Feast Day: December 7
Title: Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church
Patronage: Milan, beekeepers, learning, students, liturgists, and candle makers
Early Life
Saint Ambrose was born around the year A.D. 340 in the city of Trier, in Roman Gaul (modern-day Germany), into a noble and Christian Roman family. His father, Ambrosius, was the praetorian prefect of Gaul, a high imperial office, indicating the family’s prestige. From infancy, Ambrose was marked by divine favor. A pious legend tells that as he lay sleeping in his cradle, a swarm of bees settled on his mouth without harming him, and then flew away—an omen interpreted as a sign that his words would one day be as sweet as honey, a foreshadowing of his future eloquence and sanctity.
Ambrose was raised in Rome and educated in the classical liberal arts and the Roman legal tradition. He was distinguished early by his keen intellect, rhetorical gifts, and upright character. Trained in law, he rose rapidly in civil service, eventually becoming the governor of Aemilia-Liguria, with Milan as his seat.
The Call to Episcopacy
In the year A.D. 374, the see of Milan became vacant upon the death of Bishop Auxentius, an Arian. The city was in turmoil, torn between the factions of the orthodox Catholics and the Arians, who denied the full divinity of Christ.
Ambrose, though at that time only a catechumen, went to the church to keep peace among the disputing factions. As he addressed the crowd with dignity and wisdom, a cry rose spontaneously: “Ambrose for bishop!” The clamor spread, and despite his protests and flight, both the people and the emperor Valentinian I insisted. Within a week, Ambrose was baptized, ordained, and consecrated bishop of Milan.
Episcopal Ministry and Defense of the Faith
Ambrose immediately renounced his wealth, giving it to the poor and to the Church, retaining only a small portion for his beloved sister, Marcellina, herself a consecrated virgin. He devoted himself wholly to the episcopate with ascetical discipline and theological vigor.
As bishop, he became one of the great champions of Nicene orthodoxy against Arianism. He wrote with doctrinal precision and pastoral zeal, defending the divinity of Christ and the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. His writings, such as De Fide, De Spiritu Sancto, and Expositio Evangelii secundum Lucam, reveal his profound knowledge of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Fathers.
Ambrose is also remembered for his resolute stance against imperial interference in ecclesiastical matters. When the Empress Justina, an Arian, attempted to seize a basilica for Arian worship, Ambrose refused to surrender the church, stating, “The emperor is within the Church, not above the Church.” He and his faithful stood firm, even willing to suffer martyrdom, rather than allow heresy to prevail.
Perhaps most famously, Ambrose excommunicated Emperor Theodosius I after the massacre of 7,000 innocents in Thessalonica. The emperor, though a powerful ruler, submitted to the Church’s discipline and, in deep public penance, was absolved only after sincere contrition. This act confirmed the authority of the Church over the state in moral matters and stands as a shining example of episcopal courage.
Liturgical and Pastoral Legacy
Ambrose enriched the liturgical life of the Church, establishing what is now known as the Ambrosian Rite, still preserved in the Archdiocese of Milan. He introduced antiphonal chanting and composed several hymns, some of which—like Te Deum laudamus, traditionally ascribed to him and Saint Augustine—are still sung today.
Ambrose was also a master catechist and spiritual director. It was through his preaching that Saint Augustine, then a man of confused intellect and wayward passions, was brought to conversion. Augustine himself confesses in his Confessions that it was the preaching and presence of Ambrose that pierced his heart and led him to the truth of the Catholic Faith.
Death and Legacy
Saint Ambrose fell asleep in the Lord on April 4, A.D. 397, having shepherded his flock for 23 years. His body rests in the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio in Milan, alongside the relics of Saints Gervasius and Protasius, whom he had miraculously discovered.
The Church honors him as one of the four great Latin Doctors, along with Saints Augustine, Jerome, and Gregory the Great. His theological clarity, moral courage, and pastoral charity shine as a beacon in the age of the Fathers.
✠ Spiritual Reflection
Saint Ambrose reminds us that true greatness lies in fidelity to Christ and His Church. In times of doctrinal confusion or political pressure, his life exhorts bishops and faithful alike to defend the truth, serve the poor, and lead souls to holiness with courage and humility.
Prayer to Saint Ambrose
O glorious Saint Ambrose,
pastor of souls, fearless defender of the Faith,
inspire our bishops to imitate your firmness,
our teachers to imitate your wisdom,
and our hearts to imitate your love for Christ and His Church.
Through thy intercession, may we grow in truth and holiness,
unto the glory of God.
Amen.