Saint Ambrose, bishop of Milan, Doctor of the Church

1. SAINT AMBROSE OF MILAN

2. Aurelius Ambrose was born in Augusta
Treverorum (today's Trier, in Rhineland-
Palatinate, in Germany), in Gallia
Belgica, where his father was a prefect
of the praetorium of Gaul, in 339-340
in a Roman family of senatorial rank
belonging to the prestigious gens
Aurelia, whose maternal family also
belonged to the Simmaci branch

3. Ambrose’s family had already been converted to
Christianity for several generations (he himself used
to proudly mention his relative Santa Sotere, martyr);
a sister of his and a brother of his, Marcellina
(consecrated to God in the hands of Pope Liberius in
353) and Satyr of Milan, were then venerated as saints

4. Destined for an
administrative career in
the footsteps of his father,
after his premature death
he attended the best
schools in Rome, where he
completed the traditional
studies of the trivium and
quadrivium (he learned
Greek and studied law,
literature and rhetoric),
then actively participating
in public life of the city

5. After five years of
advocacy exercised
at Sirmium (today's
Sremska Mitrovica,
in Serbia), in
Inferior Pannonia,

6. in 370 he was
appointed governor
of Italia Annonaria
for the Roman
province Aemilia et
Liguria, based in
Milan, where he
became a figure
prominent in the
court of Emperor
Valentinian I

7. the people were
protesting for the
designation of the new
bishop. Ambrose, was
trying to calm them.
He went to the church,
where suddenly there
was heard the voice of a
child shouting «Ambrose
for bishop!». All the
crowd chanted the same
in one unanimous voice .

8. The Milanese wanted
a Catholic as their new
bishop instead of an
Arian. However, Ambrose
decidedly refused the
assignment, feeling
unprepared:
As was customary in
some Christian families
at the time, he had not
yet received baptism, nor
had he studied theology

9. The people appealed to the authority of the emperor Flavius Valentinian, and got
him nominated. Within seven days he was baptized in the baptistery of Santo
Stefano alle Fonti in Milan and, on 7 December 374, he was ordained bishop.

10. He adopted an ascetic
style of life, and
bestowed his goods
to the poor.
He was a man of great
charity, he always kept
his door open, tirelessly
striving for the good of
citizens entrusted
to his care

11. His wisdom in
preaching and his
prestige were
decisive for the
conversion to
Christianity of Saint
Augustine, in 386.
He had come to
Milan to study and
teach rhetoric.
He left the
Manichaean heresy

12. He had various basilicas built - the basilica of San Nazaro (on the decumanus, near the Porta Romana,
at the time it was the Basilica Apostolorum), - the basilica of San Simpliciano, known as the basilica of
the virgins, - the basilica of Sant'Ambrogio (in the south-west, it was originally called the Basilica
Martyrum as it housed the bodies of the martyr saints Gervasius and Protasius found by Ambrose himself;
today it houses the remains of the saint) - and the basilica of San Dionigi (Basilica Prophetarum)

13. Ambrose's opposition
to the Arians was so
energetic that he
“occupied” the
the basilica intended
for the Arians, with
the catholic faithful,
until the other
party was forced
to give way.

14. Ambrose introduced the custom of antiphonal singing
and prayer sung in the form of a hymn, with the aim of
keeping the faithful who occupied the basilica vigilant

15. Ambrose was the author of several hymns for prayer, carrying out
fundamental reforms in worship and sacred singing, which
he was the first to introduce into the Christian liturgy

16. Saint Ambrose started in liturgical chant new poetic compositions in
verses, which are sung by all the participants in the rite, in alternating
choirs, normally between women and men, but in other cases
between young and old or even between children and adults

17. His hymns are all eight verses with octosyllabic lines. He saw in this number the
resurrection of Christ, the newness of Christianity and eternal life (octava dies,
the eighth day of the week, i.e. the new day, in which the era of Christ begins

18. The discovery of the bodies of Saints Gervasius and Protasus, which took place
in 386, was also decisive for Ambrose's victory in the dispute with the Arians.

19. He clashed with his own cousin, Senator Quintus Aurelius Symmachus,
over "official" paganism. He was asking for the restoration of the altar
and the statue of the goddess Vittoria (removed by the Roman
Curia, seat of the Senate, following an edict by Gratian in 382)

20. Byzantine historians accredited this attitude to him as parrhesia (παρρησία),
frankness and truth in the face of the powerful and political power

21. In 390 he harshly criticized the emperor, who had ordered
a massacre of the population of Thessalonica, guilty of
having lynched the head of the Roman garrison of the city

22. Theodosius
publicly
admitted the
excess and on
Christmas
night of that
year, he was
readmitted
to the
sacraments.

23. In 393 Milan was involved in the power
struggle between Emperor Theodosius I
and the usurper Flavius Eugenius.
In April Eugene crossed the Alps and set
out to conquer the city, as the capital of
the West. Ambrose left and went to
retire to Bologna. During a temporary
stay in Faenza he wrote a letter to
Eugenio. Then he accepted the invitation
of the community of Florence, where he
remained for about a year. The war for
control of the empire was won by
Theodosius. In the autumn of 394
Ambrose returned to Milan

24. he was buried
inside the basilica
that still bears his
name, among the
remains of the
martyrs Gervasio
and Protasio.
His remains, found
under the altar in
1864, were
transferred to a
silver and crystal
urn placed in the
crypt of the
basilica

26. Due to his sweet and measured style of his speech and his prose, Ambrose was
defined as "sweet as honey" and therefore a beehive appears among his attributes

27. He wrote works of morality and theology in which
he thoroughly fought the doctrinal errors of his time;
he was also a supporter of the primacy of honor of the
bishop of Rome, against other bishops (including Palladio)

28. More than half of his
writings are devoted to
biblical exegesis. He found
figures of Christ or
examples of moral virtues
in the patriarchs and
biblical characters

29. «Drink therefore both the cups, of the Old and of the New Testament,
because in both you drink Christ. [...] Divine Scripture is drunk, divine
Scripture is devoured, when the juice of the eternal word descends
into the veins of the mind and into the energies of the soul.

30. Works of
Sant'Ambrose
commentary
on the Gospel
of Luke
(Expositio
evangelii
secundum
Lucam)

31. and the Exameron (from the Greek
"six days“collects, in six books,
nine homilies concerning
the first chapters of Genesis
from the creation of heaven
until the creation of man.
It highlights moral teachings
derived from nature, from animal
behavior and from the
properties of plants;
Man is necessarily linked with
all creation not only biologically
and physical, but also
morally and spiritually.

32. the De officiis
ministrirum stands
out (sometimes
abbreviated to
De officiis), a
treatise on the
Christian life
addressed in
particular to
the clergy

33. Five other works are dedicated to virginity,
"Really worthy of mourning is the condition that requires a woman, in
order to get married, to be auctioned off as a sort of slave to be sold,
so that whoever offers the highest price will buy her" (De virginibus, I, 9, 56)

34. Ambrose welcomed the civil values of Roman times with the
intention of giving them new meaning within the Christian
religion. In Esamerone he exalts the republican institution

35. «The Earth was created as a
common good for all, for the rich
and the poor: why, rich people,
do you assume an exclusive right
to the soil? [...]-You [rich] don't
give what is yours to the poor
[when you give charity], but you
give him back; for it is common
property, which has been given
to all, you alone use.”

36. the only
competent
court to be
consulted was
the Catholic
Church which,
thanks to
Ambrose,
became the
state and
dominant
religion

37. His veneration for
Mary stems from the
role attributed to her
in the history
of salvation.
Mary is in fact the
mother of Christ, and
therefore a model for
all believers who, like
her, are called to
"beget" Christ

38. Ambrose’s legacy is
mainly outlined starting
from his pastoral
activity:
-the preaching of the
Word of God according
to the doctrine of the
Catholic church,
-attention to social
justice issues,
-the reception of
immigrant people
-the denunciation
of errors in civil
and political life

39. He introduced into the Western Church many elements drawn from
Eastern liturgies, especially chants and hymns. - of the Ambrosian Rite,
which survived the unification of the rites and the constitution of the
single Roman rite desired by Pope Gregory I and the Council of Trent

41. LIST OF PRESENTATIONS IN ENGLISH
Revised 1-11-2022
Advent and Christmas – time of hope and peace
All Souls Day
Amoris Laetitia – ch 1 – In the Light of the Word
Amoris Laetitia – ch 2 – The Experiences and Challenges of Families
Amoris Laetitia – ch 3 - Looking to Jesus, the Vocation of the Family
Amoris Laetitia – ch 4 - Love in Marriage
Amoris Laetitia – ch 5 – Love made Fruitfuol
Amoris Laetitia – ch 6 – Some Pastoral Perspectives
Amoris Laetitia – ch 7 – Towards a better education of children
Amoris Laetitia – ch 8 – Accompanying, discerning and integrating
weaknwss
Amoris Laetitia – ch 9 – The Spirituality of Marriage and the Family
Beloved Amazon 1ª – A Social Dream
Beloved Amazon 2 - A Cultural Dream
Beloved Amazon 3 – An Ecological Dream
Beloved Amazon 4 - An Ecclesiastical Dream
Carnival
Conscience
Christ is Alive
Fatima, History of the Apparitiions
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 1 – Church and Family today
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 2 - God’s plan for the family
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 1 – family as a Community
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 2 – serving life and education
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 3 – mission of the family in society
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 4 - Family in the Church
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 4 Pastoral familiar
Football in Spain
Freedom
Grace and Justification
Haurietis aquas – devotion to the Sacred Heart by Pius XII
Holidays and Holy Days
Holy Spirit
Holy Week – drawings for children
Holy Week – glmjpses of the last hours of JC
Human Community
Inauguration of President Donald Trump
Juno explores Jupiter
Kingdom of Christ
Saint Leo the Great
Saint Luke, evangelist
Saint Margaret, Queen of Scotland
Saint Maria Goretti
Saint Mary Magdalen
Saint Mark, evangelist
Saint Martha, Mary and Lazarus
Saint Martin de Porres
Saint Martin of Tours
Sain Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
Saint Maximilian Kolbe
Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta
Saints Nazario and Celso
Saint John Chrysostom
Saint Jean Baptiste MarieaVianney, Curé of Ars
Saint John N. Neumann, bishop of Philadelphia
Saint John of the Cross
Saint Mother Teresa of Calcuta
Saint Patrick and Ireland
Saing Peter Claver
Saint Robert Bellarmine
Saint Therese of Lisieux
Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
Saints Zachary and Elizabeth, parents of John Baptist
Signs of hope
Sunday – day of the Lord
Thanksgiving – History and Customs
The Body, the cult – (Eucharist)
The Chursh, Mother and Teacher
Valentine
Vocation to Beatitude
Virgin of Guadalupe – Apparitions
Virgin of the Pillar and Hispaniic feast day
Virgin of Sheshan, China
Vocation – mconnor@legionaries.org
WMoFamilies Rome 2022 – festval of families
Way of the Cross – drawings for children
For commentaries – email –
mflynn@legionaries.org
Fb – Martin M Flynn
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Laudato si 1 – care for the common home
Laudato si 2 – Gospel of creation
Laudato si 3 – Human roots of the ecological crisis
Laudato si 4 – integral ecology
Laudato si 5 – lines of approach and action
Laudato si 6 – Education y Ecological Spirituality
Life in Christ
Love and Marriage 12,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
Lumen Fidei – ch 1,2,3,4
Mary – Doctrine and dogmas
Mary in the bible
Martyrs of Korea
Martyrs of North America and Canada
Medjugore Santuario Mariano
Merit and Holiness
Misericordiae Vultus in English
Moral Law
Morality of Human Acts
Passions
Pope Francis in Bahrain
Pope Francis in Thailand
Pope Francis in Japan
Pope Francis in Sweden
Pope Francis in Hungary, Slovaquia
Pope Francis in America
Pope Francis in the WYD in Poland 2016
Passions
Querida Amazonia
Resurrection of Jesus Christ –according to the
Gospels
Russian Revolution and Communismo 1,2,3
Saint Agatha, virgin and martyr
Saint Albert the Great
Saint Andrew, Apostle
Saint Anthony of Padua
Saint Bruno, fuunder of the Carthusians
Saaint Columbanus 1,2
Saint Charles Borromeo
Saint Cecilia
Saint Faustina Kowalska and thee divine mercy
Saint Francis de Sales
Saint Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis Xaviour
Saint Ignatius of Loyola
Saint James, apostle
Saint John N. Neumann, bishop of Philadelphia
Saint John Paul II, Karol Wojtyla
Saint Joseph

42. LISTA DE PRESENTACIONES EN ESPAÑOL
Revisado 1-11-2022
Abuelos
Adviento y Navidad, tiempo de esperanza
Amor y Matrimonio 1 - 9
Amoris Laetitia – ch 1 – A la luz de la Palabre
Amoris Laetitia – ch 2 – Realidad y Desafíos de las Familias
Amoris Laetitia – ch 3 La mirada puesta en Jesús: Vocación de la
Familia
Amoris Laetitia – ch 4 - El Amor en el Matrimonio
Amoris Laetitia – ch 5 – Amor que se vuelve fecundo
Amoris Laetitia – ch 6 – Algunas Perspectivas Pastorales
Amoris Laetitia – ch 7 – Fortalecer la educacion de los hijos
Amoris Laetitia – ch 8 – Acompañar, discernir e integrar la fragilidad
Amoris Laetitia – ch 9 – Espiritualidad Matrimonial y Familiar
Carnaval
Conciencia
Cristo Vive
Dia de todos los difuntos
Domingo – día del Señor
El camino de la cruz de JC en dibujos para niños
El Cuerpo, el culto – (eucarisía)
Encuentro Mundial de Familias Roma 2022 – festival de las familias
Espíritu Santo
Fatima – Historia de las apariciones
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 1 – iglesia y familia hoy
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 2 - el plan de Dios para la familia
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 1 – familia como comunidad
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 2 – servicio a la vida y educación
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 3 – misión de la familia en la sociedad
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 4 - participación de la familia en la
iglesia
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 4 Pastoral familiar
Fátima – Historia de las Apariciones de la Virgen
Feria de Sevilla
Haurietis aquas – el culto al Sagrado Corazón
Hermandades y cofradías
Hispanidad
La Iglesia, Madre y Maestra
La Comunidad Humana
La Vida en Cristo
San José, obrero, marido, padre
San Juan Ma Vianney, Curé de’Ars
San Juan Crisostom
San Juan de la Cruz
San Juan N. Neumann, obispo de Philadelphia
San Juan Pablo II, Karol Wojtyla
San Leon Magno
San Lucas, evangelista
San Mateo, Apóstol y Evangelista
San Martin de Porres
San Martin de Tours
San Mateo, Apostol y Evangelista
San Maximiliano Kolbe
Santa Teresa de Calcuta
Santos Marta, Maria, y Lazaro
Santos Simon y Judaa Tadeo, aposttoles
San Nazario e Celso
San Padre Pio de Pietralcina
San Patricio e Irlanda
San Pedro Claver
San Roberto Belarmino
Santiago Apóstol
Santos Zacarias e Isabel, padres de Juan Bautista
Semana santa – Vistas de las últimas horas de JC
Vacaciones Cristianas
Valentín
Vida en Cristo
Virgen de Guadalupe, Mexico
Virgen de Pilar – fiesta de la hispanidad
Virgen de Sheshan, China
Virtud
Vocación a la bienaventuranza
Vocación – www.vocación.org
Vocación a evangelizar
Para comentarios – email –
mflynn@lcegionaries.org
fb – martin m. flynn
Donations to - BANCO - 03069 INTESA SANPAOLO
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IT61Q0306909606100000139493
Laudato si 1 – cuidado del hogar común
Laudato si 2 – evangelio de creación
Laudato si 3 – La raíz de la crisis ecológica
Laudato si 4 – ecología integral
Laudato si 5 – líneas de acción
Laudato si 6 – Educación y Espiritualidad Ecológica
Ley Moral
Libertad
Lumen Fidei – cap 1,2,3,4
María y la Biblia
Martires de Corea
Martires de Nor America y Canada
Medjugore peregrinación
Misericordiae Vultus en Español
Moralidad de actos humanos
Pasiones
Papa Francisco en Baréin
Papa Francisco en Bulgaria
Papa Francisco en Rumania
Papa Francisco en Marruecos
Papa Francisco en México
Papa Francisco – Jornada Mundial Juventud 2016
Papa Francisco – visita a Chile
Papa Francisco – visita a Perú
Papa Francisco en Colombia 1 + 2
Papa Francisco en Cuba
Papa Francisco en Fátima
Papa Francisco en la JMJ 2016 – Polonia
Papa Francisco en Hugaría e Eslovaquia
Queridas Amazoznia 1,2,3,4
El Reino de Cristo
Resurrección de Jesucristo – según los Evangelios
Revolución Rusa y Comunismo 1, 2, 3
Santa Agata, virgen y martir
San Alberto Magno
San Andrés, Apostol
San Antonio de Padua
San Bruno, fundador del Cartujo
San Carlos Borromeo
San Columbanus 1,2
San Francisco de Asis 1,2,3,4
San Francisco de Sales
San Francisco Javier
Santa Faustina Kowalska, y la divina misericordia
Santa Cecilia
Saint Margaret,Queen of Scotland
Santa Maria Goretti
Santa María Magdalena
Santa Teresa de Lisieux
San Marco, evangelista
San Ignacio de Loyola