Tsiku lopatulika la 23 February: nkhani ya San Policarpo

Polycarp, bishopu wa ku Smurna, wophunzira wa St. John the Apostle ndi bwenzi la St. Ignatius waku Antiokeya, anali mtsogoleri wachikhristu wolemekezedwa mkati mwa theka loyamba la zaka za zana lachiwiri.

St. Ignatius, akupita ku Roma kuti akaphedwe, adapita ku Polycarp ku Smurna, ndipo pambuyo pake adamulembera kalata ku Troas. Mipingo yaku Asia Minor yazindikira utsogoleri wa Polycarp pomusankha ngati nthumwi kuti akambirane ndi Papa Anicetus tsiku lokondwerera Isitala ku Roma, chimodzi mwazovuta zazikulu mu Mpingo woyambirira.

Imodzi yokha mwa makalata ambiri omwe Polycarp adalemba ndiomwe amapulumuka, yomwe adalemba ku Tchalitchi cha Filipi ku Makedoniya.

Pa zaka 86, Polycarp anatengeredwa kubwalo lamaseŵera la Simirna lodzaza anthu kuti akawotchedwe amoyo. Malawiwo sanamupweteke ndipo pamapeto pake anaphedwa ndi lupanga. Kenturiyo analamula kuti thupi la woyera liwotchedwe. "Machitidwe" a kuphedwa kwa Polycarp ndi nkhani yoyamba yosungidwa komanso yodalirika yokhudza imfa ya wofera Chikhristu. Adamwalira mu 155.

Chinyezimiro: Polycarp anazindikiridwa ngati mtsogoleri wachikhristu ndi Akhristu onse ku Asia Minor, linga lolimba la chikhulupiriro ndi kukhulupirika kwa Yesu Khristu. Mphamvu zake zinachokera pakudalira kwake Mulungu, ngakhale pamene zochitika zatsutsana ndi chidaliro ichi. Pokhala pakati pa achikunja komanso pansi pa boma losemphana ndi chipembedzo chatsopanocho, amatsogolera ndikudyetsa gulu lake. Monga M'busa Wabwino, adapereka moyo wake chifukwa cha nkhosa zake ndikuzisunga kuti zisazunzidwenso ku Smurna. Iye anafotokoza chidaliro chake mwa Mulungu atatsala pang'ono kumwalira: “Atate… ndikudalitsani chifukwa chondipanga kukhala woyenera tsiku ndi nthawi…” (Machitidwe a Kufera, chaputala 14).