Saint Polycarp Stands Firm

“You have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow. You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears.” 

James 4:14

It is the Feast Day of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna. As I do not know much about him, I decided to read up on him. You know doing these meditations every day is really more for myself than anyone else. That’s what my son said to me once. I then realized that he knew me better than I knew myself. Although I read the Bible every day, and listen to talks about Scripture, I do not remember much, until I think about it and write it down. 

According to Irenaeus, a Bishop, and Tertullian, a Christian author, St. Polycarp was personally discipled by John the Apostle. He was appointed Bishop of  Smyrna (somewhere in Turkey) by some of the original apostles. Because he refused to burn incense in honor of the Roman Emperor, he died a martyr, bound, burned at the stake, and pierced with a spear when the fire did not kill him! Before he died, he said, “I bless you, Father, for judging me worthy of this hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ."

St. Polycarp was a puff of smoke in Christian history, but he made a mark. He left one letter, only one, which he wrote to the Philippians. His letter quotes from all the Books of the New Testament. This is just a fragment of it:

“Stand fast, therefore, in these things, and follow the example of the Lord, being firm and unchangeable in the faith (1 Corinthians 10:1; Jude 3), loving the brotherhood (1 Peter 2:17), and being attached to one another (cf. 1 Peter 3:8), joined together in the truth, exhibiting the meekness of the Lord in your intercourse with one another (cf. 2 Corinthians 10:1), and despising no one. When you can do good, defer it not (Galatians 6:10), because alms delivers from death. Be all of you subject one to another (1 Peter 5:5) “having your conduct blameless among the Gentiles,” (1 Peter 2:12) that you may both receive praise for your good works, and the Lord may not be blasphemed through you. But woe to him by whom the name of the Lord is blasphemed (cf. 2 Peter 2:1-2)! Teach, therefore, sobriety to all, and manifest it also in your own conduct.”

Even if our life is a puff of smoke, let us be, like St. Polycarp, firm and steadfast in the faith!