Ignatius of Antioch was known to the churches of Asia Minor as "Theophorus," a Greek word meaning "God-bearing." An ancient document detailing the final journey and death of Ignatius testifies to the significance of his name. As Ignatius was hauled before the emperor Trajan, the conversation was recorded:
Trajan: "And who is Theophorus?"
Ignatius: "He who has Christ within his breast."
Trajan: "Do we not seem to you to have the gods in our minds, whose assistance we enjoy in fighting against our enemies?"
Ignatius: "You are in error when you call the demons of the nations gods. For there is but one God, who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that are in them: and one Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, whose kingdom may I enjoy."
Trajan: "Do you mean Him who was crucified under Pontius Pilate?"
Ignatius: "I mean Him who crucified my sin, with him who was the inventor of it, and who has condemned all the deceit and malice of the devil under the feet of those who carry Him in their heart."
Trajan: "Dost thou then carry within thee Him that was crucified?"
Ignatius: "Truly so; for it is written, 'I will dwell in them, and walk in them'." (2 Cor. 6:16).
Trajan: "We command that Ignatius, who affirms that he carries about within him Him that was crucified, be bound by soldiers, and carried to the great Rome, there to be devoured by the beasts, for the gratification of the people.
Theophorus-- the God bearer. It seems to me that this is our calling, our mission, our purpose -- to be all of us God bearers to our world. Like Mary, to be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, that Christ be incarnated in us -- flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone. That wherever we go, to bear within us God Himself. To bring His wisdom, His love, His passion for the world and its people to each situation in which we find ourselves.
The Son of God took on Mary's flesh. Should He not also take on ours?
Elizabeth says: I rejoice knowing the gifts Christ has given me, even to the point that he manifested himself in his personhood to me both spiritually and physically. (This was while I was close to a Father who was indeed often with Christ.)
ReplyDeleteThat seems to me, the point of Catholicism. Not just man is to be God bearer, breathing, speaking, Worship, but all of creation is to be brought to a perfection, animal, vegetable, and mineral, - wonderfully changed, eternal, all, all, Good.
ReplyDeleteIn Protestantism, The Word awakens and inspires flesh to see the marvelous, and try to, through love, emulate Christ. But in Catholicism "flesh" is taken much farther and one's thinking, less. The sacraments are eternal, mythic, symbolic, things as not true ideas only- but actually present.
ReplyDeleteactually present, not just "thought." How well said! thank you!
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