Feast of Saint Polycarp who has a message for the Pope and the Church

 

(colourised using palette.fm)

"Let us, therefore, foresake the vanity of the crowd and their false teachings, and turn back to the Word delivered to us from the beginning."

From the Life of Saint Polycarp

After he had done praying, having made mention of all with whom he had ever met, great and small, noble and obscure, and of the whole Catholic Church throughout the world; when the hour of going forth arrived, they set him on an ass, and led him into the city, it being the day of the great Sabbath. As he went, the Irenarch Herod and his father Nicetes, who were driving forth, happened to meet him, and transferred him into their chariot; and sitting by him argued with him, saying, "What harm is there in saying. Lord Cæsar? and in sacrificing, and so saving your life?" with the other usual sort of arguments. At first he gave them no answer: but on their persevering he only said, "I will not do what you counsel me." So they, when they found their endeavours to persuade him fruitless, railed at him, and pushed him down from the chariot so hastily, that in his descent his shin was laid open. But he, nowise moved, passed on readily and speedily as though he had received no injury, being led by the attendants to the theatre.

As he entered it, though the tumult there was so great that many heard not, a voice came to Polycarp from Heaven, "Be strong, Polycarp, and play the man." Him that spake, not one of us saw; but the voice, those of ourselves who were present heard. On his being led to the tribunal, there was immense clamour at the news that Polycarp had been apprehended. At last, when he was brought near, the Proconsul asked him, if he were Polycarp; and, on his acknowledging it, he began to persuade him to deny the faith, saying, "Compassionate thine years;" and other similar expressions, which it is their wont to use. "Swear by the fortune of Cæsar; think better of the matter; say, Away with the godless men." But Polycarp regarded with a sad countenance the whole multitude of lawless heathen in the theatre; and waving his hand towards them, groaned, and looking up to Heaven said, "Away with the godless men." And when the Governor urged him further, and said, "Swear, and I will dismiss thee; revile Christ;" Polycarp replied; "Eighty and six years have I been his servant, and he hath wronged me in nothing, and how can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour." And on his pressing him again, saying, "Swear by the fortune of Cæsar," Polycarp replied; "If ye vainly suppose that I shall swear by Cæsar's fortune, as ye call it, pretending to be ignorant of my real character, let me tell you plainly, I am a Christian; and if ye wish to hear the Christian doctrine, appoint me a time, and hear me." The Proconsul answered, "Persuade the people." Polycarp replied, "To you I thought it right to give account, for we have been taught to give to rulers and the powers ordained of God such fitting honour as hurteth not our souls; but them I deem not worthy, that I should defend myself before them." The Proconsul said unto him, "I have wild beasts in readiness, to them will I throw thee, if thou wilt not change thy mind." But he said, "Bring them forth then, for the change of mind from better to worse I will never make. From cruelty to righteousness it were good to change." Again he said unto him, "I will have thee consumed by fire, since thou despisest the wild beasts, except thou change thy mind." Polycarp answered; "Thou threatenest me with a fire that burneth for an hour, and is speedily quenched; for thou knowest not of the fire of future judgment and eternal punishment reserved for the ungodly. But why tarriest thou? Bring what thou wilt."

As he spake these and other words, he was filled with confidence and joy, and his countenance was overspread with grace; so that not only was he not overthrown and confounded with what was said to him, but the Proconsul on the contrary was wonderstruck, and sent the herald to proclaim three times in the middle of the Stadium, that Polycarp had confessed himself to be a Christian. When this had been announced by the herald, the whole multitude, both of Gentiles and of Jews, who were settled in Smyrna, shouted with uncontrollable rage, and in a loud voice, "This man is the teacher of all Asia, the father of the Christians, who pulleth down our gods, who teacheth many neither to pay incense nor homage to them." With these words they called upon Philip, the Asiarch, to let out a lion upon Polycarp. But he answered, he could not do that, as the show of wild beasts was concluded. Then it occurred to them with one accord, to demand that he should burn Polycarp alive. For it was necessary that the vision which had been shewn to him upon his pillow should be fulfilled; when he saw it on fire as he prayed, and turned to the believers who were with him, and prophetically declared, "I must needs be burnt alive."

This, therefore, was no sooner said than done, for the multitude collected immediately wood and faggots from the shops and the baths, the Jews especially, as is their wont, being very zealous in assisting to this end. But, when the pile was ready, without any aid he laid aside his garments, and after unloosing his girdle, endeavoured to unbind his sandals too, a thing he had never done before, because that each of the faithful was ever pressing to be the first to touch his person. For he had ever been highly honoured on account of his virtuous conversation, even before his head had grown hoary.

Straightway then they arranged about his person all that was requisite for the pile. But when they were about also to nail him to the stake, he said, "Leave me as I am, for He who giveth me to endure the fire, will also give me power, without the security of your nails, to remain untroubled upon the pile." They forbore, therefore, to nail him, but only bound him with cords. He therefore placed his hands behind him, and being bound to the stake even as the chief ram taken from a large flock, to be a burnt offering acceptable to God, lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "O Lord God Almighty, Father of Thy well-beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have attained to the knowledge of Thee; Thou God of Angels and of Powers, and of every creature, and of the whole generation of the just who live before Thee; I bless Thee that Thou hast accounted me worthy of this day and hour, that I might receive my portion in the number of thy witnesses, and drink of the cup of Thine Anointed, unto the resurrection of both body and soul unto eternal life through the incorruption of the Holy Spirit; amongst which blessed martyrs may I be accepted before Thee this day for a rich and acceptable sacrifice, even as Thou hast foreordained, foreshewn, and now accomplished, the true and unfailing God. For this and for all Thy doings I praise Thee, I bless Thee, I glorify Thee, through the eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ, Thy well-beloved Son, through whom be glory to Thee with Him in the Holy Spirit, both now and for evermore. Amen."