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Isabella Pace wrote: |
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Hi, guys —
I wanted to share a bit about my background and journey.
I'm a 22-year-old female non-Catholic; my parents, one of my younger sisters, and I are Christian. My parents weren't raised in church, so we didn't grow up attending services either.
The only one in my family who has been baptized is my dad; he was baptized at a Baptist Church when he was younger.
My sister and I didn't really develop our faith early on, but we always knew that Jesus died for our sins. As children, we prayed the Sinner's Prayer together to accept Him as our Lord and Savior.
Once I became an adult, I started exploring Christianity more seriously and was a Calvinist for a couple of years. I believed a lot of misconceptions about Catholics based on what I heard from others. However, last year, I came across some incredible online debates featuring Catholic apologists who really opened my eyes.
After that, I decided to study Catholic teachings. I'm no longer a Calvinist, but I find myself questioning which doctrines are true. I'm on the lookout for a church or a Protestant denomination that truly reflects what Jesus taught the Apostles.
Lately, I've been diving into Catholicism, particularly because of its rich history in Christianity. I'm really curious about what the earliest Christians believed, and I would love to learn more about Ignatius of Antioch.
- Do his teachings align with the Apostles, or is there a chance he strayed into heresy?
I apologize for the lengthy introduction. Please keep my family and me in your prayers.
I would greatly appreciate it.
Isabella Pace
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| { Do the teachings of St. Ignatius align with the Apostle's, or could he have strayed into heresy? } |
Eric replied:
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Hi Isabella!
Thanks for writing!
Today is your lucky day, as Saint Ignatius is my favorite Saint, and the one responsible for hooking me on the Church fathers and ultimately bringing me back to the fullness of the Catholic faith.
Yes, he is regarded as orthodox, and his teachings align with the Apostles. All his writings are available online:
His works are treated in part in the excellent book:
You might also consider the book:
I ran across St. Ignatius while reading the book:
I was baptized Catholic, but my family rarely went to church, until the tragic death of my mother when I was 13. Then my dad took me weekly, and coincidentally I launched a search for God, in hopes I would see my mother in the afterlife. But my journey took me into Evangelical Protestantism (this was in Texas, and it saturated the culture), and while I never renounced the Catholic faith, I picked up a lot of misconceptions.
For example, people told me that our belief in the Eucharist (and Purgatory, and this and that) was "invented in the Middle Ages". I wanted to get back to what the "early Christians" believed. A friend gave me Schreck's book in college.
Imagine my astonishment when I read Ignatius of Antioch in 107 A.D. saying:
They abstain from Eucharist (thanksgiving) and prayer, because they allow not that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, which flesh suffered for our sins, and which the Father of His goodness raised up. (Smyrnaeans 6)
Lightfoot, Joseph Barber, and J. R. Harmer, The Apostolic Fathers
(London: Macmillan and Co., 1891), p. 158 |
I have no delight in the food of corruption or in the delights of this life. I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Christ who was of the seed of David; and for a draught [drink] I desire His blood, which is love incorruptible. (Romans 7)
Lightfoot, Joseph Barber, and J. R. Harmer, The Apostolic Fathers
(London: Macmillan and Co., 1891), p. 152 |
Assemble yourselves together in common... breaking one bread, which is the medicine of immortality and the antidote that we should not die but live for ever in Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 20)
Lightfoot, Joseph Barber, and J. R. Harmer, The Apostolic Fathers
(London: Macmillan and Co., 1891), p. 142 |
Medicine of immortality and antidote to death! Strong words! Certainly not compatible with what Evangelicals and Baptists believe today.
He also clearly delineated the three major clerical orders:
- bishop
- presbyter (priest), and
- deacon (which, again, I had been told were "invented" at a much later time).
And we see hints of what ultimately developed into papal infallibility in his introduction to his epistle to the Romans.
Schreck also cited from St. Justin Martyr in this description of the celebration of the Eucharist, which hooked me:
Justin Martyr, Apology, I. 66.
It is allowed to no one else to participate in that food which we call Eucharist except the one who believes that the things taught by us are true, who has been cleansed in the washing unto rebirth and the forgiveness of sins and who is living according to the way Christ handed on to us. For we do not take these things as ordinary bread or ordinary drink. Just as our Savior Jesus Christ was made flesh by the word of God and took on flesh and blood for our salvation, so also were we taught that the food, for which thanksgiving has been made through the word of prayer instituted by him, and from which our blood and flesh are nourished after the change, is the flesh of that Jesus who was made flesh. Indeed, the Apostles, in the records left by them which are called gospels, handed on that it was commanded to them in this manner: Jesus, having taken bread and given thanks said, "Do this in memory of me, this is my body.'" Likewise, having taken the cup and given thanks, he said, "This is my blood"', and he gave it to them alone.
Justin Martyr, Apology, I. 66 |
Then I couldn't get enough of the early Fathers:
But Ignatius will remain my favorite. Soon I returned to the fullness of the Catholic faith.
Feel free to respond with any further questions!
Eric
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Isabella replied:
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Dear Eric,
Thank you so much for your response!
Your answer is extremely helpful to me. That was the one question that I needed answered for me to put my trust in Catholicism. You have helped me to see that the Catholic Church is the Church Jesus Christ established. I will see if I can join OCIA as soon as possible in a Catholic parish near me.
- Do you have any book recommendations that would help me in becoming a convert to the Faith?
I have some books already from Catholic Answers that I just got. I have read one already, I'm currently reading another one. I will also get the books that you recommended to me in your previous response!
Thank you again for your help!
Isabella |
Eric replied:
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Isabella,
The chief book you should read is the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC).
That will give you an intellectual basis for the faith. For learning to live properly as a Christian from a perspective shared by Apostolic churches, I'm going to recommend a book written by a non-Catholic, Pope Shenouda III of the Copts, called:
I know you've been a practicing Christian for a while, so you might find some of it review, but sometimes we have to recalibrate our perspectives, especially coming from a Calvinist background. Another book worth reading is:
If you don't feel comfortable reading a Coptic book then don't miss this Catholic book.
I'd also get myself a copy of the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Old & New Testaments.
Other than that, it depends on your area of interest.
- Do you want stories of other converts?
- Do you want a book to help explain your decision to your Calvinist friends?
- Do you want a book on the Church Fathers and what they had to say about Catholic doctrine?
Someone recently asked me a similar question:
- Which books should a Catholic have in their library? . . . and this was my response:
- Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Old & New Testaments
- Catechism of the Catholic Church or Christ Our Pascha Catechism
- The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis
- Confessions of St. Augustine
- Humility of Heart by Cajetan de Bergamo
- The Life of Repentance And Purity by Pope Shenouda III
- The Ladder of Divine Ascent by John Climacus
- Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales
- Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade
- Way of a Pilgrim by Anonymous
I hope this helps!
Any further questions, let me know!
Eric Ewanco
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