Ambrose of Milan — Commentary on Scripture

Mark 8:1-9

(in Luc. 6:73) The good Lord indeed whilst He requires diligence, gives strength; nor will He dismiss them fasting, lest they faint by the way, that is, either in the course of this life, or before they have reached the fountainhead head of life, that is, the Father, and have learnt that Christ is of the Father, lest haply, after receiving that He is born of a virgin, they begin to esteem His virtue not that of God, but of a man. Therefore the Lord Jesus divides the food, and His will indeed is to give to all, to deny none; He is the Dispenser of all things, but if thou refusest to stretch forth thy hand to receive the food, thou wilt faint by the way, nor canst thou find fault with Him, who pities and divides.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Mark 8:23

Therefore, he recognizes himself as a human who seeks refuge in the baptism of Christ. And so, he put clay on you, that is, modesty, prudence, consideration of your weakness; and he said to you: Go to Siloam. What is Siloam? It is translated as 'sent', that is: Go to that fountain in which the cross of the Lord is proclaimed: go to that fountain in which Christ redeemed the errors of all.

You, who have been baptized, have come to the altar, and have begun to see things which you had not seen before. This happened when your eyes were opened by the fountain of the Lord and the preaching of His passion. You, who were blind in heart, have begun to see the light of the sacraments.

On the Sacraments

Mark 9:7

In his baptism he identified him, saying: “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” He declared him on the mount, saying: “This is my beloved Son, hear him.” He declared him in his passion, when the sun hid itself, and sea and earth trembled. He declared him in the centurion, who said: “Truly this was the Son of God.”

On the Holy Spirit 2.6

Mark 10:45

It is profitable to me to know that for my sake Christ bore my infirmities, submitted to the affections of my body, that for me and for all he was made sin and a curse, that for me and in me was he humbled and made subject, that for me he is the lamb, the vine, the rock, the servant, the Son of a handmaid, knowing not the day of judgment, for my sake ignorant of the day and the hour.

Exposition of the Christian Faith 2.92

Mark 11:1-10

(in Luc. 9, 6) Or else, they found it bound before the door, because whosoever is not in Christ is without, in the way; but he who is in Christ, is not without. He has added in the way, or in a place where two ways meet, where there is no certain possession for any man, nor stall, nor food, nor stable; miserable is his service, whose rights are unfixed; for he who has not the one Master, has many. Strangers bind him that they may possess him, Christ looses him in order to keep him, for He knows that gifts are stronger ties than bonds.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Mark 12:6

Matthew and Mark say: “He sent his only son, saying ‘they will respect my son.’ ” Luke sounds as though the outcome is in doubt, as though he did not know without doubt. But in Matthew and Mark he says: “they will respect my son,” that is, it is declared that respect will be shown. God can neither be in doubt, nor can he be deceived. For one can only be in doubt who is ignorant of the future. One is deceived who has predicted one thing while another happened. Yet what is plainer than the fact that Scripture states the Father to have said one thing of the Son, and the same Scripture proves another thing to have taken place? The Son was beaten, mocked, crucified, and died. He suffered much worse things in the flesh than those tenants who had been sent to help out. Was the Father deceived, or was he ignorant? Or was he powerless to give help?… Neither is the Father deceived nor does the Son deceive. It is the custom of holy Scriptures to speak in these many voices, as I have shown in many examples. In such instances, God feigns not to know what he does know. In this then is shown the un…

Matthew and Mark say: “He sent his only son, saying ‘they will respect my son.’ ” Luke sounds as though the outcome is in doubt, as though he did not know without doubt. But in Matthew and Mark he says: “they will respect my son,” that is, it is declared that respect will be shown. God can neither be in doubt, nor can he be deceived. For one can only be in doubt who is ignorant of the future. One is deceived who has predicted one thing while another happened. Yet what is plainer than the fact that Scripture states the Father to have said one thing of the Son, and the same Scripture proves another thing to have taken place? The Son was beaten, mocked, crucified, and died. He suffered much worse things in the flesh than those tenants who had been sent to help out. Was the Father deceived, or was he ignorant? Or was he powerless to give help?… Neither is the Father deceived nor does the Son deceive. It is the custom of holy Scriptures to speak in these many voices, as I have shown in many examples. In such instances, God feigns not to know what he does know. In this then is shown the unity of Godhead. A unity of character is shown to exist in the Father and the Son. For as God the Father seems to hide what is known to him, so also the Son, who is the image of God, seems to hide what is known to him.

Exposition of the Christian Faith 5.17.214-18

Mark 13:24

And just as when the moon is in opposition to the sun, it disappears through the regular flow of the menstrual cycle or through the alignment of the earth, so too the holy Church, when the vices of the flesh oppose the heavenly light, cannot receive the divine radiance of Christ's rays. For in persecutions, the love of this life often excludes the light of God alone.

The stars will fall, those certainly shining with the glory of resurrection, those men like luminaries in the world holding the word of life, those men of whom it was said to Abraham, 'For as the sky shines and the stars, so shall his descendants be' (Gen. XIII, 16). Therefore, the patriarchs will fall to men, the prophets will fall, if the bitterness of persecution increases: which must happen until the Church is filled with all virtues and fullness in each; for in this way the good are proven, the weak are revealed.

Commentary on Luke, Book 10

Mark 13:31

For just as he calls the things that are not as though they were, so he has made things future as though they were. It cannot come to pass that they should not be. Those things that he has directed to be necessarily will be. Therefore he who has made the things that are to be, knows them already in the way in which they are to be.

Exposition of the Christian Faith 5.4.192

Mark 14:22

Do you want to know why it is consecrated with heavenly words? Receive the words. The priest says: 'Make this offering written, ratified, reasonable, acceptable, which is the figure of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who, on the day before he suffered, took bread into his holy hands, looked up to you, holy Father almighty, eternal God, giving thanks, he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his apostles and disciples, saying: Take and eat all of you from this; for this is my body which will be broken for many.'

He took bread in his holy hands the day before he suffered. Before it is consecrated, it is bread; but when the words of Christ have been spoken, it becomes the body of Christ.

On the Sacraments, Book 4, Chapter 5

Mark 14:23

And before the words of Christ, the cup is full of wine and water: when the words of Christ have been spoken, there the blood of Christ is made, which redeemed the people. Therefore, see how mighty is the word of Christ in converting all things. Then the Lord Jesus himself testifies to us that we should receive his body and blood. Should we doubt his faith and testimony?

On the Sacraments, Book 4, Chapter 5

Mark 14:24

Jesus himself speaks of his blood. Before the consecration it is mentioned as something else; after the consecration it is called blood. And you say “Amen,” that is, “It is true.” Let the mind within confess what the mouth speaks. Let the heart feel what the words utter.

On the Mysteries 1

Mark 14:35

He has fully taken upon himself the flesh of humanity, and with it human affections. So you read in Scripture that “going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.” Here he speaks not in the voice of God but as fully human. For how could God be ignorant of the possibility or impossibility of anything? Or is anything beyond God’s ability, when as Scripture itself says: “For you nothing is impossible?”

Exposition of the Christian Faith 2.5.42

Mark 15:34

As human he doubts. He experiences amazement. It is not his divinity that doubts, but his human soul. He had no difficulty being amazed because he had taken humanity fully to himself. In taking upon himself a human soul, he also took upon himself the affections of a soul. As God he was not distressed, but as a human he was capable of being distressed. It was not as God he died, but as man. It was in human voice that he cried: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” As human, therefore, he speaks on the cross, bearing with him our terrors. For amid dangers it is a very human response to think ourself abandoned. As human, therefore, he is distressed, weeps, and is crucified.

Exposition of the Christian Faith 2.7.56

Mark 16:17

As the Father gives the gift of healings, so too does the Son give; as the Father gives the gift of tongues, so too has the Son also granted it.

On the Holy Spirit 2.13.151

Mark 16:17

See, God sent apostles, and sent prophets and teachers, gave the gift of healings, which as we have found are given by the Holy Spirit, and God gave many kinds of tongues. But yet all are not apostles, all are not prophets, all are not teachers. Not all, says he, have the gift of healings, nor do all, says he, speak with tongues. For the whole range of divine gifts cannot exist in each particular individual. Each, according to his capacity, receives that which he either desires or deserves.

On the Holy Spirit 2.13.150