St. Ambrose was an exceptional, and in many ways, unique saint. This can be seen in the way he became a bishop. While a believer, he wasn’t even baptized when the people said they wanted him to become the next bishop of Milan. They saw in him a man of integrity, a man of character, and believed that if he were their bishop, that he would be a good pastor. Within a week of being chosen, he was baptized, ordained, and elevated into the bishopric. And, despite his lack of significant theological education, he was able to be a worthwhile bishop by taking the time to study as he shepherded the people of Milan. He read from the best theological writers, taking interest especially in the works of the Greek Fathers, and used them by translating and adapting them for his homilies. This meant his theological style and methodology came, in large part, from Origen, especially in relation to Scriptural interpretation, as the Greek theological tradition, even from those critical of Origen’s speculative thought, took on much of what he initiated and used it in theological debates, apologetics, and Biblical interpretation. Ambrose saw Origen, and those who followed after him, provided what he needed to make Scripture relevant to everyone: instead of focusing mostly on the literal level, which often had apparent contradictions in it, he focused on the moral (and theological) ramifications of the text, accepting that the text itself was often meant to be taken allegorically when used to preach the faith. As an example of this, we can see what he said about Noah and how Noah was able to save himself (and his family) from the flood. He suggested we take the flood to be an allegory representing our inordinate passions or desires which seek to overwhelm us, with the Ark representing the justice which we need to act upon if we are to get through the flood unscathed:
Thus the greatest cure in this flood is that you prefer justice and choose it as the fulfilment of heavenly commands. What is justice in us if not the acuity of the soul, which encloses inside the Ark every kind of living being that is above the earth? Thus you too should restrain all your irrational passions and subject all your senses to the mind and accustom them to the ordinances of the soul. Do not allow your desires to fly outside, nor your lust to go out in public: thus, through your rational mind you will be able to free even your irrational parts and your unclean sins from every peril of the flood.[1]
Ambrose was concerned with justice, as his conflict with Theodosius demonstrates: Theodosius had ordered a massacre of thousands of citizens in Thessalonica after one of his generals had been killed in a riot which occurred there. Ambrose would not allow Theodosius to receive communion in Milan until he had repented. While, like everyone else, he had his failings, it was clear to everyone Ambrose sought after justice, and lived what he preached. He might, and did, get some notions of justice wrong (as can be seen in the way he didn’t think a synagogue should be rebuilt after a mob destroyed it), and so we should not whitewash him, making it appear he was perfect, for he was not, but it was his desire for justice, he desire to live out justice as he saw it and not be a hypocrite, is why the people loved him.
Ambrose was always seeking the higher way of life, telling Christians they needed to consider their eternal destination more than there mere temporal existence (without, of course, denying the value of temporal existence itself). He often told Christians to consider the implications of what they did, showing how he followed Jesus, who often preached similarly:
And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, `What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, `I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, `Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Lk. 12:16-21 RSV).
Ambrose would have us consider the implications of what we do, not just temporally, but eternally. While we should take care of our temporal needs, we must also consider what we will need for eternity, and so focus on “eternal rewards” over mere earthly ones. This, he thought, would help people to pursue proper justice: they would follow what reason suggested instead of being simply led by their passions. It is easy to give into desire, to see doing so is good because of the immediate reward we receive, but even if we find some joy, some good in it, we must use our reason to consider the long-term implications of what we do. When we do so, we will be able to transcend our inordinate desires, those temptations which would lead us astray. That is, desire itself is not the problem; desire shows us some good for us to want; the problem that our desire often has us seek after a very limited, transitory good in a way which has us ignore other, more important goods, leading us unbalanced. The unintended consequences, the pain and suffering we create, both for ourselves, and others, demonstrates the kind of evil which can emerge when we seek only the limited good at the expense of the holistic good. Paul, of course, emphasized that point in his writings:
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart (Eph. 5:15-19 RSV).
Ambrose, in his pastoral preaching, often followed with what Paul said here, telling us that our faith will often give us the means to discern the greater good. As a pastor, he lived what he preached. What he said inspired many, among them being St. Augustine, who, through Ambrose’ guidance, would be able to find a way to overcome the difficulties he had with the Christian faith and become one of the greatest thinkers of Christian history. Ambrose did not look to be original in what he said (though we can find his adaptation of the texts he used showed originality), as much as he sought to be authentic, to teach the best he could, to use the best resources he could, and he knew he couldn’t do so if he didn’t teach by example and live what he taught It is something which all of us, especially those of us who study and discuss theological and spiritual concerns, should all strive to imitate.
[1] St. Ambrose, “On Noah” in Treatises on Noah and David. Trans. Brian P. Dunkle, SJ (Washington, DC: CUA Press, 2020), 47.
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