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For when he heard that this manner of punishment awaited him, he said, "May I have joy of those beasts." For such are those who love; whatever they suffer for their beloved, they receive with pleasure, and then they seem to be sated with their desire, when the things that happen are much harsher; which is what also happened in his case. For he was eager to emulate the apostles not only in death, but also in his zeal; and hearing that they departed with joy after being scourged, he himself wished to imitate his teachers not only in his end, but also in his joy; for this reason, he said, "May I have joy of the beasts." And he considered their mouths to be much tamer than the tongue of the tyrant, and very reasonably so; for the one called to Gehenna, while the mouths of these escorted to the kingdom. Since therefore he ended his life there, or rather, since he ascended to heaven, he then returned as one crowned with a victor's wreath. For this too was part of God's dispensation, to bring him back to us again, and to distribute the martyr among the cities. For that city received his dripping blood, but you have been honored with his remains; you enjoyed his episcopate, they enjoyed his martyrdom; they saw him competing and conquering and being crowned, you have him forever; God took him from you for a short time, and bestowed him upon you with greater glory. And just as those who borrow money pay back with interest what they receive, so also God, having borrowed this precious treasure from you for a short time, and having shown it to that city, has returned him to you with greater splendor.

For you sent forth a bishop, and you received back a martyr; you sent him forth with prayers, and you received him back with crowns; and not you alone, but also all the cities in between. For how do you think they felt, seeing his remains being brought back? how much pleasure they reaped? how much they exulted? with how many acclamations from every side they assailed the crowned one? For just as when a noble athlete has thrown all his opponents and comes forth from the arena with splendid glory, the spectators immediately receive him, not even allowing him to set foot on the ground, but carrying him home on their shoulders and showering him with countless praises; so indeed then did the cities, receiving that holy one in succession from Rome, and carrying him on their shoulders all the way to this city, escort him, praising the crowned victor, hymning the judge of the contest, laughing the devil to scorn, because his trick was turned against him, and what he thought to do against the martyr, this turned out for his benefit. And then indeed he benefited and restored all those cities; and from that time even until the present day he enriches your 50.595 city; and like a perpetual treasure, though drawn from every day, and never failing, makes all who partake of it wealthier; so indeed also this blessed Ignatius sends home those who come to him, filled with blessings, confidence, a noble spirit, and great courage. Therefore, let us go to him not only today, but every day, gathering spiritual fruits from him. For it is possible, it is possible for one who comes here with faith to reap great blessings; for not only the bodies, but even the very tombs of the saints are filled with spiritual grace. For if this happened in the time of Elisha, and a dead man, having touched the sepulcher, broke the bonds of death and returned to life again, how much more now, when grace is more abundant, when the working of the Spirit is greater, is it possible for one who touches a sepulcher with faith to draw great power from it. For this reason also God has left us the relics of the saints, wishing to lead us to the same zeal as theirs, and to provide a kind of harbor and a safe consolation from the evils that continually overtake us. Wherefore I exhort you all, whether anyone is in despair, or in sickness, or in afflictions, or in any other circumstance of life, or 50.596 in the depth of sins, with

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Ἀκούσας γὰρ ὅτι οὗτος αὐτὸν τῆς τιμωρίας ὁ τρόπος μένει, Ἐγὼ τῶν θηρίων ἐκείνων ὀναίμην, ἔλεγεν. Τοιοῦτοι γὰρ οἱ ἐρῶντες· ὅπερ ἂν πάσχωσιν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐρωμένων, μεθ' ἡδονῆς δέχονται, καὶ τότε δοκοῦσιν ἐμφορεῖσθαι τῆς ἐπιθυμίας, ὅταν πολλῷ χαλεπώτερα ᾖ τὰ γινόμενα· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ τούτου συνέβαινεν. Οὐ γὰρ τῷ θανάτῳ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ προθυμίᾳ ζηλῶσαι τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἔσπευδε· καὶ ἀκούων ὅτι μαστιχθέντες ἐκεῖνοι μετὰ χαρᾶς ἀνεχώρουν, ἐβουλήθη καὶ αὐτὸς μὴ τῇ τελευτῇ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ χαρᾷ μιμήσασθαι τοὺς διδασκάλους· διὰ τοῦτο, Τῶν θηρίων, ἔλεγεν, ὀναίμην. Καὶ πολλῷ τού των ἡμερώτερα τὰ στόματα ἐνόμιζεν εἶναι τῆς τοῦ τυράννου γλώττης, καὶ μάλα εἰκότως· ἐκείνη μὲν γὰρ πρὸς τὴν γέενναν ἐκάλει, τὰ δὲ τούτων στόματα πρὸς βασιλείαν παρέπεμπεν. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν κατέλυσεν ἐκεῖ τὴν ζωὴν, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνέβη, ἐπανῄει στεφανίτης λοιπόν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ γέγονεν οἰκονομίας, τὸ πάλιν αὐτὸν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐπαναγαγεῖν, καὶ ταῖς πόλεσι διανεῖμαι τὸν μάρτυρα. Ἐκείνη μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῦ στάζον τὸ αἷμα ἐδέξατο, ὑμεῖς δὲ τῷ λειψάνῳ τετίμησθε· ἀπηλαύσατε τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ὑμεῖς, ἀπήλαυσαν ἐκεῖνοι τοῦ μαρτυρίου· εἶδον ἀγωνιζό μενον καὶ νικῶντα καὶ στεφανούμενον ἐκεῖνοι, ἔχετε διηνεκῶς αὐτὸν ὑμεῖς· ὀλίγον ὑμῶν αὐτὸν χρόνον ἀπέ στησεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ μετὰ πλείονος ὑμῖν δόξης αὐτὸν ἐχα ρίσατο. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ δανειζόμενοι χρήματα μετὰ τόκων ἀποδιδόασιν ἅπερ ἂν λάβωσιν· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τὸν τίμιον τοῦτον θησαυρὸν παρ' ὑμῶν ὀλίγον χρησάμε νος χρόνον, καὶ τῇ πόλει δείξας ἐκείνῃ, μετὰ πλείονος ὑμῖν αὐτὸν ἀποδέδωκε τῆς λαμπρότητος.

Ἐξεπέμψατε γὰρ ἐπίσκοπον, καὶ ἐδέξασθε μάρτυρα· ἐξεπέμψατε μετ' εὐχῶν, καὶ ἐδέξασθε μετὰ στεφάνων· καὶ οὐχ ὑμεῖς δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ἐν μέσῳ πόλεις. Πῶς γὰρ αὐτὰς οἴεσθε διακεῖσθαι ὁρώσας ἐπαναγόμενον τὸ λείψανον; πόσην καρποῦσθαι ἡδονήν; πόσον ἀγάλλεσθαι; πόσαις εὐφημίαις πάντοθεν βάλλειν τὸν στεφανίτην; Καθάπερ γὰρ ἀθλητὴν γενναῖον τοὺς ἀνταγωνιστὰς καταπαλαίσαν τα ἅπαντας, καὶ μετὰ λαμπρᾶς ἐξελθόντα δόξης ἀπὸ τοῦ σκάμματος, εὐθέως δεχόμενοι οἱ θεαταὶ, οὐδ' ἐπιβῆναι τῆς γῆς ἀφίασι, φοράδην ἀπάγοντες οἴκαδε, καὶ μυρίοις βάλλοντες ἐγκωμίοις· οὕτω δὴ καὶ τὸν ἅγιον τότε ἐκεῖνον ἀπὸ τῆς Ῥώμης αἱ πόλεις ἑξῆς διαδεχόμεναι, καὶ ἐπ' ὤμων φέρουσαι μέχρι τῆς πόλεως ταύτης παρέπεμπον ἐγκωμιάζουσαι τὸν στεφανίτην, ἀνυμνοῦσαι τὸν ἀγωνο θέτην, καταγελῶσαι τοῦ διαβόλου, ὅτι εἰς τὸ ἐναντίον αὐτῷ περιετράπη τὸ σόφισμα, καὶ ὅπερ ἐνόμισε κατὰ τοῦ μάρτυρος ποιεῖν, τοῦτο ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ γέγονε. Καὶ τότε μὲν τὰς πόλεις ἁπάσας ἐκείνας ὤνησε καὶ ἀνώρθω σεν· ἐξ ἐκείνου δὲ καὶ μέχρι τῆς παρούσης τὴν ὑμετέραν 50.595 πλουτίζει πόλιν· καὶ καθάπερ θησαυρὸς διηνεκὴς, καθ' ἑκάστην ἀντλούμενος τὴν ἡμέραν, καὶ οὐκ ἐπιλείπων, ἅπαντας τοὺς μετέχοντας εὐπορωτέρους ποιεῖ· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ μακάριος οὗτος Ἰγνάτιος τοὺς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐρχο μένους εὐλογιῶν, παῤῥησίας, γενναίου φρονήματος, καὶ πολλῆς ἀνδρείας πληρῶν οἴκαδε ἀποπέμπει. Μὴ τοίνυν σήμερον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν πρὸς αὐτὸν βαδίζωμεν, πνευματικοὺς ἐξ αὐτοῦ δρεπόμενοι καρπούς. Ἔστι γὰρ, ἔστι τὸν μετὰ πίστεως ἐνταῦθα παραγινόμενον μεγάλα καρπώσασθαι ἀγαθά· οὐδὲ γὰρ τὰ σώματα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐταὶ αἱ θῆκαι τῶν ἁγίων πνευματικῆς εἰσι πεπληρωμέναι χάριτος. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ Ἐλισσαίου τοῦτο συνέβαινε, καὶ θήκης νεκρὸς ἁψάμενος τοῦ θανάτου τὰ δεσμὰ διέῤῥηξε, καὶ πρὸς ζωὴν ἐπανῆλθε πάλιν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον νῦν, ὅτε δαψιλεστέρα ἡ χάρις, ὅτε πλείων ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνέργεια, ἔστι καὶ θήκης μετὰ πίστεως ἁψάμενον πολ λὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἐπισπάσαθαι δύναμιν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὰ λείψανα τῶν ἁγίων εἴασεν ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς, βουλόμενος ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὸν αὐτὸν ἐκείνοις χειραγωγῆσαι ζῆλον, καὶ λιμένα τινὰ παρασχεῖν καὶ παραμύθιον ἀσφαλὲς τῶν ἀεὶ καταλαμβανόντων ἡμᾶς κακῶν. ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ πάν τας ὑμᾶς, εἴτε ἐν ἀθυμίᾳ τίς ἐστιν, εἴτε ἐν νόσοις, εἴτε ἐν ἐπηρείαις, εἴτε ἐν ἄλλῃ τινὶ βιωτικῇ περιστάσει, εἴτε 50.596 ἐν ἁμαρτιῶν βάθει, μετὰ