” “An invitation to the unity of the faithful in Christ and within the Church, in tune "with the bishop" and by "generously serving the community and the world". Benedict XVI spoke of this during today’s catechesis, when he lingered on the figure of Saint Ignatius, the third bishop of Antioch from 70 to 107, martyr in Rome, where he was fed to wild beasts in the Flavius Amphitheatre. Benedict XVI spoke of the Christian community of Antioch, where "for the first time the disciples were called Christians", of Saint Ignatius’ travels and letters which exude "the freshness of faith". "No Father of the Church has expressed with the same intensity as Ignatius the aspiration to union with Christ and to life in Him said the Pope -. In fact, two spiritual ‘currents’ are combined in Ignatius: that of Paul, all aiming at the union with Christ, and that of John, focussed on life in Him. In turn these two currents flow into the imitation of Christ, proclaimed on several occasions by Ignatius as ‘my’ or ‘our’ God. Thus Ignatius begs the Christians of Rome not to stop his martyrdom because he is impatient to ‘join Jesus Christ’". The Holy Father explained that "Ignatius’ irresistible tension towards joining Christ founds a veritable ‘mysticism of unity’". (to be continued)” ” ” “
