Tag: Ignatius of Antioch

St. Ignatius on the Nativity: Abolition of Death, Re-creation of the World

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Five days before the Nativity of Christ, the Orthodox Church celebrates the great hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer of Antioch. As he was traveling to Rome to be torn apart by lions, he wrote six epistles to Christians who met with him along the way, as well as an additional one sent ahead to the Roman Christians. Among these epistles is one sent to the…

Christmas is About Death

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
In 1980, my great-grandfather Fred Isleib died on Christmas day at the age of 83. I was five years old and too small to remember being able to feel sad. I scarcely remember even impressions of him. I do remember a little about his funeral, mainly running and jumping between the gravestones where his remains were placed. But the idea of losing someone on…

Do Orthodox Christians Have Jesus in Their Hearts?

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Sunday of the Canaanite Woman, February 14, 2016 II Corinthians 6:16b-18, 7:1; Matthew 15:21-28 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. “You are a temple of the living God, even as God has said: ‘I will dwell in them, and walk among them; and I will be their…

Christmas Means War

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Sunday before the Nativity, December 20, 2015 Hebrews 11:9-10, 32-40; Matthew 1:1-15 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Here we are, just five days before Christmas. It’s the Sunday before. And there’s always a lot this time of year talking about the “true meaning of Christmas,” the…

St. Ignatius of Antioch and the “Upstairs/Downstairs Church”

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
The following is an excerpt from a series of lectures I am soon going to deliver on St. Ignatius of Antioch. Men of flesh cannot act spiritually, nor can spiritual men act in a fleshly way, just as faith cannot perform deeds of unfaith or unfaith those of faith. But what you do in relation to the flesh is spiritual, for you do everything…

Voice from Antioch

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
In honor of the feast of St. Ignatius of Antioch today, I’m reposting links to all the parts of my podcast series, Voice from Antioch: An Ignatian Catechism, which covers major themes in Orthodox Christianity from the writings of the third bishop of Antioch and great hieromartyr of the early Church. Happy feast! I. Martyrdom: Part 1, Part 2 II. Salvation in Christ: Part…