Office Of Readings | Week 2, Monday, Ordinary Time | A Reading From The Letter Of Saint Ignatius Of Antioch To The Ephesians | Have Faith And Love For Jesus Christ

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Office Of Readings | Week 2, Monday, Ordinary Time | A Reading From The Letter Of Saint Ignatius Of Antioch To The Ephesians | Have Faith And Love For Jesus Christ

‘Have faith and love for Jesus Christ.’

In this reading from his letter to the Ephesians, Saint Ignatius of Antioch continues his instruction on the Christian life, concentrating on faith, love, and the power of common worship. Writing to a community he knows well, Ignatius encourages regular gathering for prayer and thanksgiving, seeing this as a central defence against spiritual danger.

Ignatius begins with a practical exhortation. When believers meet frequently to praise God, their unity weakens the influence of evil. He understands Christian fellowship not simply as a social activity but as a spiritual reality that brings peace. In his view, peace is the opposite of all conflict, whether visible or unseen, and it is achieved when Christians stand together in faith.

He then identifies faith and love as the two foundations of Christian existence. Faith is described as the beginning of life, and love as its fulfilment. When both are present, the life of God is made visible. Ignatius insists that genuine belief must be expressed in action. Words alone are not enough; a person is recognised as belonging to Christ by what he or she does. This echoes the teaching of Scripture that a tree is known by its fruit.

A significant theme of the passage is the harmony between speech and conduct. Ignatius warns against empty talk and praises the quiet integrity of those who live according to what they teach. He points to Jesus as the true teacher, whose actions revealed the will of the Father even when he was silent. From this he draws the lesson that Christians should allow their lives, as much as their words, to bear witness to the truth.

Ignatius also reminds his readers that nothing is hidden from God. Because the Lord dwells within believers, they are called to live as his temples, acting with awareness of his presence. Holiness, therefore, is not an outward display but a life shaped by inner knowledge of God.

The reading contains a serious warning against false teaching. Just as immoral behaviour leads away from the kingdom of God, so the corruption of true doctrine is equally destructive. Ignatius speaks strongly on this point, reflecting his concern that the faith handed down from the apostles should be protected from distortion.

The reading concludes by returning to Christ. Jesus, anointed by God, brings incorruptible life to the Church. Ignatius urges the Ephesians not to be misled by harmful ideas but to hold fast to the gift they have received. His final words reveal his own commitment: he offers himself in humble service of the cross, which for Christians is the source of salvation and eternal life. The reading is a call to steadfast faith, practical love, and loyal unity within the Church.

A Reading From The Letter Of Saint Ignatius Of Antioch To The Ephesians | Have Faith And Love For Jesus Christ

Try to gather together more frequently to give thanks to God and to praise him. For when you come together frequently, Satan’s powers are undermined, and the destruction he threatens is done away with in the unanimity of your faith. Nothing is better than peace, in which all warfare between heaven and earth is brought to an end.

None of this will escape you if you have perfect faith and love towards Jesus Christ. These are the beginning and the end of life: faith the beginning, love the end. When these two are found together, there is God, and everything else concerning right living follows from them. No one professing faith sins; no one possessing love hates. ‘A tree is known by its fruit.’ So those who profess to belong to Christ will be known by what they do. For the work we are about is not a matter of words here and now, but depends on the power of faith and on being found faithful to the end.

It is better to remain silent and to be than to talk and not be. Teaching is good if the teacher also acts. Now there was one teacher who ‘spoke, and it was made,’ and even what he did in silence is worthy of the Father. He who has the word of Jesus can truly listen also to his silence, in order to be perfect, that he may act through his speech and be known by his silence. Nothing is hidden from the Lord, but even our secrets are close to him. Let us then do everything in the knowledge that he is dwelling within us so that we may be his temples and he may be God within us. He is, and will reveal himself, in our sight, according to the love we bear him in holiness.

‘Make no mistake,’ my brothers: those who corrupt families ‘will not inherit the kingdom of God.’ If those who do these things in accordance with the flesh have died, how much worse will it be if one corrupts through evil doctrine the faith of God for which Jesus was crucified. Such a person, because he is defiled, will depart into the unquenchable fire, as will anyone who listens to him.

For the Lord received anointing on his head in order that he might breathe incorruptibility on the Church. Do not be anointed with the evil odour of the teachings of the prince of this world, do not let him lead you captive away from the life that is set before you. But why is it that we are not all wise when we have received the knowledge of God, which is Jesus Christ? Why do we perish in our stupidity, not knowing the gift the Lord has truly sent us?

My spirit is given over to the humble service of the cross which is a stumbling block to unbelievers but to us salvation and eternal life.

Christian Prayer With Jesus

Lord Jesus Christ,
you gather your people together in faith and love.
Teach us to meet often in prayer and praise,
that our unity may be a sign of your presence among us.

Strengthen our faith as the beginning of our life in you,
and deepen our love as its fulfilment.
Help us to show by our actions
the truth we profess with our lips.

Grant us integrity of heart,
that our words and our deeds may be one.
Make us mindful that you dwell within us,
and shape our lives to be worthy temples of your Spirit.

Protect your Church from error and division,
and keep us faithful to the teaching we have received.
Lead us in the way of peace,
and guide us to the salvation won by your cross.

For you are our hope and our eternal life,
now and forever.
Amen

Glossary Of Christian Terms

Unanimity | Complete agreement in mind and purpose
Faith | Trust in Jesus Christ and acceptance of his truth
Love | Self-giving care for God and for other people
Peace | The harmony that comes from reconciliation with God
Right living | Conduct that reflects the will and teaching of Christ
Fruit | The visible results of a person’s beliefs and actions
Teaching | Instruction in the truths of the Christian faith
Temple | A dwelling place of God, referring to the believer’s life
Holiness | A life set apart for God and shaped by his presence
Doctrine | The body of true Christian teaching
Incorruptibility | The gift of new life that is not subject to decay
Anointing | A sign of being chosen and empowered by God
Cross | The suffering and death of Jesus, source of salvation
Salvation | Deliverance from sin and the gift of eternal life