Let’s begin with a quiz. Does a person have to be a Christian to become a bishop? The answer, as you may know, is “no.” Proof: St. Ambrose whose feast we celebrate today was made bishop of Milan before he had been baptized. It so happened that a fight was going on between “candidates” for the episcopate, and Ambrose, who was the Roman governor, was called in to mediate the dispute. Seeing the governing skills of Ambrose, the people acclaimed him bishop. Afterwards his baptism, confirmation, and ordination took place.
Ambrose had what was missing in the Church—governance skills. His secret for being an effective governor and leader is mentioned in one of his writings. He said that “One who knows not how to govern desires is like someone who is run away with by wild horses, overthrown, bruised, torn, and injured.” When one learns how to govern their own desires, that person is better capable of governing others. Ambrose realized that the confusion and infighting in the Church, were rooted in the hearts of people. Not able to govern their own desires, they could not bring order into the Church.
St. Ambrose reminds us today to look at ourselves. How well are we governing our desires? What work needs to be done inside us to prepare the way for the Lord?
Today we read (Isaiah 40:1-11):
“A voice cries out: in the desert prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low.”
It is not easy, as we know, to make a straight road. We’ve watched construction workers blast away rocks and bring in truckloads of dirt to fill low places so that a super-highway might be built. Where does God want to construct a super-highway today? Is it not within our hearts? What are the mountains and hills that must be leveled? Are they not our sins? What are the valleys that need to be filled in? Are they not our inner wounds resulting from past hurts?
We come before God in prayer and ask him to show us those obstacles of sin that block us from being fully open to God’s visitation. We seek forgiveness and an opportunity to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. What about the hurts in our lives that were inflicted in the past? We need to empty them out at the foot of the cross and ask him to fill in the vacant places of our hearts with his merciful love.
The Holy Spirit is at work within us doing the work that is needed to prepare for the coming of Christ. A super-highway that leads into our inmost heart is under construction.
Once the highway is ready, what happens?
“Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all the people shall see it together…Here is your God! Here comes with the power the Lord God, who rules by his strong arm…Like a shepherd he feeds in flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs.”
Jesus wants to find a place at the center of our hearts to dwell. He wants to feed his hungry sheep, bind up their wounds, and gather the lost. Then, within us, the glory of the Lord will be revealed.
Let’s ask St. Ambrose to intercede for us today that our mountains be leveled, and our valleys be filled in by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“The day of the Lord is near” (Alleluia verse).
