Saint Ambrose
Saint Ambrose
Aurelius Ambrosius, better known in English as Saint Ambrose, was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century. He was consular prefect of Liguria and Emilia, headquartered in Milan, before being made bishop of Milan by popular acclamation in 374. Ambrose was a staunch opponent of Arianism, and has been accused of fostering persecutions of Arians, Jews, and pagans...
NationalityItalian
ProfessionSaint
CountryItaly
The emperor is in the Church, not above the Church.
contests taken
Take away the contests of the martyrs, and you have taken away their crowns.
repent thine thou whom
Forget not, O Lord, that I am one of those whom Thou hast created, and with Thine own blood hast redeemed. I repent me of my sins: I will strive to amend my ways.
brings chiefly common earth forth fruits mercy nature produce shown thee thou towards treat
Nothing graces the Christian soul so much as mercy; mercy as shown chiefly towards the poor, that thou mayest treat them as sharers in common with thee in the produce of nature, which brings forth the fruits of the earth for use to all.
approach far holy merciful thee worthy
O most merciful Father, put far from me all my iniquities and all my offences; so that, by Thee made whole in body and in soul, I may be accounted worthy to approach the Holy of holies.
best
The best way to use the gold of the Redeemer is for the redemption of those in peril.
common created derive earth food god manner might property
God created the universe in such a manner that all in common might derive their food from it, and that the Earth should also be a property common to all.
chosen christians comparison future helpful life recognized useful virtuous
A duty is to be chosen from what is virtuous, and from what is useful, and also from the comparison of the two, one with the other; but nothing is recognized by Christians as virtuous or useful which is not helpful to the future life.
bind gather gathers grow held quickly rather run sins themselves thy
Bind up thy words that they run not riot, and grow wanton, and gather up sins for themselves in too much talking. Let them be rather confined, and held back within their own banks. An overflowing river quickly gathers mud.
both check clearly disregard duties fortitude fulfilled motions ought receiving weak wrong
One of the duties of fortitude is to keep the weak from receiving injury; another, to check the wrong motions of our own souls; a third, both to disregard humiliations, and to do what is right with an even mind. All these clearly ought to be fulfilled by all Christians, and especially by the clergy.
alone art body god guard heal love majesty nor quickly refuge sin soul thoughts thy turn
Many a sin has sullied me in body and in soul because I did not restrain my thoughts nor guard my lips: nevertheless it is to Thee, O God of majesty and love, that I turn in my extremity, for Thou art the fount of mercy; to Thee, as quickly as I may, I speed: for Thou alone canst heal me; I take refuge under Thy protection.
belongs goods paying portion restoring
It is not from your own goods that you give to the beggar; it is a portion of his own that you are restoring to him. The Earth belongs to all. So you are paying back a debt and think you are making a gift to which you are not bound.
Where a man's heart is, there is his treasure also.
alone divine god good therefore
No one is good but God alone. What is good is therefore divine, what is divine is therefore good.