For St. Polycarp's Feast Day

[Brigid]

Last Earthly Prayer of St. Polycarp

“O Lord God Almighty, the Father of Your beloved and blessed Son, Jesus Christ, By whom we have received the knowledge of You, the God of angels and powers, and of every creature, and of the whole race of the righteous who live before You, I give You thanks that You have counted me worthy of his day and this hour, that I should be counted in the number of Your martyrs, in the cup of Your Christ, to the resurrection of eternal life, both of soul and body, through the incorruption given by the Holy Spirit.   Among them may I be accepted this day before You as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, as You, the ever-truthful God, have foreordained, have revealed beforehand to me, and now have fulfilled, I praise You for all things, I bless You, I glorify You, along with the everlasting and heavenly Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son; with Him, to You and the Holy Spirit, be glory now and forever.   Amen.”

He was at least 86 when he was burned at the stake for refusing to burn incense to the Roman Emperor. He had been a student of St. John who made him a bishop and taught St. Irenaeus. He was also a close friend of St. Ignatius. He, with St. Clement and St. Ignatius, are known as the three major Apostolic Fathers. When his final pursuers were tracking him and while it was still possible to escape, he refused and went to meet them. He was very friendly to them and had food brought to them.

[Consecrated one]

That is so moving and inspiring.  I am in awe.
Thank you for sharing a bit of St. Polycarp with us today

I want to be just like Him!

[Brigid]

That is so moving and inspiring.  I am in awe.
Thank you for sharing a bit of St. Polycarp with us today

I want to be just like Him!

Me, too!

[Shin]

God really loved him.. to give him a martyr's crown as such old age..  :'( 

[Consecrated one]

Truly, so very beautiful and inspiring!

[Shin]

“O Lord God Almighty, the Father of Your beloved and blessed Son, Jesus Christ, By whom we have received the knowledge of You, the God of angels and powers, and of every creature, and of the whole race of the righteous who live before You, I give You thanks that You have counted me worthy of his day and this hour, that I should be counted in the number of Your martyrs, in the cup of Your Christ, to the resurrection of eternal life, both of soul and body, through the incorruption given by the Holy Spirit.   Among them may I be accepted this day before You as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, as You, the ever-truthful God, have foreordained, have revealed beforehand to me, and now have fulfilled, I praise You for all things, I bless You, I glorify You, along with the everlasting and heavenly Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son; with Him, to You and the Holy Spirit, be glory now and forever.   Amen.”

Amen Amen!

    'Stand fast, therefore, in this conduct and follow the example of the Lord, "firm 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.'

 - Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians

    When the pyre was ready, Polycarp took off all his outer clothes and loosened his under-garments. There and then he was surrounded by the material for the pyre. Whey they tried to fasten him also with nails, he said, “Leave me as I am. The one who gives me the strength to endure the fire will also give me strength to stay quite still on the pyre, even without the precaution of your nails.” So they did not fix him to the pyre with nails, but only fastened him instead.

    Looking up to heaven, he said, “Lord, almighty God, Father of your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom have come to the knowledge of yourself, God of angels, of powers, of all creation, of all the race of saints who live in your sight, I bless you for judging me worthy of this day, this hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ, your anointed one, and so rise again to eternal life in soul and body through the power of the Holy Spirit.

    “I praise you for all things, I bless you, I glorify you through the eternal priest of heaven, Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. Through him by glory to you, together with him and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.”

    When he had said, “Amen” and finished the prayer, the officials at the pyre lit it. But, when a great flame burst out, those of us privileged to see it witnessed a strange and wonderful thing. Like a ship’s sail swelling in the wind, the flame became as it were a dome encircling the martyr’s body. Surrounded by the fire, his body was like bread that is baked, or gold and silver white-hot in a furnace, not like flesh that has been burnt. So sweet a fragrance came to us that it was like that of burning incense or some other costly and sweet-smelling gum.

- from a letter by the Church of Smyrna on the martyrdom of Saint Polycarp

[Brigid]

    “I praise you for all things, I bless you, I glorify you through the eternal priest of heaven, Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. Through him by glory to you, together with him and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.”

Amen!

[CyrilSebastian]

Saint Ignatius of Antioch told Polycarp "your mind is grounded in God as on an immovable rock."

[Shin]

S. Ignatius, ora pro nobis!

 

[CyrilSebastian]

Polycarp visited Rome to discuss the differences that existed between Asia and Rome.   
One topic was about the time of the Easter celebrations.

[CyrilSebastian]

Some scholars attribute the pastoral epistles - the biblical bools 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and the Epistle to Titus - to Polycarp.