Living in the 4th century A.D., St. Ambrose was bishop of Milan during a tumultuous era of Church history. His road to ordination was an interesting journey. The sudden death of the current bishop of Milan in 374 A.D. left the bishop’s seat open amid the climate of the Arian heresy. Ambrose, an unbaptized believer in Christ and charismatic figure, appealed to all sides of the Arian debate.
Baptized as a Christian in his mid-thirties, Ambrose soon after received the Sacrament of Holy Orders and shepherded the peoples of Milan of the remainder of his life. Today I wish to highlight 3 reasons why I believe St. Ambrose is still relevant to Christians in the 21st century.
“You catch more flies with Honey than you do with vinegar”
There exists a legend within the hagiography of Ambrose which tells of a bizarre encounter with bees. As an infant, it is believed that several bees hovered over the head of the saint. The bees left Ambrose unharmed with honey atop his head. His parents interpreted this as a divine sign and foretelling of his ability to speak eloquently and unite differing factions. For this reason, Ambrose became known as the patron saint of beekeepers and bees.
According to Mike Aquilina in The Fathers of the Church: An Introduction to the First Christian Teachers, “He was unanimously elected bishop, winning the votes of both Arians and the Catholics…an intellectual, he could move the movers and shakers of Latin culture. It was he who finally persuaded the stubborn Augustine to proceed to Baptism” (p. 166). Sweetness and kindness of speech is equally important to proclaiming truth. Ambrose found a balance between charity and truth. As result he was an effective teacher and administrator of the Catholic Church.
St. Ambrose: Model of the Episcopate
Along with Ambrose’s ability to teach truth in a charitable manner, he remained steadfast as a guardian of the teaching of the Catholic Church—one of the most important functions of a bishop! Because of his sweetness of speech, Ambrose built up enough rapport with the secular leaders of his time that when the time came to stand his ground his words packed clout.
Ambrose graciously, but sternly, declined Emperor Valentinian’s invitation to a Church Council that the bishop believed the secular leader had no authority convening. The sainted bishop stated,
And how, O Emperor, are we to settle a matter on which you have already declared your judgment, and have even promulgated laws, so that it is not open to anyone to judge otherwise?…if anything has to be discussed I have learned to discuss it in Church, as those before he did. If a conference is to be held concerning the faith, there ought to be a gathering of bishops, as was done under Constantine, the prince of august memory, who did not promulgate any laws beforehand, but left the decision to the bishops…
In fact, Augustine talks of Ambrose’s influence in Confessions Book VI Chapters 1-8. “The bishop of Milan was at least the guide of the guide of the theology of the West,” stated Thornton (St. Ambrose: His Life, Times, and Teaching p. 125). To put it in modern lingo, St. Ambrose was the Qui-Gon Jinn to Augustine’s Obi-Wan Kenobi!!
In the age of social media, our world needs holy men and women to demonstrate truth in a charitable way. Proclaiming truth without kindness will never convert unbelievers’ hearts. St. Ambrose is a reminder and role model for our society that charitable dialogue is possible.
I need daily reminders to wed truth with charity. Remembering St. Ambrose’s life provides me with a guide on how to interact peacefully in a secular world. The sainted bishop’s ability to network with a myriad of people is another example of how he is still applicable to our society of marketing, social media, and age of internet. The next time I notice a buzzing bee on a summer’s day, I will be reminded of the sweetness of truth exemplified by St. Ambrose!
St. Ambrose Quotes
“Let the Word of God come; let it enter the church; let it become a consuming fire, that it may burn the hay and stubble, and consume whatever is worldly; there is heavy lead of iniquity in many; let it be molten by divine fire; let the gold and silver vessels be made better, in order that understanding and speech, refined by the heat of suffering, may begin to be more precious.”
—St. Ambrose
“Remember, then, that you received a spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of holy fear. Keep safe what you received. God the Father sealed you, Christ the Lord strengthened you and sent the Spirit into your hearts as the pledge of what is to come.”
—St. Ambrose
“It is a better thing to save souls for the Lord than to save treasures.”
—St. Ambrose
Subscribe To Our Weekly Newsletter!
Our weekly email newsletter includes links to our seasonal content so you can stay connected to the Church’s liturgical seasons and find simple ways to celebrate them and grow in holiness.
New York is known as “the city that doesn’t sleep.” There is this constant exhausting energy. Everyone speed-walks like they’re late to a meeting, even though they aren’t. They’re just heading to Blank Street for a matcha latte. One of the biggest struggles of...
Catholic-Link.org is committed to publishing articles and images free from the use of AI. We believe that writing and art should come from the heart of a human soul in order to fully express the truth, beauty, and goodness of God. The Holy Spirit is the divine...
Music has always been a part of my life. Since I was three years old, my mom arranged for a music teacher to teach me how to play the organ. Ever since then, music has been something I need on road trips, at the office, and even in my spiritual life. I’ve realized...
Let’s be honest—when most of us hear the word “miracle,” we tend to picture something dramatic. Blinding light. Instant healing. Maybe a crowd gasping in unison while someone drops their crutches and runs a victory lap. And to be fair, sometimes that’s exactly what...
Many, young and old, feel the call to participate in the Mass by becoming an altar server. Amazing! The following 8 tips will help altar servers grow in their fervor for the Lord and devotion. To help you understand this better, we will use the triple-A battery. I...
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned,like sheep without a shepherd.Then he said to his disciples,“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are...
It had been long enough, so I finally decided to visit my doctor. Random muscle spasms, pain, and fatigue had plagued me for nearly a year, and I had to figure out why…and hopefully fix it. Various AI and internet sources provided some insights, but they couldn’t...
The Sheep Detectives: This charming movie has a deeper theological and moral lesson that the whole family can enjoy. Last month, The Sheep Detectives was released in theaters, and the premise for the movie makes for a typical, fun animal children’s movie. The...
Did you ever think your high school or college relationship would result in marriage? I know I would be lying if I said that I did not think that myself. I might have said publicly, “Young relationships usually don’t last,” but in my heart of hearts, I would dream....
Cultural Catholic Someone recently said to me, “Everyone has their personal prodigal son story.” God works through people, and the timing of that message was perfect. I instantly felt less secluded, less naked, and less alone. Maybe God could indeed forgive me,...
Matthew is a left-handed cradle Catholic who enjoys reading everything Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Chesterton and is also an avid comic book fan. He is married to his wife Jennifer and has four children. Matthew’s favorite saints include Athanasius, Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, Philip Neri and John of the Cross. Discover more of his Catholic content by visiting: thesimplecatholic.blog.
