October 2, 2002 - "Saint Ambrose"

I am continuing this series introducing to you the Doctors of the Church.  Today I want to talk about Saint Ambrose (339-397).  In 374 Auxentius, the bishop of Milan, had died.  This left the local church bitterly divided between quarreling parties of Orthodox and Arian Christians.  Each faction wanted their candidate to be chosen as the next bishop of Milan.  Ambrose who was serving as the provincial governor went to the basilica to exhort those gathered there to come to a peaceful solution.  Suddenly a voice rose up in the crowd, “Ambrose for bishop.” Ambrose was horrified.  Ambrose had been born into the high Roman nobility in Trier (modern day Germany) but grew up in Rome.  He received a good education and learned Greek well.  His family was Christian.  But like many of the time he was not baptized.  Those gathered in the basilica that fateful day were impressed by his noble rank and his reputation for justice.  Ambrose acquiesced to their demand and, in the space of a week, he was baptized, confirmed, ordained a priest, and then a bishop.  This was a remarkable turn of events—the likes of which we would not see today.
 
Since Ambrose, as a new bishop had little theological education, he was tutored by a learned priest named Simplicianus.  Under this careful instruction Ambrose quickly mastered the Bible, Greek Fathers of the Church (particularly Origen of Alexandria).  He also studied Neoplatonic philosophy and the writings of a famous Jewish exegete, Philo of Alexandria.  Ambrose himself admitted at one point, “I began to teach what I had not myself learnt.  I had to be learning and teaching at the same time” (On Duties I.4).
 
For the remaining twenty-three  years of his life Ambrose devoted himself to the service of the Church.  Three times in his life he directly challenged the emperor and defended the rights of the Church or reprimanded the Emperor for his immoral behavior.  On one occasion he exclaimed: “The Emperor is within the Church, not above it.” 
 
The writings of Ambrose are extensive.  He wrote a Hexameron on the six days of creation (influenced by an earlier work of St. Basil the Great on the same topic), preached on the Old Testament patriarchs (sermons that St. Augustine probably heard), and wrote on the Gospel of Luke, making use of Origen’s writings.  Ambrose’s double set of post-baptismal instructions, On the Mysteries and On the Sacraments, treat baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist and have a clear doctrine of Eucharistic change. Ambrose also disputed with Symmachus over the Altar of Victory in the Roman Senate.  He encouraged monasticism for both men and women and wrote several works on virginity.  He also composed hymns in which came to be called “Ambrosian meter,” eight syllable lines with four lines to a stanza.

Ambrose took his work as a bishop very seriously.  He gave away all his property, adopted an austere way and strenuous habit of prayer, and immersed himself in the study of Scripture and theology.  He became the protector of the poor and oversaw the preparations of catechumens and the training of the clergy.  He was responsible for many conversions to Christianity.  Perhaps the most famous one would be Saint Augustine.
 
Let me close this column with these thoughts of Pope Benedict when he talked about St. Ambrose in a Wednesday catechesis:
“Like the Apostle John, Bishop Ambrose—who never tired of saying ‘Omnia Christus est nobis! To us Christ is all!’—continues to be genuine witness of the Lord.  Like this, let us conclude our catechesis with his same words, full of love for Jesus:  ‘Omnia Christus est nobis!  If you have a wound to heal, he is the doctor; if you are parched by fever, he is the spring; if you are oppressed by injustice, he is justice; if you are in need of help, he is strength; if you fear death, he is life; if you desire Heaven, he is the way; if you are in darkness, he is light…. Taste and see how good is the Lord: blessed is the man who hopes in him?’ Let us also hope in Christ.  We shall thus be blessed and shall live in peace.”
 
Until next week,
Fr. John