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Ambrose is an angel. This venerable "pastor of pastors" is an Advent angel and he is also a Christ-Mass angel.

Unlike Andrew, Ambrose does not appear in the pages of Scripture. Like all of you, he lived his life by Grace, through Faith, in the post-apostolic Church. But he was real, his life was used by the Spirit, he is your brother in the Faith. He kneels with you at the foot of the manger and at the foot of the Cross. He brings others to the same Christ-Child so that many more will kneel, and "recline at table" with the Lord in His "Kingdom which has no end."

In one sense, angels are creatures of the "Law;" perhaps this is why they cause people to "fear" when they make their appearances. The Seraphs of Isaiah 6 certainly are awesome and splendid creatures: "...each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew..." The opening words of Vespers illustrate this. Without the Lord's Work on our behalf we remain grounded, part of nothing more than dirt, decay and death. But with the Lord's Two Testaments we soar into His eternal presence; we are also given Isaiah's beatific vision. "Oh Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise." The two wings of the Word, and only the Word, allow the Seraphs to hover in His heavenly chancel. Only the Lord's Word opens mouths, eyes, ears, and hearts.

In a more perfect and proper sense, angels are creatures of the "Gospel," bringing "good news of great joy which are for you and all people." What is that "good news?" The Gospel starts with the source and identity of its very giver: God Himself. The Seraphim chant what is most true and sure: "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory." This paean of praise to the Blessed Trinity is because He is good and His mercy endureth forever. But His goodness isn't meant to be isolated in the Holy of Holies, in the courts of Glory only. The Good News is that God came to be your friend, your Father, your Brother, your Groom, your Savior from sin. The Good News is that God came not only in Spirit, but in flesh and blood. This is the evangel which angels share with you all; human angels as well as seraphic beings of fire. A man by the name of Ambrose was just such a human angel.

"If anyone sets his heart on being a Bishop, he desires a noble task." [1 Ti. 3.1]

The Lord does the calling and the finding, (as we saw last week with Andrew and the other Galilean fishermen) and sometimes does it in unexpected and surprising ways. Sometimes a man is even called into the ministry of the Word after having been established in a first career and vocation. Ambrose was an Italian who did not foresee at the outset how the Christ would use him to be His holy messenger. As a youth, Ambrose proudly announced one time "I shall be a bishop!" much like some young boys play pastor when they get home from church on Sunday afternoons (some even draping their father's neck ties over their shoulders to serve as the stole) That title, "Bishop," stuck to him as his nickname, even though his studies and career choice took him in another direction. Ambrose entered the Roman civil service, as had his father before him. Quickly he gained a reputation for fairness and hard work. Before long he became governor in northern Italy, ruling from the city of Milan.

The Lord always places his servants, His slaves, exactly where they need to be, whether it's with John the Baptist at the Jordan, on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, at the Tax Table, at the Well in Samaria, on the road to Damascus, or in the governors' seat in Milan.

Those were difficult times for Christ's Church, the early part of the Fourth century, as are all times; as such it will always be. The great heresy of Arianism was running rampant. The Arians (those who denied the Divinity of Christ; those who denied that He was "of the same substance with the Father") had taken over huge chunks of the Church; controlled many (if not most) of the Bishoprics; and even had controlling influence in Constantinople. When the local bishop of that region died, violent conflict broke out in Milan between two possible successors. At first it seemed as if the Arian party would triumph over the Catholic Christians. When a crowd gathered in the city center, Ambrose as governor went to keep order. While he was being faithful in "a little" (his vocation), he was called to be faithful in a lot. While he was speaking, a child called out his name, and his nickname; "Ambrose-Bishop!" "Ambrose-Bishop" the crowd echoed back...over and over again in waves of near unanimous acclamation. Although the choice seemed unplanned, God always puts His men where He desires them to be. The Lord had found the right person for the right job and the right time.

The Good News is that Jesus loves you; and, you have far more than only the Bible to tell you so. God took on Flesh and Blood so that not just "God" but The God/Man could tell you so. The Lord delights to use normal, everyday, human "means" to convey His love, forgiveness, and Self. He said to the Twelve, "he who hears you hears Me; He who receives you, receives Me..." Jesus' commissioned the Twelve Disciples, and their successors such as Ambrose, to be His "sent ones," His apostles, His angels of the Good News.

And even as God's spirit angels do more than sing the Trisagion ("Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus") so too do his pastors do many things. Ambrose was Bishop, Catechist, and Confessor.

As overseer to his "see" He worked tirelessly for the Church and its people. He gave all of his personal wealth and the best of his creative efforts. He faithfully served as Bishop in Milan for almost 23 years, his first and only "call." (Something today's mobacracy of "hire and fire" would do well to meditate upon) As a pastor, Ambrose did what Jesus the Great Pastor, the Good Pastor, wants done for His beloved sheep: "feed them." Ambrose wrote many beautiful and pure sermons wherein He preached the Love of God in Christ Jesus. Ambrose preached the faith that was once and for all handed down to the church by the prophets and apostles. He preached "Christ Crucified" for the forgiveness of your sins.

By Christ's Grace, this angels' influence reached beyond the shores of Italy to the world at large, and down through the ages to our own troubled times. Christians today still sing hymns which Ambrose wrote, including the great Advent hymn: "Savior of the Nations, Come." Herein this hymnody do we find a felicitous sublime strand of grace. This is not so much a "golden chain" as the Medievalists were fond of creating between church Father and church Father, but rather a "ribbon of red." This connection is a trail of Christ's Sacrificial blood from the cross, to the Apostle known as Paul, to our angel of this evening, Ambrose, and then on through the Great Augustine to Dr. Luther himself. The ribbon of red splashes down on your faces from Luther via his German version of "Veni, Redemptor, gentium," known in English as hymn # 95 of The Lutheran Hymnal.

Yes, as a great Catechist, a teacher of The Faith, Ambrose was privileged to have shared the Good News with the heretofore pagan philosopher Augustine of Hippo. By the power of the Holy Ghost, through the Word of Christ Jesus, Ambrose instructed, converted and baptized Saint Augustine. It was Augustine who went on to become the most famous theologian in the Christian West. Ambrose the hymnist is said to have contributed with Augustine in the writing of the great Te Deum, which we still sing in our Office of Matins.

In addition to Praising God, and preaching Good News, angels sometimes have to contend earnestly for the faith even in the fierce teeth of devilish opposition. Even as the angel told the prophet Daniel about his own battles with the "Prince of Persia" [Dan. 10.20] Ambrose stood fearlessly against both Arian, apostate, and heathen. After the massacre which the Emperor Theodosius had commanded at Thessalonica in 390, Bishop Ambrose, Confessor Ambrose, refused to permit that "prince" to enter a church. The Emperor pleaded that he was no worse than David, who had been guilty of adultery and murder, to which Ambrose answered (in what must be one of the holiest chutzpah moments in ecclesial history) "As thou hast followed him in sin, follow him also in repentance." The Word of God works where it will in those to whom it is preached. The angel Ambrose preached. The Emperor Theodosius humbly did public penance, on his knees.

The only purpose for an angel is to serve, praise, and proclaim Christ. The only purpose for a Bishop, a pastor, is to do the same. At length, worn out with his continual labors, Ambrose knew that his death was near. After he had received the Body and Blood of Christ, the same Body and Blood which you received 72 hours ago, he stretched out his hands in the form of a cross and gave up his spirit.

Today, 7 December, on this Feast Day of Saint Ambrose, one of the "Four Western Doctors of the Church," we look not to this Italian's deeds, but to the deeds of the Christ Whom He preached. We fix our attention not on Ambrose's self, but on the One Whom he pointed to even in the posture of his own death. Hear him as he preached the Christ in poetry most pure: "Savior of the nations, come, Virgin's Son, make here Thy home! Marvel now, O heav'n and earth, that the Lord chose such a birth. Not by human flesh and blood, by the Spirit of our God, Was the Word of God made flesh---Woman's offspring, pure and fresh." [TLH # 95 ss: 1,2]

By his faithful teaching and preaching, by his perseverance unto death, the "angel" known to you as Saint Ambrose shows forth the Christ. Peer with this Italian "governor" of the Church into the creche this Adventide. See the babe, have the Prince of Peace, believe in the Redeemer, the Christ.

In the Name of The Father and of The Son + and of The Holy Ghost