Why does St. Ignatius the Theophorus say, “The Church is the place of the sacrifice (Thysiasterion Θυσιαστήριον)”?

The answer

The main goal of the Church is the salvation of humanity which was accomplished in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. In addition, the goal of the believer is to be crucified together with Christ so that he may be resurrected together with Him and sing, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

You should not, therefore, be astonished to hear St. Ignatius dare to tell Emperor Trajan, that “he desires to offer himself as a sacrifice for the sake of his faith in Christ” and hear him also say, “I wish you give these gifts to those who desire them. I am a priest of My Master Jesus Christ and to Him, I offer a sacrifice every day. I desire to offer myself a sacrifice; the way He offered His life sacrifice out of love for me.”

St. Athanasius the Apostolic says, “For that is the true life, which a man lives in Christ; for although they are dead to the world, yet they dwell as it were in heaven, minding those things which are above, as he who was a lover of such a habitation said, ‘While we walk on earth, our dwelling is in heaven’.”¹⁰⁵⁵

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty