I am God’s wheat
From a letter to the Romans by Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr (d. c. 107)
Saint Ignatius (d. c. 107) was consecrated a bishop by Saint Peter and appointed bishop of Antioch following the death of Evodius, first bishop of the see of Antioch. Ignatius governed for forty years but was arrested under the persecution of Emperor Trajan, condemned to death, and was sent under guard to Rome for execution. The ship he was on traveled along the coast of Asia Minor, then Greece, and finally reached Rome. Wherever the ship touched port, he was greeted by crowds of Christians, but he received ill-treatment by his captors.
He arrived in Rome on December 20, 107. the last day of the public games. He was escorted to the amphitheater and there was killed by lions in the arena. A detailed description of the trip to Rome is provided by Agathopus and a deacon named Philo, who were with him, and who also wrote at his dictation seven letters of instruction to different churches. Knowing he would soon be a martyr, he expresses his willingness to die for Christ. In all the letters, Ignatius gives insights to the structure of the Church, marriage, the Trinity, the Incarnation, Redemption, and the Eucharist, which are among the most important of the earliest Christian writings.
I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by the teeth of wild animals
I am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God if only you do not stand in my way. I plead with you: show me no untimely kindness. Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God. I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ’s pure bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God.
No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire. The time for my birth is close at hand. Forgive me, my brothers. Do not stand in the way of my birth to real life; do not wish me stillborn. My desire is to belong to God. Do not, then, hand me back to the world. Do not try to tempt me with material things. Let me attain pure light. Only on my arrival there can I be fully a human being. Give me the privilege of imitating the passion of my God. If you have him in your heart, you will understand what I wish. You will sympathize with me because you will know what urges me on.
The prince of this world is determined to lay hold of me and to undermine my will which is intent on God. Let none of you here help him; instead show yourselves on my side, which is also God’s side. Do not talk about Jesus Christ as long as you love this world. Do not harbor envious thoughts. And supposing I should see you, if then I should beg you to intervene on my behalf, do not believe what I say. Believe instead what I am now writing to you. For though I am alive as I write to you, still my real desire is to die. My love of this life has been crucified, and there is no yearning in me for any earthly thing. Rather within me is the living water which says deep inside me: “Come to the Father.” I no longer take pleasure in perishable food or in the delights of this world. I want only God’s bread, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, formed of the seed of David, and for drink I crave his blood, which is love that cannot perish.
I am no longer willing to live a merely human life, and you can bring about my wish if you will. Please, then, do me this favor, so that you in turn may meet with equal kindness. Put briefly, this is my request: believe what I am saying to you. Jesus Christ himself will make it clear to you that I am saying the truth. Only truth can come from that mouth by which the Father has truly spoken. Pray for me that I may obtain my desire. I have not written to you as a mere man would, but as one who knows the mind of God. If I am condemned to suffer, I will take it that you wish me well. If my case is postponed, I can only think that you wish me harm.
Source: The Liturgy of the Hours – Office of Readings