Christ’s Flesh is the Hinge of our Salvation(REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIMEYEAR I (ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIMEYEAR I (ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH Rom.1:16-25; Lk.19; Luke 11:37-41 Christ’s Flesh is the Hinge of our Salvation Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch. Ignatius emphasized Christ’s fleshy presence on earth even to the point of his death. He did this in defense against Docetism, a heretical school of thought that taught that Christ was not truly man; he only appeared to be man. This false teaching holds that since Christ only appeared to be man, all that he seemly experienced as man such as hunger and pain, were mere fictions. Obviously, this was another way of rejecting Jesus by accusing him of claiming to be who he is not. Ignatius stated emphatically that if Christ did not truly suffer and die for us, we are not truly redeemed. We are redeemed through the paschal mystery of Christ. Again, if Christ did not really come in the flesh, then the Christian martyr’s death is of no gain. Today, Docetism may not...