Daily Devotion for 17 October 2026 (21st Saturday after Pentecost)

Readings

• Psalm 39
• Psalm 38
• Deuteronomy 15:19—16:22
• Matthew 13:44–58
• Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXI:31–37

Commemoration

Today we commemorate Ignatius of Antioch, Pastor and Martyr. Serving as bishop of Antioch in the beginning of the second century AD, Ignatius was a proponent of orthodox Christian doctrine. Arrested under Emperor Trajan, Ignatius, like Paul, was taken in chains to Rome, where he was executed by being thrown to wild beasts in the arena. In his letters, written on the way to Rome, Ignatius warned against false teachings, encouraged his fellow pastors, emphasized Christ’s full humanity and full deity, defended the real presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper, and stressed the unity of the Church (being the first to use the term “catholic” in describing her). Ignatius left behind a lasting legacy for the Church.