SAINT IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH-
SAINT IRENAEUS OF LYONS-

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SAINT IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH-
Example of Martyrdom/c.50-107/Feast:Oct.17-#13

fr:Dear Saint,you were a convert to the Faith and a disciple of 
Saint John the Evangelist.
Saint John Chrysostom says that Saint Peter appointed you as 
Bishop of Antioch 
and yon governed with wisdom,love,and kindness for forty years.
*But you always longed to shed your blood for our Lord Whom you 
loved with an overwhelming love.
When a persecution broke out in Antioch,you were condemned to be 
thrown to the wild beasts at Rome because of your unflinching 
dedication to Christ and the Church.In the year 107,
during the reign of Trajan,you received your heart's desire and gave 
your life for our Lord.

St:You are indeed right about your analysis of my heart's desire.
I longed to give my life for my Lord Who has done so much for us.
But I was totally unworthy of the honor.It was only by virtue of God's 
grace that I found the courage to remain steadfast in the Faith,
and to compose the following prayer.

pr:I am the wheat of God,and am ground by the teeth of wild beasts,
that I may be found the pure bread of God....I long after the Lord,
the Son of the true God and Father,Jesus Christ.Him I seek,
Who died for us and rose again....I am eager to die for the sake of Christ.
My love has been crucified,and there is no Fire in me that loves anything.
But there is living water springing up in me,
and it says to me inwardly-Come to the Father.

fr:Dear Saint,thank you for your wonderful words,and for your 
magnificent example.Help us to obtain the grace to remain steadfast in 
the Faith in spite of the many trials and tribulations that may come to us.
*May it please God to grant us also the grace to devote ourselves 
wholeheartedly to Him,and if need be even to give our lives for the Faith.
In that case we know that you,Saint Ignatius,will be protecting us and 
receiving us in heaven.

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SAINT IRENAEUS OF LYONS-
Example of One Who Teaches the Faith/c.130-200/
Feast:June 28-#16

fr:Dear Saint,you were born not far from the great city of Smyrna in 
Western Asia Minor.There you were instructed by Saint Polycarp,
the Bishop,who had himself been taught by Saint John the Evangelist.
Thus you were closely connected with the Apostles and the early Church.
*You eagerly learned the apostolic teaching and went on to become a 
great defender of the Faith.Later on,you traveled to Gaul(France) 
where you worked under BishopPhotinus,
who governed the diocese of Lyons.
At His death you became the Bishop yourself.

St:You are correct in what you say about me.I was very fortunate to 
know saintly men who imparted to me the very Faith of the Apostles with 
Jesus Christ as the cornerstone.In turn,
I made it my task to communicate that same pristine Faith,unalloyed,
to others.
*With God's grace I composed numerous works,but only a few have been 
preserved for your age,for example,my books against heresies.I combated 
heresies because they distort the true Faith of God and I endeavoredto 
bring about a unity of belief on the part of all Christians,as you can see 
from the following prayer.

pr:Father,give Perfection to beginners,understanding to the little ones,
and help to those who are running their course.
Give sorrow to the negligent,fervor to the lukewartn,and a good 
consutnmation to the perfect.

Follower:Dear Saint,I admire you and your tremendous devotion to our 
Faith.Obtain God's help for us that we may get to know our Faith better 
and come to a truer knowledge of Jesus Christ.
*In turn,let us be able to pass on the true Faith to others so that we will 
be doing our part to insure that one day there will be one Lord and one 
Shepherd for all Christians united in the one Faith.

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