A martyr’s unintentional lesson can help us in any difficulty

St. Ignatius of Antioch was an Apostolic Father and bishop who was martyred in the year 108 AD in Rome. As he was being transported to the capital for his execution, he was visited by representatives of the Christian communities he passed by. He sent letters to their churches, exhorting them to obey their clergy and adhere to the faith. He also reflected on his impending martyrdom. 

St. Ignatius uses vivid imagery to describe his impending martyrdom and its spiritual meaning. He writes that he desires to be ground by the lions’ teeth so as to be made “purest bread” for Christ. In this, he evokes the Eucharist, the Bread of Life, in a way uniting his own sacrifice to the sacrifice of Christ in the Mass.

He declares he would not trade union with Christ even for being made “monarch of earth’s widest bounds.” This  recalls for us Jesus’ refusal of Satan’s offer of the world’s kingdoms in exchange for worship of him.

St. Ignatius follows in Jesus’ footsteps in rejecting worldly glory, just as he would follow in His footsteps in accepting death.

One image that St. Ignatius uses, though, stands out not only for its immediate power, but for a deeper, perhaps even unintended meaning.

St. Ignatius writes that he considers his chains to be a “collar of spiritual pearls.” While to others his imprisonment and execution may be shameful or humiliating, St. Ignatius considers it an honor to have the opportunity to suffer for the name of Christ. In this he imitates the Apostles, who were “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” of Jesus (Acts 5:41).

We might also think of the crown of thorns, an instrument of suffering that becomes a symbol of glory. 

Yet we can find an even deeper meaning in this image if we consider just what a pearl is, and how it is formed.

As oysters sit on the seabed, occasionally sand gets into their mouths and can damage their tissue. The oyster secretes a fluid that forms around the grains of sand and hardens, protecting the oyster’s mouth from the irritant. In other words: a pearl is essentially a scab.

A pearl is formed in response to suffering, yet out of that suffering something beautiful is made. We can see how this is a fitting sign of martyrdom: In the midst of suffering and death, the witness of the martyrs produces a beautiful monument to the faith. 

We can even apply this in our own lives. Though most of us will not face martyrdom, in our own suffering we have the opportunity to unite that suffering to Christ and let it transform us, uniting us more closely with Christ. Our suffering can be made into something beautiful. No wonder Jesus calls this a “pearl of great price”!