ST. AMBROSE...BISHOP AND DOCTOR......ADVENT SAINT............

The junior Aurelius Ambrosius, born in 330 A.D., was the son whose fsther was a Roman praetorium prefect and his mother, a pious untellectual.  After converting to Christianity, having been such an exemplary catechumen, Ambrose as he came to widely be known, was chosen by the Faithful to be the Bishop of Milan, a position of leadership in the solidifying early Church in which he became one of the most influential of Catholic-Christians.  His contributions to the growth and defense of Catholic-Christianity and the impact he had upon the Church in the 4th Century A.d., and beyond is so great that there is an Ambrosian Rite in the Liturgical Life of the Church.   As Bishop Ambrose was immediately confronted with the threat of the heresy of Arianism, the followers of which denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ.  The belief and principles defended by him in the fight opposing the Arians prevailed, expanding the young Bishop's acclaim and influence.  Among the many converts and initiates into the Catholic-Christian he brought into Catholic-Christianity is St. Augustine.  The ecclesiastical role and effectiveness of his responsibilities as he carried them out during his 23 years as a Bishop until his death in 397 A.D.; , causes him to be venerated by members of numerous Christian denominations today, the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Anglican Communion, and the Lutheran Church, making him an ecumenical bridge builder within Christianity.  As God's Advent People may we be energized by the example and energy of St. Ambrose, as we await the Lord's Coming............Fr.  Troy