St. Ambrose of Milan

• One of the four “Doctors” of the Latin Church; the other three are Sts. Augustine, Jerome, and Gregory the Great.
• A bishop, an ecclesiastical statesman, a theologian and a writer.
• St. Ambrose was born at Trier while his father, also named Ambrose, was administering to the Prefecture of Gaul (ca. between 334 and 340).
• After the premature death of his father, Ambrose arrived together with his mother and two brothers at Rome.
• He devoted himself to studying the law and was appointed governor of the northern section of Italy in

370. Fouryears later,the people of Milan appointed him

as their bishop.

• From the day when St. Ambrose passed over from the ranks of the un-baptized into the Episcopal order, he devoted himself to theological studies so far as his pastoral duties would allow.
• As an exegete, St. Ambrose, like St. Hilary, follows the dominant method of the Alexandrians; as a theologian he depends largely on St. Basil and other contemporary eastern writers. Yet his writings do not always echo the tone of eastern theology.
• He possessed a deep sense of the greatness of the episcopal office and his writings raise a high standard of Christian morality.
• One of the chief glories of him is that St. Augustine ascribed to him his conversion and sought Christian baptism at his hands.
• In the years 385-6, he defended the churches of Milan so stoutly against the intrusion of Arian worship.
• He gave his people hymns composed by himself to sing (hymns in honor of the Trinity) by which their fervor was greatly stimulated. The singing of hymns is described by St. Augustine as extremely moving and is said by him to have been an imitation of eastern customs, and to have been followed generally throughout the Church. Paulinus also observes that at this time, antiphons, hymns, and vigils began to be performed in the Church of Milan, and had spread thence amongst all the churches of the West.
• While returning from Pavia in February of 397, on one of his trips necessitated by his attendance at an Episcopal election, Ambrose fell ill and died in Milan.

1. Expository Works 17

• The Hexaemeron, or commentary on Creation (6 books): It is in a great part a literal translation from St. Basil. St. Augustine was interested by the method of interpretation in which St. Ambrose found a spiritual or mystical meaning latent under the natural or historical.
• The Hexaemeron is followed by de Paradiso,de Cain et Abel (2), de Noe et Arca, de Abraham (2), de Isaac et Anima, de Bono Mortis, de Fuga Saeculi, de Jacob et Beata Vita (2), de Joseph Patriarcha, de Benedictionibus Patriarcharum, de Elia et Jejunio, de Nabuthe Jezraelita, de Tobia, de Interpellatione Job et David (4), Apologia

Prophetae David, Apol. altera ib., Enarrationes in Psalmos (12), Expositio in Ps. cxviii., Expositio Evang. secundum Lucam (10). 18 2. Doctrinal or Didactic Works

• De Officiis Ministrorum (3 books), de Virginibus (3), de Viduis, de Virginitate, Exhoratio Virginitatis, de Lapsu Virginis, Consecratae, de Mysteriis, de Sacramentis (6), de Poenitentia (2), de Fide (5), de Spiritu Sancto (3), de Incarnationis Dominicae Sacramento. 19
• De Officiis is a book addressed to the clergy (imitated from Cicero).
• St. Ambrose’s discourses on virginity became famous, and these discourses, in the third year of his ordination, he digested into three books, de virginibus, which were addressed in their new form to his sister. Besides much praise of Marcellina, they contain the address made to her at her dedication by the bishop of Rome in 353. 3. Occasional Works
• The occasional writings, which are biographically most valuable, are the discourses de Excessu Fratris sui Satyri (2), de Obitu Valentiniani Consolatio, de Obitu Theodosii Oratio, and the Epistles, 91 in number, with Gesta Concilii Aquileiensis inserted amongst them.
• In Of the Holy Spirit he said: O the divine mystery of that cross! Weakness hangs on it, power is freed by it, evil is nailed to it, and triumphal trophies are raised toward it...Do you also crucify sin so that you can die to sin? Those who die to sin live to God. Do you live for Him who didn’t even spare His own Son so that He could crucify our sins in His body? 21