Service and Hospitality: Ambrose of Milan: Duties of the Clergy to Serve

Ambrose of Milan (d. 397) wrote "On the Duties of the Clergy" as a Christian counterpart to Cicero's "De Officiis." He argued that Christian service must exceed even the best pagan models of civic duty: "Mercy is a part of justice, and that mercy is the fullest justice; for mercy assists the one who is in need, and justice gives to each their due." For Ambrose, service to the poor is not charity but justice.

Ambrose was known for selling church ornaments to ransom prisoners of war: "If the Church has gold, it is not to keep but to distribute to those in need." He taught that the Church's resources exist for service, not for display.

Practical application: Identify one resource you have been hoarding "for later" -- time, money, skill, or influence -- and deploy it in service this week. Ambrose teaches that resources held in reserve when others are in need represent a failure of justice, not prudent stewardship.