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Living in Louisiana, we get a lot of mosquitos and, subsequently, mosquito hawks too. The latter hover and buzz around the house, hopping across walls and ridding your home of the pesky public enemy #1. Oftentimes, my dog Jackie — a gimp-legged catahoula cur with a severe underbite — will lunge after these mosquito hawks chomping at their tasty little wings and long slender legs. But, when she catches them — I mean *really* gets a hold of one — she doesn’t know what to do with it. She stares at it, licks it once or twice, and moves on to licking her nether-regions.
I submit this as an analogy for my own intellectual activity. Sometimes I feel, much like Jackie, that as soon as I’ve caught an idea, it immediately loses appeal. It’s the freshness, the chase, the uncertainty and adventure of ideas that attracts me. But, when I’ve lost interest, they’re like dead little mosquito hawks still twitching on the rug.
But that’s where the analogy ends.
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I just wanted to post this, partly for my own records, and partly for your benefit (taken from newadvent.org):
Letter of Bishop Ignatius of Antioch to the Philedelphians
Introduction
Ignatius, who is also Theophorus, to the Church of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ which is in Philadelphia, in Asia, to her that hath found mercy and is established in the unity of God, and rejoiceth continually in the suffering of our Lord, and in his resurrection, being fully assured in all mercy, whom I salute in the blood of Jesus Christ, who is an eternal and abiding joy, especially if they be in unity with the bishop, and with the presbyters and deacons who are with him, who have been made manifest according to the will of Jesus Christ, whom his own will hath confirmed and settled by his Holy Spirit.
CHAPTER 1
I have known that your bishop, not of himself nor through men, hath acquired the ministry that belongeth to the common good, nor yet according to vainglory, but by the love of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; at whose modesty I am ashamed; who, though he is silent, hath more power than they who speak vain things; for he is in harmony with the commandments, as the lyre with its strings.
Wherefore my soul deemeth happy his disposition towards God, knowing that it is virtuous and perfect, even his constancy and gentleness in all the moderation of the living God.
CHAPTER 2
Being, therefore, children of light and truth, avoid division and evil teachings; but where the shepherd is, there do ye follow as sheep.
For many wolves, which seem worthy of belief, lead captive by evil pleasure them who were running the godly race. But in your unity they shall find no opportunity.
CHAPTER 3
Abstain from evil herbage, which Jesus Christ doth not cultivate, because it is not the planting of the Father. Not that I have found division among you, but thorough purity.
For as many as are of God and of Jesus Christ, these are with the bishop; and as many as have repented, and have entered into the unity of the Church, these, too, shall be of God, that they may live according to Jesus Christ.
Be not deceived, my brethren; if any one followeth a schismatic, he doth not inherit the kingdom of God; if any man walketh in an alien opinion, he agreeth not with the passion of Christ.
CHAPTER 4
Be diligent, therefore, to use one eucharist, for there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup, for union with his blood; one altar, even as there is one bishop, together with the presbytery and the deacons, who are my fellow-servants, to the end that whatever ye do, ye may do it according unto God.
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