The Death of Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, April 4, AD 397
ntrusted by Providence with the great task of leading the renowned Augustine of Hippo to Christ and baptizing him into the church, Ambrose of Milan was a model bishop and servant of the Gospel during his lifetime. Commended as one of the greatest of the early church fathers, Ambrose was a statesman turned bishop, a fearless defender of orthodoxy and a studied theologian that each subsequent generation of pastors has learned from greatly.
Ambrose surrounded by his books
Ambrose was born in the province of Gaul, where his father served as the Roman governor there. After the death of his father when he was quite young, Ambrose’s Christian mother moved the family to Rome so that Ambrose might receive the best education available at the time. He was raised to be a skilled poet, orator, and lawyer, in close association with men of the church, and after practicing law in the Roman courts for a time, Ambrose was himself named governor of the entirety of northern Italy, and headquartered in Milan.
A scale model of the ancient Roman city of Trier (Augusta Treverorum), birthplace of Ambrose, in the Roman province of Gaul—note the Roman Circus and Amphitheater as prominent features of the landscape
The Roman province of Gaul as it would have been shortly before the birth of Ambrose
At this time there was a great crisis in Christendom that greatly affected Milan: a schism tearing the church apart between the Nicean Christians and the Arian Christians. The debate centered around the full divinity of Christ and the orthodox understanding of the Trinity, doctrines that years before a man named Arius had challenged. So greatly divided was the church at Milan that they insisted on the irregular practice of maintaining two Bishops, one for each sect. Such an arrangement hardly promoted harmony or the effective administration of the church, but under Ambrose’s civil governorship, the parishioners found at least their temporal well-being cared for to a great degree.
The First Council of Nicea in 325—Arius is pictured condemned at the feet of the Council
A most unexpected calling arose for Ambrose when the Arian Bishop Auxentius died in 374. The city of Milan was divided over who should replace him—if he should be replaced at all—and tensions were high. As governor, Ambrose assembled the people and used his oratorical powers to help forestall violence in the settlement of this dispute. Yet, even while Ambrose was still speaking, a cry from the crowd rose up and turned into a chant: “Let Ambrose be bishop!”
Saint Ambrose in His Study, Spanish, Palencia, ca. 1500—on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY
Ambrose himself had been a noted opponent of the Arian creed in his personal life, yet his fairness and piety in civil matters was so respected that he was universally agreed upon to become the new bishop of a consolidated church of Milan. So it was that the thirty-five-year-old governor, to his great dismay, was elected the city’s pastor by will of the people and a confirming order from the Emperor himself.
A marble portrait of a young Gratian (359-383), future Emperor, who would confirm Ambrose as Bishop
Despite this unplanned calling to ministry, Ambrose diligently set himself to bolster his youthful studies in theology and soon became an incredible preacher and a deft defender of orthodox doctrine. He combatted paganism and heresy with diligence, maintained the independence of the church against civil overreach, and championed morality. He confronted political leaders—even emperors—when necessary, and had to defend his cathedral repeatedly from soldiers sent by the same to bend his theology to their whims. He wrote books, treatises and commentaries on the Bible that are still consulted to this day. He is credited with introducing the tradition of singing hymns into the western church. He modeled for others the pastoral attitude of visiting the sick, providing for the needy and championing the rights of those without representation. Ambrose tended the grand city of Milan as a shepherd.
Ambrose of Milan (339-397) as represented in a mosaic in the church St. Ambrogio in Milan—this might be an actual portrait, made while Ambrose was living
Bishop Ambrose bars Emperor Theodosius I from entering Milan Cathedral. After the ‘Massacre of Thessalonica’ in 390, Bishop Ambrose forbade the emperor from entering and taking communion without first doing public penance, with which Theodosius complied by coming to worship in plain clothes (not his imperial robes) for several months, after which time Ambrose welcomed him back into fellowship and permitted him at the Lord’s Table once again.
Among his flock was a widow who held a great love for him and his teachings. Her name was Monica, and it was her most fervent prayer that her infidel son would come to know Christ. Ambrose prayed with Monica for this wayward son, and in time those prayers were answered—the young man’s name was Augustine. Through Ambrose’s influence and preaching, the skeptical Augustine found himself deeply impressed, sought personal counseling from the bishop and was converted.
The conversion of Augustine
Monica and her son Augustine
Ambrose continued preaching until he fell sick in 397. When distressed friends prayed for his healing, he said, “I have so lived among you that I cannot be ashamed to live longer, but neither do I fear to die; for we have a good Lord.” On Good Friday, April 3, 397, Ambrose lay with his hands extended in the form of the cross, moving his lips in prayer. His friends huddled in sadness and watched. Sometime past midnight their beloved bishop passed to his good Lord.
Image Credits: 1 Mosaic of Ambrose (wikipedia.org) 2 Model of Trier (wikipedia.org) 3 Roman Gaul (wikipedia.org) 4 Council of Nicea (wikipedia.org) 5 Ambrose in his study (wikipedia.org) 6 Young Emperor Gratian (wikipedia.org) 7 Ambrose with his books (wikipedia.org) 8 Ambrose barring Theodosius I (wikipedia.org) 9 Conversion of Augustine (wikipedia.org) 10 Augustine and his mother Monica (wikipedia.org)