Mystagogy Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Ambrose of Milan (d. 397) composed his voluminous Commentary on Psalm 118 as a means to provide his audience, the Church of Milan, with a deeper formation, which would be a continuation of previously conferred mystagogical catechesis to the newly baptised immediately after their baptism. This work is addressed to the specific audience of the Christians in Milan in a singular moment of the life of the Church tormented not only by her inner struggles with Arianism and other heresies but also by the religious clashes with the pagans and the Jews. This spatiotemporal setting of the book is the key to reading Ambrose’s writing as a speaking of the Bishop’s heart submerged into the sea of Scriptures to the hearts of the believers that receive this word. Ambrose is presented as a mystagogical theologian who tries to bring his flock to the mystery of Christ not only through the sacraments or biblical exegesis but through many other ways: the Bible read in the Church, personal following of Christ, prayer and theological reflection in the light of the Nicene faith in Christ, the Son of God. Ambrose does not limit his catechesis to the liturgical mystagogy, but he tries to open his audience to much wider horizon, namely to introduce them to the mystery of Christ in all situations of their life. In this way, his Commentary on Psalm 118 is presented as a series of post-baptismal catecheses by the means of a personal interpretation of the Scripture in the context of the liturgical cele- bration of the Church of Milan as a kind of “profound” mystagogy and a help on the way to Christ. Psalm 118, considered a post-Easter psalm, and Song of Song, exalting the relation of two spouses, which is interpreted by the ancient Church as the relation of Christ and the Church or the Word and the believer’s soul, is the Bishop’s way of introduction to this “mystery of Christ”.
Part One presents the Expositio psalmi CXVIII and its historical context including the issues of its composition, datation, literary genre, structure and cultural-religious situation. Part Two is an exposition of the history and meaning of mystagogy in the ancient Church. This permits to define mystagogy and its characteristics so that, in Part Three, the post-Easter, pedagogical and bridal characteristics of the Expositio could be studied together with an ancient practice known as disciplina arcani. Part Four then illustrates in which diverse moments of Christian life Ambrose is able to see the mystery of Christ and to transmit this knowledge to his listeners and readers.
The book comes to several conclusions. In his Commentary on Psalm 118, Ambrose presents a course of formation and catechesis that initiates his audience to the “school” of Christ, the Teacher. It does not only transmit some teaching or practice, but it has even a purgative and redemptive value. By adapting the meaning of the Psalm 118, the assembly learned to know and to appreciate the presence of Christ in his Church and in the hearts of his faithful. A special key to this process is Ambrose’s idea of faith-trust that is opening between a Christian and Christ. The disciplina arcani is not only applied to the singular realities kept by the Church (Creed, Baptism, Eucharist and Our Father), but the Christian believer himself, his virtues, his spiritual reading of the Bible, his spiritual struggles and his “heart” become realities of the faith which are not to be spread easily but are to be kept as a treasure. This view of man as a revelation of God’s action and as a “sacrament” of God’s mystery present in the Expositio is very original and modern. The justified man becomes, by God’s grace, a martyr-witness of Christ and an instrument of evangelisation of the fellowship of faith and of the society as such. This testimony is rooted in the faithfulness of God that lasts even in the moments of temptation, persecution and even of sin because God always acts for the salvation of man. In such a way, Ambrose succeeds in drawing his audience to the heart of theology, focusing on man in his life situation. His figurative and symbolic language permits him to speak on God and his action that transcends human experience and possibilities of language, and so he promotes a meeting with transcendent God and his action in the present here and now. This approach, where theology, preaching and the real Christian life are brought together, remains very inspiring for the renewal of theology and for the pastoral care in any Church and in any time.