(c.69-c.155) Polycarp was a disciple of Saint John the Apostle, a bishop in Smyrna, modern-day Turkey, a friend of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, and teacher of Saint Irenaeus of Lyon. He was an effective evangelist and prophetic teacher who gave a genuine witness to the apostolic tradition. At 86 years old, Polycarp was executed in a stadium for being a Christian and persuading others not to sacrifice to pagan gods. The executors tried to burn him alive, and when the flames did not harm him, he was stabbed with a dagger.
Polycarp called the immoral to repentance. He considered heretics, those who spread false doctrine, the firstborn of Satan. In recovery, we find our daily reprieve in surrender to God. Once we have experienced freedom, we want to share our hope. To do this effectively, we learn, and when spreading the message, we stay faithful to our predecessors. How do you study in order to share a strong and true message of Christ or of recovery?
“You threaten me with a fire that burns for a season, and after a little while is quenched; but you are ignorant of the fire of everlasting punishment that is prepared for the wicked” (Saint Polycarp).
Reflection by Brad Farmer