The Presbyters Project

V. 27. Non merita personarum consideres, sed officia sacerdotum. Et si merita spectes, sicut consideres, Petri quoque merita spectato vel Pauli, qui acceptum a domino Iesu hoc nobis mysterium tradiderun. Ignis illis visibilis mittebatur, ut crederent, nobis invisibilis operatur, qui credimus, illis in figura, nobis in conmonitionem. Crede ergo adesse dominum Iesum invocatum precibus sacerdotum, qui ait: "Ubicumque fuerint duo vel tres, ibi et ego sum." [cf. Matt 18:20] Quanto magis ubi ecclesia est, ubi mysteria sunt, ibi dignatur suam inpertire praesentiam.

(ed. Faller 1955: 100)

V.27. Do not consider the merits of persons, but the office of priests. And if you look at merits, consider the priest as Elijah; look at the merits of Peter, too, or of Paul, who received this mystery from the Lord Jesus, and handed it on to us. Visible fire was sent to them, that they might believe; for us, who believe, one who is invisible acts: to them for a figure, to us for admonition. Believe, therefore, that invoked by the prayers of the priests the Lord Jesus is present who says, "Where there are two or three, there am I also;" [Matt 18:20] how much more where the Church is, where his mysteries are, does he deign to bestow his presence!

(trans. Thomson 1919: 56, altered)

Discussion:

Place of event:

Region

Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia

City

Milan

About the source:

Author: Ambrose of Milan
Title: De mysteriis, On the mysteries
Origin: Milan (Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

De mysteriis ("On the mysteries") is a short liturgical treatise addressed to the newly baptized and it treats baptism and Eucharist. It is possibly a reworked, elaborated version of the unpublished homilies which form today De sacramentis. Although its attribution to Ambrose was sometimes doubted, the authenticity is accepted by Faller (1955: *19-*30), Botte (1961: 37). For further reading see references in Di Berardino 1986: 172-173. On the basis of the relation of De mysteriis with other works of Ambrose which are securely dated, Faller dates the composition of the treatise before 391 (Faller 1955: *26). For further reading see Di Berardino 1986: 171.

Edition:

B. Botte (ed.), Ambroise de Milan, Des sacrements. Des mysteres. Nouvelles edition revue et augmentee de Explication du symbole, Sources Chretiennes 25, Paris 1961

O. Faller (ed.), Sancti Ambrosii opera pars septima. Explanatio symboli. De sacramentis. De mysteriis. De paenitentia. De excessu fratris. De obitu Valentiniani. De obitu Theodosii, Vienna 1955

Translation:

T. Thomson trans., J.H. Srawley ed., St. Ambrose, On the mysteries and the treatise on the sacraments by an unknown author, New York 1919

Bibliography:

A. Di Berardino (ed.), Patrology, vol. 4, Westminster, MD 1986.

R.H. Conolly, The De Sacramentis a Work of Ambrose: Two Papers, Downside Abbey 1942.

K. Gamber, Die Autorschaft von de Sacramentis: Zugleich ein Beitrag zur Liturgiegeschichte der römischen Provinz Dacia mediterranea, Regensburg 1967.

G. Morin, "Pour l’authenticité du De Sacramentis et de l’Explanatio Symboli de S. Ambroise”, Jahrbuch für Liturgiewissenschaft 8 (1928), 86–106.

T. Schermann, "Die pseudo-ambrosianische Schrift De sacramentis”, Römische Quartalschrift 17 (1903), 36–53.

Categories:

Described by a title - Sacerdos/ἱερεύς

Ritual activity - Baptism and instructing catechumens

Reverenced by

Theoretical considerations - On priesthood

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1990, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1990