St Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, was one of the most influential Church leaders in the 4th century, right after Christianity was officially recognized in the Roman empire. Ambrose battled the Arian heresy and the cruelty of the Roman emperors in order to help the faith survive and be passed down to us. Along with St Augustine, St Gregory the Great, and St Jerome, Ambrose was named one of the original doctors of the Church in 1298, quite an honor, showing his importance in the Early Church. Ambrose was the Bishop of Milan at the time of St Augustine’s conversion to Christianity. They were dear friends, with Ambrose having had considerable influence on Augustine’s journey of faith. Tradition holds that Ambrose baptized Augustine into Christianity. Here is a wonderful quote from St Ambrose: “Let your door stand open to receive Jesus, unlock your soul to Him, offer Him a welcome in your mind, and then you will see the riches of simplicity, the treasures of peace, and the joy of grace. Throw wide the gate of your heart, stand before the sun of the everlasting light.”
The solid rock that Jesus talks about in the Gospel today is reflected in Ambrose, the Early Church Fathers, and the Doctors of the Church who have built upon that strong foundation of Jesus’ words. So many times we can tear down the foundation that Jesus has built. Let us think about how we can build our Advent journey on the holy words we hear in Sacred Scripture each day. Like Ambrose, let us try to build and reinforce, rather than tear down.
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