Feast of Saint Ignatius of Antioch

Antioch was the first place that the disciples of Jesus were called Christians. I personally have a nostalgia for Antioch because when I was in high school, I was active in a youth group that hosted a weekend retreat called Antioch. I have such wonderful memories of this particular weekend retreat and made life long friends through this youth group. I wish there was a way for me to describe the feelings that I would leave having on my heart from this weekend. Honestly, there have been several times in my life when I have felt extremely close to God and these weekend retreats always was one of those times.

Saint Ignatius was from Antioch and is most known for the seven letters addressed to Christians and the way that he was martyred by being eaten by two lions in a gladiator stadium. The time right before his death he stated, “I am the wheat of the Lord. I must be ground by the teeth of these beasts to be made the pure bread of Christ.” Saint Ignatius is the patron  saint against throat diseases, Church in eastern Mediterranean; Church in North Africa.

Sending some letters out to family and friends would be a great way to honor this great writer. All Hallow's Eve is right around the corner so you could grab some cute Autumn themed cards to pop into the mailbox! I'm hoping to pick some up later in the week since my schedule has been a little skewed lately. If you aren't big on writing letters, taking another jab at your prayer journal  or some prayerful time working on your planner would be a good idea too.

In honor of Saint Ignatius, we decided to make some Nacho Mac and cheese. As I am sure you have noticed through several other posts, I really enjoy puns and play on words. Children baptized with the name Ignatius in Spanish families are actually called Nacho for short. I would have loved to make some Nachos for dinner but we don't keep chips in the house so Nacho Mac and Cheese was the next best thing. Its super quick and easy and exactly what we needed on this crazy Monday night.

Nacho Mac and Cheese:

1 Box Velveeta 

1 Can Black Beans (Drained)

1 Can Rotel (Drained)

Cilantro and Black pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to boil and add the uncooked noodles and black beans. Allow the noodles to cook to al dente and strain in a colander. Mix the cheese sauce with the black beans and pasta well before adding the Rotel and seasoning. Mix everything together and serve!

Because Saint Ignatius is often depicted by lions, a lion cake or cupcake would be a great treat for your family to end your feast of Ignatius. I would have loved to mix up a little treat tonight but we are going to be eating a lot of sweets this week because Goalie's birthday is fast approaching so i thought it would be better to wait. Maybe I'll just end my evening with a hot cup of tea to warm the throat on these chilly Autumn nights especially since he is also the patron of throat diseases. I have plenty of Pumpkin Chai!

Prayer to Saint Ignatius of Antioch:

Almighty ever-living God, who adorn the sacred body of your Church with the confessions of holy Martyrs, grant, we pray, that, just as the glorious passion of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, which we celebrate today, brought him eternal splendor, so it may be for us unending protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen

Saint Ignatius of Antioch, pray for us!