Saint Ambrose

Saint Ambrose is exactly represented by the bees. It is said that when he was a baby a swarm of bees covered his face. They flew in and out of his mouth, leaving honey on his tongue. Soon they flew away so high that they could no longer be seen. Since then he was a smooth talker so that even his enemies could not be angry with him. He is still known as the "Honey-Tongued Doctor," a pun on the saint's name (the word for honey in Latin is ambrosia); his preaching was said to be...
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Saint Ambrose is exactly represented by the bees. It is said that when he was a baby a swarm of bees covered his face. They flew in and out of his mouth, leaving honey on his tongue. Soon they flew away so high that they could no longer be seen. Since then he was a smooth talker so that even his enemies could not be angry with him. He is still known as the "Honey-Tongued Doctor," a pun on the saint's name (the word for honey in Latin is ambrosia); his preaching was said to be mellifluous, as sweet as flowing honey."He was one of those", says St. Augustine, "who speak the truth, and speak it well, judiciously, pointedly, and with beauty and power of expression" (De doct. christ., iv,21).Like the honey bee, he will stand on his principles even against the emperors of his time. Can you imagine a bishop excommunicating the Emperor'. Finally he in actuality brought the emperor to his knees for forgiveness. Remember a generation ago, these emperors were feeding the Christians to the lions for fun. But it was all accomplished by the tongue. Ambrose wrote to the emperor:"I exhort, I beg, I entreat, I admonish you, because it is grief to me that the perishing of so many innocent is no grief to you," he wrote. "And now I call on you to repent." He forbade the emperor to attend worship until he prostrated himself at the altar. In the end the emperor died in the arms of this bishop.He was a voracious reader, with the uncanny ability to read with his mouth shut - a skill which was rare in those days of rarity of books. His wisdom and understanding is evidently seen in his volumes of writings - at a time when typewriters and computers were unknown. Probably early doctrines of Christianity were formed along with the rituals and chantings started with this genius.No wonder he is given the title of the Doctor of the Church by the Catholic Church.