St. Ambrose of
Milan on the Virtues of the Theotokos
6. Let, then, the life of Mary be as it were
virginity itself, set forth in a likeness, from which, as from a mirror, the
appearance of chastity and the form of virtue is reflected. From this you may
take your pattern of life, showing, as an example, the clear rules of virtue:
what you have to correct, to effect, and to hold fast.
7. The first thing which kindles ardour in
learning is the greatness of the teacher. What is greater than the Mother of
God? What more glorious than she whom Glory Itself chose? What more chaste than
she who bore a body without contact with another body? For why should I speak of
her other virtues? She was a virgin not only in body but also in mind, who
stained the sincerity of its disposition by no guile, who was humble in heart,
grave in speech, prudent in mind, sparing of words, studious in reading, resting
her hope not on uncertain riches, but on the prayer of the poor, intent on work,
modest in discourse; wont to seek not man but God as the judge of her thoughts,
to injure no one, to have goodwill towards all, to rise up before her elders,
not to envy her equals, to avoid boastfulness, to follow reason, to love virtue.
When did she pain her parents even by a look? When did she disagree with her
neighbours? When did she despise the lowly? When did she avoid the needy? Being
wont only to go to such gatherings of men as mercy would not blush at, nor
modesty pass by. There was nothing gloomy in her eyes, nothing forward in her
words, nothing unseemly in her acts, there was not a silly movement, nor
unrestrained step, nor was her voice petulant, that the very appearance of her
outward being might be the image of her soul, the representation of what is
approved. For a well-ordered house ought to be recognized on the very threshold,
and should show at the very first entrance that no darkness is hidden within, as
our soul hindered by no restraints of the body may shine abroad like a lamp
placed within.
8. Why should I detail her spareness of food,
her abundance of services—the one abounding beyond nature, the other almost
insufficient for nature? And there were no seasons of slackness, but days of
fasting, one upon the other. And if ever the desire for refreshment came, her
food was generally what came to hand, taken to keep off death, not to minister
to comfort. Necessity before inclination caused her to sleep, and yet when her
body was sleeping her soul was awake, and often in sleep either went again
through what had been read, or went on with what had been interrupted by sleep,
or carried out what had been designed, or foresaw what was to be carried
out.
9. She was unaccustomed to go from home, except
for divine service, and this with parents or kinsfolk. Busy in private at home,
accompanied by others abroad, yet with no better guardian than herself, as she,
inspiring respect by her gait and address, progressed not so much by the motion
of her feet as by step upon step of virtue. But though the Virgin had other
persons who were protectors of her body, she alone guarded her character; she
can learn many points if she be her own teacher, who possesses the perfection of
all virtues, for whatever she did is a lesson. Mary attended to everything as
though she were warned by many, and fulfilled every obligation of virtue as
though she were teaching rather than learning.
10. Such has the Evangelist shown her, such did
the angel find her, such did the Holy Spirit choose her. Why delay about
details? How her parents loved her, strangers praised her, how worthy she was
that the Son of God should be born of her. She, when the angel entered, was
found at home in privacy, without a companion, that no one might interrupt her
attention or disturb her; and she did not desire any women as companions, who
had the companionship of good thoughts. Moreover, she seemed to herself to be
less alone when she was alone. For how should she be alone, who had with her so
many books, so many archangels, so many prophets?
11. And so, too, when Gabriel visited her, (Luke
i. 28.) did he find her, and Mary trembled, being disturbed, as though at the
form of a man, but on hearing his name recognized him as one not unknown to her.
And so she was a stranger as to men, but not as to the angel; that we might know
that her ears were modest and her eyes bashful. Then when saluted she kept
silence, and when addressed she answered, and she whose feelings were first
troubled afterwards promised obedience.
12. And holy Scripture points out how modest she
was towards her neighbours. For she became more humble when she knew herself to
be chosen of God, and went forthwith to her kinswoman in the hill country, not
in order to gain belief by anything external, for she had believed the word of
God. “Blessed,” she said, “art thou who didst believe.” (Luke i. 56). And she
abode with her three months. Now in such an interval of time it is not that
faith is being sought for, but kindness which is being shown. And this was after
that the child, leaping in his mother’s womb, had saluted the mother of the
Lord, attaining to reason before birth.
13. And then, in the many subsequent wonders,
when the barren bore a son, the virgin conceived, the dumb spake, the wise men
worshipped, Simeon waited, the stars gave notice. Mary, who was moved by the
angel’s entrance, was unmoved by the miracles. “Mary,” it is said, “kept all
these things in her heart.” (Luke ii. 19). Though she was the mother of the
Lord, yet she desired to learn the precepts of the Lord, and she who brought
forth God, yet desired to know God.
14. And then, how she also went every year to
Jerusalem at the solemn day of the passover, and went with Joseph. Everywhere is
modesty the companion of her singular virtues in the Virgin. This, without which
virginity cannot exist, must be the inseparable companion of virginity. And so
Mary did not go even to the temple without the guardianship of her
modesty.
15. This is the likeness of virginity. For Mary
was such that her example alone is a lesson for all. If, then, the author
displeases us not, let us make trial of the production, that whoever desires its
reward for herself may imitate the pattern. How many kinds of virtues shine
forth in one Virgin! The secret of modesty, the banner of faith, the service of
devotion, the Virgin within the house, the companion for the ministry, the
mother at the temple.
16. Oh! how many virgins shall she meet, how
many shall she embrace and bring to the Lord, and say: “She has been faithful to
her espousal, to my Son; she has kept her bridal couch with spotless modesty.”
How shall the Lord Himself commend them to His Father, repeating again those
words of His: “Holy Father, these are they whom I have kept for Thee, on whom
the Son of Man leant His head and rested; I ask that where I am there they may
be with Me.” (John xvii. 24). And if they ought to benefit not themselves only,
who lived not for themselves alone, one virgin may redeem her parents, another
her brothers. “Holy Father, the world hath not known Me, but these have known
Me, and have willed not to know the world.” (John xvii. 25).
17. What a procession shall that be, what joy of
applauding angels when she is found worthy of dwelling in heaven who lived on
earth a heavenly life! Then too Mary, taking her timbrel, shall stir up the
choirs of virgins, singing to the Lord because they have passed through the sea
of this world without suffering from the waves of this world. (Ex. xv. 20). Then
each shall rejoice, saying: “I will go to the altar of God; to God Who maketh my
youth glad;” (Ps. xliii. [xlii.] 4). and, “I will offer unto God thanksgiving,
and pay my vows unto the Most High.” (Ps. l. [xlix.] 14).
18. Nor would I hesitate to admit you to the
altars of God, whose souls I would without hesitation call altars, on which
Christ is daily offered for the redemption of the body. For if the virgin’s body
be a temple of God, what is her soul, which, the ashes, as it were, of the body
being shaken off, once more uncovered by the hand of the Eternal Priest, exhales
the vapour of the divine fire. Blessed virgins, who emit a fragrance through
divine grace as gardens do through flowers, temples through religion, altars
through the priest.
Through the
prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and
save us! Amen!
The above entry appeared as the Nov. 19, 2011 posting on the Full of Grace and Truth blogspot
