Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr

15Because of this, and hearing of your faith that is in the Lord Jesus, and of your love toward all the saints, 16I have not ceased giving thanks for you, calling you to mind in my prayers, 17so that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give a spirit of wisdom and of revelation to you, in knowledge of him. 18May the eyes of your heart be illuminated, so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and the wealth of the glory of his inheritance with the saints, 19and the preeminent magnitude of his virtue toward us, toward we who believe in accord with the work of his powerful virtue, 20which he wrought in Christ, raising him from the dead and establishing him at his right hand in the heavens, 21above every principality and power and virtue and dominion, and above every name that is given, not only in this age, but even in the future age. 22And he has subjected all things under his feet, and he has made him the head over the entire Church, 23which is his body and which is the fullness of him who accomplishes everything in everyone.

2O Lord, our Lord, how admirable is your name throughout all the earth! For your magnificence is elevated above the heavens.

3Out of the mouths of babes and infants, you have perfected praise, because of your enemies, so that you may destroy the enemy and the revenger.

4For I will behold your heavens, the works of your fingers: the moon and the stars, which you have founded.

5What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you visit him?

6You reduced him to a little less than the Angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor,

7and you have set him over the works of your hands.

8But I say to you: Everyone who will have confessed me before men, the Son of man will also confess him before the Angels of God. 9But everyone who will have denied me before men, he will be denied before the Angels of God. 10And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven of him. But of him who will have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. 11And when they will lead you to the synagogues, and to magistrates and authorities, do not choose to be worried about how or what you will answer, or about what you might say. 12For the Holy Spirit will teach you, in the same hour, what you must say.”