A child's shout started it all

	St. Ambrose When: c.340-397 Where: Milan What: Bishop, Doctor of the Church Patron: Candlemakers and learning Feast: Dec. 7 (date of ordination as bishop)

At times we all must do something we'd rather not do. The challenge, then, is whether to just go through the motions, or to whole-heartedly tackle the task.

When St. Ambrose faced that challenge, he immersed himself in what he did, becoming a leading churchman of his time. Indeed, his influence is still felt in church music, religious thought -- including incorporating secular culture and scholarship -- and church-state relations. All that in less than 23 years as bishop.

Ambrose, the son of a Roman official, was born in Germany, but lived most of his youth in Rome following the death of his father. After becoming a lawyer, he was, in 372, named governor of Liguria and Aemilia, whose capital was Milan.

In 374, after the death of the city's bishop -- an Arian (a heresy that said Jesus was not fully divine) -- the Arians and Christians met to choose his successor. When they couldn't agree, Ambrose went to the cathedral to plead for a peaceful solution. As he spoke, a child shouted: "Ambrose for bishop." The assembly joined in the cry, and the reluctant Ambrose, who was only studying to become a Christian, went into hiding at a senator's house.

When the emperor heard what had happened, he confirmed the election and Ambrose consented. Within a week, he was baptized, confirmed and ordained a priest and a bishop. He gave his money to the poor and his land to the church and began living an austere life, including daily fasts.

As bishop, he spoke against both paganism and Arianism. He managed to stop an attempt to restore the cult of the goddess of victory in Rome. On two other occasions, he disobeyed laws requiring him to turn over basilicas to the Arians. He even rallied people to join in the resistance by occupying one of the churches and singing hymns he taught them.

Ambrose also served as an adviser to various emperors -- though he did not hesitate to chastise them when he believed they were wrong about Arianism or other matters.

Once, when the Emperor Theodosius had his troops massacre 7,000 Thessalonians as a reprisal for the murder of the governor, Ambrose ordered him to do public penance. The emperor obliged. Sadly, another time, the emperor ordered the rebuilding of a synagogue Christians had destroyed, and Ambrose forced him to rescind the order.

When one emperor tried to intervene in church affairs, Ambrose sternly advised him, "The emperor is in the church, not over it."

As a spiritual leader, Ambrose preached every Sunday in his cathedral and offered Mass daily for his people. He trained catechumens and seminarians and wrote theological works drawing on earlier Christian writers. His homilies were often modeled on the oratory of Cicero and freely drew from the philosophers and thinkers of the day.

Another of Ambrose's great legacies is the conversion and baptism of St. Augustine.

Ambrose died on Good Friday, April 4, 397.