Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Yrs 1 and 2 2024
Advent Homilies • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 20 viewsIsaiah describes both a day that came in the ministry of Jesus and a day will come when there will be a transformational fulfillment. Ambrose spoke of both. Matthew describes the New Evangelism, reaching the lost or scattered sheep and it consists for both Jesus and later the Twelve in proclaiming the good news, healing disease, and casting out demons, activities directed outside his disciple band. And because Jesus was only one, God answers his pray for more workers in the Twelve. We continue the chain coming through Ambrose and Augustine , whether lay or clergy, each in our sphere of authority, including casting out demons. And we are to continue doing until Jesus brings the fulfillment of Isaiah in its transformational fulness.
Notes
Transcript
Title
Title
Reaching the Lost Sheep
Outline
Outline
The day came and will come when we will walk by sight more than by faith
The day came and will come when we will walk by sight more than by faith
It came when the people with open hearts in Jerusalem did not weep for the king was there and responded to them, when they received supplies of bread and water from the Lord, when they saw the Teacher himself, when they were most clearly guided by the divine voice, first in Jesus and then in the Holy Spirit, when the Lord bound up the pain in their hearts. But the total fulfillment especially of the last part of the Isaiah passage is coming in the New Jerusalem and the renewed earth.
Ambrose ministered as Christ to the scattered sheep in his care and pointed to full measure of fulfillment when we experienced him with sight in transformed bodies.
The day came when Jesus in person ministered to the lost sheep and sent others to continue his ministry
The day came when Jesus in person ministered to the lost sheep and sent others to continue his ministry
This is more the New Evangelism in Matthew, reaching the sheep who are now scattered and lost.
He goes to them and proclaims the good news, heals diseases, which is particularly directed at those outside his disciples, and is moved with pity because he is only one person and many persons are needed.
God answers his prayer and directs him to empower and send out the twelve to do just what he did: proclaim the good news, heal diseases, including raising the dead, and drive our demons, again directed outside the band of Jesus’ followers. And they are to do so without cost to the recipients, depending on God themselves and giving as God gives.
We with Ambrose are between those two fulfillments
We with Ambrose are between those two fulfillments
We continue the chain of those sent out by Jesus so people on the peripheries of or outside of the church will hear and experience the salvation in Christ, the good news of the kingdom. Whether lay or clergy we all have a priesthood and a calling and so we bring the good news, heal ignorance and disease and dysfunction, and drive out demons (within our authority) or pray to God for their driving out wherever you go. I bet that that was not how your university program would put it just as it was not as my seminary program put it.
But that is what St Ambrose did and what his convert and disciple Augustine did and what we are to continue to do until Jesus brings the fulfillment in its transformational fulness.
