I am the wheat of God, and am ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of God.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the idea of enduring hardships to achieve a higher spiritual purpose.
Ignatius of Antioch emphasizes the transformative power of suffering in the quest for spiritual purity and unity with God. By likening himself to wheat being ground, he conveys that through trials and tribulations, one's true essence emerges, leading to a more profound connection with the divine and a state of spiritual nourishment for others.
In practice
This quote can be shared in a church gathering to inspire resilience in faith.
Now do I begin to be a disciple of Christ, and care for nothing in this world, that so I may find Jesus. Let fire, or the cross, or wild beasts, or the breaking of my bones, or the cutting of me to pieces, or the shattering of my whole body, yea, all the tortures of the devil - let them all come upon me, only let me enjoy my God.
I greet you from Smyrna together with the Churches of God present here with me. They comfort me in every way, both in body and soul. My chains, which I carry about on me for Jesus Christ, begging that I may happily make my way to God, exhort you: persevere in your concord and in you community prayers.
I am writing to all the Churches and I enjoin all, that I am dying willingly for God's sake, if only you do not prevent it. I beg you, do not do me an untimely kindness. Allow me to be eaten by the beasts, which are my way of reaching to God. I am God's wheat, and I am to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, so that I may become the pure bread of Christ.
Where the bishop is present, there is the Catholic Church
I am God's wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ's pure bread.
I hunger for the bread of God, the flesh of Jesus Christ ...; I long to drink of his blood, the gift of unending love.
Living for Christ is a day-to-day going on with Him. It is a continuous dependence upon the Spirit of God. It is believing in His faithfulness.
The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us. God calls us to His service and places tremendous responsibilitie s on us. He expects no complaining on our part and offers no explanation on His part. God wants to use us as He used His own Son.
Saving faith is resting faith, the trust which relies entirely on the Savior.
When you can't do nothing but pray-you've done a whole lot.
Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is best—better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than His. We can grow in faith only if we are willing to wait patiently for God's purposes and patterns to unfold in our lives, on His timetable.
To exercise faith is to trust that the Lord knows what he is doing with you and that He can accomplish it for your eternal good even though you cannot understand how He can possibly do it...Your Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son love you perfectly.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.