From “On The Duties of Clergy: Book II, Chapter 1

Happiness in life is to be gained by living virtuously, inasmuch as thus a Christian, whilst despising glory and the favour of men, desires to please God alone in what he does.

1. In the first book we spoke of the duties which we thought befitted a virtuous life, whereon no one has ever doubted but that a blessed life, which the Scripture calls eternal life, depends. So great is the splendor of a virtuous life that a peaceful conscience and a calm innocence work out a happy life. And as the risen sun hides the globe of the moon and the light of the stars, so the brightness of a virtuous life, where it glitters in true pure glory, casts into the shade all other things, which, according to the desires of the body, are considered to be good, or are reckoned in the eyes of the world to be great and noble.

2. Blessed, plainly, is that life which is not valued at the estimation of outsiders, but is known, as judge of itself, by its own inner feelings. It needs no popular opinion as its reward in any way; nor has it any fear of punishments. Thus the less it strives for glory, the more it rises above it. For to those who seek for glory, that reward in the shape of present things is but a shadow of future ones, and is a hindrance to eternal life, as it is written in the Scriptures:

“Truly, I say unto you, they have received their reward.” Matthew 6:2

This is said of those who, as it were, with the sound of a trumpet desire to make known to all the world the liberality they exercise towards the poor. It is the same, too, in the case of fasting, which is done but for outward show. “They have,” he says, “their reward.”

3. It therefore belongs to a virtuous life to show mercy and to fast in secret; that you may seem to be seeking a reward from your God alone, and not from men. For he who seeks it from man has his reward, but he who seeks it from God has eternal life, which none can give but the Lord of Eternity, as it is said:

“Truly, I say unto you, today shall you be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43

Wherefore the Scripture plainly has called that life which is blessed, eternal life. It has not been left to be appraised according to man’s ideas on the subject, but has been entrusted to the divine judgment.

© 2010, Preachers Institute. All rights reserved.

Our father among the saints Ambrose of Milan came to be bishop of Milan as the only competent candidate to succeed Auxentius, a bishop of Arian persuasion, in 374. A catechumentheology through intense study of subject as he was successively baptized and then consecrated as Bishop of Milan. He held to the Nicene belief and through the eloquence of his arguments he persuaded Emperor Gratian to the Nicene confession.

Ambrose zealously combatted imperial court attempts at favoritism to the parties of Arians, the “old” religion, and the Jews, particularly opposing the favors from Emperor Valentinian who supported the Arians. In defending the Orthodox position he has often been compared to St. Hilary of Poitiers.

He was known for his sermons which greatly influenced the conversion of Augustine of Hippo.

The mysteries of God are unsearchable, as is especially declared in the prophetical words :

What man is he that can know the counsel of God? or who can think what the will of the Lord is?

Nevertheless, some things have been revealed to us.  And hence we may gather, from the words and works of our Lord and Saviour, that there was a special purpose of God in the fact that she who was chosen to bring forth the Lord was espoused to a man.

Why did not the power of the Highest overshadow her before she was so espoused?  Perhaps it was lest any might blasphemously say that the Holy One was conceived in fornication, and the Angel came in unto her.

Let us learn from this Virgin how to bear ourselves: let us learn by her devout utterance ; above all let us learn by the holy mystery to be timid, to avoid the advances of men, and to shrink from men’s addresses.  Would that our women would learn from the example of modesty here set before us.  She upon whom the stare of men had never been fixed was alone in her chamber, and was found only by an Angel.

There was neither companion nor witness there, that what passed might not be debased in gossip ; and the Angel saluted her.

The message of God to the Virgin was a mystery so great that it must needs not be uttered by the mouth of man, but only by an Angel.

For the first time on earth the words are spoken:

The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee.

The holy maiden heareth, and believeth.

At length she saith:

Behold the handmaiden of the Lord ; be it unto me according to thy word.

Here is an example of lowliness, here is a pattern of true devotion.  At the very moment she is chosen to be the Mother of the Lord she declareth herself to be his handmaid.  The knowledge that she was chosen to this high vocation wrought in Mary only an act of humility.

© 2010, Preachers Institute. All rights reserved.

Our father among the saints Ambrose of Milan came to be bishop of Milan as the only competent candidate to succeed Auxentius, a bishop of Arian persuasion, in 374. A catechumen and trained as a lawyer, he learned his theology through intense study of subject as he was successively baptized and then consecrated as Bishop of Milan. He held to the Nicene belief and through the eloquence of his arguments he persuaded Emperor Gratian to the Nicene confession.

He was known for his sermons which greatly influenced the conversion of St. Augustine of Hippo.

“Where a man’s heart is, there is his treasure also.”

God is not accustomed to refusing a good gift to those who ask for one.

Since he is good, and especially to those who are faithful to him, let us hold fast to him with all our soul, our heart, our strength, and so enjoy his light and see his glory and possess the grace of supernatural joy.

Let us reach out with our hearts to possess that good, let us exist in it and live in it, let us hold fast to it, that good which is beyond all we can know or see and is marked by perpetual peace and tranquillity, a peace which is beyond all we can know or understand.

[...] We have died with Christ. We carry about in our bodies the sign of his death, so that the living Christ may also be revealed in us.

The life we live is not now our ordinary life but the life of Christ: a life of sinlessness, of chastity, of simplicity and every other virtue.

We have risen with Christ. Let us live in Christ, let us ascend in Christ, so that the serpent may not have the power here below to wound us in the heel.

Let us take refuge from this world. You can do this in spirit, even if you are kept here in the body. You can at the same time be here and present to the Lord.

Your soul must hold fast to him, you must follow after him in your thoughts, you must tread his ways by faith, not in outward show. You must take refuge in him.

He is your refuge and your strength. David addresses him in these words:

“I fled to you for refuge, and I was not disappointed”.

Since God is our refuge, God who is in heaven and above the heavens, we must take refuge from this world in that place where there is peace, where there is rest from toil, where we can celebrate the great sabbath, as Moses said:

“The sabbaths of the land will provide you with food”.

To rest in the Lord and to see his joy is like a banquet, and full of gladness and tranquillity.

Let us take refuge like deer beside the fountain of waters. Let our soul thirst, as David thirsted, for the fountain.

What is that fountain? Listen to David:

“With you is the fountain of life”

Let my soul say to this fountain:

“When shall I come and see you face to face?”

For the fountain is God himself.

Source: Ambrose of Milan (c. 337-397): from Flight From The World (Cap. 6, 36; 7,44; 8, 45; 9,52).

© 2010, Preachers Institute. All rights reserved.