00 07/12/2010 15:15




Tuesday, December 7, Second Week of Advent

Panel shows 2nd, 3rd and 4th from left, St. Ambrose, by Zurbaran; Ambrose and Emperor Theodosius, Van Dyck; and the saint's tomb in the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, Milan.
ST. AMBROSE (AMBROGIO) [b Trier, Germany 340, d Milan 397), Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church
One of the first four Doctors of the Church named by Boniface VIII in 1295 (along with Jerome, Augustine and Gregory the Great), this great influential figure of the 4th century was not even a priest. Born in Germany (his father had been Praetorian Prefect of Gaul), he was educated in Rome for the civil service, distinguishing himself in law. At age 32, he was named governor of Emilia-Liguria, with headquarters in Milan. Two years later, while trying to settle a dispute over who would succeed the Bishop of Milan who just died, he was chosen Bishop by popular acclaim, though he was not even baptized. He accepted only after the emperor said he should. He was baptized, ordained and installed as Bishop in short order. He gave away all his lands and goods to the poor, adopted an ascetic lifestyle, and set about to learn Scriptures and theology, using his knowledge of classic Greek and Hebrew to good use. He was soon plunged into defending the Church against Arianism, the great heresy of the day, and became a great preacher, arousing the admiration of a young Augustine of Hippo whom he mentored and eventually baptized. He successfully pitted his will against emperors of his time, who exalted either Arianism or paganism, telling one of them: "The emperor is in the Church, not against the Church" and refusing to give up two basilicas that the Emperor wished to hand over to Arians. Besides his writings, he also composed hymns (the 'Te Deum' is attributed to him). He championed liturgy as the locals practise it ["When in Rome, do as the Romans do"]. The Ambrosian Rite used to this day by the Archdiocese of Milan is named after him although it came to be established only in the 8th century.
Readings from today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/nab/readings/120710.shtml


OR for 12/6-12/7/10:

At the Sunday Angelus, the Pope denounces new incidents of violence in Iraq, Egypt and the Sinai:
'Respect for the rights implied in civil coexistence'
In the mini-homily, he speaks about listening to God in 'the desert of the world'
The other papal story in this issue is the audience for the Prime Minister of Hungary. other Page 1 stories: Italian foreign minister says that during his recent visit to Iraq, he received personal assurances from Prime Minister Al-Maliki and other Iraqi leaders of greater commitment to protecting Iraqi Christians; in Geneva, a resumption of multilateral talks with Iran over its nuclear program even as Iran announces it can now produce its own uranium 'yellowcake', the form in which it can be used in nuclear plants; France and India announce they will cooperate in a nuclear development program for peaceful purposes; and Ecuador evacuates villages and towns around a threatening volcanic eruption not far form Quito, the capital. In the inside pages, an essay on Christian art as discussed in The Theology of Liturgy, the first volume from Joseph Ratzinger's Opera omnia translated into Italian, and which will be formally presented today in Genoa by Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco; stories on Cardinal Bertone's homily at a memorial Mass in the Pauline Chapel yesterday for the late Henriette van Lynden-Leyten, Dutch ambassador to the Holy See, who died on November 6 after a long illness, and on Milan Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi's annual lecture on the vigil of the Feast of St. Ambrose. Also an interview with American Jewish lawyer Joseph Weiler who has been defending the right of European countries to display the Cross in public places, in an ongoing appeal by Italy, joined by seven other European nations, of a ruling last year by the European Court of Human Rights.


No events announced for the Holy Father today.