The Festival of St. Ambrose, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor
Posted on December 7, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 5:13-19 (NKJV)
5:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Devotion
What does it mean to be the “salt of the earth”? Salt is a preservative; salt is added to meats to prevent spoiling. Likewise, the Gospel is preserved from generation to generation by the Office of Preaching. It is not the strength of the preacher, however, which does this. The Preaching Office is God’s institution, and He uses men as His instruments for preserving the Gospel, beginning with the prophets, then the apostles, and finally the pastors of today.
St. Ambrose was such a preacher of the Gospel, being bishop of Milan in the 4th century. He is the author of this week’s Office Hymn, “Savior of the Nations Come,” wherein the two natures in Christ—fully human and divine—are confessed. “Savior of the nations come, Virgin’s Son, make here Thy home! Marvel now, O heaven and earth, that the Lord chose such a birth” (The Lutheran Hymnal, 95). This hymn is over 1,600 years old, but it so faithfully preserves the unchanging Gospel message that it remains a beloved hymn of the Church to this day, and it is sung every First Sunday in Advent.
Collect: O God, Who didst give Saint Ambrose as a faithful teacher of the saving truth in a time of great trial, grant to Thy people zeal for Thy Word and faithful teachers for Thy Church, that they may stand steadfast against all error, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for Ad te levavi Sunday, the First Sunday in Advent
Stir up, we beseech Thee, Thy power, O Lord, and come, that by Thy protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins, and saved by Thy mighty deliverance; Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
