun moves above, pouring out sensual light, and Ignatius shone directly below, pouring into the souls the mental light of teaching, and the sun, leaning into the western countries, hides and immediately produces night, and this man, having retired to Western countries, shone from there even brighter; He even showed the greatest benefits to everyone along the way, and when he entered the city (Rome), he taught him wisdom. For this reason, God allowed him to end his life there, so that his death would become a lesson in piety for everyone living in Rome. By the grace of God, you no longer needed any proof, having already taken root in the faith; and the inhabitants of Rome, where there was great wickedness at that time, needed more help. Therefore, Peter, and Paul, and after them this man, all were sacrificed there, both in order to cleanse this city, defiled by the blood of idols with their own blood, and in order to actually present proof of the resurrection of the crucified Christ, convincing the inhabitants of Rome that they would not despise real life with such pleasure if they were not themselves completely convinced that they would ascend to the crucified Jesus and see him on the heaven. The strongest truly proof of the resurrection is that the mortified Christ showed such power after death that he convinced living people to despise their fatherland, home, friends, relatives, and life itself for the sake of confessing Him, and to prefer scourging, danger and death with real pleasure. Such feats are characteristic not of the dead and not of those left in the tomb, but of the resurrected and alive. How else can we explain the fact that during His life all the apostles who treated Him turned out to be weak out of fear, betrayed the teacher and fled; and when He died, not only Peter and Paul, but also Ignatius, who had not seen Him and did not enjoy communication with Him, showed such zeal for Him that they gave up their very soul for Him? 5. So, so that all the inhabitants of Rome could actually be convinced of this, God allowed the saint to end his life there; and that it was precisely for this reason that I will attest to the very manner of his death. He received the verdict of guilty not outside the city walls, in a ravine, or in a dungeon, or in some corner, but in the middle of the theater, in the presence of the entire city, he suffered martyrdom from the beasts released on him, so that, before the eyes of everyone, erecting a trophy of victory over the devil, he would make all spectators imitators of his exploits, not only dying so courageously, but also dying with joy. He looked at the wild animals so joyfully, as if he were not forced to give up his life, but was being called into a better, more spiritual life. Where can you see this? From the words he spoke as he prepared to die. Hearing that this kind of execution awaited him, he said: I wish I could benefit from these animals! Such are those who love: they joyfully accept everything that they suffer for their loved ones, and the more painful their suffering is, they consider their desire satisfied, as happened with him. He tried to imitate the apostles not only in death, but also in readiness for death. Hearing that they, having accepted the scourging, returned with joy, and he wanted not only in death, but also in his joy to imitate the teachers, that’s why he said: I would like to receive benefit from animals! He considered the mouths of beasts to be much more meek than the tongue of the tormentor, and quite rightly, because this one called for Gehenna, and the lips of those carried them to the kingdom. Then, when he ended his life there, or - rather - ascended to heaven, he returned crowned. And it was the work of God’s Providence that He again returned him to us and divided the martyr between the cities. Rome accepted his flowing blood, and you are honored with his remains; you enjoyed his bishopric, and they enjoyed his martyrdom; they saw him struggling, conquering and crowned, and you constantly have him with you; For a short time God separated him from you and gave him to you with greater glory. Just as those who borrowed money pay back with interest what they received, so God, having taken this precious treasure from you for a short time and shown it to that city, gave it to you with greater splendor. You released the bishop and accepted the martyr; sent away with prayers - and received with crowns; and not only you, but also all the cities lying on the way. With what feelings do you think they looked at these returning remains? What kind of pleasure did they have? How happy were you? What praise was showered on the crowned winner from all sides? Like a brave athlete who defeated all his opponents and emerged from the place of struggle with brilliant glory, the spectators immediately accept him and do not even allow him to set foot on the ground, but carry him home in their arms, showering him with countless praises - so in the same way this holy city, starting from Rome, was then successively received and carried on their shoulders to the local city, praising the crowned winner, glorifying the Judge of the struggle, laughing at the devil for the fact that his cunning received the opposite ending, and what he thought to do against the martyr turned out to be in his favor. Then the martyr brought benefit and affirmation to all those cities, and from that time until this day he has enriched your city; and just as a constant treasure, divided every day and never diminishing, enriches all who borrow from it, so Blessed Ignatius sends those who come to him home, filling them with blessings, boldness, vigor and great courage. So, not only today, but every day we will come to him to receive spiritual fruits from him. Maybe, truly, anyone who comes here with faith can receive great benefits, because not only the bodies, but also the very tombs of the saints are filled with spiritual grace. If during the time of Elisha it happened that a dead man, having only touched his tomb, dissolved the bonds of death and returned to life again, then much more now, when grace is more abundant, when the action of the Spirit is stronger, he who touches this tomb with faith can receive great power from it. Therefore, God left us the relics of the saints, wanting to lead us to the same zeal with them and give us reliable refuge and consolation in the disasters that constantly befall us. So, I convince all of you, whether anyone is in despondency, or in illness, or in sorrow, or in some other everyday misfortune, or in the depths of sins, let him come here with faith, and he will be delivered from all this, and return with great joy, having received relief of conscience from one contemplation; or - better - not only those in misfortune need to come here, but at least someone who was in joy, in glory, in power, or had great boldness before God, and let him not neglect this benefit. Having come here and seeing this saint, he will make his blessings unshakable, teaching his soul to moderate himself with the memory of his exploits and not allowing his conscience to be exalted in his deeds. And it is no small matter for those who are in happiness not to be proud of their prosperity, but to be able to modestly use happiness. Thus, this treasure is useful for everyone, this refuge is beneficial - for the fallen, so that they can get rid of temptations, for the prosperous, so that their benefits remain strong, for the sick, so that they can regain their health, and for the healthy, so that they do not fall into illness. Thinking about all this, let us prefer staying here to any joy and any pleasure, so that by rejoicing and benefiting together, we may be able to become cohabitants and accomplices of these saints, through the prayers of the saints themselves, through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. This word was spoken in Antioch, after a conversation about St. Pelagia, probably on the day of memory of St. Ignatius, December 20.