Subj : February 23rd - St Polycarp To : All From : rich Date : Thu Feb 22 2018 09:07:41 From: rich February 23rd - St Polycarp, Bishop Of Smyrna, Martyr (69 -155 AD), Imagine being able to sit at the feet of the apostles and hear their stories of life with Jesus from their own lips. Imagine walking with those who had walked with Jesus, seen him, and touched him. That was what Polycarp was able to do as a disciple of Saint John the Evangelist. But being part of the 2nd generation of Church leaders had challenges that the first generation could not teach about. What did you do when those eyewitnesses were gone? How do you carry on the correct teachings of Jesus? How do you answer new questions that never came up before? With the apostles gone, heresies sprang up pretending to be true teaching, persecution was strong, and controversies arose over how to celebrate liturgy that Jesus never laid down rules for. Polycarp, as a holy man and bishop of Smyrna, found there was only one answer--to be true to the life of Jesus and imitate that life. Saint Ignatius of Antioch told Polycarp =E2=80=9Cyour mind is grounded in God as on an immova= ble rock.=E2=80=9D When faced with heresy, he showed the =E2=80=9Ccandid face=E2=80=9D that Ig= natius admired and that imitated Jesus' response to the Pharisees. Marcio= n, the leader of the Marcionites who followed a dualistic heresy =E2=80=93 believing their were two gods, a wrathful god of the Hebrew Scriptures and a loving god of the New Testament, confronted Polycarp and demanded respect by saying, =E2=80=9CRecognize us, Polycarp.=E2=80=9D Polyc= arp responded, =E2=80=9CI recognize you, yes, I recognize the son of Satan.=E2= =80=9D On the other hand when faced with Christian disagreements he was all forgiveness and respect. One of the controversies of the time came over the celebration of Easter. The East, where Polycarp was from, celebrated the Passover as the Passion of Christ followed by a Eucharist on the following day. The West celebrated Easter on the Sunday of the week following Passover. When Polycarp went to Rome to discuss the difference with Pope Anicetus, they could not agree on this issue. But they found no difference in their Christian beliefs. And Anicetus asked Polycarp to celebrate the Eucharist in his own papal chapel. Polycarp faced persecution the way Christ did. His own church admired him for following the =E2=80=9Cgospel model=E2=80=9D--not chasing after mar= tyrdom as some did, particularly the Marcionites, but avoiding it until it was God's will as Jesus did. They considered it =E2=80=9Ca sign of love= to desire not to save oneself alone, but to save also all the Christian brothers and sisters.=E2=80=9D One day, during a bloody martyrdom when Christians were attacked by wild animals in the arena, the crowd became so mad that they demanded more blood by crying, =E2=80=9CDown with the atheists; let Polycarp be foun= d.=E2=80=9D (They considered Christians =E2=80=9Catheists=E2=80=9D because they didn=E2= =80=99t believe in their pantheon of gods.) Since Polycarp was not only known as a leader but as someone holy =E2=80=9Ceven before his grey hair appeared=E2=80=9D, t= his was a horrible demand. Polycarp was calm but others persuaded him to leave the city and hide at a nearby farm. He spent his time in prayer for people he knew and for the Church. During his prayer he saw a vision of his pillow turned to fire and announced to his friends that the dream meant he would be burned alive. As the search closed in, he moved to another farm, but the police discovered he was there by torturing two boys. He had a little warning since he was upstairs in the house but he decided to stay, saying, =E2=80=9CGod's will be done.=E2=80=9D Then he went downstairs, talked to his captors and fed them a meal. All he asked of them was that they give him an hour to pray. He spent two hours praying for everyone he had every known and for the Church, =E2=80=9Cremembering all who had at any time come his way--small folk and great folk, distinguished and undistinguished, and the whole Catholic Church throughout the world.=E2=80=9D Many of his captors started to wonder why they were arresting this holy, 86-year-old bishop. But that didn't stop them from taking him into the arena on the Sabbath. As he entered the arena, the crowd roared like the animals they cheered. Those around Polycarp heard a voice from heaven above the crowd, =E2=80=9CBe brave, Polycarp, and act like a man.=E2=80=9D The proconsul begged the 86-year-old bishop to give in because of his age. =E2=80=9CSay =E2=80=98Away with the atheists'=E2=80=9D the proconsul u= rged. Polycarp calmly turned to the face the crowd, looked straight at them, and said, =E2=80=9CAway with the atheists.=E2=80=9D The proconsul continued to = plead with him. When he asked Polycarp to swear by Caesar to save himself, Polycarp answered, =E2=80=9CIf you imagine that I will swear by Caesar, you= do not know who I am. Let me tell you plainly, I am a Christian.=E2=80=9D Finally, when all else failed the proconsul reminded Polycarp that he would be thrown to the wild animals unless he changed his mind. Polycarp answered, =E2=80=9CChange of mind from better to worse is not a change allowed to us.=E2=80=9D Because of Polycarp's lack of fear, the proconsul told him he would= be burned alive but Polycarp knew that the fire that burned for an hour was better than eternal fire. When he was tied up to be burned, Polycarp prayed, =E2=80=9CLord God Almigh= ty, Father of your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have received knowledge of You, God of angels and powers, of the whole creation and of the whole race of the righteous who live in your sight, I bless you, for having made me worthy of this day and hour, I bless you, because I may have a part, along with the martyrs, in the chalice of your Christ, to resurrection in eternal life, resurrection both of soul and body in the incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit. May I be received today, as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, among those who are in Your presence, as You have prepared and foretold and fulfilled, God Who is faithful and true. For this and for all benefits I praise You, I bless You, I glorify You, through the eternal and heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, through Whom be to You with Him and the Holy Spirit glory, now and for all the ages to come. Amen.=E2=80=9D The fire was lit as Polycarp said Amen and then the eyewitnesses who reported said they saw a miracle. The fire burst up in an arch around Polycarp, the flames surrounding him like sails, and instead of being burned he seemed to glow like bread baking, or gold being melted in a furnace. When the captors saw he wasn't being burned, they stabbed him. The blood that flowed put the fire out. The proconsul wouldn't let the Christians have the body because he = was afraid they would worship Polycarp. The witnesses reported this with scorn for the lack of understanding of Christian faith: =E2=80=9CThey did n= ot know that we can never abandon the innocent Christ who suffered on behalf of sinners for the salvation of those in this world.=E2=80=9D After = the body was burned, they stole the bones in order to celebrate the memory of his martyrdom and prepare others for persecution. The date was about February 23, 155. Saint Quote: =E2=80=9CStand fast, therefore, in this conduct and follow the example of t= he Lord, =E2=80=98firm and unchangeable in faith, lovers of the brotherhood, loving each other, united in truth,' helping each other with the mildness of the Lord, despising no man.=E2=80=9D =E2=80=93 Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians Bible Quote This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do the things that I command you. (John 15:12-14) <><><><> A Prayer For One's Family. O Jesus, our Lord and our brother! We recommend our family and all that is ours to your protection; we confide all to your love. Fill our house with blessings, even as you filled the holy house of Nazareth with your presence; before all else, keep sin far from it. Do you alone reign by your law, by your most holy love, and by the exercise of every Christian virtue. Let all of us obey you, love you, and study how to copy in our own lives your example, that of Mary your Mother, and that of your blameless guardian, St, Joseph. Keep all evils and misfortunes far from us and our house, but grant that we may be ever in harmony with your divine will, even in the sorrows which you send to us. Finally, grant us the grace to live in perfect harmony and in the fullness of charity toward our neighbor. Grant that every one of us may deserve by a holy life the comfort of your holy sacraments at the hour of death. Amen. --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .