7 December 2019 - St Ambrose and Advent - Reflection by Andrew Bowden - Seminarian

      Today is the feast day of one of the Doctors of the Church, St. Ambrose. St. Ambrose was a bishop in the fourth century. He was well regarded for the care of the poor and for his skills in preaching and handing on the orthodox teaching of the Church. In the Office of Readings for today from the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church presents for our prayerful consideration a letter he wrote. In the letter, Ambrose likens the Church to a ship, “Waves lash at the Church but do not shatter it. Although the elements of this world constantly beat upon the Church with crashing sounds, the Church possesses the safest harbor of salvation for all in distress.” He writes this in the context of encouraging a contemporary bishop to sit at the helm of the ship and guide it in fidelity.

         It can be easy for us today to observe the storm raging around the ship and sometimes even within the ship and to lose heart. We become convinced that the ship will go down and bring us with it. This can seem especially true in light of the scandals that have emerged. However, the waves will not shatter it. Or in the words of our Lord, “The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” The Lord does not say that the powers of darkness will not attempt to steer the ship off course, or try to pull individuals out into the water, into death. Christ does assure us though that within the protection of the Church, evil will not prevail against us. We stand a much greater chance of surviving the storm within the safety of the great ship Christ himself built. 

         However, we must also pray for those who guide the ship on earth, the Holy Father, bishops, pastors, and priests. In the Gospel for today, we hear that Christ’s heart is moved with pity at the sight of the crowds who he likens to sheep without a shepherd. He then commissions the twelve to go out and tend for the flock, his own flock, us. In the Church’s season of Advent, we are reminded too of another reality. The ship we are in has a particular destination in sight. The flock is being led to a particular pasture. This is Heaven, eternal unity with the Triune God. During this season of Advent, may we anticipate the day of the Lord’s birth on earth, look forward to his second coming, and be reminded of where we belong, with God. May we also pray for those whose responsibility it is to help guide us there.