Finding Faith

Pulchre admones, frater, ut epistolares fabulas, et sermonem absentium ad interpretationem conferamus oraculi coelestis, interrogans me quid significet illud didrachmum, cujus dimidium Hebraeus praecipitur offerre pro redemptione animae suae. Quid enim tam consociabile, quam de divinis rebus sermonem contexere? Est autem dimidium didrachmi, drachma; redemplio autem animae, fides: fides ergo drachma, quam illa mulier in Evangelio, ut legimus, amissam diligenter requirit, lucernam accendens, et mundans domum suam: et si invenerit, convocat amicas et vicinas, petens contragulari eas secum, quod invenerit drachmam quam perdiderat. Magnum enim damnum animae, si quis fidem amiserit, vel gratiam, quam fidei pretio acquisivit sibi. Et tu ergo accende lucernam tuam: Lacerna tua oculus tuus est, ille scilicet interior oculus mentis. Istam lucernam accende, quae accipit oleum spiritale, et lucet in toto domo tua. Quaere drachmam redemptionem animae tuae, quam qui amiserit, turbatur: qui invenerit, exsultat. Sanctus Ambrosius Mediolanensis, Epistula VII, Justo Source: Migne PL 16.16.943c-944a

You exhort well, brother, in your asking about the meaning of the half shekel which the Hebrew is directed to offer for the redemption of his soul, 1 so that while we apart from each other the intent of our letters and our speech should be of the understanding of the heavenly oracles. What indeed can be so fitting but to steep our words in Divine things? Now the half of the shekel is a piece of silver, and faith is the redemption of the soul. Faith, therefore, is that piece of silver which that woman in the Gospel, as we read, lost and diligently sought, lighting a lamp and sweeping the house, and if she finds it she calls together her friends and neighbours, telling them to rejoice with her because she has found the piece of silver which she had lost. 2 Great is the loss to the soul if a man should lose his faith, or that grace by which he obtained for himself the prize of faith. You, then, light your lamp. Your lamp is your eye, 3 that is, the inward eye of the mind. Light this lamp, which is fed by spiritual oil and gives light to your whole house. Seek the piece of silver that is your soul's redemption, for he that loses it is troubled, and he that finds it rejoices. Saint Ambrose, from Letter 7, to Justus 1 Exod 30.12 -15 2 Lk 15.8-9 3 Mt 6.22