St. Polycarp of Smyrna is a man of steadfast faith. He was a student of St. John the Apostle. Polycarp heard first-hand accounts of the life and Paschal Mystery of Jesus from John, who lived and traveled with him, as he was a student of John. As John fought hard against gnostic heresies, such as Cerinthianism. Obviously, as John’s student, Polycarp became an astute and staunch apologist, fighting against heretics, especially Marcionism. On this matter, Polycarp’s student, St. Irenaeus wrote:
But Polycarp also was not only instructed
by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by
apostles in Asia, appointed bishop of the Church in Smyrna, whom I also saw in
my early youth, for he tarried [on earth] a very long time, and, when a very
old man, gloriously and most nobly suffering martyrdom, departed this life,
having always taught the things which he had learned from the apostles, and
which the Church has handed down, and which alone are true. To these things all
the Asiatic Churches testify, as do also those men who have succeeded Polycarp
down to the present time — a man who was of much greater weight, and a more
steadfast witness of truth, than Valentinus, and Marcion, and the rest of the
heretics. He it was who, coming to Rome in the time of Anicetus caused many to
turn away from the aforesaid heretics to the Church of God, proclaiming that he
had received this one and sole truth from the apostles — that, namely, which is
handed down by the Church. There are also those who heard from him that John,
the disciple of the Lord, going to bathe at Ephesus, and perceiving Cerinthus
within, rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, Let us fly,
lest even the bath-house fall down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth,
is within. And Polycarp himself replied to Marcion, who met him on one
occasion, and said, Do you know me? I do know you, the first-born of Satan.
Such was the horror which the apostles and their disciples had against holding
even verbal communication with any corrupters of the truth; as Paul also says,
A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject;
knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sins, being condemned of
himself. Titus 3:10 There is also a very powerful Epistle of Polycarp written
to the Philippians, from which those who choose to do so, and are anxious about
their salvation, can learn the character of his faith, and the preaching of the
truth. Then, again, the Church in Ephesus, founded by Paul, and having John
remaining among them permanently until the times of Trajan, is a true witness
of the tradition of the apostles. Against Heresies, III-3-4
According to St. Jerome, John ordained Polycarp as the first bishop of the church in Smyrna. And it was when the Roman Empire was aggressively persecuting Christians and destroying churches throughout the Empire. The nascent church of Smyrna, where Polycarp served as bishop, was no exception, in facing the persecution. In the First Reading (Revelation 2:8-11), we see how Jesus encouraged the church of Smyrna, not to let devil has his way but endure the test of suffering in keeping the faith.
As John recorded in his Gospel, from which the First
Reading (John 15:18-21) is drawn, those who follow Jesus are rather expected to
face persecution. Reiterating what he had said about dealing with challenges,
Jesus said:
Remember the word I spoke to you, “No
slave is greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will also
persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will
do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the
one who sent me (John 15:20-21; cf. John 13:16; Matthew
10:22; 24:9; cf. John 8:19).
Through the above words, Jesus makes it clear that
those who had persecuted and killed him could do the same thing to us, because
we are “guilty by association with Jesus” in their eyes.
So what can we learn from St. Polycarp?
The Roman authorities were hunting down Polycarp,
bishop of the church of Smyrna, as they were coming to crack down this church. Though
he could have escaped, he chose to be captured and face whatever the Roman persecutors
would demand on behalf of their emperor. Polycarp was firmly resolved to
respond in the mighty name of Jesus, the Christ.
As his execution drew imminent, a local proconsul demanded
Polycarp swear to revile Christ so that he would let him go. To this Polycarp
said:
For eighty and six years I have been his
servant, and he has done me no wrong. And how can I now blaspheme my king who
saved me?
Then the proconsul threatened Polycarp with a gruesome
consequence of refusing to denounce Christ. He first suggested that Polycarp
would be eaten by wild beasts. To his, Polycarp replied:
Call for them, for we will not be moved
from good to evil.
So proconsul proceeded to
threat Polycarp to be consumed by fire.
But Polycarp remained resolved to keep his faith in
Christ, even though it means to be burned alive in fire. So he said:
You threaten me with fire which burns for
an hour at most; you must not know about the fire of the coming judgment and of
eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. Why are you wasting time? Kill me
in whatever way you see fit.
Just before fire was lit to burn him alive, St. Polycarp
prayed in these words:
O Lord God Almighty, the Father of Your
beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the knowledge of
You, the God of angels and powers, and of every creature, and of the whole race
of the righteous who live before you, I give thanks that You have counted me,
worthy of this day and this hour, that I should have a part in the number of
Thy martyrs, in the cup of thy Christ, to the resurrection of eternal life,
both of soul and body, through the incorruption imparted by the Holy Ghost. Among
whom may I be accepted this day before You as a fat and acceptable sacrifice,
just as You, the ever-truthful God, hast fore-ordained, by reveling it
beforehand to me, and now fulfilling. Because of this I also praise You for all
things, I bless You, I glorify Thee, along with the everlasting and heavenly
Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son, with whom, to You, and the Holy Ghost, be glory
both now and to all coming ages. Amen.
Imagine yourself, as a faithful member of the church
of Smyrna, seeing your beloved bishop, St. Polycarp, facing his persecution
into death, with such an unshakable resolve to keep his faith in Christ. Would you
be ready to become the next martyr or succumb to fear? You would see how mature
and strong your faith is.
As the memorial feast of St. Polycarp, bishop and
martyr, comes during Lent, perhaps, you can see how your Lenten commitment of
prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, are leading you to become more like St.
Polycarp.
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