The Sixth Day within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord
(I John 2:12-17; Luke 2:36-40)
St. Ambrose was an educated Roman civil servant when elected
bishop of Milan. He was not even a
Christian at the time let alone a priest.
Yet he was a man of great learning and discipline. As Bishop of Milan, he helped forge the symbiosis
between theology and philosophy. He also
defended orthodox Christianity from heresy and drew a discerning line between
church and state. Perhaps his most
famous achievement, however, was bringing St. Augustine into the Church. Augustine as a theologian, at least, eclipsed
Ambrose. Even to non-Christians Augustine
holds an esteemed place as his philosophical reflections still have currency.
The Ambrose-Augustine duo is paralleled by that of John and
Jesus. The gospels relate the two as
mentor and disciple with disciple reaching heights beyond those of mentor. In yesterday’s and today’s readings the comparison
is implicit in the figures of Simeon and Anna.
John’s parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, longed for a child. When he, John, was born, Zechariah, filled
with the Holy Spirit, gave praise to God.
His praise is echoed in that of Simeon, also filled with the Spirit, praise
God for the child Jesus. Similarly, when
Elizabeth became pregnant, she gave thanks to God. Now when Ana sees the child Jesus, she too
praises God and tells all Temple visitors about him.
We should not dismiss John the Baptist as peripheral to
Jesus. He forms an integral part of the
story. He is the harbinger of the
Messiah as the prophets foretold. He
preaches repentance, a theme critical for us to heed. And he shows humility in
front of the Savior – a posture we should adapt lest we think that we can save
ourselves.
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