One of the delightful consequences of having many Catholic friends, all of whom take seriously the universal moral law that all married couples be open to life, is that I am surrounded by a bevy of small people bearing the names of some of our greatest saints. Several years ago, when one of my dearest friends and her husband named their firstborn son Ambrose, I realized he was the first baby Ambrose I had ever met, and I knew markedly little about his mighty patron.

St. Ambrose is one of those towering figures in Church history whose existence I always took a bit for granted. Considered one of the four Latin Fathers of the Faith, along with Sts. Augustine, Jerome and Gregory, Ambrose played a pivotal role in the battle against the Arian heresy, and his influence extended even to the throne of the Roman Empire. I had read some of his writing and heard a bit about his spiritual guidance of St. Monica and St. Augustine, but meeting his small namesake in the arms of my friend provided a perfect opportunity to learn more about one of Catholicism’s most admired bishops.

Delving into the life of Ambrose is a beautiful study in contradictions. He was an unbaptized man who was somehow elected bishop. Born to privilege, he was on the cusp of great temporal power and influence before ceding all his worldly riches in favor of a life of austerity in a role he had never expected. Furthermore, Ambrose was a brilliant orator and rhetorician who spent his life rejecting the temptation to use his great wit or influence to advance his own ambitions, choosing instead prudence and discretion when a lesser man might have tried to notch political wins. The Emperor Theodosius himself allegedly claimed: “I know no bishop worthy of the name, except Ambrose.”

Although born to devout Christian parents, Ambrose was not originally intended for a clerical life. His father was a high-ranking Roman official, and Ambrose was educated and prepared to follow in his footsteps as an illustrious public servant. Although he espoused the Christian faith, and publicly adhered to the Nicene Creed, he had not yet been baptized when he was made a Roman governor and assigned to make his headquarters in Milan. There, while attempting to keep the peace during a massive public gathering following the death of Milan’s problematic bishop, a petty tyrant and adherent to Arianism, Ambrose was almost unanimously nominated for the episcopacy by the people of Milan, who began chanting for him to be their new shepherd.

The secular Roman authorities were delighted by this turn of events, knowing Ambrose to be an effective and popular administrator. Moreover, despite his status as a catechumen, rather than a fully initiated Christian, the Church knew of Ambrose’s piety and saw his appointment as a blow to Arianism. Consequently, and despite Ambrose’s extreme uncertainty and voiced reservations, he was baptized, ordained and consecrated as the new bishop of Milan within a week of the calls for his election.

If Ambrose’s path to the episcopacy was unconventional, what he did next was perhaps even more startling. A learned and wealthy man, vested with temporal power, Ambrose had certainly not been raised to expect the austere life and pastoral cares of a bishop. But instead of using his political clout to ease his transition, he immediately gave up all of his possessions and wealth, leaving only a small amount earmarked for the wellbeing of his sister, a consecrated religious. Fully embracing his new role, he adopted a strict regimen of fasting and prayer vigils for the needs of his flock and of the Church. His staff would later note that he allowed himself to eat full meals only when at public feasts, so as not to flaunt his piety, or on Sundays in honor of the Lord’s Day.

As a lawyer and administrator, he had been known for his energy and competency. Now, as bishop, he redirected these attributes and became tireless in his service to the Church. The poor could always come to him; his private chambers were kept open for all who needed him, and he maintained a steady stream of correspondence with his priests and brother bishops, all while traveling constantly, administering the sacraments throughout the region around Milan.

Ambrose was known as a man of strong principle and powerful oratorical abilities, but despite these gifts, he never gave into the temptation to use them imprudently, always choosing discretion when he could and gentle, though never meek, pastoral corrections. When the Empress Justina, a known follower of Arianism, became in effect the regent following her husband’s death and young son’s accession to the throne, the battle for the soul of the Church reached a fever pitch as the Arians sought to use their newfound political access to increase their status. Ambrose’s popularity throughout the empire placed him in a unique position from which he could use his voice to strengthen or undermine the monarchy.

Instead, while refusing to back down in the face of calls to hand over his cathedrals and basilicas to the use of Arians, Ambrose sought for reconciliation and communion always. He threw his indefatigable energies into revitalizing the life and liturgy of the Church. In the face of such evangelical fervor, the erring queen and her son backed down in their heretical requests.

Similarly, when a later emperor, Theodosius I later carried out a vicious and violent retribution against innocent citizens, massacring thousands as punishment for an act of rebellion committed by a small number, the people once again looked to Milan to watch the bishop’s reaction. Knowing the emperor was on his way to his cathedral, ostensibly to attend Mass, Ambrose quietly dispatched a letter informing him that he would not be allowed into the cathedral or to receive Communion until he had performed a public penance. The letter was written not as a bishop defying an emperor, but as a priest gently correcting a wayward son. Theodosius, rather than bear separation from the Church, publicly repented of his violence, displaying a humility that Ambrose noted most regular men could not have shown, let alone an emperor.

Ambrose’s incredible success, both as a prominent figure in the Roman Empire and as one of the Church’s greatest bishops, can be traced back to his unwavering trust in the Holy Spirit to guide his tongue and his pen. His contemporaries would note that though he had been trained in the great rhetorical schools of Cicero and the like, he never wasted a moment with trying to craft witty or clever turns of phrase. Instead, he entrusted his words to God and asked that God grant him the wisdom to soften hearts, enlighten intellects, and ultimately bring others closer to Christ. It was this radiating and authentic love that drew others to him, including the future Bishop of Hippo, Augustine.

Legend tells that when Ambrose was a baby, a swarm of bees landed on his face and left a drop of honey behind. His father declared that this was a great sign of his future brilliant career as an orator. He was not wrong in this prediction, but only God could have known to what extent he would use Ambrose’s exceptional mind and powerful speech to bring others to heaven.

St. Ambrose, pray for us!