Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr

Faith is the important thing.  St. Paul is writing about this because at the time there was much debate among Christians about whether a person needed to become Jewish and do everything a Jewish believer did before being baptized a becoming Christian.  St. Paul was obviously in the camp that said that it was not necessary for a Christian to follow the various pious practices (St. Paul called them "works") of the Jewish religion.  That is why he sums up this section of his letter as saying that Jews and Christians will both be justified by faith; that it is by faith that we make it into Heaven.

St. Ignatius of Antioch was a bishop in the early Church.  As he was taken off in chains from Antioch in Syria to Rome, he wrote seven letters to various Christian communities and a brother bishop.  He wrote about many different topics, but it was truly all based on his great faith that God would give him the grace he needed to get him through his trials.  We have wonderful examples for us in St. Paul and St. Ignatius.