Church Fathers

St. Ambrose- Feast day Dec 7

ST. Ambrose of Milan's life (Sant Ambroggio de Milano in Italian) is a particularly
fascinating story. St. Ambrose was born around 339 in what is now Trier, Germany, the
son of the Roman prefect of Gaul. Following his his father's footsteps,
Ambrose embarked upon a career in law and politics and by 370 AD, he had become the
Imperial governor of Northern Italy. When the episcopal see of Milan became vacant in
374, the people demanded that Saint Ambrose be made their bishop. The neighboring
bishops and the Emperor convinced him to accept this call as the will of God, and so the
catechumen Ambrose was baptized and ordained first deacon, then priest, then bishop, all
in a single week.

Around 385, an ambitious professor of public speaking named Augustine came to hear
Saint Ambrose preach in order to study his technique, and in the process, was attracted to
the Catholic faith. In 386 Augustine was baptized by St. Ambrose and went on to
become bishop of Hippo in North Africa. Ambrose and his pupil, Augustine, together
with St. Jerome and St. Gregory the Great, make up the four original Doctors of the Latin
Church. Saint Ambrose, the great bishop of Milan, died on Holy Saturday (April 4) in the
year 397 AD. His feastday in the Roman calendar is December 7, the day he was
ordained bishop.

St. Augustine of Hippo- Feast day Aug 28

St. Augustine of Hippo is the patron of brewers because of his conversion from a
former life of loose living, which included parties, entertainment, and worldly ambitions.
His complete turnaround and conversion has been an inspiration to many who struggle
with a particular vice or habit they long to break. He was baptized, became a priest, a
bishop, a famous Catholic writer, Founder of religious priests, and one of the greatest
saints that ever lived.

Augustine developed his doctrine of the Church principally in reaction to

the Donatist sect. He taught that there is one Church, but that within this Church there are
two realities, namely, the visible aspect (the institutionalhierarchy, the Catholic
sacraments, and the laity) and the invisible (the souls of those in the Church, who are
either dead, sinful members or elect predestined for Heaven). The former is the
institutional body established by Christ on earth which proclaims salvation and
administers thesacraments while the latter is the invisible body of the elect, made up of
genuine believers from all ages, and who are known only to God. The Church, which is
visible and societal, will be made up of "wheat" and "tares", that is, good and wicked
people (as per Mat. 13:30), until the end of time. This concept countered the Donatist
claim that only those in astate of grace were the "true" or "pure" church on earth, and that
priests and bishops who were not in a state of grace had no authority or ability to confect
the sacraments.[86]:28 Augustine's ecclesiology was more fully developed in City of God.
There he conceives of the church as a heavenly city or kingdom, ruled by love, which
will ultimately triumph over all earthly empires which are self-indulgent and ruled by
pride. Augustine followedCyprian in teaching that the bishops and priests of the Church
are thesuccessors of the Apostles,[86] and that their authority in the Church is God-given.
St. Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Catholic priest, confessor, theologian and historian, who also
became a Doctor of the Church. He is best known for his translation of most of
the Bible into Latin (the translation that became known as the Vulgate), and his
commentaries on the Gospels. His list of writings is extensive. Jerome was known for his
teachings on Christian moral life, especially to those living in cosmopolitan centers such
as Rome. In many cases, he focused his attention to the lives of women and identified
how a woman devoted to Jesus Christ should live her life. This focus stemmed from his
close patron relationships with several prominent female ascetics who were members of
affluentsenatorial families.[5]
He is recognised as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church,
the Lutheran Church, and the Church of England (Anglican Communion. His feast day is
30 September.
Constantines Contribution to the Church
Constantine was born at Naissus on February 27, 272 or 273, to Flavius Constantius and
his wife Helena. Constantine embarked on his own military career, which took him all
over the Roman Empire, from Palestine and Asia Minor to Britain, Spain, and Gaul.
While crossing the Alps with his army, Constantine had a vision (or dream) of a cross of
light shining in front of the sun and the words: In this sign conquer. Shortly after that
vision, Constantine defeated his rival, Maxentius, captured Rome, and was acclaimed the
next emperor.

Constantine and the Church

For Orthodoxy, Constantine represents an important link to the past. The persecuted
underground Church and the official state Church are the same Church. Constantine
played a key role in the historic transition from the former to the latter. For Orthodox
Christianity, there is no "fall of the Church." The Orthodox Church believes that it stands
in unbroken continuity with the Church of the first century. There is a popular belief
among evangelicals that the true Church was the underground Church, which refused to
compromise with the worldly state Church, and that this true Church remained in hiding
over the following centuries, leaving few records of its existence until it was rediscovered
by the Protestants in the sixteenth century. The main problem with this belief is not only
the absence of supporting evidence, but the presence of contrary evidence. Eusebius, in
Books IV and V of his History of the Church, provides a chronological listing of bishops
that goes back to the original apostles. Present-day Orthodox bishops and patriarchs are
able to trace their spiritual and historical lineage back to the original apostles, something
that Protestants cannot do. Constantine's support for the early Church laid the foundation
for the doctrine of symphoniathe ideal of political and religious leaders working in
harmony to realize God's will here on earth. This ideal is rooted in the Lord's Prayer:
"Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Symphonia avoids two extremes: the
separation of Church from State on the one hand, and the fusion of Church and State on
the other. Despite his active participation in the Ecumenical Council, Constantine did not
view himself as one of the bishops, but rather as "bishop of those outside." This ideal
found concrete expression in the Byzantine Empire, which lasted for a thousand years.
Under Constantine's rule began the transformation of Roman culture. Execution by
crucifixion ceased, gladiatorial battles as punishment ended. Symphonia has a number of
important implications for Orthodox Christians. One is that the Church is called to pray
for those in power, even if they are not Christians. For Orthodoxy, symphonia is the ideal
situation, but not the only one. Christianity is not tied to any one particular political
structure. Another implication is that there is no separation between the physical and the
spiritual (belief in dualism is an early heresy). Orthodoxy is both a personal and a public
faith. The Orthodox Church encourages good citizenship, public service along with
philanthropy. Its preference for lay involvement in politics helps avoid the dangers of
theocratic rule. It is expected that Orthodox Christians will bring the values of the Church
into the political and social realms.