Ingcwele yosuku lukaFebruwari 23: ibali leSan Policarpo

UPolycarp, ubhishophu waseSmirna, umfundi kaSt kunye nomhlobo ka-St. Ignatius wakwa-Antiyokwe, wayeyinkokeli ehloniphekileyo yobu-Kristu ngehafu yokuqala yenkulungwane yesibini.

Ignatius, xa wayesiya eRoma ukuba abulawe, watyelela uPolycarp eSmirna, kwaye kamva wambhalela ileta eTrowa. Iicawa zaseAsia Minor ziye zabamkela ubunkokheli bukaPolycarp ngokumkhetha njengommeli ukuze axoxe noPapa Anicetus umhla wokubhiyozela i-Ista e-Roma, enye yeempikiswano eziphambili kwiCawe yokuqala.

Inye kuphela iileta ezininzi ezibhalwe nguPolycarp ezisindayo, leyo wayibhalela iBandla laseFilipi eMakedoni.

Kuma-86, UPolycarp wasiwa kwibala lemidlalo laseSmirna eligcweleyo ukuze atshiswe ephila. Amalangatye akamenzakalisanga kwaye ekugqibeleni wabulawa ngekrele. Umthetheli-khulu wayalela ukuba kutshiswe umzimba wengcwele. "Izenzo" zokubulawa kukaPolycarp ziingxelo zokuqala ezilondoloziweyo nezithembekileyo zokufa komfeli-nkolo ongumKristu. Usweleke e-155.

Umboniso: UPolycarp waqatshelwa njengenkokeli yamaKristu ngawo onke amaKristu aseAsia Minor, inqaba eyomeleleyo yokholo nokunyaniseka kuYesu Krestu. Amandla akhe avela ekuthembeleni kwakhe kuThixo, kwanaxa izehlo ziphikise le trust. Ukuhlala phakathi kwabahedeni naphantsi korhulumente ochasene nenkolo entsha, wayekhokela kwaye ondle umhlambi wakhe. NjengoMalusi Olungileyo, wanikela ngobomi bakhe ngenxa yezimvu zakhe kwaye wazigcina kude nentshutshiso eSmirna. Wakushwankathela ukuthembela kwakhe kuThixo phambi nje kokuba asweleke: “Bawo… Ndiyakusikelela, ngokundenza ndifanelwe ngumhla nelixa…” (Izenzo Zokubulawelwa ukholo, isahluko 14).