May: Day 28: Saint Ignatius, Bishop of Rostov

May: Day 28:
Saint Ignatius, Bishop of Rostov
 
(The True Way of Life)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Ignatius, whose memory is celebrated today, was a Bishop in Rostov. In his youth he went to a monastery, and for his holy and strictly ascetic life he was first made an archimandrite, and then in 1262 a bishop. Saint Ignatius founded the first Monastery of the Holy Trinity in the Belozersk region, from where the monks, under his leadership, worked to spread Christianity among the Chud and Korelians. Twice he undertook a difficult journey to the Tatar Horde on ecclesiastical matters. In addition, he was distinguished by his peacemaking, averting disastrous princely internecine strife. Saint Ignatius died on May 28, 1288. He was the only Russian saint to become famous for the healing power of his incorrupt remains even before their burial, and therefore was not committed to the earth, since the miracles that occurred during his burial prompted the clergy and people to place the relics of Saint Ignatius openly in the cathedral at the northern gate of the altar, where they rest to this day. A silver reliquary was built for his relics in 1745. In the Chronicle of the 15th century, Saint Ignatius is called "the great Wonderworker"; in the charters of the 16th century he is called "the holy Wonderworker".

II. Christian brethren! Saint Ignatius, glorified by God by the power of miracles, which immediately after his death began to occur through his incorrupt relics, which still rest incorrupt, obviously during his earthly life followed the true path, which led him to God and eternal blessed life with Him. Is this the path we follow?

Just as sometimes even cautious travelers lose their way and then regret their mistake very much, so we too can lose our way. And just as every intelligent traveler pays attention to his road during his journey, whether it is the one he should take; so it is proper for each of us to look around sometime to see if he is on the right path, so that, in case of error, we can immediately try to get back on the right road. Let us look around!

We do not all go to eternity by the same road. People usually divide into two roads: one of these roads leads to a blessed eternity, the other to an unhappy eternity.

a) Jesus Christ said of the road leading to an unhappy eternity that it is "the broad way” ( Matt. 7:13 ). A broad, large, busy road. By this name He wanted to tell us clearly that it is convenient, or easy and pleasant, to walk along this road. Indeed, to satisfy in life all the inclinations of one’s heart is truly somehow easy and pleasant; and therefore it is not surprising that many people walk along this road, as the Lord asserts: “There are many who enter in by the broad way” (Matt. 7:13). Those who walk along this broad, large road usually think that they are smart and happy, and therefore any pious person who does not want to walk along the same road with them is considered a foolish person, and is sometimes laughed at without mercy. But they will not always laugh: the end will show that instead of laughing at others, they should have been inconsolably weeping for themselves.

b) Jesus Christ called the other road “the narrow and strait way” (Matt. 7:14). By this name He also clearly wanted to let us know that this road is restless, unpleasant and difficult to walk. And in fact, as it is easy to become wicked in life, so it is not easy to become virtuous. He who wants to become virtuous must curb his bad inclinations; he must almost constantly stop the evil impulses of his heart, and suffer much from himself; he must be strong in spirit, so as not to look at any tempting examples of people of the worldly or hellish spirit, nor at any mockery of unbelievers, not to yield to any temptations and always firmly adhere to the law of God. This matter is difficult, and often is also painful, just as it is painful for a man when he is crucified; that is why the word of God calls this matter the crucifying of one’s flesh. “Those who are Christ’s,” said the Holy Apostle Paul, “have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).

Since the road to blessed eternity is difficult, very few people go this way. “Few are they that find this way,” said the Lord (Matt. 7:14). Few have so much spirit as to enter into the difficult, though necessary, struggle with the evil inclinations and habits of their hearts and flesh. Only a few are so firm as to be able to withstand the infectious action of evil examples, flattery, unkind and malicious glances, mockery, slander and blasphemy of the world.

III. Brothers and sisters! Which of these two roads are you walking? This question is very important. The Lord said that in His time very many walked the broad, the large road: "There are many who enter in by the broad way" (Matt. 7:13). But the time of Christ is a little different from our times, because the world has always consisted and in our time consists of people who are for the most part not attached to true piety, or are attached very loosely.

So, which way are you going? If you go by the broad way, that is, live as people of the worldly spirit live, then no matter how much you hope for yourself, the end of your road cannot be good. “The broad way is,” as the Lord said, “that which leads to destruction” (Matt. 7:13). Go by the narrow way: it is narrow, unpleasant, difficult, but "leads to life” (Matt. 7:14). Although God patiently awaits the conversion of the sinner and is very merciful when he turns to Him, but He is also an inexorably strict Judge of all who constantly resist His call to repentance and correction.

Go the narrow way, no matter how narrow, how boring and how difficult it is! Zealously work on your salvation, not thinking at all about the lack of strength! He always provides spiritual strength in sufficient measure to all those who work and call upon the Lord for help. 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.