I hunger for the bread of God, the flesh of Jesus Christ ...; I long to drink of his blood, the gift of unending love.
Interpretation
The quote expresses a deep longing for spiritual connection and divine love through faith.
In this quote, Ignatius Of Antioch conveys an intense desire for a profound relationship with the divine, symbolized by the imagery of consuming bread and wine, which represent the body and blood of Christ in Christian theology. This longing suggests that true fulfillment and love are found in a spiritual communion that transcends earthly experiences, highlighting the significance of faith and divine love in one's life.
In practice
In a sermon about faith, I might use this quote to emphasize the importance of spiritual nourishment.
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 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.
If a man lets all of my dogs sleep in the bed with us, then that is the most romantic thing. You must love my dogs in order to love me. A man who is nice to my animals and doesn't shoo them away - well, that's the height of romance.
How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with LOVE, and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts.
But nothing is so strange when one is in love (and what was this except being in love?) as the complete indifference of other people.
May love fill your heart, compassion guide your mind, faith rule your soul.
I believe that the world was created and approved by love, that it subsists, coheres, and endures by love, and that, insofar as it is redeemable, it can be redeemed only by love.
A woman is more beautiful than the world in which I live; and so I close my eyes.
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