Of the apostolic men who heard directly from the disciples the
truths of faith and transmitted them to us in their writings, we
present, in the first place, St. Ignatius the Martyr. He is said to have
been one of the fortunate children whom Jesus embraced (Mark 10: 13
ff.), though the Apostles wished to drive them away. It is certain that
he was a disciple of the Apostles, and after Evodius succeeded St. Peter
in the See of Antioch. Trajan condemned him to be devoured by wild
beasts in Rome, where he suffered his most glorious martyrdom 20th
December, 108 or 109 of the Christian era.
A guard of ten soldiers escorted him from Antioch to Rome, and he
availed of the time to write several letters, which were preserved as
precious relics by the faithful, and which fortunately we still possess.
In these letters, together with much more that is sacred and wonderful,
we possess the most valuable testimonies to the Eucharist. For
instance, the Saint, in his very famous letter to the faithful in Rome,
declaring his intense desire to die for Jesus Christ, writes: "I care no
longer for corruptible food, nor for the pleasures of this life: I
desire only the bread of God, the bread of heaven, which is the flesh of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born of the race of David and Abraham; I
desire the drink of God, His blood, which is love incorruptible and life
without end." In this passage the Saint alludes plainly to the Divine
words of the great promise: "He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My
Blood hath everlasting life." (John 6: 55.)
The Real Presence of Jesus Christ In The EucharistCardinal Gaetano De Lai