I challenge you to read the following three quotes slowly and multiple times before you continue with the remainder of this column. Please, take your time, for it is important that you hear and digest these words and sentences.

"I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the Bread of God, which is the Flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for drink I desire His Blood, which is love incorruptible."

"Those, indeed, who belong to God and to Jesus Christ --- they are with the bishop. And those who repent and come to the unity of the Church --- they too shall be of God, and will be living according to Jesus Christ. Do not err, my brethren: if anyone follow a schismatic, he will not inherit the Kingdom of God. If any man walk about with strange doctrine, he cannot lie down with the passion. Take care, then, to use one Eucharist, so that whatever you do, you do according to God: for there is one Flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup in the union of His Blood; one altar, as there is one bishop with the presbytery and my fellow servants, the deacons."

"You must all follow the bishop as Jesus Christ follows the Father, and the presbytery as you would the Apostles. Reverence the deacons as you would the command of God. Let no one do anything of concern to the Church without the bishop. Let that be considered a valid Eucharist which is celebrated by the bishop, or by one whom he appoints. Wherever the bishop appears, let the people be there; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."

These three quotes do not come from the Bible. Yet, they clearly reflect the teaching of Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. These quotes come from a Christian convert who studied at the feet of Saint John the Apostle. This man was born in Syria some time between 30 and 37 AD. He became the second successor to Saint Peter as the bishop of Antioch. Because he refused to deny his Christian faith and worship the Roman gods, he was condemned to death by the Roman Emperor Trajan. Some time between the year 107 and 110 AD, during his death march from Antioch to Rome, he wrote seven letters: six of them to the Christian communities of Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Rome, Philadelphia, and Smyrna, and the seventh to Bishop Polycarp of Smyrna. He was martyred for his Catholic faith in the amphitheater in Rome. His death was gruesome: he was torn to piece by wild beasts. Yet, he welcomed his own martyrdom; because he knew it would bring him closer to Jesus. Who was this faithful Catholic Christian who died for his God? His name was Saint Ignatius of Antioch; and he was one of the Early Church Fathers.

Our Sunday Visitor Catholic Encyclopedia calls the Early Church Fathers towering intellects of the early centuries of the Church, whose writings, sermons, and holy lives influenced dramatically the definition, defense, and propagation of the faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that these early century teachers and writers are witnesses to the Tradition of the Church.

These teachers, writers, and defenders of the Catholic Christian faith spanned the period between the second half of the 1st century and the first half of the 8th century. Every Christian, down through the centuries to this very day, whether they know it or not, are forever indebted to these early Catholic teachers, preachers, and writers for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Do me this favor; re-read the three quotes at the top of this column.

Why do you think Saint Ignatius wrote these words and sentences? Why do you think he felt it important to clarify what Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium of the Church had been teaching for seventy plus years?

Here's why. Jesus Christ revealed his complete gospel to the apostles. They in turn passed it on to their followers. As the gospel is passed on, followers raise questions, false teachers and dissenters gain audiences, and clarification and a deeper understanding is needed. The Holy Spirit, guardian of the Church and its teaching, uses faithful disciples, writers, and teachers to open up the Christian mind to the full meaning of the gospel. Let's turn to the words found in the Vatican II document Dei Verbum (8), "As the centuries succeed one another, the Church constantly moves forward toward the fullness of divine truth until the words of God reach their complete fulfillment in her."

The Early Fathers clarified hundreds of Church teachings on such topics as the Bible, Tradition, the Magisterium, the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), the Church, the Primacy of Peter, Mary, the saints, sin, grace, angels, creation, virtues, faith, hope, charity, salvation, the Eucharist, merit, the Sacraments, the Mass, indulgences, heaven, hell, purgatory, the end of the world, and final judgment.

I recommend several volumes of work to learn more about the Early Church Fathers and their thoughts on specific Catholic dogma and teaching: The faith of the Early Fathers by William A. Jurgens and published by The Liturgical Press; The Faith of Our Fathers by James Cardinal Gibbons and published by Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. William Jurgens' work comes in three volumes. I find volume 1 the most valuable of the three. It covers the period up to the 380s AD. You can also go to www.newadvent.com to learn more about the Early Fathers and their teachings and writings.

You only have to read the three quotes from Saint Ignatius to realize that the Early Church Fathers were preaching the same Catholic Church we recognize today.

For more insight read CCC paragraphs 11, 77-78, 96, 688. Also, pull out your "Catholic" Bible and reference 1 Cor 11:1-2; Col 3:16; 2 Thes 2:15; 2 Thes 3:6; 1 Tim 3:15.