Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. (Lk 12:1-7)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101725.cfm
Saint Ignatius of Antioch (d. 108) was not afraid. He followed in the footsteps of Saint Peter as bishop of Antioch and as a martyr in Rome. He wrote seven letters to various Christian communities that have come down to us. He compared his coming death by wild beasts to being ground like pure wheat for the Eucharist. Saint Ignatius was the first to use the term “catholic” to refer to the church. https://youtu.be/kw3XTnDjCg0?si=EoHSqWlqGQC1pFBX
These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop & martyr, October 17
