A GOOD SHEPHERD HE WAS

Memorial of St. Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Jn 10:11-16

A bishop is configured to Christ, the Good Shepherd. He is the shepherd of a particular diocese. He represents Christ to the flock entrusted to his care. Because Christ is the Good Shepherd, a bishop must also be a good shepherd always.

Today we celebrate the blessed memory of one good shepherd. His name was Ambrose who lived in the 4th century A.D. Before he became bishop of Milan, he was a lawyer by profession and became governor of Milan.

In his capacity as governor of Milan, Ambrose supervised the election of a new bishop for his city because candidates for the office were engaged in a fierce doctrinal battle. Little did Ambrose know, however, he would be the new bishop. The people acclaimed Ambrose as their new bishop. Because he was not yet baptized, he received baptism, priestly ordination, and episcopal consecration without delay.

Despite the absurd manner that brought him to the episcopacy, Ambrose proved to be a real good shepherd. He was bishop during a time of savage and volatile politics. He opposed paganism and Arianism. One of his greatest gifts to the Church and to the world was baptizing a man named St. Augustine of Hippo who, after a wayward kind of living, was converted to the Faith by the teachings and example of Ambrose.

Augustine was only one of the many lost sheep that Bishop Ambrose found. Ambrose was indeed like Jesus, the Good Shepherd because for him, no one, like Augustine, was a lost cause.

We may not be bishops but we should also never consider anyone a lost cause. May we never give up hope even on the most stubborn sinner. We do not have to be bishops to foster hope and make saints out of sinners. There can be no better gift we can give Jesus on His birthday and everyday than giving hope to the hopeless and helping Him find His lost sheep.