The Spiritual Life of a Priest as the Basis for True Shepherd's Work Saint Ambrose of Mediolana

Abstract

In the article, on the basis of the works of Saint Ambrose of Milan, the theme of
the spiritual life of the priest is analyzed as the basis of true pastoralism: the most important
problems of pastoral service and the inner life of the pastor are indicated, the struggle with
which is a priority in the issue of spiritual improvement of the priest and the positiveness of his
pastoral service. At the same time, emphasis was placed on the analysis of those virtues of the
priest that are necessary for the latter to educate his inner life, and in the matter of his pastoral
ministry. Saint Ambrose of Milan, whose texts were used to analyze this subject, is one of the
brightest figures, leaving a very noticeable mark on the cultural and spiritual life of the 4th
century Christian Church. His theological and religious creations today remain topical examples
and examples of pastoral service, along with the famous words about the priesthood of the
Eastern Fathers. Despite this, very little attention was paid to the study of the literary heritage
of St. Ambrose, especially in Russian religious and theological thought, since it began relatively
recently and was not studied and systematized properly. The theme of the image of the shepherd
in the writings of St. Ambrose is a particularly poorly studied and demanding wider clarification.
The disclosure of this topic is particularly relevant in our time, when shepherding feels the open
influence of modern secularized society and requires moral reinforcement with samples and
examples of inheritance.