Saint Ignatius of Antioch (- 107)
Psalter: Week IV
Red
He was the second bishop of Antioch after St Peter. He was arrested, condemned to death and transported to Rome to be thrown to the wild beasts in the arena. He was martyred in 107 and his feast was already being celebrated on this day in fourth-century Antioch.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Gal 2: 19-20
I am crucified with Christ, yet I live;no longer I, but Christ lives in me.I live by faith in the Son of God,who has loved me and given himself up for me.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God,who adorn the sacred body of your Churchwith the confessions of holy Martyrs,grant, we pray,that, just as the glorious passion of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, which we celebrate today, brought him eternal splendour, so it may be for us unending protection.Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Romans 4:1-8
What shall we say about Abraham, the ancestor from whom we are all descended? If Abraham was justified as a reward for doing something, he would really have had something to boast about, though not in God’s sight because scripture says: Abraham put his faith in God, and this faith was considered as justifying him. If a man has work to show, his wages are not considered as a favour but as his due; but when a man has nothing to show except faith in the one who justifies sinners, then his faith is considered as justifying him. And David says the same: a man is happy if God considers him righteous, irrespective of good deeds: Happy those whose crimes are forgiven,
whose sins are blotted out; happy the man whom the Lord considers sinless.
Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 31(32):1-2,5,11
R/ You are my refuge, O Lord; you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Happy the man whose offence is forgiven, whose sin is remitted. O happy the man to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no guile.
But now I have acknowledged my sins; my guilt I did not hide. I said: ‘I will confess my offence to the Lord.’ And you, Lord, have forgiven the guilt of my sin.
Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord, exult, you just! O come, ring out your joy, all you upright of heart.
Gospel Acclamation : Ps18:9
Alleluia, alleluia! Your words gladden the heart, O Lord, they give light to the eyes. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 12:1-7
The people had gathered in their thousands so that they were treading on one another. And Jesus began to speak, first of all to his disciples. ‘Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees – that is, their hypocrisy. Everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. For this reason, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in hidden places will be proclaimed on the housetops. ‘To you my friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Can you not buy five sparrows for two pennies? And yet not one is forgotten in God’s sight. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. There is no need to be afraid: you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May this oblation and our homage be pleasing to you, O Lord,just as you accepted Saint Ignatius, the wheat of Christ,made pure bread through his martyrdom and passion.Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon
I am the wheat of Christ to be ground by the teeth of beasts,that I may be found to be pure bread.
Prayer after Communion
May the heavenly Bread we have received, O Lord,on the feast day of Saint Ignatiusrenew us, we pray,and make us Christians in name and in deed.Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
God’s concern extends even to the minutest details of creation, emphasising that not even the humble and little sparrow is not insignificant or forgotten. There is a common temptation for those in authority to become detached from the ordinary aspects of life as their ranks rise. However, today’s gospel reassures us that this does not apply to God. The Creator of all is actively and personally involved with every one of His creatures. Jesus wraps this idea in this memorable image, “not one sparrow is forgotten in God’s sight.” In the context of our own lives, Jesus further stresses that “Every hair on your head has been counted; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.” This revelation portrays a God who is intimately close to us, caring about every aspect of our lives — our joys and sorrows, successes and failures. Understanding this truth, we can freely speak to God about all our experiences, whether in sorrow or in joy. In prayer, we can openly and honestly present the details of our lives to God in prayer, knowing that he is deeply concerned about us. We can speak from the heart to God, as to our closest friend, confident of being understood.