THE CHURCH FATHER WHO WROTE THIS IN 107 AD AND IT SILENCES EVERY PROTESTANT ARGUMENT
St. Ignatius of Antioch was a student of the Apostle John. He was arrested and sent to Rome to be eaten by lions.
On the way, he wrote seven letters. In 107 AD, within living memory of the Apostles, he wrote:
“Where the bishop is, there let the multitude of believers be; even as where Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church.” (Letter to the Smyrnaeans, 8:2)
This is the first recorded use of the term “Catholic Church” and it comes from a man who personally knew the Apostle who leaned on Jesus’ chest at the Last Supper.
He also wrote:
“Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions… They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ.”
Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The Catholic Church by name. Obedience to bishops in apostolic succession.
107 AD. Not the Council of Trent. Not the Middle Ages.
The next time someone tells you the Catholic Church invented these doctrines centuries later, show them Ignatius.
He wrote this on the way to die for it.
No Human Being Could Have Ever Done This...
The Story of Colombia's Guadalupe In 1754, in the rugged canyon of the Guaitara River in southern Colombia, an indigenous woman named María Mueses was walking with her deaf-mute daughter, Rosa, when a violent storm forced them to seek shelter in a cave.
Suddenly, little Rosa, who had never spoken a word in her life,
cried out:
“The Mestiza is calling me!”
She pointed to the rock wall… and there, glowing on the stone, was the breathtaking image of Our Lady of Las Lajas (Our Lady of the Rocks).
Mary appears as a crowned Queen with mestiza features, tenderly holding the Child Jesus. He extends a rosary cord to St. Dominic, while Mary offers one to St. Francis of Assisi. The figures at the bottom are the saints themselves, kneeling in prayer.
What makes this impossible?
. The image is not painted on the rock, it is inside the rock.
. The colors penetrate several feet deep into the stone.
. Geologists and scientists who have studied it confirm: there is no pigment, no brush strokes, no human materials on the surface.
. The image has remained perfectly preserved for over 270 years, even though it’s in a humid cave.
This is why many call Our Lady of Las Lajas “Colombia’s Guadalupe”,
another acheiropoieta (image made without hands),
a continuation of the miracle that began in Mexico in 1531.
A sign that Heaven is still speaking… especially to the humble, the marginalized, and those the world calls “impossible.”
Our Lady of Las Lajas, pray for us.
One of the most incredible storm damage pictures I’ve ever seen happened this morning in South Dakota. A 131 mph wind gust in the city of Highmore split the roof of the Catholic Church perfectly illuminating the crucifix. This is not AI, it’s been confirmed real by locals. Truly amazing. Credit: Joseph Mat @stormhour
Every morning Saint Francis de Sales recommends meditating on this:
God had no need for you, yet He made you
He made you out of nothing
He did not need you, and you do not add to Him
Yet out of nothing, He made you solely out of Love.
Consider also the times you’ve betrayed God, but specifically how He brought you back when you repented…
Likewise, you betrayed God, but He brought you back
He had no need to bring you back, but He did.
Solely out of His immense love for you, and you in particular
Remember that God loves you.
Clotilde d’Arc, a direct descendant of St. Joan of Arc’s brother Pierre, dressed as St. Joan during the annual celebration of her 1429 victory over the English at Orléans.