[Salvation]

Tuesday, December 7, 2004

Feast of St. Ambrose

Ambrose was governor of a region in northern Italy, with his headquarters in Milan. When the bishop of Milan died in 374, the people had a hard time electing a replacement (that’s how they chose bishops back then) because of angry factions. Worried about civil disorder, Ambrose went to the basilica and told the wrangling parties to conduct themselves peacefully. Someone shouted, “Ambrose for bishop!” and the crowd picked it up. Ambrose fled, but they tracked him down, and insisted that he become their bishop.

There was one problem. Actually, two problems. First of all, he wasn’t a priest. Second, he wasn’t even baptized.

In the space of a week, Ambrose was baptized, confirmed ordained a priest and ordained a bishop.

Ambrose began an intensive study of Scripture, sold his property, lived an ascetic life, reached out to the poor, and immersed himself in the pastoral care of his people. He turned out to be a holy bishop, and when he died 23 years later, the people acclaimed him as a saint.

* * *

There was another young man in Milan who, as Ambrose had been, was a non-Christian pursuing a civil service career. Ambrose instructed him and received him into the Church. The new convert became a great theologian, a bishop, and a saint. His name was Augustine.

[Salvation]

Tuesday - Second Week of Advent

Joseph had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus. (Matthew 1:25)

The birth of Jesus is told in nine words: “She bore a son, and he named him Jesus.”

The literal English translation of today’s passage is sometimes confusing: “He had no relations with her until she bore a son.”

In English, when peoples say something didn’t happen “until” such-and-such, it is usually implied that it did happen afterward. The Greek construction, however, doesn’t necessarily carry that implication.

How things are said can be very important. The implications, the hidden messages picked up by the listener (and perhaps not intended by the speaker or writer) can trigger all sorts of reactions and assumptions.

It is easy sometimes to jump to conclusions. Because Dorothy Day worked for social justice and advocated changing structures, she was called an anarchist, a communist.

She could take that. What bothered her was when someone called her a saint…and it wasn’t because she was trying to be humble. “When they call you a saint,” she said, “it means basically that you’re not to be taken seriously.” It was like, “Dorothy Day can do that stuff because she’s a saint.”

Sometimes I excuse myself from having to change my way of life because, after all, I am not a saint.

But because I am a disciple of the Lord, I’m called day in and day out to do good things that are within my capacity to do. After all, the Lord is with me. I ought to think about that during Advent.

Spend some quiet time with the Lord.