SAINT OF THE DAY St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop, Martyr c. Mid First Century – c. 110 October 17 – Memorial Liturgical Color: Red Patron Saint of the Church in Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa An early Bishop welcomes his coming martyrdom and elaborates on Catholic theology Although not the most famous Saint Ignatius in the Church, today’s saint was the first to offer a theology of martyrdom. He also wrote seven famous letters en route to his ritual death in Rome, which set forth, with su

"I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for drink I desire his blood, which is love incorruptible" St. Ignatius of Antioch, pray for us! | TAN Books

Blessed feast of St. Ignatius of Antioch (35-110 A.D.)! A Father of the Church, Ignatius was a disciple of John the Apostle and was martyred in the Colosseum. Listen to this excerpt from his Epistle to the Romans, in which he describes his desire to eat "the bread of God, which is the flesh of Christ." Belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is evidenced very early on in the Church's life (see the writings of Justin Martyr and Irenaeus for further examples). For a lecture series o