At the Feet of the Fathers: St. Ambrose Toss Out the Image of the Devil

At the Feet of the Fathers

Monday, October 2, 2023

St. Ambrose of Milan

Ambrose of Milan (c. AD 339 – c. 397) was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from AD 374 to 397. He was a very visible public figure, steadfastly promoting the Christian faith against the Arian heresy as well as paganism. He left a substantial collection of writings, of which the best known include the ethical commentary De officiis ministrorum (377–391) and the exegetical Exameron (386–390). His sermons, actions, and many literary works, in addition to his hymns, made him one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century.

Toss Out the Image of the Devil

Is it not a vain thing to heap up riches? For surely to look for the fleeting things is vain enough. And when you have gathered them, how do you know that you will be able to keep them? Is it not vain for a merchant to journey by night and by day that he may be able to heap up treasures? Is it not vain for him to gather merchandise and to keep worrying about its price for fear he might sell it for more than he gave?

And are you not also worries in vain if you pile up wealth with great toil, though you do not know what heir to leave it to? Very often, all that an avaricious man has got together with the greatest care, his spendthrift heir scatters abroad with headlong prodigality. The shameless prodigal, blind to the present, heedless of the future, swallows up what took so long to gather like a bottomless pit.

Why, then, do you idly spin a web that is worthless and fruitless? And why do you build up useless heaps of treasures like spiders' webs? For though they overflow, they are no good; in fact, they strip the likeness of God from you and put the likeness of the earthly on you. If anyone has the likeness of the tyrant, is he not liable to condemnation? You set aside the likeness of the Eternal King and raise in yourself the image of death. Instead, cast the likeness of the devil out of the kingdom of your soul and raise up the likeness of Christ. Let this shine forth in you; let this glow brightly in your kingdom—that is, your soul—for it destroys the likeness of all vices.

St. Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy, 1.49