Friday, 1 February, 2008
FIRST FRIDAY
ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH, Bishop, Martyr (III)
"Like St. Polycarp, Ignatius, the Bishop of Antioch, was a disciple of St. John the Apostle. His letters are precious documents for our Faith. He was sent in chains to Rome and, when condemned to the wild beasts, exclaimed: 'I am the wheat of Christ; may I be ground by the fangs of wild beasts and become agreeable to my Lord!' A.D. 110."

Collect: Look down upon our weakness, almighty God; and since the weight of our own deeds bears us down, may the intercession of blesses Ignatius, Thy Bishop and Martyr, protect us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who livest and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.
Epistle: From Bl. Paul the Apostle to the Romans. 8:35-39.
Gospel: Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. John, 12:24-26.



Remarks are abstracted from The Daily Missal and Liturgical Manual, from Editio Typica of the Roman Missal and Breviary, 1962
(Baronius Press Limited, London, 2004, in conjunction with the Fraternal Society of St. Peter, www.baroniuspress.com)