St. Ambrose of Milan
Quotes
The fraternity of Christ, is closer than
the fraternity of blood.
Prayer is the wing
wherewith the soul flies to heaven, and meditation the eye wherewith we see
God.
If it is "daily
bread," why do you take it once a year? . . . Take daily what is to profit
you daily. Live in such a way that you may deserve to receive it daily. He who
does not deserve to receive it daily, does not deserve to receive it once a
year.
By Christ's Passion our weakness was cured.
By His Resurrection death was conquered. Still we have to be sorrowful for the
world, as well as joyful in the Lord, sorrowful in penance, joyful in
gratitude.
It is not the ambassador,
it is not the messenger, but the Lord Himself that saveth His people. The Lord
remaineth alone, for no man can be partner with God in forgiving sins; this
office belongs solely to Christ, who taketh away the sins of the world.
Stephen prayed for his
persecutors, who had not been able even to listen to the Name of Christ, when
he said of those very men by whom he was being stoned: "Lord, lay not this
sin to their charge" And we see the result of this prayer in the case of
the Apostle, for Paul, who kept the garments of those who were stoning Stephen,
not long after became an apostle by the grace of God, having before been a
persecutor.
True repentance is to cease
from sin.
Our own evil inclinations are far more
dangerous than any external enemies.
The rich man who gives to
the poor does not bestow alms but pays a debt.
When we speak about wisdom,
we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about virtue, we are speaking of
Christ. When we speak about justice, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about
peace, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about truth and life and
redemption, we are speaking of Christ.
No duty is more urgent than
that of returning thanks.
The Devil tempts that he
may ruin and destroy; God tests that He may crown.
He took what is mine in
order that He might impart to me what is His. He took it not to overturn it but
to fill it.
The
Lord was Baptized, not to be cleansed Himself, but to cleanse the waters, so
that those waters, cleansed by the flesh of Christ which knew no sin, might
have the power of Baptism.
God by nature is
uncompounded, joined to nothing, composed of nothing, to whom nothing happens
by accident; but only possessing in His own nature that which is divine,
enclosing all things, Himself closed out of nothing, penetrating all things,
Himself never penetrable, everywhere complete, everywhere present at the same
time, whether in heaven or on earth or in the depths of the sea, incapable of
being seen or measured by our senses, to be followed only by faith and
venerated in our religion.
The Church of the Lord is built upon the rock of the apostles among so
many dangers in the world; it therefore remains unmoved. The Church's
foundation is unshakable and firm against assaults of the raging sea. Waves lash
at the Church but do not shatter it. Although the elements of this world
constantly beat upon the Church with crashing sounds, the Church possesses the
safest harbor of salvation for all in distress. There is a stream which flows
down on God's saints like a torrent. There is also a rushing river giving joy
to the heart that is at peace and makes for peace.
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